Home > Gerard Kennedy

Kennedy was educated at the University of Alberta and at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario. He worked as a historical researcher for the Government of Alberta in the early 1980s, and founded the Edmonton Food Bank in 1983.

After moving to Ontario, Kennedy gained fame as the executive director of Toronto, Ontario's Daily Bread Food Bank, serving in this capacity from 1986 to 19961996 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar), and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty''. Events January January 5 Hamas operative Yahya Ayyash is killed by an Israeli-planted booby-trapped cell phone Jan. The food bank distributed $30 million dollars worth of food each year, despite never receiving government aid; 150,000 people are estimated to have used its services every month. Kennedy was named in Toronto LifeToronto Life is a Canadian magazine about entertainment, politics and life in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. External link Canadian magazines. Magazine's list of fifty influential people in 19921992 is a leap year starting on Wednesday. Events January January The Internet Society is formed. January 1 Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Perez de Cuellar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General January 1 George H. Bush becomes the fi, and was named newsmaker of the year by the Toronto StarThe Toronto Star is a major metropolitan newspaper produced in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It has the largest circulation in the country, in excess of 400,000 daily, and is noted for its liberal stance. While most of Canada's high-circulation ne in 19931993 is a common year starting on Friday and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003 Events January January 1 Czechoslovakia divides. Establishment of independent Slovakia and Czech Republic.. Kennedy was also given an honorable mention in the Financial Post Magazine s C.E.O. awards in 19951995 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). It has a Golden number of 1, and was the first year of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People (1995- 2005): http://www. org/culture/indigenous . Events January events Ja.

Kennedy entered political life in May 19961996 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar), and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty''. Events January January 5 Hamas operative Yahya Ayyash is killed by an Israeli-planted booby-trapped cell phone Jan, running in a by-election for the Ontario legislature in the Toronto riding of York South (previously held by provincial NDP leader Bob Rae). The NDP (and its predecessor, the CCF) had held the riding continuously since 1955; nevertheless, Kennedy's left-leaning credentials allowed him to take the riding as a Liberal. He received 7774 votes; his nearest competitor was NDP candidate (and future Toronto Mayor) David Miller, who took 6656 votes.

Despite his political inexperience, Kennedy was regarded by many as the best choice to replace Lyn McLeod as leader of the Ontario Liberal Party in late 1996. He was widely regarded as the frontrunner in the leadership race that followed McLeod's resignation, although many in the party's conservative wing distrusted both his ideological grounding and his ambition.

The convention was held in November 1996. Kennedy finished first on the first, second, third and fourth ballots, but was defeated on the fifth ballot when his opponents rallied behind Dalton McGuinty. Kennedy was subsequently appointed to the high-profile position of Health Critic, although his influence within the Liberal Party was significantly reduced over the next three years.

Kennedy wanted to run in the redistributed riding of York South-Weston in the Ontario provincial election of 1999, but was forced to step aside for former leadership rival Joseph Cordiano. He instead ran in the neighbouring riding of Parkdale-High Park where he faced an interesting challenge from Anna-Marie Castrilli, another former Liberal leadership challenger who had defected to the governing Progressive Conservatives on the last sitting day of the legislature. Many anticipated that this would be a very close race. It was not: Kennedy received 23030 votes, Castrilli 12699.

The 1999 election was won by the Progressive Conservatives, and Kennedy became opposition critic for Education (another high-profile portfolio).

The Liberals won a landslide majority in the Ontario provincial election of 2003, and Kennedy was easily re-elected in Parkdale-High Park with about 58% of the vote (his nearest opponent received 16%). He was appointed Minister of Education on October 23, 2003. Kennedy's appointment was welcomed by the province's public sector teacher's unions, who generally regard him as an ally.