Members of Provincial Parliament took a break from legislative business today at Queen's Park to pay tribute to the late Aileen Carroll, who died in April 2020 at the age of 75.
Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte MPP and Attorney General Doug Downey described Carroll as a person who was admired by colleagues of all political stripes.
“She didn’t take a traditional path to this place. In fact, she didn’t take traditional paths to most places. She was a woman of firsts,” he said Tuesday in the provincial legislature. “Aileen was the first woman to graduate from Saint Mary’s University in Halifax. She was the first federal member of parliament from Barrie to become a cabinet minister. She was the first federal cabinet minister to become a provincial cabinet minister.”
Born and raised in Halifax, the former Barrie city councillor, MPP and MP was highly regarded for always putting the city first while also forging a path for women in politics.
“Aileen had maritime charm. She was welcoming, friendly, smart, driven and she was a fierce competitor,” said Downey, adding his fondest memory of Carroll was when she was accompanying her husband, Kevin, to a law conference.
“We were at a small dinner at someone’s home… and here was this very accomplished woman engaging me as a young volunteer. She knew my politics, as I’d been in campaigns that she was involved in — and not on the same side — but that didn’t matter to her.”
The longtime Orillia lawyer recalled Carroll engaging him and sharing ideas as though they were equals.
“We very clearly were not,” he said. “Her humbleness and inclusiveness were reflective of her character.”
Downey remembered Carroll, who served Barrie as an MP in Ottawa for three terms, as being a fierce competitor as well, citing comments from former MP and current Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown — who ran against Carroll twice — and called her the “toughest opponent he's ever faced.”
Carroll’s roles as a federal MP included parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs between 2001 and 2003 as well as Minister of International Operation from 2003 until 2006.
Carroll then served as a Member of Provincial Parliament from 2007 until 2011, where she was the minister of culture and the minister responsible for seniors during three of the four years as part of Dalton McGuinty’s Liberal government.
“She won provincially because she built a federal-provincial Big Red Machine, as she called it. She attracted all the heavyweights of the Liberal Party to the riding several times, including the premier,” said Downey. “Aileen was a Liberal red force in a county of blue.”
Her perspective on provincial versus federal politics was one Downey said all MPPs can relate to.
“Provincially, it’s an entirely different world… but greater opportunities to impact more quickly the course of activities. You’re closer to the ground. Good decisions get felt quickly, and bad ones come back to haunt you,” he recalled her saying. “Aileen saw herself as a policy (wonk). She was engaged in many issues of the day.
"She counted among her local accomplishments the Lake Simcoe airport, Georgian College, Simcoe Muskoka Regional Cancer Centre and re-establishing the GO train to Barrie. Those are just some of the things she was very active in and made happen," Downey added.
While Carroll resigned from public life in 2011, Downey said he believes it’s more accurate to say she resigned from “elected public life” at that time.
“She continued to be engaged in the Barrie community with Hospice Simcoe, Habitat for Humanity, the David Busby Centre, the Barrie Public Library… to name just a few,” he said. “She was part of our community, she was part of our fabric before she was elected and she certainly was afterwards.
“The Honourable Aileen Carroll will be remembered for her extensive public service. A woman of class, grace, depth and character.”
