Jennifer McKelvie
Jennifer McKelvie | |
|---|---|
McKelvie in 2023 | |
| Member of Parliament for Ajax | |
| Assumed office April 28, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Mark Holland |
| Deputy Mayor of Toronto for Scarborough | |
| In office November 16, 2022 – May 9, 2025 | |
| Mayor | John Tory Olivia Chow |
| Preceded by | Michael Thompson |
| Succeeded by | Paul Ainslie |
| Statutory Deputy Mayor of Toronto | |
| In office November 16, 2022 – August 10, 2023 | |
| Mayor | John Tory Olivia Chow |
| Preceded by | Denzil Minnan-Wong |
| Succeeded by | Ausma Malik |
| Toronto City Councillor for Ward 25 Scarborough—Rouge Park | |
| In office December 1, 2018 – May 9, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Ward established |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Jennifer Gray 1977 (age 47–48) East York, Ontario, Canada |
| Political party | Liberal (federal) Independent (municipal) |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence(s) | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation |
|
| Website | www |
Jennifer McKelvie (née Gray; born 1977) is a Canadian politician and geoscientist who has served as the member of Parliament (MP) for Ajax since 2025. McKelvie was the deputy mayor of Toronto from 2022 to 2025, representing Scarborough and was the Toronto city councillor for Ward 25 Scarborough—Rouge Park from 2018 to 2025. She ran for the Liberal Party in the 2025 Canadian election, and resigned from council shortly after becoming an MP.
In the 2014 Toronto municipal election, she was a candidate in the now defunct Ward 44, and came within less than 600 votes of defeating then long-time incumbent Ron Moeser.[1] As the statutory deputy mayor, McKelvie assumed certain mayoral powers following the resignation of John Tory on February 17, 2023, and remained the highest-ranking official in the city until the swearing-in of Olivia Chow as mayor on July 12, 2023, following the 2023 Toronto mayoral by-election. Under Chow, McKelvie continued in her role as deputy mayor, serving in an honorary capacity and representing Scarborough. She resigned as a city councillor after her election as an MP in May 2025.[2]
Early life and family
Born in 1977 as Jennifer Gray[3] in East York, and lived her early years in an apartment complex on the North York-Scarborough border. She attended two Toronto Catholic District School Board institutions: Precious Blood Catholic School where she attended their French immersion program,[4] and Senator O'Connor College School where she graduated.
She lives in Ward 25 with her husband, and her two children.
Academic career
An environmental geoscientist, she received her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from the University of Toronto Scarborough and her Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Toronto in geology, with research specializing in geochemistry, environmental remediation, and biochemistry. Her academic mentor and supervisor was Barbara Sherwood Lollar.[5]
McKelvie's academic work has been recognized and supported by the L’Oréal UNESCO Women in Science Fellowship, and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. She has co-authored more than twenty peer-reviewed scientific journal publications, which have been referenced more than 1200 times.[6] Prior to her election, McKelvie worked as an environmental geoscientist and researcher. For almost a decade, she served as a senior scientist at the Nuclear Waste Management Organization, and as a research director at the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research.[7][8] She was registered as a Professional Geoscientist (P. Geo) with the Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario.[9]
Community service
McKelvie was the first president of the Scarborough Community Renewal Organization, and was president of the Centennial Community & Recreation Association. In both of these capacities she fought for renewal and investment in Scarborough. McKelvie also served as a member of the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus Council, and as a citizen member of the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA).[10]
Her community service has been recognized by the Scarborough Rotary Clubs, who awarded her with the Paul Harris Fellow award in 2017. She has also received awards recognizing her leadership from the province of Ontario and was named a 150 Neighbour by the University of Toronto Scarborough.[11]
Political career
Toronto City Council
McKelvie was Chair of Toronto's Infrastructure and Environment Committee. She also served on Scarborough's Community Council, the Toronto Hydro Corporation Board of Directors and as the chair of the Toronto Zoo Board of Management.[12] Enhancing public transit, protecting the environment and creating employment opportunities in Scarborough, were her key electoral priorities. She also derided the post-amalgamation shift of public investment and municipal jobs out of Scarborough to Toronto's downtown core.[13]
Following the resignation of John Tory on February 17, 2023, McKelvie assumed certain powers of the mayor of Toronto until Mayor Olivia Chow took office on July 12, following the 2023 mayoral by-election.[14][15][16][17] McKelvie endorsed former deputy mayor and city councillor Ana Bailão to succeed Tory. Bailão finished second in the election.[18]
Federal politics
McKelvie was the Liberal candidate in Ajax for the 2025 Canadian federal election, and was elected as a Member of Parliament on April 28, 2025.
Electoral record
| 2025 Canadian federal election: Ajax | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | 36,975 | 56.32 | −0.51 | |||||
| Conservative | Greg Brady | 25,658 | 39.08 | +12.48 | ||||
| New Democratic | Kyle Forster | 1,762 | 2.68 | −11.36 | ||||
| Centrist | Faisal Ali | 643 | 0.98 | N/A | ||||
| Green | Leigh Paulseth | 612 | 0.93 | −1.59 | ||||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 65,650 | 99.27 | ||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 484 | 0.73 | ||||||
| Turnout | 66,134 | 67.89 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 97,407 | |||||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | −6.50 | ||||||
| Source: Elections Canada[19][20] | ||||||||
| Note: number of eligible voters does not include voting day registrations. | ||||||||
| 2022 Toronto election, Ward 25[21] | ||
| Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Jennifer McKelvie | 14,168 | 72.28% |
| Jacinta Kanakaratnam | 3,449 | 17.60% |
| Ashan Fernando | 1,984 | 10.12% |
| Total | 19,601 | 100% |
| 2018 Toronto election, Ward 25[22] | ||
| Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Jennifer McKelvie | 11,624 | 40.21% |
| Neethan Shan | 11,470 | 39.68% |
| Paul Cookson | 1,897 | 6.56% |
| Amanda Cain | 831 | 2.87% |
| Total | 28,970 | 100% |
| 2014 Toronto election, Ward 44[23] | ||
| Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Ron Moeser | 6,416 | 25.73% |
| Jennifer McKelvie | 5,844 | 23.44% |
| Diana Hall | 5,530 | 22.18% |
| Amarjeet Chhabra | 2,852 | 11.44% |
| Total | 24,934 | 100% |
References
Notes
Citations
- ^ Palamarchuk, Andrew (October 31, 2014). "Second-place finisher McKelvie reflects on close race in Ward 44". Toronto.com. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ https://toronto.citynews.ca/2025/05/08/jennifer-mckelvie-resigns-toronto-council-seat-to-become-ajax-mp/
- ^ Canada, Library and Archives (September 1, 2022). "Search Results – Theses Canada". library-archives.canada.ca. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
- ^ ICI.Radio-Canada.ca, Zone Politique- (August 31, 2019). "Jennifer McKelvie à la barre du Comité consultatif des affaires francophones de Toronto". Radio-Canada (in Canadian French). Retrieved August 26, 2024.
- ^ "Barbara Sherwood Lollar, diviner of ancient water, wins top Canadian science prize". The Globe and Mail. May 6, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
- ^ "Jennifer McKelvie - Google Scholar Citations". scholar.google.ca. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ mc (February 24, 2018). "NNL reviews Canada's microbiologically influenced corrosion research program". National Nuclear Laboratory. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
- ^ The Canadian Press (February 11, 2023). "Who is Jennifer McKelvie? Likely interim mayor's work spans from science to politics". The National Post. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
- ^ "Registrants". Professional Geoscientists Ontario. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
- ^ "Who is Jennifer McKelvie? What we know about the councillor poised to take over as Toronto mayor". Toronto. February 10, 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
- ^ "Dr. Jennifer McKelvie". 150 Neighbours. June 30, 2017. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Councillor Jennifer McKelvie". City of Toronto. December 1, 2018. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ Adler, Mike (September 25, 2019). "Toronto will move staff to Etobicoke and Scarborough civic centres". Toronto.com. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ Aguilar, Bryann (February 15, 2023). "John Tory formally resigns as mayor of Toronto". ctvnews. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
- ^ "Toronto Mayor John Tory is resigning. So what happens now?". CBC News. February 10, 2023. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
- ^ "Toronto Mayor John Tory steps down after admitting relationship with staffer". CBC News. February 10, 2023. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
- ^ "Who is Jennifer McKelvie? What we know of the Scarborough councillor poised to take over as mayor". CP24. February 10, 2023. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
- ^ "Deputy mayor breaks pledge to stay out of Toronto mayoral election, backs a candidate". Toronto Star. July 19, 2023.
- ^ "Voter information service". Elections Canada. Retrieved May 7, 2025.
- ^ "Election Night Results - Electoral Districts". Elections Canada. Retrieved May 7, 2025.
- ^ "Final declaration of the results for the 2022 Toronto Municipal Election" (PDF). toronto.ca. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
- ^ "A look at the 2018 Toronto election results, ward by ward". Toronto City Council. October 22, 2018.
- ^ "Declaration of Results" (PDF). Toronto City Council. October 30, 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 5, 2016. Retrieved April 18, 2017.