Street nurse Cathy Crowe appointed distinguished visiting practitioner at Ryerson University

Cathy Crowe, a long-time Toronto street nurse and ardent social justice advocate, has been appointed a distinguished visiting practitioner at Ryerson University’s Faculty of Arts. Her appointment, which was announced on September 24 at Ryerson’s second annual Jack Layton Lecture, is for a two-year term.Having worked as a nurse on Toronto’s streets since 1988, the Ryerson Nursing graduate (1985) has advocated extensively for people who are homeless as an educator, author and film producer. She co-founded the Toronto Disaster Relief Committee which declared homelessness a national disaster. Her unwavering commitment to some of society’s most vulnerable citizens has garnered many honours, and was the subject of the documentary Street Nurse.As a distinguished visiting practitioner, Crowe will collaborate with Myer Siemiatycki, a Ryerson politics and public administration professor who holds the inaugural Jack Layton Chair, which was made possible through the contributions of individual donors through fundraising at the Faculty of Arts. Together they will launch the Jack Layton Summer School for Youth Activism. She will also teach, mentor students and faculty, advise on experiential learning, promote multidisciplinary collaboration and pursue independent research.“We welcome Cathy to Ryerson University, and we are fortunate to have someone with her in-depth understanding of homelessness and poverty, and her passion as a social justice advocate, contributing to our academic activities,” said Mohamed Lachemi, provost and vice president academic.“In learning and collaborating with Crowe, students and faculty at Ryerson will have the opportunity to gain first-hand insights on some of our country’s most pressing social issues, and learn about how activism can promote positive social change,” added Jean-Paul Boudreau, dean, Faculty of Arts.Crowe has received the Atkinson Charitable Foundation’s Economic Justice Fellowship Award, the City of Toronto Persons Award, the International Human Rights Award in Nursing from the International Centre for Nursing Ethics, the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario Award of Merit and the Ryerson Alumni Award of Distinction. She holds honorary degrees from the University of Victoria, McMaster University, the University of Ottawa, Humber College and York University. Born in Coburg, Ontario, she completed her Masters of Education (Sociology) from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education in 1992.“Cathy Crowe brings to Ryerson a unique ‘on-the-ground’ understanding of urban problems and their solution,” said Siemiatycki. “She will enrich and inspire students’ understanding of the role they can play making their community a better place.”Crowe has helped foster numerous social justice and anti-poverty coalitions and advocacy initiatives. She frequently comments and writes about issues such as affordable housing, shelter conditions and tuberculosis. She is the author of Dying for a Home: Homeless Activists Speak Out,and the executive producer of Home Safe Toronto, Home Safe Calgary and Home Safe Hamilton,national documentary film and community development projects on homeless families and children.“I am thrilled to be back at Ryerson,” said Crowe. “I’ve learned over the years that the issues I care about cross all disciplines and I look forward to supporting faculty and students, engaging in work on social justice.”As an educator, Crowe has taught on the dynamics of homelessness and poverty at multiple universities, including the course Homelessness in Canadian Society at Ryerson University. She has also developed social justice walking tours as an innovative way to engage students on topical urban issues. She worked closely with Jack Layton for many years on solutions for homelessness.Cathy and Ryerson are a perfect fit," said Olivia Chow, Jack Layton’s wife and Member of Parliament. "(She) is a rare gem – as a practitioner, teacher, writer and advocate she has strengthened services and policies for society’s most vulnerable."

Street nurse Cathy Crowe appointed distinguished visiting practitioner at Ryerson University

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