Ted McMeekin
Ontario MPP
In office
2000–2018
Preceded byToni Skarica
Succeeded bySandy Shaw
ConstituencyAncaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale
Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Aldershot
(2000-2007)
Personal details
Born1948 (age 75–76)
Political partyLiberal
ResidenceWaterdown, Ontario
OccupationBusiness owner

Ted McMeekin (born c. 1948) is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He is the Ward 15 Councillor, for the City of Hamilton. He was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 2000 to 2018 who represented the ridings of Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale and Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Aldershot. He served as a cabinet minister in the governments of Dalton McGuinty and Kathleen Wynne.

Background

McMeekin completed his bachelor's degree in social work at McMaster University and his master's degree in social work from Wilfrid Laurier University. He has served as executive director of the Burlington Social Planning Council, and was for a time the chair of part-time studies at Mohawk College (where he also taught courses). He has also worked on social justice issues for the United Church of Canada, and was the owner and operator of a small bookstore for eight years.

Municipal politics

Before entering provincial politics, McMeekin was a member of the Hamilton, Ontario City Council representing Ward 7 (Hamilton Mountain). After retiring from Council, he moved to Flamborough, Ontario, a rural community which lies on the outskirts of Hamilton, and later served a term of six years as mayor.[1] McMeekin was also for a number of years Flamborough's representative on the Hamilton-Wentworth regional council, which the provincial government of Mike Harris eliminated in 2000 by amalgamating the city and outlying regions into a single political entity. McMeekin was one of the most vocal opponents of this change, noting that it would result in a loss of autonomy for Flamborough. On October 24, 2022 McMeekin returned to municipal politics, after winning a five person race to win a seat on Hamilton City Council in Ward 15.

Provincial politics

McMeekin's plans to jump from municipal to provincial politics had been rumoured for years, and it came as no surprise when he won the Liberal nomination for a by-election to be held in ADFA on September 7, 2000 (called following the resignation of Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) Toni Skarica, another vocal opponent of the amalgamation scheme). Although the seat had gone overwhelmingly for the Progressive Conservatives the previous year, McMeekin defeated PC candidate Priscilla de Villiers by over 9,000 votes. The Conservatives had spent $211,989 on his competitor, nearly $80,000 in excess of McMeekin's $132,143.[2] Local opposition to amalgamation was generally cited as the reason for this shift.

In the provincial election of 2003, McMeekin defeated Tory candidate Mark Mullins by a somewhat reduced margin.[3] He served as parliamentary assistant to John Gerretsen in his capacity as the minister responsible for seniors from October 23, 2003, to September 27, 2004. On September 27, 2004, he was appointed assistant to Jim Watson, the Ministry of Consumer and Business Services.

In the provincial election of 2007, McMeekin defeated Progressive Conservative candidate Chris Corrigan.[4] On October 30, 2007, McMeekin was named a cabinet minister, responsible for Government and Consumer Services.[5] He was re-elected in 2011[6] and appointed Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.[7]

In 2013, McMeekin supported Kathleen Wynne in her bid to become Liberal leader.[8] After Wynne won, she named McMeekin to her first cabinet as Minister of Community and Social Services.[9]

McMeekin was re-elected in 2014.[10] Shortly after the election, Wynne appointed McMeekin as Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.[11] He resigned from his post in June 2016 to help create gender parity in the cabinet.[12] McMeekin was defeated in the 2018 election, where he placed third.

Cabinet positions

Electoral record

2018 Ontario general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
New DemocraticSandy Shaw23,92143.19+18.33
Progressive ConservativeBen Levitt17,18931.03+5.25
LiberalTed McMeekin10,96019.79-23.42
GreenPeter Ormond2,3024.16-0.77
None of the AboveStephanie Davies3990.72
LibertarianNicholas Dushko3720.67
IndependentJim Enos2470.45
Total valid votes 55,39099.10
Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots 5050.90
Turnout 55,895
Eligible voters
New Democratic gain from Liberal Swing +16.33
Source: Elections Ontario[13]
2014 Ontario general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
LiberalTed McMeekin24,04244.56+0.86
Progressive ConservativeDonna Skelly18,25233.83-0.75
New DemocraticAlex Johnstone8,41515.60-1.60
GreenRaymond Dartsch2,6394.89+1.91
LibertarianGlenn Langton4230.78+0.26
FreedomBarry Spruce1880.35+0.15
Total valid votes 53,959100.0   +8.57
Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots 8351.52
Turnout 54,79459.02
Eligible voters 92,833
Liberal hold Swing +0.80
Source(s)
"Official return from the records – 003, Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale" (PDF). Elections Ontario. 2014. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
2011 Ontario general election
Party Candidate Votes%±%
LiberalTed McMeekin21,64843.70+2.19
Progressive ConservativeDonna Skelly17,13234.58-0.25
New DemocraticTrevor Westerhoff8,52117.20+3.97
GreenErik Coverdale1,4772.98-5.60
Family CoalitionRobert Maton3210.65-0.36
LibertarianGlenn Langton2580.52+0.39
FreedomPeter Melanson990.20
CommunistRick Gunderman Smith870.18
Total valid votes 49,543100.0   +0.20
Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots 1800.36
Turnout 49,72356.45
Eligible voters 88,080
Liberal hold Swing +1.22
Source(s)
"Official return from the records / Rapport des registres officiels - Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale" (PDF). Elections Ontario. 2011. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
2007 Ontario general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
LiberalTed McMeekin20,52541.5
Progressive ConservativeChris Corrigan17,21934.8
New DemocraticJuanita Maldonado6,54213.2
GreenDavid Januczkowski4,2438.6
Family CoalitionJim Enos5011.0
IndependentMartin Zaliniak2190.4
Confederation of RegionsEileen Butson1290.3
LibertarianSam Zaslavsky650.1
2003 Ontario general election
Party Candidate Votes % +/-
(1999)		 +/-
(2000)
LiberalTed McMeekin23,04547.5+14.0-12.1
Progressive ConservativeMark Mullins18,14137.4-20.7+6.9
New DemocraticKelly Hayes5,66611.7+2.3+4.8
GreenBrian Elder Sullivan9031.9--0.8
Family CoalitionMichael Trolly4340.9––
Confederation of RegionsRichard Butson2930.6––
By-election: February 7, 2000
Party Candidate Votes % +/-
LiberalTed McMeekin19,91659.6+26.1
Progressive ConservativePriscilla De Villiers10,20130.5-27.6
New DemocraticJessica Brennan2,2976.7-1.5
GreenMark Coakley1,4054.14-
IndependentJohn Turmel800.2-

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Municipal Affairs
  2. ↑ Housing
  3. ↑ Minister of Agriculture and Food
  4. ↑ Minister of Rural Affairs

Citations

  1. ↑ Brennan, Richard (4 September 2000). "Hostile voters target Tory in Hamilton by-election". The Toronto Star.
  2. ↑ "Big budget didn't bring election win". The Hamilton Spectator. 17 April 2001.
  3. ↑ "Summary of Valid Ballots by Candidate". Elections Ontario. October 2, 2003. Archived from the original on November 5, 2014. Retrieved March 2, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Summary of Valid Ballots Cast for Each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. October 10, 2007. p. 1 (x). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 7, 2009. Retrieved March 2, 2014.
  5. ↑ Ferguson, Rob; Benzie, Robert (31 October 2007). "Premier goes for new blood; Expanded 28-member cabinet has eight ministers from Toronto, three from 905 area". Toronto Star. p. A13.
  6. ↑ "Summary of Valid Ballots Cast for Each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. October 6, 2011. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 30, 2013. Retrieved March 2, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Ontario's new cabinet". Toronto Star. 21 October 2011. p. A18.
  8. ↑ "Ted McMeekin backs Wynne in Liberal bid". Hamilton Spectator. 20 November 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  9. ↑ "Ontario's new cabinet". Waterloo Region Record. Kitchener, Ont. 12 February 2013. p. A3.
  10. ↑ "General Election by District: Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale". Elections Ontario. June 12, 2014. Archived from the original on September 23, 2014.
  11. ↑ Richard Brennan; Robert Benzie; Rob Ferguson (24 June 2014). "Kathleen Wynne warns financial cupboard is bare". Toronto Star.
  12. ↑ Rob Ferguson (6 June 2016). "Ontario minister Ted McMeekin resigning from cabinet to help achieve gender parity - Toronto Star". TheStar.com. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  13. ↑ "Summary of Valid Votes Cast for each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
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