Alexa McDonough facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alexa McDonough
OC ONS
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McDonough in 2008
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| Leader of the New Democratic Party | |
| In office October 14, 1995 – January 25, 2003 |
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| Preceded by | Audrey McLaughlin |
| Succeeded by | Jack Layton |
| Member of Parliament for Halifax |
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| In office June 2, 1997 – October 14, 2008 |
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| Preceded by | Mary Clancy |
| Succeeded by | Megan Leslie |
| Leader of the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party | |
| In office November 16, 1980 – November 19, 1994 |
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| Preceded by | Buddy MacEachern |
| Succeeded by | John Holm |
| Member of the Legislative Assembly of Nova Scotia | |
| In office May 25, 1993 – October 20, 1995 |
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| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Eileen O'Connell |
| Constituency | Halifax Fairview |
| In office October 6, 1981 – May 25, 1993 |
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| Preceded by | Walter Fitzgerald |
| Succeeded by | Jay Abbass |
| Constituency | Halifax Chebucto |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Alexa Ann Shaw
August 11, 1944 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | January 15, 2022 (aged 77) Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Political party | New Democratic (from 1974) |
| Other political affiliations |
Liberal (1970–1974) |
| Spouse |
Peter McDonough
(m. 1966; div. 1993) |
| Domestic partner | David MacDonald (1997–2004) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parents |
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| Alma mater | Dalhoushousie University (BA) |
| Profession |
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Alexa Ann McDonough (born Shaw; August 11, 1944 – January 15, 2022) was an important Canadian politician. She made history by becoming the first woman to lead a major political party in Nova Scotia. This happened in 1980 when she was chosen as the leader of the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party (NSNDP).
McDonough served in the Nova Scotia Legislature from 1981 to 1994. She represented areas like Halifax Chebucto and Halifax Fairview. After leading the NSNDP for many years, she stepped down in 1994. She then ran for and was elected leader of the federal New Democratic Party (NDP) in 1995.
In 1997, McDonough became a Member of Parliament (MP) for Halifax. She stopped being the party leader in 2003. However, she continued to serve as an MP until 2008, when she retired from politics. In 2009, she became the interim president of Mount Saint Vincent University. She was also given the Order of Canada in December of that year, which is a very high honour.
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Early Life and Education
Alexa Ann Shaw was born in Ottawa, Ontario, on August 11, 1944. Her parents were Jean MacKinnon and Lloyd Robert Shaw. Her father was a successful businessman who believed in progressive politics. He helped start the New Democratic Party (NDP).
Alexa was involved in helping others from a young age. At 14, she helped her church youth group share information about the living conditions in Africville. This was a low-income, mostly Black neighbourhood in Halifax.
She first attended Queen's University in Ontario. After two years, she moved to Dalhousie University in Halifax. There, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology and psychology in 1965. She became a social worker.
In the early 1970s, she worked for the Liberal Party. She helped write their social policy plans. However, she soon felt that the Liberals were not the right fit for her. In 1974, she joined the New Democratic Party.
Leading in Nova Scotia Politics
McDonough first tried to enter politics in the 1979 and 1980 federal elections. She ran in the federal Halifax area but did not win. In 1980, she lost to Gerald Regan, the same politician she had once supported.
After the 1980 federal election, the leader of the Nova Scotia NDP, Jeremy Akerman, stepped down. The party was facing some disagreements between its members. Despite these challenges, McDonough decided to run for leader. She did not yet have a seat in the Nova Scotia Legislature.
The leadership vote happened on November 16, 1980, in Halifax. McDonough won by a large number of votes. This made her the first woman in Canada to lead a major recognized political party.
Since she wasn't an elected member of the Nova Scotia Legislature, she had to wait to get a seat. For almost a year, she sat in the visitors' area of the Assembly. In the 1981 Nova Scotia general election, she ran in the Halifax Chebucto area. She won her seat, which was a big step for the NDP in mainland Nova Scotia. However, the party lost all its seats on Cape Breton Island.
For three years, she was the only New Democrat and the only woman in the Nova Scotia Legislature. She worked to change the way politics was done in the province. She aimed to stop the system where jobs and favours were given based on connections, not skill.
McDonough was very popular with voters in Nova Scotia. Even though people liked her, her popularity didn't always help the party win more seats. She led the party through three more elections. Eventually, the party grew to three members in the Legislature, all from the mainland.
After 14 years, McDonough stepped down as the Nova Scotia NDP leader on November 19, 1994. At that time, she was the longest-serving leader of a major political party in the province.
Leading the Federal Party
While the Nova Scotia NDP was slowly getting stronger, the federal NDP was struggling. The 1993 Canadian federal election was a very difficult time for the party. They lost many seats and had their lowest share of votes in the 20th century. The party only had nine seats, which was not enough to be recognized as an official party in the House of Commons. This meant they missed out on important funding and privileges.
After this tough election, the party decided it needed to make big changes. The leader, Audrey McLaughlin, announced she would step down. The party was facing internal disagreements, similar to what McDonough had seen in Nova Scotia years earlier.
In the spring of 1995, McDonough decided to run for the federal leadership. The situation was challenging. The party was divided, and NDP governments in Ontario and British Columbia were not very popular.
At the NDP leadership convention on October 14, 1995, many thought McDonough wouldn't win. However, she surprised everyone by coming in second on the first vote. The leading candidate, Svend Robinson, realized that McDonough would likely win the next vote. So, he stepped aside, and McDonough was formally chosen as the new leader.
McDonough became the first person from Atlantic Canada to lead a major federal party since 1976. Instead of having another MP step down so she could get into Parliament right away, she chose to run for her home riding of Halifax in the next general election.
In the 1997 election, her first as leader, the party won 21 seats. This was a big success, especially in the Atlantic provinces, where the party had rarely won seats before. McDonough herself won the Halifax seat by a large margin. She continued to win this seat three more times until she retired in 2008.
During her time as federal leader, McDonough faced some challenges. Some union leaders were not fully supportive of her. There were also discussions about whether the party was moving too much towards the political centre. McDonough tried to explain her vision as a "made-in-Canada way" rather than a "third way."
The 2000 Canadian federal election was another difficult one for the NDP. The party won only 13 seats. However, they managed to keep their official party status in the House of Commons, which was important.
After this election, there were more calls for the party to renew itself. McDonough also faced a leadership challenge but won easily. A key issue during her leadership was fighting against unfair treatment of Arab-Canadians after the 9/11 attacks. She led efforts to help Mahar Arar, a Canadian who was wrongly detained. When he was released, his wife, Monia Mazigh, joined the NDP to show thanks for McDonough's support.
On June 5, 2002, McDonough announced she would step down as NDP leader. She was succeeded by Jack Layton on January 25, 2003. She was re-elected to Parliament in the 2004 and 2006 elections. In the NDP's team of critics, she focused on International Development and Peace Advocacy.
Retirement and Honours
On June 2, 2008, Alexa McDonough announced that she would not run for re-election in Halifax. She continued to serve as an MP until the next federal election.
In June 2009, McDonough was named the interim president of Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax. Her one-year term began in August 2009.
On December 30, 2009, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada. This honour recognized her important work as a leader for the New Democratic Party in both Nova Scotia and at the federal level. She also received an honorary degree from Acadia University in May 2012.
Personal Life
Alexa McDonough married Peter McDonough in 1966. They had two sons, Justin and Travis. They separated in 1993 and later divorced.
During her time as federal NDP leader, she was in a relationship with David MacDonald, a former politician from another party. They separated before the 2004 federal election.
In May 2013, McDonough shared that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and was receiving treatment.
Alexa McDonough passed away on January 15, 2022, at the age of 77, in Halifax.
Images for kids
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McDonough in 2008
