Ione Christensen

Ione Jean Christensen, CM OY, née Cameron (born October 10, 1933) is a former Canadian Senator.[1]

The Honourable

Ione Christensen
Commissioner of Yukon
In office
January 20, 1979 – October 6, 1979
Prime MinisterPierre Trudeau
Joe Clark
PremierChris Pearson
Preceded byFrank Fingland
Succeeded byDouglas Bell
Senator for Yukon
In office
September 2, 1999 – December 31, 2006
Nominated byJean Chrétien
Preceded byPaul Lucier
Succeeded byDaniel Lang
Mayor of Whitehorse, Yukon
In office
1976–1979
Preceded byPaul Lucier
Succeeded byArt Deer
Personal details
Born
Ione Jean Cameron

(1933-10-10) October 10, 1933
Dawson Creek, British Columbia
Spouse(s)Art Christensen
ResidenceWhitehorse, Yukon

The daughter of former North-West Mounted Police constable Gordon Irwin Cameron, and Dawson City born Martha Ballentine Cameron, her family moved to Whitehorse in 1949. Christensen graduated from high school in 1953. She received an associate in arts degree in business administration from the College of San Mateo in California. In 1968, she married Art Christensen, a geologist.

In 1971, she was appointed the first woman justice of the peace and judge of the juvenile court in Yukon. In 1975, she was elected the first woman mayor of Whitehorse;[2] on the same day, Yolanda Burkhard was elected as the first woman mayor of Dawson City.[2] In 1979, she served as the Commissioner of the Yukon, being the first woman to be appointed as Commissioner of the Yukon.

In 1980, she ran unsuccessfully as a Liberal candidate, in the federal election for the riding of Yukon. She lost by 101 votes to Erik Nielsen.

In 1994, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada. Her father was also a member. In 1999, Christensen was appointed at the recommendation of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien to the Senate.

On December 31, 2006, Christensen resigned from the Senate to assist her ailing husband.[3]

In 2019, she was made a member of the Order of Yukon's inaugural class.[4] The first 10 recipients were named ahead of the ceremony on December 2, 2019.[5][6]

References
  1. Ione Christensen – Parliament of Canada biography
  2. "Two women elected mayors in Yukon vote". The Globe and Mail, December 13, 1975.
  3. Christensen retires, Qonfusion, December 15, 2006. Retrieved on March 3, 2007.
  4. https://yukon.ca/en/news/nominate-exceptional-yukoner-order-yukon
  5. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/order-of-yukon-recipients-2019-1.5379422
  6. https://www.whitehorsestar.com/News/commissioner-names-first-recipients-of-the-order-of-yukon
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