Children of the Street

Penny Priddy was born and raised in Ontario and lived and worked in Nova Scotia before moving to B.C. Penny was elected Member of Parliament for Surrey North in 2006. After six successful elections and twenty two years of holding elected positions, she chose not to reoffer her name in the last Federal election.

Penny has a long history of representing her community. She chaired the Surrey School Board, served as a City Councillor, and was the MLA for Surrey-Newton from 1991 to 2001. As an MLA, she held a number of cabinet portfolios in the BC NDP government — including Children and Families, Health, Education and Women’s Equality. She is the only woman in Canadian history to serve at all four orders of government. She served for seven years as the co-chair of the Women’s Campaign School. In 2001, Penny received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Kwantlen University College for her service to the people of BC.

Penny is originally a nurse by training. In her career outside public life, she has worked at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children, served as executive director for the Nova Scotia Association for Community Living, and has been a faculty member at B.C.’s Douglas College. She has also worked as an independent consultant providing evaluation, education and strategic planning for a wide variety of organizations.

Most of Penny’s unpaid work has been with children, youth and their families. Penny continues to be involved in the City of Surrey as a community activist. As a woman surviving breast cancer, Penny mentors other women and their families who are walking a similar journey. Penny has resumed her work as a consultant. Penny and Robert Priddy have two children and three grandchildren.