Kirsty Duncan

The Honourable
Kirsty Duncan
PC
Duncan in 2019
Deputy Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
In office
November 20, 2019 – December 3, 2021
Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau
Preceded byChris Bittle
Succeeded bySherry Romanado
Minister of Science and Sport
In office
November 4, 2015 – November 20, 2019
Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau
Preceded byHerself (Sport and Persons with Disabilities)
Ed Holder (Science and Technology)
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities
In office
January 25, 2018 – July 18, 2018
Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau
Preceded byKent Hehr
Succeeded byHerself (Sport)
Carla Qualtrough (Persons with Disabilities)
Member of Parliament
for Etobicoke North
In office
October 14, 2008 – April 27, 2025
Preceded byRoy Cullen
Succeeded byJohn Zerucelli
Personal details
BornKirsty Ellen Duncan
(1966-10-31)October 31, 1966
Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada
DiedJanuary 26, 2026(2026-01-26) (aged 59)
PartyLiberal
SpouseSven Spengemann[1]
Alma materUniversity of Toronto (BA)
University of Edinburgh (PhD)
ProfessionGeographer, professor, politician

Kirsty Ellen Duncan PC (October 31, 1966 – January 26, 2026) was a Canadian politician and medical geographer who served as the member of Parliament (MP) for the Toronto riding of Etobicoke North from 2008 to 2025.

In her professional career, she published a book about her 1998 expedition to uncover the cause of the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic. A member of the Liberal Party, Duncan served in the Justin Trudeau government as the deputy leader of the government in the House of Commons from 2019 to 2021, as minister of science and sport from 2015 to 2019, and as minister of persons with disabilities in 2018.[3] She did not seek re-election in the 2025 federal election.

Early life and education

After graduating from Kipling Collegiate Institute in 1985 as an Ontario scholar, Duncan studied geography and anthropology at the University of Toronto. She then entered graduate school at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, and completed a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in geography in 1992.[4]

Duncan said that she was emotionally and psychologically abused during her time as a gymnast.[5] According to Duncan, after starting gymnastics at age six, she was repeatedly called fat despite being a normal weight. She developed unhealthy eating habits to avoid gaining weight and by her second undergraduate year, had damaged her stomach lining.[6]

Academic career

Duncan was an associate professor of Health Studies at the University of Toronto, where she taught global environmental processes and medical geography.[7] Duncan was the former research director for the AIC Institute of Corporate Citizenship at the Rotman School of Management.[8] As well, Duncan served on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, an organization which won the Nobel Prize in 2007.[7]

From 1993 to 2000, Duncan taught meteorology, climatology and climate change at the University of Windsor.[9] In 1992, as she became aware of the increasing probability of a global flu crisis, she was led to investigate the cause of the similar 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, saying, "I was horrified we didn’t know what caused Spanish flu, and also knew that if we could find fragments of the virus, we might be able to find a better flu vaccine".[10]

Though at the time she "knew nothing about influenza",[11] she began what she called a "six-month crash course in virology".[11] Eventually, she began searching for possible frozen samples of lung and brain tissue that might contain the virus. Her initial thoughts led her to think of Alaska,[11] as it contains large areas of permafrost, which would leave the viruses intact, but the search proved fruitless.

Eventually, after several years of searching, Duncan learned of seven miners who had died from the Spanish flu and were buried in the small town of Longyearbyen, Norway, an area that would contain permafrost. She then began assembling a team of scientists to accompany her. After several more years of preparation, which involved garnering various permissions to perform the exhumations, the ground survey began in 1998. The expedition was exemplary in terms of biosafety procedures and treatment of culturally sensitive sites. However, it did not yield samples from which the virus could be reconstructed, as the bodies were not in permafrost.[12]

In 2003, Duncan wrote a book about her expedition, titled Hunting the 1918 Flu: One Scientist's Search for a Killer Virus. Published by the University of Toronto Press, it details Duncan's process and the expedition itself.[13]

In 2003, Duncan returned to the University of Toronto, teaching medical geography at University of Toronto Scarborough with additional duties teaching corporate social responsibility at the Rotman School of Management.[14] In 2008, Duncan published a second book, Environment and Health: Protecting our Common Future.[15]

As of 2019, Duncan was an adjunct professor teaching both medical geography at the University of Toronto and global environmental processes at Royal Roads University.[16]

In 2018, the University of Edinburgh awarded her an honorary degree.[17] Duncan was also recognized as one of the 100 Influential Women in Oncology by OncoDaily.[18]

Her 2024 book, The Exclusion Effect: How the Sciences Discourage Girls & Women & What to Do About It was shortlisted for a 2024 Science Writers and Communicators of Canada book award.[19]

Political career

In February 2008, Roy Cullen announced that he would not be running in the next federal election and Duncan was appointed the next Liberal candidate.[20][21] She was elected in the 2008 general election and re-elected in the 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2021 general elections.[22]

On November 4, 2015, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed her to the Cabinet as minister of science.[23] Duncan was tasked with establishing the new position of chief science officer that would serve as a replacement to the national science adviser role eliminated by Stephen Harper in 2008.[4] As well Duncan became minister for sports and persons with disabilities after Kent Hehr resigned from Cabinet following sexual misconduct allegations.[24]

Duncan shaking hands with Indian Youth and Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, in the presence of Prime Ministers of Canada and India Justin Trudeau and Narendra Modi, in New Delhi, India, 2018

As minister of science and sport, Duncan made ending abuse and harassment in sport her priority since taking over the portfolio in January 2018.[25] In February 2019, Duncan convened provincial and territorial sports ministers to sign a joint declaration on combating misconduct such as abuse, harassment, and discrimination. The 2019 federal budget promised $30 million over the next five years to achieve those goals.[5]

Duncan wanted to institute a series of initiatives, including establishing new policy for national sports organizations, funding the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada to create an investigation unit, and setting up a toll-free confidential tipline for athletes and witnesses to call if they experience abuse. Duncan's action items included creating a code of conduct with sanctions and finding a way to prevent coaches or officials from freely moving to another province or club after allegations of abuse. Currently this action item is a work in progress.[25]

Her priority as minister of science was to "unmuzzle our scientists".[26] Duncan was able to bring back the long-form census in 2016 and the chief scientific adviser position.[26]

Duncan reported that the government in 2018 devoted $2.8 billion to renewing Canada's federal science laboratories because they said that they understand the critical role that government researchers play in Canada's science and research community.[27]

She was re-elected in the 2019 federal election, following which she was appointed deputy leader of the government in the House of Commons.[3][28] The sports portfolio folded into the Canadian Heritage portfolio.[5] After the 2021 federal election, she became the chair of the science and research committee.[29]

Duncan issued a statement, on January 26, 2023, that she would be taking a medical leave, but would remain as an MP, because of a "physical health challenge".[29] She returned to parliament in 2024 after treatment for cancer.[30]

On January 27, 2023, Duncan called for a public inquiry into abuse in Canadian sports and criticized the Trudeau government for not effectively following up on her initiatives as sports minister.[5]

In June 2023, Duncan told a House of Commons committee that when her time as sport minister ended in 2019, she had been told the role needed to “get back to what sport was really about” after she asked about plans for tackling safe sport reform. She said she had responded; “So not protecting children.”[31]

On March 21, 2025, Duncan announced that she was not going to run for re-election in the 2025 federal election.[32] She was succeeded by Liberal John Zerucelli.

Personal life and death

Duncan was married to former Liberal MP Sven Spengemann.[1] Duncan died from cancer on January 26, 2026, at the age of 59.[33] Her tribute was paid by many, including former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who described her as "curious, generous, and deeply committed to helping others",[34] as well as Prime Minister Mark Carney.[35]

Electoral record

2021 Canadian federal election: Etobicoke North
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Kirsty Duncan 21,201 59.6 -1.8 $71,639.16
Conservative Priti Lamba 8,866 24.9 +2.7 $81,543.28
New Democratic Cecil Peter 3,708 10.4 -0.4 none listed
People's Jim Boutsikakis 1,473 4.1 +1.3 $0.00
Independent Carol Royer 316 0.9 – $7,250.71
Total valid votes/expense limit 35,564 – – $107,272.58
Total rejected ballots 494
Turnout 36,058 50.2
Eligible voters 71,876
Source: Elections Canada[36]
2019 Canadian federal election: Etobicoke North
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Kirsty Duncan 26,388 61.4 -1.01 $67,270.39
Conservative Sarabjit Kaur 9,524 22.2 -0.80 none listed
New Democratic Naiima Farah 4,654 10.8 -1.61 none listed
People's Renata Ford 1,196 2.8 - none listed
Green Nancy Ghuman 1,080 2.5 +1.25 none listed
Canada's Fourth Front Sudhir Mehta 104 0.2 - $0.00
Total valid votes/expense limit 42,946 100.0
Total rejected ballots 565
Turnout 43,511 58.8
Eligible voters 73,970
Liberal hold Swing -0.11
Source: Elections Canada[37][38]
2015 Canadian federal election: Etobicoke North
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Kirsty Duncan 26,251 62.41 +19.84 $69,670.96
Conservative Toyin Dada 9,673 23.00 -8.96 $60,237.66
New Democratic Faisal Hassan 5,220 12.41 -11.21 $37,513.09
Green Akhtar Ayub 524 1.25 +1.08 $1,558.16
Marxist–Leninist Anna Di Carlo 232 0.55 –
No affiliation George Szebik 164 0.39 – –
Total valid votes/expense limit 42,064 100.00   $201,932.10
Total rejected ballots 257 0.61 –
Turnout 42,321 62.18 –
Eligible voters 68,063
Liberal hold Swing +14.40
Source: Elections Canada[39][40]


2011 Canadian federal election: Etobicoke North
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Kirsty Duncan 13,665 42.4 -6.2
Conservative Priti Lamba 10,357 32.1 +2.0
New Democratic Diana Andrews 7,630 23.7 +8.0
Libertarian Alex Dvornyak 208 0.7 -4.1
Marxist–Leninist Anna Di Carlo 189 0.6 -0.4
Christian Heritage John C. Gardner 186 0.6 –
Total valid votes 32,235 100.0
Total rejected ballots 279 0.9 +0.2
Turnout 32,514 52.5
Eligible voters 61,930 – –
Liberal hold Swing -4.1
Source: Elections Canada[41]
2008 Canadian federal election: Etobicoke North
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Kirsty Duncan 15,244 48.6 -13.0 $54,827
Conservative Bob Saroya 9,436 30.1 +7.8 $64,024
New Democratic Ali Naqvi 4,940 15.7 +5.1 $35,653
Green Nigel Barriffe 1,460 4.7 +2.1 $2,242
Marxist–Leninist Anna Di Carlo 300 1.0 +0.4
Total valid votes/expense limit 31,380 100.0   $79,011
Total rejected ballots 214 0.68
Turnout 31,594
Liberal hold Swing -10.4
Source: Elections Canada[42]

See also

  • Johan Hultin, a pathologist who also used frozen tissues to study the 1918 influenza virus

References

  1. ^ a b Ballingall, Alex; Patel, Raisa (January 27, 2026). "Former Toronto MP Kirsty Duncan, 59, has died". Toronto Star. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
  2. ^ "Search For Contributions". Elections Canada. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Federal election 2019: Liberals maintain hold on key ridings in vote-rich Ontario". Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  4. ^ a b Jones, Nicola (December 24, 2015). "Canada's top scientist faces tough challenge". Nature. 528 (7583): 445. Bibcode:2015Natur.528..445J. doi:10.1038/528445a. PMID 26701031. S2CID 4458708.
  5. ^ a b c d Heroux, Devin (January 27, 2023). "Trudeau government dropped the ball on fighting abuse in sport, former minister says". CBC News. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  6. ^ Heroux, Devin (January 29, 2023). "Ex-sport minister says verbal abuse about her weight as a young gymnast led to lifelong struggles". CBC News. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  7. ^ a b "Biography | Kirsty Duncan | Your member of parliament for Etobicoke North". kirstyduncan.liberal.ca. Retrieved December 12, 2019.[dead link]
  8. ^ "The Honourable Kirsty Duncan". Research Canada. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  9. ^ "New federal cabinet boasts UWindsor ties". DailyNews. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  10. ^ Gladwell, Malcolm (September 29, 1997). "The Dead Zone". The New Yorker.
  11. ^ a b c Duncan, Kirsty (2003). Hunting the 1918 Flu: One Scientist's Search for a Killer Virus. University of Toronto Press. ISBN 978-0-8020-8748-5.
  12. ^ "Excavating the Flu". Defining Moments Canada. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
  13. ^ Laver, William Graeme (January 29, 2004). "Book Review Hunting the 1918 Flu: One Scientist's Search for a Killer Virus By Kirsty Duncan. 297 pp., illustrated. Toronto, University of Toronto Press, 2003. $35. 0-8020-8748-5". New England Journal of Medicine. 350 (5): 523–524. doi:10.1056/NEJM200401293500525.
  14. ^ Webb, Margaret (September 6, 2016). "Bringing Science Back". U of T Magazine. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
  15. ^ Biddinger, Greg (April 1, 2009). "Environment and health: Protecting our common future, by Kristy Duncan". Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management. 5 (2): 356–357. Bibcode:2009IEAM....5..356B. doi:10.1897/1551-3793-5.3.356.
  16. ^ "Advisory Board". Canadian Centre for the Responsibility to Protect. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  17. ^ "Honorary Graduates in 2018". The University of Edinburgh. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
  18. ^ "100 Influential Women in Oncology: Key Opinion Leaders to follow on Social Media in 2023". OncoDaily. September 9, 2023.
  19. ^ "2024 Book Awards". sciencewriters.ca. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
  20. ^ CBC Staff (February 21, 2008). "Etobicoke MP will not run in next election". CBC News. Toronto: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on June 22, 2025. Retrieved January 31, 2026.
  21. ^ Simpson, Geoffrey (September 11, 2008). "Here's to more women in the boys' club of Canadian politics". The Globe and Mail. Toronto: CTVglobemedia. p. A19. ISSN 0319-0714. Retrieved January 31, 2026 – via Newspaper.com.
  22. ^ CP Staff (January 26, 2026). "Former member of Parliament Kirsty Duncan dies at age 59". The Canadian Press. Toronto: Canadian Press Enterprises Inc. Archived from the original on January 31, 2026. Retrieved January 31, 2026.
  23. ^ "Full list of Justin Trudeau's cabinet". CBC. November 4, 2015. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
  24. ^ "Justin Trudeau keeps saying science minister is a Nobel Prize winner; she's not". Global News. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  25. ^ a b Chidley-Hill, John (August 16, 2019). "Canada's minister of sport Kirsty Duncan: More anti-abuse work to be done". CBC. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  26. ^ a b Sharp, Alastair (August 16, 2019). "How the Trudeau government reversed Harper's anti-science agenda". National Observer. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  27. ^ "Industry Committee on May 30th, 2019 | openparliament.ca". openparliament.ca. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  28. ^ "Deputy PM Freeland to oversee relations with U.S. and provinces in Trudeau's new cabinet". Retrieved November 20, 2019.
  29. ^ a b Stober, Eric (January 26, 2023). "Liberal MP Kirsty Duncan to take leave of absence due to 'health challenge'". Global News. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  30. ^ Leadlay, Christina (October 28, 2024). "So far, 39 MPs not running in next election, or 11.5 per cent of the House". The Hill Times.
  31. ^ Previl, Sean (June 15, 2023). "Kirsty Duncan says she was told to pivot from safe sport crisis, calls for inquiry". Global News. Toronto: Shaw Media. Archived from the original on June 16, 2023. Retrieved January 31, 2026.
  32. ^ Ryckewaert, Laura (March 26, 2025). "Change is in the air: number of MPs not reoffering highest in last 25 years". Hill Times. Ottawa: Hill Times Publishing. ISSN 0848-0427. Retrieved January 31, 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  33. ^ "Former Liberal minister Kirsty Duncan dies at 59". The Hill Times. Ottawa: Hill Times Publishing. January 26, 2026. ISSN 0848-0427. Retrieved January 27, 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  34. ^ Talbot, Michael (January 26, 2026). "Former member of Parliament Kirsty Duncan dies at age 59". CityNews. Toronto: Rogers Communications. Archived from the original on January 27, 2026. Retrieved January 31, 2026.
  35. ^ Carney, Mark. "Statement by Prime Minister Carney on the passing of the Honourable Kirsty Duncan". Prime Minister of Canada. Government of Canada. Retrieved February 3, 2026.
  36. ^ "September 20, 2021 General Election Results: Etobicoke North". Elections Canada. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  37. ^ "List of confirmed candidates". Elections Canada. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  38. ^ "Election Night Results". Elections Canada. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
  39. ^ "Voter Information Service - Who are the candidates in my electoral district?". www.elections.ca.
  40. ^ Elections Canada – Final Candidates Election Expenses Limits
  41. ^ "Official Voting Results. FORTY-FIRST GENERAL ELECTION 2011". www.elections.ca.
  42. ^ "Official Voting Results. FORTIETH GENERAL ELECTION 2008". www.elections.ca.
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirsty_Duncan