Alexa McDonough Tribute

A trailblazer for whom no last name was ever needed. She was simply Alexa, and we were so incredibly fortunate to call her a friend here at MSVU. Dr. Alexa McDonough, OC, ONS, was a stand-out leader, feminist and cherished member of our university family.

To summarize her legacy in one paragraph is impossible; what follows only begins to describe some of Alexa’s many accomplishments.

Though many of us came to know her through her political work, she’s been a force for change since her teens when she led her youth group to fight the deplorable conditions in Africville. She was a social worker, reporter, teacher and politician. She fought for worker health and safety improvements, human rights protections and pay equity, and has been a champion of international development and peace advocacy.

A strong advocate for women in politics, she was elected the leader of the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party in 1980, becoming the first woman to lead a major, recognized political party in Canada. After 14 years leading the NS NDP, she led the federal NDP from 1995 to 2003 and then continued to serve as an active member of parliament until her retirement in 2008. She remains the only woman in Canada to have been leader of both a provincial and federal party.

Alexa received an honorary degree from MSVU in 2009, and served as the university’s interim president from 2009 to 2010.

In 2013, MSVU’s Institute for Women, Gender and Social Justice was re-named the Alexa McDonough Institute for Women, Gender and Social Justice (or AMI) through the fundraising efforts of a group of labour union representatives. The institute’s mission reflects what Alexa spent her career fighting for: equity and improved lives across communities through feminist initiatives, activism and a dedication to social justice. And it is fittingly housed in the Margaret Norrie McCain Centre for Teaching, Learning and Research at MSVU – the only building on a Canadian university campus dedicated to celebrating the accomplishments of women.

When we lost Alexa in early 2022, we lowered the flags on campus to half-mast in her honour. It was the very least we could do to pay homage to a woman who embodied the very values we hold dear.

Alexa was a champion of social justice, a fierce defender of women’s rights and a dedicated solider in the fight for equality. She will forever stand out in our history of strong women leaders at MSVU and it is in that spirit that we continue to advocate for the changes Alexa knew were possible. We strive to honour her legacy and her contributions to social justice and the advancement of women and girls around the globe.

We have two important initiatives here at MSVU dedicated to the work Alexa knew was far from over. The Alexa McDonough Graduate Scholarship in Women and Gender Studies, and The Alexa McDonough Institute for Women, Gender and Social Justice which reflects the values-based work that made Alexa extraordinary.