Tributes pour in for former federal and Nova Scotia NDP leader Alexa McDonough

Remembering Alexa McDonough CTV's Amanda Debison chats with former NS NDP MP Megan Leslie about the passing of former federal NDP leader Alexa McDonough.

Tributes continue to pour in for Alexa McDonough.

The former federal and Nova Scotia NDP leader died on Saturday after a struggle with Alzheimer's disease.

One of the many people reflecting on McDonough's life and legacy is former Halifax NDP MP Megan Leslie.

“I think she demonstrated a different way to be a politician, to really bring forward these issues,” said Leslie.

“To be able to laugh, even at herself, to be able to cry, to be able to be in solidarity and I know that people across party lines looked to her for that.”

McDonough became the first woman to head up a major political party in Canada when she was elected leader of the Nova Scotia New Democrats in 1980. She became leader of the federal NDP in 1995 and served in the party's top post until 2002.

Alexa McDonough was 77.