21 Facts About Evelyn Gigantes

Evelyn Adelaide Gigantes was born on November 1,1942 and is a former politician in Ontario, Canada.

Evelyn Gigantes served as a New Democratic Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario on three occasions between 1975 and 1995 and was a prominent cabinet minister in the government of Bob Rae.

Evelyn Gigantes's father, Earle Peach, was an author who wrote a book called Memories of a Cape Breton Childhood.

Evelyn Gigantes earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Carleton University.

Evelyn Gigantes worked as a radio and television broadcaster before entering political life, and was for a time an interviewer with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and host of her own current affairs show in Ottawa.

Evelyn Gigantes has a daughter, Clea, from a first marriage and a son, Matthew, with her second husband, John Sifton.

Evelyn Gigantes ran for the Ontario legislature in a by-election held on November 7,1974.

Evelyn Gigantes was defeated by Progressive Conservative Paul Frederick Taylor in the Ottawa area riding of Carleton East, losing by 240 votes.

Evelyn Gigantes said the baby was conceived during an NDP convention the previous fall.

Evelyn Gigantes returned to the legislature through a by-election win in Ottawa Centre on December 13,1984, called after former Ontario NDP leader Michael Cassidy resigned as MPP.

Evelyn Gigantes defeated Progressive Conservative candidate Graham Bird by 1,878 votes.

Evelyn Gigantes was re-elected over Bird by an increased margin in the 1985 provincial election.

Evelyn Gigantes served as her party's critic for the Attorney General and for Women's Issues in this period.

In November 1986, Evelyn Gigantes proposed a gay rights amendment to a bill that sought to bring Ontario statutes into line with the new Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The Liberals won a majority government in the 1987 provincial election, and Evelyn Gigantes lost her seat to Liberal Richard Patten by 1,087 votes.

The NDP won a majority government under Bob Rae in the 1990 provincial election, and Evelyn Gigantes, campaigning in Ottawa Centre, defeated Patten by almost 3,000 votes.

Evelyn Gigantes remarked during the election campaign that the Liberals, who were widely seen as leading in the polls, were not in control of events.

In November 1990, Evelyn Gigantes announced that the province would set up fully funded free-standing abortion clinics to ensure that abortion services remained available.

Evelyn Gigantes resigned because she allegedly pressured an Ottawa tenant to drop charges against the board members of her public housing project.

The NDP were defeated in the 1995 provincial election and Evelyn Gigantes again lost the Ottawa Centre riding to Richard Patten by over 1,500 votes.

In 2004, Evelyn Gigantes co-chaired a candidate search committee for the federal New Democratic Party.