Judy LaMarsh (1924 – 1980)

Judy LaMarsh, born in Chatham, Ontario, broke ground for women in politics and journalism.

After finishing high school, Judy applied to join the Royal Canadian Air Force Women’s Division but was denied admission due to poor eyesight. In 1943, she joined the Canadian Women’s Army Corps, where she reached the rank of sergeant and served as a Japanese translator for the intelligence team.

After completing a bachelor’s degree in arts, Judy studied law at York University and then joined her father’s law practice in Niagara Falls.

In 1963, three years after being elected to Parliament, Judy became the second woman in Canada to serve in the federal Cabinet when Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson named her Minister of National Health and Welfare and Minister of Amateur Sport. Two years later, as Canada’s Secretary of State, she was instrumental in bringing about the Royal Commission on the Status of Women in Canada.

After retiring from federal politics, Judy wrote about her experiences in Memoirs of a Bird in a Gilded Cage and two political thrillers A Very Political Lady and A Right Honourable Lady.

In her post-political career, Judy worked in broadcasting, hosting different programs in both British Columbia and Ontario. She also practiced law and taught law at Osgoode Hall in the early 1970s. She often took on civil rights cases, including the defence of the “Brunswick Four”, a prominent LGBT rights case.

The Governor General invested Judy as an Officer of the Order of Canada in July 1980.