Aideen Nicholson was presented the Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians’ Distinguished Service Award on June 3, 2003 in recognition of her years of parliamentary service and her contribution and respect for the institution of Parliament.
Ms. Nicholson entered politics in 1974, when she became the Member of Parliament for the Toronto area riding of Trinity, Ontario. She served in the House of Commons until 1988. During this time in Parliament, she was Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, Official Opposition Spokesperson on Financial Institutions, Chair of the Standing Committee on Labour, Manpower and Immigration, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs, Chair of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association, and a delegate to the U.N. General Assembly.
Prior to entering politics, she was a social worker in Toronto hospitals and dedicated herself to caring for women and children. She was Administrator in charge of Ontario’s Reformatories for Women and Executive Director of a child care agency. She served on many Boards of Directors, including the Ontario Welfare Council, the Ontario Association of Corrections and Criminology, and the Hinels Treatment Centre. She was also President of the Toronto Branch of the Ontario Association of Professional Social Workers. After her time in Parliament, she was a member of the Immigration and Refugee Board from 1989 to 1995. She also continued her good works, serving on the boards of the Elliott Lake Women’s Crisis Centre, Family Life Centre and St. Joseph’s Hospital, and was Vice-Chair of the White Mountain Academy of the Arts.
