Alexa McDonough's family helps NDP campaign in Halifax

Janyce McGregor · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 05, 2025 7:41 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

Abbie McDonough told reporters Saturday how she remembers knocking connected doors with her precocious grandmother, erstwhile NDP person Alexa McDonough, erstwhile she was little.

Volunteering with her dada Justin to assistance enactment the phones successful this spring's run has been a accidental for the now-23-year-old to link with her grandmother's bequest successful her erstwhile Halifax riding.

"I usually don't bring it up, but erstwhile we speech astir the past of the NDP successful Nova Scotia, it decidedly is brought up with her and [former MP] Megan Leslie," she said.

"And it's benignant of amusive for maine to beryllium capable to say, 'Oh, that's really my grandma.' And it's bully to consciousness that her bequest does unrecorded connected — due to the fact that it's specified an important one."

Alexa McDonough led the national New Democrats from 1995 until 2003 and served arsenic the MP for the riding of Halifax from 1997 to 2008.

Prior to making the leap to national politics, she was picked successful 1980 to be the archetypal pistillate to lead the provincial NDP successful Nova Scotia. When she archetypal won her provincial spot successful Halifax successful 1981, she was the lone pistillate and the lone New Democrat successful the provincial legislature.

She died successful 2022 aft what her family described arsenic a lengthy conflict with Alzheimer's disease.

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Leslie succeeded McDonough as the MP in the Halifax spot and represented Halifax successful the House of Commons from 2008 to 2015.

In this spring's election, erstwhile Nova Scotia MLA Lisa Roberts is trying to regain the spot for the New Democrats, aft the enactment was shut retired of Atlantic Canada wholly successful the 2021 national election.

Abbie McDonough and her begetter dropped by Roberts' run bureau connected Saturday day arsenic NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh's tour autobus stopped by to springiness the section run a boost.

McDonough called Roberts a "strong pistillate that I look up to."

Justin McDonough said helium thinks it's truly important to person a NDP beingness successful Parliament.

When a newsman asked him what his parent would marque of the existent authorities of national authorities successful Canada, helium said helium finds things "a small discouraging, to beryllium honest."

"One of the highest callings is to beryllium a politician. And I deliberation it's truly important for nine to recognize that nary one's perfect," helium said, bemoaning the diminution successful decorum.

"In the past it wasn't arsenic negative. And I deliberation it's truly important for the nationalist to beryllium portion of that, to be embracing politicians and to effort to marque nine enactment unneurotic arsenic opposed to ... against each other."

'Everything ebbs and flows'

Abbie, who bears an uncanny carnal resemblance to her grandmother, said that acknowledgment to the net she's been capable to glimpse what authorities was similar successful her grandma's time. 

"I deliberation positivity is specified a cardinal driving origin successful truthful galore things successful the world," she said. "I deliberation that determination needs to beryllium a small spot much airy and anticipation and absorption connected that alternatively of tearing down ... things and people."

So would she articulation the increasing database of second-generation politicians successful Ottawa? 

"I'm decidedly loving getting dipping my toed in," she said, adding that for present she's conscionable blessed to ticker and larn much astir however authorities operates. "Never accidental never! Maybe 1 time down the line."

Justin said his mother's illustration starring the NDP through past challenges could beryllium an inspiration to today's New Democats — who whitethorn hazard losing seats, not gaining them, successful this campaign.

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"Everything ebbs and flows," helium said, suggesting determination is simply a "legitimate chance" for the NDP successful the Halifax seat.  

"You person to beryllium capable to person resiliency and perseverance ... I deliberation our parent showed those characteristics. And I think, you know, Jagmeet is doing the champion helium can, erstwhile immoderate of it's beyond anyone's control."