Fonds F0622 - Inez Elliston fonds

Dr. Inez Elliston was an educator, writer, policy consultant, and leader in community volunteerism. Born in Jamaica, Elliston acquired a Bachelor of Arts from the University of London/University of the West Indies in 1961. She subsequently received a Diploma in Education in 1961 from London University, a Masters of Education from Boston University, a Masters of Education from the University of Toronto in 1972 and her PhD, also from UofT, in 1976.

Elliston was the first coordinator of the Multiculturalism and Race Relations Committee for the Scarborough Board of Education. She was responsible for implementing 14 major policy recommendations, including multicultural training for staff and improved assessment of immigrant children in the school system.

She was Coordinator of the Adult Day School and Multicultural Centre 1978-1982. From 1986 to 1990 she was the vice principle of Continuing Education, From 1994 to 1996 she was an Education Officer in the Ministry of Education and Training. Elliston played key leadership roles in the Canadian Council of multicultural and Intercultural Education (CCMIE), Delta Kappa Gamma International Society for Key Women Educators, the Governing Council at University of Toronto, has sat on the Advisory Board and Faculty Council at OISE at the University of Toronto, and is involved in the Canadian Federation of University Women.

Elliston’s contributions to Canadian society and her local community have been acknowledged through awards including: a 15 Year Volunteer Service Award from the Ministry of Citizenship (1987), a citation for Citizenship from the Government of Canada (1989), an Outstanding Achievement Award from CCMIE (1990), and Outstanding Achievement Ward from the Jamaican Canadian Association (1996), the ACAA in 1996, and lifetime achievement awards from the Malvern Youth Club (2000), the John Hubbard Humanitarian Award (2001). She has also received public recognition of her contributions to the community from the City of Scarborough (1994) and the City of Markham (2002). She received the Order of Ontario in 2004.

An award for achievement in anti-racist and ethno-cultural equity was established in Elliston’s name by the Board of Scarborough in 1995.

Elliston was the author of Multiculturalism in Canada: issues and perspectives, Education in a changing society and Effective schooling for an increasingly diverse student population.