List of Canadian political families

Summary

During its history, a number of Canadian families have produced multiple politicians. As there are no term limits in Canada for any legislative or executive office, these families have sometimes held uninterrupted political power.

Families edit

Amery

(father, son)

Ashton

(father, daughter)

Bédard
Bennett

(3rd cousins once removed, son)

Bernier

(father, son)

  • Gilles Bernier, Quebec Progressive Conservative then Independent MP
    • Maxime Bernier, Quebec Conservative MP and cabinet minister then People's Party of Canada founder and leader
Blaikie

(father, daughter, son)

Braden

(brothers)

Bradford

(mother, son)

Brewin

(father, son, daughter-in-law)

Andrew Brewin's grandfather Andrew George Blair was also Liberal Premier of New Brunswick and a federal MP and cabinet minister

Cadman

(husband, wife)

Cannon–Power

(GGG-grandfather, G-grandfather, granduncles, grandfathers, uncles, son)

Caouette

(father, son)

  • Réal Caouette, MP for Pontiac (1946–1949), MP for Villeneuve (1962–1968,) Leader of the Ralliement créditiste (1963–1971), MP for Témiscamingue (1968–1976), Leader of the Social Credit Party (1971–1976)
    • Gilles Caouette, MP for Charlevoix (1972–1974), MP for Témiscamingue (1976–1979), Acting Leader of the Social Credit Party (1976)
Caplan

(mother, son)

Carr

(two twin brothers and their older brother)

(father, son)

Casgrain-Beaubien

(many more, see fr:Famille Casgrain)

Chiarelli

(cousins)

  • Bob Chiarelli, mayor of Ottawa, Regional Chair of Ottawa-Carleton, provincial MPP and cabinet minister (Ministers of Energy, Municipal Affairs and Housing, Transportation, Energy and Infrastructure)
  • Rick Chiarelli, city councillor in Ottawa
  • John Chiarelli, former Catholic school board trustee in Ottawa
Chartrand
Chrétien–Desmarais

(father-nephew-daughter)

Clark

(husband-wife-their daughter)

Clement

(stepfather-stepson)

Copps

(father-daughter)

Crosbie

(grandfather, father, son)

David

(great-grandfather, grandfather, father, sisters)

Davie Fulton

(2 brothers, son-in-law, grandson)

De Lorimier
De Lotbinière
Dewar

(mother-son)

Dorion
Douglas

(father, daughter)

  • Tommy Douglas, Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) and then founder of the New Democratic Party (NDP), member of Canadian House of Commons (CCF), MLA, leader of the Saskatchewan CCF and Premier of Saskatchewan (CCF), set up North America's first single-payer, universal healthcare program (Saskatchewan), leader of federal NDP, Canadian Member of Parliament (NDP)
Duceppe

(grandfather, father, son)

Eyking

(husband, wife)

Ferron
Flaherty-Elliott

(husband, wife)

Ford

Additionally, Rob Ford's widow Renata Ford was People's Party candidate in the 2019 federal election in Etobicoke North, and Doug Ford, Jr.'s daughter Krista Haynes advocates controversial positions about vaccines and public health measures.

Fry

(mother, son)

Gérin-Lajoie (see also Lacoste)
Gerretsen

(father, son)

  • John Gerretsen, 90th Mayor of Kingston, Ontario (1980–1988), Ontario Liberal MPP for Kingston and the Islands (1995–2014)
  • Mark Gerretsen, Mayor of Kingston Ontario (2010–2014), Liberal MP for Kingston and the Islands (2015-)
Ghiz

(father, son)

Grewal

(husband, wife)

Hampton–Martel

(husband-wife, wife's father and maternal grandfather)

Harris

(father, son)

Henderson

(father, son)

Hinman

(grandfather, grandson)

Horner
Ignatieff

(great-grandfather, grandfather, father, son)

Jackman

(grandfather, son-in-law, son-in-law's children)

Johnson

(father-sons)

Kelley

(father-son, wife)

Lacoste
Lamoureux

(father, daughter)

(Darrin Lamoureux, Kevin's brother, was leader of the Saskatchewan Liberal Party at a time that party was a minor party unrepresented in the legislature.)

Layton

(great-grandfather, grandfather, father, his wife, his son)

(Jack Layton is also a descendant of William Steeves, a Father of Confederation and Senator, on his maternal side.)

LeBlanc

(father, son)

Léger

(father, son, daughter)

Lewis

(father and son)

Lougheed

(grandfather and grandson)

MacKay

(father-son)

Manly

(father-son)

Manning

(father-son)

Martin

(father-son)

Macdonald

(father-son)

Mackenzie King

(grandfather-grandson)

Marcelino

(sister-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law's daughter)

Mathyssen

(mother, daughter)

McGuinty

(father-son)

McLeod

(brothers)

Meighen

(father, son, daughter, grandson, grandson's stepfather)

Mercier-Gouin
Miville-Dechêne
Mulroney

(father, daughter, son)

Nickle

(father, son)

Nixon (Alberta)

(brother, brother)

Nixon (Ontario)

(grandfather, father, daughter)

Notley

(father, daughter)

Nowlan

(father, son)

O'Toole

(father, son)

Papineau

(see also Viger)

Parizeau
Peterson

(brother, brother, brother and wife)

Pouliot
  • Jean-Baptiste Pouliot, MP for Témiscouata, MLA Canada-East for Témiscouata
    • Joseph-Camille Pouliot, son of Jean-Baptiste, lawyer, judge of Superior Court of Quebec
      • Georges Bouchard, son-in-law of Joseph-Camille, MP for Kamouraska
      • Camille Pouliot (Camille-Eugène), son of Joseph-Camille, MNA for Gaspé-Sud, minister, mayor
    • Rodolphe Lemieux, brother of 3rd wife of Joseph-Camille, senator
    • Charles-Eugène Pouliot, son of Jean-Baptiste, MP for Témiscouata, MNA for Témiscouata
Rae

(father-brother-brother)

Regan-Harrison

(maternal grandfather-father-son-son's wife)

Rideout
  • George R. Rideout, Police Chief of Moncton
Roblin

(grandfather-grandson)

Rowe

(father-daughter)

Rowe

(father-daughter)

Schulz- Schreyer

(grandfather-son-in-law-grandson)

Shaw–McDonough

(father-daughter)

  • Lloyd R. Shaw, first research director of the federal CCF, and provincial secretary of the Nova Scotia CCF
    • Alexa McDonough, Member of the Legislative Assembly and leader of the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party, and Member of Parliament and leader of the federal NDP (the NDP being the CCF's successor)
Singh

(brothers)

Sifton

(father-sons)

Simpson

(father, son)

Sinclair–Trudeau

(grandfather, son-in-law, grandson)

Strahl

(father, son)

  • Chuck Strahl, Former Conservative MP for Chilliwack—Fraser Canyon
    • Mark Strahl, Conservative MP for Chilliwack—Hope, previously Chilliwack—Fraser Canyon
Streatch-Keddy

(father, daughter, son)

Stronach

(father, daughter)

Taschereau
Taylor

(father-children)

Tupper

(father-sons)

Vallières
Viger

(see also Papineau)

Wagner

(father-son)

  • Claude Wagner, judge, Quebec Liberal MNA and cabinet minister and Progressive Conservative MP and Senator
    • Richard Wagner, judge, Chief Justice of Canada, Administrator of Canada
Whelan

(brother-father-daughter)

  • Edward Charles Whelan, Member of Legislative Assembly (Saskatchewan) 1960–1979, Minister of Mineral Resources 1975–1976, Minister of Consumer Affairs 1976–1979
  • Eugene Whelan, Member of Parliament 1962–1984, Minister of Agricultuture 1972–1979 and 1980–1984, Canadian Senate 1996–1999, Officer of the Order of Canada
    • Susan Whelan, Member of Parliament 1993–2004, Minister for International Cooperation
Whitehead

(grandfather-father-daughter)

  • Joseph Whitehead, Member of Parliament (Huron North, Ontario) 1867–1871
  • Joseph Donovan Ross, Member of Legislative Assembly (Alberta) 1952–1971, Minister of Health 1955–1968, Minister of Lands and Forests 1968-1971
    • Val Meredith, Member of Parliament (South Surrey - White Rock - Langley, British Columbia) 1993–2004
Woodsworth-MacInnis

(father-son in law-daughter)

  • J.S. Woodsworth, founding leader of the CCF, MP 1921–1942
    • Angus MacInnis, MP from BC 1930–1957, involved in founding of the CCF, husband of Grace MacInnis
    • Grace MacInnis, BC CCF MLA 1941–45, NDP MP 1965–1974, daughter of J.S. Woodsworth
Yakabuski

(father-son)

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w "The top 10 family dynasties in Canadian politics".
  2. ^ a b c d e "Charles-Eusèbe Casgrain - Assemblée nationale du Québec".
  3. ^ "Thomas Chase Casgrain - Assemblée nationale du Québec".
  4. ^ "Léon Casgrain - Assemblée nationale du Québec".
  5. ^ MHA
  6. ^ a b c d "A look at the family tree and political dynasty of the Fords". 26 March 2018.
  7. ^ a b Ollie Williams, "Only Nahendeh left to elect MLA, 18 others are elected". Cabin Radio, October 1, 2019.

See also edit