Jennifer McKelvie

Jennifer McKelvie (Listen) is a Canadian politician, who was first elected to the Toronto City Council in the 2018 municipal election.[1] She represents Ward 25 (Scarborough—Rouge Park), which encompasses much of eastern Scarborough, the Toronto Zoo, the University of Toronto Scarborough, Rouge National Urban Park, and the neighbourhoods of Centennial, Highland Creek, Malvern, Morningside Heights, West Rouge, and West Hill.

Jennifer McKelvie
Jennifer McKelvie, Toronto City Councillor for Ward 25, Scarborough-Rouge Park
Toronto City Councillor for Ward 25 (Scarborough—Rouge Park)
Assumed office
December 1, 2018
Preceded byWard Established
Personal details
BornEast York, Ontario
NationalityCanadian
Spouse(s)Warren McKelvie
Children2
ResidenceToronto, Ontario
Alma mater
OccupationEnvironmental Geoscientist
Websitewww.jennifermckelvie.ca

McKelvie was one of only two non-incumbent candidates to unseat an incumbent in the 2018 election, a rare feat in Toronto politics.[2] 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.[3]

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.[4] McKelvie believes replacing the antiquated Scarborough RT line in favour of a three-stop subway and building an Eglinton East LRT line are crucial transit projects necessary to properly connect Scarborough with the rest of Toronto.

Early life and family

Jennifer McKelvie (née Gray) was born in East York, and lived her early years in an apartment complex on the North York-Scarborough border. She attended the French immersion program at Precious Blood Elementary School, and is a graduate of Senator O’Connor College School. She is one of the few members of city council who is fluent in French.

She lives in Ward 25 with her husband, Warren, and her two children.

Academic career

An environmental geoscientist, she received her M.Sc. and Ph.D. 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.

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 authored more than twenty peer-reviewed scientific journal publications, which have been referenced more than 900 times.[5] 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.

Community service

McKelvie was the first president of the Scarborough Community Renewal Organization, and was president of the Centennial Community & Recreation Association.[6][7] 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 Region Conservation Authority (TRCA).

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.[8]

Political career

Following her election to council in 2018, she was appointed vice-chair of Toronto's Infrastructure and Environment Committee, Vice-Chair of Scarborough Community Council and Chair of the Toronto Francophone Affairs Advisory Committee. She also serves on the Toronto Transit Commissions, Toronto Board of Health, Toronto's Budget Committee, Toronto Atmospheric Fund, and the Toronto Zoo Board of Management.[9]

Electoral record
2018 Toronto election, Ward 25[10]
Candidate Votes %
Jennifer McKelvie11,62440.21%
Neethan Shan11,47039.68%
Paul Cookson1,8976.56%
Amanda Cain8312.87%
Total28,970100%
2014 Toronto election, Ward 44[11]
Candidate Votes %
Ron Moeser6,41625.73%
Jennifer McKelvie5,84423.44%
Diana Hall5,53022.18%
Amarjeet Chhabra2,85211.44%
Total24,934100%
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References
  1. "Jennifer McKelvie unseats a council incumbent, in Ward 25, Scarborough—Rouge Park". Toronto Star, October 22, 2018.
  2. "Jennifer McKelvie takes the scientific approach to municipal politics | The Star". thestar.com. Retrieved 2019-11-19.
  3. Palamarchuk, Andrew (2014-10-31). "Second-place finisher McKelvie reflects on close race in Ward 44". Toronto.com. Retrieved 2019-11-19.
  4. Adler, Mike (2019-09-25). "Toronto will move staff to Etobicoke and Scarborough civic centres". Toronto.com. Retrieved 2019-11-19.
  5. "Jennifer McKelvie - Google Scholar Citations". scholar.google.ca. Retrieved 2019-11-19.
  6. "Scarborough Community Renewal Organization – Scarborough deserves better". Retrieved 2019-11-19.
  7. "Centennial Community & Recreation Association – Voice of the Community since 1949". Retrieved 2019-11-19.
  8. "Dr. Jennifer McKelvie". 150 Neighbours. 2017-06-30. Retrieved 2019-11-19.
  9. "Councillor Jennifer McKelvie". City of Toronto. 2018-12-01. Retrieved 2019-11-19.
  10. "A look at the 2018 Toronto election results, ward by ward". Toronto City Council. October 22, 2018.
  11. "Declaration of Results" (PDF). Toronto City Council. October 30, 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 5, 2016. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
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