Sessions

Hon. Bardish Chagger

MP, Waterloo

The Honourable Bardish Chagger, Minister of Small Business and Tourism, is devoted to inclusion and community building. From assisting with recreational sports for kids to volunteering with seniors, Bardish is committed to strengthening the bonds of the Waterloo community. In her role with the Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Centre, Bardish has worked to foster diversity within the community providing opportunities for social and economic engagement. As the former executive assistant to former Member of Parliament Andrew Telegdi, Bardish has a deep understanding of the issues that are important to residents of Waterloo, including manufacturing, technology and innovation. Passionate about community involvement, Bardish has lent her support to many different causes and organizations including The Rotary Club of Waterloo, Interfaith Grand River, and the Workforce Planning Board of Waterloo Wellington Dufferin. She considers herself part of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms generation, and has participated in policy conferences on many issues including the advancement of same-sex marriage rights and the national manufacturing strategy. Bardish graduated from the University of Waterloo with a Bachelor of Science. In 2012, The Waterloo Region Record recognized Bardish as one of “40 under 40” who would lead the Region of Waterloo into the future.

×

Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos

MP, Québec

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, was Director of the Department of Economics and a tenured professor at l’Université Laval. As a well-published author, conference speaker, and renowned economics expert, he was often asked to comment on current events in Quebec and Canada. In addition to his professorial duties, Jean-Yves held the Industrial Alliance Research Chair on the Economics of Demographic Change, served as Vice-President of the Canadian Economics Association, and was a member of the Institut sur le vieillissement et la participation sociale des aînés. He was also Vice-President and Fellow of the Centre interuniversitaire de recherche en analyse des organisations, Senior Fellow of the Fondation pour les études et les recherches sur le développement international and Fellow-in-Residence at the C.D. Howe Institute. Lastly, Jean-Yves is co-founder of the Poverty and Economic Policy Research Network (Partnership for Economic Policy, PEP). Jean-Yves earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics (First-Class Honours) from the University of Alberta, and his master’s and doctoral degrees in Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science. He has been rewarded for relentless hard work with prestigious grants, the Société canadienne de science économique’s prix Marcel Dagenais, and the Harry Johnson Award for best paper published in the Canadian Journal of Economics. In 2014, Jean-Yves was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the highest accolade bestowed on Canadian researchers.

×

Hon. Kirsty Duncan

MP, Etobicoke North

The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, was an Associate Professor of Health Studies at the University of Toronto and the former Research Director for the AIC Institute of Corporate Citizenship at the Rotman School of Management. A renowned international speaker, she has lectured for such organizations as the National Geographic Society, the Government of Japan, and the Young Presidents’ Organization. She sat on the Advisory Board for Pandemic Flu for the Conference Board of Canada, and the University of Toronto, and has helped organizations throughout Canada and the United States prepare for a possible flu pandemic. She sat on the boards of the Indigenous Cooperative on the Environment, the Scottish Studies Foundation, the St. Andrew’s Society of Toronto, and the Toronto Foundation for School Success. She co-chaired the 2006 Fraser Mustard Awards Gala in support of student nutrition and in October 2007, she chaired “Feeding Toronto’s Hungry Students Week.” Ms. Duncan is passionate about helping build resilient communities and taking action on climate change. She has helped provide food, shelter and education to Toronto’s youth, and served on the Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Ms. Duncan holds a doctorate in geography from the University of Edinburgh.

×

Hon. Navdeep Bains

MP, Mississauga–Malton

The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, was a distinguished visiting professor at Ryerson University’s Ted Rogers School of Management and holds an MBA with a specialization in Finance. As a Certified Management Accountant, he has worked several years in accounting and financial analysis for the Ford Motor Company of Canada. Navdeep is a long-time resident of both Mississauga and Brampton and has strong ties to the social and cultural associations of Mississauga–Malton. Navdeep has been active in a variety of community organizations, as a board member for the Mississauga Food Bank, having worked with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the Guru Gobind Singh Children’s Foundation, as well as having served as an Ontario board member with the Heart and Stroke Foundation. He is the recipient of a number of awards recognizing his work in promoting diversity within his community. Having served as the Member of Parliament for Mississauga–Brampton South from 2004 to 2011, Navdeep gained extensive experience as the Parliamentary Secretary to Prime Minister Paul Martin and as the Critic for Public Works and Government Services, the Treasury Board, International Trade, Natural Resources, and Small Business and Tourism.

×

Kim Rudd

MP, Northumberland–Peterborough South

Kim Rudd, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources, has a long history in her riding as both a local business owner and a community advocate. She was past president and owner of Willis College – Cobourg, owner of Archer First Aid/CPR and NC Training Inc., and co-founder of a local daycare facility. Altogether, she has brought more than 50 jobs to her community, as well as essential training and childcare services.

Kim has also been an active volunteer within her community. While working with a number of community organizations, she was praised for, among other things, the integral role she played in attracting eight new physicians to Cobourg, and for her service as President of the Cobourg Chamber of Commerce.

×