What to know
- A Toronto park at 1600 Yonge St. has been renamed Hon. Carolyn Bennett Park to recognize Carolyn Bennett’s long career in public service.
- Carolyn Bennett served as MP for Toronto—St. Paul’s for over two decades and held key roles including Minister of Public Health and Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations.
- Before politics, she was a family physician and later became Canada’s first Minister of Mental Health and Addictions;
- Bennett is now serving as ambassador after being appointed by Justin Trudeau in 2024.
Former Canadian politician Carolyn Bennett has just gotten a Toronto park named after her after decades of contributions to the country.
The former Lawton Parkette, located at 1600 Yonge St., has been renamed “Hon. Carolyn Bennett Park,” in honour of the former politician.
The new name was officially unveiled on Tuesday during a ribbon cutting ceremony witnessed by city councillor Josh Matlow, PC MP Robert Oliphant, and Bennett herself.
Matlow and Oliphant shared the moment on social media, praising Bennett for her contributions to Canada and the Toronto-St. Paul community.
Who is Carolyn Bennett?
Before making a career in politics, Bennett was a family physician, having gotten her medicine degree from the University of Toronto in 1974. Throughout her career, she has received several awards for her contributions, including:
- A Fellowship by the Canadian College of Family Physicians;
- A W. Victor Johnston Award;
- The Royal Life Saving Society’s Service Cross;
- A Commonwealth Honour Award;
- The very first Equal Voice EVE Award;
- A National Award of Excellence for Outstanding Leadership and Dedication to Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion in Canada;
- The first-ever Mental Health Award from the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health.
In addition, Bennett was a founding partner of Bedford Medical Associates in Toronto, the President of Medical Staff Association of Women’s College Hospital, and an Assistant Professor of Family and Community Medicine at UofT.
Bennett first initiated her political career in 1997, when she was first elected a Member of Parliament, representing the Toronto—St. Paul’s riding. She was re-elected to the position eight times, having last served as MP in 2024.
The former MP was also Canada’s first Minister of State for Public Health, from 2003 to 2006. During this period, she also established the Public Health Agency of Canada and created the Public Health Network.
She has also been appointed as Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs and as Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations between 2015 and 2021.
After that, from 2021 to 2023, she broke ground as Canada’s very first Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, where she was responsible for working with provincial governments to address health inequities for Indigenous, Black, and vulnerable populations. At the time, she also worked to implement 9-8-8 services, which offer resources to those experiencing mental health issues in the country.
Bennett currently serves as Canada’s Ambassador in Denmark. She was appointed for the role by former prime minister Justin Trudeau in 2024, and tasked with advancing the countries’ shared priorities, including expanding trade and investments, taking climate action, and boosting transatlantic security.
