💡 Alumni Spotlight: Peter Rekai, Inaugural OLIP Cohort (1976–1977)

This November, the OLIP interns had the privilege of meeting with Peter Rekai, an alumnus from the very first OLIP cohort of 1976–1977, and has since enjoyed an extensive and interesting career defined by service to newcomers and care for his community. 

Peter holds a BA from Trinity College, and after completing OLIP, graduated from Queen’s Law School in 1980 before articling at a large downtown Toronto law firm. His early career reunited him with Queen’s Park, where he spent over two years as a Legislative Assistant to a Cabinet Minister in the Davis Government. Following this tenure, Peter ran as a federal electoral candidate in a downtown Toronto riding — a community he fondly recalls as a “landing pad” for many new immigrants. This route opened the door to what would become his life’s work. 

Peter went on to establish a small immigration-focused law firm that has since grown into Mobility Law, a thriving practice with a staff of 27. His dedication to supporting newcomers to Canada remains a defining characteristic  of his professional life, and he speaks of former clients and their achievements with genuine pleasure.  

Serving Canada has also been central to Peter’s journey. For more than 20 years, he has been a Board Chair for the Rekai Centres, a group of non-profit long-term care homes in downtown Toronto. The homes are deeply personal to him: they are successors to Central Hospital, Canada’s first multicultural hospitals dedicated to serving post-war newcomers. The establishment was founded in the mid-1950s by his father and uncle, who were newly immigrated doctors . Today, Peter is thrilled to see construction underway on a new 350-bed long-term care home by Toronto’s waterfront, which will also offer health care services to the surrounding community. 

The OLIP interns enjoyed a warm, insightful conversation with Peter when he visited in early November. In addition to addressing our queries about the programme, Peter generously reminisced upon his years in OLIP and shared fond memories about his peers, MPP placements, and the ways Queen’s Park has evolved over time. Peter shared that his biggest takeaway from OLIP was the experience of working on both sides of the House and with Members representing diverse communities. Seeing issues from multiple perspectives, he said, became an invaluable asset throughout his legal career and in his volunteer work. His advice to current and future interns is grounded in that same openness: pursue paths that reflect your interests and passions, but stay nimble. Your journey may look different than expected, so embrace the recalibrations along the way! 

Peter recommends Margaret MacMillan’s book Paris 1919, a captivating account of how global leaders reshaped the world after the First World War. As Peter shared, the book “still explains a great deal about the world in which we live.” For the perfect reading spot, he suggests enjoying it at his family’s favourite Toronto pub, The House on Parliament, which he notes is a fitting place to take in such a thoughtful read. 

We are so grateful for Peter’s generosity with his time and reflections. It is inspiring to see the many meaningful and unexpected paths that can follow OLIP, and to learn from such accomplished alumni who once sat where we do now. Thank you, Peter, for sharing your insights, your wisdom, and your remarkable journey with us!