Avalon Roberts (born 1945) is a Canadian politician, public health care advocate, and psychiatrist based in Calgary, Alberta. She ran on behalf of the Liberal party provincially and federally.
Early life
She was born in Newfoundland and has lived in Calgary since 1980. Roberts is the first cousin of former Newfoundland and Labrador Lieutenant Governor Edward Roberts. She is married to Tom Bowen, and has two adult daughters.
She obtained her Bachelor of Science (Nursing) at McGill University in Montreal and her Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) at Dalhousie University. She has worked as a community-practice psychiatrist and is a former president of the Alberta Psychiatric Association. She served as chairperson of the Calgary and Alberta chapters of Friends of Medicare, a public health care advocacy group. She has also served as the Director of the Psychiatric Assessment Service (outpatients) at the Calgary General Hospital and Director of the Outpatient Assessment Service (psychiatry) at the Eric Martin Pavilion in Victoria, B.C.
Political activism
Roberts campaigned for the Liberal Party of Canada in the 2004 federal election against Conservative leader Stephen Harper, finishing second with 9,501 votes. She ran provincially for the Alberta Liberal Party in the riding of Calgary-Glenmore in the 2004, 2008, and 2009 elections, finishing second all three times.
Before and after entering election campaigns, she was a regular commentator on public issues, particularly on the public health care system. She was critical of both the provincial and federal Conservative governments and cut-backs to public health care.
Photo notes
I took both of the photos above at a rally organized by the Alberta Liberal Party on Februry 20, 2008. Kevin Taft was the leader of the party, and main speaker at the rally, which featured Calgary’s Liberal candidates, including Avalon. It was held outside the Holy Cross building. Holy Cross was a public general hospital in Calgary, until it was shutdown by the provincial government previously, and at the time was being used by a for-profit company contracting services back to the government.