Trish Altass in September 2023 when she joined our team.
We are asking each current staffperson with the PEI Advisory Council on the Status of Women to choose a milestone year to reflect on among these “50 Ways to Achieve Equality” posts. Today’s significant year is selected by Trish Altass, who has been working part-time with the Council since September 2023, when she was hired as a Research Coordinator. We had known Trish for years before she joined the Council team, first as a volunteer member of the PEI Working Group for a Livable Income, and then as a Member of PEI’s Legislative Assembly, one of about three dozen women elected as MLA in PEI’s history. Trish chose 2019 as her milestone year.
Being elected to the PEI Legislative Assembly in 2019 not only made for a memorable year but was an incredible honour and privilege. I was fortunate to be part of a majority women caucus, with five out of eight Official Opposition Green Party members being women.
While the role of the PEI Advisory Council on the Status of Women is to advise government, there are many ways a proactive Opposition can also benefit from insights from the council to further gender equality on PEI. I was proud to be part of a caucus that passed several pieces of legislation that have a direct impact on the lives of women and gender-diverse people on PEI, including Lynne Lund’s Non-Disclosure Agreements Act restricting the use of NDAs in cases of sexual harassment and discrimination, Hannah Bell’s Poverty Elimination Strategy Act setting actionable targets to eliminate poverty on PEI, and my Pay Transparency amendments to the Employment Standards Act.
In November 2023, Council staff members all celebrated the release of Coalition Canada’s proposal for a guaranteed livable income benefit for PEI, which Trish was instrumental to developing and continues to champion through her role with the Advisory Council on the Status of Women: https://www.gbireport.ca/.
Over the years, many critical issues for women and gender-diverse people have been championed by women in the PEI Green caucus, including some that had never been discussed in the PEI Legislature before. These included Michele Beaton’s motions to increase support for pelvic floor health, endometriosis, and ovarian cancer. Karla Bernard continues this work in the Legislature, including recently passing a bill to increase transparency and accountability regarding sexual misconduct complaints in Island schools.
By 1999, Pat Mella was a member of the government and became a truly legendary Minister Responsible for the Status of Women. In this picture from 1999, Patricia Roy, PEI Advisory Council on the Status of Women Chairperson, pins a purple ribbon on Pat Mella (middle), with Inge Blackett, Council Vice-Chairperson (left). Photo by Brian Simpson, from the PEI Famous Five website: https://www.peifamousfive.ca/Mella-feature
Technically, however, we were not the first official opposition on PEI with a majority of women members. That honour goes to PC Leader and MLA Pat Mella, who was the only member of the Official Opposition from 1993-1996. I was extremely fortunate to be surrounded and supported by such strong, intelligent, and capable women during my time in the Official Opposition caucus. I can’t imagine my experience as an MLA without them, and I have great appreciation and respect for Pat Mella, who took on this challenge alone.
Trish at Summerside’s Pride Walk in July 2025.
Also notable in 2019, Prince Edward Island made significant strides in transgender rights and support, including recognizing Transgender Day of Remembrance, passing legislation to prohibit conversion therapy, and expanding access to gender-affirming healthcare. While an openly transgender person has yet to be elected to the PEI Legislative Assembly, I am hopeful we will see this happen soon.
I am thankful to be able to continue to support progress toward gender equality on PEI in my current role as research coordinator for the PEI Advisory Council on the Status of Women. I have the pleasure of working with the Council and staff team to provide evidence-based recommendations grounded in the lived experience of women and gender-diverse people on PEI.
