View source for Susan Whelan

{{Short description|Canadian politician}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
'''Susan Elizabeth Whelan''', {{Post-nominals|country=CAN|PC}} ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|hw|iː|l|ən}}; born May 5, 1963, in [[Windsor, Ontario|Windsor]], [[Ontario]]) is a former [[Canadians|Canadian]] [[Member of Parliament (Canada)|Member of Parliament]] with the [[Liberal Party of Canada]].  Whelan, a lawyer, first won a seat in the [[House of Commons of Canada]] in the [[1993 Canadian federal election|1993 election]] representing [[Essex—Windsor]].  In 1997 and 2000 she was elected to represent [[Essex (federal electoral district)|Essex]].  In 2002, Whelan was appointed by [[Canadian Prime Minister|Prime Minister]] [[Jean Chrétien]] as [[Minister for International Cooperation (Canada)|Minister for International Cooperation]] as a [[Cabinet of Canada|cabinet minister]].<ref name="parl">{{Canadian Parliament links|ID=15251|nolist=yes}}</ref>

Whelan was defeated by [[Conservative Party of Canada|Conservative]] [[Jeff Watson (politician)|Jeff Watson]] at the [[2004 Canadian federal election|2004 election]], and unsuccessfully tried to win back her old seat in [[2006 Canadian federal election|2006]] and the [[2008 Canadian federal election|2008]].<ref>[http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/HFER/hfer.asp?Language=E&Search=Det&Include=Y&rid=1008 Federal riding history from the Library of Parliament]</ref>

Susan Whelan is the daughter of former Liberal Federal [[Minister of Agriculture (Canada)|Minister of Agriculture]], the Honourable [[Eugene Whelan]].<ref name="parl"/>  Susan and her father hold the distinction of being the first father-daughter cabinet appointees.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.uwindsor.ca/alumni/susan-whelan-llb-88 |title=Susan Whelan LLB '88 &#124; Alumni Association - University of Windsor |access-date=2011-08-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120416110031/http://www.uwindsor.ca/alumni/susan-whelan-llb-88 |archive-date=2012-04-16 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Whelan shares her father's passionate interest in Canadian agriculture, having made Agriculture and Rural Development one of the key elements of policy during her tenure as Minister.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://web4.uwindsor.ca/units/law/newschannel/alumni.nsf/inToc/AEF1A589FCF59E05852575D00052EFE4?OpenDocument |title=Susan Whelan '88 named CEO of the Canadian Cancer Society in Ontario |publisher=University of Windsor, Faculty of Law |date=May 12, 2009 |accessdate=2009-10-05 }}{{Dead link|date=June 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=no }}</ref>

She has also instructed part-time at the University of Windsor, appropriately situated in the political science department.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://web4.uwindsor.ca/units/pac/view.nsf/EditCategoryDocs/AE05EEF70AA6A949852572BF0056D146 |title=Three new directors join Alumni Association Board |publisher=University of Windsor |date=March 2007 |accessdate=2009-10-05}}</ref>

She previously represented the Ambassador Bridge Company on the Green Corridor Project.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/decisioncanada/story.html?id=32530d7b-7db8-47ea-9223-50ed85fa3212 |title=Whelan's ties to Ambassador Bridge criticized |publisher=[[Windsor Star]] |date=September 17, 2008 |access-date=2009-10-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107060624/http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/decisioncanada/story.html?id=32530d7b-7db8-47ea-9223-50ed85fa3212 |archive-date=November 7, 2012 }}</ref>

In June 2009, Whelan was named [[chief executive officer]] for the Ontario division of the [[Canadian Cancer Society]]. In August the same year, she was diagnosed with [[breast cancer]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/cancer-society-ceo-resigns-for-health-reasons-1.820243 |title=Cancer society CEO resigns for health reasons |publisher=CBC |date=October 1, 2009 |accessdate=2015-06-04}}</ref>
She resigned from the [[Canadian Cancer Society]] in order to focus on her recovery.

Whelan authors a blog entitled ''Susan's Fight Back'', to share her experience, strength, and hope with others.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://susansfightback.typepad.com/blog/|title = Susan's Fight Back}}</ref>

Whelan waspreviously the Executive Director of rare Charitable Research Reserve in [[Cambridge, Ontario]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.raresites.org/ |title=Home |website=raresites.org}}</ref>  and maintains a law practice in [[Windsor, Ontario]].

== Electoral record ==
{{2004 Canadian federal election/Essex}}
{{2000 Canadian federal election/Essex}}
{{1997 Canadian federal election/Essex}}
{{1993 Canadian federal election/Essex—Windsor}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{Canadian federal ministry navigational box header |ministry=26}}
{{ministry box cabinet posts
| post1         = [[Minister for International Cooperation (Canada)|Minister for International Cooperation]]
| post1years    = 2002&ndash;2003
| post1note     =
| post1preceded = [[Maria Minna]]
| post1followed = [[Aileen Carroll]]
}}
{{s-par|ca}}
{{succession box|title=[[Member of Parliament (Canada)|Member of Parliament]] for [[Essex-Windsor|Essex]]
| before = Electoral district created in 1996
| after  = [[Jeff Watson (politician)|Jeff Watson]], [[Conservative Party of Canada|Conservative]]
| years  = 1996–2004}}
{{succession box|title=[[Member of Parliament (Canada)|Member of Parliament]] for [[Essex-Windsor]]
| before = [[Steven W. Langdon|Steven Langdon]], [[New Democratic Party (Canada)|New Democratic Party]]
| after  = Riding abolished in 1996
| years  = 1993–1996}}

{{s-end}}
{{Chrétien Ministry}}
{{CA-Ministers for International Cooperation}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Whelan, Susan}}
[[Category:1963 births]]
[[Category:Women government ministers of Canada]]
[[Category:Women members of the House of Commons of Canada]]
[[Category:Liberal Party of Canada MPs]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Members of the 26th Canadian Ministry]]
[[Category:Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Ontario]]
[[Category:Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada]]
[[Category:Politicians from Windsor, Ontario]]
[[Category:Women in Ontario politics]]
[[Category:21st-century Canadian women politicians]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian women politicians]]
[[Category:20th-century members of the House of Commons of Canada]]
[[Category:21st-century members of the House of Commons of Canada]]