Flora MacDonald (politician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Honourable Flora MacDonald PC CC OOnt ONS
Flora MacDonald in 1987
Secretary of State for External Affairs
In office June 4, 1979 – March 2, 1980
Prime Minister	Joe Clark
Preceded by	Don Jamieson
Succeeded by	Mark MacGuigan
Minister of Communications
In office June 30, 1986 – December 7, 1988
Prime Minister	Brian Mulroney
Preceded by	Marcel Masse
Succeeded by	Lowell Murray (acting) Marcel Masse
Minister of Employment and Immigration
In office September 17, 1984 – June 29, 1986
Prime Minister	Brian Mulroney
Preceded by	John Roberts
Succeeded by	Benoît Bouchard
Member of Parliament for Kingston and the Islands
In office October 30, 1972 – November 20, 1988
Preceded by	Edgar Benson
Succeeded by	Peter Milliken
Personal details
Born	Flora Isabel MacDonald (1926-06-03)June 3, 1926 North Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada
Died	July 26, 2015(2015-07-26) (aged 89) Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Political party	Progressive Conservative (1950s–2003)

Flora Isabel MacDonald (June 3, 1926 – July 26, 2015) was a very important Canadian politician and humanitarian. She made history as Canada's first female foreign minister. This means she was the top diplomat for Canada, dealing with other countries.

Flora MacDonald was also one of the first women to try and become the leader of a major Canadian political party, the Progressive Conservatives. She worked closely with Prime Minister Joe Clark and later with Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. In her later years, she became well-known for helping people around the world. She played a big role in rescuing American hostages in Iran, which was even made into a movie called Argo. The city of Ottawa named a new bridge after her to remember her contributions.

Early Life and First Steps in Politics

Flora MacDonald was born in North Sydney, Nova Scotia. Her family had Scottish roots. Her grandfather was a ship captain, and her father managed a telegraph station.

Flora first trained as a secretary and worked at a bank. In 1950, she traveled to Britain. When she returned to Canada, she became interested in politics. She worked on election campaigns for the Progressive Conservatives.

Later, she joined the national office of the Progressive Conservative Party. She worked for party leader John Diefenbaker during his election campaigns in 1957 and 1958. She even worked as a secretary in Prime Minister Diefenbaker's office in 1959.

Becoming a Member of Parliament

Flora MacDonald was first elected to the House of Commons in 1972. This is where Canada's elected politicians meet to make laws. She represented the area of Kingston and the Islands in Ontario. She stayed in parliament until 1988.

In 1976, Flora MacDonald tried to become the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party. She was only the second woman to seriously try for the leadership of a major Canadian party. Even though many people thought she would do well, she didn't get as many votes as expected. This led to the terms Flora Syndrome or Flora Factor. It described how a female politician's promised support might not happen on election day. After the second round of voting, she asked her supporters to vote for Joe Clark, who eventually won.

Canada's First Female Foreign Minister

When Joe Clark became Prime Minister of Canada in 1979, he chose Flora MacDonald for a very important job. She became the first female Secretary of State for External Affairs in Canadian history. This job is now called the Minister of Foreign Affairs. She was one of the first women in the world to hold such a high diplomatic position.

During her time as foreign minister, she helped with a big refugee crisis. Many people, known as the Vietnamese boat people, were fleeing Vietnam after the war. Flora MacDonald and the Immigration Minister created a plan. The Canadian government would help the same number of refugees that regular Canadians sponsored. This plan helped over 60,000 Vietnamese refugees come to Canada.

Another major event during her time was the Iran hostage crisis. Six American diplomats were hiding in the Canadian embassy in Tehran after their own embassy was taken over. Flora MacDonald convinced the government to help them. They gave the Americans Canadian passports and money. The Americans pretended to be Canadians and left the country safely with Canadian embassy staff. This secret mission was called the Canadian Caper. It was later shown in the movie Argo.

Flora MacDonald's time as foreign minister was short. Joe Clark's government lost a vote in parliament in December 1979. A new election was held in February 1980, and the Progressive Conservatives lost.

Returning to Government

The Progressive Conservatives won the election in 1984, and Brian Mulroney became Prime Minister. Flora MacDonald returned to government. She served as the Minister of Employment and Immigration from 1984 to 1986. Then, she became the Minister of Communications from 1986 to 1988.

She disagreed with Prime Minister Mulroney about free trade with the United States. However, she publicly supported the Canada–United States Free Trade Agreement in the 1988 election. Even though her party won the election, Flora MacDonald lost her own seat in parliament.

Life After Politics

After losing her seat in 1988, Flora MacDonald left politics. She then focused on helping people around the world. She led Canada's International Development Research Centre from 1992 to 1997. This organization supports research in developing countries. She also became president of the World Federalist Movement-Canada.

In 2003, she briefly returned to politics to oppose the joining of the Progressive Conservative Party with another party. However, she couldn't stop the creation of the new Conservative Party of Canada.

Death and Legacy

Flora MacDonald passed away in Ottawa on July 26, 2015, at 89 years old. Many people across Canada praised her after her death. They remembered her as a pioneer for women in politics. People said she inspired many Canadians and was highly respected. Joe Clark, who she worked with, said she "changed lives across our country" and "around the world."

Honours and Awards

Flora MacDonald received many honours for her work:

• She was made a member of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada in 1979. This gave her the title "The Honourable."
• A large harbour in Kingston is named the Flora MacDonald Confederation Basin in her honour.
• She was appointed Officer of the Order of Canada in 1992, and later promoted to Companion of the Order of Canada in 1998. The Order of Canada is one of the highest honours a Canadian can receive.
• She received the Order of Ontario in 1995 and the Order of Nova Scotia in 2007.
• In 2000, she received the Pearson Medal of Peace for her work promoting peace.
• The Government of India awarded her the Padma Shri in 2004, a civilian award.
• A documentary film about her 1976 leadership campaign, called Flora, was made in 1977.
• The City of Ottawa named a new footbridge over the Rideau Canal the "Flora Footbridge" in 2018.

Ribbon bars of Flora MacDonald

Honorary Degrees from Universities

Flora MacDonald also received many honorary degrees from universities in Canada and the United States. These degrees recognize her important contributions to society.

Images for kids

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  Flora MacDonald in 1987