In early October, the OLIP interns had the distinct honour of meeting the Right Honourable David Peterson, the 20th Premier of Ontario who served from 1985 to 1990. During our conversation, Mr. Peterson walked us through his career journey, sharing thoughtful insights about the experiences that shaped his path to becoming Premier. His story began in sales, followed by the founding of a wholesale electronics business, his election to London City Council, and eventually his ent

Between September 22 and October 17, I had the privilege of working with the Legislative Research Branch at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. This experience offered a unique perspective into the intersection of policy and politics, as well as the non-partisan role research plays in the democratic process. As a knowledge center in Queen’s Park, Legislative Research publishes publicly accessible Provincial Affairs Briefings (PABs), addresses confidential queries posed by Me

Over the past month, I have had the privilege of completing my Legislative Assembly placement with the Parliamentary Counsel Branch, alongside my wonderful colleague, Keana. Parliamentary Counsel plays a vital role in supporting the Legislative Assembly’s independence from the executive branch, providing expert legal advice and guidance to ensure that the Assembly can carry out its legislative and oversight functions in accordance with constitutional and parliamentary princip

For my Assembly Placement, I was lucky enough to be placed with the Table Research Office. While there, I worked with Clerk Tori Llewellyn (also an OLIP alumni), on several projects. My main focus was preparing a presentation on the typical Day in the House for my fellow Interns. For this project, I combed through the Standing Orders of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, the procedural rules for the House, to understand what happens on a day-to-day basis. To elaborate on th

For my Assembly Placement, I was incredibly lucky enough to be placed with the office of Parliamentary Counsel, alongside my fellow intern Bianca. Parliamentary Counsel is the legal office of the Assembly, representing them in legal matters and providing professional legal advice to the Assembly. While this doesn’t include advice on personal legal issues towards a Member as one may think, it does encompass many other things: drafting Private Member’s Bills, advising on consti

Last Friday, the OLIP interns were grateful to tour the Bruce Power nuclear site on the shores of Lake Huron in Tiverton, Ontario. We gained an insightful perspective into its operations, with the focus on safety, innovation, and community impressed upon us from the moment we arrived. Bruce Power generates 30% of Ontario’s electricity, providing one in three homes, hospitals, and businesses with clean, reliable power. Formed in 2001, it is 100% Canadian owned and employs over

As part of my placement with the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, I’ve had the privilege of working with the Legislative Protective Service (LPS), a division that plays a vital role in safeguarding the Assembly’s people, spaces, and democratic processes. While LPS is best known for its operational and security functions, I’ve had the unique opportunity to contribute to its policy development work, which is just as critical to its mission. One of my first assignments was helpi

Over the past month, I have had the pleasure of working with the Committee Clerks division of the Office of the Assembly’s Procedural Services Branch. At Queen’s Park, the Procedural Services Branch is responsible for providing procedural advice to the House and to legislative committees. My placement was with the committee clerks, who provide procedural advice to each standing and select, committee at the Ontario Legislative Assembly. During my placement, I had the opportun

Over the past month, I had the pleasure of completing my Legislative Assembly placement with the Canadian Parliamentary Review (CPR). The CPR is a non-partisan quarterly publication for the Canadian Region of the Commonwealth Parliamentarians Association. It fosters academic inquiry into Canadian parliamentary institutions at the provincial, territorial, and federal levels. During my placement, I had the opportunity to contribute to the Winter 2025 theme issue on inclusive pa

From September 22 to October 17, I had the privilege of completing my Assembly Placement at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario (LAO) with the Parliamentary Protocol and Public Relations (PPPR) Office. One of the Legislature’s most dynamic, multi-faceted branches, PPPR connects Ontarians with their parliament via various public-facing initiatives—from themed tours, educational sessions, and community outreach to diplomatic protocol, celebratory events, and flag-raising ceremo

For my Assembly placement I had the absolute pleasure of working in the Legislative Library, which is not only a beautiful space in the main building of Queen’s Park, but also houses a unique branch of the Office of the Assembly. The Legislative Library provides non-partisan and confidential informational services such as research and analysis to all Assembly staff and MPPs. As a repository of information, the library also distributes news in the form of press clippings as we

For my assembly placement, I had the absolute pleasure of working with the Information Services (IS) Branch at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. As part of the Information and Technology Services Division, the IS Branch ensures that Assembly data is effectively managed, preserved, and made accessible to MPPs, staff, and the public. The branch also designs and manages the Assembly’s custom applications, enterprise systems, and websites, while providing expertise in digitiza

In early October, the OLIP interns had the privilege of meeting with Colin Simpson, CEO of the Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario (IBAO). The IBAO is a non-profit organization that educates and licenses brokers while advocating on behalf of more than 15,000 Ontario brokers to industry stakeholders and all levels of government. It also stands as the largest provincial broker association in Canada.  During our meeting, we discussed key issues associated with the IBAO, bro

The interns were honoured to spend an afternoon at the Association of Management, Administrative and Professional Crown Employees of Ontario (AMAPCEO)’s downtown Toronto office, where we were warmly received by President David Bulmer, Vice-President Cynthia Watt, Strategic Advisor Grant Burns, and District Director Jennifer Harewood. Over a delicious lunch, we had the chance to learn about their respective careers with the Ontario Public Service and dive into meaningful conve

In September, the OLIP interns had the opportunity to meet with our Partner, the Canada Nickel Company (CNC), for an insightful presentation on their vision, operations, and the role they are playing in Ontario’s mineral industry. We had a thoughtful conversation about the future of nickel mining, the significance of sustainable practices, and how Ontario is shaping itself within intergovernmental mineral trade agreements.   The CNC team, encompassing of Mark Selby, CEO and D

In September, the OLIP interns had the pleasure of meeting with our Partner, the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA), and two incredible OLIP alumni who now work at OREA: Jason Lagerquist, Head of Government Relations, and Dia Mukherjee, Government Relations and Communications Specialist.    OREA is the professional body representing nearly 100,000 Realtors and 23 real estate boards across Ontario. Its mission encompasses “helping people find a great place to call home, wo

5 Decades of the OLIP Legacy! We are beyond excited to begin our ten-month journey at the Ontario Legislature! Over the coming months, we...

For my government placement, I had the privilege of interning for MPP Steve Pinsonneault. MPP Pinsonneault represents the beautiful...

For my second MPP placement, I had the distinct pleasure of being placed with MPP Glover of Spadina-Fort York. As the Shadow Minister for...

For my second placement, I was fortunate enough to work with MPP Doly Begum who represents Scarborough—Southwest. She is the  Official...