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List of Canadian political families

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.

A-C

Allard–Joly

(stepmother, stepdaughter)

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 (Manitoba)

(father, son)

Carr (New Brunswick)

(two twin brothers and their older brother)

Casgrain-Beaubien

(many more, see )

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
  • Peter Chiarelli, ice hockey executive, nephew of Bob

Chan–Yip

(husband, wife)

  • Arnold Chan, Liberal MP for Scarborough—Agincourt
  • Jean Yip, Liberal MP for Scarborough—Agincourt (widow's succession beginning in a by-election upon Chan's death)

Chartrand

Chrétien–Desmarais

(father-nephew-daughter)

Clark

(husband-wife-their daughter)

Clement

(stepfather-stepson)

Copps

(father-daughter)

Crosbie

(grandfather, father, son)

Beth Crosbie, daughter of John and sister of Ches, was a PC candidate for the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly and was President of the Canadian Real Estate Association.

Cuzetto–Gualtieri

(siblings)

Silvia Gualtieri is also the mother-in-law of Patrick Brown via his marriage to her daughter, Genevieve Gualtieri.

D-G

David

(great-grandfather, grandfather, father, sisters)

Davie-Fulton

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

De Lorimier

De Lotbinière

Dewar

(mother-son)

Dinn

(brothers)

  • Jim Dinn, Newfoundland and Labrador NDP Member of the House of Assembly
  • Paul Dinn, Newfoundland and Labrador PC Member of the House of Assembly

The brothers served together in the legislature for the competing parties.

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)
  • Shirley Douglas (daughter of Tommy Douglas), Canadian actress and activist, ex-wife of actor Donald Sutherland, mother of Thomas Emil Sicks, actor Kiefer Sutherland, and film and television producer Rachel Sutherland

Duceppe

(grandfather, father, son)

Eyking

(husband, wife)

Fanjoy

(uncle, nephew)

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

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)

H-M

Hampton–Martel

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

Harris

(father, son)

Henderson

(father, son)

Hinman

(grandfather, grandson)

Horner

  • Ralph Horner, patriarch for the Horner family, Senator (1933–1964)
  • Samuel Norval Horner, brother, Saskatchewan MLA (1929–1934)
  • Jack Horner, son, MP (1958–1959)
  • Nate Horner, grandson, MLA (2019–present)
  • Hugh Horner, son, MP (1958–1967)
  • Norval Horner, son, MP (1972–1974)
  • Norval Horner, son to Norval Horner, Alberta Liberal Party candidate in the 2012 election
  • Albert Horner, nephew, MP (1958–1968)
  • Doug Horner, son of Alberta Horner, Alberta MLA and Cabinet Minister (2001–2015)
  • Byron Horner, grandson, Conservative candidate for Courtenay-Alberni in the 2019 federal election

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

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)

Mancini

(husband-wife)

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)

N-S

Nickle

(father, son)

Nixon (Alberta)

(brother, brother)

Nixon (Ontario)

(grandfather, father, daughter)

Notley

(father, daughter)

Nowlan

(father, son)

Osborne

(mother, son)

  • Sheila Osborne, Newfoundland and Labrador PC MHA
  • Tom Osborne, Newfoundland and Labrador PC MHA and cabinet Minister, then Independent then Liberal MHA

Sheila's son and Tom's brother Bob Osborne was also a candidate for the House of Assembly.

O'Toole

(father, son)

Papineau

(see also Viger)

Parizeau

Peterson

(brother, brother, brother and wife)

Pouliot

Rae

(father-brother-brother)

Regan-Harrison

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

Rideout

Roblin

(grandfather-grandson)

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)

Shulman–Saxe

(father-daughter)

  • Morton Shulman, Ontario chief coroner and later NDP MPP for High Park
  • Dianne Saxe, Environmental Commissioner of Ontario, Deputy Leader of the Green Party of Ontario, and Toronto city councillor

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)

T-Z

Taschereau

Tascona–Brown

(uncle, nephew)

Taylor

(father-children)

Tucker

(brothers)

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

See also