
Sharon Carstairs is a retired Member of the Canadian Senate. She has also worked as a sessional lecturer at the University of Manitoba; Member of the Manitoba Legislative Assembly for River Heights; Leader of the Liberal Party in Manitoba; Leader of the Official Opposition in the Manitoba Legislative Assembly; Teacher at St. Norbert Collegiate, St. Norbert and St. John’s Ravenscourt School, Manitoba; and Chairperson of the Board of Referees, Unemployment and Insurance Commission–to name but a few of her roles.
Sharon has been a strong supporter of palliative care throughout her career, raising awareness of this critical service. Having recently retired from the Senate and made her permanent home Ottawa, she joined the OutCare Foundation so that she may continue to make meaningful contributions to her community by ensuring everyone has access to quality end-of-life care.
Sharon has also helped give voice to various important issues through her lifelong commitment to volunteer service. Among her many leadership roles, she was founder, President and Honorary Director of the Prairieaction Foundation; Member of the National Council, Royal Winnipeg Ballet; Honorary Patron, Canadian Council for Refugees; Honorary Chair, UNICEF Manitoba; and Fundraiser, Manitoba Heart Foundation. She earned a Bachelor of Arts, Political Science and History from Dalhousie University, a Masters of Arts in Teaching of History from Smith College, Northampton(Massachusetts), attended the Foreign Service School at Georgetown University(Washington, D.C) and the University of Calgary.
To hear Sharon Carstairs’ palliative care stories watch the following video - The Essence of Palliative Care: Stories from Sharon Carstairs