Born in the
Netherlands, she moved to
Richmond, British Columbia in 1959, graduating from
Steveston Secondary School. After receiving a bachelor of arts degree from the
University of British Columbia, she attended the
University of Manitoba and graduated with a master of arts degree, and attained an
MBA from the
Memorial University of Newfoundland. At one point she was married to Milan's brother Bob, with whom she has two sons. During her time on the labour file, the provincial government implemented regulations to protect gas station workers by mandating pre-payment at urban gas stations at night. In December 2007 she announced her decision to not seek a second term as MLA at the
next provincial election; After finishing her term in May 2009, she was named by
mayor of Vancouver Gregor Robertson in December 2011 to co-chair a task force on housing affordability. She became a member of
Destination Canada's board of directors in 2014, and served as chair of the board from 2015 to 2017. ==References==