Jean Casselman Wadds
Encyclopedia
Jean Casselman Wadds, OC
(September 16, 1920 – November 25, 2011) was a Canadian
politician, who represented the electoral district
of Grenville—Dundas
from 1958 to 1968. She sat as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party
.
Wadds was born in 1920 in Newton Robinson, Ontario. She was the daughter of William Earl Rowe
; Wadds and Rowe are, to date, the only father and daughter to sit as MP
s in the same session of Parliament.
In 1946, she married Arza Clair Casselman
, who represented Grenville—Dundas in the House of Commons until his death in 1958, and she was elected to the same seat later that year.
Wadds served as parliamentary secretary
to the Minister of Health and Welfare
in 1962 and 1963. She was the first woman to serve as a parliamentary secretary in the Canadian government.
In 1979, Wadds was appointed Canada's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. She served in this capacity until 1983. During this time, the Canadian Constitution was patriated
. Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau
was to say of her:
In 1982, she was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
for carrying "out her duties with great competence and conscientiousness, particularly during the period of the patriation of the Constitution".
On November 25, 2011, Wadds died at the age of 91.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(September 16, 1920 – November 25, 2011) was a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
politician, who represented the electoral district
Electoral district (Canada)
An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
of Grenville—Dundas
Grenville—Dundas
Grenville—Dundas was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1925 to 1968. It was located in the province of Ontario...
from 1958 to 1968. She sat as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
.
Wadds was born in 1920 in Newton Robinson, Ontario. She was the daughter of William Earl Rowe
William Earl Rowe
William Earl Rowe, PC , was a politician in Ontario, Canada. He served as the 20th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario from 1963 to 1968. He also had four children, one of which died during labour....
; Wadds and Rowe are, to date, the only father and daughter to sit as MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
s in the same session of Parliament.
In 1946, she married Arza Clair Casselman
Arza Clair Casselman
Arza Clair Casselman was an Ontario lawyer and political figure. He represented Grenville in 1921 and then Grenville—Dundas from 1925 to 1958 in the Canadian House of Commons as a Conservative and later Progressive Conservative member.He was born in Williamsburg Township, Ontario in 1891, the son...
, who represented Grenville—Dundas in the House of Commons until his death in 1958, and she was elected to the same seat later that year.
Wadds served as parliamentary secretary
Parliamentary Secretary
A Parliamentary Secretary is a member of a Parliament in the Westminster system who assists a more senior minister with his or her duties.In the parliamentary systems of several Commonwealth countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, it is customary for the prime minister to...
to the Minister of Health and Welfare
Minister of Health (Canada)
The Minister of Health is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the federal government's health department and the enforcing the Public Health Agency of Canada, Canada Health Act, the law governing Medicare...
in 1962 and 1963. She was the first woman to serve as a parliamentary secretary in the Canadian government.
In 1979, Wadds was appointed Canada's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. She served in this capacity until 1983. During this time, the Canadian Constitution was patriated
Patriation
Patriation is a non-legal term used in Canada to describe a process of constitutional change also known as "homecoming" of the constitution. Up until 1982, Canada was governed by a constitution that was a British law and could be changed only by an Act of the British Parliament...
. Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
was to say of her:
"I always said it was thanks to three women that we were eventually able to reform our Constitution. The QueenElizabeth II of the United KingdomElizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
, who was favourable, Margaret ThatcherMargaret ThatcherMargaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
, who undertook to do everything that our Parliament asked of her, and Jean Wadds, who represented the interests of Canada so well in London."
In 1982, she was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
for carrying "out her duties with great competence and conscientiousness, particularly during the period of the patriation of the Constitution".
On November 25, 2011, Wadds died at the age of 91.