Electoral firsts in Canada - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

This article lists notable achievements of women, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, and gay/lesbian/bisexual and transgendered people in Canadian politics

Politics of Canada

The politics of Canada function within a framework of parliamentary democracy and a federal system of parliamentary government with strong democratic traditions. Canada is a constitutional monarchy, in which the Monarch is head of state...

and elections in Canada

Elections in Canada

Canada holds elections for several levels of government: nationally , provincially and territorially, and municipally. Elections are also held for self governing First Nations and for many other public and private organizations including corporations and trade unions...

.

This list includes:

Members of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...

-- Members of the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...

;
Members of the Legislative Assembly
Member of the Legislative Assembly
A Member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislature , is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature or legislative assembly of a sub-national jurisdiction....

(MLAs);
Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs in Ontario);
Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) in Quebec; and
Members of the House of Assembly
Member of the House of Assembly
A Member of the House of Assembly is a member of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly in Canada.Other Provinces and TerritoriesMembers of other Canadian provincial and territorial assemblies employ the titles:...

(MHAs) in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Women

Earliest elected women in Canada:

First woman in Canada elected at either the federal, provincial, or municipal level: Hannah "Annie" Gale, Alderman in Calgary 1917;

Biography, Toronto Star, by Mark Maloney Accessed March 10, 2007

First woman elected to a legislature in Canada: Louise McKinney

Louise McKinney

Louise McKinney née Crummy was a provincial politician and women's rights activist from Alberta, Canada. She was the first woman sworn in to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta and the first woman elected to a legislature in Canada and in the British Empire...

, first woman elected anywhere in the British Empire, member 1917-1921 of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta

Legislative Assembly of Alberta

The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is one of two components of the Legislature of Alberta, the other being the Queen, represented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta. The Alberta legislature meets in the Alberta Legislature Building in the provincial capital, Edmonton...

for the Non Partisan League

Alberta Non-Partisan League

The Alberta Non-Partisan League was a minor provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. The league changed its name to the Non-Partisan Political League of Canada: Alberta Branch in 1917 as it prepared to move into federal politics...

, a left wing prohibition and social welfare party. (Roberta MacAdams, a member of the Canadian Army Medical Corps, was also elected in the 1917 Alberta general election, as a member at large in overseas voting by Albertans serving in the First World War. McKinney was the first woman declared elected because the overseas voting was completed after the in-province election.)

First woman candidates in a Federal Election
Five women ran in the first federal election in which women were allowed to become candidates (1921)

Harriet S. Dick - Winnipeg Centre, Independent ; 2,314 (4th Place, 4/5)
Rose Mary Louise Henderson - St. Lawrence—St. George, Labour Party ; 510 (Last Place, 3/3)
Elizabeth Bethune Kiely ; Toronto East, Liberal ; 52 votes (Last Place, 5/5)
Agnes Macphail
Agnes Macphail
Agnes Campbell Macphail was the first woman to be elected to the Canadian House of Commons, and one of the first two women elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario...

- Grey Southeast, Progressive Party ; 6,958 (1st ; 1/3)
Harriet Dunlop Prenter - Toronto West, Labour Party ; 1,741 (Last Place, 3/3)

First women elected to the Canadian House of Commons

Agnes Macphail
Agnes Macphail
Agnes Campbell Macphail was the first woman to be elected to the Canadian House of Commons, and one of the first two women elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario...

, Progressive, United Farmers of Ontario
United Farmers of Ontario
The United Farmers of Ontario was a political party in Ontario, Canada. It was the Ontario provincial branch of the United Farmers movement of the early part of the 20th century.- Foundation and rise :...

-Labour, Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation was a Canadian political party founded in 1932 in Calgary, Alberta, by a number of socialist, farm, co-operative and labour groups, and the League for Social Reconstruction...

(CCF) MP Grey South
Grey South
Grey South was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1876 to 1917. It was located in the province of Ontario...

and Grey—Bruce
Grey—Bruce
Grey—Bruce was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1935 to 1968. It was located in the province of Ontario...

, from 1921-1940 (She was also one of two women who were the first women as MPPs in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...

for the Ontario CCF
Ontario New Democratic Party
The Ontario New Democratic Party or , formally known as New Democratic Party of Ontario, is a social democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. It is a provincial section of the federal New Democratic Party. It was formed in October 1961, a few months after the federal party. The ONDP had its...

(the forerunner to the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...

) for the riding of York East
York East
York East was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons at different times, and a provincial electoral district. It was located in the province of Ontario.-Federal electoral district :...

1943-1945 and 1948–1951
Martha Black, Independent Conservative, MP Yukon, 1935–1940
Dorise Nielsen
Dorise Nielsen
Dorise Winifred Webber Nielsen was a Canadian politician and teacher.Born in England, Nielsen arrived in Canada and settled in Saskatchewan in 1927 to work as a teacher and married a homesteader the same year. She joined the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation in 1934 and was a CCF campaign...

, Unity
Unity (Canada)
Unity or Progressive Unity was the name used in Saskatchewan, Canada, by a popular front party initiated by the Communist Party of Canada for the 1938 Saskatchewan and 1940 Canadian election....

(Communist) and Labour Progressive (Communist) MP North Battleford, Sask. 1940-1945
Cora Taylor Casselman
Cora Taylor Casselman
Cora Taylor Casselman was a Canadian federal politician.Casselman was elected to represented the electoral district of Edmonton East in the Canadian House of Commons from 1941 to 1945...

, teacher, Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...

MP, Edmonton East
Edmonton East
Edmonton East is a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1917.The district includes a portion of the city of Edmonton.-Geography:...

, 1941–1945
Gladys Strum
Gladys Strum
Gladys Grace Mae Strum was a Canadian politician.Born in Gladstone, Manitoba, she moved to Saskatchewan when she was 16 to teach. She ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan in 1938 and again in 1944...

, teacher, CCF MP Qu'Appelle (electoral district), Sask., 1945–1949

First female Prime Minister

Kim Campbell
Kim Campbell
Avril Phædra Douglas "Kim" Campbell, is a Canadian politician, lawyer, university professor, diplomat, and writer. She served as the 19th Prime Minister of Canada, serving from June 25, 1993, to November 4, 1993...

, Progressive Conservative Prime Minister 1993

First women in Cabinet

Provincial: Mary Ellen Smith
Mary Ellen Smith
Mary Ellen Spear Smith was a politician in British Columbia, Canada. She was the first female Member of the Legislative Assembly in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, and both the first female cabinet minister and the first female Speaker in the British Empire.She was born in England...

, British Columbia

Federal: Ellen Fairclough
Ellen Fairclough
Ellen Louks Fairclough, was the first female member of the Canadian Cabinet.Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Fairclough was a chartered accountant by training, and ran an accounting firm prior to entering politics...

, 1957, Progressive Conservative

First female Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons: Jeanne Sauvé
Jeanne Sauvé
Jeanne Mathilde Sauvé was a Canadian journalist, politician, and stateswoman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 23rd since Canadian Confederation....

, 1980–1984

First female federal Justice Minister (Attorney General): Kim Campbell
Kim Campbell
Avril Phædra Douglas "Kim" Campbell, is a Canadian politician, lawyer, university professor, diplomat, and writer. She served as the 19th Prime Minister of Canada, serving from June 25, 1993, to November 4, 1993...

(Progressive Conservative)

First female Defence Minister: Kim Campbell
Kim Campbell
Avril Phædra Douglas "Kim" Campbell, is a Canadian politician, lawyer, university professor, diplomat, and writer. She served as the 19th Prime Minister of Canada, serving from June 25, 1993, to November 4, 1993...

, (Progressive Conservative)

First female Speaker of the House

Nancy Hodges
Nancy Hodges
Nancy Hodges was a Canadian journalist, politician and Senator.Born in London, England, she was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in 1941 representing the riding of Victoria City and sitting as a member of the British Columbia Liberal Party. She was re-elected in 1945...

British Columbia Liberal, MLA 1941-1953, made speaker of BC legislature in Dec 1949.

First female senator: Cairine Wilson
Cairine Wilson
Cairine Reay Mackay Wilson was Canada's first female senator.-Early life:Born Cairine Reay Mackay in Montreal, she was the daughter of Jane Mackay and Robert Mackay, a Liberal Senator and personal friend of Sir Wilfrid Laurier. She attended Elmwood School and was "head girl" in her graduating year...

, 1930

First female Governor General of Canada: Jeanne Sauvé
Jeanne Sauvé
Jeanne Mathilde Sauvé was a Canadian journalist, politician, and stateswoman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 23rd since Canadian Confederation....

, (1984–1990)

First female Premiers

Rita Johnston
Rita Johnston
Rita Margaret Johnston was a politician in British Columbia, Canada. Johnston became the first female premier in Canadian history when she succeeded William Vander Zalm in 1991 to become the 29th Premier of British Columbia.Much of her early life was spent running a successful trailer park in the...

, BC, 1991 (Social Credit)

Nellie Cournoyea
Nellie Cournoyea
Nellie Cournoyea, OC is a former Canadian politician, who served as the sixth Premier of the Northwest Territories from 1991 to 1995...

, Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...

, 1991–1995, (non-partisan consensus government
Consensus government
Consensus government is a form of consensus democracy government in Canada in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, as well as Nunatsiavut, an autonomous area in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador....

)

Catherine Callbeck
Catherine Callbeck
Catherine Sophia Callbeck is a Canadian politician and a current member of the Senate of Canada.She was the 28th Premier of Prince Edward Island from 1993 to 1996, the second female provincial premier in Canadian history, and the first to win a general election Catherine Sophia Callbeck (born July...

, PEI, 1993–1996, (first elected female Premier
Premier (Canada)
In Canada, a premier is the head of government of a province or territory. There are currently ten provincial premiers and three territorial premiers in Canada....

) (Liberal)

Pat Duncan
Pat Duncan
Pat Duncan is a former politician in the Yukon, Canada. Duncan served as leader of the Yukon Liberal Party from 1998 to 2005 and as the sixth Premier of Yukon from 2000 until 2002...

, Yukon, 2000–2002, (Liberal)

First female MLAs elected in British Columbia: Mary Ellen Smith
Mary Ellen Smith
Mary Ellen Spear Smith was a politician in British Columbia, Canada. She was the first female Member of the Legislative Assembly in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, and both the first female cabinet minister and the first female Speaker in the British Empire.She was born in England...

, Liberal MLA 1918-1928, elected to replace her late husband

First female MLA elected in Alberta: Louise McKinney
Louise McKinney
Louise McKinney née Crummy was a provincial politician and women's rights activist from Alberta, Canada. She was the first woman sworn in to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta and the first woman elected to a legislature in Canada and in the British Empire...

, she was also the first woman elected anywhere in the British Empire, 1917-1921 Alberta Legislature for the Non Partisan League, a left-wing prohibition and social welfare party.

First female MLA elected in Saskatchewan: Sarah Ramsland
Sarah Ramsland
Sarah Katherine Ramsland, née McEwen was a Canadian politician, the first woman ever elected to the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan....

, Saskatchewan Liberal - Pelly 1919 by-election - 1925. Replaced her husband Max who won the seat in 1917 general election after his death. Was re-elected in 1921 and defeated in 1925.

First female MLA elected in Manitoba: Edith McTavish Rogers, Manitoba Liberal MLA 1920-1932

First female MPPs elected in Ontario:

Agnes Macphail
Agnes Macphail
Agnes Campbell Macphail was the first woman to be elected to the Canadian House of Commons, and one of the first two women elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario...

and Rae Luckock
Rae Luckock
Margaret Rae Morrison Luckock known as Rae Luckock was a feminist, social justice activist, peace activist and, with Agnes Macphail, one of the two first women elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario....

, CCF (the forerunner to the New Democratic Party MPPs for York East
York East
York East was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons at different times, and a provincial electoral district. It was located in the province of Ontario.-Federal electoral district :...

1943-1945, 1948–1951 and for Bracondale 1943-1945 respectively

First female MNA elected in Quebec: Marie-Claire Kirkland
Marie-Claire Kirkland
Marie-Claire Kirkland-Casgrain, is a Quebec lawyer, judge and politician. She was the first woman elected to the National Assembly of Quebec, the first woman appointed a Cabinet minister in Quebec, the first woman appointed acting premier, and the first woman judge to serve in the Quebec...

, elected in 1961. Also first woman appointed a cabinet minister in Quebec, the first woman appointed acting premier, and the first woman judge to serve in the Quebec Provincial Court.

First female MLA elected in New Brunswick: Brenda Robertson
Brenda Robertson
Brenda Mary Robertson, CM, ONB is a Canadian politician and former Senator. She was the first woman elected to the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick and the first woman to become a cabinet minister in the province....

, New Brunswick Progressive Conservative MLA, 1967–1984

First female candidate in P.E.I.: Hilda Ramsay
Hilda Ramsay
Hilda Ramsay was a Canadian politician, who was the first woman ever to campaign for election to the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island....

, P.E.I. CCF candidate in 1951 http://www.ndppei.ca/

First female MLA elected in P.E.I.: Jean Canfield
Jean Canfield
Ella Jean Canfield is a former Canadian politician. She was the first woman ever elected to the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island, as well as the first woman to serve in the Executive Council of Prince Edward Island.Canfield originally stood for office in the 1966 provincial election in...

, PEI Liberal MLA 1970-1979

First female MHA elected in Newfoundland & Labrador (Pre-Confederation): Helena Squires
Helena Squires
Helena Squires, née Strong was a politician in Newfoundland. She was born in Little Bay Islands.-Biography:Lady Helena E. Squires was born in Little Bay Islands, Newfoundland in 1879...

, MHA 1930-1932

First female MLA elected in Nova Scotia: Gladys Porter
Gladys Porter
Gladys Muriel Porter, was the first woman in the Maritimes to be elected as Mayor, and the first female Member of the Legislative Assembly of Nova Scotia....

, Nova Scotia Progressive Conservative MLA 1960-1967

First female MLA elected in Yukon: G. Jean Gordon, Non-Affiliated, MLA 1967-1970

First female MLA elected in Northwest Territories
Lena Pedersen (Pederson) in 1970
Northwest Territories general election, 1970
The Northwest Territories general election, 1970 took place on December 21, 1970. This was the 12th election in Northwest Territories history. It took place during the centennial of the territory....

to 1975

First female MLA elected in Nunavut: Manitok Thompson
Manitok Thompson
Manitok Catherine Thompson is a politician from northern Canada.Manitok was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Northwest Territories in a by-election held on May 8, 1995 held following the resignation of James Arvaluk...

, Independent, 1999–2003

First female elected in a Nova Scotia municipal election: Mary Teresa Sullivan, Halifax City Council, 1936+

First female elected in an Ontario municipal election: Constance Hamilton
Constance Hamilton
Constance Easton Hamilton was the first woman member of Toronto City Council and the first woman in Ontario to hold elected office at either the federal, provincial, or municipal level...

, Toronto City Council, 1920–21

First female mayor: Barbara Hanley
Barbara Hanley
Barbara McCallum Hanley, née Smith was the first woman to be elected a mayor in Canada....

, Webbwood, Ontario (1936–1944)

First female mayor of a city: Charlotte Whitton
Charlotte Whitton
Charlotte Elizabeth Whitton, OC, CBE was a Canadian feminist and mayor of Ottawa. She was the first female mayor of a major city in Canada, serving from 1951 to 1956 and again from 1960 to 1964...

, Ottawa (1951–1956, 1960–1964)

Female presidents of major political parties

Agnes Macphail
Agnes Macphail
Agnes Campbell Macphail was the first woman to be elected to the Canadian House of Commons, and one of the first two women elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario...

- Founding President of the Ontario CCF
Ontario New Democratic Party
The Ontario New Democratic Party or , formally known as New Democratic Party of Ontario, is a social democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. It is a provincial section of the federal New Democratic Party. It was formed in October 1961, a few months after the federal party. The ONDP had its...

1932-34

Gladys Strum
Gladys Strum
Gladys Grace Mae Strum was a Canadian politician.Born in Gladstone, Manitoba, she moved to Saskatchewan when she was 16 to teach. She ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan in 1938 and again in 1944...

- President of Saskatchewan CCF 1944-195?

Aboriginal Canadians
Year that First Nations persons "given" the right to vote in federal elections: 1960

First Aboriginal Canadian elected to a Legislature in Canada: Frank Arthur Calder
Frank Arthur Calder
Frank Arthur Calder, was a Nisga'a politician in Canada, the first Status Indian to be elected to any legislature in Canada....

, BC New Democratic Party, 1949-1975 (first treaty native elected anywhere in Canada)

First Aboriginal Canadian appointed to Canadian Senate (first treaty native named a senator in Canada): James Gladstone
James Gladstone
James Gladstone was the first Status Indian to be appointed to the Canadian Senate....

of Alberta, 1958

First Aboriginal Canadian elected to the Canadian House of Commons (first Aboriginal Canadian MP): Leonard Marchand
Leonard Marchand
Leonard Stephen Marchand, PC, CM is a former Canadian politician. He was the first person of First Nations ethnicity to serve in the federal cabinet, and was the first Status Indian to serve as a Member of Parliament....

, Kamloops-Cariboo (BC), Liberal Party, 1968–1974

First Aboriginal Canadian woman elected to the Parliament of Canada: Ethel Blondin-Andrew
Ethel Blondin-Andrew
Ethel Dorothy Blondin-Andrew, PC is a Canadian politician.Blondin-Andrew is a Dene who was the Member of Parliament for the district of Western Arctic in the Northwest Territories...

, Liberal Party of Canada, Western Arctic, 1988–2006

First Aboriginal Canadian MLA elected in British Columbia: Frank Arthur Calder
Frank Arthur Calder
Frank Arthur Calder, was a Nisga'a politician in Canada, the first Status Indian to be elected to any legislature in Canada....

, BC New Democratic Party, 1949-1975* (first treaty native elected anywhere in Canada)

First Aboriginal Canadian MLA elected in Alberta: Mike Cardinal
Mike Cardinal
Mike Cardinal is a politician from Alberta, Canada and a former member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, having served in that capacity from 1989 until 2008. He sat as a Progressive Conservative and represented the districts of Athabasca-Lac La Biche, Athabasca-Wabasca, and Athabasca-Redwater...

, Alberta Progressive Conservatives MLA Athabasca-Redwater 1989–present

First Aboriginal Canadian MLA elected in Saskatchewan: Lawrence Riel Yew Saskatchewan New Democratic Party MLA Cumberland, 1982–1986 and second was Keith Goulet
Keith Goulet
Keith Napoleon Goulet is a former Canadian politician, who represented the constituency of Cumberland in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan from 1986 to 2003. A Métis member of the Cumberland House Cree Nation, he was the first aboriginal person appointed to the Executive Council of...

MLA, Cumberland, 1986–2003

First Aboriginal Woman MLA elected in Saskatchewan: Joan Beatty
Joan Beatty
Joan Beatty is a Canadian politician. She was the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan for the constituency of Cumberland...

, Saskatchewan New Democratic Party MLA for Cumberland, 2003 to present

First Aboriginal Canadian MLA elected in Manitoba: Elijah Harper
Elijah Harper
Elijah Harper is an Aboriginal Cree Canadian politician and band chief. He was a key player in the rejection of the Meech Lake Accord, an attempt at Canadian constitutional reform.- Early life :...

, Manitoba New Democratic Party MLA Rupertsland, 1981–1992

First Aboriginal Canadian MPP elected in Ontario: Peter John North
Peter John North
Peter John North is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He was elected to two terms in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, where he served from 1990 to 1999....

Ontario New Democratic Party) MPP 1990–1993, Independent MPP 1993–1999

First Aboriginal Canadian MNA elected in Quebec: Ludger Bastien Quebec Conservative Party MLA for Chauveau 1924-1927

First Aboriginal Canadian MLA elected in New Brunswick: T. J. Burke
T. J. Burke
Thomas James "T.J." Burke QC is a New Brunswick lawyer and politician. Burke was the first Aboriginal who hails from Tobique First Nation selected to a legislature anywhere in Atlantic Canada. He has served in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick since 2003 and was a member of the cabinet...

, NB Liberal MLA for Fredericton-Nashwaaksis 2006–present

First Aboriginal Canadian MHA elected in Newfoundland & Labrador: Wally Andersen
Wally Andersen
Wally Andersen is a former Liberal Member of the House of Assembly in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. He was first elected in 1996 in the riding Torngat Mountains and was re-elected twice....

Newfoundland & Labrador Liberal MHA Torngat Mountains, 1996–present

First Métis Canadian elected to a Legislature in Canada: Pierre Delorme
Pierre Delorme
Pierre Delorme was a Métis fur trader, businessman, farmer and political figure. He represented Provencher in the Canadian House of Commons during the 1st Canadian Parliament as a Conservative member from 1871 to 1872. He also represented St. Norbert South in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba...

, Conservative, MP Provencher, Manitoba 1871-1872

First Inuk Canadian elected to the Canadian House of Commons (first Inuk Canadian MP): Peter Ittinuar
Peter Ittinuar
Peter Freuchen K. Ittinuar is a Canadian politician. He was the first Inuk in Canada to be elected as an MP, and represented the electoral district of Nunatsiaq in the Canadian House of Commons from 1979 to 1984....

, New Democratic Party, a pilot from the North West Territories, MP Nunatsiaq, NWT 1979- ("Inuk" (plural: Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...

) are the people formerly known as "Eskimos")

First Inuk elected in southern Canada: George Hickes (politician)
George Hickes (politician)
George Hickes, MLA is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He has served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba since 1990, and has been the Speaker of the Assembly since 1999...

Manitoba New Democratic Party MLA, Point Douglas, 1990–present

First Inuk speaker of a legislature: George Hickes (politician)
George Hickes (politician)
George Hickes, MLA is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He has served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba since 1990, and has been the Speaker of the Assembly since 1999...

Manitoba New Democratic Party MLA, Speaker 1999–present

First Inuk appointed to the federal cabinet: Leona Aglukkaq
Leona Aglukkaq
Leona Aglukkaq, PC, MP is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Canadian House of Commons as a Conservative in the 2008 Canadian federal election for the riding of Nunavut....

, Conservative Party of Canada, Minister of Health, 2008.

African-Canadians
Earliest African-Canadians elected in Canada

Burr Plato
Burr Plato
-Background:Of an African-American background, he was born into slavery in Virginia.Burr succeeded in moving to Canada in 1856 after an arduous journey culminating in a swim to freedom across the Niagara River to the Canada, where he settled ....

, town council member, Town of Niagara Falls (from 1886);
William Hubbard
William Hubbard
For the 19th and early 20th century Toronto city councillor see William Peyton HubbardWilliam Hubbard was an American clergyman and historian, born in England...

, City of Toronto city council member (from 1894) and a member of the Board of Control; also the first black and the first visible minority to win elected public office in any major city of Canada. And still, to this day, by virtue of his being on the city-wide elected Board of Control, the only visible minority ever elected city-wide across Toronto.

March 2011 Toronto Star article on William Hubbard by Mark Maloney

First African-Canadian candidate to run for the House of Commons: Bill White
Bill White (Canadian politician)
William Andrew White, III, OC was a Canadian composer and social justice activist, who was the first Black Canadian to run for federal office in Canada.-1949 federal election:...

- Spadina
Spadina (electoral district)
Spadina was a Canadian electoral district that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1935 to 1988. It covered a portion of the western-central Toronto. Its name comes from the Spadina Avenue, which runs through the heart of the riding....

, CCF (the forerunner to the New Democratic Party) 1949

First African-Canadian elected to the House of Commons: Rt. Hon Lincoln Alexander
Lincoln Alexander
-External links:* * *...

- Hamilton West, Progressive Conservative MP 1968-1984

First African-Canadian leader of a political party (federally or provincially): Stuart Parker
Stuart Parker
Stuart Parker was leader of the Green Party in British Columbia, Canada, from 1993 to 2000. In 2009, during the Ontario by-election to replace MPP Michael Byrant, he unsuccessfully sought the Ontario New Democratic Party nomination for the St...

- Leader of the B.C. Green Party 1993-2000 (and nephew of Harry Jerome
Harry Jerome
Henry "Harry" Winston Jerome, was a Canadian track and field runner. He was the grandson of John Howard, a railway porter who represented Canada in the 1912 Summer Olympics....

)

First African-Canadian candidate to run for the Ontario Legislature: Stanley G. Grizzle
Stanley G. Grizzle
Stanley G. Grizzle, CM, O.Ont is a retired Canadian citizenship judge and labour union activist. Born in 1918 in Toronto, to Jamaican immigrants, he was the oldest of seven children.-Union experience:...

, York East
York East
York East was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons at different times, and a provincial electoral district. It was located in the province of Ontario.-Federal electoral district :...

, ran for the Ontario CCF (the forerunner to the Ontario New Democratic Party) in the 1959 provincial general election.

First African-Canadian elected to a Provincial Legislature in Canada: Leonard Braithwaite
Leonard Braithwaite
Leonard Austin Braithwaite, CM, O.Ont is a lawyer and politician in Ontario, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1963 to 1975, as a member of the Liberal Party...

, Etobicoke—York, Ontario Liberal MPP, 1963–1975

First African-Canadian woman elected in Canada: Rosemary Brown
Rosemary Brown (politician)
Rosemary Brown, PC, OC, OBC, née Wedderburn , was a Canadian politician.- Early years :Rosemary Brown was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1930, and moved to Canada in 1950 to study at McGill University in Montreal...

Vancouver—Burrard
Vancouver—Burrard
Vancouver—Burrard was a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1925 to 1968.This riding was created in 1924 from parts of Burrard riding...

, Burnaby-Edmonds
Burnaby-Edmonds
Burnaby-Edmonds is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Canada.- Demographics :- Geography :The district is located in southern Burnaby, British Columbia...

, BC New Democratic Party MP 1972-1986
First African-Canadian women elected to the House of Commons (first Black female MPs)

Jean Augustine
Jean Augustine
Jean Augustine, PC, CM is a former Canadian politician.From 1993 to 2005, Augustine was a Liberal member of the Canadian House of Commons, representing the riding of Etobicoke—Lakeshore. She is a former member of Cabinet, and a former school principal...

, Etobicoke Lakeshore, Liberal MP, 1993–2006,

First African-Canadian MLAs in British Columbia: Emery Barnes
Emery Barnes
Emery Barnes, OBC was a Canadian football player and Canadian politician.Born in Louisiana and raised in Oregon, Barnes was a gifted athlete, and was an alternate hi-jumper for the 1952 US Olympic Track and Field team...

, BC New Democratic Party MLA Vancouver Burrard 1972-1996 and Rosemary Brown
Rosemary Brown (politician)
Rosemary Brown, PC, OC, OBC, née Wedderburn , was a Canadian politician.- Early years :Rosemary Brown was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1930, and moved to Canada in 1950 to study at McGill University in Montreal...

, Vancouver Burrard, BC New Democratic Party MLA 1972-1986

First African-Canadian female MLA in British Columbia: Rosemary Brown
Rosemary Brown (politician)
Rosemary Brown, PC, OC, OBC, née Wedderburn , was a Canadian politician.- Early years :Rosemary Brown was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1930, and moved to Canada in 1950 to study at McGill University in Montreal...

, Vancouver Burrard, BC New Democratic Party MLA 1972-1986

First African-Canadian MLA in Alberta: George Rogers
George Rogers (Canadian politician)
George A. Rogers is a politician from Leduc, Alberta. After serving on city council from 1992 to 1998, he was mayor of Leduc from 1998 to 2004. He is currently the MLA for the riding of Leduc-Beaumont-Devon.-Early life:...

, Alberta Progressive Conservative MLA Leduc-Beaumont-Devon 2004–present

First African-Canadian MPP in Ontario: Leonard Braithwaite
Leonard Braithwaite
Leonard Austin Braithwaite, CM, O.Ont is a lawyer and politician in Ontario, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1963 to 1975, as a member of the Liberal Party...

, Etobicoke-York, Ontario Liberal MPP 1963–1975

First African-Canadian female MPP in Ontario: Zanana Akande
Zanana Akande
Zanana L. Akande is a former Canadian politician. She was the first black woman elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and the first black woman to serve as a cabinet minister in Canada....

, St-Andrew's-St. Patrick's, Ontario New Democratic Party MPP 1990–1994

First African-Canadian MNA in Quebec: Jean Alfred
Jean Alfred
Jean Alfred, PH.D is a former politician in Quebec, Canada. He was a member of the National Assembly of Quebec as a member of the Parti Québécois from 1976 to 1981....

, Papineau, Parti Québécois MNA 1976-1981

First African-Canadian Female MNA in Quebec: Yolande James
Yolande James
Yolande James is a Quebec provincial politician. She is the first black female MNA and the youngest, as well as the first black cabinet minister in Quebec history...

, Nelligan, Liberal MNA 2003–present

First African-Canadian MLA in Nova Scotia: Wayne Adams
Wayne Adams
Wayne Adams, CM ONS is a former Canadian provincial politician who was the first Black Canadian member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly and cabinet minister....

, Nova Scotia Liberal MLA for Preston 1993-1998

First African-Canadian female MLA in Nova Scotia: Yvonne Atwell
Yvonne Atwell
Yvonne Atwell is a Canadian provincial politician.She spent 20 years as an administrator at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, Ontario, and returned to Nova Scotia in 1984....

, Nova Scotia New Democratic Party MLA for Preston 1998-1999

African-Canadian Speakers of Legislatures in Canada

Emery Barnes
Emery Barnes
Emery Barnes, OBC was a Canadian football player and Canadian politician.Born in Louisiana and raised in Oregon, Barnes was a gifted athlete, and was an alternate hi-jumper for the 1952 US Olympic Track and Field team...

, BC New Democratic Party MLA 1972-1996, Speaker in BC Legislature 1993 to 1996 when he retired.

Alvin Curling
Alvin Curling
Alvin Curling is a prominent Black Canadian. He was Canada's envoy to the Dominican Republic from 2005-2006. A former politician in Ontario, Canada, he was Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario until he resigned on August 19, 2005 to accept his diplomatic appointment...

, Ontario Liberal MPP 1985–2005, Speaker 2003-2005

First African-Canadian woman in Cabinet: Zanana Akande
Zanana Akande
Zanana L. Akande is a former Canadian politician. She was the first black woman elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and the first black woman to serve as a cabinet minister in Canada....

, St-Andrew's-St. Patrick's, Ontario New Democratic Party MPP 1990–1994

First African-Canadian Governor General of Canada: Michaëlle Jean
Michaëlle Jean
Michaëlle Jean is a Canadian journalist and stateswoman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 27th since Canadian Confederation, from 2005 to 2010....

Governor General of Canada, 2005–present

First African-Canadian Lieutenant Governor: Rt. Hon Lincoln Alexander
Lincoln Alexander
-External links:* * *...

Lt. Governor of Ontario, 1985–1991

First African-Canadian Senator: Anne Cools
Anne Cools
Anne Clare Cools is a member of the Canadian Senate. Born in Barbados, with her appointment, she became the first Black Canadian to be appointed to Canada's upper house...

, Liberal Senator 1983-2004, Conservative, 2004+

First African-Canadian mayor: Firmin Monestime
Firmin Monestime
Dr. Saint-Firmin Monestime was a Haitian-Canadian politician and medical doctor, who was the first Black Canadian ever elected mayor of a Canadian municipality....

- 1964

First African-Canadian female mayor: Daurene Lewis
Daurene Lewis
Daurene E. Lewis, CM is a Canadian politician and educator.Born in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, Lewis is a descendant of freed Loyalist African Americans who settled in Annapolis Royal in 1783...

- 1984

Arab Canadians
First Arab Canadian elected to the House of Commons (first Arab Canadian MP): Pierre De Bane
Pierre de Bané
Pierre de Bané, PC, QC is a Canadian Senator. He was the first person of Arab descent to be elected to the Canadian House of Commons in Matane and next Matapédia—Matane, and is a former member of the Canadian Cabinet....

, 1968–1984, Liberal MP Matane
Matane (electoral district)
Matane was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1917 to 1935, and from 1968 to 1979....

, Quebec (Palestinian)

First Arab Canadian Premier: Joe Ghiz
Joe Ghiz
Joseph Atallah "Joe" Ghiz was the 27th Premier of Prince Edward Island from 1986 to 1993, an educator of law and a justice of the Supreme Court of Prince Edward Island. He was the father of Robert Ghiz, the current Premier of Prince Edward Island...

Prince Edward Island 1986 – 25 January 1993

First Arab Canadian in Cabinet

Pierre De Bane
Pierre de Bané
Pierre de Bané, PC, QC is a Canadian Senator. He was the first person of Arab descent to be elected to the Canadian House of Commons in Matane and next Matapédia—Matane, and is a former member of the Canadian Cabinet....

, 1968–1984, Liberal MP Matane, Que. (Palestinian)

Larry Shaben
Larry Shaben
Lawrence "Larry" Ralph Shaben was a Canadian politician of Lebanese descent and the first Muslim Cabinet Minister in Canada. He was also one of the first Muslims to be elected to higher office in North America. He held a seat in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1975 to 1989 sitting with...

, 1979–1984 first Muslim in a cabinet in Canada as Minister in the Alberta cabinet under Peter Lougheed and first Arab in Alberta's cabinet

First Arab Canadian leaders of political parties

Fonse Faour
Fonse Faour
Alphonsus Faour is a former Canadian politician. He was the first New Democratic Party Member of Parliament ever elected to the Canadian House of Commons from the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.Faour represented the electoral district of Humber—St. George's—St...

Newfoundland New Democratic Party leader, 1980–1981

Joe Ghiz
Joe Ghiz
Joseph Atallah "Joe" Ghiz was the 27th Premier of Prince Edward Island from 1986 to 1993, an educator of law and a justice of the Supreme Court of Prince Edward Island. He was the father of Robert Ghiz, the current Premier of Prince Edward Island...

Prince Edward Island Liberal Party, 1981–1993

Hassan Husseini
Hassan Husseini
Hassan Husseini was a politician and political activist in Ontario, Canada. He was a prominent member of the Communist Party of Canada - Ontario, and led the party in the 1999 provincial election. He left the CPC in 2003....

Communist Party of Ontario, 1998–2001

Lorraine Michael
Lorraine Michael
Lorraine Michael, MHA is a social democratic Canadian politician from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Since 2006 Michael has been the leader of the Newfoundland and Labrador New Democratic Party . She is a former nun, teacher, and social activist...

Newfoundland New Democratic Party leader 2006–present

First Arab Canadian Senator: Mac Harb
Mac Harb
Mac Harb is a Canadian Senator and former Member of the House of Commons.-Life and career:Harb was born in Chaat, Lebanon and immigrated to Canada to study at the University of Ottawa. He subsequently worked as an engineer at Northern Telecom and a professor at Algonquin College in Ottawa...

, Liberal Senator 2004–present

Armenian Canadians
First Armenian Canadian elected to the House of Commons (first Armenian Canadian MP)

Sarkis Assadourian
Sarkis Assadourian
Sarkis Assadourian is an Armenian-Canadian politician from the Liberal Party of Canada. He became the first Armenian-Canadian to be elected to the House of Commons, with great support of the Armenian community of Toronto.Assadourian has grown distant to some in the Armenian-Canadian community by...

Liberal MP (Syrian Armenian), Don Valley North
Don Valley North
Don Valley North was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1988 to 1997. It was located the city of North York, in the province of Ontario. This riding was created in 1987, and was first used in the federal election of 1988...

, 1993-1997 & Brampton Centre
Brampton Centre
Brampton Centre was a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1997 to 2004. This riding was created in 1996 from parts of Brampton riding....

, 1997–2004

Chinese Canadians
First Chinese Canadian candidate in Canada: Catherine Emily Ling, 1941 BC provincial election for the Emancipation Party in Vancouver Point Grey

First Chinese Canadian MP:

Douglas Jung
Douglas Jung
Douglas Jung, CM, OBC, CD was the first Chinese Canadian Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons.-Early life:...

(鄭天華), Progressive Conservative MP for Vancouver Centre
Vancouver Centre
Vancouver Centre is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1917.-Geography:...

(1957–1962), first Chinese Canadian to hold elected office
Art Lee
Art Lee
Arthur John Lee is a politician and lawyer in British Columbia , Canada.Lee was elected to the Canadian House of Commons as a candidate of the Liberal Party of Canada to represent the electoral district of Vancouver East in the 1974 federal election...

(李僑棟), Liberal MP for Vancouver East
Vancouver East
Vancouver East is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1935....

(1974–79)
Raymond Chan
Raymond Chan
Raymond Chan, PC , is the first Chinese Canadian to be appointed to the Cabinet of Canada. A member of the Liberal Party of Canada, Chan was elected to Parliament in the 1993 federal election, defeating then Defence Minister Tom Siddon in the riding of Richmond, British Columbia...

(陳卓愉), Liberal MP for Richmond (1993–2000, 2004–2008), First Chinese-Canadian federal cabinet minister
Sophia Leung
Sophia Leung
Sophia Ming Ren Leung, CM is a Canadian politician.Born in Wuxi, China, she was a social worker before being elected to the Canadian House of Commons in 1997 for the riding of Vancouver-Kingsway in British Columbia. A Liberal, she was re-elected in 2000. From 2000 to 2003, she was Parliamentary...

(梁陳明任), Liberal MP for Vancouver Kingsway
Vancouver Kingsway
Vancouver Kingsway is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1953 to 1988 and since 1997. It is located in Vancouver.-Demographics:...

(1997–2004), First Chinese-Canadian female MP
Inky Mark
Inky Mark
Inky Mark is a Canadian politician and a former member of the Canadian House of Commons, representing the Manitoba riding of Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette. Mark is a member of the Conservative Party of Canada....

(麥鼎鴻), Reform/Progressive Conservative/Conservative MP for Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette
Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette
Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette is a federal electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1904...

(1997–2010)
Michael Chong
Michael Chong
Michael David Chong, PC, MP is a Canadian politician. He has represented the riding of Wellington—Halton Hills in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004. He served in the cabinet of Prime Minister Stephen Harper as Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of Sport, as well as the...

(莊文浩), Conservative MP for Wellington—Halton Hills
Wellington—Halton Hills
Wellington—Halton Hills is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004.The Member of Parliament for Wellington-Halton Hills is Mike Chong of the Conservative Party of Canada....

(2004–present)
Olivia Chow
Olivia Chow
Olivia Chow is a Canadian New Democratic Party Member of Parliament and former city councillor in Toronto. She won the Trinity—Spadina riding for the New Democratic Party on January 23, 2006, becoming a member of the Canadian House of Commons. Most recently, she was re-elected in her riding for...

(鄒至蕙), New Democratic MP for Trinity—Spadina
Trinity—Spadina
Trinity—Spadina is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1988.It generally encompasses the western portion of Downtown Toronto. In the 2001 Canadian census, the riding had 106,094 people, of whom 74,409 were eligible to...

(2006–present)
Alice Wong
Alice Wong
Alice Siu-Ping Chan Wong, PC, MP is a Canadian politician, who was elected to represent the electoral district of Richmond. She is a member of the Conservative Party and formerly served as the Parliamentary Secretary for Multiculturalism...

(黃陳小萍), Conservative MP for Richmond (2008–present)
Ted Hsu
Ted Hsu
Theodore "Ted" Hsu, MP is a Canadian physicist and politician from Ontario, Canada. He is the Member of Parliament for the riding of Kingston and the Islands and sits in the Canadian House of Commons as the Liberal Party's Critic for Science and Technology....

(徐正陶), Liberal MP for Kingston and the Islands
Kingston and the Islands
Kingston and the Islands is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968....

(2011–present)
Chungsen Leung
Chungsen Leung
Chungsen Leung, MP is a Canadian businessman and politician, currently the MP for Willowdale; he was the Conservative Party of Canada's candidate in the 2011 election.-Immigration from Taiwan:...

(梁中心), Conservative MP for Willowdale
Willowdale (electoral district)
Willowdale is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1979.The riding was created in 1976 from part of Eglinton....

(2011–present)
Wai Young
Wai Young
Wai Young is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 2011 election. She represents the electoral district of Vancouver South as a member of the Conservative Party of Canada.-Early life:...

(楊蕭慧儀), Conservative MP for Vancouver South
Vancouver South
Vancouver South is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1917 to 1997, and since 2004. It covers the southern portion of the city of Vancouver, British Columbia....

(2011–present)
Laurin Liu, New Democratic MP for Rivière-des-Mille-Îles
Rivière-des-Mille-Îles (electoral district)
Rivière-des-Mille-Îles is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997.-Geography:...

(2011–present)

First Chinese-Canadian member of provincial legislature:

George Ho Lem
George Ho Lem
George Ho Lem Sr. was a politician, business man and community leader from Alberta, Canada. To most people he is known as a great man serving many years as a Calgary Alderman but to those people who are part of the inner Chinatown Circle know him as "The Traitor of the Chinese".- Early life...

(何榮禧), Alberta Social Credit
Social Credit Party of Alberta
The Alberta Social Credit Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada, that was founded on the social credit monetary policy and conservative Christian social values....

MLA for Calgary-McCall (1971–75)
Bob Wong
Bob Wong
Robert Charles Wong is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1987 to 1990, serving as a cabinet minister in the provincial government of David Peterson....

(黄景培), Ontario Liberal MPP for Fort York
Fort York (electoral district)
Fort York was a provincial electoral district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was created in 1987 and was subsequently abolished in 1999 when the ridings were redistributed to match their federal counterparts. The riding had only two representatives:...

(1987–90)
Gary Mar
Gary Mar
Gary Glen Mar QC, is a Canadian politician in Alberta, Canada. He served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1993 to 2007. On December 3, 2007, he was appointed as the Official Representative for Alberta in Washington, D.C., and worked in the Canadian Embassy with the official...

(馬健威), Alberta Progressive Conservative MLA for Calgary Nose Creek
Calgary Nose Creek
Calgary Nose Creek was a provincial electoral district that encompassed the Northern Central part of Calgary, Alberta.The riding was created during the election of 1993, when the boundaries of Calgary McKnight changed and the riding was renamed....

/Calgary Mackay
Calgary Mackay
Calgary Mackay is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, Canada.-Boundary history:- Members of the Legislative Assembly :-2004 general election:-2004 Senate nominee election district results:...

(1993–2007)
Ida Chong
Ida Chong
Ida Chong is British Columbia's Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development and was Minister Responsible for the Asia-Pacific Initiative as well as Minister of Technology, Trade, and Economic Development. She has served in this position since June 2008...

(張杏芳), BC Liberal MLA for Oak Bay-Gordon Head
Oak Bay-Gordon Head
Oak Bay-Gordon Head is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Canada.- Demographics :- Member of Legislative Assembly :...

(1996–present), together with Jenny Kwan were the First Chinese Canadian women elected in Canada
Jenny Kwan
Jenny Kwan
Jenny Wai Ching Kwan is a Hong Kong-born Canadian politician. She is currently a Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, and a senior member of the provincial caucus of the New Democratic Party.-Personal life:...

(關慧貞), BC NDP MLA for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant
Vancouver-Mount Pleasant
Vancouver-Mount Pleasant is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Canada. It was one of only two electoral districts to return an NDP MLA in the 2001 election when the NDP was nearly wiped off the electoral map, and it did so by a much wider margin than...

(1996–present), together with Ida Chong were the First Chinese Canadian women elected in Canada
Richard Lee
Richard Lee (politician)
Richard T. Lee is a BC Liberal Member of the Legislative Assembly, in the province of British Columbia, Canada. He has represented the riding of North Burnaby since the 2001 election. He was re-elected in the 2005 election and 2009 election...

(李燦明), BC Liberal MLA for Burnaby North
Burnaby North
Burnaby North is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Canada.- Demographics :- Member of Legislative Assembly :...

(2001–present)
Tony Wong (黃志華), Ontario Liberal MPP for Markham
Markham (electoral district)
Markham was a provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada created in 1986. Also known as Markham—Whitchurch-Stouffville, it was a federal electoral district that elected representatives to the Canadian House of Commons from 1988 to 2000....

(2003–06)
Michael Chan
Michael Chan (Canadian politician)
Michael Chan is a Canadian politician. He is the Liberal Member of Provincial Parliament for the Ontario provincial riding of Markham-Unionville and Minister of Tourism and Culture in the provincial Liberal government headed by Dalton McGuinty...

(陳國治), Ontario Liberal MPP for Markham—Unionville
Markham—Unionville (provincial electoral district)
Markham—Unionville is a provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since the 2007 provincial election.-History:...

(2006–present)
Teresa Woo-Paw
Teresa Woo-Paw
Teresa Woo-Paw is a Canadian politician and current Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta representing the constituency of Calgary-Mackay as a Progressive Conservative.-Early life:Woo-Paw was born in Hong Kong...

(鮑胡嫈儀), Alberta Progressive Conservative MLA for Calgary-Mackay (2008–present)

First Chinese Canadian leader of a political party (federally or provincially)

Arthur Lee
Art Lee
Arthur John Lee is a politician and lawyer in British Columbia , Canada.Lee was elected to the Canadian House of Commons as a candidate of the Liberal Party of Canada to represent the electoral district of Vancouver East in the 1974 federal election...

(李僑棟), BC Liberal leader, 1984-1987 (*The BC Liberals had no seats)

Victor Lau
Victor Lau
Victor Lau is the current leader of the Green Party of Saskatchewan, elected following the resignation of Larissa Shasko. He has been leader once previously, and was Deputy Leader under Shasko....

, Saskatchewan Green Party Leader 2006 (interim?)

First Chinese-Canadian in Cabinet:

Bob Wong
Bob Wong
Robert Charles Wong is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1987 to 1990, serving as a cabinet minister in the provincial government of David Peterson....

(黄景培), Ontario Liberal, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure (1987–89), Minister of Citizenship(1989–90)
Raymond Chan
Raymond Chan
Raymond Chan, PC , is the first Chinese Canadian to be appointed to the Cabinet of Canada. A member of the Liberal Party of Canada, Chan was elected to Parliament in the 1993 federal election, defeating then Defence Minister Tom Siddon in the riding of Richmond, British Columbia...

(陳卓愉), Federal Liberal, Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific) (1993–2001), Minister of State (Multiculturalism)(2004–2006), First Chinese-Canadian federal cabinet minister
Gary Mar
Gary Mar
Gary Glen Mar QC, is a Canadian politician in Alberta, Canada. He served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1993 to 2007. On December 3, 2007, he was appointed as the Official Representative for Alberta in Washington, D.C., and worked in the Canadian Embassy with the official...

(馬健威), Alberta Progressive Conservative, Minister of International and Intergovernmental Relations, Minister of Health and Wellness, Minister of Learning, Minister of the Environment, and twice Minister of Community Development (1993–2007)
Jenny Kwan
Jenny Kwan
Jenny Wai Ching Kwan is a Hong Kong-born Canadian politician. She is currently a Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, and a senior member of the provincial caucus of the New Democratic Party.-Personal life:...

(關慧貞), BC NDP, Minister of Municipal Affairs (1998–99), Minister of Women's Equality (1999–2000), Minister of Community Development, Cooperatives and Volunteers (2000–01)
Ida Chong
Ida Chong
Ida Chong is British Columbia's Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development and was Minister Responsible for the Asia-Pacific Initiative as well as Minister of Technology, Trade, and Economic Development. She has served in this position since June 2008...

(張杏芳), BC Liberal, Minister of Advanced Education (2004–05), Minister of Community Services (2005–08), Minister of Technology, Trade and Economic Development (2008–09), Minister of Science and Universities & Minister of Regional Economic and Skills Development (2010–present)
Michael Chong
Michael Chong
Michael David Chong, PC, MP is a Canadian politician. He has represented the riding of Wellington—Halton Hills in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004. He served in the cabinet of Prime Minister Stephen Harper as Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of Sport, as well as the...

(莊文浩), Federal Conservative, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs & President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada
President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada
In the Canadian cabinet, the President of The Queen's Privy Council for Canada is nominally in charge of the Privy Council Office. The President of the Privy Council also has the largely ceremonial duty of presiding over meetings of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada, a body which only convenes...

(2006)
Michael Chan
Michael Chan (Canadian politician)
Michael Chan is a Canadian politician. He is the Liberal Member of Provincial Parliament for the Ontario provincial riding of Markham-Unionville and Minister of Tourism and Culture in the provincial Liberal government headed by Dalton McGuinty...

, Ontario Liberal, Minister of Revenue (2007), Minister of Citizenship and Immigration (2007–present)
Alice Wong
Alice Wong
Alice Siu-Ping Chan Wong, PC, MP is a Canadian politician, who was elected to represent the electoral district of Richmond. She is a member of the Conservative Party and formerly served as the Parliamentary Secretary for Multiculturalism...

(黃陳小萍), Federal Conservative, Minister of State for Seniors (2011–present)

First Chinese Canadian Senator: Vivienne Poy
Vivienne Poy
Vivienne Poy was appointed to the Senate of Canada in 1998. Poy came to Canada as a university student in 1959. She is the first Canadian senator of Asian ancestry. She graduated from St...

(利德蕙), 1998-current

First Chinese Canadian Governor General of Canada: Adrienne Clarkson
Adrienne Clarkson
Adrienne Louise Clarkson is a Canadian journalist and stateswoman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 26th since Canadian Confederation....

(伍冰枝), Governor General of Canada, 1999–2005

First Chinese Canadian Lieutenant Governors

David Lam
David Lam
- External links :**...

(林思齊), British Columbia Lieutenant Governor 1988-1995

Norman Kwong
Norman Kwong
Norman Lim "Normie" Kwong, CM, AOE is a former professional athlete, sports executive, and was the 16th Lieutenant Governor of Alberta...

(林佐民), Lieutenant Governor of Alberta 2005-2010

Philip S. Lee (李紹麟), current Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba

First person of Chinese descent in Canada to be elected in a municipal election: George Ho Lem
George Ho Lem
George Ho Lem Sr. was a politician, business man and community leader from Alberta, Canada. To most people he is known as a great man serving many years as a Calgary Alderman but to those people who are part of the inner Chinatown Circle know him as "The Traitor of the Chinese".- Early life...

First Chinese Canadian mayor in Canada:

Peter Wing
Peter Wing
Peter Wing , CM, OBC was a Canadian politician and was the first mayor of Chinese descent in North America. He was born in Kamloops, British Columbia in 1914 and had lived most of his life there...

(吳榮添), Mayor of Kamloops, first elected 1966, served for three terms

Croatian Canadians
First Croatian Canadian elected to a Legislature: Dave Stupich, British Columbia MLA, Nanaimo and the Islands, 1963–1969, Nanaimo 1972-1988

First Croatian-born Canadian elected to a Legislature: John Sola
John Sola
John Domagoj Sola is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1987 to 1995. Originally a Liberal, he was forced to leave his party over controversy arising from his criticism of Bosnian Serbs.Sola has a Bachelor of Arts degree from...

, Ontario Liberal MPP, Missisauga East, 1987-1993 (expelled), Independent MPP 1993–1995

First Croatian Canadian elected to the House of Commons (first Croatian Canadian MP): Dave Stupich, New Democratic Party MP, Nanaimo—Cowichan
Nanaimo—Cowichan
Nanaimo—Cowichan is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1988...

, 1988–1993

First Croatian-born Canadian elected to the House of Commons: Janko Peric
Janko Peric
Janko Peric , is a former Canadian politician. Peric was the Liberal Party MP for the riding of Cambridge from 1993 to 2004.He was born Janko Perić in Orehovica near Bedekovčina, Croatia and was a welder and airplane pilot....

, Liberal MP, Cambridge
Cambridge (electoral district)
Cambridge is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1979. Its population in 2001 was 119,140.-Geography:...

, 1993–2004

Czech Canadians
First Czech Canadian MP: Otto Jelinek
Otto Jelinek
Otto John Jelinek, PC is a businessman, former figure skater, and Canadian politician. Jelinek's family fled to Canada from Czechoslovakia in 1948 at the beginning of the Cold War.-Figure skating career:...

PC MP 1972-1979 High Park-Humber Valley, 1979-1993 Halton
Halton (electoral district)
Halton is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1988 and again since 1997. Its population in 2001 was 100,055.-Geography:...

First Czech Canadian cabinet minister: Otto Jelinek
Otto Jelinek
Otto John Jelinek, PC is a businessman, former figure skater, and Canadian politician. Jelinek's family fled to Canada from Czechoslovakia in 1948 at the beginning of the Cold War.-Figure skating career:...

, 1984–1993

Filipino Canadians

First Filipino elected in Canada: Conrad Santos
Conrad Santos
Conrad Santos is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1981 to 1988, and again from 1990 to 2007....

, Manitoba New Democratic Party MLA Burrows 1981-1988, Broadway 1990-1999, Wellington 1999–present

First Filipino Canadian Woman elected in Canada: Flor Marcelino
Flor Marcelino
Flor Marcelino is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. She was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba in the 2007 provincial election, for the electoral division of Wellington. In the 2011 provincial election, she was re-elected to a second term in office in the new electoral district of Logan...

, Manitoba NDP MLA Wellington 2007–present

First Filipino Canadian elected to the House of Commons (first Filipino Canadian MP): Dr. Rey Pagtakhan
Rey Pagtakhan
Rey D. Pagtakhan, PC is a Canadian physician, professor and politician. He was a cabinet minister in the governments of Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin, and served as a member of parliament from 1988 until his defeat in the 2004 election....

, Winnipeg North
Winnipeg North
For information on the historical provincial constituency, see Winnipeg North .Winnipeg North is a federal electoral district that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1917...

, Liberal MP, 1988–2004

First Filipino Canadian elected in Manitoba: Conrad Santos
Conrad Santos
Conrad Santos is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1981 to 1988, and again from 1990 to 2007....

, Manitoba New Democratic Party MLA Burrows 1981-1988, Broadway 1990-1999, Wellington 1999–present

First Filipino Canadian Woman elected in Manitoba: Flor Marcelino
Flor Marcelino
Flor Marcelino is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. She was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba in the 2007 provincial election, for the electoral division of Wellington. In the 2011 provincial election, she was re-elected to a second term in office in the new electoral district of Logan...

, Manitoba NDP MLA Wellington 2007–present

First Filipino Canadian appointed to the Federal Cabinet: Dr. Rey Pagtakhan
Rey Pagtakhan
Rey D. Pagtakhan, PC is a Canadian physician, professor and politician. He was a cabinet minister in the governments of Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin, and served as a member of parliament from 1988 until his defeat in the 2004 election....

, Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific)
Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific)
Secretary of State was a Sub-Cabinet Post in the Cabinet of Canada. The post was created in 1993 and abolished in 2003.A list of junior ministers:* Raymond Chan 1993-2001* Rey Pagtakhan 2001-2002* David Kilgour 2002-2003...

(2001–2002), Minister of Veterans Affairs(2002–2003), Secretary of State (Science, Research and Development)
Secretary of State (Science, Research and Development)
The Secretary of State for Science, Research and Development is a former federal government position in Canada. It was not a full cabinet portfolio, but was instead affiliated with Industry Canada, overseen by the Minister of Industry...

(2002–2003), Minister with political responsibility for Manitoba (2002–2003), Minister of Western Economic Diversification(2003–2004)

First Filipino Canadian to run for the leadership of a major party: Conrad Santos
Conrad Santos
Conrad Santos is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1981 to 1988, and again from 1990 to 2007....

, Manitoba New Democratic Party leadership 1988

German Canadians
First German Canadian Federal Prime Minister of Canada: John Diefenbaker
John Diefenbaker
John George Diefenbaker, PC, CH, QC was the 13th Prime Minister of Canada, serving from June 21, 1957, to April 22, 1963...

, 1957–1963

First German Canadian Governor General of Canada: Edward Schreyer
Edward Schreyer
Edward Richard Schreyer , commonly known as Ed Schreyer, is a Canadian politician, diplomat, and statesman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 22nd since Canadian Confederation....

, 1979–1984

First German Canadian Provincial Premier: Ralph Klein, Premier of Alberta, 1992–2006

Greek Canadians
First Greek Canadian elected to the House of Commons (first Greek Canadian MP): Gus Mitges, Progressive Conservative MP, Grey—Simcoe
Grey—Simcoe
Grey—Simcoe was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1968 to 1988. It was located in the province of Ontario. This riding was created in 1966 from parts of Grey North, Grey—Bruce and Simcoe East ridings....

1972-1993

First Greek Canadian Senator

Philippe Deane Gigantès, Liberal Senator appointed in 1984 http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/people/key/Trivia/trivia.asp?lang=E&cat=cf&hea=firsts&subcat=Sen

First Greek elected to the Ontario legislature: George Samis
George Samis
George Roy Samis is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1974 to 1985 as a member of the New Democratic Party ....

, Ontario New Democratic Party MP 1974 by-election - 1985, Cornwall

Hungarian Canadians
First Hungarian Canadian elected to the House of Commons (first Hungarian Canadian MP): Tom Wappel
Tom Wappel
Thomas William "Tom" Wappel is a Canadian politician. He was a Liberal member of the House of Commons from 1988 to 2008, representing the Toronto riding of Scarborough West and its successor riding of Scarborough Southwest. He did not seek re-election in the 2008 general election.Wappel is a...

, Liberal MP, Scarborough West
Scarborough West
Scarborough West was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commonsfrom 1968 to 1997. It was located in the province of Ontario...

1988-2000; Scarborough Southwest
Scarborough Southwest
Scarborough Southwest is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons.On Toronto City Council, the southeast portion is represented by Gary Crawford. The northwest section is represented by Michelle Berardinetti.-Geography:It covers the...

2000–present

First Hungarian-born Canadian elected to the House of Commons: Andrew Telegdi
Andrew Telegdi
Andrew Telegdi, PC is a Canadian politician. He was a Liberal Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 to 2008, representing Waterloo and the successor riding of Kitchener—Waterloo....

, Liberal MP Waterloo
Waterloo (electoral district)
Waterloo was a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1968 to 1979. From 1973 to 1976, it was known as Waterloo—Cambridge...

, 1993–2008

Iranian Canadians
First Iranian Canadian elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario (1st Iranian Canadian Provincial MPP)

Reza Moridi
Reza Moridi
Reza Moridi is a Canadian politician, and the first Iranian-Canadian elected to a provincial or federal legislature in Canada. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the 2007 provincial election, representing the riding of Richmond Hill...

, Liberal MPP, Richmond Hill
Richmond Hill (electoral district)
Richmond Hill is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004.It was created in 2003 from parts of Oak Ridges riding.-Geography:...

, 2007–present

Italian Canadians
First Italian Canadian Elected to the Federal Legislature (1st Italian Canadian MP)

Hubert Badanai
Hubert Badanai
Hubert Badanai was a Canadian automobile dealer and politician.Born at Azzano Decimo in the Province of Pordenone, northern Italy, he moved to Canada when he was 18 and worked at a brickyard in Rosslyn. He later opened a successful car dealership and became an alderman in Fort William, Ontario for...

Liberal MP Fort WIlliam 1958-1972 http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/people/key/Trivia/trivia.asp?lang=E&cat=cf&hea=firsts&subcat=Hoc

First Italian Canadian Cabinet Minister (Federal)

Monique Bégin
Monique Bégin
Monique Bégin, PC, OC, FRSC is an academic and former Canadian politician.Begin was born in Rome and raised in France and Portugal before immigrating to Canada at the end of World War II...

, 1976.09.14 Appointed Minister of National Revenue http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/people/key/Trivia/trivia.asp?lang=E&cat=cf&hea=firsts&subcat=Min

First Italian Canadian Senator

Pietro Rizzuto
Pietro Rizzuto
Pietro Rizzuto was a Canadian politician.Born in Cattolica Eraclea, Italy, he came to Canada at the age of 20. In 1963, he founded Inter State Paving Inc., a construction company....

, Liberal Senator appointed in 1976 http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/people/key/Trivia/trivia.asp?lang=E&cat=cf&hea=firsts&subcat=Sen

First Italian Canadian to Run for the Leadership of a Major Party (Federally or Provincially) -

John Nunziata
John Nunziata
John Nunziata is a Canadian politician. He served in the Canadian House of Commons from 1984 to 2000, initially as a Liberal and later as an independent member.-Background:...

- Federal Liberal Leadership race 1990

Tony Silipo
Tony Silipo
Tony Silipo is a former Canadian politician.Silipo was educated at the University of Toronto and Osgoode Hall at York University, and began practising law in 1984...

- Ontario NDP leadership race 1996

Greg Sorbara
Greg Sorbara
Gregory Sam "Greg" Sorbara, MPP a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario for Vaughan. Sorbara served as the Minister of Finance in the Ontario Liberal Party government of Premier Dalton McGuinty from 2003 to 2007.He resigned on October 11, 2005, following a police investigation involving...

- Ontario Liberal leadership race 1992

Japanese Canadians
First Japanese Canadian candidate in Canada: Joan Kabayama, Grenville—Carleton
Grenville—Carleton
Grenville–Carleton was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1968 to 1979. It was located in the province of Ontario...

New Democratic Party 1972 federal election

First Japanese Canadian elected to the House of Commons (first Japanese Canadian MP): Bev Oda
Bev Oda
The Hon. Beverley Joan "Bev" Oda, PC, MP is a Canadian politician. She is a current member of the Canadian House of Commons, as well as the first Japanese-Canadian MP and cabinet minister in Canadian history. She represents the riding of Durham for the Conservative Party of Canada. She was...

, Conservative MP, Clarington—Scugog—Uxbridge, 2004–present

First Japanese Canadian elected to the Ontario Provincial Parliament (first Japanese Canadian MPP): David Tsubouchi
David Tsubouchi
is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1995 to 2003, and was a cabinet minister in the governments of Mike Harris and Ernie Eves.-Education:...

, Progressive Conservative, Markham
Markham
-Biology:* Markham's storm-petrel , a seabird species found in Chile and Colombia* Markham's grass mouse , a rodent subspecies found on Wellington Island and the nearby Southern Patagonian Ice Field in southern Chile* Ulmus americana 'Markham', an American elm cultivar-Companies:* Markham & Co., an...

, 1995–2003

Jewish Canadians
Extended full political rights: 1831, in Lower Canada (Quebec)

First Jewish Canadian elected to a Legislature in Canada: Ezekiel Hart, elected in Lower Canada in the by-election of April 11, 1807

First Jewish Canadian cabinet minister (provincial or federal):

David Croll
David Croll
David Arnold Croll, PC, QC was a Canadian politician.-Early life:Croll was born in a shtetl in Russia's Pale of Settlement and was brought to Canada with his family as a young boy, at which point his name was anglicized...

, Ontario Liberal, Ontario Cabinet of Premier Mitchell Hepburn
Mitchell Hepburn
Mitchell Frederick Hepburn was the 11th Premier of Ontario, Canada, from 1934 to 1942. He was the youngest Premier in Ontario history, appointed at age 37....

, 1934–1937

Allan Grossman
Allan Grossman
Allan Grossman was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Canada, for 20 years, a provincial cabinet minister and the father of the late former leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, Larry Grossman. Together, the father and son represented the downtown Toronto, Ontario,...

, Ontario Progressive Conservative, Ontario Cabinets of Premiers Leslie Frost
Leslie Frost
Leslie Miscampbell Frost, was a politician in Ontario, Canada, who served as the 16th Premier from May 4, 1949 to November 8, 1961. Due to his lengthy tenure, he gained the nickname "Old Man Ontario".-Early years:...

, John Robarts
John Robarts
John Parmenter Robarts, PC, CC, QC was a Canadian lawyer and statesman, and the 17th Premier of Ontario.-Early life:...

and Bill Davis
Bill Davis
William Grenville "Bill" Davis, was the 18th Premier of Ontario, Canada, from 1971 to 1985. Davis was first elected as the MPP for Peel in the 1959 provincial election where he was a backbencher in Leslie Frost's government. Under John Robarts, he was a cabinet minister overseeing the education...

, 1960–1975

First Jewish Canadian federal cabinet minister: Herb Gray
Herb Gray
Herbert Eser Gray, is a retired Canadian politician. He was Canada's first Jewish federal cabinet minister, and is one of only a few Canadians ever granted the title The Right Honourable who was not so entitled by virtue of a position held.-Early life:Born in Windsor, Ontario, the son of Harry...

, Liberal, first appointed in 1969 as Minister without portfolio by Pierre Trudeau (Liberal)

First Jewish Canadians elected to the Canadian House of Commons (first Jewish Canadian MP)

Henry Nathan, Liberal MP Victoria
Victoria (electoral district)
Victoria is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1872 to 1904 and since 1925....

1872-1874

Abraham Albert Heaps
Abraham Albert Heaps
Abraham Albert Heaps was a Canadian politician and labour leader.Born in Leeds, England, Heaps immigrated to Canada in 1911 and worked in Winnipeg as an upholsterer. He was one of the leaders of the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919 and was a Labor alderman on the Winnipeg City Council from 1917...

, CCF (the forerunner to the New Democratic Party) MP, Winnipeg North
Winnipeg North
For information on the historical provincial constituency, see Winnipeg North .Winnipeg North is a federal electoral district that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1917...

1935-1940

Fred Rose
Fred Rose (politician)
Fred Rose was a Communist politician and trade union organizer in Canada. He was born in Lublin in what is now Poland, part of Russia at the time. He emigrated to Canada as a child in 1916. He became involved with the Young Communist League of Canada, and then joined the Communist Party of Canada...

, Labour-Progressive
Labour-Progressive Party
For the Labour-Progressive Coalition Government in New Zealand see the Fifth Labour Government of New ZealandThe Labor-Progressive Party was the legal political organization of the Communist Party of Canada between 1943 and 1959....

(Communist) MP Cartier
Cartier (electoral district)
Cartier was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1925 to 1968.It was created in 1924 from parts of George-Étienne Cartier riding....

, Quebec 1943-1947

First Jewish leader of a federal party: David Lewis
David Lewis (politician)
David Lewis, CC was a Russian-born Canadian labour lawyer and social democratic politician. He was national secretary of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation from 1936 to 1950, and one of the key architects of the New Democratic Party in 1961...

, New Democratic Party 1971-1975

First Jewish Premier: Dave Barrett
Dave Barrett
David Barrett, OC , commonly known as Dave Barrett, is a retired politician and social worker in British Columbia, Canada...

, BC New Democratic Party Premier 1972-1975

First Jewish Senator: David Croll
David Croll
David Arnold Croll, PC, QC was a Canadian politician.-Early life:Croll was born in a shtetl in Russia's Pale of Settlement and was brought to Canada with his family as a young boy, at which point his name was anglicized...

, Liberal, appointed 1955.

First Jewish Leaders of provincial parties

Dave Barrett
Dave Barrett
David Barrett, OC , commonly known as Dave Barrett, is a retired politician and social worker in British Columbia, Canada...

, BC New Democratic Party, 1969-May 20, 1984

Stephen Lewis
Stephen Lewis
Stephen Henry Lewis, is a Canadian politician, broadcaster and diplomat. He was the leader of the social democratic Ontario New Democratic Party for most of the 1970s. During many of the those years as leader, his father David Lewis was simultaneously the leader of the Federal New Democratic Party...

, Ontario New Democratic Party, 1970–1978

Izzy Asper
Izzy Asper
Israel Harold "Izzy" Asper, , Canadian tax lawyer and media magnate, was the founder of the now defunct CanWest Global Communications Corp and father to its former CEO and President Leonard Asper, former director and corporate secretary Gail Asper, as well as Executive Vice President David Asper...

, Manitoba Liberal, 1970–75

Sidney Spivak
Sidney Spivak
Sidney Spivak was a Manitoba politician. He was a Cabinet Minister in the governments of Dufferin Roblin, Walter Weir and Sterling Lyon, and was himself leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba from 1971 to 1975.Spivak was born to a Jewish family in Winnipeg, and was educated at...

, Manitoba Progressive Conservatives, 1971 to 1975

Stuart Smith
Stuart Lyon Smith
Stuart Lyon Smith is a politician, psychiatrist, academic and public servant in Ontario, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1975 to 1982, and led the Ontario Liberal Party for most of this period....

, Ontario Liberal 1976-1982

Larry Grossman
Larry Grossman
Lawrence "Larry" Sheldon Grossman was a politician in Ontario, Canada.-Early years:Born in Toronto, Grossman was the son of Allan Grossman, who had represented a downtown Toronto riding in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario for twenty years after defeating Ontario's last Communist Member of...

, Ontario Progressive Conservatives, November 22, 1985 - September 10, 1987

First Jewish Supreme Court Judge: Bora Laskin
Bora Laskin
Bora Laskin, PC, CC, FRSC was a Canadian jurist, who served on the Supreme Court of Canada for fourteen years, including a decade as its Chief Justice.-Early life:...

, 1970, subsequently Chief Justice

First Jewish mayors

Lumley Franklin
Lumley Franklin
Lumley Franklin was the 2nd mayor of Victoria, British Columbia. He was born in Liverpool, England, the son of a successful banker. Lumley emigrated from London to New York City in 1845 to establish his career in the U.S. He was a successful business man before he moved to San Francisco in 1854...

, Victoria, 1865–1866

David Oppenheimer
David Oppenheimer
David Oppenheimer was a successful entrepreneur, the second mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia, and a National Historic Person of Canada.-Early life:...

, Vancouver, 1888–1891

David Croll
David Croll
David Arnold Croll, PC, QC was a Canadian politician.-Early life:Croll was born in a shtetl in Russia's Pale of Settlement and was brought to Canada with his family as a young boy, at which point his name was anglicized...

, Windsor, 1931–1934

Leonard Arthur Kitz
Leonard Arthur Kitz
Leonard Arthur Kitz QC was the first Jewish mayor of Halifax, Nova Scotia .Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Harry and Yetta Kitz, he grew up with older sister Hildred Kitz and younger brother Joe...

, Halifax, 1955–1957

Nathan Phillips
Nathan Phillips (politician)
Nathan Phillips, KC was a Canadian politician and popular Mayor of Toronto, Ontario.-Early life:Born in Brockville, Ontario, the son of Jacob Phillips and Mary Rosenbloom, he was educated in public and high schools in Cornwall. In 1908, he articled with the Cornwall lawyer, Robert Smith, who later...

, Toronto, 1955–1962

Vernon Singer
Vernon Singer
Vernon Milton Singer was a politician in Ontario, Canada.Singer was the son of Toronto lawyer and politician Joseph Singer who was the first Jewish-Canadian to be elected to the Toronto Board of Control....

, North York (Reeve), 1957–1958

Sidney Buckwold
Sidney Buckwold
Sidney Labe Buckwold, O.C., B.Comm., LL.D. was a Canadian senator and mayor of Saskatoon.Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba to Harry Buckwold and Dorothy Friedman , he moved to Saskatoon in 1925...

, Saskatoon, 1958–1963

Sam Katz
Sam Katz
Samuel Michael Katz, OM is the 42nd mayor of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He is also a businessperson and a member of the Order of Manitoba.- Life before mayorship :...

, Winnipeg, 2004–Present

Korean Canadians
First Korean Canadian candidates in Canada

Dr. David Kho, Ontario New Democratic Party, 1987 provincial election Scarborough—Agincourt
Scarborough—Agincourt
Scarborough—Agincourt is a federal electoral district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1988.It covers the northwest of the Scarborough part of Toronto...

Raymond Cho, New Democratic Party, 1988 federal election, Scarborough—Rouge River
Scarborough—Rouge River
Scarborough—Rouge River is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1988....

First Korean-Canadian elected to a legislature: Sandy Lee, North West Territories

First Korean-Canadian to hold federal public office: Yonah Martin
Yonah Martin
Yonah Kim-Martin is a Conservative Senator from British Columbia. She was appointed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and is the first Canadian of Korean descent to hold federal public office....

(Kim), Conservative, Senator, 2009–present

Latvian Canadians
First Latvian Canadian MP: Sarmite Bulte
Sarmite Bulte
Sarmite Drosma "Sam" Bulte, PC is a Latvian-Canadian lawyer, advocate and politician. A member of the Liberal Party, she represented the Toronto riding of Parkdale-High Park in the Canadian House of Commons through three successive parliaments from June 2, 1997 to January 22, 2006 until her defeat...

, Liberal MP Parkdale—High Park
Parkdale—High Park
Parkdale—High Park is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1979.Peggy Nash of the New Democratic Party was elected the Member of Parliament for the riding on May 2, 2011....

, 1997–2006

Macedonian Canadians
First Macedonian Canadian MP

Lui Temelkovski
Lui Temelkovski
Lubomir "Lui" Temelkovski is a Canadian federal politician. He was the Member of Parliament for the riding of Oak Ridges—Markham in Ontario, representing the Liberal Party of Canada. He was first elected in the 2004 federal election and was re-elected in the 2006 election...

- Liberal MP Oak Ridges-Markham 2004-2008

Maltese Canadians
First Maltese Canadian MP

Sue Barnes
Sue Barnes
Susan "Sue" Barnes, PC, MP is a Canadian politician. Barnes is currently a member of the Liberal Party of Canada and was in the Canadian House of Commons, representing the riding of London West from 1993 to 2008....

- Liberal MP London West 1993-2008 http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/people/key/Trivia/trivia.asp?lang=E&cat=cf&hea=firsts&subcat=Hoc

Muslim Canadians
First Muslim MLA (Alberta) & Cabinet Minister

Larry Shaben
Larry Shaben
Lawrence "Larry" Ralph Shaben was a Canadian politician of Lebanese descent and the first Muslim Cabinet Minister in Canada. He was also one of the first Muslims to be elected to higher office in North America. He held a seat in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1975 to 1989 sitting with...

- Alberta Progressive Conservative MLA for Lesser Slave Lake
Lesser Slave Lake (electoral district)
Lesser Slave Lake is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, Canada. It has existed since 1971.-Boundary history:- Members of the Legislative Assembly :...

from 1975 till 1989. One of the first Muslims elected to higher political office in North America. Was the Minister of Utilities and Telephones from 1979–1982; the Minister of Hosuing (1982–1986) and Minister of Economic Deveplopment and Trade (1986–1989)

First Canadian Muslim MP

Rahim Jaffer
Rahim Jaffer
Rahim Nizar Jaffer is a former Canadian politician and a former Member of Parliament. He served in the Canadian House of Commons from 1997 to 2008, representing the Alberta riding of Edmonton—Strathcona as a member of the Conservative Party. He was the first Muslim elected to the Canadian Parliament...

- Reform
Reform Party of Canada
The Reform Party of Canada was a Canadian federal political party that existed from 1987 to 2000. It was originally founded as a Western Canada-based protest party, but attempted to expand eastward in the 1990s. It viewed itself as a populist party....

MP for Edmonton—Strathcona
Edmonton—Strathcona
Edmonton—Strathcona is a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1953. It spans the south central part of the city of Edmonton.-Geography:...

from 1997 till 2008.

First Female Canadian Muslim MP

Yasmin Ratansi
Yasmin Ratansi
Yasmin Ratansi is a Canadian politician, who represented the riding of Don Valley East in the Canadian House of Commons. She is a member of the Liberal Party. Ratansi is an Ismaili Muslim, and was the first Muslim woman elected to the Canadian House of Commons.-Before politics:Born in Dar es...

- Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...

MP for Don Valley East
Don Valley East
Don Valley East is a federal electoral district in Canada that covers the northeast section of the North York part of Toronto. The federal riding was created in 1976 from parts of Willowdale, York East, York North, and York—Scarborough ridings....

from 2004 till 2011.

First Canadian Muslim MPP (Ontario)

Khalil Ramal
Khalil Ramal
Khalil Ramal is a Canadian politician.Khalil Ramal was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, representing the riding of London—Fanshawe for the Ontario Liberal Party...

- Liberal
Ontario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...

MP for London-Fanshawe
London—Fanshawe (provincial electoral district)
London—Fanshawe is a provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1999.-Geography:The district consists of the southeast part of the City of London....

from 2003 till 2011

Shafiq Qaadri
Shafiq Qaadri
Shafiq Qaadri is a family doctor and politician in Ontario, Canada. He is a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, representing the riding of Etobicoke North for the Liberal Party.-Background:...

- Liberal
Ontario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...

MP for Etobicoke North
Etobicoke North (provincial electoral district)
Etobicoke North is a provincial electoral district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It elects one member to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.It was created in 1999 from parts of Etobicoke—Rexdale and Etobicoke—Humber....

since 2003

First Canadian Muslim President of a Provincial Political Party

Yasir Naqvi
Yasir Naqvi
Yasir Naqvi MPP is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the 2007 provincial election, representing the riding of Ottawa Centre. He is also the President of the Ontario Liberal Party....

- President of the Ontario Liberal Party
Ontario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...

since 2009

First Canadian Muslim Mayor

Naheed Nenshi
Naheed Nenshi
Naheed Kurban Nenshi is a Canadian politician, who was elected to succeed Dave Bronconnier as mayor of Calgary, Alberta in the 2010 Calgary municipal election.- Biography :...

- Mayor of Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...

since 2010.

First Canadian Muslim Senator

Mobina Jaffer
Mobina Jaffer
Mobina S. B. Jaffer, QC is a Canadian Senator representing British Columbia. She is the first South Asian and the first Muslim woman appointed to the Upper House....

- One of the 6 senators for British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

since 2001.

Polish Canadians
First Polish Canadians elected to the House of Commons (first Polish Canadian MPs)

Alexandre Edouard Kierzkowski, St. Hyacinthe, Quebec, Liberal MP, 1867–1872

Fred Rose
Fred Rose (politician)
Fred Rose was a Communist politician and trade union organizer in Canada. He was born in Lublin in what is now Poland, part of Russia at the time. He emigrated to Canada as a child in 1916. He became involved with the Young Communist League of Canada, and then joined the Communist Party of Canada...

, Labour Progressive (Communist) MP 1943-1947, from Cartier
Cartier (electoral district)
Cartier was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1925 to 1968.It was created in 1924 from parts of George-Étienne Cartier riding....

, Quebec

Portuguese Canadians
First Portuguese Canadian elected to the House of Commons

John Rodriguez
John Rodriguez
John R. Rodriguez is a Canadian politician. He served as the mayor of Greater Sudbury, Ontario from 2006 to 2010, and previously represented the electoral district of Nickel Belt in the Canadian House of Commons from 1972 to 1980 and from 1984 to 1993 as a member of the New Democratic...

, Nickel Belt
Nickel Belt
Nickel Belt is one of two federal electoral districts serving the Greater City of Sudbury.Nickel Belt has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1953.It consists of:...

, New Democratic Party MP, 1974–1980, 1984–1993 (Guyanese Portuguese) http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/people/key/Trivia/trivia.asp?lang=E&cat=cf&hea=firsts&subcat=Hoc

Russian Canadians
Russian Canadian leader of the Opposition and leader of a major federal political party:
Michael Ignatieff
Michael Ignatieff
Michael Grant Ignatieff is a Canadian author, academic and former politician. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and Leader of the Official Opposition from 2008 until 2011...

, Liberal Party of Canada, 2008–2011

Slovak Canadians
First Slovak Canadian to run for the leadership of a major party: Peter Kormos
Peter Kormos
Peter Kormos is a politician in Ontario, Canada. A former lawyer, he was first elected as an Ontario New Democratic Party Member of Provincial Parliament to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the Welland constituency in a 1988 provincial by-election. He replaced veteran NDP legislator Mel...

, Ontario New Democratic Party leadership 1996

South Asians

Note: South Asians include those of Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Nepalese or Bangladeshi ancestry.

First South Asian Canadian candidate in Canada: Hardial Bains
Hardial Bains
Hardial Bains was the founder of the Communist Party of Canada and its leader until his death...

, Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada - Eglinton
Eglinton (electoral district)
Eglinton was a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1935 to 1979. This riding was created in 1933 from parts of Toronto Northeast riding....

- 1972 federal election

First South Asian elected in Canada: Moe Sihota
Moe Sihota
Munmohan Singh "Moe" Sihota is a former Canadian broadcaster and politician.He was born in Duncan, British Columbia and attended St. George's Boys School, Vancouver, on scholarship...

, BC New Democratic Party MLA, Esquimalt-Port Renfrew 1986-1991, Esquimalt-Metchosin, 1991–2001

First South Asian Provincial Premier: Ujjal Dosanjh
Ujjal Dosanjh
Ujjal Dev Singh Dosanjh, PC, QC, is a Sikh Canadian lawyer and politician. He served as 33rd Premier of British Columbia from 2000 to 2001 and as a Liberal Party of Canada Member of Parliament from 2004 to 2011 including a stint as Minister of Health from 2004 until 2006 when the party lost...

, BC New Democratic Party February 24, 2000 to June 5, 2001 (Punjabi)

First South Asian leaders of a major political party: Raj Pannu
Raj Pannu
Raj Pannu is a Canadian educator and politician, who led the Alberta New Democratic Party from 2000 to 2004.Pannu was born in Punjab, India completing an undergraduate degree before immigrating to Canada in 1962...

, Alberta New Democratic Party February 2, 2000 -2004 (MLA 1997 - 2008) (Punjabi)
Note: Hardial Bains
Hardial Bains
Hardial Bains was the founder of the Communist Party of Canada and its leader until his death...

was the first South Asian Canadian to lead a political party. He founded and led the Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada
Communist Party of Canada (Marxist–Leninist)
The Communist Party of Canada is a Canadian federal Marxist–Leninist political party.The party is registered with Elections Canada as the Marxist–Leninist Party of Canada...

from 1970–1997

First South Asian female MPs: Yasmin Ratansi
Yasmin Ratansi
Yasmin Ratansi is a Canadian politician, who represented the riding of Don Valley East in the Canadian House of Commons. She is a member of the Liberal Party. Ratansi is an Ismaili Muslim, and was the first Muslim woman elected to the Canadian House of Commons.-Before politics:Born in Dar es...

, Don Valley East
Don Valley East
Don Valley East is a federal electoral district in Canada that covers the northeast section of the North York part of Toronto. The federal riding was created in 1976 from parts of Willowdale, York East, York North, and York—Scarborough ridings....

, Liberal MP 2004+ (Ismaili, Muslim), Nina Grewal
Nina Grewal
Narinder Kaur Grewal, MP , is a Canadian politician of the Conservative Party. She was elected in the general election of June 2004 to represent the constituency of Fleetwood—Port Kells, British Columbia....

, Fleetwood—Port Kells
Fleetwood—Port Kells
Fleetwood—Port Kells is a federal electoral district in the province of British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004.-Geography:...

, Conservative MP 2004+ (India, Sikh) and Ruby Dhalla
Ruby Dhalla
Ruby Dhalla is a Canadian politician. She represented the riding of Brampton—Springdale in the Canadian House of Commons from 2004 to 2011 as a member of the Liberal Party...

, Brampton—Springdale
Brampton—Springdale
Brampton—Springdale is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004.-History:...

, Liberal MP 2004+ (India, Sikh)
(Yasmin Ratansi is the first Muslim woman elected in Canada, and Nina Grewal and Ruby Dhalla are the first Punjabi women elected in Canada)

First South Asian MLA elected in BC: Moe Sihota
Moe Sihota
Munmohan Singh "Moe" Sihota is a former Canadian broadcaster and politician.He was born in Duncan, British Columbia and attended St. George's Boys School, Vancouver, on scholarship...

, BC New Democratic Party MLA, Esquimalt-Port Renfrew 1986-1991, Esquimalt-Metchosin, 1991–2001

First South Asian MLA elected in Alberta

First South Asian MLA elected in Manitoba: Gulzar Cheema, Manitoba Liberal MLA Kildonan 1988-1990

First South Asian MPP elected in Ontario: Murad Velshi
Murad Velshi
Murad Velshi is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He is an Indian Muslim who lived in Kenya and migrated to Canada. He was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1987 to 1990.-Background:...

, Ontario Liberal MPP Don Mills 1987-1990

First South Asian MLA elected in Nova Scotia: Leonard Preyra
Leonard Preyra
Leonard Preyra is a Canadian politician and member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly, representing the riding of Halifax Citadel-Sable Island for the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party...

Nova Scotia NDP MLA Halifax Citadel 2006–present

First South Asian School Board Trustee elected in Canada: Neethan Shan York Region District School Board 2006–present

South Asian Canadian Senators

Mobina Jaffer
Mobina Jaffer
Mobina S. B. Jaffer, QC is a Canadian Senator representing British Columbia. She is the first South Asian and the first Muslim woman appointed to the Upper House....

, Liberal Senator, 2001–present

South Asian presidents, vice presidents and secretaries of political parties

Sav Dhaliwal - former President of the BC NDP

Raj Sharan - Former president of the Newfoundland & Labrador Newfoundland & Labrador New Democratic Party

Tamil Canadians
First Tamil-Canadian candidate to run for the House of Commons:

Joseph Thevarkunnel, NDP candidate in 2000 federal election for Oak Ridges

First Tamil-Canadian candidate to run in Ontario

Chandran Mylvaganam, NDP Candidate in 1993 by-election in Don Mills

First Tamil-Canadian elected in Canada

Logan Kanapathi, elected Councillor for Ward 7 in Markham, Ontario in 2006

Neethan Shan, elected York School Board Trustee for Markham Wards 7 & 8

First Tamil-Canadian Female elected in Canada

Juanita Nathan, elected York School Board Trustee for Markham Wards 7 & 8

First Tamil-Canadian and Tamil Female elected House of Commons

Rathika Sitsabaiesan, elected Member of Parliament for Scarborough-Rouge River, Ontario in 2011

Ukrainian Canadians
First Ukrainian Canadian elected to the House of Commons (first Ukrainian Canadian MP): Michael Luchkovich
Michael Luchkovich
Michael Luchkovich was a teacher, author and Canadian federal politician...

United Farmers/CCF MP from Vegreville
Vegreville (electoral district)
Vegreville was a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1925 to 1997.This riding was created in 1924 from parts of Strathcona and Victoria ridings....

, Alberta, 1926–1935

First Ukrainian Canadian Senator: William Michael Wall
William Michael Wall
William Michael Wall was the first Canadian of Ukrainian origin to be appointed to the Canadian Senate.He was born in Ethelbert, Manitoba and graduated from high school at the age of 14. He graduated from the University of Manitoba at the age of 17...

, Liberal Senator from Manitoba, 1955–1962

First Ukrainian Canadian cabinet minister: Michael Starr
Michael Starr
Michael Starr, PC was a Canadian politician and the first Canadian cabinet minister of Ukrainian descent, his parents having immigrated from Ukraine, then a part of the Russian Empire....

, federal Progressive Conservative, Minister of Labour, 1957–1963

First Ukrainian Canadian leader of a major political party: Roy Romanow
Roy Romanow
Roy John Romanow, PC, OC, QC, SOM is a Canadian politician and the 12th Premier of Saskatchewan ....

, Saskatchewan New Democratic Party leader 1987-2001

First Ukrainian Canadian Premier: Roy Romanow
Roy Romanow
Roy John Romanow, PC, OC, QC, SOM is a Canadian politician and the 12th Premier of Saskatchewan ....

, NDP Premier of Saskatchewan, 1990–2001

First Ukrainian Canadian Governor General of Canada: Ray Hnatyshyn
Ray Hnatyshyn
Ramon John Hnatyshyn , commonly known as Ray Hnatyshyn, was a Canadian politician and statesman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 24th since Canadian Confederation....

, 1990–1995

Vietnamese Canadians
First Vietnamese Canadian elected to a Legislature in Canada : Hung Pham
Hung Pham
Hung Pham or Hung Kim Pham is a former politician and information expert in Alberta, Canada. He formerly served as a member of Legislative Assembly of Alberta, Canada.-Early Life:...

, Alberta Progressive Conservative MLA, Calgary-Montrose 1993-2008

First Vietnamese Canadian MP

Ève-Mary Thaï Thi Lac
Ève-Mary Thaï Thi Lac
Ève-Mary Thaï Thi Lac is a Canadian politician. She was elected to the Canadian House of Commons on September 17, 2007, as the Bloc Québécois candidate in the Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot by-election, defeating the Conservative candidate Bernard Barré.Born in Vietnam, Thi Lac was adopted at age two by a...

, Bloc Québécois MP, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot
Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot
Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot is a federal electoral district that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1935. It is located in Quebec, Canada. Its population in 2006 was 95,983.-Geography:...

2007-2011

Hoang Mai
Hoang Mai (politician)
Hoang Mai is a Canadian politician, who was elected as a New Democratic Party Member of Parliament for Brossard—La Prairie in the 2011 Canadian federal election...

, New Democratic Party MP, Brossard—La Prairie
Brossard—La Prairie
Brossard—La Prairie is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997. Its population in 2006 was 113,985.-Geography:...

2011-

Anne Minh-Thu Quach
Anne Minh-Thu Quach
Anne Minh-Thu Quach, MP is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 2011 election. She represents the electoral district of Beauharnois—Salaberry as a member of the New Democratic Party.She has taught French in a high school there for six years...

, New Democratic Party MP, Beauharnois—Salaberry
Beauharnois—Salaberry
Beauharnois—Salaberry is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1949.-Geography:...

2011

First Vietnamese Canadian Deputy Speaker of the Legislature in Canada : Wayne Cao
Wayne Cao
Wayne Cao is a Canadian politician and current member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, where he represents the district of Calgary-Fort as a Progressive Conservative. He was first elected in the 1997 provincial election and has been re-elected four times since...

People with disabilities
First hearing-impaired (deaf) person elected in Canada: Gary Malkowski
Gary Malkowski
Gary Malkowski is a former Canadian provincial politician. He represented the riding of York East in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1990 to 1995, as a member of the Ontario New Democratic Party...

Ontario New Democratic Party MPP York East
York East
York East was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons at different times, and a provincial electoral district. It was located in the province of Ontario.-Federal electoral district :...

(East York) 1990-1995

First quadriplegic person elected to a Canadian legislature: Doug Mowat
Doug Mowat
Doug Mowat was a Canadian politician, who served as a Social Credit Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 1983 to 1991, representing the riding of Vancouver-Little Mountain...

BC Social Credit MLA Vancouver-Little Mountain 1983-1991

First quadriplegic person elected to the House of Commons: Steven Fletcher
Steven Fletcher
Steven John Fletcher, PC, MP is a Canadian politician. He has served in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004, representing the riding of Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia as a member of the Conservative Party. He is the first quadriplegic to serve in the House of Commons, as well as in Cabinet...

, Conservative, Charleswood—St. James, Manitoba, 2004–present

First quadriplegic mayor : Sam Sullivan
Sam Sullivan
Sam Sullivan, CM served as the 38th mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and has been invested as a Member of the Order of Canada, the country's highest civilian award...

, Mayor of Vancouver, November 2005 - December 2008

Gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender
First openly-gay candidates in Canada

Robert Douglas Cook, 1979 BC provincial election for GATE (Gay Alliance Toward Equality) Party in West Vancouver-Howe Sound

George Hislop
George Hislop
George Hislop was one of Canada's most influential gay activists. He was the first openly gay candidate for municipal office in Canada, as well as the first openly gay candidate for any political office in Ontario , and was a key figure in the early development of Toronto's gay...

, 1981 Ontario provincial election, Independent candidate in St. George. (Also ran in 1981 Toronto municipal election)

First transgender-identified candidates in Canada

Christin Milloy, 2011 Ontario provincial election, Ontario Libertarian Party
Ontario Libertarian Party
The Ontario Libertarian Party is a political party in Ontario, Canada that was founded in 1975 by Bruce Evoy, Vince Miller, and others, inspired by the formation three years earlier of the US Libertarian Party. The Party is guided by adherence to the philosophical ideas of Austrian Economics and...

candidate in Mississauga-Brampton South
Mississauga—Brampton South (provincial electoral district)
Mississauga—Brampton South is a provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since the 2007 provincial election.-Geography:...

First openly-gay MP:

Svend Robinson
Svend Robinson
Svend Robinson is a former Canadian politician. He was a Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons from 1979 to 2004, representing the suburban Vancouver-area constituency of Burnaby for the New Democratic Party...

, New Democratic MP for Burnaby-Douglas (1979–2004), came out publicly in 1988

Réal Ménard
Réal Ménard
Réal Ménard is a Canadian politician, who was a Bloc Québécois member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 to 2009. He was the second Canadian Member of Parliament to come out as gay .Ménard is a political scientist with B.A. and M.A...

, Bloc Québécois
Bloc Québécois
The Bloc Québécois is a federal political party in Canada devoted to the protection of Quebec's interests in the House of Commons of Canada, and the promotion of Quebec sovereignty. The Bloc was originally a party made of Quebec nationalists who defected from the federal Progressive Conservative...

MP for Hochelaga
Hochelaga
Hochelaga may refer to:Hochelaga* Hochelaga , a 16th century village on the Island of Montreal* Hochelaga Archipelago, Montreal and surrounding islands...

(1993–2004), came out publicly in 1994
Libby Davies
Libby Davies
Libby Davies is a Canadian Member of Parliament for the New Democratic Party , representing the riding of Vancouver East in Vancouver, British Columbia. In 2007, she was named Deputy Leader of the federal NDP, jointly with Thomas Mulcair.-Background:Davies was born in Aldershot, England and...

, New Democratic MP for Vancouver East
Vancouver East
Vancouver East is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1935....

(1997–present), came out publicly in 2001, first Lesbian MP
Scott Brison
Scott Brison
Scott A. Brison, PC, MP is a Canadian politician from Nova Scotia, Canada. Brison has been the Member of Parliament for the riding of Kings-Hants since the 1997 federal election. Brison was originally elected as a Progressive Conservative but crossed the floor to join the Liberal Party in 2003...

, Liberal MP for Kings—Hants
Kings—Hants
Kings—Hants is a federal electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968...

(1997–2000 and 2000-2003 as Progressive Conservative, 2003–present as Liberal), came out publicly in 2002
Bill Siksay
Bill Siksay
William Livingstone Siksay, former MP is a Canadian politician, and was the Member of Parliament who represented the British Columbia riding of Burnaby—Douglas for the New Democratic Party from 2004 to 2011.Receiving his high school diploma from McLaughlin Collegiate and Vocational Institute in...

, New Democratic MP for Burnaby—Douglas
Burnaby—Douglas
Burnaby—Douglas is a federal electoral district in the province of British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997.-History:...

(2004–2011), First MP elected as an openly-gay candidate to a first term
Mario Silva
Mario Silva
Mario Silva, is a Canadian politician and a former Canadian Member of Parliament. Silva is a former a Toronto City Councillor and acting mayor."Acting Mayor" is a non-elected position. For example, the sets out the duties and powers of their Acting Mayor. Other cities will no doubt have somewhat...

, Liberal MP for Davenport
Davenport
-Places:In Australia*Electoral district of Davenport, in South AustraliaIn Canada*Davenport, Toronto, a neighbourhood and former village in Toronto*Davenport , a federal electoral district*Davenport...

(2004–2011), came out publicly in 2004
Rob Oliphant
Rob Oliphant
Robert "Rob" Oliphant is a Canadian politician and a United Church minister. He served in the House of Commons as a Liberal Member of Parliament for the Toronto riding of Don Valley West from 2008 to 2011.- Personal life :...

, Liberal MP for Don Valley West
Don Valley West
Don Valley West is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1979. Its population in 2001 was 115,539....

(2008–2011)
Randall Garrison
Randall Garrison
Randall C. Garrison is a Canadian politician and Member of Parliament in the 41st Parliament. He was elected to the House of Commons in the 2011 federal election. He represents the electoral district of Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca and is a member of the New Democratic Party...

, New Democratic MP for Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca
Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca
Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca is a federal electoral district in the province of British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1988.-Demographics:-Geography:It initially consisted of:...

(2011–present)
Dany Morin
Dany Morin
Dany Morin is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 2011 election. He represents the electoral district of Chicoutimi—Le Fjord as a member of the New Democratic Party....

, New Democratic MP for Chicoutimi—Le Fjord
Chicoutimi—Le Fjord
Chicoutimi—Le Fjord is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1925.It was created as "Chicoutimi" riding in 1924 from Chicoutimi—Saguenay...

(2011–present)
Philip Toone
Philip Toone
Philip Toone is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 2011 election-Early life:Philip Toone was born in Ottawa in 1965, He currently resides in Maria, Quebec, with his partner of 13 years...

, New Democratic MP for Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine (2011–present)

Heward Grafftey
Heward Grafftey
William Heward Grafftey, PC, QC was a Canadian politician and businessman.-Early life:Born in Montreal, Quebec, to a prosperous family, he was a cousin of artist Prudence Heward, and wrote "Chapter Four: Prudence Heward" in the 1996 book Portraits of a Life..His father, Major Arthur Grafftey, was...

, former Progressive Conservative MP for Brome—Missisquoi
Brome—Missisquoi
Brome—Missisquoi is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1925...

(1958–68, 72-80) came out publicly in 2010 after he was no longer in parliament.

First openly-gay Member of Provincial Legislatures:

Maurice Richard, Quebec Liberal MNA for Nicolet
Nicolet (provincial electoral district)
Nicolet was a provincial electoral district in the province of Quebec, Canada. Situated in the Montérégie region, the district was formed in 1867 and was later merged in 1973 with Yamaska to form Nicolet-Yamaska....

(1985–89) and Nicolet-Yamaska
Nicolet-Yamaska (provincial electoral district)
Nicolet-Yamaska is a provincial electoral district in Quebec, Canada that elects members to the National Assembly of Quebec. The riding was created in 1988 from Nicolet...

(1989–94)
André Boisclair
André Boisclair
André Boisclair is a politician in Quebec, Canada. He was the leader of the Parti Québécois, a social democratic and separatist party in Quebec....

, Quebec Parti Québécois
Parti Québécois
The Parti Québécois is a centre-left political party that advocates national sovereignty for the province of Quebec and secession from Canada. The Party traditionally has support from the labour movement. Unlike many other social-democratic parties, its ties with the labour movement are informal...

MNA for Gouin
Gouin (electoral district)
Gouin is a provincial electoral district in Quebec, Canada that elects members to the National Assembly of Quebec. The district is located in Montreal between the Canadian Pacific Railway and Jean-Talon Street and west of 6th Avenue...

(1989–2004) and Pointe-aux-Trembles
Pointe-aux-Trembles (electoral district)
Pointe-aux-Trembles is a provincial electoral district in Quebec, Canada that elects members to the National Assembly of Quebec. The district is located at the north-east point of the Island of Montreal and includes the communities of Pointe-aux-Trembles and Montreal East. In the 1995 Quebec...

(2006–07)
Mike Farnworth
Mike Farnworth
Mike Farnworth is a New Democratic Party politician from Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada. He is the current MLA for the riding of Port Coquitlam....

, British Columbia NDP MLA for Port Coquitlam
Port Coquitlam (provincial electoral district)
Port Coquitlam is a provincial electoral district in British Columbia, Canada. First established following the 1988 redistribution, it was contested in the 1991 and 1996 elections before being superseded by Port Coquitlam-Burke Mountain. The district was reestablished by the Electoral Districts...

(1991–2001, 05-present), came out during leadership run in 2010
Ted Nebbeling
Ted Nebbeling
Ted Nebbeling was a British Columbia Legislative Assembly Member and Minister of State for the 2010 Winter Olympics.-Marriage:...

, British Columbia Liberal MLA for West Vancouver-Garibaldi
West Vancouver-Garibaldi
West Vancouver-Sea to Sky is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Canada....

(1996–2005)
Tim Stevenson
Tim Stevenson
Tim Stevenson is a Canadian politician and United Church clergyman. He is currently an elected member of the Vancouver City Council as a member of Vision Vancouver. He is one of two openly gay city councilors in Vancouver, along with Ellen Woodsworth.-Background:He received a B.A...

, British Columbia NDP MLA for Vancouver-Burrard
Vancouver-Burrard
Vancouver-Burrard was a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Canada. It first appeared on the hustings in the 1933 general election....

(1996–2001)
Agnès Maltais
Agnès Maltais
-External links:*...

, Quebec Parti Québécois MNA for Taschereau
Taschereau (electoral district)
Taschereau is a provincial electoral district in Quebec, Canada that elects members to the National Assembly of Quebec. The district is located in Quebec City and includes parts of the southern and central parts of the city...

(1998–present), came out in 2003
George Smitherman
George Smitherman
George Smitherman is a Canadian politician and broadcaster. He represented the provincial riding of Toronto Centre in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1999 to 2010, when he resigned to contest the mayoralty of Toronto in the 2010 municipal election...

, Ontario Liberal MPP for Toronto Centre
Toronto Centre
Toronto Centre is a federal electoral district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1872 to 1925, and since 1935, under the names Centre Toronto , Toronto Centre , Rosedale and Toronto Centre—Rosedale .Toronto Centre covers the heart of...

(1999–2010)
Jim Rondeau
Jim Rondeau
Jim Rondeau is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He has been a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba since 1999, and is currently a cabinet minister in the provincial government of Greg Selinger. Rondeau is a member of the New Democratic Party.-Early life and career:Rondeau was born in...

, Manitoba NDP MLA for Assiniboia
Assiniboia (provincial electoral district)
Assiniboia is a provincial electoral division in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It was first created for the 1879 provincial election, was eliminated in 1888, and was re-established in 1903. It is located in the westernmost tip of the City of Winnipeg....

(1999–present)
Lorne Mayencourt
Lorne Mayencourt
Lorne Mayencourt is a Canadian politician, who formerly represented the electoral district of Vancouver-Burrard in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia as a member of the BC Liberal party....

, British Columbia Liberal MLA for Vancouver-Burrard
Vancouver-Burrard
Vancouver-Burrard was a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Canada. It first appeared on the hustings in the 1933 general election....

(2001–08)
Kathleen Wynne
Kathleen Wynne
Kathleen O. Wynne is a politician in Ontario, Canada. She is a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, representing the riding of Don Valley West for the Liberal Party.-Background:...

, Ontario Liberal MPP for Don Valley West
Don Valley West
Don Valley West is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1979. Its population in 2001 was 115,539....

(2003–present)
Nicholas Simons
Nicholas Simons
Nicholas Simons is a Canadian politician. He is a Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, and member of the New Democratic Party. He represents the riding of Powell River-Sunshine Coast.-Politics:...

, British Columbia NDP MLA for Powell River-Sunshine Coast
Powell River-Sunshine Coast
Powell River-Sunshine Coast is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Canada.- Demographics :- Member of Legislative Assembly :...

(2005–present)
Sylvain Gaudreault
Sylvain Gaudreault
Sylvain Gaudreault is a Quebec politician and teacher. He is the current Member of National Assembly of Quebec for the riding of Jonquière in the city of Saguenay. He represents the Parti Québécois....

, Quebec Parti Québécois
Parti Québécois
The Parti Québécois is a centre-left political party that advocates national sovereignty for the province of Quebec and secession from Canada. The Party traditionally has support from the labour movement. Unlike many other social-democratic parties, its ties with the labour movement are informal...

MNA for Jonquière
Jonquière (provincial electoral district)
Jonquière is a provincial electoral district in Quebec, Canada that elects members to the National Assembly of Quebec. The district is located in Saguenay and includes much of the former city of Jonquière...

(2007–present)
Paul Ferreira
Paul Ferreira
Paul Ferreira is a Canadian social democratic politician and one of the first openly gay politicians elected to provincial office in Canada. He also has the distinction of being the very first Azorean-Canadian MPP...

, Ontario NDP MPP for York South—Weston
York South—Weston
York South—Weston is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1979.-Electoral district:It is in the west-end of Toronto. The riding has a largely working class and immigrant population...

(2007)
Jennifer Howard
Jennifer Howard (politician)
Jennifer Howard is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. She was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba in the 2007 provincial election, in the electoral district of Fort Rouge. Howard is a member of the New Democratic Party....

, Manitoba NDP MLA for Fort Rouge
Fort Rouge (electoral district)
Fort Rouge is a provincial electoral division in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It was created by redistribution in 1957, and formally came into existence in the general election of 1958. The riding was eliminated in 1989, and re-established in 1999. It is located in the central section of the...

(2007–present)
Spencer Chandra Herbert, British Columbia NDP MLA for Vancouver-Burrard
Vancouver-Burrard
Vancouver-Burrard was a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Canada. It first appeared on the hustings in the 1933 general election....

/Vancouver-West End
Vancouver-West End
Vancouver-West End is a provincial electoral district in British Columbia, Canada established by the Electoral Districts Act, 2008. It was contested for the first time in the 2009 election.Prior to 2009, the riding was part of Vancouver-Burrard....

(2008–present)
Jenn McGinn
Jenn McGinn
Jenn McGinn is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, representing the electoral district of Vancouver-Fairview, in a by-election on October 29, 2008. She is the first openly lesbian MLA to serve in the British Columbian Legislature...

, British Columbia NDP MLA for Vancouver-Fairview
Vancouver-Fairview
Vancouver-Fairview is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Canada.- Demographics :-MLAs:#Gary Farrell-Collins, Liberal #Gregor Robertson, NDP #Jenn McGinn, NDP...

(2008–09)
Mable Elmore
Mable Elmore
Mable Elmore is a Canadian politician, who was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 2009 provincial election. A member of the BC New Democratic Party, she was elected to represent the riding of Vancouver-Kensington...

, British Columbia NDP MLA for Vancouver-Kensington (2009–present)
Glen Murray, Ontario Liberal MPP for Toronto Centre
Toronto Centre
Toronto Centre is a federal electoral district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1872 to 1925, and since 1935, under the names Centre Toronto , Toronto Centre , Rosedale and Toronto Centre—Rosedale .Toronto Centre covers the heart of...

(2010–present)
Gerry Rogers
Gerry Rogers
Gerry Rogers is a Canadian documentary filmmaker and politician. She began her career with the National Film Board, and left in 1992 to form her own production company, Augusta Productions...

, Newfoundland and Labrador MHA for St. John's Centre
St. John's Centre
St. John’s Centre is a provincial electoral district for the House of Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Much of the former district of St. John's Centre was renamed St. John's East in 1996...

(2011–present)

Keith Norton
Keith Norton
Keith Calder Norton was a Canadian politician and public servant. He served as a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1975 to 1985, and was until 2005 the chief commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission.-Education and early career:Norton was...

, former Ontario Progressive Conservative MPP for Kingston and the Islands
Kingston and the Islands
Kingston and the Islands is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968....

(1975–85) came out publicly during the 1990 election after he was no longer in office.
Ian Scott, former Ontario Liberal MPP for St. George—St. David
St. George—St. David
St. George—St. David was a provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that returned Members of Provincial Parliament to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario at Queen's Park....

(1985–92) and former Attorney-General came out publicly in 1993 after he was no longer in office.

First gays/lesbians to run for leadership of a major party

Svend Robinson
Svend Robinson
Svend Robinson is a former Canadian politician. He was a Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons from 1979 to 2004, representing the suburban Vancouver-area constituency of Burnaby for the New Democratic Party...

, 1995 New Democratic Party leadership election—came in first on first ballot, but withdrew
Marcel Hatch
Marcel Hatch
Marcel Hatch, born November 4, 1954 in Spokane, Washington, is an American-born graphic designer, gay rights and Trotskyist political activist based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Hatch joined the Freedom Socialist Party while living in Seattle and subsequently launched its Canadian...

, New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...

2001 leadership challenger
Scott Brison
Scott Brison
Scott A. Brison, PC, MP is a Canadian politician from Nova Scotia, Canada. Brison has been the Member of Parliament for the riding of Kings-Hants since the 1997 federal election. Brison was originally elected as a Progressive Conservative but crossed the floor to join the Liberal Party in 2003...

, Progressive Conservative leadership election, 2003 -- came in third
Scott Brison
Scott Brison
Scott A. Brison, PC, MP is a Canadian politician from Nova Scotia, Canada. Brison has been the Member of Parliament for the riding of Kings-Hants since the 1997 federal election. Brison was originally elected as a Progressive Conservative but crossed the floor to join the Liberal Party in 2003...

, Liberal Party of Canada leadership election, 2006
Mike Farnworth
Mike Farnworth
Mike Farnworth is a New Democratic Party politician from Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada. He is the current MLA for the riding of Port Coquitlam....

, British Columbia New Democratic Party leadership election, 2011
British Columbia New Democratic Party leadership election, 2011
The British Columbia New Democratic Party leadership convention of 2011 was prompted by Carole James's announcement on December 6, 2010 that she would be resigning as leader of the party...

- came in second, came out during leadership run in 2010

First openly gay leaders of political parties

Chris Lea
Chris Lea
Chris Lea is a designer, politician and political activist in Canada. He was the leader of the Green Party of Canada from 1990 to 1996. He is, to date, the party's longest-serving leader. Lea is notable for being the first openly gay political party leader in Canadian history.Lea lives in Toronto...

, Green Party of Canada
Green Party of Canada
The Green Party of Canada is a Canadian federal political party founded in 1983 with 10,000–12,000 registered members as of October 2008. The Greens advance a broad multi-issue political platform that reflects its core values of ecological wisdom, social justice, grassroots democracy and...

, 1990–1996

Allison Brewer
Allison Brewer
Allison Brewer is a Canadian social activist and politician, and the former leader of the New Brunswick New Democratic Party. She has been particularly active in areas of lesbian and gay rights and access to abortion.-Biography:...

, New Brunswick New Democratic Party, Sept 25, 2005–2006

André Boisclair
André Boisclair
André Boisclair is a politician in Quebec, Canada. He was the leader of the Parti Québécois, a social democratic and separatist party in Quebec....

, Parti Québécois, Nov 15, 2005 - 2007 (first openly gay leader of a party with seats in the legislature)

First openly gay/lesbian senators

Laurier Lapierre
Laurier LaPierre
Laurier L. LaPierre, OC is a retired Canadian Senator and former broadcaster, journalist and author. He is a member of the Liberal Party of Canada....

, Liberal

Nancy Ruth
Nancy Ruth
Nancy Ruth, CM is a Canadian Senator from Ontario. She was appointed to the Senate by Governor General Adrienne Clarkson, on the advice of Prime Minister Paul Martin, on March 24, 2005. While initially appointed as a Progressive Conservative, on March 28, 2006 she joined the Conservative caucus...

(formerly Nancy Jackman) PC, first lesbian senator, appointed in 2006, came out in 1990

First openly gay/lesbian cabinet ministers

Tim Stevenson
Tim Stevenson
Tim Stevenson is a Canadian politician and United Church clergyman. He is currently an elected member of the Vancouver City Council as a member of Vision Vancouver. He is one of two openly gay city councilors in Vancouver, along with Ellen Woodsworth.-Background:He received a B.A...

, British Columbia, 2000–2001, first openly gay politician to be appointed to cabinet in Canada
André Boisclair
André Boisclair
André Boisclair is a politician in Quebec, Canada. He was the leader of the Parti Québécois, a social democratic and separatist party in Quebec....

, Quebec, 1996–2003, came out in 2000
Ted Nebbeling
Ted Nebbeling
Ted Nebbeling was a British Columbia Legislative Assembly Member and Minister of State for the 2010 Winter Olympics.-Marriage:...

, British Columbia, 2001–2004
George Smitherman
George Smitherman
George Smitherman is a Canadian politician and broadcaster. He represented the provincial riding of Toronto Centre in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1999 to 2010, when he resigned to contest the mayoralty of Toronto in the 2010 municipal election...

, Ontario, 2003–2009
Scott Brison
Scott Brison
Scott A. Brison, PC, MP is a Canadian politician from Nova Scotia, Canada. Brison has been the Member of Parliament for the riding of Kings-Hants since the 1997 federal election. Brison was originally elected as a Progressive Conservative but crossed the floor to join the Liberal Party in 2003...

, federal, 2004–2006
Jim Rondeau
Jim Rondeau
Jim Rondeau is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He has been a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba since 1999, and is currently a cabinet minister in the provincial government of Greg Selinger. Rondeau is a member of the New Democratic Party.-Early life and career:Rondeau was born in...

, Manitoba, 2004–2006
Kathleen Wynne
Kathleen Wynne
Kathleen O. Wynne is a politician in Ontario, Canada. She is a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, representing the riding of Don Valley West for the Liberal Party.-Background:...

, Ontario, 2006–present
Jennifer Howard
Jennifer Howard (politician)
Jennifer Howard is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. She was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba in the 2007 provincial election, in the electoral district of Fort Rouge. Howard is a member of the New Democratic Party....

, Manitoba, (2009–present)

First openly gay mayor : Glen Murray - Mayor of Winnipeg (1998–2004)

First openly gay city councillors:

Raymond Blain
Raymond Blain
Raymond Blain was a Québécois politician. In 1986, he was the first openly gay candidate to be elected to public office in Canada. He represented the Saint-Jacques district at Montreal City Hall, succeeding Sammy Forcillo...

, Montreal, 1986–1993
Gordon Price
Gordon Price
Gordon Price is a Canadian urban planner and former politician, who was an NPA member of Vancouver City Council from 1986 to 2002. He was the first openly gay member of Vancouver City Council....

, Vancouver, 1986–2002, first openly gay politician elected to Vancouver City Council
Glen Murray, Winnipeg, 1989–1998
Kyle Rae
Kyle Rae
Kyle Rae is a former Canadian politician. He was a city councillor for Ward 27 Toronto Centre-Rosedale in Toronto, Ontario from 1991 to 2010. Rae is now a self-described consultant.-Politics:...

, Toronto, 1991–2010, Toronto's first openly gay city councillor, was openly gay when first elected to Toronto City Council in 1991.
Alex Munter
Alex Munter
Alexander Mathias Munter is a former politician and journalist in Ottawa, Canada's capital city. He is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario....

, Ottawa, 1991–2003, came out in 1993
Michael Phair
Michael Phair
Michael Phair is a Canadian politician, who served on Edmonton City Council from 1992 until 2007. He was the first openly gay elected politician in the province of Alberta.-External links:**...

, Edmonton, 1992–2007

External links

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