Ione Christensen

Ione Jean Christensen, CM OY, (née Cameron; October 10, 1933 – September 15, 2025) was a Canadian politician who served as a Senator.^[1]

The Honourable Ione Christensen CM OY
Senator for Yukon
In office September 2, 1999 – December 31, 2006
Nominated by	Jean Chrétien
Preceded by	Paul Lucier
Succeeded by	Daniel Lang
Commissioner of Yukon
In office January 20, 1979 – October 6, 1979
Prime Minister	Pierre Trudeau Joe Clark
Premier	Chris Pearson
Preceded by	Frank Fingland
Succeeded by	Douglas Bell
Mayor of Whitehorse, Yukon
In office 1976–1979
Preceded by	Paul Lucier
Succeeded by	Art Deer
Personal details
Born	Ione Jean Cameron (1933-10-10)October 10, 1933 Dawson Creek, British Columbia, Canada
Died	September 15, 2025(2025-09-15) (aged 91)
Political party	Liberal (federal)
Spouse	Arthur Carsten Christensen ​ ​ (m. 1958; died 2020)​
Residence(s)	Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada

Life and career

The daughter of former North-West Mounted Police constable Gordon Irwin Cameron, and Dawson City born Martha Ballentine Cameron, her family moved to Whitehorse in 1949. Christensen graduated from high school in 1953. She received an associate in arts degree in business administration from the College of San Mateo in California. In 1968, she married Art Christensen, a geologist.

In 1971, she was appointed the first woman Justice of the peace and judge of the Juvenile court in Yukon. In 1975, she was elected the first woman mayor of Whitehorse;^[2] on the same day, Yolanda Burkhard was elected as the first woman mayor of Dawson City.^[2] In 1979, she served as the commissioner of Yukon, being the first woman to be appointed commissioner.

In 1980, she ran unsuccessfully as a Liberal candidate in the federal election for the riding of Yukon. She lost by 101 votes to the incumbent Progressive Conservative MP Erik Nielsen.

In 1994, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada (CM), which her father was also a member of.^[3][4] In 1999, Christensen was appointed at the recommendation of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien to the Senate.

On December 31, 2006, Christensen resigned from the Senate to assist her ailing husband.^[5] Her husband died in 2020.^[6]

In 2019, she was made a member of the Order of Yukon's inaugural class.^[7] The first 10 recipients were named ahead of the ceremony on December 2, 2019.^[8][9] Christensen also received the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012, and the King Charles III Coronation Medal in 2023.^[10][11][12]

Christensen died on September 15, 2025, at the age of 91.^[13]