Statement made on 14 June 2011 by Senator Elizabeth Hubley
Hon. Elizabeth Hubley:
Honourable senators, on Thursday, June 2, 2011, Senator Callbeck was honoured by the P.E.I. business community with induction into the P.E.I. Business Hall of Fame.
Hon. Senators: Hear, hear!
Senator Hubley: This annual gala dinner and recognition ceremony celebrates the province's top, current and past business leaders, highlighting their entrepreneurial successes and contributing to their communities.
Senator Callbeck is widely recognized as a trailblazer for Canadian women's advancement. We all know about her great achievements as a woman in politics, both in Ottawa and Prince Edward Island, but perhaps fewer are aware of her accomplishments as a business leader.
When Senator Callbeck graduated from Mount Allison University with a Bachelor of Commerce degree in 1960, she was only the second woman ever to do so. She then went on to acquire a Bachelor of Education degree at Dalhousie University and to take further postgraduate business courses at Syracuse University.
When she returned to Prince Edward Island after teaching business in Ontario and New Brunswick, she quickly put her skills and knowledge to work. She joined her family furniture business, Callbeck's Limited, and proceeded to grow the company, bringing Leon's Furniture to Prince Edward Island.
She was truly a role model for young female entrepreneurs at a time when there were few women involved in business. With her energy and sharp business sense, Senator Callbeck not only found success for herself but helped to pave the way for future businesswomen of Prince Edward Island.
Honourable senators, I hope you will join me in congratulating Senator Callbeck on her induction into the P.E.I. Business Hall of Fame and her enduring legacy as a business and community leader.