Senator Francis Fox

A Member of Parliament from 1972 to 1984, the Honourable Francis Fox held several ministerial portfolios. Specifically, he served as Solicitor General of Canada, Secretary of State, Minister of Communications, and Minister for International Trade. As a cabinet minister Mr. Fox was responsible for the enactment of the first access to information legislation in Canada and for the legislation proclaiming “O Canada” to be Canada’s national anthem. Under his stewardship, decisions were taken to build the new National Gallery and the Museum of Civilization. Mr. Fox was also responsible for setting up Telefilm Canada. In 2004, Francis Fox was Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister of Canada, the Right Honourable Paul Martin. A graduate of the University of Montreal, Harvard Law School and Oxford University, he began his career in the mid-1960s as a Special Assistant in the office of Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau. From 1985 to 1997, Francis Fox practiced law with the firm Fasken Martineau in Montreal. He then held senior management positions with Rogers Communications until 2003. Francis Fox is now legal counsel with the law firm Fasken Martineau Du Moulin. He is also involved in Montreal’s cultural and sports communities, and was recently elected to the Board of Directors of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and of Tennis Canada. He is the father of three children, and resides in Montreal with his wife, Viviane Case Fox. Francis Fox sits in the Senate as a member of the Liberal Party of Canada.