List of Canadian political families

During its history, Canada has seen many families who have repeatedly produced notable politicians from their ranks, and these historic Canadian political families have had a significant impact on politics in Canada, and abroad. Since there are no term limits in Canada for any office, these families have often held continuous and uninterrupted political power.

Many of these families have moved to national prominence from a province or regional power base to federal and global influence.

See also Political families of the world.

Families

Here are some of the more notable families visible on a national level:

The Bennett family (father-son)
*W.A.C. Bennett (Premier of British Columbia, 1952-1972)
**William R. Bennett (Premier of British Columbia, 1975-1986)

The Braden family (brothers)
*George Braden 2nd Premier of the Northwest Territories
*Bill Braden MLA, Northwest Territories

The Cannon-Power family (granduncle-grandfather-father-son)
*Lawrence Arthur Dumoulin Cannon Supreme Court Justice
**Charles Gavan Power federal cabinet minister
***Louis Cannon government lawyer
****Lawrence Cannon federal cabinet minister

The Chiarelli family (cousins)
*Bob Chiarelli (mayor of Ottawa)
*Rick Chiarelli (city councillor in Ottawa)
*John Chiarelli (former catholic school board trustee in Ottawa)

The Chrétien-Desmarais family (brother-brother-daughter)
*Jean Chrétien prime minister
*Raymond Chrétien Ambassador to the USA
**France Chrétien Desmarais husband advisor to Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (China) international advisors council

The Clement family (stepfather-stepson)
*John Clement, Ontario cabinet minister
**Tony Clement, Ontario cabinet minister, federal cabinet minister

The Copps family (father-daughter)
*Victor K. Copps mayor of Hamilton, Ontario
**Sheila Copps federal cabinet minister

The Crosbie family (grandfather, father, son)
*Sir John Chalker Crosbie cabinet minister in pre-Confederation Newfoundland
**Chesley Crosbie, politician and anti-Confederation campaigner
***John Crosbie, federal cabinet minister

The Davie Fulton family (2 brothers, son-in-law, grandson)
*Theodore Davie Premier of British Columbia, 1878-1879
*Alexander Edmund Batson Davie Premier of British Columbia 1892-1895 (brother of Theodore Davie)
**Frederick John Fulton Unionist Member of Parliament for Cariboo, 1917 (father of Davie Fulton)
***Davie Fulton Member of Parliament Progressive Conservative and British Columbia Conservative Leader (grandson of Premier Davie)

The Dewar family (mother-son)
*Marion Dewar mayor of Ottawa and New Democratic Party (NDP) Member of Parliament
**Paul Dewar NDP Member of Parliament

The Grewal family (husband-wife)
*Gurmant Grewal and Nina Grewal, Conservative Members of Parliament, the first married couple to serve as MPs in the same session of Parliament

The Hellyer family (father-son)
*Paul Hellyer, Sr., federal Member of Parliament and cabinet minister
**Paul Hellyer, federal Member of Parliament and cabinet minister

The Hampton family - Martel family (husband-wife, wife's father and maternal grandfather)
*Norman Fawcett, New Democrat MP
**Elie Martel, Ontario New Democrat MPP (married Fawcett's daughter)
***Shelley Martel, Ontario New Democrat MPP
****Howard Hampton, Ontario New Democrat leader, 1996-present

The Hinman family - (grandfather - grandson)
*Edgar Hinman Provincial Treasurer Alberta
**Paul Hinman Leader of the Alberta Alliance Party

The Ignatieff family (great-grandfather, grandfather, father, son)
*Count Nikolai Pavlovich Ignatiev, Minister of the Interior (Russia)
**Count Paul Ignatieff, Minister of Education (Russia)
***George Ignatieff, ambassador/president of UN security council (1968-1969)
****Michael Ignatieff, federal Member of Parliament, candidate in the Liberal Party of Canada leadership convention, 2006

The Jackman family (grandfather, son-in-law, son-in-law's children)
*Newton Rowell, Ontario Liberal Party leader
**Harry Jackman, Member of Parliament (married Rowell's daughter)
***Hal Jackman, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
***Nancy Ruth, Senator

The Johnson family (father-sons)
*Daniel Johnson, Sr (Union Nationale Premier of Quebec 1966-1968)
**Pierre-Marc Johnson (Parti Québécois Premier of Quebec, 1985] ): son of Daniel, Sr
**Daniel Johnson, Jr (Liberal Party of Quebec Premier of Quebec, 1994): son of Daniel, Sr.; brother of Pierre-Marc

The Layton family (grandfather, father, son, wife)
*Gilbert Layton, Quebec Member of the National Assembly and cabinet minister
**Robert Layton, federal Member of Parliament and cabinet minister
***Jack Layton, Toronto city councillor and leader of the federal New Democratic Party
****Olivia Chow, Member of Parliament(Jack Layton is also a descendant of William Steeves, a Father of Confederation and Senator, on his maternal side.)

The Lewis family (father and son)
*David Lewis, leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada
**Stephen Lewis, leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party, Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations

The Lougheed family (grandfather and grandson)
*Sir James Lougheed, Senator
**Peter Lougheed, Premier of Alberta

The MacKay family (father-son)
*Elmer MacKay, Progressive Conservative MP and cabinet minister
**Peter MacKay, Progressive Conservative and then Conservative MP and former Progressive Conservative leader

The Manning family (father-son)
*Ernest Manning (Premier of Alberta, 1943-1968)
**Preston Manning (Founder of the Reform Party, MP)

The Martin family (father-son)
*Paul Joseph James Martin - long serving Cabinet minister
**Paul Martin - Prime Minister

The Macdonald family (father-son)
*John A. Macdonald first Prime Minister of Canada
**Hugh John Macdonald federal cabinet minister, premier of Manitoba

The Mackenzie King family (grandfather-grandson)
*William Lyon Mackenzie rebel, first mayor of Toronto
**William Lyon Mackenzie King Canada's longest serving Prime Minister

The McGuinty family (father-son)
*Dalton McGuinty, Sr. MPP from Ottawa South
**Dalton McGuinty MPP from Ottawa South, and Premier of Ontario
**David McGuinty MP from Ottawa South

The Meighen family (father, son, daughter, grandson, grandson's stepfather)
*Arthur Meighen, Prime Minister of Canada
**Lillian Meighen, philanthropist
**Theodore Meighen, lawyer and philanthropist
***Michael Meighen, Senator
****Hartland Molson, Senator, married Theodore Meighen's widow

The Nixon family (grandfather, father, daughter)
*Harry Nixon, Ontario premier
**Robert Nixon, Ontario Liberal Party leader
***Jane Stewart, Liberal MP,cabinet minister, chief of staff

The Papineau family (great great grandfather, great grandson, grandson, son) (see also Bourassa and Simard families)
* Louis-Joseph Papineau, leader of the Parti patriote
** Talbot Mercer Papineau
*** Henri Bourassa MP

The Rae family (father-brother-brother)
*Saul Rae career diplomat
**Bob Rae New Democratic Party of Ontario premier of Ontario, diplomat, candidate in the Liberal Party of Canada leadership convention, 2006
**John Rae strategic political advisor to Liberal prime ministers

The Regan family (father-son)
*Gerald A. Regan, Liberal Party of Nova Scotia premier of Nova Scotia, federal cabinet minister
**Geoff Regan, federal Liberal cabinet minister

The Roblin family (grandfather-grandson)
*Rodmond P. Roblin, premier of Manitoba
**Dufferin (“Duff”) Roblin, premier of Manitoba, federal senator

The Rowe family (father-daughter)
*William Earl Rowe, Ontario Conservative Party leader and Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
**Jean Casselman Wadds, Member of Parliament and diplomat

The Sifton family (father-sons)
*John Wright Sifton, MLA, speaker of the house in Manitoba
**Arthur Sifton, premier of Alberta, federal cabinet minister
**Clifford Sifton, Manitoba cabinet minister, federal cabinet minister

The Sinclair family - Trudeau family (grandfather, son-in-law, grandson)
*James Sinclair, Member of Parliament (and father of Margaret Trudeau)
**Pierre Elliott Trudeau, federal Liberal cabinet minister, 15th Prime Minister of Canada
***Justin Trudeau, no political office but widely seen as a future political leader
***Alexandre Trudeau, television journalist
**Deborah Coyne, had a child with Pierre Trudeau, federal Liberal candidate in 2006

The Woodsworth-MacInnis family (father-son in law-daughter)
*J.S. Woodsworth, founding leader of the CCF, MP from 1921 to 1942
**Angus MacInnis, MP from BC from 1930 to 1957, involved in founding of the CCF, husband of Grace MacInnis.
**Grace MacInnis, BC CCF MLA from 1941-45, NDP MP from 1965 to 1974, daughter of JS Woodsworth