Canadians (singular Canadian) are the people who are identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be genetic, residential, legal, historical, cultural or ethnic. For most Canadians, several (frequently all) of those types of connections exist and are the source(s) of them being considered ''Canadians''.

Aside from the Aboriginal peoples, who according to the 2006 Canadian Census numbered 1,172,790, 3.8% of the country's total population, the majority of the population is made up of Old World immigrants and their descendants. After the initial period of French and then British colonization, different waves (or peaks) of immigration and settlement of non-aboriginal peoples took place over the course of nearly two centuries and continues today. Elements of Aboriginal, French, British and more recent immigrant customs, languages and religions have combined to form the culture of Canada and thus a Canadian identity. Canada has also been strongly influenced by that of its linguistic, geographic and economic neighbour, the United States.

The Canadian Citizenship Act of 1946 took effect on 1 January 1947. Prior to that, Canadians were British subjects and Canada's nationality law closely mirrored that of the United Kingdom. As Canadian independence was obtained incrementally over the course of many years since the formation of the Canadian Confederation in 1867, World War I and World War II in particular gave rise to a desire amongst Canadians to have their country recognized as a fully-fledged sovereign state with a distinct citizenship. Legislation since the mid 20th century represents Canadians' commitment to multilateralism and socioeconomic development.

Origins

Canadians make up 0.5% of the world's total population,²⁰¹⁰ having relied upon immigration for population growth and social development. Approximately 41% of current Canadians are first or second generation immigrants, meaning one out of every five Canadians currently living in Canada was not born in the country. Statistics Canada projects that, by 2031, nearly one-half of Canadians above the age of 15 will be foreign-born or have one foreign-born parent.

Immigration

The French originally settled New France in present-day Quebec, during the early part of the 17th century. They also settled the Acadian peninsula alongside a smaller number of other European merchants, who collectively became the Acadians. During the 18th and 19th century; immigration westward (to the area known as Rupert's Land) was carried out by French settlers (Coureur des bois) working for the North West Company, and by British (English and Scottish) settlers representing the Hudson's Bay Company. This led to the creation of the Métis, an ethnic group of mixed European and First Nations parentage.

The British conquest of New France was proceeded by small number of Germans and Swedes who settled alongside the Scottish in Port Royal, Nova Scotia, while some Irish immigrated to the Colony of Newfoundland. In the wake of the 1775 invasion of Canada by the newly-formed Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, approximately 60,000 United Empire Loyalist fled to British North America, a large portion of whom migrated to New Brunswick. After the War of 1812, British (included British army regulars), Scottish and Irish immigration was encouraged throughout Rupert's Land, Upper Canada and Lower Canada.

Between 1815 and 1850 some 800,000 immigrants came to the colonies of British North America, mainly from the British Isles as part of the great migration of Canada. These included some Gaelic-speaking Highland Scots displaced by the Highland Clearances to Nova Scotia. The Irish Potato Famine of the 1840s significantly increased the pace of Irish immigration to Prince Edward Island and the Province of Canada, with over 35,000 distressed individuals landing in Toronto in 1847 and 1848. Beginning in late 1850s, Chinese immigrants into the Colony of Vancouver Island and Colony of British Columbia peaked with the onset of the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush. The Chinese Immigration Act of 1885 eventually placed a head tax on all Chinese immigrants, in hopes of discouraging Chinese immigration after completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway.

The population of Canada has consistently risen, doubling approximately every 40 years, since the establishment of the Canadian Confederation in 1867. From the mid to late 19th century Canada had a policy of assisting immigrants from Europe, including an estimated 100,000 unwanted "Home Children" from Britain. Block settlement communities were established throughout western Canada between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Some were planned and other were spontaneously created by the settlers themselves. Canada was now receiving a large amount of European immigrants predominately Italians, Germans, Scandinavians, Dutch and Ukrainians.

Legislative restrictions on immigration (such as the Continuous journey regulation and Chinese Immigration Act) that had favoured British and other European immigrants were amended in the 1960s, opening the doors to immigrants from all parts of the world. While the 1950s had still seen high levels of immigration by Europeans, by the 1970s immigrants increasingly were Chinese, Indian, Vietnamese, Jamaican and Haitian. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Canada received many American Vietnam War draft dissenters. Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s Canada's growing Pacific trade brought with it a large influx of South Asians, that tended to settle in British Columbia.

In 2009, Canada received 252,179 immigrants - the top ten source countries were China (29,049), the Philippines (27,277), India (26,122), the United States (9,723), the United Kingdom (9,566), France (7,300), Pakistan (6,214), Iran (6,065), South Korea (5,864), and Morocco (5,222). These countries were followed closely by Algeria (4,785), United Arab Emirates (4,640), and Iraq (4,567) with Sri Lanka, Colombia, and Germany each contributing over 4,000 immigrants. Immigrants of all backgrounds tend to settle in the major urban centres.

The majority of illegal immigrants come from the southern provinces of the People's Republic of China, with Asia as a whole, Eastern Europe, Caribbean, Africa and the Middle East all contributing to the illegal population. Estimates of illegal immigrants range between 35,000 and 120,000. A 2008 report by the Auditor General of Canada Sheila Fraser, stated that Canada has lost track of approximately 41,000 illegal immigrants whose visas have expired.

Citizenship

Canadian citizenship is typically obtained by birth in Canada, birth abroad when at least one parent is a Canadian citizen and was born in Canada, or by adoption abroad by at least one Canadian citizen. It can also be granted to a permanent resident who lives in Canada for three out of four years and meets specific requirements. Canada established its own nationality law in 1946 with the enactment of the Canadian Citizenship Act, which took effect on 1 January 1947. The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, was passed by the Parliament of Canada in 2001 as Bill C-11, which replaced the Immigration Act of 1976 as the primary federal legislation regulating immigration. Prior to the conferring of legal status on Canadian citizenship, Canada's naturalization laws consisted of a multitude of Acts beginning with the Immigration Act of 1910.

According to Citizenship and Immigration Canada there are three main classifications for immigrants: Family class (closely related persons of Canadian residents), Economic class (admitted on the basis of a point system that account for age, health and labour-market skills required for cost effectively inducting the immigrants into Canada's labour market) and Refugee class (those seeking protection by applying to remain in the country by way of the Canadian immigration and refugee law). In 2008, there were 65,567 immigrants in the family class, 21,860 refugees, and 149,072 economic immigrants amongst the 247,243 total immigrants to the country. Canada resettles over one in 10 of the world’s refugees and has one of the highest per-capita immigration rates in the world, driven by economic policy and family reunification, and is aiming for between 240,000 and 265,000 "new permanent residents" in 2011.

The majority of Canadian citizens live in Canada; however, there are approximately 2,800,000 Canadians abroad as of November 1, 2009. This represents about 7.5% of the total Canadian population. Of those abroad the United States, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, Taiwan, China, and Lebanon have the largest Canadian diaspora. Canadians in United States are the greatest single expatriate community at over 1 million in 2009, representing 35.8% of all Canadians abroad. Under current Canadian law, Canada does not restrict dual citizenship but Passport Canada encourages its citizens to travel abroad on their Canadian passport, so they can access Canadian consular services .

Ethnic ancestry

Canada has thirty four ethnic groups with at least one hundred thousand members each, of which eleven have over 1,000,000 people and numerous others are represented in smaller amounts. According to the 2006 census, the largest self-reported ethnic origin is Canadian (32%), followed by English (21%), French (15.8%), Scottish (15.1%), Irish (13.9%), German (10.2%), Italian (4.6%), Chinese (4.3%), North American Indian (4.0%), Ukrainian (3.9%), and Dutch (Netherlands) (3.3%). In the 2006 census, over five million Canadians identified themselves as a member of a visible minority. Together, they make up 16.2% of the total population: most numerous among these are South Asian (4.0%), Black (2.5%), and Filipino (1.1%). Aboriginal peoples are not considered a visible minority under the Employment Equity Act, and is the definition that Statistics Canada also uses.

Ethnic origins of people in Canada>Ethnic origin	! %	population of Canada>Population	Demographics of Canada>Area of largest proportion
Canadian	32.22%
English Canadian	21.03%
	15.82%
Scottish Canadian	15.11%
Irish Canadian	13.94%
	10.18%
	4.63%
Chinese Canadian	4.31%
	4.01%
Ukrainian Canadian	3.87%
	3.32%
	3.15%
	3.08%
	1.60%
	1.41%
Filipino Canadian	1.40%
Norwegian Canadian	1.38%
	1.32%
	1.31%
British Canadian(British Isles not included elsewhere)	1.29%
Swedish Canadian	1.07%
	1.04%
	1.01%
	1.01%
	1.01%

::::For a complete list see: Canadian ethnic groups

Culture

Canada's culture, like that of most any country in the world, is a product of its language(s), religion(s), political and legal system(s). Being a settler nation, Canada has been shaped by waves of migration that have combined to form a unique blend of art, cuisine, literature, humour and music. Today, Canada has a diverse makeup of nationalities and constitutional protection for policies that promote multiculturalism rather than cultural assimilation or a single national myth. In Quebec, cultural identity is strong, and many French-speaking commentators speak of a Quebec culture as distinguished from English Canadian culture. However as a whole Canada is a cultural mosaic a collection of several regional, aboriginal, and ethnic subcultures.

Canadian Government policies such as; publicly-funded health care, higher and more progressive taxation, outlawing capital punishment, strong efforts to eliminate poverty, an emphasis on multiculturalism, imposing strict gun control, leniency in regard to drug use and most recently legalizing same-sex marriage - are social indicators of how Canada's political and cultural evolution differ from that of the United States. American media and entertainment are popular, if not dominant, in English Canada; conversely, many Canadian cultural products and entertainers are successful in the United States and worldwide. The Government of Canada has also influenced culture with programs, laws and institutions. It has created "crown corporations" to promote Canadian culture through media and has also tried to protect Canadian culture by setting legal minimums on Canadian content.

Canadian culture has historically been influenced by Aboriginal, French and British cultures and traditions. Most of Canada's territory was inhabited and developed later than other European colonies in the Americas, with the result that themes and symbols of pioneers, trappers, and traders were important in the early development of the Canadian identity. First Nations played a critical part in the development of European colonies in Canada, particularly for their role in assisting exploration of the continent during the North American fur trade. The British conquest of New France in the mid 1700s brought a large Francophone population under British Imperial rule, creating a need for compromise and accommodation. The new British rulers left alone much of the religious, political, and social culture of the French-speaking ''habitants'', guaranteeing the right of the ''Canadiens'' to practice the Catholic faith and to the use of French civil law (now Quebec law) through the Quebec Act of 1774.

The Constitution Act of 1867 was designed to meet the growing calls of Canadians for autonomy from British rule, while avoiding the overly-strong decentralization that contributed to the Civil War in the United States. The compromises made by the Fathers of Confederation set Canadians on a path to bilingualism, and this in turn contributed to an acceptance of diversity that later led to both multiculturalism and the recognition of Aboriginal contributions to Canadian society.

The Canadian Forces and overall civilian participation in the First World War and Second World War helped to foster Canadian nationalism, however in 1917 and 1944 conscription crisis's caused a considerable rift along ethnic lines between Anglophones and Francophones. As a result of the First and Second World Wars, the Government of Canada became more assertive and less deferential to British authority. With the gradual loosening of political ties to the United Kingdom and the modernization of Canadian immigration policies, in the 20th century immigrants with African, Caribbean and Asian nationalities have added to the Canadian identity and its culture. The multiple origins immigration pattern continues today with the arrival of large numbers of immigrants from non British or French backgrounds.

Multiculturalism in Canada was adopted as the official policy of the government during the premiership of Pierre Elliot Trudeau in the 1970s and 1980s. The Canadian government has often been described as the instigator of multicultural ideology because of its public emphasis on the social importance of immigration. Multiculturalism is administered by the Department of Canadian Heritage and reflected in the law through the Canadian Multiculturalism Act and section 27 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In parts of Canada, especially the major urban areas, multiculturalism itself is the cultural norm and diversity is a force that unites the community.

In a 2002 interview with the ''Globe and Mail'', Karīm al-Hussainī the 49th Aga Khan of the Ismaili Muslims described Canada as "the most successful pluralist society on the face of our globe", citing it as "a model for the world." He explained that the experience of Canadian governance - its commitment to pluralism and its support for the rich multicultural diversity of its peoples - is something that must be shared and would be of benefit to all societies in other parts of the world.

Religion

Canada as a nation is religiously diverse, encompassing a wide range of groups, beliefs and customs. The preamble to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms references "God", and the monarch carries the title of "Defender of the Faith". However Canada has no official religion and support for religious pluralism (Freedom of religion in Canada) is an important part of Canada's political culture. With Christianity on the decline, having once been central and integral to Canadian culture and daily life; it has been recently suggested that Canada has come to enter a post-Christian period in a secular state, where the practice of religion has "moved to the margins of public life", with irreligion in Canada on the rise.

The 2001 Canadian census reported that 77.1% of Canadians identify as being Christians; of this, Catholics make up the largest group (43.6%). The largest Protestant denomination is the United Church of Canada (9.5%), followed by the Anglicans (6.8%), Baptists (2.4%), Lutherans (2%), and other Christians (4.4%). About 16.5% of Canadians declare no religious affiliation, including agnostics, atheists, humanists, and other groups. The remaining 6.3% are affiliated with non-Christian religions, the largest of which is Islam (2.0%), followed by Judaism (1.1%).

Before the arrival of Europeans, First Nations followed a wide array of mostly animistic religions. During the colonial period, the French settled along the shores of the Saint Lawrence River, specifically Latin rite Roman Catholics, including a number of Jesuits dedicated to converting Aboriginals; an effort that eventually proved successful. The first large Protestant communities were formed in the Maritimes after the British conquest of New France, followed by American Protestant settlers displaced by the American Revolution. The late nineteenth century saw the beginning of a large shift in Canadian immigration patterns. Large numbers of Irish and Southern Europeans immigrants were creating new Roman Catholic communities in English Canada. The settlement of the west brought significant Eastern Orthodox immigrants from Eastern Europe and Mormon and Pentecostal immigrants from the United States.

The earliest documentation of Jews in Canada are the 1754 British Army records from the French and Indian War. In 1760, General Jeffrey Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst attacked and won Montreal for the British. In his regiment there were several Jews, including four among his officer corps, most notably Lieutenant Aaron Hart who is considered the father of Canadian Jewry. The Islamic, Sikhism and Buddhism communities although small, are as old as the nation itself. The 1871 Canadian Census (first "Canadian" national census) indicated thirteen Muslims among the populace, with approximately 5000 Sikh by 1908. The first Canadian mosque was constructed in Edmonton in 1938, when there were approximately 700 Muslims in Canada. Buddhism first arrived in Canada when Japanese immigrated during the late 19th century. The first Japanese Buddhist temple in Canada was built in Vancouver in 1905. The influx of immigrants in the late 20th century with Sri Lankan, Japanese, Indian and Southeast Asian customs, has contributed to the recent expansion of the Sikhism and Buddhist communities.

Languages

A multitude of languages are used by Canadians, with English and French (the official languages) being the mother tongues of 59.7% and 23.2% of the population respectively. Approximately twenty percent or over six million people in Canada list a non-official language as their mother tongue. Some of the most common first languages include: Chinese (3.1%), Italian (1.4%), German (1.2%), Spanish (1.2%), Punjabi (1.1%), Tagalog (0.9%), Tamil (0.8%), Gujarati (0.6%). Less than one percent of Canadians (just over 250,000 individuals) can speak an aboriginal language. About half this number (129,865) reported using an aboriginal language on a daily basis.

English and French are recognized by the Constitution of Canada as official languages. Thus all federal government laws are enacted in both English and French with government services available in both languages. Two of Canada's territories give official status to indigenous languages. In Nunavut, Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun are official languages alongside the national languages of English and French, and Inuktitut is a common vehicular language in territorial government. In the Northwest Territories, the Official Languages Act declares that there are eleven different languages: Chipewyan, Cree, English, French, Gwich’in, Inuinnaqtun, Inuktitut, Inuvialuktun, North Slavey, South Slavey and Tłįchǫ. Canadian media offers specialty television channels, newspapers and other publications in many minority languages, that are widely accessible across the county.

In Canada as elsewhere in the world of European colonization, the frontier of European exploration and settlement tended to be a linguistically diverse and fluid place, as cultures using different languages met and interacted. The need for a common means of communication between the indigenous inhabitants and new arrivals for the purposes of trade and (in some cases) intermarriage led to the development of hybrid languages. Languages like Michif, Chinook Jargon and Bungi creole tended to be highly localized and were often spoken by only a small number of individuals who were frequently capable of speaking another language.

See also

Demographics of Canada

List of Canadians

Orders, decorations, and medals of Canada - complex system by which Canadians are honoured

Persons of National Historic Significance

Notes

References

Further reading

External links

Canada Year Book 2010 - Statistics Canada

Canada: A People's History - Teacher Resources - Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

How Canadians Govern Themselves - Parliament of Canada

Persons of National Historic Significance in Canada - Parks Canada

Multicultural Canada - Department of Canadian Heritage

The Canadian Immigrant Experience - Library and Archives Canada

The Dictionary of Canadian Biography – Library and Archives Canada

Canadiana: The National Bibliography of Canada – Library and Archives Canada

* Category:Article Feedback Pilot ko:캐나다인 pl:Kanadyjczycy pt:Canadenses sah:Канаадалар uk:Канадці

name	Elizabeth Evans May
honorific-suffix	OC, LLB (Dalhousie) DHumL (MSVU ''hc'') LLD (UNB ''hc'') LLD (MAU ''hc'')
birth date	June 09, 1954
birth place	Hartford, Connecticut, United States
riding	Saanich—Gulf Islands
parliament	Canadian
term start	May 30, 2011
preceded	Gary Lunn
term start1	August 26, 2006
predecessor1	Jim Harris
party1	Green Party
office1	Leader of the Green Party of Canada
occupation	Politician, lawyer, writer, activist
alma mater	Dalhousie Law School (1983)
residence	Sidney, British Columbia
religion	Anglican
party	Green Party of Canada
otherparty	New Democratic Party Liberal Party of Canada }}

Elizabeth Evans May, OC, MP (born June 9, 1954) is an American-born Canadian Member of Parliament, environmentalist, writer, activist, lawyer, and the leader of the Green Party of Canada. She was the executive director of the Sierra Club of Canada from 1989 to 2006. She became a Canadian citizen in 1978.

May's permanent residence is in Sidney, British Columbia. Her family home is in Margaree Harbour, Cape Breton Island. On May 2, 2011, she became the first elected Green Party Member of Parliament in Canada, defeating the incumbent, Gary Lunn.

Early life and family

May was born in Hartford, Connecticut to a British father and American mother; she has a younger brother named Geoffrey. Her mother was a prominent anti-nuclear activist and one of the original founders of the peace group SANE, while her father was Assistant Vice President of Aetna Life and Casualty.

May attended Renbrook School and the prestigious Miss Porter's School in Farmington, Connecticut. Her family was rooted in the Welsh Congregationalist tradition of free thinking on religious beliefs.

The family moved to Margaree Harbour, Nova Scotia in 1972 following a summer vacation spent on Cape Breton Island. On moving to the province, the May family purchased and restored a land-locked schooner, the ''Marion Elizabeth'', in which a restaurant and gift shop was housed. Although the business had been closed for several years before being purchased by the Mays, it became a popular spot along the Cabot Trail. Launched in 1918, and named after the wife and daughter of the ship's first captain, the ''Marion Elizabeth'' was the only authentic Bluenose fishing schooner, and was built by the Lunenburg, Nova Scotia firm Smith and Rhuland. Farley Mowat also gave the Mays his schooner, the ''Happy Adventure'', which was featured in his book, ''The Boat Who Wouldn’t Float'', and was displayed next to the gift shop. The restaurant and gift shop operated from 1974 until 2002 when the property was expropriated for an expanded highway bridge carrying Route 19 across the Margaree River.

Law school

Heavy financial losses in the early years of the family business made it impossible for Elizabeth and her brother to go to university. Elizabeth briefly enrolled at St. Francis Xavier University in 1974, but had to leave when she didn’t have enough money for tuition. Returning to Margaree, she took correspondence courses in restaurant management. Beginning in 1980, she worked her way through Dalhousie Law School as a mature student, graduating with an LLB in 1983, with then Governor of Arkansas, Bill Clinton, writing her a letter of reference.

Early activism

In 1975, following the move to Margaree Harbour, Elizabeth May joined with other local residents in a grassroots effort to stop approved aerial insecticide spraying over the forests of Cape Breton Island. The group “Cape Breton Landowners Against the Spray” was the focus of Elizabeth May’s volunteer effort from 1975-79. Swedish multinational Stora owned the local pulp and paper mill and held licenses to harvest the forests of eastern Nova Scotia. Stora wanted the government to pay for spraying the now-banned, organophosphate insecticide fenitrothion to counter the epidemic of spruce budworm. Within months the provincial government agreed to cancel the permits due to health concerns. The budworm outbreak later collapsed of natural causes. The issue was the subject of Elizabeth May's first book, ''Budworm Battles'', as well as CBC program The Fifth Estate in a segment called “Miss May's War”, and a National Film Board documentary called ''Budworks''.

Early political activity

In 1980, disillusioned with the federal election sparked by the loss of confidence vote on Prime Minister Joe Clark's budget, May launched a political party to raise environment and anti-nuclear issues. The party, dubbed "the Small Party" and based on the ideas in E.F. Schumacher's book, ''Small is Beautiful'', ran 12 candidates in 6 provinces, in the 1980 federal election. They made no pretense of attempting to win seats, calling the effort a “beau geste” to raise awareness. May, at the time a 25-year-old waitress, ran against the former Deputy Prime Minister, Allan J. MacEachen in Cape Breton Highlands—Canso. She placed fourth in a field of four candidates receiving 272 votes.

Early 1980s environmental activism

Between 1980 and 1982, May worked in the local movement opposing uranium mining. It succeeded when the provincial government announced a moratorium. She was also very active in the effort to stop approval of the Point Lepreau nuclear plant in New Brunswick.

In 1982, the Nova Scotia government of Conservative Premier John Buchanan re-approved the spraying of forests with the herbicides 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T. Those same chemicals, in 50-50 combination, were known as ''Agent Orange'' and had been used as defoliants during the Vietnam War. All of the major pulp and paper companies in Nova Scotia received permits to spray the herbicides to kill hardwood trees and shrubs. May was between her second and third year of law school when the permits were granted, and began organizing to stop the spraying. The government announced it would convert the spray permits from aerial to ground spray. A total of 17 local residents went to court to stop the spraying. May's role was as both plaintiff and as volunteer lawyer. The plaintiffs received an interim injunction in August 1982 that prevented the spraying. Following the initial hearing, the case against Scott Paper was rejected. That initial decision resulted in a bill of costs against the plaintiffs for $15,000. May's mother sold 80 acres of family land to cover the costs to Scott Paper.

The trial of the 17 plaintiffs against Stora, reported as ''Vicky Palmer et al v. Stora Kopparberg, Nova Scotia Supreme Court Trial Division,'' was heard over the month of May 1983. Mr. Justice Merlin Nunn ruled that the chemicals were not dangerous and had not caused health effects in Vietnam. By the time the judgment came down, the chemicals were no longer available for use in Canada. On behalf of the plaintiffs, Elizabeth May and Chief Ryan Googoo of the Mikmaq First Nation traveled to Sweden to raise funds and support for an appeal. The tour of Sweden gained support for the Nova Scotians opposed to Agent Orange, with Prime Minister Olof Palme endorsing their cause. While they were away, the pulp company pressured the other plaintiffs to drop the appeal and accept a settlement. In the settlement, Stora insisted that, while other plaintiffs and lawyers could be reimbursed for their costs, the May family would not. The herbicide case is documented in an National Film Board film called ''Herbicide Trials''.

Early legal career

May graduated in 1983 and, following law school, worked as an associate at the firm of Kitz, Matheson, Green and MacIsaac in Halifax (now Patterson Palmer). In 1985 she moved to Ottawa to accept the position of Associate General Counsel to the Public Interest Advocacy Centre. During this time May helped found the Canadian Environmental Defence Fund with the aim of funding groups and individuals in environmental cases. She was admitted to the bar of Nova Scotia in 1984, and the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1989.

In 1986, Elizabeth May was recruited by the federal Minister of Environment, Tom McMillan to provide environmental policy advice. As Senior Policy Advisor, May worked on many critical environmental issues. She was involved in the negotiation of agreements with the seven Eastern provinces and with the U.S. to reduce sulphur dioxide emissions in order to combat acid rain, writing new legislation, the creation of five new national parks, the negotiation of the Montreal Protocol to protect the ozone layer, the clean-up of the Great Lakes, and the first agreement to clean up the Sydney Tar Ponds.

In June 1988, she discovered that the minister had broken the law approving permits for two dams in Saskatchewan (Rafferty and Alameda dams on the Souris River) without environmental review. She resigned on principle, but did not make her reasons for resignation public. In September, the Winnipeg Free Press broke the story of her resignation on the front page, unleashing a storm of anger from Manitoba residents, who were downstream from the Souris. The day after the story broke, the Manitoba Legislature held an emergency debate on the issue. The Canadian Wildlife Federation brought a lawsuit against the decision to grant permits without environmental review. The Federal Court of Canada ruled the permits had been granted illegally.

May received praise from David Suzuki for her work on Quttinirpaaq National Park (known as Ellesmere National Park prior to February 19, 2001), Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site (previously the South Moresby National Park Reserve, it was renamed on February 28, 1996), Grasslands National Park and the ozone protocol files. She resigned, in 1988, from her post after learning that the government's plan for Grasslands National Park meant granting permits for the Rafferty-Alameda Project in Saskatchewan without performing environmental assessments in exchange for the parkland and the translation of Saskatchewan's statutes into French.

Sierra Club of Canada Executive Director

In 1989, May became the founding Executive Director of the Sierra Club of Canada. May sits on the boards of the International Institute of Sustainable Development and Prevent Cancer Now! She is a former vice-chair of the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy.

In 2001, May went on a 17-day hunger strike in front of Parliament Hill to demand the relocation of families at risk next to Canada’s largest toxic waste site, the Sydney tar ponds in Cape Breton. She had co-authored a book on the tar ponds with Maude Barlow. As a result, the federal government pledged to relocate people living nearby to a safer location. After that, May was involved in lobbying Paul Martin, then Minister of Finance, that gross domestic product was not a viable measure of economic performance, a position Martin clearly advanced in public in Canada through 2003.

When Martin became Prime Minister of Canada in late 2003, he was however circumspect on this point, and his replacement in Finance, Ralph Goodale, was concerned mostly to cut Canada's debt to GDP ratio. May rallied and repeated her conversion feat, and by February 2005 Goodale announced "the greenest budget ever", representing the Green Budget Coalition.

May is a supporter of Help Lesotho and has experience in international lobbying. She said that the Montreal Action Plan (which came out of the 2005 UN Climate Change Conference) was "a set of agreements that may well save the planet". She counts Bill Clinton, who attended the Montreal Conference in 2005 at her request, among her contacts; Clinton became acquainted with May and her parents (then living in Connecticut) while a student at Yale University in the 1970s. In his conference speech Clinton thanked May for inviting him to Montreal. Clinton's presence was instrumental in getting the US to agree to talks on climate change for the first time.

May resigned as the Sierra Club's executive director in April 2006, intending to step down that June. As one of her last major acts in this post she participated in a poll of experts that determined that Brian Mulroney was Canada's "greenest" Prime Minister for an award presented by ''Corporate Knights'' magazine, due in part to his influence over the USA on acid rain. For her prominent role in this initiative, May took some criticism from leftist commentators and environmentalists. However, as Mulroney himself noted, she saw him as "the best of a bad bunch", and the timing of the event was calculated to pressure current Prime Minister Stephen Harper to improve his environmental policies in the spring 2006 federal budget. This was May's last public nonpartisan announcement.

Leader of Green Party of Canada

On May 9, 2006, May entered the Green Party of Canada's leadership race. She announced her intent to make the party "a force". She cited the "major planetary catastrophe" and "climate crisis" and the "crisis of democracy" as primary issues. "I find myself despairing when I see four men in suits engaging in a debate where nothing important is said… if the voters get to hear a whole bunch of really exciting new ideas, they might like them… instead of trying to do a calculation of who they hate the least".

On August 26, 2006, May won the leadership election on the first ballot. She tallied 65.3% of the votes, beating her main rival, David Chernushenko (33.3%) and Jim Fannon (0.88%). She said one of the main platforms for the next election would be to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). She also said that she would insist on the party being represented on the televised debates. At the time of her election as leader, May said she intended to run in the riding of Cape Breton-Canso in the next federal election, although she also said she would stand in a federal byelection if one occurred prior to the next general election.

London North Centre by-election

In the fall of 2006, London North Centre Member of Parliament Joe Fontana announced he was resigning his seat to run for Mayor of London, Ontario. Prime Minister Stephen Harper scheduled a by-election for that seat on November 27, 2006, and May stood as the candidate for the Green Party. She shocked some analysts when she finished second to Glen Pearson of the Liberal Party, ahead of the Conservative and New Democratic Party (NDP) candidates. At the time, May's showing in this by-election was the best result, in terms of percentage, ever achieved by the Green Party of Canada. She received 9,864 votes, about 26% of the total votes cast.

2008 federal election

On March 17, 2007, May announced that she would run in the Nova Scotia riding of Central Nova, in the next federal election. Central Nova is located on mainland Nova Scotia, rather than Cape Breton Island where May once lived. However, it is adjacent to the Cape Breton-Canso riding in which May previously expressed interest, and overlaps with the area covered by the former Cape Breton Highlands—Canso riding in which she ran in 1980 as founder of the "Small Party". The riding was held by Conservative National Defence Minister Peter MacKay. May has explained that she chose Central Nova to avoid running against a Liberal or NDP incumbent. She acknowledged, however, that this would be a more difficult riding for her to win than others she had considered. May received 32% of the vote in Central Nova in 2006 to MacKay's 47%.

On April 12, 2007, Liberal Party leader Stéphane Dion announced that the Liberals would not run a candidate in Central Nova in return for the Greens not running a candidate in Dion's safe Saint-Laurent—Cartierville riding. May had attempted to talk to NDP leader Jack Layton about ways to cooperate to avoid Harper’s party forming government. Layton refused to meet and attacked May for agreeing to a “leader’s courtesy” agreement with Dion. When the May-Dion deal was announced, it was criticized by the Conservatives and NDP, with Layton describing it as "backroom dealing", while former NDP leader Ed Broadbent said that it deprived voters of choice.

Disputes over leadership debates

May was initially excluded from the televised leadership debate in the 2008 federal election, based on the lack of any elected Green party MPs. She argued that the TV network consortium's initial exclusion of the Green Party of Canada was "anti-democratic" and blamed it on "the decision-making of a small group of TV network executives". Prime Minister Harper, NDP leader Jack Layton, and Bloc Québécois leader Gilles Duceppe, all initially opposed her inclusion, with Stephen Harper threatening to boycott the debates if May were allowed to participate, on the basis that her arrangement with the Liberal party in Central Nova meant she was not truly independent of them. Because of this, former Editor-In-Chief of CBC TV News, Tony Burman, characterized the debate process as a sham, stating that, "Some networks worried that adding a fifth leader would make the debate 'unwatchable' but we all knew that the elephant in the room was actually living at 24 Sussex Drive. And he – the Prime Minister – would effectively have veto power. Within days of the [Media Consortium] meeting, we were privately told by the Conservative Party representative that Prime Minister Harper would not participate in the debates if the Green Party leader was there."

Layton initially said that he was following the rules of the broadcast consortium, while NDP spokesman Brad Lavigne confirmed that Layton had refused to attend if May was present, noting that May had endorsed Liberal leader Stéphane Dion for prime minister, and arguing that her inclusion would in effect give the Liberals two representatives at the debate. Rod Love, former chief of staff to Ralph Klein, has suggested that the Greens could potentially cut into the NDP's support. Layton's stance drew criticism from the YWCA, Judy Rebick, and members of his own party. Layton dropped his opposition to May's inclusion on September 10, 2008. Many commentators proclaimed May’s debut in the leaders debates to be a major breakthrough for the party, and were surprised that she proved to be a strong debater on a wide range of issues.

2008 election

Elizabeth May won 32% of the vote on election day, the highest percentage ever for a Green Party candidate in Canada. Despite this, May did not win in Central Nova, losing to MacKay by a margin of 5,619 votes, and her party only received 6.8 percent of the popular vote. The party failed to elect a candidate and finished the election either $2 million or $4 million in debt. There was criticism from prominent Green Party members of May's failing to support all Green candidates unequivocally during the 2008 election, as she made favorable comments about Liberal leader Stéphane Dion and said that supporters in close ridings might consider voting strategically to attempt to defeat the Conservatives. Despite this, the Green Party was the only party to see an increase in its popular vote in the 2008 election.

Coalition government support

On December 2, 2008, Liberal leader Stéphane Dion spoke to May about Green Party support for a possible Liberal-NDP coalition government. According to May, these discussions included discussion of a possible Senate appointment for May. However, the coalition ultimately fell apart. After Prime Minister Stephen Harper prorogued Parliament to avoid a non-confidence vote, Liberal leader Dion resigned and was replaced by Michael Ignatieff. When Parliament finally resumed in January, 2009, the Liberal Party decided to support the Conservative government's new proposed budget. While Parliament was prorogued, Harper also announced his intention to fill all current and upcoming Senate vacancies with Conservative appointees.

Speculation of a Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley by-election bid

May had indicated she would consider running in a by-election in the rural Nova Scotia riding of Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley, which is adjacent to the Central Nova riding she had contested in the 2008 election. The Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley riding became vacant when incumbent independent MP Bill Casey resigned to accept a job as representative of the Nova Scotia provincial government in Ottawa. Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced on October 3, 2009 that these by-elections would be held on November 9, 2009. After May made these comments, the Green Party selected Jason Blanch as the candidate for this riding. In the 2008 federal election, May endorsed Casey's independent campaign in Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley and the Green Party did not run a candidate.

2011 federal election

May ran as the Green Party candidate and won in the riding of Saanich—Gulf Islands, in British Columbia. She faced Conservative cabinet minister Gary Lunn, who had held the seat for the preceding 14 years. May had considered the Ontario riding of Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound where the Green Party received over 27% of the vote in 2008, and the riding of Guelph, where the Green Party received 21% of the vote.

Excluded from leaders' debates

On March 29, 2011 the broadcast consortium organizing the televised leaders' debate for the 2011 federal election announced that it would not invite May. May publicly condemned the decision as "anti-democratic in the extreme". Despite her exclusion from the major leader debates, she won her riding, defeating the incumbent Gary Lunn. She was the only Green party candidate to be elected. May is the first elected Green Party MP in Canadian history.

Green Party Bi-Annual General Meeting

On August 11, 2010, 85% of the party’s members voted to support Elizabeth May as leader, and 74% of Green party members voted to hold a leadership review after the next election, rather than August 2010, which was when May's term as leader was set to end.

Controversial statements

Stance on abortion

The Green Party's policy is described as “pro-life, pro-choice”, confirming support for legal safe abortions, while also finding ways to support women who find themselves facing economic hardship and wanting to have a child. According to ''Green Vision 2010'', Green Party MPs will ''"oppose any possible government move to diminish the right of a woman to a safe, legal abortion. We fully support a woman's right to choose. We will also expand programs in reproductive rights and education to avoid unwanted pregnancies, and expand supports for low-income mothers."''

During a visit to the Mount St. Joseph's Convent in London, Ontario, May responded to a nun's question about abortion by explaining her personal position, which included the statement that "I don't think a woman has a frivolous right to choose." May maintains that this comment was misinterpreted. Following reports of May's statements, prominent Canadian feminist Judy Rebick announced that she was withdrawing her previous support of May and the Green Party due to May's questioning "the most important victory of the women's movement of my generation".

Responding to Rebick's open letter, May explicitly reaffirmed that she supported a woman's right to access a safe and legal abortion and that “I never said a woman's right to choose trivialized anything. Not ever.” May further wrote “Some feminist scholars have pointed out that the slogan 'right to choose' focuses on too narrow a context. What are a woman's real rights in society? Where are our economic rights? While a woman must have the right to terminate a pregnancy, what of the larger context? What about the on-going struggle to create a truly equal relationship of sexual equality that might (would) help avoid unwanted pregnancies in the first place? What about the responsibility of both sexual partners to avoid unwanted pregnancy (and while on the topic, to avoid sexually transmitted diseases that would be reduced through use of condoms)? I believe that respectful dialogue is possible even around such an emotionally charged issue as this. Not every opponent of legal abortions is unthinking. Neither is every supporter of legal abortion unwilling to acknowledge the moral complexity of the issue. Some common ground could be found, I believe, when the discussion shifts to a broader context”.

Chamberlain analogy

In April 2007, during a speech by May to a London, Ontario United Church of Canada, she quoted British author George Monbiot stating, in reference to climate policy, that "In the eyes of history, John Howard, George Bush, and Stephen Harper will be judged more culpable than Neville Chamberlain." The statement drew criticism from the Canadian Jewish Congress and the Conservative Party. While Opposition leader Stéphane Dion refused to respond to Harper's request for him to distance himself from May and these remarks during Question Period, Dion did state to reporters outside Commons that May should withdraw the remarks, and that the Nazi regime is beyond any comparison.

In a Green Party of Canada press release May stated that she was referencing comments made by journalist George Monbiot a few days earlier at the Toronto Green Living Show saying that he "echoed the views of many people around the world when he expressed his deep distress at Canada's abdication of responsibility in the current climate crisis. As a failure of leadership and moral courage, he compared it to the appeasement efforts of Neville Chamberlain. I made reference to Mr. Monbiot's statement to highlight the damage being done to Canada's international reputation, something that should concern all Canadians." Both Prince Charles and a British foreign secretary, Margaret Beckett, are on record having made similar analogies.

The reaction to May's comments led to a Macleans.ca story recounting several instances of politicians on record using Chamberlain analogies, including NDP leader Jack Layton, Liberal MP Robert Thibault and Conservative MP Peter MacKay.

Personal life

May lives in Sidney, British Columbia with her daughter, Victoria Cate May Burton (born 1991). She is studying theology at Saint Paul University, and describes herself as a practising Anglican.

She has indicated that her path towards becoming an ordained minister with the Anglican Church does not clash with her role in the Green Party of Canada, and sees a clear separation between religion and politics.

Electoral record

|- |Glen Pearson |align="right"|13,285 |align="right"|34.86% |align="right"|-5.28% |- |Elizabeth May |align="right"|9,845 |align="right"|25.84% |align="right"|+20.38% |- |Dianne Haskett |align="right"|9,327 |align="right"|24.48% |align="right"|-5.48% |- |Megan Walker |align="right"|5,365 |align="right"|14.08% |align="right"|-9.62% |- |Steven Hunter |align="right"|146 |align="right"|0.38% |align="right"|-0.09% |- | Robert Ede |align="right"|78 |align="right"|0.20% |align="right"|- |- |Will Arlow |align="right"|53 |align="right"|0.14% |align="right"|- |- style="background:white;" | style="text-align:left;" colspan="3"|Total |align="right"|38,123 |align="right"|100.00% |align="right"|

|- |Allan J. MacEachen ||align=right|18,262||align=right|50.40%||align=right|+2.30% |- |Bill Kelly ||align=right|12,799||align=right|35.32%||align=right|-3.44% |- |William J. Woodfine ||align=right|4,902||align=right|13.53%||align=right|+0.39% |- |Elizabeth May ||align=right|272||align=right|0.75%||align=right|*

Honours and awards

International Conservation Award from Friends of Nature, 1985

Commemorative Medal for the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada, in recognition of significant contribution to compatriots, community and to Canada, 1992

Elizabeth May Chair in Women’s Health and the Environment, Dalhousie University, 1998.

Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters (DHumL), Mount Saint Vincent University, 2000.

Harkin Award from the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society for her lifetime achievement in promoting the protection of Canada’s wilderness, 2002

Best Activist Award, ''Coast Magazine'', Best of Halifax Readers’ Poll, 2002

Honorary Doctorate of Laws, University of New Brunswick, 2003. United Nations Global 500 award.

Officer of the Order of Canada, 2005.

Couchiching Award for Excellence in Public Policy, 2006

Honorary Doctorate of Laws, Mount Allison University, 2007. Newsweek Magazine: One of World's Most Influential women, November 28, 2010

Selected works

''Budworm battles: the fight to stop the aerial insecticide spraying of the forests of eastern Canada'' (with Richard E.L. Rogers). 1982. Four East Publications. ISBN 0-969-0041-5-X

''Paradise Won: the struggle for South Moresby''. 1990. McClelland & Stewart. ISBN 0-7710-5772-5

''Frederick Street: life and death on Canada's Love Canal'' (with Maude Barlow). 2000. HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0-00-200036-9

''At the cutting edge: the crisis in Canada's forests''. 2005. Key Porter Books. ISBN 1-55263-645-3

''How to Save the World in Your Spare Time''. 2006. Key Porter Books. ISBN 1-55263-781-6

''Global Warming for Dummies'' (with Zoe Caron). 2008. Wiley & Sons Publishing. ISBN 0470840986

''Losing Confidence: Power, Politics And The Crisis In Canadian Democracy''. 2009. McClelland & Stewart. ISBN 0771057601

See also

List of Green party leaders in Canada

Canadian federal election, 2008

References

External links

Elizabeth May official site

Profile at Green Party of Canada

Category:1954 births Category:Living people Category:American emigrants to Canada Category:Canadian activists Category:Canadian Anglicans Category:Canadian environmentalists Category:Canadian people of American descent Category:Canadian people of Welsh descent Category:Dalhousie Law School graduates Category:Female Canadian political party leaders Category:Green Party of Canada MPs Category:Green Party of Canada leaders Category:Naturalized citizens of Canada Category:Officers of the Order of Canada Category:People from the Capital Regional District Category:People from Hartford, Connecticut Category:People from Inverness County, Nova Scotia Category:Sierra Club Category:Canadian women Members of Parliament Category:Women in British Columbia politics

af:Elizabeth May da:Elizabeth May (politiker) de:Elizabeth May es:Elizabeth May fr:Elizabeth May ko:엘리자베스 메이 ru:Мэй, Элизабет fi:Elizabeth May ta:எலிசபெத் மே zh:伊麗莎白·梅伊

name	Hon. Dwight Duncan
birth date	January 3, 1959
birth place	Windsor, Ontario
office1	MPP for Windsor—TecumsehWindsor—St. Clair (1999-2007)
term start1	October 3, 2003
predecessor1	new district
office2	Minister of Finance
term start2	October 30, 2007
predecessor2	Greg Sorbara
office3	MPP for Windsor—Walkerville
term start3	1995
term end3	1999
predecessor3	Wayne Lessard
successor3	riding dissolved
party	Liberal
occupation	}}

Dwight Duncan, MPP (born January 3, 1959) is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He has been a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1995, and is the Minister of Finance in the government of Dalton McGuinty. Duncan is a member of the Ontario Liberal Party.

Early career

Duncan was born in Windsor, and holds a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from McGill University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Windsor. He has been a member of the Liberal Party since the early 1970s, and once skipped class in 1972 to attend a rally for his political hero, Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau.

Duncan's first full-time job after graduating from university was in the office of federal Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) Herb Gray. He later worked for provincial Labour Minister Bill Wrye between 1985 and 1987. Duncan was Administrator of Brentwood Recovery Centre, Canada's largest alcohol and drug rehabilitation centre, between 1987 and 1995. He also served on Windsor City Council from 1988 until 1994, when he chose not to seek re-election in order to prepare for his first provincial campaign.

Opposition member

Duncan was first elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1995 provincial election, defeating New Democratic Party incumbent Wayne Lessard by 380 votes in Windsor—Walkerville. The Progressive Conservative Party won a majority government in this election, and Duncan became a member of the official opposition. Between 1995 and 1999, he served as his party's critic for Labour, Privatization, Housing, Transportation, and the Workers Compensation Board.

Duncan became a candidate for the Ontario Liberal Party leadership following the resignation of Lyn McLeod in 1996. His campaign plan combined a cautious fiscal strategy with plans for increased investment in health and education, and his leading supporters included Sean Conway, Tim Murphy and Mike Colle. He finished third on the first and second ballots at the party's 1996 leadership convention, but was eliminated after falling to fourth place behind Dalton McGuinty on the third. Duncan then endorsed Gerard Kennedy, who lost to McGuinty on the fifth ballot.

Duncan's 1995 opponent, Wayne Lessard, won a by-election for a different Windsor constituency in 1997. For the 1999 provincial election, redistribution forced the two MPPs to face one other a second time in Windsor—St. Clair. Duncan was again successful, defeating Lessard by over 4,000 votes. The Progressive Conservatives won a second majority government, and Duncan became opposition House Leader on June 25, 1999. He also served as Liberal Party critic for Municipal Affairs and the Management Board of Cabinet over the next four years.

Cabinet minister

The Liberals won a majority government in the 2003 provincial election. Duncan was appointed Minister of Energy and Government House Leader on October 23, 2003.

Minister of Energy (first time)

One of Duncan's primary responsibilities as Energy Minister was managing Ontario Power Generation, which was in an extremely troubled state when the Liberals assumed power in 2003. A damning report into systemic mismanagement at OPG was issued shortly soon the new government assumed power, and several high-level executives were forced to submit their resignations. Duncan appointed a new interim board led by former federal Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources Jake Epp to lead the organization's renewal.

Duncan subsequently announced plans for a comprehensive audit of OPG, when its budgetary shortfall was found to be $850 million. Reports in early 2004 indicated that Tory advisers with close ties to Mike Harris and Ernie Eves had received untendered contracts worth $5.6 million in 1999, when the Progressive Conservatives were still in government. The OPG's situation improved under its new management, and it was able to post a $42 million profit in 2005.

Duncan issued a strategic report from the Electricity Conservation and Supply Task Force in January 2004. The report called for Ontario to emphasize energy conservation, while also ensuring "reliability, diversity and affordability", and consumer protection. Two months later, Duncan brought forward a conservation plan highlighted by the use of "smart" electricity meters to discourage overuse during peak hours. The government plans to have smart meters installed throughout the province by 2010.

In April 2004, Duncan announced the creation of a new body called the Ontario Power Authority to purchase energy for the province and plan its long-term energy strategy. Duncan argued that the body would "depoliticize" energy debates in Ontario. Most energy companies supported this decision, while a number of environmental groups criticized it. The ''Globe and Mail'' newspaper raised concerns over the Authority's expanding budget in late 2006, but Duncan argued that its expenses are necessary to create a planning regime for the future.

Hydro rates increased twice during Duncan's first tenure as Energy Minister. The Liberal Party had campaigned on a pledge to keep energy rates frozen until 2006, but reconsidered their options after discovering a $5.6 billion deficit left by the previous government. Homeowners and small business owners were paying 4.3 cents per kilowatt hour of hydro energy in 2003, even though the market rate was close to six cents. Premier McGuinty described this situation as "completely unsustainable" in light of the deficit, and Duncan announced that the rate would increase to 4.7 cents per kilowatt on 1 April 2004. In an effort to promote conservation, usage above 750 kilowatt hours was priced at 5.5 cents. Rates were increased a second time in March 2005, to 5 cents and 5.8 cents beyond 750 kilowatt hours. In making the change, Duncan acknowledged that his party had erred in its initial support for a freeze.

Duncan was also forced to revise his government's plans to shut down all of Ontario's coal-burning generators by 2007. In 2004, he acknowledged that "one or two" generators would be required as backup in the event of a failure elsewhere in the system. In June 2005, Duncan announced that the Nanticoke coal plant would remain open past 2007. He later announced that the Lambton station would remain open as well. A 2006 government report recommended keeping some plants open until 2014. In November 2006, the McGuinty government asked the provincial power authority to create a new timetable for plant closure. Duncan has said that Ontario will reduce its coal consumption in the coming years, even if plants remain open.

In April 2005, Duncan granted approval for four private companies to create new energy projects to replace the coal plants. The firms are expected to generate 1,675 megawatts of electricity.

In a speech to the Canadian Club on May 2, 2005, Minister Duncan announced that it was time for an "open and public debate" on the future of nuclear power. He instructed the Ontario Power Authority to begin developing a long term electricity plan - referred to as an Integrated Power System Plan - so that the government could "move forward judiciously when it comes to nuclear energy in Ontario."

Shortly after assuming office, he cancelled the previous government's plans to privatize the Nuclear Inspection Services Division of Ontario Power Generation.

In July 2004, based on a recommendation of the OPG Review Committee, which Duncan appointed to review the cost over-runs and delays plaguing the restart of the four reactors at the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station, Duncan announced the government would proceed with the restart of reactor one at the Pickering station. Although smaller, the restart project still underwent cost over-runs and delays. As a result, the McGuinty government announced that it would not proceed with the restart of the two remaining Pickering A reactors and permanently mothballed them.

In 2005, Duncan concluded a deal with Bruce Power to provide the province with nuclear energy at a cost above the market rate. In 2007, the provincial Auditor-General later criticized this deal as too costly. Duncan has maintained that it was a good policy decision, and argued that much of the financial risk had been transferred to the private sector.

Duncan also promoted green energy initiatives such as the Deep lake water cooling project, wherein water from Lake Ontario is used to provide energy to buildings in Toronto. In 2005, he called for Ontario companies to bid for the right to produce an additional 1,000 megawatts of electricity from renewable sources. The province plans to have 10% of its energy come from renewable sources by 2010.

Duncan has proposed a national power grid to provide Canada with more autonomy in determining its energy policies. He outlined his support for the policy in a speech before power company executives in Toronto in February 2007, arguing that the grid would significantly reduce Canada's rate of greenhouse gas emissions. Premier Gary Doer is also a prominent supporter of this plan.

Government House Leader

Shortly after the 2003 election, Duncan was required to enter into discussions on the legislative status of the New Democratic Party. The NDP won seven seats in the election, one fewer than the number required for official party status in the legislature. Recognized parties receive $2 million in government funding and have guaranteed speaking time. The NDP requested that the rules be changed, arguing that they should receive official status to reflect the 15% popular vote they received. Duncan and McGuinty initially refused to consider this possibility. Duncan offered to provide the NDP with $420,000 and some guaranteed speaking time, but NDP leader Howard Hampton rejected this as "nothing short of a bribe" After an extended filibustering campaign by the New Democrats, a compromise was reached wherein the NDP received $775,000 and was permitted to take part in Question Period. The NDP later regained full party status after winning an eighth seat in a by-election.

Minister of Finance

Ontario Finance Minister Greg Sorbara unexpectedly resigned from office on October 11, 2005, after he was named on a Royal Canadian Mounted Police warrant issued in an investigation of his former real estate development firm. Later in the same day, Duncan was appointed to replace Sorbara as Minister of Finance and Chair of the Management Board of Cabinet. He became the first Finance Minister in Ontario history to represent a Windsor riding.

Duncan's first budget was introduced on March 23, 2006. It focused on infrastructure spending, and particularly new spending on public transit projects in the Greater Toronto Area including extension of the Yonge-University-Spadina subway line, and roads and bridges in other parts of the province. Health spending increased by $1.9 billion, and Ontario's universities were given $290 million more in operating revenue. The budget deficit was $2.4 billion, consistent with the previous year's projection. There were no new taxes or tax increases. One month later, the federal government announced that it would provide Ontario with a further $1 billion for public transit spending in Toronto.

Minister of Energy (second time)

Greg Sorbara's returned to cabinet as Minister of Finance on May 23, 2006, after a judge ruled that there was no cause for including his name on the RCMP search warrant. Duncan was reassigned as Energy Minister.

Duncan announced his government's long-term strategic energy plan in June 2006, calling for an increased investment in nuclear power and the construction of two new reactors in the next ten years. The government will also promote a series of wind energy and conservation projects, including a plan to build dozens of windmills by 2025. The total cost is estimated at $46 billion over roughly twenty years. In November 2006, Duncan opened Canada's largest wind farm near Sault Ste. Marie.

In July 2006, Duncan directed the Ontario Power Authority to provide $400 million over three years to assist local electricity distribution utilities in conservation and demand-side management projects. Toronto Hydro responded almost immediately by promising a fee reduction for consumers who cut their electricity usage by 10%. The project was successful, and Duncan announced in November 2006 that Toronto Hydro's conservation measures would be expanded across the province.

The financial situation at Ontario Power Generation has improved significantly since 2003. Its profits for 2005 were $366 million, and its credit rating was upgraded. In July 2006, Duncan described OPG's turnaround as "[o]ne of the untold stories of the last two years". He also indicates that his government has added 3,000 megawatts of power to the provincial grid.

In October 2006, the Ontario Energy Board reduced the price of energy from 5.8 cents to 5.5 cents per kilowatt-hour, and from 6.7 cents to 6.4 above the 1,000 kilowatt-hour threshold. There was a further reduction to 5.3% and 6.2% in April 2007.

As in October 2006, the Ontario Power Authority signed contacts with seven high-efficiency co-generation projects across Ontario, with combined capacity of 414 megawatts. All of the plants are expected to come online by May 2010.

In November 2006, Duncan announced that the governments of Ontario and Quebec had agreed to join their power grids, to reduce Ontario's dependence on American power when demand exceeds capacity. The arrangement will see Ontario receive an additional 1,250 megawatts per year by 2010. Duncan is also attempting to finalize a deal with Manitoba, which has an abundance of hydroelectric power.

Tom Parkinson, the chair of Ontario Hydro One, resigned in December 2006 after accusations of lavish overspending. The following month, Duncan established a four-member panel to recommend a new system of compensation for energy executives. He said that the review would help reduce bureaucratic waste. Critics have argued that the panel is too expensive, and unnecessary.

In February 2007, Duncan said that Ontario is on target for meeting its Kyoto Protocol targets and that the province has achieved a 29% reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions from its coal plants since 2003. Opposition parties have argued that these reduced figures reflect a decline in the manufacturing sector, a charge that Duncan has rejected. In April, Duncan said that the province would not spend $1.6 billion to clean up the existing coal plants, arguing that the proposal was too expensive, would do nothing to benefit the environment, and was unnecessary given that the government still plans to phase out the coal plants by 2014.

Also in April 2007, Duncan announced that Ontario would ban the sale of inefficient incandescent light bulbs by 2012. The decision makes Ontario the first jurisdiction in Canada, and one of the first in the world, to take this step. In the same month, Duncan announced that a California company would construct the largest solar farm in Ontario, near Sarnia.

Plans

Duncan has been described as a possible candidate for the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party when Dalton McGuinty retires.

Federal politics

Duncan supported Paul Martin's bid to succeed Jean Chrétien as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada during the 1990s and early 2000s. He acted as Ontario co-chair of Michael Ignatieff's bid to become leader of the federal party in 2006.

Electoral record

|- |Dwight Duncan |align="right"|17,241 |align="right"|49.7 |align="right"|-5.22% |- |Helmi Charif |align="right"|8,433 |align="right"|24.3 |align="right"|-4.8% |- |Kristine Robinson |align="right"|5,737 |align="right"|16.6 |align="right"|+4.99% |- |Andrew McAvoy |align="right"|2,549 |align="right"|7.4 |align="right"|+3.73% |- |John Curtin |align="right"|711 |align="right"|2.1 |align="right"| |}

Provisional results taken from the ''Windsor Star'' newspaper, 13 November 1991. The revised final totals were not significantly different. Electors were permitted to vote for two candidates.

Provisional results taken from the ''Windsor Star'' newspaper, 15 November 1988. The revised final totals were not significantly different. Electors were permitted to vote for two candidates.

All provincial electoral information is taken from Elections Ontario. The expenditure entries for all elections after 1995 are taken from official candidate reports as listed by Elections Ontario. The figures cited are the Total Candidate's Campaign Expenses Subject to Limitation, and include transfers from constituency associations.

Table of offices held

Footnotes

External links

Dwight Duncan's official MPP Site

Dwight Duncan's Ontario Liberal Party biography

Category:1959 births Category:Finance ministers of Ontario Category:Ontario Liberal Party MPPs Category:Living people Category:McGill University alumni Category:Members of the Executive Council of Ontario Category:University of Windsor alumni Category:Windsor, Ontario city councillors Category:Deputy premiers of Ontario

fr:Dwight Duncan