Former Liberal cabinet minister John McCallum dead at 75
Colleagues, family and friends are remembering former federal cabinet minister, ambassador to China and economist John McCallum as a dedicated public servant, passionate but pragmatic economic thinker and loving family man with a sharp wit.
McCallum died Saturday, his family said in a statement Sunday afternoon. He was 75. No cause of death was announced.
'With heavy hearts, we share the passing of the Honourable John McCallum. He passed away peacefully, surrounded by family,' his family said in a written statement.
'He was deeply committed to public service, and worked throughout his career to make a difference in the lives of others,' his family added. 'To us, John was simply a loving and kind family man with a witty sense of humour. We ask for privacy as we mourn this profound loss.'
Ahmed Hussen, the Liberal cabinet minister who succeeded him in the immigration portfolio after Justin Trudeau named McCallum to the Beijing diplomatic post, said McCallum was a 'very classy, super decent guy, kind, warm-hearted and we're going to miss him dearly.'
'He was a bridge builder and that sums it up for me. A rare breed of politician,' Hussen added.
Prime Minister Mark Carney called McCallum 'an inspiration, a mentor, and a friend,' in a post on X.
'John served Canada and academia with great distinction, helping us to find solutions to our biggest economic challenges, devoting his invaluable insights to the service of Canada's democracy and diplomacy, and always doing so with good humour and grace,' Carney wrote.
Federal foreign affairs minister Anita Anand said she was 'heartbroken' by McCallum's passing.
'From the moment I decided to run for office in 2019, John was by my side — always with a smile, endless enthusiasm, and thoughtful advice,' Anand wrote on X.
Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in a post on X, called McCallum a friend, and said he helped guide Canada through some of its most challenging times.
'I will never forget how as a cabinet minister he helped me as a new Prime Minister steer the government through the rapid resettlement of tens of thousands of Syrian refugees,' Trudeau wrote. 'He made it happen despite real challenges in an unpredictable time.'
McCallum held a succession of cabinet roles for three Liberal Prime Ministers — Jean Chrétien, Paul Martin and Justin Trudeau, before being named ambassador to China in 2017.
McCallum stepped down from the ambassadorial post in 2019 after being asked to resign by Trudeau in the wake of remarks he made suggesting Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou
had 'strong arguments' for avoiding extradition to the U.S.
Meng's arrest in Canada had been criticized by China as a political favour to the U.S., something which was strenuously denied by Trudeau.
Before entering politics, McCallum was the chief economist at RBC.
Earlier in his career, he was an economics professor and dean of arts at McGill University.
During the course of many TV debates over economics and politics, fellow economist Jim Stanford says McCallum's commitment to intellectual rigour — and helping fellow Canadians — were always in evidence.
'He had a very pragmatic, policy-focused economic perspective. He was interested in using economics to help make people's lives better,' said Stanford, an economist with the Centre for Future Work. 'He and I didn't agree on a lot, but his commitment to Canada, and to helping people, was always clear.'
Stanford also noted that McCallum was no slouch as an academic, either, pointing to his 1995 paper in the American Economic Review on Canada-U.S. regional trade patterns.
'It's pretty rare for someone to be able to bridge academia, business and politics. But he managed to do it well,' said Stanford.
McCallum is survived by his wife Nancy, their three sons, and six grandchildren.
With files from Tonda MacCharles and Elissa Mendes
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Former Liberal cabinet minister John McCallum dead at 75
Colleagues, family and friends are remembering former federal cabinet minister, ambassador to China and economist John McCallum as a dedicated public servant, passionate but pragmatic economic thinker and loving family man with a sharp wit. McCallum died Saturday, his family said in a statement Sunday afternoon. He was 75. No cause of death was announced. 'With heavy hearts, we share the passing of the Honourable John McCallum. He passed away peacefully, surrounded by family,' his family said in a written statement. 'He was deeply committed to public service, and worked throughout his career to make a difference in the lives of others,' his family added. 'To us, John was simply a loving and kind family man with a witty sense of humour. We ask for privacy as we mourn this profound loss.' Ahmed Hussen, the Liberal cabinet minister who succeeded him in the immigration portfolio after Justin Trudeau named McCallum to the Beijing diplomatic post, said McCallum was a 'very classy, super decent guy, kind, warm-hearted and we're going to miss him dearly.' 'He was a bridge builder and that sums it up for me. A rare breed of politician,' Hussen added. Prime Minister Mark Carney called McCallum 'an inspiration, a mentor, and a friend,' in a post on X. 'John served Canada and academia with great distinction, helping us to find solutions to our biggest economic challenges, devoting his invaluable insights to the service of Canada's democracy and diplomacy, and always doing so with good humour and grace,' Carney wrote. Federal foreign affairs minister Anita Anand said she was 'heartbroken' by McCallum's passing. 'From the moment I decided to run for office in 2019, John was by my side — always with a smile, endless enthusiasm, and thoughtful advice,' Anand wrote on X. Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in a post on X, called McCallum a friend, and said he helped guide Canada through some of its most challenging times. 'I will never forget how as a cabinet minister he helped me as a new Prime Minister steer the government through the rapid resettlement of tens of thousands of Syrian refugees,' Trudeau wrote. 'He made it happen despite real challenges in an unpredictable time.' McCallum held a succession of cabinet roles for three Liberal Prime Ministers — Jean Chrétien, Paul Martin and Justin Trudeau, before being named ambassador to China in 2017. McCallum stepped down from the ambassadorial post in 2019 after being asked to resign by Trudeau in the wake of remarks he made suggesting Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou had 'strong arguments' for avoiding extradition to the U.S. Meng's arrest in Canada had been criticized by China as a political favour to the U.S., something which was strenuously denied by Trudeau. Before entering politics, McCallum was the chief economist at RBC. Earlier in his career, he was an economics professor and dean of arts at McGill University. During the course of many TV debates over economics and politics, fellow economist Jim Stanford says McCallum's commitment to intellectual rigour — and helping fellow Canadians — were always in evidence. 'He had a very pragmatic, policy-focused economic perspective. He was interested in using economics to help make people's lives better,' said Stanford, an economist with the Centre for Future Work. 'He and I didn't agree on a lot, but his commitment to Canada, and to helping people, was always clear.' Stanford also noted that McCallum was no slouch as an academic, either, pointing to his 1995 paper in the American Economic Review on Canada-U.S. regional trade patterns. 'It's pretty rare for someone to be able to bridge academia, business and politics. But he managed to do it well,' said Stanford. McCallum is survived by his wife Nancy, their three sons, and six grandchildren. With files from Tonda MacCharles and Elissa Mendes
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