Join the Famous 5 Speaker Series Sarnia Lambton for an unforgettable luncheon on October 18th, 2024, where Debbie Austin will share her inspiring story! You don't want to miss this opportunity to enjoy a delicious full course meal, networking opportunity, keynote speech, and a chance to win a prize.
Keynote Speaker: Debbie Austin
Judge Austin grew up in Markham Ontario and graduated from the University of Toronto ( BA) and Osgoode Hall Law School ( LLB). Her life and husband’s job with Dow brought her to Sarnia-Lambton, where she articled, practiced Family Law, and made Sarnia Lambton her home.
When she started to work as a lawyer, she was the only Sarnia female lawyer among many male lawyers, dealing with Family Law cases. At the age of 27, during her first year of law practice, her husband was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer that caused his death within 3 months, leaving her a single parent and sole support for her 3 year old son and 9 month old daughter. She continued to practice law in Sarnia, eventually remarried and by the time of her appointment as a Judge ten years later, she was a 37 year old mother of four children between the ages of 2 and 13.
She was the first female Judge appointed in Sarnia, presiding in both Family and Criminal cases and for many years, was the Local Administrative Judge. By the time she retired to become a per diem ( part time ) Judge, the Ontario Court of Justice had changed significantly, with much more diversity, gender balance and women in leadership positions, both as lawyers and as Judges.
While a full time Sarnia Judge, she worked with other justice participants to start a Mental Health (Wellness) Court and the Walpole Island First Nation Court which offer restorative justice, community based alternatives to incarceration in appropriate cases. She is an active member of the Sarnia-Lambton community through Rayjon Sharecare and the Sarnia Community Foundation and a proud mother of three adult sons and one daughter, and grandmother to 5 boys!
Date: October 18th, 2024
Time: 11:15AM – 1:00PM
Location: Sunridge Hotel and Conference centre | 1498 Venetian Blvd, Point Edward
Registration: https://www.revelree.ca/famous-5-foundation-speaker-series
Price: $45
About the Famous 5 Speaker Series Sarnia Lambton
In 1929, a group of five courageous Canadian women stepped forward to challenge laws and conventions by insisting that women were indeed “persons.”
These 5 historical women were Emily Murphy, Nellie McClung, Henrietta Muir Edwards, Louise McKinney and Irene Parlby.
And so to honour these five women and to combine tribute with inspiration, the Famous 5 Speaker Series was established in Calgary in 1998 with a satellite speaker series being launched in Sarnia Lambton in 2013.
Now, the Speaker Series profiles extraordinary women of today and speakers talk candidly about the challenges and triumphs in their personal journeys toward success.