The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on the passing of former Member of Parliament Kim Rudd:

“It is with great sadness that I learned today of the passing of Kim Rudd, former Member of Parliament for Northumberland—Peterborough South.

“Kim was a thoughtful and tireless advocate for Canadians. During her time in Parliament, from 2015 to 2019, she was dedicated to serving her community and rural Canadians. She advanced progress on important issues – from affordable housing to rural broadband to health care. As Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources, she stood up for Canadian energy workers and helped move forward on climate action.

“Her contributions to Canada extended well beyond her political life. Before entering politics, she served as President of the Cobourg Chamber of Commerce and President and owner of Willis College’s Cobourg campus. She was also a successful entrepreneur, and received an award as part of a RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards ceremony in recognition of her community leadership. As the co-founder of a child care centre in Cobourg, she was passionate about expanding child care and making it easier for parents to balance work with family.

“When we spoke last week, I was inspired by the optimism she felt toward our country. Kim truly believed in Canada and in Canadians – and her generosity left a positive impact on thousands.

“Kim is lovingly remembered and will be deeply missed by her beloved husband Tom Rudd; her daughter Alison Rudd and her wife Kathy Johnson; her daughter Stefanie Rudd and her husband Ziyad Sidawi; and her grandchildren Morgan Johnson, Avery Koehn, Hobie Johnson-Rudd and his wife Ridhi Sharma, and Amira Sidawi. On behalf of the Government of Canada, I offer my deepest condolences to her family and friends. She leaves behind a legacy of kindness, warmth, and remarkable strength.”