Sheila Martin

Sheila Ann Martin née Cowan (born July 31, 1943) is the wife of Paul Martin, who served as the 21st Prime Minister of Canada from December 12, 2003 to February 6, 2006.

She and Paul are neighbours and her father was law partners with Paul Martin Sr in Windsor, Ontario. Married in 1965, she has been wife of politician and a stay at home mom.

She is a private person and played a low key role in her husband's career.

A Canada Steamship Lines ship, "Sheila Ann", is named in her honour. [ [http://www.cbc.ca/canadavotes2004/leadersparties/leaders/family_martin.html CBC - Canada Votes 2004 ] ]

They have three sons:
#Paul William, born September 11, 1966
#Jamie Robert, born June 21, 1969
#David Patrick, born September 13, 1974

Before her husband became the Prime Minister of Canada, Sheila Martin's work in Ottawa included serving on a committee called Politics and the Pen, and on this committee she helped give prizes and money to Canadian writers. The job was said to fit with her "own literary tastes."John Gray, "Paul Martin: The Power of Ambition", Key Porter Books, 2003, p. 71.] In 2006, when Paul Martin left the cabinet, he credited her as a support to him and as an advisor::"Third, I want to thank the many friends who called or sent messages in recent days. I'm enriched by their friendship and their support. In that respect, I want to thank above all others Sheila and my family for their patience and their advice." [CBC.ca, " [http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2002/06/03/martin_address020603.html Text of Paul Martin's statement] ," June 3, 2002, URL accessed December 19, 2006.]

Throughout these years, Sheila Martin apparently had little aspirations in regards to her husband's office. Her husband's biographer John Gray quoted her as saying, "Oh, God, I don't want to do this at all, so I just don't think about it."

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