Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney first met his wife on the ice rink at Oxford University.

At the time, she was a novice skater, but this did not stop her from quickly becoming one of the best players on the team. She skated faster than anyone else and had excellent ball control and precise shooting.

It was on the ice rink that Diana Fox caught the attention of a five-foot-nine-inch goalkeeper – none other than Canada's future prime minister.

"Mark was watching Diana play and asked someone nearby, 'Who is that person?' She was the best player on the field and obviously made a strong impression on him," longtime friend Laurie Thomson told The Star.

Just a few years later, Diana Fox and Mark Carney got married.

Three decades later, Carney is participating in a key, closely contested federal election campaign in Canada, and his wife – now Diana Fox Carney – has stepped into the spotlight. She accompanies her husband on the campaign trail, canvassing door-to-door in Ottawa and sometimes introducing him at rallies. Although she appears less frequently than Anaida, Pierre Poilievre's wife from the Conservative Party, she still makes a significant impression.

Beyond the public eye, Fox Carney is an economist and environmentalist who has worked for several consulting firms and progressive think tanks, advocating for income equality.

This is not the first time she has been in the public spotlight. During Carney's tenure as Governor of the Bank of England, Fox Carney once sparked controversy with comments on the internet. British tabloids referred to her as an "environmental crusader," and a British MP criticized her remarks about London housing.

"She is a very warm, thoughtful, and caring person," said friend Thomson, who has known Fox Carney for more than thirty years. "She is extremely intelligent and cares deeply about issues that profoundly affect us all."

The Liberal Party campaign team did not arrange for Fox Carney to be interviewed, but she recommended a friend to accept this interview.

Meeting the Future Prime Minister

Fox Carney grew up in the British countryside, where her father was a pig farmer. According to her LinkedIn profile, she earned master’s degrees from Oxford University and the University of Pennsylvania before returning to Oxford in the early 1990s to complete a third master’s degree.

It was at Oxford University that she began playing ice hockey.

"She could easily beat everyone," former teammate Nonie Dodwell told The Star. "She is a natural skater and player."

Records show that during the 1991-92 season, Fox Carney scored 10 out of the team's 15 goals. In a 1992 match against Cambridge University, she completed a hat-trick and scored the winning goal.

(Diana Fox Carney, middle row, third from left)

Dodwell recalled that Mark Carney was also at Oxford then, a cheerful and polite person. One year, he participated in nine games with a save rate of 92.7%. He also served as captain of the team alongside future Liberal Justice Minister David Lametti.

Mark Carney, front row, center

Their first date was when Carney took her out for a "very good dinner." During the meal, Carney suddenly paused and said:

"There's something you need to know," he said. "I am determined to return to Canada and dedicate myself to public service."

She realized two things at that moment: first, Carney was a person with firm beliefs; second, "maybe he still needs to learn some things about romance."

Environmental Work, Including Carbon Tax Initiatives

Fox Carney once worked in Africa, including on the Zanzibar Islands off the coast of Tanzania. She engaged in agricultural research to help developing countries. According to her blog, which she operated in the early 2010s, she witnessed firsthand the destructive consequences of our stubborn refusal to change our consumer habits while abroad.

"These communities are very vulnerable, even minor changes in temperature or rainfall can have a huge impact," she wrote. She believed that one of the best ways to help developing countries was to demonstrate leadership on environmental issues.

In April 2013, she wrote a background report on carbon taxes as vice president of research at the progressive think tank Canada 2020, stating that the think tank's goal was to "reignite the debate on carbon pricing" and "begin formulating a plan that most Canadians can agree on."

She served on the boards of several charitable organizations, including Save the Children, and acted as an advisor to a technology metals company and a growth equity fund focused on climate solutions.

In 2021, she joined political research and advisory firm Eurasia Group as a senior advisor, working closely with former Trudeau chief advisor and close friend Gerald Butts on climate issues.

"When I think of Diana, I think of someone...who deeply loves the natural world and believes we have a responsibility to protect the planet for future generations," Thomson said. "This is what drives much of her work."

Blogger, Gardener, Athlete

Fox Carney and Mark have four children.

"She devotes her life to the children," Thomson said, adding that she also enjoys gardening – she once wrote on her blog about growing plants in manure-made seedling pots – and ceramics. She makes small bowls or flowers to give to friends.

She is also very active. Until they moved to the UK, she participated in weekly ice hockey matches at the University of Ottawa. Her former teammate Dodwell has already invited her to join her for the 2028 Winter World Masters Tournament (Women's Over 40) in Finland.

She also enjoys cross-country skiing. This year, she completed the Ottawa Winter Triathlon: 8 kilometers of skating, 5 kilometers of running, and 6 kilometers of skiing – all done at minus 18°C.

She also runs regularly with a running group consisting of community women, which has been around for 12 years.

"It's hard to keep up with her when running with her," said Liz Muggah, a friend who has known her for about 15 years.

Between 2011 and 2014, Fox Carney ran a blog reviewing eco-friendly products. She criticized washing dishes under running water as "serious water waste," wrote that combing hair was "the coolest torture" for one of her children, and recounted an amusing incident where a hot propane lamp burned her hand and a friend's tent.

In her blog, she wrote that her husband usually "isn't too keen on participating" in family games but enjoys a wooden board game called Pucket.

When Carney became Governor of the Bank of England in 2013, British media showed great interest in her blog. The Times wrote that she supported vegan shoes, The Guardian described her views as "refreshing," and there was even a question in The Daily Telegraph's year-end quiz: "Which of the following companies did NOT appear in Diana Fox Carney's environmental blog?" (The answer was C - Fivers2Fuel, which turns old banknotes into biofuel.)

However, she was criticized for a tweet about a proposal by the French president to reduce taxes for the rich, where she wrote: "Maybe I'll finally find a place to live in London." According to CBC, Carney's housing allowance at the time was $7,682 per week.

In an interview with CBC in 2013, she was asked about media attention and replied: "I've been doing this for a while."

"These issues are very important to me," Fox Carney said. "In today's era, people can also accept that Mark and I are two separate individuals. We each have our own opinions, and I think everyone accepts this."

"Although we are married, we are not completely inseparable."

"She has fallen in love with this country"

This is exactly how they appeared during the campaign.

"(Mark) is adaptable, calm and composed, and can quickly draw on his extensive knowledge and experience, which no one else possesses," Fox Carney said when introducing her husband at a rally in Winnipeg. "Sometimes, this makes debating with him quite challenging."

According to Thomson, Fox Carney thoroughly enjoyed this campaign journey, particularly liking meeting different Canadians and experiencing the diversity of the country up close.

"What attracts her to Canada is its magnificent natural scenery, as well as the kindness, generosity, humility, and competence of its people," Thomson said. "She has fallen in love with this country."

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7493043838932730380/

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