The interns enjoyed the pleasure of meeting with our esteemed partner, the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA), and gaining insights into the organization’s cross-regional work. Over the course of our meeting with Carolyn Miller, Mark Tagliaferri, and Filomena Ferraro, we had the opportunity to discuss the operational core of the association, as well as its far-reaching impact across Ontario. OECTA plays an important role in supporting teachers across the p

The OLIP interns were delighted to meet with Innovative Medicines Canada (IMC) and learn more about this new partner of the programme. We had the opportunity to speak with Jacqueline Dobson, Director of Government Affairs; Agata Stankiewicz, Senior Director of Government Relations; and Alex Wellstead, Director of Public Affairs and Government Relations at Novartis, a member company of IMC. Over the course of our conversation, we discussed the role of industry within Canada’s

Navigating the snowcapped streets of Toronto, the interns were delighted to visit the headquarters of our esteemed Partner, the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS), and share a fruitful conversation over lunch with OLIP Alumni, Chris Morley, Vice President of Government Relations, and Ann DeRabbie, Vice President of Corporate Communications. Established in 1962, OMERS is one of Canada’s largest defined benefit pensions plans, providing secure, lifetime ret

I had the pleasure of undertaking my Government placement with MPP Michelle Cooper. In my four months in MPP Cooper’s office, I had the opportunity to work on legislation, speechwriting, and constituency issues. I had the wonderful opportunity to support MPP Cooper’s preparations leading up to the announcement of her Private Member’s Motion in December. The motion, seeking to tackle hate crime in Ontario, allowed me to gain insight into the real processes that go into making

This fall, I had the opportunity to work with MPP Chris Glover, the NDP representative for the great riding of Spadina-Fort York, and Critic for for Democratic Reform, Technology, and Sport. Chris has been an MPP since 2018, but before then, he was largely involved in community affairs in his hometown of Oshawa and Toronto, ranging from serving as a TDSB Trustee to teaching at local high schools and universities, and organizing community movements. He’s studied extensively in

My first placement was with Government MPP Deepak Anand, representing Mississauga-Malton. During my time with Mr. Anand, I was given the opportunity to involve myself in a variety of legislative matters. I assisted the office in preparing member's statements and remarks on bills. In doing so, I gained insight into the issues shaping Ontario today, including the need for long-term, sustainable energy, coordination of service delivery between the provincial and municipal govern

Over the course of this winter, I had the privilege of completing my first legislative placement with Dr. Adil Shamji, Member of Provincial Parliament for Don Valley East, Chief Whip for the Liberal Party, as well as the Critic for Housing; Indigenous Affairs; and Primary Care, Urgent Care, and Public Health. Prior to entering the political sphere, Dr. Shamji specialized in family medicine and worked as an emergency physician across Northern Ontario, the Northwest Territories

For my government placement, I had the privilege of working in the office of MPP Monica Ciriello, Member for Hamilton Mountain and Parliamentary Assistant to the Ministry of the Attorney General. MPP Ciriello brings extensive experience in law and municipal public service to her role, and her work reflects a strong commitment to justice policy and to the constituents she serves. At Queen’s Park, I was immersed in the day-to-day work of a fast-paced legislative office. I suppo

For my Government placement, I had the distinct privilege of serving in the office of MPP Ernie Hardeman, who represents Oxford for the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario. Oxford — home to Woodstock, the "Friendly City" and Canada's dairy capital, along with Ingersoll, Tillsonburg, Norwich, Zorra, East Zorra–Tavistock, South-West Oxford, and Blandford-Blenheim — is a remarkably vibrant and picturesque county. Highway 401 cuts cleanly through its centre, carving out an

For my opposition placement, I had the privilege of working in the office of MPP Jamie West. As the representative for Sudbury, MPP West is the NDP Critic for Labour, as well as the Critic for Energy and Mines. MPP West also serves as the Deputy Whip for the Official Opposition. Elected in 2018, MPP West has an extensive background in the fields of mental health, construction, mining, and workplace safety. A member of USW Local 6500, MPP West has experience in labour relation

This fall, I had the privilege of working with Tyler Watt, MPP for Nepean and member of the Ontario Liberal Party. Elected in 2025, MPP Watt quickly established himself as a strong advocate for healthcare and education. He serves as the critic for Long-Term Care, Colleges and Universities, and as second Vice-Chair on the Standing Committee on Heritage, Infrastructure, and Cultural Policy. His commitment to public service is deeply rooted in his professional background. Having

For my government placement, I had the distinct pleasure of working with MPP Laura Smith of Thornhill. MPP Smith is the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, as well as the First Vice-Chair for the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, and is a Member of the Standing Committee on Government Agencies. One of the most valuable aspects of working with MPP Smith was observing her deep engagement within the Thornhill community and h

This past fall, I had the absolute pleasure of working with MPP Doly Begum, the Member of Provincial Parliament for Scarborough Southwest. MPP Begum serves as the Deputy Leader of the Official Opposition and the Shadow Minister for Public Transit with responsibility for Equity and Anti-Racism. She also holds the role of Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs at Queen’s Park. Throughout my placement, I gained meaningful exposure to the breadth of

The interns were grateful for the opportunity to meet with Benjamin Murray of the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association (OFVGA), an esteemed Partner of OLIP. As an umbrella organization representing commercial fruit and vegetable growers across Ontario, OFVGA advocates on behalf of a wide range of commodity groups, including apple and grape growers, on key policy issues affecting the sector. During the meeting, we learned about OFVGA’s government relations work, w

The interns were deeply appreciative of the opportunity to meet with our Partner, the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council (CNIC), and discuss the development and implementation of Ontario-produced isotopes across the country. For over fifty years, Canada has been a world leader in the realm of radiopharmaceuticals. Our conversation with CNIC allowed us to trace the organization’s foundation in 2018, as well as explore its mandate to further Canada’s system of medical isotope p

The OLIP interns greatly enjoyed the pleasure of meeting with our Partner, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO), and speaking with Isaac Werner, Senior Advisor of Government Relations. Over the course of our conversation, we discussed the foundations of NWMO, a non-profit organization that originated in 2002 under the mandate of managing Canada’s intermediate- and high-level radioactive waste in a sustainable manner. For over 20 years, NWMO has worked to create

Last Friday, the OLIP interns had the opportunity to meet with Anne Lavoie, Directrice générale et secrétaire-trésorière, and Emile Maheu, cadre – relations gouvernementales et communautaires, from our Partner, the Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO). Over the course of our discussion, we discussed the association’s origins in 1939, where it established itself as a union that brought together various professions in French-speaking Ontar

This past week, the interns were delighted to meet with Gordon Cameron, Executive Director of the Ontario Community Newspaper Association (OCNA), an esteemed Partner of OLIP. Founded in 1950 and based in Toronto, the OCNA operates as a non-profit establishment with over 200 members located across the province. Over the course of our conversation, Gordon led us through an industry profile of community newspapers, including circulation systems, market sizes and distribution p

The interns were deeply appreciative for the opportunity to meet with our esteemed partner, the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association (CLHIA). We had the privilege of learning from the insights of Vice President of Policy, Sarah Hobbs; Director of Policy, Stephanie Wong; Senior Policy Analyst, Andrea Mayer; and Assistant‑Vice President, Risk and OLIP alumna, Beth Elder. The Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association is a not‑for‑profit, membership‑based organiz

The OLIP interns greatly enjoyed meeting with Howard Brown, President of Brown & Cohen Communications and Public Affairs, and Kayla Mouzos, Account Manager. We deeply appreciated the opportunity to host a session with a long-standing partner of our programme and to learn more about the esteemed organization, Brown & Cohen Communications & Public Affairs Inc. Brown & Cohen is a Toronto-based full-service public relations and government relations firm that supports organizati