Famous Canadian Leaders

Stephen Harper is a Canadian politician and economist. From 2006 to 2015, Harper served as the prime minister of Canada. In 2019, he was made the Companion of the Order of Canada for his service to the nation and for his illustrious career in politics.

John A. Macdonald was the first prime minister of Canada. A dominant figure in Canadian politics for half a century, he was a lawyer by profession before venturing into politics. As a politician, he was influential in building Canada’s new government. To date, he remains one of the highest-rated prime ministers in Canadian history. 

Pierre Trudeau was a Canadian politician who served as the 15th prime minister of the country. His personality generated excitement within Canada's mass media, which gave rise to the term Trudeaumania. The effects of Trudeau's contribution to Canadian nationalism can still be felt in Canada. 

Brian Mulroney is a Canadian politician who served as the 18th prime minister of Canada. He was in office from September 1984 to June 1993. He is a lawyer by qualification. As the prime minister, he implemented major economic reforms and championed immigration. His tenure also saw the addition of significant new national parks. 

Lester B. Pearson was a Canadian statesman, scholar, diplomat, and soldier. He is best remembered for organizing the first United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF) in an attempt to resolve the Suez Canal Crisis, for which he was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957. From 1963 to 1968, Lester B. Pearson served as the prime minister of Canada.

Canadian politician, Rob Ford, served as the 64th mayor of Toronto from 2010 to 2014. His political career was marred by many personal and work-related controversies and legal proceedings. He suffered from alcoholism and drug addiction, and his involvement in a substance abuse scandal nearly killed his career. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2014 and died in 2016.

Louis Riel was a Canadian politician. He is credited with founding the province of Manitoba. He holds a significant place in the history of the Métis people as he served as their political leader in pre-Manitoba Northwest Territories. Louis Riel is regarded as a folk hero by the Métis and other Canadian minorities for his efforts to defend their rights.

Canadian statesman and politician Mackenzie King OM CMG PC, was the 10th prime minister of Canada. He held the position for three non-consecutive terms with a total of over 21 years in office and emerged as the longest-serving prime minister in the history of Canada. He remained instrumental in laying the foundations of the Canadian welfare state.

Canadian-American frontiersman, hardware store owner, sheriff, U.S. Marshal, horse breeder and hotel owner Seth Bullock is best known for building the Bullock Hotel, the oldest hotel in Deadwood. Bullock was appointed the first sheriff of the then lawless Dakota where he eventually emerged as a prominent figure civilizing the rowdy camp without killing anyone.

Tommy Douglas was a Scottish Canadian politician. From 1944 to 1961, he served as premier of Saskatchewan. His cabinet was the first to introduce North America's first single-payer, universal health care program. His life and career inspired a TV miniseries titled Prairie Giant: The Tommy Douglas Story, in which Douglas was played by actor Michael Therriault.

Joe Clark is a Canadian statesman, businessman, and politician. In 1979, he became the youngest person to be elected as the prime minister of Canada and served in this position until 1980. He lost the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 1983 before gaining prominence once again in 1984 when he served as a senior cabinet minister. 

Wilfrid Laurier was a Canadian politician who served as the seventh prime minister of Canada; he was in office from 1896 to 1911. Counted amongst the country's greatest statesmen, he envisioned Canada as a “land of individual liberty and decentralized federalism.” He was placed first on Maclean's historical ranking of Canadian prime ministers in 2011.

Canadian politician and Progressive Conservative leader Kim Campbell made headlines when she became the first woman to serve as the prime minister of Canada and remains the only woman to have achieved the feat. After quitting her doctoral studies, she studied law and joined the British Columbia Bar.

Jagmeet Singh is a Canadian politician and lawyer. Since 2017, Singh has been serving as the leader of the popular Canadian political party, New Democratic Party. Jagmeet Singh serves as an inspiration to other Canadian politicians of Indian origin as he is the first member from a visible minority group to lead a prominent federal political party in Canada.

Jason Kenney is a Canadian politician and the current premier of Alberta. An influential figure in Alberta, Kenney is also the current head of the United Conservative Party (UCP). During the 2019 Alberta general election, Kenney led the UCP to the majority government, defeating the previous government headed by the New Democratic Party's Rachel Anne Notley.

Joe Weider was a Canadian entrepreneur and bodybuilder. He is credited with co-founding the International Federation of BodyBuilding and Fitness which oversees several of the sport's international events, such as the Continental and World Championships. Weider is also credited with creating prominent bodybuilding contests like Mr. Olympia, Masters Olympia, and Ms. Olympia.

Though a qualified lawyer, Paul Martin never practiced law. He focused on business instead and purchased the domestic-freight carrier Canada Steamship Lines. He later joined the Liberal Party and also served as the prime minister of Canada. He has also received awards such as the Companion of the Order of Canada.

Michaëlle Jean is a Canadian stateswoman who became the first black person and Haitian Canadian to serve as Governor General of Canada, a position which she held from 2005 to 2010. In 2015, Jean became the first woman to serve as the secretary-general of the International Organisation of La Francophonie, a position which she held until the end of 2018.

David Johnston is a Canadian academic, author, and politician. He served as the governor-general of Canada from 2010 to 2017. He attended Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and Queen's University and pursued an academic career. Alongside his academic career, he also involved himself with politics and public service. He is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. 

Robert Borden was a Canadian lawyer and politician. He served as the eighth prime minister of Canada from 1911 to 1920. World War I started during his tenure, and he received much admiration for his leadership throughout the war. As the prime minister, he introduced women's suffrage for federal elections. 

Andrew Scheer is a Canadian politician who served as leader of the Official Opposition from 2017 until 2020. At the young age of 32, he became the speaker of the House of Commons and held this role for the entirety of the 41st Canadian Parliament. He is considered pro-life and opposes same-sex marriage. He is a firearm owner and hunter. 

Known as Dief the Chief, former Canadian prime minister John Diefenbaker is remembered for his efforts in passing the Canadian Bill of Rights and extending voting rights to First Nations people. He had also had a successful stint as a defense lawyer before being elected to the parliament.

John Tory is a Canadian politician who is serving as the current mayor of Toronto. Before establishing himself as a politician, Tory was a businessman, lawyer, and political strategist. John Tory has several honors under his belt, including the prestigious Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. In 2011, he was honored with a Harry Jerome Award. 

Justin Trudeau is one of the most popular and good-looking Canadian politicians of all time. His good looks have made women and men go weak in their knees. After becoming the second-youngest prime minister of Canada, Justin went on to become one of the most liked politicians around the world.

Born in Scotland, William Lyon Mackenzie moved to Canada as a merchant but soon got involved in the country’s politics. He later stepped into journalism and launched his own newspaper, the Colonial Advocate. He spearheaded the Canadian Rebellion of 1837, a failed uprising against the Canadian government.

Canadian politician John Layton was Member of the Canadian Parliament for Toronto—Danforth from 2004 till his death in 2011. He served as Leader of the New Democratic Party from January 2003 till his death and led the party to garner increased support in each election, in particular during the 2011 election following which Layton became Leader of the Opposition.   

Kathleen Wynne is a Canadian politician who took office as the 25th premier of Ontario in February 2013 and served for a term of five years. She is the first female premier of Ontario. During her tenure, she implemented reforms to increase the minimum wages and bring down the unemployment rate. She is openly lesbian. 

Adrienne Clarkson is a Hong Kong-born Canadian political leader and journalist. She is best known for her service as the Governor General of Canada from 7 October 1999 to 27 September 2005. Over the course of her career, Adrienne Clarkson has won many prestigious medals and awards such as the Canadian Centennial Medal and the Vimy Award.

R. B. Bennett was the 11th prime minister of Canada and was in the office from 1930 to 1935. A lawyer by profession, he established a successful law firm before venturing into politics. His tenure as the prime minister was marked primarily by the Great Depression. He tried to combat the crisis with laissez-faire policies, albeit unsuccessfully. He was defeated in the 1935 election.