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Claudette Tardif is widely known as a passionate advocate of minority language rights, particularly for Alberta’s francophone minority, and for her contributions to secondary and postsecondary education.
Born in Westlock, Alberta, in 1947, Tardif attended the University of Alberta, where she earned a B.Ed. in secondary education in 1968. The next year, she began a career as a high school teacher with Edmonton Catholic Schools. She later went on to complete an M.Ed. and joined the University of Alberta as a professor at the Faculté Saint-Jean (now Campus Saint-Jean). She completed a Ph.D. in educational administration in 1984 and was named associate dean in 1991 and dean in 1995, a position she held until 2003. She also served on the U of A Senate, the Academic Priorities Committee, the executive of the General Faculties Council and the Deans’ Council. She was acting vice-president (external relations) at the U of A when she was appointed to the Canadian Senate in 2005.
During her academic career, Tardif’s research interests centred on immersion education and cultural identity in a minority environment. She served on many professional and community-based provincial and national organizations, and played a leading role on important committees and in conferences relating to education, culture, social issues and sport, both nationally and internationally. She served on the board of the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights, the Canadian Unity Council and the Fondation nationale du théâtre francophone. She was appointed by the federal minister of justice to the Advisory Committee on Judicial Appointments for the Province of Alberta for 2002–04. In 2005, the same year she became a senator, the Government of Alberta appointed her as one of the province’s centennial ambassadors.
Dr. Tardif’s honours are literally too many to list in this small space. Here are some selected ones: l’Ordre des francophones d’Amérique, awarded by the Government of Quebec and the Conseil supérieur de la langue française (2011); l’Ordre de la Pléiade, awarded by the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie (2005); the Province of Alberta’s Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal (2003); the Order of Merit and induction to the Compagnie des cent-associées francophones by the Association canadienne des éducateurs de langue française (2001), an Edmonton ITV Woman of Vision Award (2000); and a Prix Maurice Lavallée award in recognition of exceptional contributions to francophone education in Alberta (1990 and 1997).
Currently, Dr. Tardif serves as ex-officio member on all the Senate Standing Committees, and as a permanent member on the Senate Standing Committee on Official Languages and on the Senate Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration. She was appointed deputy leader of the opposition in the Senate in January 2007. Since 2009 she has chaired the Inter-Parliamentary Association of Canada-France and is a member of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie, the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association and the Canada-China Legislative Association. She is also the president of the Board of Governors of the Franco-Albertan Foundation, as well as honorary president of the Tolerance Caravan of Alberta, and sits on the board of Little Warriors.
