Justin Trudeau
Born 1971 · Age 54
Canadian politician; 23rd Prime Minister of Canada (2015–2025); Liberal Party leader (2013–2025); MP for Papineau (2008–2025). Son of former PM Pierre Trudeau; former teacher and youth advocate.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Ottawa, Ontario
Justin Pierre James Trudeau born at Ottawa Civic Hospital at 9:27 pm EST.
Baptized at Notre Dame Basilica
Baptized with Anne Rouleau-Danis as godmother and Thomas Walker as godfather; marked his first public appearance.
Enrolled in French-immersion at Rockcliffe Park Public School
Attended Rockcliffe Park Public School (French-immersion) as a young child; followed by one year at Lycée Claudel.
Parents announced separation
Parents Pierre and Margaret Trudeau announced separation; Justin lived primarily with his father.
Summer work / camp experience (early paid job years)
Worked summers at Camp Ahmek on Canoe Lake; later this became his first paid job as a camp counsellor (exact year of first paid job not specified).
Parental divorce finalized and move to Montreal
Supreme Court of Ontario granted Margaret Trudeau's divorce in 1984; family moved to Montreal after Pierre Trudeau's retirement.
Attended Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf (secondary)
Began secondary schooling at Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf in Montreal (his father's alma mater).
Earned B.A. in English from McGill University
Graduated from McGill University with a Bachelor of Arts in English/Literature; was active in debating and campus groups.
Completed Bachelor of Education at UBC
Finished teacher education at the University of British Columbia (BEd, 1998); taught in Vancouver following graduation.
Brother Michel Trudeau died in avalanche
Trudeau's younger brother Michel died in an avalanche above Kokanee Lake, a formative personal tragedy.
Co-founded Kokanee Glacier Alpine Campaign / avalanche advocacy
Helped start the Kokanee Glacier Alpine Campaign to improve winter-sport safety and avalanche awareness.
Kokanee Summit / avalanche-safety advocacy
Attended Kokanee Summit in Creston, B.C., to raise funds for avalanche-safety causes following his brother's death; controversy later surfaced alleging inappropriate conduct at the event.
Delivered eulogy at Pierre Trudeau's state funeral
Delivered a widely praised eulogy at his father's state funeral; national media attention helped relaunch his public profile.
Returned to Montreal to study engineering
Returned to Montreal in 2002 to study engineering at École Polytechnique de Montréal (did not complete degree).
Became chair of Katimavik (board chair)
Served as chair of the national youth volunteer program Katimavik (2002–2006).
Began relationship with Sophie Grégoire
Started dating Sophie Grégoire (they later married in 2005).
Inaugurated Trudeau Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies
Justin and Alexandre Trudeau inaugurated the Trudeau Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at University of Toronto (April 2004).
Led Nahanni Forever environmental campaign
Opposed a $100-million zinc mine threatening the Nahanni River; became active in environmental advocacy.
Married Sophie Grégoire
Married Sophie Grégoire (May 28, 2005); couple later had three children.
Appointed chair, Liberal Party Task Force on Youth Renewal
Appointed to chair the Liberal Party's Task Force on Youth Renewal after the 2006 federal election.
Master of ceremonies at Toronto Darfur rally
Served as master of ceremonies for a large rally organized by Roméo Dallaire calling for action on Darfur.
Acted in CBC miniseries The Great War
Portrayed Major Talbot Mercer Papineau in the two-part CBC miniseries The Great War (2007).
Won Liberal nomination for Papineau
Won the Liberal Party nomination in Montreal riding Papineau (690 votes to 350 and 220 for rivals).
Introduced motion on national voluntary service policy
First legislative act called for creation of a national voluntary service policy for young people.
Elected Member of Parliament for Papineau
Elected MP for Papineau, narrowly defeating Bloc Québécois incumbent Vivian Barbot; entered the House as an Opposition MP.
Appointed Official Opposition critic for youth and multiculturalism
Named the Liberal critic for youth and multiculturalism (Oct 2009) and co-chaired the party's 2009 convention.
Reassigned as critic for citizenship and immigration
In September 2010 Trudeau became Liberal critic for youth, citizenship and immigration.
Reported public speaking earnings controversy
Reports revealed Trudeau had earned ~CA$1.3 million in public speaking fees from charities and school boards over time, sparking debate.
Family assets reported (numbered company assets)
Media reported young Trudeaus received dividends from numbered companies; first numbered company had assets of about $1.2M (as of Aug 2011).
Re-elected MP (2011 federal election)
Re-elected in Papineau while the Liberal Party fell to third place nationally; named critic for post-secondary education, youth and sport.
Won charity boxing match vs. Senator Patrick Brazeau
Fought and won a charity boxing bout (referee stopped fight in round three) to raise funds and national profile.
Launched campaign for Liberal leadership
Formally launched campaign for the Liberal Party leadership (Oct 2, 2012); quickly became the frontrunner.
Elected Leader of the Liberal Party
Won the Liberal leadership with nearly 80% of the vote (over ~100,000 ballots cast), becoming party leader (April 14, 2013).
Published memoir 'Common Ground'
Published his memoir Common Ground (2014), recounting family life and political awakening.
Named gender-balanced Cabinet
Upon forming government in November 2015 Trudeau appointed a gender-balanced cabinet (50% women), a high-profile symbolic milestone.
Launched National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
Government created a national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls (in the first term); report released 2019.
Led Liberals to majority government
Led the Liberal Party from third place to a majority in the 2015 federal election (184 of 338 seats).
Appointed Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Youth
Assumed the additional ministerial title of Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Youth (Nov 4, 2015).
Sworn in as 23rd Prime Minister of Canada
Took office as Prime Minister on Nov 4, 2015; appointed a gender-balanced cabinet (50% women) the same day.
Introduced federal carbon-pricing plan and Canada Child Benefit
Major domestic policy moves included a national carbon-pricing framework and establishment of the Canada Child Benefit to support families.
Canada ratified/pledged Paris Agreement commitments
Trudeau's government actively participated in international climate efforts and committed Canada to Paris Agreement goals.
Ethics commissioner found conflict of interest (Aga Khan affair)
Ethics commissioner ruled Trudeau violated conflict-of-interest rules after accepting a family vacation on the Aga Khan's private island.
Facilitated Senate appointment reform (Independent Advisory Board)
Moved to make Senate appointments non-partisan via an Independent Advisory Board and to remove Liberal senators from the party caucus (process started in 2014; appointments continued under his government).
Legalization of recreational cannabis (Cannabis Act)
Canada legalized recreational cannabis under the Cannabis Act; legal sales began Oct 17, 2018.
CUSMA / USMCA negotiated
Canada, U.S. and Mexico announced a new trade deal (CUSMA/USMCA) replacing NAFTA (agreement announced Nov 2018).
Vogue recognition (2015 pop-culture coverage noted again)
Trudeau was widely covered in international media including being noted by Vogue among notable personalities in 2015; symbolic recognition of his international profile.
Jody Wilson-Raybould resigned — SNC‑Lavalin controversy
Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould resigned and alleged political pressure from the PMO re: SNC-Lavalin; triggered major ethics and political fallout.
Ethics commissioner report on SNC‑Lavalin found breaches
Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion concluded Trudeau had pressured the Attorney General and breached conflict-of-interest law.
Blackface / brownface photos surfaced
Photos and video showed Trudeau in blackface/brownface on multiple occasions; he apologized publicly.
2019 federal election — reduced to minority government
Liberals reduced from majority to a minority government (Liberals won 157 seats; Trudeau retained Papineau seat).
COVID‑19 pandemic response and economic supports
Government rolled out support programs (CERB, CEWS, other measures); Trudeau's wife Sophie tested positive early in pandemic.
Investigated in WE Charity scandal (cleared)
Trudeau was investigated by the ethics commissioner for involvement in WE Charity arrangements; ultimately cleared of wrongdoing.
Announced ban on assault-style weapons
In response to the April 2020 Nova Scotia attacks, Trudeau announced a ban on ~1,500 makes/models of assault-style weapons (immediate ban with later amnesty extensions).
2021 federal election — re-elected, Liberals remain minority
Called a snap election and led the Liberals to another minority government; Trudeau won Papineau again.
Responded to Russian invasion of Ukraine (sanctions & military aid)
Imposed sanctions on Russia and authorized military aid to Ukraine following Russia's 2022 invasion.
Confidence-and-supply agreement signed with NDP
Liberal government signed a confidence-and-supply agreement with the NDP (early 2022) enabling progress on dental care and pharmacare framework.
Invoked the Emergencies Act during Freedom Convoy protests
In response to weeks-long Ottawa occupation and blockades, Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act to restore order (Feb 2022).
Separation announced from Sophie Grégoire Trudeau
Justin Trudeau and Sophie Grégoire announced their separation after 18 years of marriage (announcement in 2023).
NDP terminated the confidence-and-supply agreement
In late 2024 the NDP opted to terminate the confidence-and-supply agreement with the Liberals, easing political pressure on opposition moves.
Chrystia Freeland resigned from cabinet
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland abruptly resigned in December 2024, triggering a political crisis.
Announced retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods
In response to a second round of U.S. tariffs, announced 25% retaliatory tariffs on approximately $30 billion of U.S. goods (early 2025 announcement).
Advised Governor General to prorogue Parliament
Advised the Governor General to prorogue Parliament until March 24, 2025, while the party held a leadership election.
Announced intention to resign as Prime Minister and Liberal leader
Faced with declining support and internal pressure, Trudeau announced he would step down as Liberal leader and prime minister after a leadership process.
Mark Carney elected Liberal leader (Trudeau remained until replacement elected)
Mark Carney won the Liberal leadership contest (March 9, 2025); Trudeau remained leader until successor was chosen.
Formally resigned as Prime Minister of Canada
Formally stepped down as Prime Minister five days after Mark Carney was elected leader (March 14, 2025).
Stood down as Member of Parliament for Papineau
Ceased serving as MP for Papineau on April 28, 2025 (stood down at the federal election held weeks after resignation).
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