Wednesday, July 19, 2017

MPP Sophie Kiwala - Kingston and the Islands


Proverbs 13:20 says, “Walk with the wise and become wise.” Today we pray for Sophie Kiwala.  We pray that you surround her with trustworthy, wise friendships in both her personal and professional life.  Lord make her wise and guide her steps so she’ll see prosperity springing up all around her.


Sophie Kiwala is the Member of Provincial Parliament for Kingston and the Islands. She currently serves as Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Children and Youth Services, as well as to the Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation. Sophie was previously Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport.
Born and raised in Reddendale, Kingston, she returned to live in the same area upon her late mother’s cancer diagnosis in 1998. She has raised three daughters, Jennifer, Linnaea and Hélène, and has a grandson, George.
In addition to her legislative duties, Sophie is a member of the Rural Affairs Caucus, the Francophone Caucus, l’Assemblée Parlementaire de la Francophonie, the Women’s Caucus, the Great Lakes Legislative Caucus and the Lung Health Caucus.
Sophie’s first private members’ motion, which called on the Ontario Legislature to support the National Aboriginal Organizations' call on the federal government for a national public inquiry into missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls was passed unanimously on Oct. 23, 2014.
Prior to her political career, Sophie spent seventeen years working in retail management and as an entrepreneur in Toronto. Sophie also spent five years living in Turkey and France, while studying English literature and French at Athabasca University part-time. While in Turkey, she volunteered for an expatriate women’s group to raise funds to help build Turkey’s first women’s shelter.
Upon returning to Kingston, she worked in residential and commercial renovation, interior design, and rental property ownership. During this time, she studied political science at Queens University.
Sophie has an excellent reputation in public and stakeholder relations, having worked in federal politics for seven years as the Hon. Peter Milliken’s Office Manager and later as Chief of Staff to his successor Ted Hsu. It was through these responsibilities that she developed a deep understanding of national, provincial and community matters, and familiarized herself with government protocol and procedures. She has seen firsthand how government policies can work or not work, and she understands how to bring community-based solutions to the issues that matter to those that live and work in Kingston.
Sophie is well known and well respected as a tireless and compassionate community champion. She has deep roots in community volunteering and has many connections across all socio-economic and political divides. Her fierce sense of justice, her integrity, warmth, sincerity and determination make her passionate advocate for Kingston and the Islands at Queen’s Park.

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