Family says John McCallum, mainstay of Liberal politics, dead at 75

OTTAWA – John McCallum, a former Liberal cabinet minister and a mainstay of 21st century Canadian politics, has died at age 75, his family confirms.

A statement says McCallum passed away peacefully Saturday surrounded by family.

McCallum was first elected to the House of Commons to represent the Greater-Toronto-Area riding of Markham in 2000 after a career that included stints as chief economist at the Royal Bank of Canada and dean of arts at McGill University.

He would go on to serve as a cabinet minister for three different Liberal prime ministers across a variety of portfolios.

McCallum was also Canada’s ambassador to China from 2017 to 2019, but resigned at the request of then-prime minister Justin Trudeau after McCallum waded into controversies surrounding the arrest of a Huawei executive in Canada.

His relatives say they remember him as a loving and kind family man with a witty sense of humour.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 22, 2025.

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