Maria Fitzpatrick
Fitzpatrick in May 2015
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for Lethbridge-East
In office May 5, 2015 – March 19, 2019
Preceded by	Bridget Pastoor
Succeeded by	Nathan Neudorf
Personal details
Born	(1949-02-18) February 18, 1949 St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
Political party	Alberta New Democratic Party
Residence(s)	Lethbridge, Alberta
Occupation	Corrections officer, athlete

Maria Michelle Fitzpatrick (born February 18, 1949) is a Canadian politician who was elected in the 2015 Alberta general election to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta representing the electoral district of Lethbridge-East.^[1]

Early life

Fitzpatrick was born and raised in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. She is a former sprinter who competed in the Canada Summer Games, Canadian Track and Field Championships, National University Indoor Championships, Halifax Highland Games, Antigonish Highland Games, and Royal Canadian Legion Provincial Championships. In 1969, she was named the Athlete of the Year for St. John's. She later coached various track and field teams in the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Alberta. In 2005, she was named to the Newfoundland and Labrador Athletics Association Hall of Fame. Fitzpatrick is a trustee on the Lethbridge Labour Council, vice president of the Canadian Federation of University Women, and chair of the regional women's committee of the Public Service Alliance of Canada. She worked for 32 years with the Correctional Service of Canada, most recently as a project officer.^[2][3]

Political career

In November 2015, during debate on a private member's bill to improve supports for victims of domestic violence, Fitzpatrick spoke in the legislature about her own experience, having been married to an abusive husband in the 1970s.^[4] She earned a standing ovation in the legislature for her speech, and the bill unanimously passed second reading soon afterward.^[4]

Electoral history

References