Please complete your profile to unlock commenting and other important features.

User AvatarBuild your avatar
Please select your date of birth for special perks on your birthday. Your username will be your unique profile link and will be publicly used in comments.
Narcity Pro

This is a Pro feature.

Time to level up your local game with Narcity Pro.

Pro

$5/month

$40/year

  • Everything in the Free plan
  • Ad-free reading and browsing
  • Unlimited access to all content including AI summaries
  • Directly support our local and national reporting and become a Patron
  • Cancel anytime.
For Pro members only Pro
Summary

Anita Anand From Oakville Is The First Woman Of Colour To Become Canada's Defence Minister

She's also the first woman to hold the position in nearly three decades.

Anita Anand From Oakville Is The First Woman Of Colour To Become Canada's Defence Minister
@AnitaOakville | Twitter, @anitaanandoakville | Instagram
Contributor

Anita Indira Anand of Oakville just made history by being the first woman of colour to become Canada's defence minister.

Anand, who represents the Liberals, was sworn in yesterday as Canada's defence minister, replacing Harjit Sajjan. But this is not her first time making national history; Anand was also the first Hindu-background federal cabinet minister in the country.

"It is my sincere honour to be sworn in today as Minister of National Defence," Anand tweeted yesterday. "Thank you @JustinTrudeau for entrusting me with this portfolio."

Originally from Kentville, Nova Scotia, Anand moved to Ontario in the mid-'80s. Before beginning her political career, she worked as a law professor and as a dean at the University of Toronto.

In 2019, Anand was elected as Oakville's member of parliament for the Liberal Party and served as the country's Minister of Public Services and Procurement. In the past, she has also served as a member of the Government of Ontario's Expert Committee to Consider Financial Advisory and Financial Planning Policy Alternatives.

She said her first priority as defence minister is to help fight sexual misconduct in the Canadian Armed Forces.

"The members of the Canadian Armed Forces dedicate their lives to safeguarding our country and we owe it to them to make sure that they operate in a safe and healthy environment," Anand wrote in a tweet on Tuesday. "I look forward to this work!"

anita anand
TorontoLifestyleCanada
  • Imaan Sheikh
    Imaan Sheikh was an Associate Editor for Narcity Canada. She has two degrees in Mass Communication and over a decade of journalistic experience covering everything, from pop culture to hard news. Her past workplaces include BuzzFeed, The Juggernaut, and The Express Tribune (the NYT's Pakistani affiliate), but she also has a history of freelancing with other publications. Imaan has delivered guest lectures at universities and international events, mostly pertaining to online journalism, human rights, and — believe it or not — memes. She has three cats, two dogs, and a tendency to fall into weird internet rabbit holes.

Canada has issued travel advisories for 17 popular winter vacation destinations

There are active travel advisories for tourist hotspots across Europe and the Caribbean.

I tried cheeseburgers from Canada's biggest fast-food chains & the worst will surprise you

One genuinely looked like someone had sat on it. 😳

This Toronto ice rink was named among the world's 'most beautiful' and it beat New York City

Move over, New York!

VIA Rail is hiring for jobs in Toronto that pay $46 an hour and get you travel perks

The train travel perks are for you and your family!

Canada's new white Christmas forecast says only these places will have a snowy holiday

A white Christmas is guaranteed in some big cities. 🎄❄️

Here's what's open (and closed) on Christmas & Boxing Day in Ottawa

A few stores are actually open — and we dug them up so you don't have to. 🎄