The Honourable Ken DRYDEN

The Honourable Ken DRYDEN
Minister of Social Development

Ken Dryden was elected to the House of Commons and named Minister of Social Development in the summer of 2004.

Well known for his career as a goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens from 1971 to 1979, during which time the team won six Stanley cups, Mr. Dryden is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame and the International Scholar-Athlete Hall of Fame.

Mr. Dryden earned a degree in history at Cornell University and a degree in Law at McGill.  He has also received honorary doctoral degrees from the universities of Ottawa, Windsor, York, McMaster, St. Mary’s, Niagara and British Columbia.

Mr. Dryden is the author of four best-selling books: The Game, HomeGame, The Moved and the Shaken, and In School.

In 1984, he was appointed the first Ontario Youth Commissioner.

He has been involved with numerous community and charitable groups, most particularly in the area of children, youth and education.   In 1996, he started a scholarship where 8 students a year from foster and group homes receive four-year $3,000/year scholarships to the university or college of their choice across Canada.

Prior to his appointment as Minister, Mr. Dryden was the President of the Toronto Maple Leafs since 1997.

Mr. Dryden and his wife, Lynda, have two grown children, Sarah and Michael.

Extending Opportunities: How active social policy can benefit us all

Well-designed social protection can be an asset that is critical for sustaining social development.

Organised by:

Social Policy Division

collects socio-economic data and analyses information on social issues