About Margret Kopala

Born in 1945 near the northeastern Alberta town of Glendon, Margret was educated in Edmonton where she became Eastglen Composite High’s first girl president of the students’ union. She graduated from the University of Alberta with a B.A in English literature and a B.F.A. in Drama then traveled in Europe before working in British television production, mostly for the BBC, and in the Canadian feature film industry.

Citizen’s initiatives on the constitution led to her being selected as an “Ordinary Canadian” in the conferences leading to the Charlottetown Accord. Active in citizen based public policy forums as well as church and community life, Margret’s articles and letters have been widely published and can be read on this website. She has also produced a community television show and regularly provides radio commentary on conservative issues.

In 1997 she was the Progressive Conservative candidate in Ottawa West Nepean and then became one of the earliest and most active proponents of unity between the PC' and Reform parties. She subsequently contested the nominations in Ottawa West Nepean of the newly formed Canadian Alliance and Conservative parties in 2000 and 2005 respectively. As chair of the National Debaters’ Forum, she has organized televised debates at Ottawa’s National Press Club between leading politicians, commentators and academics such as David Frum, Hugh Segal, Ted Morton, Charles Taylor and Tom Courchene. She currently writes a column for the Ottawa Citizen on Western Perspectives.

Resident in Ottawa since 1986, she is married to political philosopher and journalist Dr. Robert Sibley. They have one grown son.

July 2006