For my government placement, I am working in the office of MPP Billy Pang of Markham—Unionville. Markham—Unionville is a riding in the Greater Toronto Area that encapsulates all that makes Ontario special: ethnic diversity, a vibrant civil society, and an economy adapted to today’s challenges. Since joining the office in January I have witnessed these elements firsthand through memorable visits to the residential area of Markham—Unionville and through a press conference at GE Hitachi’s Markham headquarters, where the company is building a small modular nuclear reactor for use in Ontario.
MPP Pang is the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism and represents a large immigrant population in Markham – Unionville. The riding is home to many Chinese Canadians, and I had the pleasure of seeing and experiencing Chinese Canadian culture at MPP Pang’s Lunar New Year event in early February.
The work I have done with the office varies from speech writing to helping design the print newsletter. The focus on research and writing assignments in this placement has been engaging, and I have learned a lot about the issues facing residents of Markham-Unionville. One highlight from my assignments has been the preparation for a government funding announcement regarding a Markham—Unionville nonprofit. The nonprofit, Hand Over Hand, provides services to people with disabilities, and my tasks included writing MPP Pang’s remarks and preparing the news release. Seeing the process from the research to presentation stage was a rewarding experience!
Thank you to MPP Pang, Conni, Kitty, Dickson, Larry and Sam for the warm welcome to the office and for making this placement so memorable!