Janice Paskey, a beloved Mount Royal University professor and a remarkable activist whose passion for issues such as climate change spread to the students she taught, died on August 9, 2025 at age 62.
“She was super sharp, and quite clever so she always had some things that could make you laugh and bring a smile to your face,” said Amanda Williams, associate professor of Mount Royal University’s School of Communication Studies, who added, “She was incredibly kind and giving.”
Paskey was born in St. Catharines, Ontario, 1962. She obtained a Bachelor of Journalism degree from Carleton University and holds a master’s degree in international relations from the Institute of International Studies at the University of Chile, Santiago. She settled in Calgary in 1998 with her family.
According to her Mount Royal University bio, Paskey held various positions within journalism and publishing. She was the editor of Calgary’s Avenue magazine, the McGill University alumni magazine, the McGill News as well as acting as the Manager of Communications for Development and Alumni at McGill.
She also worked as a web producer for CTV Calgary. She served as the Executive Director of Communications for the University of Calgary Development Office and was the Canadian Correspondent for The Chronicle of Higher Education, the Publications Director at Brock University, the Associate Editor of What’s Up Niagara magazine and a weekend reporter for The St. Catharines Standard.
In addition, Paskey recently served as an editorial board member with the Institute of Investigative Journalism and has served on the Human Research Ethics Board of Mount Royal University.
As an avid researcher and activist, her research interests included developing creative sentencing for environmental offences in Alberta, along with directing programs for student publishing and health-related journalism. As a co-author, Paskey’s research was published in the Canadian Journal of Communication and the Journal of Environmental Law and Practice.
For 17 years, Paskey was an associate professor of journalism at Mount Royal University, teaching senior reporting courses. During that time, Williams said Paskey left behind a lasting impression with the students she inspired and the stories she helped to write.
“[Her legacy is] the different lives she touched with her wisdom, her guidance, her great editing skills and her wonderful compassion,” Williams said. “She did wonderful investigations with student teams on everything.”
Sally Haney, former Chair of MRU’s Broadcast Media Studies and Journalism, noted that “in the days following her passing, many former students, neighbours and colleagues found their way to social spaces to reflect on her impact, describing Janice as a tireless community activist, a supportive and encouraging teacher and a tough yet empathetic mentor who pushed all to reach their potential.”
Faculty member, Sean Holman, worked closely with Paskey at MRU over a 12-year period. Reflecting on their relationship, Holman said, “She was fierce, in the best of ways. She knew her own mind. She knew what was right and what was wrong. She cared about her students. And she cared about the world they would be growing up in. She cared so damn much. And she tried to make that world better in everything she did. It’s a worse place without her.”
Other faculty members commented that Paskey was incredibly passionate, dedicated and was “made to teach.” Williams added that Paskey was remembered by faculty as someone with a “wonderful capacity to take big ideas and focus them into clear stories worth telling.”
Williams was also touched by Paskey’s kindness.
“She created a space for me when I was expecting my second child, so she made room for me and looked for an opportunity to include me in a time that it would have been harder for me to find work.”
Williams added, “One of the things I was so grateful for from Janice was to receive just a great reminder of the value of good storytelling for research… We’ve lost a truly remarkable soul. Her loss will be felt profoundly by her colleagues, her friends and her students.”