Jimmy Sinclair and Weekend in Montreal

December Trudeau: December 2006: Trudeau attends Liberal leadership convention in Montreal as a supporter of former Ontario education minister Gerard Kennedy, according to Hamilton Spectator. Discovers he enjoys schmoozing with delegates and is good at retail politics — more like his grandfather, Jimmy Sinclair, than his father, who disliked the baby-kissing aspect. "Looking back at my transition into political life, that weekend in Montreal really mattered," Trudeau wrote in his memoir, "Common Ground." "The experience of the convention had taught me something: I had political skills independent of my last name." December 2006: Tells new leader Stephane Dion he'd like to run for the Liberals in a byelection in the Montreal riding of Outremont. Speech generates first buzz about potential political dynasty in the making, but Trudeau has no interest in following in his father footsteps; returns to teaching job in Vancouver. Backs off after it becomes clear the leader and the riding association are opposed . Trudeau shifts his sights to Papineau, a gritty, multicultural, working-class riding won by the Bloc Quebecois in the 2006 election. I wanted a serious test of my political abilities," he said in his memoir. He is undeterred by the fact that neither Dion nor the party establishment are supportive. "I didn't want a cakewalk. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.