Peter Fonseca
Encyclopedia
Peter Fonseca is a former politician
in Ontario
, Canada
. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
, representing the riding
of Mississauga East—Cooksville
for the Ontario Liberal Party
from 2003-2011.
, and attended the University of Oregon
on an athletic scholarship. He also has a Bachelor of Education
degree from the University of Windsor
. He represented Canada at the 1996 Olympic Games
in Atlanta
, Georgia
as a marathon runner. He was the top finisher for the Canadians, placing 21st overall in a 42.195 kilometres (26.2 mi) race with a time of 2 hours, 17 minutes and 28 seconds. He also placed second in the 1994 Toronto Marathon
and the 1994 Houston Marathon
, and third in the 1992 New York Marathon and the 1990 Los Angeles Marathon
. He is a recipient of the Fred Bagley Memorial Trophy, given to long distance runners in Canada.
Fonseca was later a senior performance management consultant for the Coach Corporation, and has run a successful importing and distributing company in Portugal. He has also done fundraising work for the Canadian Diabetes Association
.
, defeating incumbent Progressive Conservative
Carl DeFaria
by about 3000 votes in Mississauga East. On October 23, 2003, he was named parliamentary assistant to George Smitherman
, the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. In July 2005, he became the parliamentary assistant to Jim Watson, the Minister of Health Promotion.
In October 2007, Fonseca was named to cabinet
as Minister of Tourism and Recreation.
In a cabinet shuffle on September 18, 2008, Fonseca was appointed as the province's Minister of Labour.
His wife, Christine Fonseca, was elected to Mississauga City Council
in the 2010 municipal elections
.
On December 16, 2010, Fonseca resigned from cabinet to run for the federal Liberals in the riding of Mississauga East—Cooksville
. He was narrowly defeated by Conservative
candidate Wladyslaw Lizon
in the 2011 federal election.
|Peter Fonseca
|align="right"|22,207
|align="right"|59.0%
|align="right"|N/A
|-
|Zoran Churchin
|align="right"|8,687
|align="right"|23.1%
|align="right"|N/A
|-
|Satish Balasunderam
|align="right"|3,184
|align="right"|8.5%
|align="right"|N/A
|-
|Carla Cassanova
|align="right"|2,355
|align="right"|6.3%
|align="right"|N/A
|-
|Al Zawadzki
|align="right"|979
|align="right"|2.6%
|align="right"|N/A
|-
|Ryan Jamieson
|align="right"|243
|align="right"|0.7%
|align="right"|N/A
|}
|-
|Peter Fonseca
|align="right"|16,686
|align="right"|48.68
|align="right"|+9.69
|-
|Carl DeFaria
|align="right"|13,832
|align="right"|40.35
|align="right"|-11.23
|-
|Michael Hancock
|align="right"|2,479
|align="right"|7.23
|align="right"|-0.01
|-
|Donald Barber
|align="right"|666
|align="right"|1.94
|-
|Gary Nail
|align="right"|358
|align="right"|1.04
|-
|Pierre Chénier
|align="right"|256
|align="right"|0.75
|}
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...
. He was a member of 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...
, representing the riding
Electoral district (Canada)
An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
of Mississauga East—Cooksville
Mississauga East—Cooksville (provincial electoral district)
Mississauga East—Cooksville is a provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since the 2007 provincial election.-History:...
for 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...
from 2003-2011.
Background
Fonseca was raised in TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, and attended the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
on an athletic scholarship. He also has a Bachelor of Education
Bachelor of Education
A Bachelor of Education is an undergraduate academic degree which qualifies the graduate as a teacher in schools.-North America:...
degree from the University of Windsor
University of Windsor
The University of Windsor is a public comprehensive and research university in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's southernmost university. It has a student population of approximately 15,000 full-time and part-time undergraduate students and over 1000 graduate students...
. He represented Canada at the 1996 Olympic Games
Athletics at the 1996 Summer Olympics - Men's marathon
The Men's Marathon at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia was held on Sunday August 4, 1996. The race started at 07.05h local time to avoid excessively hot and humid conditions...
in Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
as a marathon runner. He was the top finisher for the Canadians, placing 21st overall in a 42.195 kilometres (26.2 mi) race with a time of 2 hours, 17 minutes and 28 seconds. He also placed second in the 1994 Toronto Marathon
Toronto Marathon
The Toronto Marathon, held annually in May, is a race from Mel Lastman Square, in the north end of Toronto, to Queen's Park. The race was initially called the Canadian International Marathon, and was first held in 1995 under its current organizer. The origins of the event trace back to 1977. In...
and the 1994 Houston Marathon
Houston Marathon
The Houston Marathon is an annual marathon held every January in Houston, Texas. With thousands of runners and spectators, it is the largest single day sporting event in the city. It is run concurrently with a half marathon and a 5 km race...
, and third in the 1992 New York Marathon and the 1990 Los Angeles Marathon
Los Angeles Marathon
The Honda LA Marathon is an annual running event held each spring in Los Angeles, California. The 26.219 mile footrace, inspired by the success of the 1984 Summer Olympic Games, has been contested every year since 1986...
. He is a recipient of the Fred Bagley Memorial Trophy, given to long distance runners in Canada.
Fonseca was later a senior performance management consultant for the Coach Corporation, and has run a successful importing and distributing company in Portugal. He has also done fundraising work for the Canadian Diabetes Association
Canadian Diabetes Association
The Canadian Diabetes Association is an organization based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its mission is to lead the fight against diabetes mellitus by helping Canadians with diabetes live healthy lives while work is continued to find a cure...
.
Politics
Fonseca was elected to the Ontario legislature in the provincial election of 2003Ontario 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....
, defeating incumbent 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...
Carl DeFaria
Carl DeFaria
Carl DeFaria is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1995 to 2003, and was a cabinet minister in the government of Ernie Eves....
by about 3000 votes in Mississauga East. On October 23, 2003, he was named parliamentary assistant to George Smitherman
George Smitherman
George Smitherman is a Canadian politician and broadcaster. He represented the provincial riding of Toronto Centre in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1999 to 2010, when he resigned to contest the mayoralty of Toronto in the 2010 municipal election...
, the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. In July 2005, he became the parliamentary assistant to Jim Watson, the Minister of Health Promotion.
In October 2007, Fonseca was named to cabinet
Executive Council of Ontario
The Executive Council of Ontario plays an important role in theGovernment of Ontario, in accordance with the Westminster system....
as Minister of Tourism and Recreation.
In a cabinet shuffle on September 18, 2008, Fonseca was appointed as the province's Minister of Labour.
His wife, Christine Fonseca, was elected to Mississauga City Council
Mississauga City Council
Mississauga City Council is the governing body of the city of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.The council consists of the mayor and 11 councillors elected to serve a four-year term. The last election was October 25, 2010...
in the 2010 municipal elections
Peel Region municipal elections, 2010
Elections will be held in the Regional Municipality of Peel of Ontario on October 25, 2010 in conjunction with municipal elections across the province.-Peel Regional Council:-Mayor:-City and Regional Council:-City Council:-School Trustee:-Mayor:...
.
On December 16, 2010, Fonseca resigned from cabinet to run for the federal Liberals in the riding of Mississauga East—Cooksville
Mississauga East—Cooksville
Mississauga East—Cooksville is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004.-History:It was created in 2003 from parts of Mississauga Centre and Mississauga East ridings....
. He was narrowly defeated by Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
candidate Wladyslaw Lizon
Wladyslaw Lizon
Wladyslaw Lizon is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 2011 election. He represents the electoral district of Mississauga East—Cooksville as a member of the Conservative Party.-Background:...
in the 2011 federal election.
Electoral record
|-|Peter Fonseca
|align="right"|22,207
|align="right"|59.0%
|align="right"|N/A
|-
|Zoran Churchin
|align="right"|8,687
|align="right"|23.1%
|align="right"|N/A
|-
|Satish Balasunderam
|align="right"|3,184
|align="right"|8.5%
|align="right"|N/A
|-
|Carla Cassanova
|align="right"|2,355
|align="right"|6.3%
|align="right"|N/A
|-
|Al Zawadzki
|align="right"|979
|align="right"|2.6%
|align="right"|N/A
|-
|Ryan Jamieson
|align="right"|243
|align="right"|0.7%
|align="right"|N/A
|}
|-
|Peter Fonseca
|align="right"|16,686
|align="right"|48.68
|align="right"|+9.69
|-
|Carl DeFaria
Carl DeFaria
Carl DeFaria is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1995 to 2003, and was a cabinet minister in the government of Ernie Eves....
|align="right"|13,832
|align="right"|40.35
|align="right"|-11.23
|-
|Michael Hancock
|align="right"|2,479
|align="right"|7.23
|align="right"|-0.01
|-
|Donald Barber
|align="right"|666
|align="right"|1.94
|-
|Gary Nail
|align="right"|358
|align="right"|1.04
|-
|Pierre Chénier
|align="right"|256
|align="right"|0.75
|}