For my second placement, I am working in the office of MPP Logan Kanapathi. MPP Kanapathi came to Queen’s Park after serving as a Markham City Councillor for twelve years. He first became involved in activism while he was a student in Sri Lanka, where he advocated for the rights of Tamil people during the civil war. He continued his human rights activism in Canada after fleeing Sri Lanka as a refugee, and it was this activism that first brought him to Canadian politics. As a Markham City Councillor, he advocated for issues such as increased green space and strong social policy for seniors while also advocating for human rights on a global scale. He continues to work on these issues as an MPP, and in my first few weeks in his office, I’ve had the chance to work on many of them, providing support with research, speaking notes, and communications.
MPP Kanapathi represents the riding of Markham-Thornhill, one of the most diverse and vibrant communities in Canada. It is also one of the most populous ridings, with a population of over 100,000 constituents. MPP Kanapathi highlights that diversity is his riding’s greatest strength, but also creates a distinct need to provide services and information that is culturally sensitive and available in many languages. This urban riding is a fascinating contrast from the Northern Ontario riding of Nickel Belt, where I “virtually” worked during my first placement.
I have enjoyed joining the office, and look forward to the weeks ahead. Thank you to MPP Kanapathi and his assistant Lavanya for showing me the ropes and welcoming me to the team!