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Michael Phair

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Michael Phair
Edmonton City Councillor Ward 4
In office
1992–2007
Preceded byLance White
Succeeded byBen Henderson
Personal details
BornAugust 1950 (age 74)
Loyal, Wisconsin, U.S.
Alma materTowson State University
Loyal University
San Francisco State University

Michael Albert Phair (born August 1950) is a Canadian politician, who served on Edmonton City Council from 1992 until 2007.[1] He was the first openly gay elected politician in the province of Alberta,[1] as well as one of the earliest openly gay elected officials anywhere in Canada.[2]

In 1981, Phair was one of 56 men arrested by the Edmonton Police Service during a raid by the morality control unit on the Pisces Health Spa, a gay bathhouse. He was convicted, but then appealed and had his record scrubbed.[3][4]

The Pisces raid served to launch Phair's community activism as he helped to form many 2SLGBTQ community groups and organizations in Edmonton, including establishing the AIDS Network of Edmonton in 1984, which today is known as HIV Edmonton.[4][5] He also worked closely with Maureen Irwin to organize the first parade for Edmonton Pride in the early 90s.[6]

Following his retirement from elected politics, Phair has continued to be actively involved in the community, including serving as a board member of Edmonton Pride and as a founding member of the Edmonton Queer History Project.[7][8]

Mr. Phair is an adjunct professor with the Institute for Sexual Minority Studies and Services (iSMSS) in the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta.[9][10]

Awards and honours

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In June 2015, the Edmonton Public School Board honoured Phair by naming a new junior high school after him citing his work with HIV Edmonton and Homeward Trust.[4] The school serves students in Grades 7 through 9 with a capacity of approximately 900 students. The school opened in 2017 in the Webber Greens neighbourhood.[11][12][13]

Phair (left) with Edmonton mayor Don Iveson in 2016

On February 25, 2016, Phair was named Chairman of the University of Alberta Board of Governors.[10] On August 16, 2019, Phair was replaced with the appointment of Kate Chisholm by the UCP government.[14]

Also in 2016, a downtown City of Edmonton pocket park, Michael Phair Park was renamed after former city councillor Michael Phair in recognition of his longstanding service to the city.[15] The park is located on 104th street, a short distance north of Jasper Ave.[16]

In recognition of his community contributions, Phair received an honorary doctor of laws degree from the University of Alberta on June 8, 2022.[17]

In 2022, Phair was appointed as Chancellor of St. Stephen's College at the University of Alberta.[18]

References

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  1. ^ a b Moroz, Ross (April 25, 2007), "Venerable councillor calls it a career", Vue Weekly, archived from the original on October 26, 2007, retrieved 2008-02-03
  2. ^ Lorinc, John (2009-11-13). "Gay politicians come out of the closet and into the cabinet". The Globe and Mail.
  3. ^ Short, Dylan (2021-05-31). "'Shattered lives': A look at Edmonton police raid of Pisces Spa bathhouse four decades later". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c Hagen, Darrin (18 May 2021). "After the Pisces Bathhouse Raid: Michael Phair – LGBTQ2S+ Activist and Community Leader". Edmonton City as Museum Project. Edmonton Heritage Council. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  5. ^ "AIDS Network of Edmonton" (PDF). Edmonton Queer History Project. 2023-03-14. Retrieved 2023-06-10.
  6. ^ "Centennial Plaza" (PDF). Edmonton Queer History Project. 2023-03-21. Retrieved 2023-06-21.
  7. ^ "Trustees to lead Pride Parade" Archived 2016-03-24 at the Wayback Machine. Edmonton Journal, May 25, 2012.
  8. ^ "About EQHP". Edmonton Queer History Project. Retrieved 2023-06-10.
  9. ^ "Michael Phair. University of Alberta, Faculty of Education". University of Alberta. Retrieved 2021-03-03.
  10. ^ a b Ibrahim, Mariam (February 25, 2016). "Former city councillor Michael Phair named chairman of University of Alberta board of governors". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
  11. ^ "Michael Phair to have Edmonton school named for him". CBC News. June 21, 2015. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
  12. ^ "Michael Phair School hosts grand opening to honour former city councillor". CBC News. January 22, 2018. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  13. ^ Lye, Chandra (2015-06-21). "Edmonton Public School Board announces names of five new schools". CTV News. Retrieved 2023-06-10.
  14. ^ Bellefontaine, Michelle (August 16, 2019). "UCP sweeps NDP governance appointments out of post-secondary institutions". CBC News. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  15. ^ Stolte, Elise (2016-05-27). "Downtown Edmonton pocket park named after former city councillor Michael Phair". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved 2023-06-10.
  16. ^ Neufield, Lydia (2016-05-26). "Reclaimed downtown park named for former city councillor Michael Phair". CBC. Retrieved 2023-06-10.
  17. ^ Betkowski, Bev. "U of A names honorary degree recipients for 2022 spring convocation". Folio. University of Alberta. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  18. ^ "Incoming Chancellor 2022". www.ualberta.ca. Retrieved 2023-06-10.
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