Family, friends, and associates of a highly respected and awarded champion of women are remembering her as someone who touched many lives, be that as a veterinarian, a federal election candidate, a mentor of students, an author, or a supporter of special needs athletes.
Dr. Elizabeth (Betsy) McGregor, of Clear Lake northeast of Lakefield, passed away on Tuesday (May 6) at the age of 77 from the ovarian cancer she was diagnosed with in January 2022. Her nephew, Robert John McGregor, shared word of her passing Wednesday via a Facebook post that brought forth condolences from a number of his followers.
Born in Peterborough — one of four siblings raised by Doug and Stevie McGregor — McGregor attended the former Peterborough Collegiate and Vocational School (PCVS) before attaining a Master’s degree in geography from Hamilton’s McMaster University. That brought her to St. Peter Catholic Secondary School where she taught geography and physical education.
Having graduated in 1987 from the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph, McGregor later founded the World Women’s Veterinary Association and, in 1995, led an international delegation at the United Nations (UN) Conference on Women held in Beijing, China. McGregor also worked with the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization in Indonesia.
But for all her professional accomplishments, including those achieved as a federal civil servant with Industry Canada and Agriculture Canada, McGregor’s tireless dedication to the mentorship and empowerment of young people and women became her calling card. Hosting leadership workshops or taking Lakefield College School students on trips to Harvard University, from which she received two fellowships, McGregor inspired countless others to be all they can be.
In 2019, McGregor, who sought federal election in 2008 and 2011, wrote a book titled Women on the Ballot: Pathways to Political Power that highlighted Canadian women with diverse backgrounds who entered into politics at all levels. Two years later, she was appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada for “her promotion of women in science and for her commitment to nurturing Canada’s next generation of leaders.”
In a written statement shared with kawarthaNOW, former Peterborough Liberal MP Maryam Monsef characterizes McGregor as “a force for good.”
“Her creative mind, her deep expertise, her impressive education and her sincere care for our community and country made her a strong candidate for MP. We all lost out when she lost that bid to be our Member of Parliament. We all grieved that loss again, years later, when the country discovered her opponent had broken election laws during the campaign. She didn’t give up on our community after that, and she didn’t give up on politics either.”
“I am among many women she encouraged, mentored and championed. She took the time to teach me how campaigns are won and lost, gave me a meaningful role on her own campaign when she ran for MP, took me to other ridings to see how things work elsewhere, and volunteered her time and talent when I worked up the courage to put my name on a ballot.”
“She invited me to events she convened, introduced me to lovely people, said my name in powerful rooms, and was there with a bright smile and great wisdom throughout my time in office.”
McGregor’s first bid for a seat in Ottawa in 2008 saw her come second to Conservative candidate Dean Del Mastro. The second attempt, in 2011, saw her place a distant third, with Del Mastro again winning the seat.
David Goyette served as an advisor on McGregor’s second election bid in 2011.
“Right after that, we had dinner to talk over her future,” recalls Goyette.
“I advised her that I thought another run would not be successful. To her great credit, Betsy had the wisdom, she had the humility, to know that her time as a candidate was over. I had great admiration for her. It’s very difficult for people to do that.”
“She spent her remaining years mentoring women from across Canada on how to run for office, and how to do so in a man’s world. That was a defining characteristic of who she was.”
Another encounter, says Goyette, spoke specifically to McGregor’s big heart.
“I was at City Hall (as an assistant to then-mayor Daryl Bennett). On my last day in late 2014, Betsy showed up with a huge bouquet of flowers. To me, that was an incredible act of kindness; the epitome of what it means to be a kind person. When no one else would do that Betsy did that.”
Goyette kept up his friendship with McGregor, to the point that he drove her to several of her medical appointments.
“It’s hard to have a conversation with someone in the car when you’re taking them to their cancer treatments and you know they don’t have many months left,” says Goyette.
“The only thing she wanted to talk about was politics. It was her enduring passion. I think, for her whole life, that never left her. She had a passion, an enthusiasm for life, that was unmatched, probably in any person I have ever known. Betsy was never in a bad mood. It always wonderful to be around a person with such a optimistic and positive disposition.”
“She would have been a good MP. She was good at everything she did.”
The man who twice stood in the way of McGregor achieving that goal remains very respectful of her passion, and her determination to seek political office.
“We had different firmly held beliefs but, at the same time, there was respect shown each other,” recalls Del Mastro.
“The second election was difficult on her, obviously. But after the election, she booked appointments at my office. We talked about problems and potential solutions. On at least one occasion, her and Maryam Monsef came to talk about the plight of women in Afghanistan. We have a very constructive conversation.”
“After the election in 2008, she congratulated me. Her first comment to me was ‘Remember the poor.'”
Del Mastro says his admiration for McGregor remains rooted in her “putting herself on the line” by seeking election, adding “You’re putting it all out there. You’ll have people that love you and you’ll people that attack you. Anyone who puts their name forward deserves appreciation for doing that.”
Another side of McGregor that few were, or are now, aware of was her commitment to Special Olympics athletes as well as the Kawartha Komets special needs hockey program. Her involvement with the latter stemmed from her support for her nephew, a visually impaired goalie.
“One of our sons played Special Olympics soccer,” recalls David Fisher, whose wife Carol founded the Kawartha Komets program.
“Carol and I would go out to watch those soccer games at Keith Wightman (Public School). Just watching the way Betsy interacted with those kids was just incredible. She poured her heart and soul into it. It was inspirational.”
“You don’t read about Betsy McGregor, the Special Olympics soccer lady. It was just something that she did. With the Komets, Betsy and Barb would to out-of-town games, and sometimes invites other family members. Invariably, she would come to Carol and me and thank us profusely for letting her nephew’s dream (of playing hockey) become a reality.”
Monsef writes her last conversation with McGregor centred around her second edition of Women on the Ballot: Pathways to Political Power.
“It was a project she worked on diligently, interviewing Canadian women in politics about their stories and their resilience, with the goal of encouraging more women to enter and to stay in politics. Betsy’s calling was to elevate the voices of women. She did it with joy, she did it relentlessly.”
“She was a Liberal, but respected women across all party lines, often speaking about women like Flora MacDonald with great reverence.”
Monsef adds McGregor was an early supporter of Red Pashmina. Founded 15 years ago by Monsef and Jessica Melnik, the non-profit supports the education of women and girls in Afghanistan through proceeds from the sale of red pashmina shawls.
“Not only did she help with the concept, she wrote the first big cheque to purchase the first big order of red shawls,” writes Monsef.
“When we repaid her generous loan, she expressed her pride in our efforts and thanked us for allowing her to be part of a solution for women and girls’ education in Afghanistan. That was Betsy. Keenly aware of how interconnected we are, and truly invested in youth leadership. ”
“The Order of Canada recognition for her work to advance women and girls in stem fields shines a light on one of her many contributions to Canada. I will miss her very much, and will keep the lessons she shared with me close to heart.”
VIDEO: University of Guelph Alumni of Honour: Dr. Elizabeth (Betsy) McGregor (2022)
There will be two celebrations of McGregor’s life, one hosted in Toronto at the end of May and the other at Clear Lake in July.
Her family encourages guests to wear something colourful, noting that yellow was McGregor’s favourite colour.
In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations to any of three organizations that McGregor supported: Camp Kawartha, Equal Voice, or the Ontario Veterinary College’s Bench to Bedside Institute for Translational Health.
This story has been updated with information about upcoming celebrations of life and the family’s suggestions for donations in McGregor’s memory.
