In the last four months, I’ve had the privilege of working with the Opposition House Leader, MPP John Vanthof. In his office, I’ve had the opportunity to understand our legislature’s procedural tools, learn about the importance of leadership in one’s caucus, and see how an elected representative can advocate for his constituents so far from home. The great highlight of my placement with MPP Vanthof was spending a week in his riding, Timiskaming—Cochrane. Thanks to MPP Vant

For my opposition placement, I had the pleasure of working with MPP John Fraser of Ottawa South. MPP Fraser serves as the Interim Leader of the Ontario Liberal Party and the critic for Labour and Education. One of the most valuable aspects of working with MPP Fraser was observing his participation in the Chamber during Question Period, which provided insight into his ability to articulate positions clearly, respond effectively under pressure, and engage in the fast-paced exch

This spring, I had the privilege of working with Kristyn Wong-Tam, MPP for Toronto Centre. I got to see first-hand the work the office did as the Shadow Minister to the Attorney General and learned a great deal about Ontario’s corrections and court systems as well as the province’s justice legislation. I helped gather stakeholder engagement for hearings by the Standing Committee on Justice Policy and had the chance to familiarize myself with various law organizations and repr

Effective policy listens to those it impacts. This principle is exemplified by MPP Sol Mamakwa, whose commitment to and advocacy for Northwestern Ontario enhanced my understanding of public service. As Deputy Leader of the NDP (Ontario's Official Opposition) and MPP for Kiiwetinoong, Sol Mamakwa is a strong voice for Northern and Indigenous communities. Elected in 2018, he serves as Critic for Indigenous and Treaty Relations, Northern Economic Development and Growth, and Firs

For my government placement, I had the privilege of working in the office of MPP Matthew Rae, who represents the riding of Perth-Wellington. MPP Rae is the Chief Government Whip for the Progressive Conservatives and is the Parliamentary Assistant for the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Elected in 2022, MPP Rae has an extensive background in international affairs, education policy, municipal affairs, and housing. As he grew up working on his family’s dairy farm, MPP

This past spring, I had the wonderful opportunity to work in the office of MPP Monica Ciriello, Member for Hamilton Mountain and Parliamentary Assistant to the Ministry of the Attorney General. Given my interest in pursuing a legal career, I was particularly excited to gain exposure to the Attorney General's portfolio — an office at the forefront of strengthening Ontario's justice system, supporting victims of crime, and promoting community safety. I quickly discovered a team

For my opposition placement, I had the privilege of working in the office of MPP Peggy Sattler, Member for London West. MPP Sattler currently serves as the Official Opposition Shadow Minister for Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security, as well as Chief Opposition Whip. Elected in 2013, she brings extensive experience in post-secondary education, research, and community advocacy to her work at Queen’s Park. Throughout my placement, I had the opportunity to se

This spring, I have had the honour of completing my second legislative placement with Government House Leader Steve Clark, Member of Provincial Parliament for Leeds–Grenville–Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes and Parliamentary Assistant to the Premier. Ahead of his career in provincial politics, MPP Clark served as the Youngest Mayor of Canada (1982), as well as the President of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and the Chief Administrative Officer for the Township

Over the past week, the OLIP interns had the incredible opportunity to participate in an inaugural study tour to Northern Ontario. Over the course of our journey, we flew from Toronto to Thunder Bay, and subsequently navigated Sioux Lookout, Lac Seul, and Kingfisher Lake. Partnering with MPP Mamakwa, our tour primarily encompassed an exploration of the riding of Kiiwetinoong. Located in northwestern Ontario, Kiiwetinoong is just under 300,000 square kilometres and comprises a

With our cohort's time in OLIP now wrapping up, we were very grateful to have the opportunity to meet with Mitch Davidson, an OLIP alumnus whose career has spanned government, politics, public affairs, and policy development at the highest levels of Ontario’s public sector. During our conversation, Mitch reflected on his time in OLIP and discussed the diverse career path he has pursued since completing the programme. He answered our many questions on current affairs and gover

The OLIP interns enjoyed an informative discussion with our esteemed partner, the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), and met with Alex Phillips, Director of Government Relations and Public Policy, and Chad Schella, Vice-President of Government Relations. Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce serves approximately 15 million clients worldwide, with operations ranging across the United States, the Caribbean, Asia, and Europe. It was a

This past week, the OLIP interns enjoyed a break from the city and ventured to Elora, Ontario, to visit the facilities and farms of the Beef Farmers of Ontario. Coordinated by Thomas Brandstetter and guided by our generous hosts, Evan Chaffe, Aynur Izzettin, Jaclyn Horenberg, Kara Sickle, and Mel Reekie, we had the opportunity to learn about the BFO’s 60-year advocacy for the province’s 19,000 beef farmers. Starting off with a fascinating presentation at the BFO’s Research Ce

We recently had the pleasure of meeting with Sky Shi, an OLIP alumnus whose career journey since the program has taken him into the heart of Canada’s international trade and foreign affairs landscape. During our conversation, Sky reflected on his time in OLIP and discussed the career path he has pursued since completing the programme. He also answered our questions about entering the workforce and navigating professional opportunities after OLIP. Sky emphasized that one of th

The OLIP interns greatly appreciated the opportunity to meet with our esteemed partners, Santis Health, and speak with Consultants, Dylan Brenneman and Avneet Dhaliwal. During our discussion, we had the opportunity to discuss the organization’s innovative approach to the healthcare system, as well as their objectives to advocate for the country’s health and life sciences sectors. Their approaches navigate policy development and analysis, as well as community engagement, and w

The OLIP interns enjoyed meeting with our programme partner, Burson, and speaking with Shanice Scott, Senior Account Director; Mik Opolski, Senior Consultant; Hailey Budgell, Consultant; and Stefanie Di Cosmo, Consulting Intern. Established in 2024 and formerly known as Burson Cohn and Wolfe (BCW), Burson is a global public relations and communications firm based in New York City, with an international presence spanning North and Latin America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East

The OLIP interns greatly appreciated the opportunity to meet with the Canadian Beverage Association (CBA), our esteemed partner, and engage in a fascinating discussion with President Krista Scaldwell and Erich Schmidt, Senior Director of Communications and Public Affairs. Prefacing our discussion, we explored the CBA’s role in leading Canada’s sustainable and collaborative non-alcoholic beverage sector. For example, the beverages represented by the CBA range from soft drinks

We were honoured to visit the offices of Ontario Power Generation, the crown corporation responsible for over half of Ontario’s electricity generation. It was a pleasure to speak with Timothy Gopaul, Senior Manager Provincial Government Relations, and two of our energy expert alumni: Jake Sikora, Senior Manager Stakeholder and Government Relations and David Donavan, VP Corporate Business Development and Strategy. It was wonderful to continue our journeys exploring Ontario ene

It was a pleasure to meet with and learn about the Ontario Nurses Association this past week. The OLIP interns had the opportunity to chat with Imreet Kaur, Government and External Relations Specialist; Andre Fast, Government and External Relations Specialist; and Leanne Cooke, Senior Advisor at the Office of the President and Board of Directors. Starting as a nurses’ union, ONA now represents thousands of healthcare professionals across the province, ranging from an amalgam

It was wonderful to chat with the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance this week and learn more about contemporary issues facing students in universities across the province. We had the opportunity to speak with Omar Sayyed, VP Finance of the Steering Committee, and Octave Andrade-Dixon, Executive Director. Representing both the student-led and the executive leadership sides of the organization (something unique to an organization like OUSA), Omar and Octave had a wealth of

This past week, the interns had the pleasure of speaking with the Honourable Bob Rae, the 21st Premier of Ontario. It’s not every day you meet one of the subjects of a portrait in the Legislative Building in real life, so it was truly an honour to welcome Mr. Rae to our space! Mr. Rae has been a stronghold in Canadian politics for decades, serving as leader of the provincial NDP, Premier of Ontario, leader of the Liberal Party of Canada as an MP, and most recently, Canada’