Donna Cansfield
Encyclopedia
Donna H. Cansfield, is a politician
in Ontario
, Canada
, who has represented the riding of Etobicoke Centre
in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
since 2003. Cansfield is a member of the Ontario Liberal Party
.
Before entering provincial politics, she was a school trustee, and served as trustee of the former Etobicoke Board of Education and Chair of the Toronto District School Board
. She has also served as the Vice-Chair of the Toronto Foundation for Student Success, and as a Director of Beatrice House, a homeless shelter. Cansfield was first elected to the Etobicoke board in 1988, and became a Chair of the TDSB in 2002. In the 2000 trustee's election, she successfully fought off a challenge from Ihsam El-Sayed, who was part of a group that opposed Cansfield's endorsement of the school board's gay
-inclusive policies.
Cansfield's political identity has been the source of some controversy in recent years. Until recently, she was a member of the now-defunct Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
. Notwithstanding her commitment to social liberalism, she was generally regarded as being on the conservative wing of the Etobicoke Board of Education. She was also regarded by some as supportive of Paul Christie
, who was appointed by the provincial government of Ernie Eves
to oversee and reduce expenditures in the Toronto District School Board. Shelley Carroll
, who led the faction of left-leaning trustees opposed to Christie, waged a successful campaign to oust Canfield as chair of the TDSB. Carroll then replaced Cansfield as TDSB chair.
Notwithstanding this, her involvement in the education community led her to oppose the policies of the Mike Harris and Ernie Eves
governments, and to run for the Ontario Liberal Party in the provincial election of 2003
. She was initially seen as a long-shot candidate against high-profile Progressive Conservative
cabinet minister
Chris Stockwell
. Following Stockwell's retirement amid scandal in mid-2003, however, she emerged as the frontrunner and eventually defeated replacement PC candidate Rose Andrachuk by about 4500 votes. She was appointed Parliamentary Secretary
to Energy Minister Dwight Duncan
on October 23, 2003.
Cansfield was appointed as Minister of Energy on October 11, 2005, when the former minister Dwight Duncan
was named as Minister of Finance. She was reassigned as Minister of Transportation on May 23, 2006, when Duncan returned to Energy. After the 2007 election, Cansfield became Ontario's Minister of Natural Resources
, where she served until January 18, 2010. Premier McGuinty appointed Cansfield as Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing (Housing) after the January 2010 cabinet shuffle.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, who has represented the riding of Etobicoke Centre
Etobicoke Centre (provincial electoral district)
Etobicoke Centre is a provincial electoral district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It elects one member to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.It was created in 1999 from parts of Etobicoke West and Etobicoke—Humber....
in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
since 2003. Cansfield is a member of the Ontario Liberal Party
Ontario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
.
Before entering provincial politics, she was a school trustee, and served as trustee of the former Etobicoke Board of Education and Chair of the Toronto District School Board
Toronto District School Board
Toronto District School Board, also known by the acronym TDSB, is the English-language public school board for Toronto, Ontario, Canada...
. She has also served as the Vice-Chair of the Toronto Foundation for Student Success, and as a Director of Beatrice House, a homeless shelter. Cansfield was first elected to the Etobicoke board in 1988, and became a Chair of the TDSB in 2002. In the 2000 trustee's election, she successfully fought off a challenge from Ihsam El-Sayed, who was part of a group that opposed Cansfield's endorsement of the school board's gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
-inclusive policies.
Cansfield's political identity has been the source of some controversy in recent years. Until recently, she was a member of the now-defunct Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
. Notwithstanding her commitment to social liberalism, she was generally regarded as being on the conservative wing of the Etobicoke Board of Education. She was also regarded by some as supportive of Paul Christie
Paul Christie
Paul Christie is a municipal politician and administrator in Ontario, Canada. He served as a Toronto and Metro Councillor for the Metro ward of East Toronto from 1985–1997 and as supervisor of the Toronto District School Board for the 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 school years.Christie was born in...
, who was appointed by the provincial government of Ernie Eves
Ernie Eves
Ernest Lawrence "Ernie" Eves was the 23rd Premier of the province of Ontario, Canada, from April 15, 2002, to October 23, 2003.-Beginnings:...
to oversee and reduce expenditures in the Toronto District School Board. Shelley Carroll
Shelley Carroll
Shelley Carroll is a city councillor in Toronto, Canada. She represents Ward 33 Don Valley East, one of the two Don Valley East municipal wards. She was formerly the Chair of the City's Budget Committee.-Background:...
, who led the faction of left-leaning trustees opposed to Christie, waged a successful campaign to oust Canfield as chair of the TDSB. Carroll then replaced Cansfield as TDSB chair.
Notwithstanding this, her involvement in the education community led her to oppose the policies of the Mike Harris and Ernie Eves
Ernie Eves
Ernest Lawrence "Ernie" Eves was the 23rd Premier of the province of Ontario, Canada, from April 15, 2002, to October 23, 2003.-Beginnings:...
governments, and to run for the Ontario Liberal Party in the provincial election of 2003
Ontario general election, 2003
The Ontario general election of 2003 was held on October 2, 2003, to elect the 103 members of the 38th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
. She was initially seen as a long-shot candidate against high-profile Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
cabinet minister
Minister (government)
A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
Chris Stockwell
Chris Stockwell
Chris Stockwell is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1990 to 2003, and served as a cabinet minister in the governments of Mike Harris and Ernie Eves. Before entering provincial politics, he had been a...
. Following Stockwell's retirement amid scandal in mid-2003, however, she emerged as the frontrunner and eventually defeated replacement PC candidate Rose Andrachuk by about 4500 votes. She was appointed Parliamentary Secretary
Parliamentary Secretary
A Parliamentary Secretary is a member of a Parliament in the Westminster system who assists a more senior minister with his or her duties.In the parliamentary systems of several Commonwealth countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, it is customary for the prime minister to...
to Energy Minister Dwight Duncan
Dwight Duncan
Dwight Duncan, MPP 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...
on October 23, 2003.
Cansfield was appointed as Minister of Energy on October 11, 2005, when the former minister Dwight Duncan
Dwight Duncan
Dwight Duncan, MPP 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...
was named as Minister of Finance. She was reassigned as Minister of Transportation on May 23, 2006, when Duncan returned to Energy. After the 2007 election, Cansfield became Ontario's Minister of Natural Resources
Ministry of Natural Resources (Ontario)
The Ministry of Natural Resources is a government ministry of the Canadian province of Ontario that responsible for Ontario’s provincial parks, forests, fisheries, wildlife, mineral aggregates and the Crown lands and waters that make up 87 per cent of the province...
, where she served until January 18, 2010. Premier McGuinty appointed Cansfield as Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing (Housing) after the January 2010 cabinet shuffle.