Margaret Norrie McCain

McCain, Margaret Norrie

Margaret Norrie McCain, philanthropist, lieutenant-governor of New Brunswick (b northern Québec 1 Oct 1934). Born to a mining engineer, McCain spent much of her childhood in Truro, NS. Educated at Mount Allison University and the University of Toronto, she married Wallace McCain in 1955. She raised four children and participated actively in the community of Florenceville, NB. In addition to local community work, she became involved with the NATIONAL BALLET SCHOOL, the Canadiana Fund of the National Capital Commission, the Young Naturalist Federation and has been on the board of regents of Mount Allison since 1974 and chancellor since 1986.

Her greatest rewards came with the founding of the Muriel McQueen Fergusson Foundation, which fights family violence and provides support for spousal and child abuse facilities. McCain spearheaded the foundation's fundraising activities and chairs the Muriel McQueen Fergusson Centre for Family Violence Research, located on the Mount Allison campus.

McCain was named lieutenant-governor of New Brunswick in October 1994, and subsequently donated her entire salary as lieutenant-governor to the Fergusson Foundation. She served until April 1997, when she was replaced by Marilyn TRENHOLME COUNSELL. She was made an Officer of the ORDER OF CANADA in 1998, and in 2004 she became a member of the ORDER OF NEW BRUNSWICK. In May 2005, she received the YWCA Toronto Women of Distinction award for Philanthropy and Volunteerism.