Jennifer McKelvie
Jennifer McKelvie | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Acting Mayor of Toronto | |
| Assuming office TBD | |
| Succeeding | John Tory |
| 13th Deputy Mayor of Toronto | |
| Assumed office November 16, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Denzil Minnan-Wong |
| Toronto City Councillor for Ward 25 Scarborough—Rouge Park | |
| Assumed office December 1, 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Ward created |
| Personal details | |
| Born | East York, Ontario |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Spouse | Warren McKelvie |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence(s) | Toronto, Ontario |
| Alma mater | University of Toronto Scarborough (B.Sc.) University of Toronto (M.Sc., Ph.D.) |
| Occupation |
|
| Website | www |
Jennifer McKelvie (/məˈkɛlvi/ mə-KEL-vee) is a Canadian politician who has been the deputy mayor of Toronto since November 16, 2022. McKelvie has also represented Ward 25 Scarborough—Rouge Park on Toronto City Council since 2018. After the resignation of John Tory on February 10, 2023, McKelvie will serve as acting Mayor of Toronto.[1][2][3] Upon assuming the office of mayor McKelvie will become the first female mayor of Toronto post-amalgamation.
McKelvie was one of only two candidates to unseat an incumbent in the 2018 municipal election, a rare feat in Toronto politics.[4] In the 2014 Toronto municipal election, she was a candidate in the now defunct Ward 44, and came within less than 600 votes of defeating then long-time incumbent Ron Moeser.[5]
Enhancing public transit, protecting the environment and creating employment opportunities in Scarborough, were her key electoral priorities. She also derided the post-amalgamation shift of public investment and municipal jobs out of Scarborough to Toronto's downtown core.[6] McKelvie believes replacing Line 3 Scarborough line in favour of a three-stop subway and building an Eglinton East LRT line are crucial transit projects necessary to properly connect Scarborough with the rest of Toronto.
Early life and family
Jennifer McKelvie (née Gray) was born in East York, and lived her early years in an apartment complex on the North York-Scarborough border. She attended the French immersion program at Precious Blood Elementary School, and is a graduate of Senator O'Connor College School. She is one of the few members of city council who is fluent in French.[citation needed]
She lives in Ward 25 with her husband, Warren, and her two children.
Academic career
An environmental geoscientist, she received her B.Sc. in Environmental Science from the University of Toronto Scarborough and her M.Sc. and Ph.D. from the University of Toronto in geology, with research specializing in geochemistry, environmental remediation, and biochemistry. Her academic mentor and supervisor was Barbara Sherwood Lollar.[citation needed]
McKelvie's academic work has been recognized and supported by the L’Oréal UNESCO Women in Science Fellowship, and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. She has authored more than twenty peer-reviewed scientific journal publications, which have been referenced more than 1200 times.[7] Prior to her election, McKelvie worked as an environmental geoscientist and researcher. For almost a decade, she served as a senior scientist at the Nuclear Waste Management Organization, and as a research director at the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research.[citation needed]
Community service
McKelvie was the first president of the Scarborough Community Renewal Organization, and was president of the Centennial Community & Recreation Association.[8][9] In both of these capacities she fought for renewal and investment in Scarborough. McKelvie also served as a member of the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus Council, and as a citizen member of the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA).
Her community service has been recognized by the Scarborough Rotary Clubs, who awarded her with the Paul Harris Fellow award in 2017. She has also received awards recognizing her leadership from the province of Ontario and was named a 150 Neighbour by the University of Toronto Scarborough.[10]
Political career
Jennifer McKelvie currently serves as Chair of Toronto's Infrastructure and Environment Committee and as Vice-Chair of the Executive Committee. She also serves on Scarborough's Community Council, the Toronto Hydro Corporation Board of Directors and the Toronto Zoo Board of Management.[11]
Electoral record
| 2022 Toronto election, Ward 25[12] | ||
| Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Jennifer McKelvie | 14168 | 72.28% |
| Jacinta Kanakaratnam | 3449 | 17.60% |
| Ashan Fernando | 1984 | 10.12% |
| Total | 19601 | 100% |
| 2018 Toronto election, Ward 25[13] | ||
| Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Jennifer McKelvie | 11,624 | 40.21% |
| Neethan Shan | 11,470 | 39.68% |
| Paul Cookson | 1,897 | 6.56% |
| Amanda Cain | 831 | 2.87% |
| Total | 28,970 | 100% |
| 2014 Toronto election, Ward 44[14] | ||
| Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Ron Moeser | 6,416 | 25.73% |
| Jennifer McKelvie | 5,844 | 23.44% |
| Diana Hall | 5,530 | 22.18% |
| Amarjeet Chhabra | 2,852 | 11.44% |
| Total | 24,934 | 100% |
References
- ^ Cristina Tenaglia [@cristina_CP24] (February 11, 2023). "NEW: We have been advised…Mayor is resigning in the coming days-not effective tonight. #topoli #onpoli" (Tweet). Retrieved February 10, 2023 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Toronto Mayor John Tory steps down after admitting relationship with staffer". CBC News. February 10, 2023.
- ^ https://www.cp24.com/news/who-is-jennifer-mckelvie-what-we-know-of-the-scarborough-councillor-poised-to-take-over-as-mayor-1.6269715
- ^ "Jennifer McKelvie takes the scientific approach to municipal politics | The Star". thestar.com. December 2018. Retrieved 2019-11-19.
- ^ Palamarchuk, Andrew (2014-10-31). "Second-place finisher McKelvie reflects on close race in Ward 44". Toronto.com. Retrieved 2019-11-19.
- ^ Adler, Mike (2019-09-25). "Toronto will move staff to Etobicoke and Scarborough civic centres". Toronto.com. Retrieved 2019-11-19.
- ^ "Jennifer McKelvie - Google Scholar Citations". scholar.google.ca. Retrieved 2019-11-19.
- ^ "Scarborough Community Renewal Organization – Scarborough deserves better". Retrieved 2019-11-19.
- ^ "Centennial Community & Recreation Association – Voice of the Community since 1949". Retrieved 2019-11-19.
- ^ "Dr. Jennifer McKelvie". 150 Neighbours. 2017-06-30. Retrieved 2019-11-19.
- ^ "Councillor Jennifer McKelvie". City of Toronto. 2018-12-01. Retrieved 2019-11-19.
- ^ https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/9085-FinalDeclaration-of-Results-for-the-2022-Toronto-Municipal-Election.pdf
- ^ "A look at the 2018 Toronto election results, ward by ward". Toronto City Council. October 22, 2018.
- ^ "Declaration of Results" (PDF). Toronto City Council. October 30, 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 5, 2016. Retrieved April 18, 2017.