Joan Chalmers

Margaret Joan Chalmers, (May 30, 1928 – December 2, 2016) was a Canadian philanthropist and supporter of the arts.

Born in Toronto, Ontario, she and her parents, Floyd and Jean Chalmers, founded the annual Chalmers Awards in 1972, which donates $25,000 CAD to artists in dance, theatre, crafts, film, the visual arts and music.

She was involved with the travelling exhibit, Survivors in Search of a Voice: The Art of Courage, which as a collaboration among 24 prominent Canadian women artists and over 100 breast cancer survivors.

While celebrating her 70th birthday in 1998, she announced that she would provide 20 arts groups with a total of $1 million in funding.

Chalmers was the partner of former singer-songwriter Barbra Amesbury.

She died on December 2, 2016, in Toronto, from injuries suffered in a fall.

Honours

 * In 1985 Ms Chalmers received the Diplôme d'Honneur from the Canadian Conference of the Arts
 * In 1987 she was made a Member of the Order of Canada.
 * In 1987 she was awarded a Doctor of Fine Arts, honoris causa from NSCAD University.
 * In 1992 she was promoted to Officer of the Order of Canada.
 * In 1993 she received the Ramon John Hnatyshyn (RJH) Award for Voluntarism in the Performing Arts.
 * In 1994 she was awarded the Order of Ontario.
 * In 1994 she was awarded an honorary Doctor of Law from the University of Waterloo.
 * In 1997 she was promoted to Companion of the Order of Canada.
 * In 2001 she received the Governor General's Award for Visual and Media Arts in the Outstanding Contribution category.