Steven Del Duca - MPP for Vaughn (February 13, 2015)

Father, we come before You with thanksgiving for the men and women that serve us in the Parliament of the Province of Ontario. We lift up MPP: Steven Del Duca to You and ask You to pour out Your blessings on him and his family. Be with him Lord, as he serves in government and in his constituency of Vaughan. Open his eyes to new possibilities as he travels and talks to the people of our province. Renew his strength and vision for the work You have called him to do. Protect him Lord as he travels either by airplane or car in his role as a Cabinet Minister. As Minister of Transportation we ask that you help him to make good decisions and give good leadership to the role he has been given.  We begin to pray for wisdom, courage, integrity, strength, blessing and righteousness to be poured on him that he may help to give good leadership to our province.   We ask this in Jesus' name, Amen.

BIOGRAPHY

Vaughan MPP Steven Del Duca has a proven track record of outstanding community involvement and a clear dedication to public service. He was first elected to the Ontario Legislature in September 2012 in a provincial by-election.

In less than two years he secured approval of the Highway 427 extension and delivered $49.7 million towards the Vaughan Hospital and $49 million for four new schools in Vaughan. Steven was re-elected in June 2014 and appointed as Ontario’s Minister of Transportation in Premier Kathleen Wynne’s cabinet.

Prior to his election as MPP, he was the fundraising chair for the 2008 Annual Vaughan Hospital Fundraising Gala, which raised over $1 million for the project. In 2008, he authored an op-ed in the Toronto Star calling for a regional economic summit to help Vaughan and surrounding areas deal with the global economic crisis. He worked with all levels of government, community leaders and organizations to establish the Greater Toronto Region Economic Summit, which took place in May 2009.

Del Duca obtained a Bachelor of Laws degree from Osgoode Hall Law School in 2007. Previously, he studied Political Science and Canadian History at the University of Toronto and Carleton University.

He first moved to Vaughan in 1987 when his family settled in Kleinburg. Today, he and his wife, together with their two daughters live in Woodbridge.

http://stevendelduca.onmpp.ca/Biography

Bob Delaney - MPP for Mississauga-Streetsville (February 12, 2015)

Heavenly Father you have blessed our province in so many ways. The riding of Mississauga-Streetsville has been blessed with businesses, families, growth and with it great need. So we bring to you Bob Delaney who will be representing this great riding for the next four years. Grant him wisdom, guidance and strength. Protect him and his family. As he prepares for the new session to begin give him creative vision for what can make this riding shine bright. Bless and honor his service in Jesus Name, Amen.

BIOGRAPHY

Bob Delaney is serving in his fourth term representing the western Mississauga neighbourhoods of Lisgar, Meadowvale and Streetsville. Bob lives in the Churchill Meadows neighbourhood of Mississauga. He has been a resident of Mississauga for 29 years. Bob was born and raised in Montreal, and has also lived and worked in Metro Toronto and in Vancouver.

Bob received his Bachelor’s Degree in physics from Concordia University in Montreal. He earned a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia. He has also received his accreditation from the Canadian Public Relations Society.

Bob’s many personal accomplishments in western Mississauga include: getting the Lisgar GO Train station built; and securing funding and building approval for the expansion of the Credit Valley hospital. Construction of the Phase II project was completed ahead of schedule, and within budget in 2011.
 
At the Legislature, Bob serves as Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Energy, and is the Chief Government Whip. He was the Chair of Ontario’s Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs, which is responsible for consideration of the Ontario Budget.
 
In the private sector prior to his election, Bob worked in corporate communications, consulting and marketing roles. Bob became an accomplished web developer in the 1990s, and keeps his hand in the art of coding with this web site. He is a co-author of the book High Value IT Consulting, published by Osborne McGraw Hill. As a consultant, he wrote and delivered the Professional Account Development program, aimed at teaching managerial, professional and technical people the skills needed for business development in knowledge-based businesses.
 
Bob taught in the School of Business Studies in the Faculty of Continuing Education at Ryerson University in Toronto. He continues his personal interest in education, especially science and math education, as an MPP with his visits to local elementary and high schools.
 
Bob Delaney has long taken a close personal interest in working with communities of new Canadians. At the Legislature, he contributed to the development of the Fair Access to Regulated Professions Act that has, since 2006, helped newcomers to Canada convert their experience and qualifications to their Canadian equivalents.
 
In his spare time, Bob is an accomplished photographer, writer and web site developer. Bob still plays hockey, is a lifelong goaltender, and in his 55th year of play. Bob plays for the Ontario Legislature’s team, the Legiskaters, and frequently accepts invitations to play hockey with local teams and other groups.

http://www.bobdelaney.com/

Dipka Damerla - MPP for Mississauga East-Cooksville (February 11, 2015)

Lord, we are grateful for MPP Dipka Damerla provincial representative for Mississauga East/Cooksville.

We ask that you would continue to lead and guide her. Increase her ability to be that visionary you are calling her to be. May You ensure that even in the midst of her busy schedule that she and her family will always find time to be together. 

 

In Jesus name, Amen

  
BIOGRAPHY

Dipika is the Member of Provincial Parliament for Mississauga East-Cooksville.

Dipika’s interest in politics began as a result of her career as a television news reporter. As a reporter she built a strong reputation for reporting on political and social issues.  In addition to working in journalism,  she has a strong background in business.

She has an MBA from the Rotman School of Business at the University of Toronto.  Before being elected as the MPP for Mississauga East-Cooksville, she worked as a Senior Policy Advisor to the Ontario Minister of Economic Development and Trade.  In this role, she focused on bringing jobs to Ontario during one of the worst recessions to hit the province. 
Dipika is currently the Associate Minister of Health and Long-Term Care (Long-Term Care and Wellness).  She has served as Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, the Minister Responsible for the 2015 Pan/Parapan Games, the Minister of Community and Social Services, and the Minister of Infrastructure.

Her extensive community involvement includes Carassauga, and hosting a classical music show on CIUT 89.5 FM community radio.

As a long time resident of Mississauga, Dipika leads a typical suburban life balancing spending quality time with her daughter as she juggles work and staying in touch with her constituents.  She loves to travel.  One of the highlights has been driving past the Arctic Circle and travelling to Tuktoyatuk in the Northwest Territories.  The majesty and vastness of the arctic has left her with a profound love and respect for the North.  She looks forward to going back many times to savour its beauty and culture.

Dipika is guided by the ideal that in life “it is not enough to be good, you have to do good.”

http://dipikadamerla.onmpp.ca/Biography

Grant Crack - MPP for Prescott-Russell (February 10,2015)

Father, thank you for the strength you have given MPP Grant Crack as he returns to parliament.  We pray for his position in the government, and especially we pray for wisdom and encouragement in the decision making process as Assistant to the Education Minister.  We pray for gentleness as he meets with members of the riding he represents, and cause him to know the peace that you give.  Encourage his family as they too give themselves to the province at this time.  Bless his family In Jesus Name.  Amen

BIOGRAPHY

Grant and his family have lived in Alexandria since 1973, and he was first elected as Mayor of Alexandria in 1994.

His 11 years as Mayor of Alexandria then North Glengarry have provided him with a well-rounded base of knowledge and experience regarding the needs of our communities both rural and urban.
Grant is a well respected community leader, a consensus builder and a strong supporter of community based organizations and the hard working volunteers who make our communities so vibrant and strong.

He understands the challenges faced by our residents and taxpayers and has worked hard to ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and effectively.

As Mayor, he remained focused on finding solutions to the challenging issues faced by businesses, taxpayers, residents and by the Mayors and Councillors throughout Glengarry-Prescott-Russell.
Under his leadership, the North Glengarry Council secured over $2.8 million for the engineering phase of the Regional Water Supply Project for Maxville and Alexandria, $800,000 for the construction of the Indoor Sports Complex (Soccer Dome), and helped make the $150,000.00 concrete skate park project in Alexandria a reality.

He was elected as MPP for Glengarry-Prescott-Russell on October 6th 2011, and is currently the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Agriculture and Food, to the Minister of Rural Affairs and to the Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs.
Both his children attended local francophone schools and he promotes and understands the need for communication in both official languages.

Grant has two children: Chloe who is 26 years old and Calvin 20 years old;  and three grandchildren:  his grandson Alexi is 5 years old, granddaughter Maeve is 1 year of age and grandson Mason is 5 months old.

Grant lives just outside Alexandria with his spouse Kelly and her daughter Leah who is 7 years old.

http://grantcrack.onmpp.ca/Biography

Michael Coteau - MPP for Don Valley East (February 9, 2015)

Father we thank you for the ways in which Michael has been able to serve his province and Don Valley East. As he represents Don Valley East, please provide him with insight into the needs of this community and how they can be met. We pray that as he works specifically in the area of Tourism, Culture, and Sport, that you would develop in him a desire to see people enjoy this great province that you have created and provide insight into new ways this can take place. We also pray for wisdom in his role with the 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games, that he would be able to help organize the event in an efficient, enjoyable, and safe manner that benefits Ontario and all involved. We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen.

BIOGRAPHY

Michael Coteau was elected in 2011 as the MPP for Don Valley East and previously served as the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. Previously, Michael was elected as a school trustee for the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) in 2003, 2006 and 2010.

As a trustee, Michael advocated for student nutrition, community use of space and the use of educational technology. He initiated the Community Use of Schools motion that drastically cut user fees and made the schools more accessible to groups that offer programs for children. He helped introduce nutritional changes in schools that supported healthy food programs and increased awareness of student hunger.

Michael worked as an ESL teacher and curriculum developer before becoming a community organizer for a United Way agency in Scarborough where he organized the Malvern Youth Cabinet, the Law and Order Youth Group and the Malvern Photo Club.

He was also the Marketing Manager for ABC Life Literacy, where he was responsible for the organizing of the Family Literacy Day across Canada, and was Executive Director of Alpha Plus, a national literacy organization mandated to support adult education through the use of technology.

Michael grew up in Don Valley East and attended Don Mills Middle School and Victoria Park Collegiate Institute. He holds degrees from Carleton University in both Political Science and Canadian History. Michael and his wife Lori live in Toronto with their two beautiful daughters, Maren and Myla.

http://michaelcoteau.onmpp.ca/Biography