PRPG:

The First Kids of Canada

June 21, 2017

Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau is the first “second generation” leader in the nation’s modern history—his father was Pierre Trudeau, PM of Canada from 1968 to 1979 and from 1980 to 1984. Here’s a look at what some of the other offspring of Canadian prime ministers did with their lives.
Weird Facts About Canadian Prime Ministers

France Chretien

Jean Chrétien was prime minister of Canada from 1993 to 2003. He has three children, including one daughter, France Chrétien Desmarais. Along with her husband André Desmarais, president of the Power Corporation of Canada, she’s a major philanthropist and financial benefactor in Canada. The couple donated the money to build an entirely new building at the University of Ottawa, her alma mater. She also sits on various boards and foundations, including the Canadian Olympic Foundation.              

Catherine Clark 

Joe Clark was PM very briefly from 1979 to 1980, during the nine months between Pierre Trudeau’s tenures. He continued serving in Parliament and as the leader of the Progressive Conservative party, he was a candidate for PM again in 2000. One of his closest advisors was his daughter, Catherine Clark. After helping in a public advocacy campaign to encourage young people to vote, Clark shifted into a career in television, hosting political and public affairs talk shows such as Beyond Politics and Sunday Sound Off. (Which means Canada has a daughter of a former prime minister on TV each week discussing the policies of the prime minister who’s the son of another former prime minister.)

Ben Mulroney

Brian Mulroney was PM from 1984 to 1993. His son is Ben Mulroney, who has enjoyed a very active career in entertainment journalism, in print, on radio, and on Canadian television, where he’s covered awards shows and celebrity news. He’s probably most famous as the host of the nationally televised singing competition Canadian Idol.

Alexandre Trudeau

After finishing college in 1997, the younger brother of Justin Trudeau and son of Pierre Trudeau embarked on a career as a serious documentary filmmaker. His first film: Liberia, the Secret War. His experience covering war and conflict led to a position as an embedded journalist during the 2003 Iraq conflict. After that, he made The Fence, a film about how the Israeli-Palestinian conflict affects daily life for families.