Liberal Party candidates, 2003 Ontario provincial election
Encyclopedia
The Ontario Liberal Party
is a political party in the Canadian
province of Ontario
.
The party governed the province from 1871 to 1905, 1934 to 1943 and 1985 to 1990. It returned to power in 2003 by winning a majority government
in that year's provincial election
.
The Liberals ran a full state of 103 candidates in the 2003 election, seventy-two of whom were elected. Several candidates have their own biography pages. Information about others may be found here.
Ted McMeekin
Elected. See his biography page for further details.
. Elected in 1994, re-elected in 1997 and returned by acclamation in 2000. Ramsay has a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and a Bachelor of Education
degree from York University
. Ramsay also has a degree from Georgian College
in broadcast journalism, and hosts a local program called Mike Ramsay LIVE. He teaches history and politics at Barrie Central Collegiate. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Royal Victoria Hospital of Barrie, 2004-05.
Ramsay finished second to Progressive Conservative
Joe Tascona in the 2003 election, receiving 21,998 votes (36.13%) to Tascona's 31,529 (51.78%). He was elected back onto Barrie city council in 2006.
He is also running for mayor in the 2010 Barrie municipal election.
Monica Purdy (Beaches—East York
A registered nurse, and a board member of the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario. Her primary campaign issue was the rights of health workers. Born in Ginger Rouge in rural Jamaica
, and moved to Canada in 1975. Raised in the Niagara peninsula, and lived for a time in St. Catharines
. Received a diploma from the Niagara College of Applied Arts & Technology. Later attended the University of Toronto
and Ryerson University
and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing in 1997, and a Master of Science
degree in 2001. Project manager at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. Previously a member of the New Democratic Party
.
Purdy finished second to NDP incumbent Michael Prue
, receiving 10,070 votes (24.29%). After the election, she was appointed to the Ontario Social Benefits Tribunal.
Marianne Wilkinson
Former mayor of Kanata, Ontario
. Defeated. See biography page for details.
Rod Vanier (Nepean—Carleton
Vanier was born to a military family in Edmonton, Alberta, Alberta
, on September 23, 1953 and grew up in a variety of military bases across Canada. He received a Bachelor of Laws
degree from the University of Ottawa
, and was called to the bar in 1981 (Ottawa Citizen, 18 September 2003). He works as a lawyer in Ottawa, working in the field of real estate law, family and estate law. He was trained as a mediator and a colloborative family law.http://www.collaborative-law.ca/Contacts/Rod_Vanier.htm Vanier was fifty years old in 2003.
He is a former chair of the Nepean
Chamber of Commerce, and was a member of the Nepean—Carleton Junior Chamber International
Canada in the 1980s.http://www.ottawabusinessjournal.com/285355180952303.php In 2001, he spoke out against a proposed merger of the Greater Nepean Chamber of Commerce with the Ottawa Board of Trade (Ottawa Citizen, 20 January 2001). He is a member of the Rotary Club of South Nepean and served as President in 2006-2007. As of 2005-06, he serves as vice-chair of the Queensway Carleton Hospital board of directors. In 2007-2009 he served as Board Chair for the Queensway Carleton Hospital and is currently the Past-Chair.http://www.qch.on.ca/Home.aspx?PageID=38&mid=_ctl0_MainMenu__ctl0-menuItem001-subMenu-menuItem003
Vanier describes himself as a "life-long Liberal", and has worked on campaigns for candidates such as Lloyd Francis, Yvonne O'Neill
Beryl gaffney and later her son Michael Gaffney, and Marlene Catterall
. He received 20,878 votes (35.65%) in 2003, finishing second against Progressive Conservative
incumbent John Baird
.
He has been nominated for city Council in the Ottawa municipal election, 2010
. He will be in contest for the Knoxdale-Merivale Ward
against five other candidates
Richard Patten
Elected. See his biography page for further details.
Dalton McGuinty
Party leader. Elected. See his biography page for further details.
Madeleine Meilleur
Elected. See her biography page for further details.
Jim Watson (Ottawa West—Nepean
Elected. See his biography page for further details.
Nellie Pedro (Trinity—Spadina
Pedro was host and producer of the Portuguese-language show Gente da Nossa on CityTV
in the 1990s (National Post, 9 June 1999). After an unsuccessful campaign in 1994, she was elected to the Toronto District School Board
in 2000 for the Davenport ward and emerged as part of the board's left-leaning faction. In 2002, she was one of the trustees who opposed efforts by the provincial Progressive Conservative
government to mandate service cuts in a budget-balancing effort (Toronto Star, 23 August 2002).
She criticized hockey
personality Don Cherry for appearing in a beer commercial in 2003, arguing that role models such as Cherry are forbidden from promoting alcoholic drinks by the provisions of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) (Halifax Daily News, 8 May 2003). Pedro's comments were criticized by a number of media outlets, and the Liberal-friendly Toronto Star
described her reaction as "misplaced anger" (10 May 2003).
Pedro is an ally of Paul Martin
, and ran a well-organized campaign in 2003 (Toronto Star, 3 September 2003). She received 12,927 votes (31.88%) to finish second against New Democratic Party incumbent Rosario Marchese
.
Mark Fuller (Burlington
A then lecturer in business strategy at McMaster University
and at York University
. Narrowly defeated by 1,852 voteshttp://www2.elections.on.ca/results/2003_results/valid_votes.jsp?e_code=38&rec=0&flag=E&rec-page=10. Has an MBA degree and a Bachelor of Commerce
degree from McMaster University
. Has since earned his Ph.D. degree from York University
in business administration, and is now an assistant professor at St. Francis Xavier University
.
Ontario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
is a political party in the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
province of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
.
The party governed the province from 1871 to 1905, 1934 to 1943 and 1985 to 1990. It returned to power in 2003 by winning a majority government
Majority government
A majority government is when the governing party has an absolute majority of seats in the legislature or parliament in a parliamentary system. This is as opposed to a minority government, where even the largest party wins only a plurality of seats and thus must constantly bargain for support from...
in that year's provincial election
Ontario general election, 2003
The Ontario general election of 2003 was held on October 2, 2003, to elect the 103 members of the 38th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
.
The Liberals ran a full state of 103 candidates in the 2003 election, seventy-two of whom were elected. Several candidates have their own biography pages. Information about others may be found here.
Mike Brown (Algoma—Manitoulin)
Elected. See his biography page for further details.Ted McMeekinTed McMeekinTed McMeekin is a politician residing in Flamborough Ontario, Canada. He is a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, representing the riding of Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale for the Liberal Party of Ontario...
(Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Aldershot)
Elected. See his biography page for further details.Mike Ramsay (Barrie—Simcoe—Bradford)
A municipal councillor in BarrieBarrie, Ontario
Barrie is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada, located on the western shore of Lake Simcoe, approximately 90 km north of Toronto. Although located in Simcoe County, the city is politically independent...
. Elected in 1994, re-elected in 1997 and returned by acclamation in 2000. Ramsay has a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and a Bachelor of Education
Bachelor of Education
A Bachelor of Education is an undergraduate academic degree which qualifies the graduate as a teacher in schools.-North America:...
degree from York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
. Ramsay also has a degree from Georgian College
Georgian College
Georgian College is an Ontario College of Applied Arts and Technology. Its primary campus is in Barrie, Ontario, with satellite campuses in Orillia, Midland, Collingwood, Bracebridge, Port Colborne, Orangeville, and Owen Sound....
in broadcast journalism, and hosts a local program called Mike Ramsay LIVE. He teaches history and politics at Barrie Central Collegiate. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Royal Victoria Hospital of Barrie, 2004-05.
Ramsay finished second to Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
Joe Tascona in the 2003 election, receiving 21,998 votes (36.13%) to Tascona's 31,529 (51.78%). He was elected back onto Barrie city council in 2006.
He is also running for mayor in the 2010 Barrie municipal election.
Monica Purdy (Beaches—East YorkBeaches—East YorkBeaches—East York is a federal electoral district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1988....
)
A registered nurse, and a board member of the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario. Her primary campaign issue was the rights of health workers. Born in Ginger Rouge in rural JamaicaJamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, and moved to Canada in 1975. Raised in the Niagara peninsula, and lived for a time in St. Catharines
St. Catharines, Ontario
St. Catharines is the largest city in Canada's Niagara Region and the sixth largest urban area in Ontario, Canada, with 97.11 square kilometres of land...
. Received a diploma from the Niagara College of Applied Arts & Technology. Later attended the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
and Ryerson University
Ryerson University
Ryerson University is a public research university located in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its urban campus is adjacent to Yonge-Dundas Square located at the busiest intersection in Downtown Toronto. The majority of its buildings are in the blocks northeast of the square in Toronto's Garden...
and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing in 1997, and a Master of Science
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
degree in 2001. Project manager at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. Previously a member of the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
.
Purdy finished second to NDP incumbent Michael Prue
Michael Prue
Michael D. Prue is a Canadian politician, who represents the riding of Beaches—East York in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. He is the New Democratic Party critic for Finance, Public Infrastructure Renewal, Community and Social Services and the Management Board of Cabinet, and for issues...
, receiving 10,070 votes (24.29%). After the election, she was appointed to the Ontario Social Benefits Tribunal.
Marianne WilkinsonMarianne WilkinsonMarianne Wilkinson is the Councillor of Kanata North in the City of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. She is a long-time resident of Kanata and a veteran public servant in that former city. She served as Kanata's first mayor following its incorporation...
(Lanark—Carleton)
Former mayor of Kanata, OntarioKanata, Ontario
Situated in the Ottawa Valley, Kanata is located about west-southwest of Downtown Ottawa along Highway 417 at a latitude of 45°18' North and a longitude of 75°55' West, with an area of . Its northern end is just to the west of the Ottawa River....
. Defeated. See biography page for details.
Rod Vanier (Nepean—CarletonNepean—CarletonNepean—Carleton is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1979 to 1988 and since 1997....
)
Vanier was born to a military family in Edmonton, Alberta, AlbertaAlberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, on September 23, 1953 and grew up in a variety of military bases across Canada. He received a Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
degree from the University of Ottawa
University of Ottawa
The University of Ottawa is a bilingual, research-intensive, non-denominational, international university in Ottawa, Ontario. It is one of the oldest universities in Canada. It was originally established as the College of Bytown in 1848 by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate...
, and was called to the bar in 1981 (Ottawa Citizen, 18 September 2003). He works as a lawyer in Ottawa, working in the field of real estate law, family and estate law. He was trained as a mediator and a colloborative family law.http://www.collaborative-law.ca/Contacts/Rod_Vanier.htm Vanier was fifty years old in 2003.
He is a former chair of the Nepean
Nepean, Ontario
- Recent quantity of snow :- History :Nepean Township, originally known as Township D, was established in 1792 and originally included what is now the central area of Ottawa west of the Rideau River. Jehiel Collins, from Vermont, is believed to have been the first person to settle in Nepean...
Chamber of Commerce, and was a member of the Nepean—Carleton Junior Chamber International
Junior Chamber International
Junior Chamber International is the only worldwide non-political and non-sectarian youth service organization. It is an international community of citizens between the ages of to with the aim and purpose of creating positive changes in the world...
Canada in the 1980s.http://www.ottawabusinessjournal.com/285355180952303.php In 2001, he spoke out against a proposed merger of the Greater Nepean Chamber of Commerce with the Ottawa Board of Trade (Ottawa Citizen, 20 January 2001). He is a member of the Rotary Club of South Nepean and served as President in 2006-2007. As of 2005-06, he serves as vice-chair of the Queensway Carleton Hospital board of directors. In 2007-2009 he served as Board Chair for the Queensway Carleton Hospital and is currently the Past-Chair.http://www.qch.on.ca/Home.aspx?PageID=38&mid=_ctl0_MainMenu__ctl0-menuItem001-subMenu-menuItem003
Vanier describes himself as a "life-long Liberal", and has worked on campaigns for candidates such as Lloyd Francis, Yvonne O'Neill
Yvonne O'Neill
Yvonne O'Neill was a politician in Ontario, Canada. She was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1987 to 1995.-Early years and education:...
Beryl gaffney and later her son Michael Gaffney, and Marlene Catterall
Marlene Catterall
Marlene Catterall is a former Canadian politician. Catterall was a member of the Liberal Party of Canada in the Canadian House of Commons, representing the riding of Ottawa West—Nepean from 1997 to 2005 and previously representing the riding of Ottawa West from 1988 to 1997. Catterall is a former...
. He received 20,878 votes (35.65%) in 2003, finishing second against Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
incumbent John Baird
John Baird (Canadian politician)
John Russell Baird, PC, MP is a Canadian politician currently serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the cabinet of Prime Minister Stephen Harper....
.
He has been nominated for city Council in the Ottawa municipal election, 2010
Ottawa municipal election, 2010
The Ottawa municipal election was contested on October 25, 2010 to elect the mayor of Ottawa, Ottawa City Council and the Ottawa-Carleton Public and Catholic School Boards...
. He will be in contest for the Knoxdale-Merivale Ward
Knoxdale-Merivale Ward
Knoxdale-Merivale is a city ward in Ottawa, Ontario. Located in the city's west end, the ward is bordered to the east by the Rideau River and Fisher Avenue, the northern boundaries of the community of Barrhaven to the south, Ontario Highway 416 and Cedarview Road to the west and to the north by the...
against five other candidates
Richard PattenRichard PattenRichard Andrew Patten is a politician in Ontario, Canada. Patten was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, representing the riding of Ottawa Centre.-Biography:...
(Ottawa CentreOttawa Centre (provincial electoral district)Ottawa Centre is an urban provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada that has been represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1968...
)
Elected. See his biography page for further details.Dalton McGuintyDalton McGuintyDalton James Patrick McGuinty, Jr., MPP is a Canadian lawyer, politician and, since October 23, 2003, the 24th and current Premier of the Canadian province of Ontario....
(Ottawa SouthOttawa South (provincial electoral district)Ottawa South is a riding in the Canadian province of Ontario, in the city of Ottawa. It is represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by the Premier of Ontario, Dalton McGuinty....
)
Party leader. Elected. See his biography page for further details.Madeleine MeilleurMadeleine MeilleurMadeleine Meilleur is a politician in Ontario, Canada. She is a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and is a cabinet minister in the government of Premier Dalton McGuinty.-Background:...
(Ottawa—VanierOttawa—Vanier (provincial electoral district)Ottawa—Vanier is a provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1908.It is composed of the eastern part of downtown Ottawa....
)
Elected. See her biography page for further details.Jim Watson (Ottawa West—NepeanOttawa West—NepeanOttawa West—Nepean is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997. Its population in 2001 was 112,509.-Geography:...
)
Elected. See his biography page for further details.Nellie Pedro (Trinity—SpadinaTrinity—Spadina (provincial electoral district)Trinity—Spadina is a provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1999....
)
Pedro was host and producer of the Portuguese-language show Gente da Nossa on CityTVCitytv
Citytv is a Canadian English language television system owned and operated by Rogers Communications under its Rogers Broadcasting Ltd. division...
in the 1990s (National Post, 9 June 1999). After an unsuccessful campaign in 1994, she was elected to the Toronto District School Board
Toronto District School Board
Toronto District School Board, also known by the acronym TDSB, is the English-language public school board for Toronto, Ontario, Canada...
in 2000 for the Davenport ward and emerged as part of the board's left-leaning faction. In 2002, she was one of the trustees who opposed efforts by the provincial Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
government to mandate service cuts in a budget-balancing effort (Toronto Star, 23 August 2002).
She criticized hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
personality Don Cherry for appearing in a beer commercial in 2003, arguing that role models such as Cherry are forbidden from promoting alcoholic drinks by the provisions of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) (Halifax Daily News, 8 May 2003). Pedro's comments were criticized by a number of media outlets, and the Liberal-friendly Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
described her reaction as "misplaced anger" (10 May 2003).
Pedro is an ally of Paul Martin
Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , also known as Paul Martin, Jr. is a Canadian politician who was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
, and ran a well-organized campaign in 2003 (Toronto Star, 3 September 2003). She received 12,927 votes (31.88%) to finish second against New Democratic Party incumbent Rosario Marchese
Rosario Marchese
Rosario Marchese is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He is a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, representing the downtown Toronto riding of Trinity-Spadina for the New Democratic Party of Ontario.-Background:...
.
Mark Fuller (BurlingtonBurlington (provincial electoral district)Burlington is a provincial electoral district in southwestern Ontario, Canada. It elects one member to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.It was created in 1999 from parts of Burlington South, Halton Centre, and a small part of South Oakville....
)
A then lecturer in business strategy at McMaster UniversityMcMaster University
McMaster University is a public research university whose main campus is located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land in the residential neighbourhood of Westdale, adjacent to Hamilton's Royal Botanical Gardens...
and at York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
. Narrowly defeated by 1,852 voteshttp://www2.elections.on.ca/results/2003_results/valid_votes.jsp?e_code=38&rec=0&flag=E&rec-page=10. Has an MBA degree and a Bachelor of Commerce
Bachelor of Commerce
A Bachelor of Commerce is an undergraduate degree in commerce and related subjects. The degree is also known as the Bachelor of Commerce and Administration, or BCA...
degree from McMaster University
McMaster University
McMaster University is a public research university whose main campus is located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land in the residential neighbourhood of Westdale, adjacent to Hamilton's Royal Botanical Gardens...
. Has since earned his Ph.D. degree from York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
in business administration, and is now an assistant professor at St. Francis Xavier University
St. Francis Xavier University
St. Francis Xavier University is a post-secondary institution located in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. The school was founded in 1853, but did not offer degrees until 1868. The university has approximately 5000 students.-History:...
.