Career Timeline of Justin Trudeau: Major Achievements and Milestones

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Justin Trudeau made an impact.

Justin Trudeau served as the 23rd Prime Minister of Canada from 2015 to 2025. He led the Liberal Party of Canada from 2013 until his resignation in 2025 and was the Member of Parliament for Papineau from 2008 until 2025. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by various policy initiatives and challenges, shaping Canada's domestic and international landscape during this period.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1988: Supported Liberal Party leader John Turner

In 1988, Justin Trudeau, from a young age, supported the Liberal Party and offered his support to the party leader, John Turner, during the federal election.

2000: Started Kokanee Glacier Alpine Campaign

In 2000, Justin Trudeau and his family initiated the Kokanee Glacier Alpine Campaign to promote winter sports safety. This campaign was launched two years after his brother Michel's death in an avalanche during a ski trip.

2002: Chaired the Katimavik youth program

From 2002, Justin Trudeau chaired the Katimavik youth program, a project founded by Jacques Hébert, a longtime family friend.

2002: Panelist on CBC Radio's Canada Reads

In 2002, Justin Trudeau was a panelist on CBC Radio's "Canada Reads" series, where he advocated for the book "The Colony of Unrequited Dreams" by Wayne Johnston.

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2003: Co-hosted tribute to Jean Chrétien

In 2003, Justin Trudeau, along with Olympian Charmaine Crooks, co-hosted a tribute to outgoing Prime Minister Jean Chrétien at the Liberal Party's leadership convention.

April 2004: Inaugurated the Trudeau Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies

In April 2004, Justin Trudeau and his brother Alexandre inaugurated the Trudeau Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Toronto. This center later became part of the Munk School of Global Affairs.

2005: Fought against proposed zinc mine near Nahanni River

In 2005, Justin Trudeau opposed a proposed $100-million zinc mine that he believed would contaminate the Nahanni River, a United Nations World Heritage Site in the Northwest Territories. He stated his concern for preserving the river's natural beauty.

September 17, 2006: Master of ceremonies at Toronto rally for Darfur crisis

On September 17, 2006, Justin Trudeau served as the master of ceremonies at a Toronto rally organized by Roméo Dallaire. The rally advocated for Canadian involvement in resolving the Darfur crisis.

October 2006: Criticized Quebec nationalism

In October 2006, Justin Trudeau criticized Quebec nationalism, describing political nationalism as an "old idea from the 19th century" and "based on a smallness of thought". This was seen as a criticism of Michael Ignatieff's stance on Quebec nationhood.

2006: End of Trudeau's chairmanship of the Katimavik youth program

In 2006, Justin Trudeau completed his term as the chair of the Katimavik youth program, a role he had held since 2002.

2006: Hosted the presentation ceremony for the Giller Prize for literature

In 2006, Justin Trudeau hosted the presentation ceremony for the Giller Prize for literature, celebrating Canadian literary achievements.

2006: Supported Gerard Kennedy for Liberal leadership

In 2006, Justin Trudeau initially supported Gerard Kennedy in the Liberal Party leadership race. After Kennedy withdrew, Trudeau supported Stéphane Dion, the eventual winner.

2006: Chair of the Liberal Party's Task Force on Youth Renewal

In 2006, Justin Trudeau was appointed as chair of the Liberal Party's Task Force on Youth Renewal.

2006: Appointed to chair task force on youth renewal

In 2006, Justin Trudeau was appointed to chair a task force on youth renewal after the Liberal Party's defeat in the federal election, focusing on strategies to re-engage young people in the party.

2006: Bloc Québécois won Papineau

In 2006, the Papineau riding, which had been in Liberal hands for 53 years, fell to the Bloc Québécois.

April 29, 2007: Won Liberal nomination in Papineau

On April 29, 2007, Justin Trudeau won the Liberal Party's nomination in Papineau, securing 690 votes against competitors Mary Deros and Basilio Giordano.

2007: Announced candidacy for Papineau riding

In 2007, Justin Trudeau announced his candidacy for the Liberal nomination in the Papineau riding for the next general election, after speculation about him running in Outremont.

2007: Starred in CBC miniseries The Great War

In 2007, Justin Trudeau starred in the two-part CBC Television miniseries "The Great War", which depicted Canada's involvement in the First World War. He played Major Talbot Mercer Papineau, who died on October 30, 1917, during the Battle of Passchendaele.

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October 14, 2008: Elected as MP for Papineau

On October 14, 2008, Justin Trudeau was elected as the Member of Parliament for Papineau, narrowly defeating incumbent Vivian Barbot of the Bloc Québécois during the Canadian federal election.

December 2008: Michael Ignatieff named leader

In December 2008, Michael Ignatieff was named leader.

2008: Elected as Member of Parliament

In 2008, Justin Trudeau was elected as a member of parliament (MP) for Papineau.

2008: Elected to House of Commons

In 2008, Justin Trudeau was elected to represent the riding of Papineau in the House of Commons.

2008: Mentioned as potential candidate for Liberal leader

In 2008, after Dion's resignation as Liberal leader, Justin Trudeau's name was mentioned as a potential candidate with polls showing him as a favourite among Canadians for the position.

2008: Entered Parliament as a member of the Official Opposition

In 2008, following his election win, Justin Trudeau entered parliament as a member of the Official Opposition, as the Conservative Party won a minority government.

April 2009: Co-chaired the Liberal Party's national convention

In April 2009, Justin Trudeau co-chaired the Liberal Party's national convention in Vancouver, marking a significant role within the party.

2009: Liberal Party's Critic for Youth and Multiculturalism

In 2009, Justin Trudeau became the Liberal Party's Official Opposition critic for youth and multiculturalism.

September 2010: Reassigned as critic for youth, citizenship, and immigration

In September 2010, Justin Trudeau was reassigned as the Liberal Party's critic for youth, citizenship, and immigration, during which he criticized the government's human smuggling legislation.

2010: Critic for Citizenship and Immigration

In 2010, Justin Trudeau became critic for citizenship and immigration.

2010: Comments made to Télé-Québec

In 2010, Justin Trudeau said "Canada isn't doing well right now because it's Albertans who control our community and socio-democratic agenda."

2010: Advocated for increased relief efforts for Haiti

In 2010, following the Haiti earthquake, Justin Trudeau advocated for increased Canadian relief efforts and more accessible immigration procedures for Haitians, noting the significant Haitian community in his riding.

2011: Seen as potential candidate to lead the party

In 2011, After the party's poor showing in the election, and Ignatieff resigned from the leadership, Justin Trudeau was again seen as a potential candidate to lead the Liberal party.

2011: Critic for Secondary Education and Sport

In 2011, Justin Trudeau was appointed as a critic for secondary education and sport.

2011: Re-elected in Papineau

In 2011, Justin Trudeau was re-elected in Papineau during the federal election. The Liberal Party became the third party in the House of Commons.

June 2012: Hit with a "tsunami" of calls from supporters to reconsider

In June 2012, after Bob Rae announced he would not be entering the race, Trudeau was hit with a "tsunami" of calls from supporters to reconsider his earlier decision to not seek the leadership.

July 2012: Stated that he would reconsider decision to not seek the leadership

In July 2012, Justin Trudeau stated that he would reconsider his earlier decision to not seek the Liberal Party leadership and would announce his final decision at the end of the summer.

September 26, 2012: Reported to launch leadership bid

On September 26, 2012, multiple media outlets reported that Justin Trudeau would launch his bid for the leadership of the Liberal Party the following week.

October 2, 2012: Launched leadership bid in Montreal

On October 2, 2012, Justin Trudeau held a rally in Montreal to officially launch his bid for the leadership of the Liberal Party, supported by his campaign team.

November 26, 2012: By-elections held

On November 26, 2012, three by-elections were held, including one in Calgary Centre where the Liberal Party was expected to be in a three-way race with the Conservatives and Green Party.

March 13, 2013: Garneau dropped out of the leadership race

On March 13, 2013, Marc Garneau dropped out of the Liberal Party leadership race, after polling showed that he would be unable to defeat Trudeau.

April 14, 2013: Declared the winner of the Liberal leadership election

On April 14, 2013, Justin Trudeau was declared the winner of the Liberal Party leadership election, garnering 80.1% of the votes.

April 2013: Liberal leadership convention set to be held

In April 2013, the Liberal Party leadership convention was set to be held after Ignatieff resigned in 2011 and Bob Rae was selected as the interim leader.

July 2013: Blind Trust Setup

In July 2013, Justin Trudeau fulfilled his pledge from the leadership campaign by setting up a blind trust with BMO Private Banking for his assets, excluding real estate holdings. This was considered atypical for opposition MPs.

2013: Leader of the Liberal Party

In 2013, Justin Trudeau became the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada.

October 19, 2015: Liberal Victory in Federal Election

On October 19, 2015, Justin Trudeau led the Liberal Party to a decisive victory in the federal election, winning 184 of the 338 seats with 39.5% of the popular vote, resulting in a strong majority government. This was a gain of 150 seats compared to the 2011 federal election.

November 4, 2015: Swearing-In Ceremony

On November 4, 2015, Justin Trudeau and his Cabinet were sworn in by Governor General David Johnston. Trudeau stated that his initial legislative priority was to lower taxes for middle-income Canadians and raise taxes for the top 1% after parliament reconvened on December 3, 2015. He also pledged to rebuild relations with Indigenous peoples and run an open, ethical, and transparent government.

November 5, 2015: Liberal Caucus Meeting and Census Reinstatement

On November 5, 2015, during the first Liberal caucus meeting after forming a majority government, the party announced the reinstatement of the mandatory long-form census, which had been scrapped in 2010, effective with the 2016 census.

December 3, 2015: Parliament Reconvenes

On December 3, 2015, Justin Trudeau had stated that his first legislative priority was to lower taxes for middle-income Canadians and raise taxes for the top 1% of income earners.

2015: Became Prime Minister

In 2015, Justin Trudeau became the 23rd Prime Minister of Canada, serving until 2025.

2015: Led the Liberal Party to a Majority Government

In 2015, Justin Trudeau led the Liberal Party to a majority government in the federal election and became prime minister.

September 11, 2019: Request to Dissolve Parliament

On September 11, 2019, Justin Trudeau visited Governor General Julie Payette to request the dissolution of Parliament, formally triggering an election.

2019: Appointment of Dominic Barton as Ambassador to China

In 2019, Trudeau appointed Liberal advisor Dominic Barton as ambassador to China. During his time, Canada-China trade reached historic highs.

2019: Liberal Party Reduced to Minority Government

In the 2019 federal election, Trudeau's Liberal Party was reduced to a minority government.

August 5, 2020: Plan to Secure Pfizer and Moderna Vaccines

On August 5, 2020, the Trudeau government created a plan to secure doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

December 2020: Implementation of Mass-Vaccination Program

Starting in December 2020, Justin Trudeau oversaw the implementation of Canada's mass-vaccination program.

2020: Canada's Loss in UN Security Council Bid

In 2020, Canada failed to secure a seat on the United Nations Security Council, marking the second time Canada had failed in such an attempt.

August 15, 2021: Dissolution of Parliament and Scheduling of Election

On August 15, 2021, Justin Trudeau advised Governor General Mary Simon to dissolve parliament and schedule an election for September 20. The election call coincided with the Fall of Kabul, leading to criticism of Trudeau's handling of the evacuation of Canadian citizens and Afghan allies.

December 2021: Resignation of Dominic Barton

In December 2021, Dominic Barton resigned as ambassador to China amid growing pressure from President Joe Biden for Ottawa to take a tougher stance with Beijing.

2021: Liberals to Another Minority Government

In the 2021 federal election, Justin Trudeau led the Liberals to another minority government.

March 22, 2022: Liberals and NDP Supply and Confidence Agreement

On March 22, 2022, the Liberal Party and the NDP entered into a supply and confidence agreement. The NDP agreed to support the Liberals in confidence votes during the 44th Parliament. In return, the Liberals pledged to support NDP priorities, including national dental care, pharmacare, labour reforms, and new taxes on financial institutions.

December 2022: Single-Use Plastics Ban

In December 2022, Justin Trudeau's government announced a ban on producing and importing single use plastic.

December 2023: Ban on Sale of Single-Use Plastics

Beginning December 2023, the sale of single-use plastics was banned in Canada.

September 2024: NDP ends Supply and Confidence Agreement

In September 2024, the NDP withdrew its support, ending the supply and confidence agreement with the Liberal Party. The Conservative Party then made three unsuccessful no-confidence motions throughout September, October, and December, none of which gained NDP backing.

September 19, 2024: Minister of Transport Pablo Rodriguez Resigns

On September 19, 2024, Minister of Transport Pablo Rodriguez resigned from Justin Trudeau's cabinet to pursue leadership of the Quebec Liberal Party.

December 15, 2024: Housing Minister Sean Fraser Announces Intention to Leave Cabinet

On December 15, 2024, Housing Minister Sean Fraser announced his intention to leave the federal cabinet in the next shuffle, citing family reasons.

December 16, 2024: Chrystia Freeland Resigns as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance

On December 16, 2024, Chrystia Freeland resigned from her roles as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance before the release of the government's economic statement. She cited a lack of confidence from Prime Minister Trudeau as the reason for her departure.

December 20, 2024: NDP Pledge of No-Confidence Motion

On December 20, 2024, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh pledged to put forward another no-confidence motion and vote out Trudeau's government.

January 6, 2025: Resignation Announcement

On January 6, 2025, Justin Trudeau announced his resignation as both prime minister and leader of the Liberal Party.

January 15, 2025: Trudeau Confirms He Will Not Seek Re-election

On January 15, 2025, Justin Trudeau confirmed that he will not seek re-election in his riding of Papineau.

March 10, 2025: Transition of Power Begins

On March 10, 2025, the transition of power from Justin Trudeau to Mark Carney, the newly elected leader of the Liberal Party, began.

March 14, 2025: Trudeau Formally Notifies Governor General of Resignation

On March 14, 2025, Justin Trudeau formally notified the Governor General of his resignation as Prime Minister.

March 24, 2025: Parliament Prorogued Until March 24

On January 6, 2025, Justin Trudeau announced that Governor General Mary Simon would prorogue Parliament until March 24, 2025, to allow the Liberal Party to elect a new leader.

2025: Resignation as Prime Minister

In 2025, Justin Trudeau resigned as the 23rd Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party. He also stepped down as MP for Papineau.