Get to Know Anita:

Oakville East’s Voice in Ottawa

Anita’s Background

Anita Indira Anand was born in 1967 to immigrant parents from India in the small town of Kentville, Nova Scotia. Her father, Sundaram V. Anand, was a general surgeon, and her mother, Saroj D. Ram, an anesthesiologist. Anita's parents were followers of Mahatma Gandhi, and her grandfather, V.A. Sundaram, worked in India's independence movement. Despite being one of the few South Asian families in the province at the time, the Anands were warmly welcomed by the community in Kentville.

Anita grew up alongside her two sisters, Gita Anand, who is now an employment lawyer in Toronto, and Sonia Anand, a physician and researcher at McMaster University. In 1985, Anita relocated to Ontario to pursue her undergraduate degree at Queen's University.

After completing her education, Anita met her husband, John Knowlton, while articling at a Toronto law firm. They married in 1995 and chose to raise their family in the vibrant community of Oakville, Ontario. Anita and John lived in Oakville from 1997 to 1999.

Anita’s Background

Anita and John have four children and have called Oakville home for over two decades, living there from 2005 to the present. Throughout her career, Anita has been actively involved in the Oakville community, serving on the boards of the Lighthouse Program for Grieving Children, the Oakville Hospital Foundation, and Oakville Hydro Electricity Distribution Inc. Her deep connection to Oakville and its residents continues to inspire her commitment to public service.

Education

  • Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Political Studies, Queen's University

  • Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Jurisprudence, University of Oxford

  • Bachelor of Laws, Dalhousie University

  • Master of Laws, University of Toronto

Academic Career

  • Professor of Law, University of Toronto

  • Held the J.R. Kimber Chair in Investor Protection and Corporate Governance

  • Served as Associate Dean (2007-2009)

  • Academic Director, Centre for the Legal Profession and its Program on Ethics in Law and Business (2010-2019)

  • Visiting Lecturer, Yale Law School (Fall 2005)

  • Visiting Scholar, Bank of Canada (2009-2010)

  • Herbert Smith Visitor, University of Cambridge (2009-2010)

Government Service

  • Member of Parliament for Oakville (2019-present)

  • Minister of Transport (Sept 2024-present)

    • Responsible for overseeing Canada’s transportation system, ensuring it is safe, efficient, and accessible for all Canadians

    • Working to improve infrastructure, enhance connectivity, reduce environmental impact, and support productivity and economic growth

  • President of the Treasury Board (July 2023-present)

    • Oversees the Treasury Board Secretariat and manages approximately $450 billion of federal expenditures annually

    • Supervises nearly 300,000 federal employees

    • Spearheading key initiatives like Greening Government, driving digital transformation, championing diversity and inclusion in the public sector

    • Revived the Regulatory Cooperation Council which streamlines regulations with the U.S.

  • Minister of National Defence (October 2021-July 2023)

    • Second woman to serve in this role and first woman of colour

    • Led Canada's military aid to Ukraine during the 2022 Russian invasion

    • Worked to reform the culture in the Canadian Armed Forces following sexual misconduct scandals

  • Minister of Public Services and Procurement (November 2019-October 2021)

    • Oversaw Canada's procurement of COVID-19 vaccines and personal protective equipment

Awards and Honours

  • Mahatma Gandhi Peace Award (2023):

    • Recognizes and honours original thinkers and initiators of conflict resolution

  • Yvan Allaire Medal, Royal Society of Canada (2019):

    • Awarded for outstanding contributions in governance related to private and public organizations

  • Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada:

    • Research grants awarded (2018, 2011, 2006, 2001) for significant contributions to social sciences and humanities

  • Law Foundation of Ontario Research Award (2016):

    • Recognized for innovative and impactful legal research

  • Trailblazer Award, Canadian Association of South Asian Lawyers (2013):

    • Acknowledging leadership and pioneering efforts in law

  • Foundation for Legal Research Awards (2012, 2004, 2002):

    • Awarded for outstanding contributions to legal scholarship

  • Bertha Wilson Honour Society, Schulich School of Law (2012):

    • Inducted for service to the legal profession and contributions to the field of law

  • Herbert Smith Visitor, University of Cambridge (2009-2010):

    • Recognized as a distinguished visitor for contributions to law and governance

  • Canada-U.S. Fulbright Scholar (2005-2006):

    • Awarded for cross-border research and scholarship in law and economics

  • Best Paper in Managerial Finance, International Journal of Managerial Finance (2006):

    • Received for empirical research on corporate governance, co-authored with Frank Milne and Lynnette Purda

  • Queen's Law Students' Society Award for Excellence in Teaching (2004):

    • Honoured for outstanding teaching and mentorship

  • Canadian Association of Law Teachers' Scholarly Paper Award (2003):

    • Recognized for excellence in legal scholarship

  • Rhodes Scholar Finalist (1988):

    • Recognition of academic and leadership potential at an international level

  • Medal in Political Studies, Queen’s University (1989):

    • Awarded for academic excellence in political studies

  • Governor General's Medal (1985):

    • Awarded for outstanding academic achievement

 
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