Former provincial education minister Shirley Dysart has passed away at the age of 88.
Dysart served in the cabinet of former Premier Frank McKenna.
She held the former riding of Saint John North being first elected in 1974 for two decades and was the first woman to serve as Speaker of the Legislature in 1991 after being the first woman to be Education Minister in 1987.
Dysart, who introduced universal kindergarten in the province, was honoured by being appointed to the Order of Canada in 2004.
Members of the Anglophone South District Education Council observed a moment of silence in her memory at last night’s meeting.