A Member of the Order of Canada, she was married to Hyman Belzberg and together they were a prominent force in community and cultural affairs.
Her father, Abraham Lavin, was an immigrant from a small village in Russia and came to Canada in 1911 and established a farm in the Cochrane, Calgary area.
Six years later he moved back into Calgary and established several different small businesses, including a flour/feed store and service station.
So, she worked as a clerk and stenographer for the military, the Cunard Shipping Line in Vancouver, and the Dominion Department of Immigration in Calgary.
[1] Hy was well known in Calgary as the proprietor of Cristy's Arcade Furniture and for his involvement in First City, a financial company started by his younger brothers that, along with their personal holdings, at one time controlled assets in excess of $5 billion, before debts ultimately swamped the corporation and led to its fall.