| Ione Christensen | |
| Honorific-Prefix: | The Honourable |
| Birth Name: | Ione Jean Cameron |
| Birth Date: | 10 October 1933 |
| Birth Place: | Dawson Creek, British Columbia |
| Residence: | Whitehorse, Yukon |
| Office1: | Commissioner of Yukon |
| Term Start1: | January 20, 1979 |
| Term End1: | October 6, 1979 |
| Predecessor1: | Frank Fingland |
| Successor1: | Douglas Bell |
| Primeminister1: | Pierre Trudeau Joe Clark |
| Premier1: | Chris Pearson |
| Office2: | Senator for Yukon |
| Term Start2: | September 2, 1999 |
| Term End2: | December 31, 2006 |
| Predecessor2: | Paul Lucier |
| Successor2: | Daniel Lang |
| Nominator2: | Jean Chrétien |
| Office3: | Mayor of Whitehorse, Yukon |
| Term Start3: | 1976 |
| Term End3: | 1979 |
| Predecessor3: | Paul Lucier |
| Successor3: | Art Deer |
| Spouse: | Art Christensen |
Ione Jean Christensen,, née Cameron (born October 10, 1933) is a former Canadian Senator.
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;[1] on the same day, Yolanda Burkhard was elected as the first woman mayor of Dawson City.[1] In 1979, she served as the commissioner of Yukon, being the first woman to be appointed as 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 Erik Nielsen.
In 1994, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada. Her father was also a member. 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.[2]
In 2019, she was made a member of the Order of Yukon's inaugural class.[3] The first 10 recipients were named ahead of the ceremony on December 2, 2019.[4] [5]