Catherine McKenna

Catherine McKenna (born August 5, 1971) is a Canadian lawyer and former politician who served as Minister of Environment and Climate Change from 2015 to 2019 and Minister of Infrastructure and Communities from 2019 to 2021. She was the first female Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre, serving from 2015 to 2021.

Education: McKenna studied at the University of Toronto (BA), the London School of Economics (MSc), and McGill University Faculty of Law. She was captain of the University of Toronto's swim team and reached the Canadian Olympics trials for swimming at the 1988 Summer Olympics.

Career History:

• Practiced corporate, trade, and competition law at leading firms in Canada and Indonesia
• Served as lead negotiator on the Timor Sea Treaty with the UN Peacekeeping Mission in East Timor
• Founded Canadian Lawyers Abroad (now Level Justice) and taught in the Master of Global Affairs program at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy
• Executive Director of the Banff Forum, a leading Canadian organization bringing together young leaders
• Minister of Environment and Climate Change (November 4, 2015 – November 20, 2019)
• Minister of Infrastructure and Communities (November 20, 2019 – October 26, 2021)

Notable Achievements: McKenna helped negotiate the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement and pioneered Canada's first comprehensive national climate plan, which introduced cross-country carbon pricing. As Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, she made historic investments in public transit and sustainable infrastructure, and led the development of Canada's first National Infrastructure Assessment to drive net-zero emissions by 2050. She is Chair of the UN Secretary-General's High-Level Expert Group on Net-Zero Commitments for companies, financial institutions, cities, and regions. She was named a Chevalier of the Légion d'Honneur by the French government and holds an honorary Doctor of Science degree from McMaster University.

What McKenna could bring to Minister of Infrastructure and Communities: McKenna's extensive experience as a negotiator on international climate agreements combined with her legal expertise in trade and competition law positions her to bridge policy development with practical infrastructure implementation. Her track record of leveraging private sector investment through the Canada Infrastructure Bank and developing Canada's first National Infrastructure Assessment demonstrates her capacity to coordinate complex, multi-stakeholder projects. Her background in human rights law and international development, coupled with her emphasis on inclusive, green infrastructure, suggests she brings both technical rigor and values-driven leadership to building sustainable, resilient communities.