Christine Meikle

Born 1908 in Glasgow, Scotland; died 1997 in Calgary

Occupation: Nurse, advocate

Contribution: After Christine Meikle discovered that her son Roddy had Down syndrome, she dedicated her life to supporting people like her son. Rather than have her son go into an institution — the only option at that time — Meikle and another pioneering parent, Emily Follensbee, opened her home in 1953 as the first school for the mentally challenged. She founded the Calgary and Alberta chapters of the Association for the Mentally Retarded. In 1958, she founded and became the principal of Canada’s first government-funded school for the mentally handicapped. She also helped establish the Vocational and Rehabilitation Research Institute in Calgary. Meikle received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Calgary in 1971 and the Order of Canada in 1973. She received the Alberta Achievement Award for outstanding service in Special Education in 1980.

Notable: Today’s sentiment — “Everyone belongs” — is based on Meikle’s work.