Bev Oda facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bev Oda
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Oda in 2011
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| Minister for International Cooperation | |
| In office August 14, 2007 – July 4, 2012 |
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| Prime Minister | Stephen Harper |
| Preceded by | Josée Verner |
| Succeeded by | Julian Fantino |
| Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women | |
| In office February 6, 2006 – August 14, 2007 |
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| Prime Minister | Stephen Harper |
| Preceded by | Liza Frulla (Canadian Heritage) |
| Succeeded by | Josée Verner |
| Member of Parliament for Durham |
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| In office June 28, 2004 – July 31, 2012 |
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| Preceded by | Alex Shepherd |
| Succeeded by | Erin O'Toole |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Beverley Joan Oda
July 27, 1944 Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Domestic partner |
Don MacPherson
(died 1998) |
| Residences | Orono, Ontario, Canada |
| Alma mater | University of Toronto Lakeshore Teachers College |
| Profession | Broadcasting executive, communication consultant, teacher |
Beverley Joan "Bev" Oda is a Canadian politician who is now retired. She made history as the first Japanese-Canadian person to become a Member of Parliament (MP) and a cabinet minister in Canada. An MP is someone elected to represent a specific area in the House of Commons of Canada, which is where Canada's laws are made.
Bev Oda represented the area of Durham for the Conservative Party of Canada. She held important roles in the government, including Minister of Canadian Heritage and Minister for International Cooperation. She stepped down from her political roles in 2012 after some public discussion about her expenses.
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Bev Oda's Early Life and Education
Bev Oda was born in Thunder Bay, Ontario, in 1944. Her family has a unique history. Her mother was part of the Japanese Canadian internment during World War II, where many Japanese-Canadians were forced to move from their homes. Her father worked on a sugar beet farm in southwestern Ontario.
Bev Oda studied at the University of Toronto, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. She also went to Lakeshore Teacher's College. Before her career in broadcasting, she taught at schools in the Mississauga area. Later, in 1999, she moved to Orono, Ontario.
Bev Oda's Career in Broadcasting
Before she became a politician, Bev Oda had a long and successful career in television. She started working at TVOntario in 1973. Later, she worked for other well-known Canadian TV channels like Citytv and the Global Television Network.
She also served as a Commissioner for the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) from 1987 to 1993. The CRTC is a government group that makes rules for broadcasting and telecommunications in Canada. In 2003, she was honored for her work in broadcasting and was added to the Canadian Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
Bev Oda: Member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister
Bev Oda was a dedicated volunteer for the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada for many years. In the 2004 Canadian federal election, she ran as a Conservative candidate in the area of Durham and won. This made her a Member of Parliament (MP).
As an MP, she spoke out on important issues. For example, in 2004, she brought forward a bill called the Chinese Canadian Recognition and Redress Act. This bill asked the Canadian Parliament to recognize the important contributions of Chinese immigrants to Canada. It also aimed to acknowledge the unfair treatment Chinese-Canadians faced in the past because of old, unfair laws. Even though Bev Oda is of Japanese heritage, not Chinese, she championed this cause.
Becoming a Cabinet Minister
In the 2006 Canadian federal election, Bev Oda was re-elected as an MP. Soon after, on February 6, 2006, she was chosen to be a cabinet minister in the new government led by Prime Minister Stephen Harper. This was a very important moment because she became the first Japanese-Canadian cabinet minister in Canada's history. A cabinet minister is a senior member of the government, responsible for a specific department.
Her first cabinet role was Minister of Canadian Heritage. This role involves looking after Canada's culture, arts, and sports.
Minister for International Cooperation
On August 14, 2007, Bev Oda was given a new and very important role: Minister for International Cooperation. In this job, she was in charge of Canada's efforts to help other countries around the world. This included overseeing the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), which managed Canada's aid programs.
She worked to make sure Canada's international help was effective and focused. She also played a key role in the Muskoka Initiative. This was a global effort to improve the health of mothers and children in the world's poorest countries.
Bev Oda was re-elected as an MP in both the 2008 Canadian federal election and the 2011 Canadian federal election.
Retirement from Politics
On July 3, 2012, Bev Oda announced that she would be leaving her roles as a cabinet member and an MP at the end of July. She retired from politics after a long and impactful career.
See also
- List of visible minority Canadian cabinet ministers
- List of visible minority politicians in Canada
