Iona Campagnolo

Life and career Born Iona Victoria Hardy on Galiano Island, she got her start in politics in 1966 when she was elected an alderwoman in the city council of Prince Rupert, British Columbia. In 1974, she turned to federal politics, running successfully as a Liberal Party candidate for the House of Commons of Canada in the riding of Skeena. In 1976, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau appointed her to the Cabinet as Minister of Amateur Sport. Frank King, the Chairman of the Calgary Olympic Development Organization credited Campagnolo as the first person to share the vision of Calgary hosting the 1988 Winter Olympic Games, assisting the group in securing $200 million in federal funding for the organization's bid. She lost her seat to NDP challenger Jim Fulton in the 1979 election.

In 1982, she became president of the Liberal Party, a largely administrative position. During the 1984 convention which elected John Turner as party leader, Campagnolo created a minor furor within the party when she said that second-place leadership candidate Jean Chrétien was "second in the balloting, but first in our hearts".

When John Turner became Liberal leader in 1984, a television camera caught Turner patting Campagnolo's bottom. Although Campagnolo herself dismissed it (and patted Turner right back), the incident was used to paint Turner as being out of touch with contemporary women's issues.

Campagnolo ran in North Vancouver—Burnaby in the September 1984 election but was defeated in the Mulroney landslide that reduced Turner's Liberals to 40 seats. She did not run for re-election as party president at the next Liberal convention in 1986.

In 1973, Campagnolo was made a Member of the Order of Canada and promoted to Officer in 2008. As the Queen's viceroy in British Columbia, she was styled The Honourable for life. However, as she was already a Member of The Queen's Privy Council for Canada before she became lieutenant-governor, she was already styled The Honourable. She served in that position until September 30, 2007.

Personal life Campagnolo married Louis in 1952 with whom she had two children. The couple were later divorced.

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