April 9, 1985

Liberal Member of the Canadian Parliament Judith Erola spoke on “Women in the 80’s: A Canadian Perspective” in Chicago Hall Auditorium. Valerie Feldman, a Canadian student, was disappointed by the larger student body’s lack of enthusiasm for the “dynamic and highly informative” lecture. The event “was well publicized but only a handful of people showed up. …I apologized telling [Erola] that when someone mentions Canada often Americans yawn,” Feldman wrote in a Letter to the Editor in The Miscellany News.

As a member of the cabinet during Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau’s second term in office—1980-1984—Erola served as Minister of State for Social Development, Minister responsible for the Status of Women and Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs. She served briefly in the cabinet of Trudeau’s successor, John Turner.