Celebrating the Life of June Callwood

June Callwood died on April 14th, 2007 after an ongoing fight with cancer at the age of 82. It is a sad day for all of Canada, and is an excellent opportunity to look at the life and acheivements of one of the Greatest Canadians.

June Callwood was an author and social activist that was often called "Canada's Conscience" due to her work in over 50 activist organizations having to do with everything from Civil Liberties, Homelessness, Racism, Gender Equality, and support for troubled teens, battered women, and people with HIV/AIDS. She is noted for having started Casey House, one of the world's first hospices for HIV/AIDS.

She was very much a renaissance woman of sorts. She was a TV personality from several CBC shows duting the 70's. She was a prominent author and journalist working for the Globe and Mail starting in the 40's, and later ghostwriting several autobiographies including Barbara Walters'. She had a valid pilot's license until the day she died. All that combined with her social work makes her one of the most important and influencial Canadians in recent history. She was awarded the Order of Canada in 1978.

Mrs. Callwood recently gave one of the most intimate and touching interviews that I've ever seen with George Strombolopolous on The Hour. I, like so many before, felt personally touched by her candour and wisdom. Her passing is a sad day for Canada, and I'm sure she will be remembered by the thousands of lives she touched. We can all learn from examples like hers to improve our own lives and the lives of those around us. That is June Callwood's legacy.