ONTARIO

Here are the relevant top appointments at the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport:

Minister

The Honourable Sylvia Jones (MPP, Dufferin-Caledon) becomes Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport and Nancy Matthews becomes Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport.

Hon. Sylvia Jones

Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport

Riding: Dufferin Caledon 2007 –

  • Co-Deputy Leader [with Steve Clark] (2013- 2015)
  • Caucus Chair (2012-2014)
  • Executive Assistant, Office of the Leader of the Opposition (John Tory)

Sylvia Jones, MPP
Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport

29 June 2018

This morning, incoming Ontario Premier Doug Ford appointed Dufferin-Caledon MPP, Sylvia Jones as the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport in the new PC government.

Minister Jones was first elected to the Ontario Legislature in 2007 and has served in a variety of critic roles.  Most recently, she was Deputy House Leader and the Critic for Infrastructure.  During the PC leadership challenges earlier this year, she was a leading spokesperson for the PC caucus.

From Orangeville for over 30 years, Minister Jones previously attended Fanshawe College in radio broadcasting and served as John Tory’s EA when he was Ontario PC leader.

Sylvia Jones has served as the Member of Provincial Parliament Dufferin Caledon since 2007.

Her many critic responsibilities have included serving as the Critic for Community and Social Services; the Critic for Children and Youth Services; the Critic for Government Services; the Critic for Infrastructure and the Opposition Deputy House Leader. Since being elected in 2007, Sylvia has introduced many pieces of legislation that have been adopted into government legislation and have become law, including the Social Assistance Statute Law Amendment Act, the Aggregate Recycling Promotion Act and the Respecting Private Property Act.

Sylvia currently serves as the Minister of Tourism Culture and Sport.

Sylvia has lived in Orangeville for over 30 years with her husband David. They are proud parents of two

For a full list of new cabinet appointments, please go here.

Parliamentary Assistant

Parliamentary Assistant, Vincent Ke, MPP Don Valley North. Mr. Ke’s bio may be found here.  A full list of Parliamentary Assistant’s may be found here.

Who is Vincent Ke?

  • Born and raised in a working-class home in China, proud immigrant to Canada living in Ontario since 1998
  • Happily married, father of an adult son
  • Senior design and development engineer with a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Germany
  • Over 25 years of international work experience in China, Germany and Canada
  • Ontario Volunteer Service Awards recipient
  • Over a decade of volunteer service with numerous community organizations
  • Passionate about the opportunity to serve and advocate on behalf of all constituents in Don Valley North

Vincent Ke on the issues:

  • Increase rather than cut funding for North York General, one of the busiest hospitals in Canada
  • Secure proportional provincial funding for the extension of the Sheppard line subway from Don Mills Rd. to Scarborough Town Centre
  • Stand up for programs and legislation that put the rights of victims and safety of communities first

As an immigrant living in Ontario for nearly 20 years, I have witnessed the Liberal government turned the legacy the PC party, a long considered Canada’s economic engine, to the most indebted province or state in the entire world, and one that takes handouts from the rest of Canada. I love this province and I cannot afford the Liberals to ruin this place for 4 more years.” ——Vincent Ke

Deputy Ministers:

Deputy Minister, Nancy Matthews. Deputy Matthews comes to MTCS from the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, where she also served as Deputy Minister. (TAA will share a bio when it becomes available.)

Nancy Matthews

Deputy Minister, Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport

Nancy Matthews was appointed Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport in June 2018.

Nancy began her public service career at the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto and City of Toronto, and over a 23-year period held progressively senior management and executive positions in a number of community services, policy and human services portfolios.

Since 2009, Nancy has been an assistant deputy minister with the Ontario government, beginning in the Ministry of Children and Youth Services. In 2013, she moved to the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change as Assistant Deputy Minister of Operations. In October 2015, Nancy joined the Ministry of Education as Assistant Deputy Minister of the Early Years Division and also served as interim Deputy Minister of Education. From October 2016 to June 2018, Nancy served as Deputy Minister of Children and Youth Services.

The correspondence from Cabinet Secretary Steve Orsini states “Nancy will play a leadership role in enhancing youth engagement in sports and recreation.”

MTCS Chief of Staff

The Chief of Staff to the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport – Sylvia Jones – has been named: David Garland.

He is an accountant & finance guy by background and (uniquely among the Chiefs named so far) not familiar to us, but we’re gathering some further insight etc. Likely underscores the importance of data to demonstrate the impact of the PLOG on rural and small town libraries.

Very interestingly, in a former role he worked as VP, Finance & Admin for Pathways to Education from 2010 – 2014.

In addition – he served as CFO to the Ford leadership campaign.

Civil Service

A this stage our regular contacts at MTCS are in place including Kevin Finnerty.

MTCS Senior Policy Advisor

As the new government continues to staff up, we’ve learned this morning that Christopher Dacunha will be joining Minister Jones’ office as a Senior Policy Advisor.

Christopher is coming to the Ministry from a role at the Ontario Real Estate Association, but he previously worked as Sylvia’s Legislative Assistant at Queen’s Park for a number of years.

All Deputy Minister Appointments

June 29, 2018

Memo to Deputy Ministers

Earlier today, the Premier of Ontario, the Honourable Doug Ford, announced his Cabinet.

I am announcing a number of deputy minister appointments that will enhance our ability to deliver on the government’s agenda in the most efficient and effective way possible. Unless otherwise noted, all of these appointments are effective today so that deputy ministers can immediately begin to work with their new ministers.

Appointments

Helen Angus becomes Deputy Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. This ministry will now also be responsible for youth mental health.

Lynn Betzner continues as Associate Secretary of the Cabinet; Deputy Minister, Communications, Cabinet Office; and Deputy Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs. Lynn will work closely with the new government in supporting its communication efforts and will assume lead responsibility for Ontario.ca.

Sam Erry remains Deputy Minister of Correctional Services and will assume responsibility for the Anti-Racism Directorate.

Marie-Lison Fougère becomes Deputy Minister for Seniors and Accessibility and Deputy Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs.

Kevin French becomes Deputy Minister of Government Services, reporting to the Minister of Government and Consumer Services. This ministry will also have responsibility for Information Technology operations and government real estate.

Giles Gherson becomes Deputy Minister, Red Tape and Regulatory Burden Reduction, Cabinet Office, to lead one the Premier’s top priorities: to help make Ontario more competitive and open for business.

Hillary Hartley becomes Deputy Minister of Consumer Services, reporting to the Minister of Government and Consumer Services, and will be responsible for ServiceOntario and Open Government. As Chief Digital Officer, she will continue to lead the Ontario Digital Service. Hillary will also lead the development of consumer service guarantees and a new centre of excellence on design thinking and lean methodologies. She will be initiating an internal competition for an assistant deputy minister to head the centre.

Serge Imbrogno becomes Deputy Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. This ministry will be assigned responsibility for provincial parks, Conservation Authorities and species-at-risk legislation.

Nancy Kennedy becomes Deputy Minister, Treasury Board Secretariat and Secretary of Treasury Board and Management Board of Cabinet. The Inclusive Diversity Office within Cabinet Office will move to the renamed Public Service Commission (formerly known as the Centre for Leadership and Learning) within the Treasury Board Secretariat.

David de Launay continues as Deputy Minister of Northern Development and Mines, reporting to the Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines.

Laurie LeBlanc becomes Deputy Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, reporting to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Nancy Matthews becomes Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. Nancy will play a leadership role in enhancing youth engagement in sports and recreation. This ministry will now also be responsible for honours and awards.

Janet Menard becomes Deputy Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. This ministry will join together the functions from community and social services and children and youth portfolios, including youth justice. In addition, the ministry will be responsible for citizenship and immigration policy, including newcomer and refugee resettlement. Janet also becomes Deputy Minister Responsible for Women’s Issues.

Greg Orencsak becomes Deputy Minister of Finance.

Shirley Phillips becomes Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. This ministry brings together the economic development and trade portfolios, and will now also be responsible for the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program.

Stephen Rhodes becomes Deputy Minister of Energy, reporting to the Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines.

Deborah Richardson becomes Deputy Minister of Indigenous Affairs, reporting to the Minister of Indigenous Affairs.

Scott Thompson becomes Deputy Minister of Transportation and Deputy Minister of Infrastructure.

Effective September 1, Bill Thornton will become Deputy Minister of Northern Development and Mines in addition to his role as Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry.

George Zegarac becomes Deputy Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities. This ministry will now also be responsible for the College of Trades, immigration training programs and the Office of the Fairness Commissioner.

Deputy Ministers Paul Boniferro, Steven Davidson, Sophie Dennis, Greg Meredith, Bruce Rodrigues, Bill Thornton and Matt Torigian will continue in their current roles.

Transition

Maureen Adamson

June 22, 2018

Memo to Deputy Ministers

Maureen Adamson has accepted the position of President and Chief Executive Officer of Fleming College. Maureen agreed to continue to serve as Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport and Deputy Minister of the Status of Women until August 20th or until a successor is named.

Maureen returned to the OPS in April 2016, after serving as President and CEO of the Michener Institute for Applied Health Sciences, a postsecondary institution integrated with University Health Network. Maureen spent the first 20 years of her career in the OPS in financial, operational and capital policy and planning leadership roles.

Under Maureen’s strong leadership, the ministry successfully led the activation of Ontario Place; launched the economic empowerment strategy for women; and, most notably, planned, organized and supported more than 2,000 events and initiatives during the year-long Ontario150 celebration across the province. In addition to her role as Deputy Minister, Maureen was a vocal champion for the OPS Pride Network serving as its co-executive sponsor.

On a personal note, I want to thank Maureen for her advice and support to me and for her contributions as a valued member of the Deputy Minister team.

I also want to thank Maureen for agreeing to remain in office until her replacement is appointed. Please join me in congratulating Maureen and wishing her the very best as she takes on this new adventure.

  1. Dean French, Chief of Staff, Premier-Designate; Diane McArthur, Chief Talent Officer, Treasury Board Secretariat

Federal

Pablo Rodriguez takes on the tricky Canadian Heritage file. The veteran Montreal MP is an adept communicator and skilled backroom politician. The Prime Minister will be looking to him to smooth over some of the controversies on the cultural file in Quebec as the media landscape continues to change.

The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez

Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism

(Honoré-Mercier)

Minister of Canadian Heritage Mandate Letter (November 12, 2015)

A respected political figure, the Honourable Pablo Rodriguez is the Member of Parliament for Honoré-Mercier.

He was first elected Member of Parliament for Honoré-Mercier in 2004, and was re-elected in 2006 and 2008. During these years, he took on many important roles, including Chair of the Standing Committee of Official Languages and Critic for Culture, Official Languages, Economic Development, Public Works and Government Services, and La Francophonie. He also served as the Québec Caucus Chair for several years.

Minister Rodriguez is known for his work to support the fight against climate change, protect and promote culture, and promote official languages and minority rights.

Between 2011 and 2015, Minister Rodriguez worked in the environment sector. In 2015, he was re-elected as the Member for Honoré-Mercier. He was subsequently appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, a role in which he served in until being appointed Chief Government Whip in 2017. As Chief Government Whip, he sat on the Board of Internal Economy and was an invited member on the Cabinet Committee on Open Transparent Government and Parliament.

In 2018, he was appointed Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism.

A graduate in business administration, Minister Rodriguez started his career in the field of international development for a Montreal-based NGO. In this role, he was responsible for the management and evaluation of development projects in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. The importance he placed on aid to developing countries and the fight against poverty led him to collaborate with many organizations such as Oxfam-Québec, for which he served as Vice-President of the Board for more than four years. He then became Vice-President and Associate of a public affairs firm where he was responsible for numerous projects in Canada and overseas.

Throughout his career, he participated and gave lectures at a number of conferences in various countries on three continents.

Minister Rodriguez is fluent in French and English, as well as Spanish, and is now learning Italian.

Rodriguez was born on June 21, 1967 in San Miguel de TucumanArgentina.[1] When he was eight, Rodriguez’s family fled to Canada after their home was bombed during the Dirty War after his father was repeatedly jailed and tortured for his activism.[2]

Prior to entering politics, Rodriguez, who has a degree in business administration from the University of Sherbrooke, had worked for over twelve years in the fields of public affairs and management of international projects.

Throughout his career, Rodriguez has dedicated much of his time to humanitarian causes. His work particularly focused on helping developing countries and the eradication of poverty. He was the Vice President of Oxfam Québec from 2000 to 2004.[3]

Federal politics

Rodriguez was elected as a Liberal to the House of Commons of Canada for the Quebec riding of Honoré-Mercier in 20042006 and 2008.

Rodriguez was Chair of the Standing Committee on Official Languages, the Official Opposition’s Critic for of the Francophonie and Official Languages, and Critic for Public Works and Government Services Canada. He has served on many committees of the House of Commons, including the Committee of Canadian Heritage, Official Languages and the Public Accounts Committee.

On February 14, 2007, a bill Rodriguez put forward was passed by the Commons that would give the Conservative government 60 days to come up with a plan to respect Canada’s engagements under the Kyoto protocol.[clarification needed]

He is the Past President of the Quebec wing of the Liberal Party of Canada.

He was the Quebec Chair of the Michael Ignatieff candidacy during his 2006 campaign for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada.

In the 2011 election he was defeated by NDP candidate Paulina Ayala. Rodriguez sought a rematch in the 2015 election and defeated Ayala to return to Parliament.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau substantively shook up his cabinet to put it on a pre-election footing.

The Prime Minister’s Office added five new seats at the cabinet table and played a round of musical chairs with other departments.

Trudeau adds 5 new ministers in cabinet shakeup that puts focus on seniors, border security

Here is a complete list of who is doing what ahead of the 2019 election.

New additions to the cabinet table have been bolded, ministers who have changed portfolios are marked with an asterisk* and ministers who are staying in their role but whose titles or responsibilities have changed are italicized.

  • Justin Trudeau – Prime Minister and Minister of Youth.
  • *Dominic LeBlanc– Minister of Intergovernmental and Northern Affairs and Internal Trade. LeBlanc will also become President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada.
  • *James Carr – Minister of International Trade Diversification.
  • *Mélanie Joly* – Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie.
  • *Amarjeet Sohi – Minister of Natural Resources.
  • *Carla Qualtrough – Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility (adds Accessibility).
  • François-Philippe Champagne* – Minister of Infrastructure and Communities.
  • Pablo Rodriguez – Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism.
  • Bill Blair – Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction.
  • Mary Ng– Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion.
  • Filomena Tassi –Minister of Seniors.
  • Jonathan Wilkinson – Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard.
  • Carolyn Bennett– Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations.
  • Scott Brison– President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Digital Government.
  • Marie-Claude Bibeau– Minister of International Development.
  • Kirsty Duncan– Minister of Science and Sport.
  • Bardish Chagger– Leader of the Government in the House of Commons.
  • Navdeep Bains – Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Developmet.
  • Jean-Yves Duclos – Minister of Families, Children and Social Development.
  • Chrystia Freeland – Minister of Foreign Affairs.
  • Marc Garneau – Minister of Transport.
  • Ralph Goodale – Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.
  • Karina Gould – Minister of Democratic Institutions.
  • Patty Hajdu – Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour.
  • Ahmed Hussen- Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.
  • Diane Lebouthillier – Minister of National Revenue.
  • Lawrence MacAulay – Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.
  • Catherine McKenna – Minister of Environment and Climate Change.
  • Maryam Monsef – Minister of Status of Women.
  • Bill Morneau – Minister of Finance.
  • Seamus O’Regan- Minister of Veterans Affairs.
  • Ginette Petitpas-Taylor – Minister of Health.
  • Jane Philpott – Minister of Indigenous Services.
  • Harjit Sajjan – Minister of National Defence.
  • Jody Wilson-Raybould – Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada.