{{Short description|Canadian politician (born 1950)}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Michael Phair | image = MPhair-26801025674 cbb3c0595e o (cropped).jpg | image_size = | caption = | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1950|8}} | birth_place = Loyal, Wisconsin, U.S. | office1 = Edmonton City Councillor Ward 4 | term_start1 = 1992 | term_end1 = 2007 | predecessor1 = Lance White | successor1 = Ben Henderson | alma_mater = Towson State University<br>Loyal University<br>San Francisco State University | spouse = | children = | occupation = }} '''Michael Albert Phair''' (born August 1950) is a Canadian politician, who served on Edmonton City Council from 1992 until 2007.<ref name=vue>{{citation|url=http://www.vueweekly.com/articles/default.aspx?i=6253 |title=Venerable councillor calls it a career |first=Ross |last=Moroz |periodical=Vue Weekly |date=April 25, 2007 |access-date=2008-02-03 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071026060032/http://www.vueweekly.com/articles/default.aspx?i=6253 |archive-date=October 26, 2007 }}</ref> He was the first openly gay elected politician in the province of Alberta,<ref name=vue /> as well as one of the earliest openly gay elected officials anywhere in Canada.<ref name="globe">{{Cite web |last=Lorinc |first=John |date=2009-11-13 |title=Gay politicians come out of the closet and into the cabinet |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/gay-politicians-come-out-of-the-closet-and-into-the-cabinet/article4292571/ |publisher=The Globe and Mail}}</ref>
== Career ==
In 1981, Phair was one of 56 men arrested by the Edmonton Police Service during a raid by the morality control unit on the Pisces Health Spa, a gay bathhouse. He was convicted, but then appealed and had his record scrubbed.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Short |first=Dylan |date=2021-05-31 |title='Shattered lives': A look at Edmonton police raid of Pisces Spa bathhouse four decades later |url=https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/shattered-lives-a-look-at-edmonton-police-raid-of-pisces-spa-bathhouse-four-decades-later |access-date=May 31, 2021 |website=Edmonton Journal |language=en-ca}}</ref><ref name="ecamp">{{cite web |last1=Hagen |first1=Darrin |title=After the Pisces Bathhouse Raid: Michael Phair – LGBTQ2S+ Activist and Community Leader |url=https://citymuseumedmonton.ca/2021/05/18/after-the-pisces-bathhouse-raid-michael-phair-lgbtq2s-activist-and-community-leader/ |website=Edmonton City as Museum Project |publisher=Edmonton Heritage Council |access-date=26 March 2024 |date=18 May 2021}}</ref>
The Pisces raid served to launch Phair's community activism as he helped to form many 2SLGBTQ community groups and organizations in Edmonton, including establishing the AIDS Network of Edmonton in 1984, which today is known as HIV Edmonton.<ref name="ecamp"/><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-03-14 |title=AIDS Network of Edmonton |url=https://www.edmontonqueerhistoryproject.ca/s/AIDS-Network-031423.pdf |access-date=2023-06-10 |website=Edmonton Queer History Project |language=en-US}}</ref> He also worked closely with Maureen Irwin to organize the first parade for Edmonton Pride in the early 90s.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-03-21 |title=Centennial Plaza |url=https://www.edmontonqueerhistoryproject.ca/s/Centennial-Plaza-032123.pdf |access-date=2023-06-21 |website=Edmonton Queer History Project}}</ref>
Following his retirement from elected politics, Phair has continued to be actively involved in the community, including serving as a board member of Edmonton Pride and as a founding member of the Edmonton Queer History Project.<ref>[http://www.canada.com/story.html?id=4a2ddaad-580f-4124-9a5f-a338467ec03c "Trustees to lead Pride Parade"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160324102741/http://www.canada.com/story.html?id=4a2ddaad-580f-4124-9a5f-a338467ec03c |date=2016-03-24 }}. ''Edmonton Journal'', May 25, 2012.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=About EQHP |url=https://www.edmontonqueerhistoryproject.ca/about-eqhp |access-date=2023-06-10 |website=Edmonton Queer History Project |language=en-US}}</ref> In addition, Phair is a founding member of the organization Paths for People, which advocates for active transportation infrastructure in Edmonton.<ref name="taproot">{{Cite web |title=Paths for People celebrates a decade of street surgery |url=https://edmonton.taproot.news/news/2025/06/03/paths-for-people-celebrates-a-decade-of-street-surgery |last=Swensrude |first=Stephanie |date=2025-06-03 |access-date=2025-11-01 |website=Taproot Edmonton}}</ref><ref name="ej_pfp">{{Cite news |title=Council approves protected Edmonton downtown bike lanes for 2017 |last=Stolte |first=Elise |date=2016-10-11 |url=https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/council-approves-protected-edmonton-downtown-bike-lanes-for-2017 |work=Edmonton Journal}}</ref>
Phair is an adjunct professor with the Institute for Sexual Minority Studies and Services (iSMSS) in the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Michael Phair. University of Alberta, Faculty of Education|url=https://apps.ualberta.ca/directory/person/phair|access-date=2021-03-03|website=University of Alberta}}</ref><ref name=":0" />
== Awards and honours == In June 2015, the Edmonton Public School Board honoured Phair by naming a new junior high school after him citing his work with HIV Edmonton and Homeward Trust.<ref name="ecamp"/> The school serves students in Grades 7 through 9 with a capacity of approximately 900 students. The school opened in 2017 in the Webber Greens neighbourhood.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/michael-phair-to-have-edmonton-school-named-for-him-1.3122281|title=Michael Phair to have Edmonton school named for him|publisher=CBC News|date=June 21, 2015|access-date=April 13, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/michael-phair-school-opening-1.4499399|title=Michael Phair School hosts grand opening to honour former city councillor|date=January 22, 2018|publisher=CBC News|access-date=April 3, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lye |first=Chandra |date=2015-06-21 |title=Edmonton Public School Board announces names of five new schools |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/edmonton/article/edmonton-public-school-board-announces-names-of-five-new-schools/ |access-date=2023-06-10 |publisher=CTV News}}</ref>
On February 25, 2016, Phair was named Chairman of the University of Alberta Board of Governors.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Ibrahim |first=Mariam |date=February 25, 2016 |title=Former city councillor Michael Phair named chairman of University of Alberta board of governors |url=https://edmontonjournal.com/news/politics/former-city-councillor-michael-phair-named-new-chairman-of-university-of-alberta-board-of-governors |access-date=2016-04-09 |website=Edmonton Journal |language=en-US}}</ref> On August 16, 2019, Phair was replaced with the appointment of Kate Chisholm by the UCP government.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Bellefontaine|first=Michelle|title=UCP sweeps NDP governance appointments out of post-secondary institutions|publisher=CBC News|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/ucp-sweeps-ndp-governance-appointments-out-of-post-secondary-institutions-1.5249900|date=August 16, 2019|access-date=May 9, 2020}}</ref>
Also in 2016, a downtown Edmonton pocket park, Michael Phair Park was renamed after former city councillor Michael Phair in recognition of his longstanding service to the city.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stolte |first=Elise |date=2016-05-27 |title=Downtown Edmonton pocket park named after former city councillor Michael Phair |url=https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/downtown-pocket-park-named-after-former-city-councillor-michael-phair |access-date=2023-06-10 |website=Edmonton Journal |language=en-CA}}</ref> The park is located on 104th street, a short distance north of Jasper Ave.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Neufield |first=Lydia |date=2016-05-26 |title=Reclaimed downtown park named for former city councillor Michael Phair |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/reclaimed-downtown-park-named-for-former-city-councillor-michael-phair-1.3601684 |access-date=2023-06-10 |website=CBC |language=en-CA}}</ref>
In recognition of his community contributions, Phair received an honorary doctor of laws degree from the University of Alberta on June 8, 2022.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Betkowski |first1=Bev |title=U of A names honorary degree recipients for 2022 spring convocation |url=https://www.ualberta.ca/folio/2022/05/u-of-a-names-honorary-degree-recipients-for-2022-spring-convocation.html |website=Folio |publisher=University of Alberta |access-date=8 June 2022}}</ref>
In 2022, Phair was appointed as Chancellor of St. Stephen's College at the University of Alberta.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Incoming Chancellor 2022 |url=https://www.ualberta.ca/st-stephens/news/2022/october/post-hd-22.html |access-date=2023-06-10 |website=www.ualberta.ca |language=en}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.edmonton.ca/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_2_265_210_0_43/http;/CMSServer/COEWeb/michael%20phair/ Michael Phair profile Edmonton City Council] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930180458/http://www.edmonton.ca/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_2_265_210_0_43/http;/CMSServer/COEWeb/michael%20phair/ |date=2007-09-30 }} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20061214225157/http://www.michaelphair.ca/index.php Michael Phair]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Phair, Michael}} Category:1950 births Category:Living people Category:Edmonton city councillors Category:LGBTQ municipal councillors in Canada Category:Canadian gay politicians Category:People from Loyal, Wisconsin Category:Towson University alumni Category:20th-century Canadian municipal councillors Category:20th-century Canadian LGBTQ people Category:21st-century Canadian municipal councillors Category:21st-century Canadian LGBTQ people Category:LGBTQ history in Alberta