Simone Demers-Collins

Simone Demers-Collins, ’71 BSc(HE)
Member at Large

Born & raised in Legal, Alberta, Simone demonstrated leadership skills as bilingual honours graduate from St. Emile School, a provincially recognized 4-H Awards winner, and a participant at all levels in the Goldeye Youth Leadership training.  With her enrolment at the UofA, Simone continued her community involvement as a 4-H Alumni, a member of the French-Canadian Theatre of Edmonton and the Home Economics Student Association.

Upon graduation, Simone was employed as a government extension worker in various northern AB counties. A prolific writer, she was recognized for her newspaper columns, the quarterly homemaking newsletters and the weekly cable TV show which she produced/hosted for many years – all entitled, “Yours, for the Asking…”.

With the birth of her first daughter, Simone established her consulting firm which she maintains to this day:  sessional professor at the Faculté St. Jean; managing the Alberta Approved Farmers Market program; coordinating western Canada’s largest horticultural trade show; managing the urban Nutrition at School program in Edmonton area schools; and teaching adult education classes. As a volunteer, she was president of the national, bilingual Consumer Food Safety Info society, school councils & various student activity organizations.

During this time, Simone also started consulting with AB Canola. Eventually, she became project manager for canola health & nutrition initiatives across Canada and the US for the Canola Council of Canada, and a member of the national www.CanolaEatWell.org  team. Yet, to her, her best project was the publishing of 16 AB elementary curriculum-relevant graphic novels on various agricultural/canola topics.

In the last couple of years, Simone has been a part of the Alberta Food Tours Edmonton team; a member of the Edmonton Food Council, and chair of the Council’s #VegInstead committee. She is on the board of Alberta Money Mentors and 4-H Alberta. She has volunteered with the Edmonton Hort Society, the Fringe Theatre Festival, and as a UofA alumni rep on various university projects.

Simone has been selected 1 of 7 Canadian Agricultural Women of Influence; named the northern winner of AFSC’s Women in Ag Award; and presented with the AB Home Ec/Human Ecology Fellow Award for a distinguished career making a distinct contribution to human welfare.