Francis Fox, former senator and Pierre Trudeau cabinet minister, dies at 84

OTTAWA — Francis Fox, a former senator and cabinet minister in Pierre Elliott Trudeau’s government, has died at 84.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement Tuesday announcing the death that Fox was a lawyer who was first elected as a member of Parliament in Quebec in 1972.

Fox served under Trudeau’s father as solicitor general, minister of communications and secretary of state for Canada.

His contributions in 12 years serving in Parliament included introducing the landmark Access to Information Act and overseeing the creation of Telefilm Canada, said Trudeau.

“Francis left an indelible mark on Canadian politics. Today, we remember him and the legacy he leaves behind. On behalf of all Canadians, I offer my condolences to his family and friends,” said the prime minister.

Fox’s family, in a statement, said he died peacefully surrounded by loved ones. They called him an exceptional man and “a staunch believer in a fair and just society.”

They noted that he also introduced the legislation in 1980 that officially made O Canada the national anthem.

From 1996 to 2003, Fox served as chair of the board of Montréal International, his family said, as he firmly believed Montreal had the potential to be a world-class French-speaking city.

His charitable work included supporting Cystic Fibrosis Canada.

A mark on his political career came in January 1978, when he was forced to temporarily resign from cabinet after acknowledging that he had forged the signature of his girlfriend’s husband on a hospital form so she could get an abortion.

In 2005, Fox was appointed to the Senate. He resigned on Dec. 2, 2011, his 72nd birthday, citing personal and family reasons for leaving three years before the end of his term.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 24, 2024.

The Canadian Press