Indian origin Anita Anand , 58, has been named as Canada's new foreign minister as newly-appointed PM Mark Carney unveiled his fresh cabinet. Anand, the first Hindu woman to become a cabinet minister, replaced Mélanie Joly , who would take over as the minister of industry . The reshuffle also reduces the cabinet size from 39 to 29, cutting the number of ministers.

Anand was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Oakville in 2019, and quickly established herself as a dynamic force in Canadian politics . She was re-elected in 2021 with a mandate that further solidified her place in the political arena. She served most recently as Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry and has previously served as Minister of Transport and Internal Trade, President of the Treasury Board, Minister of National Defence, and Minister of Public Services and Procurement.

In her role as Public Services and Procurement Minister, she secured vital vaccines, PPE, and rapid tests during the Covid-19 pandemic. As Defence Minister, she led efforts to tackle sexual misconduct within the Canadian Armed Forces and coordinated military support for Ukraine in the wake of Russia’s invasion.

Her early life

Born in 1967 in Kentville, Nova Scotia, to immigrant parents from India, Anita was raised in a household shaped by the principles of Mahatma Gandhi. Her father, Sundaram V. Anand, was a general surgeon, and her mother, Saroj D. Ram, an anesthesiologist. Despite being one of the few South Asian families in the province, the Anands were warmly embraced by the community. Her grandfather, V.A. Sundaram, was also actively involved in India’s independence movement.

Anita grew up alongside her two sisters, Gita Anand, an employment lawyer, and Sonia Anand, a physician and researcher at McMaster University. In 1985, she moved to Ontario to pursue an undergraduate degree at Queen’s University, marking the beginning of her academic and professional journey.

How she met her husband

Anita met John Knowlton , a Canadian lawyer and business executive, while articling at a Toronto law firm.

Their love story began with a simple act of kindness. When Anita mentioned to John that she was having car trouble, he immediately stepped in to help. He noticed that the estimate she had received from one garage was too high and found a more reasonable quote for her. But that was just the beginning. John continued to lend his support, from helping her move into her sister’s basement to driving her home after late nights at the office, according to Canadian magazine Maclean's.

Their connection grew stronger during their bar admission courses, and it wasn’t long before they started dating. Anita was called to the bar in 1994, and she was hired back at the prestigious law firm Torys. The following year, in 1995, Anita and John sealed their bond with marriage, marking the start of a lifelong partnership filled with love and support. They made a wonderful team of parents and embarked on a journey of raising their four children in Oakville, Ontario, where Anand has represented her community in Parliament.

Anand’s academic journey continued alongside her growing family. After leaving her corporate law career, she pursued a Master of Laws at the University of Toronto and later taught at various institutions, including Yale. During this time, she and her husband, John Knowlton, had four children, including twins. In 2006, Anita returned to U of T, where she became the J.R. Kimber Chair in Investor Protection and Corporate Governance. As their family settled in Oakville, their children enjoyed piano lessons and hockey, with John coaching their teams, all while Anita’s academic career continued to thrive.

The couple recently celebrated 30 years of being together and Anand posted a heartfelt message on social media.

"True love conquers all! It was sunny and cold in Toronto on January 7, 1995, when John and I committed to spending life together “forever and ever”. Happy 30th wedding anniversary , John. Thank you for this life of love and happiness. Here’s to decades and decades more," she wrote.