Nathalie Des Rosiers

Nathalie Des Rosiers
CM OOnt
Des Rosiers as Principal of Massey College in 2020
6th Principal of Massey College
In office
August 1, 2019[1] – January 15, 2024
Preceded byHugh Segal
Succeeded byJonathan Rose (Interim)
Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry
In office
January 17, 2018 – June 29, 2018
PremierKathleen Wynne
Preceded byKathryn McGarry
Succeeded byJeff Yurek
Member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament
for Ottawa—Vanier
In office
November 17, 2016 – July 31, 2019
Preceded byMadeleine Meilleur
Succeeded byLucille Collard
Personal details
Born1959 (age 64–65)
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Political partyLiberal
Residence(s)Toronto, Ontario
Alma materUniversité de Montréal (LLB)
Harvard University (LLM)
OccupationLawyer

Nathalie Des Rosiers CM OOnt (born 1959) is a judge, lawyer, academic and former politician in Ontario, Canada. She was the sixth Principal of Massey College at the University of Toronto. She was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario representing the riding of Ottawa—Vanier from 2016 to 2019. During her tenure as a Member of Provincial Parliament, Des Rosiers served in the cabinet of Kathleen Wynne as Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. On December 18, 2023, she was appointed as a judge of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario in Toronto.[2]

Background

She was born in Montreal, studied law at the Université de Montréal and received a LLM from Harvard University. Des Rosiers clerked at the Supreme Court of Canada and practised law in London, Ontario, with Lerners LLP. She also was a law professor at the University of Western Ontario. She then served as dean of the civil law section at the University of Ottawa. She was president of the Law Commission of Canada from 2004 to 2008. Des Rosiers served as general counsel for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) from 2009 to 2013,[3][4] when she returned to serve as dean of the common law section at the University of Ottawa until 2016.

During the 2010 G20 Toronto summit, Des Rosiers uncovered a provision invoked by the provincial government which greatly expanded police powers near a security fence on the perimeter of the summit's location. She brought this issue to the attention of the Canadian press and ensured that CCLA volunteers monitored the Toronto police for civil liberties violations during the conference.[4] She also helped to discourage the practice of "carding", where police stop people who are not suspected of any criminal activity, ask for their identification and record that information for later review.[5]

Honours

Des Rosiers was inducted into the Order of Ontario in 2012, and was inducted as a Member of the Order of Canada in 2013 for her work in civil rights and Francophone advocacy, and was accepted as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 2014. She was named one of Canada's 10 "nation builders" by the Globe and Mail in 2014 and was named one of Canada's 25 most influential lawyers by Canadian Lawyer in 2011 and in 2012.[3]

Politics

She was chosen as Liberal candidate for a November 2016 by-election to be held in the Ontario riding of Ottawa—Vanier following the resignation of Madeleine Meilleur.[6] In that by-election she defeated Progressive Conservative challenger and former Ontario ombudsman Andre Marin.

Des Rosiers served as Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Energy and Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs.[7] She was later appointed Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. She was re-elected in the 2018 general election.

She announced on May 16, 2019, that she would resign her seat in the legislature to become principal of Massey College at the University of Toronto effective August 1, 2019.[8][9]

Election results

2018 Ontario general election: Ottawa—Vanier
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Nathalie Des Rosiers 20,555 42.86 −6.33
New Democratic Lyra Evans 14,232 29.68 +15.03
Progressive Conservative Fadi Nemr 10,252 21.38 −8.34
Green Sheilagh McLean 1,955 4.08 +0.82
None of the Above Keegan Bennett 413 0.86 +0.32
Libertarian Ken Lewis 332 0.69 +0.11
Freedom David McGruer 219 0.46 +0.29
Total valid votes 47,958 98.80
Total rejected ballots 581 1.20 +0.70
Turnout 48,539 51.47 +14.10
Eligible voters 94,298
Liberal hold Swing -10.68
Source: Elections Ontario[10]
Ontario provincial by-election, November 17, 2016: Ottawa—Vanier
Resignation of Madeleine Meilleur
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Nathalie Des Rosiers 14,979 49.19 -6.37
Progressive Conservative André Marin 9,051 29.72 +7.43
New Democratic Claude Bisson 4,459 14.64 +1.33
Green Raphaël Morin 993 3.26 -4.75
Stop the New Sex-Ed Agenda Elizabeth de Viel Castel 384 1.26
Libertarian Dean T. Harris 177 0.58 -0.26
None of the Above Above Znoneofthe 164 0.54
Canadian Constituents' Stephanie McEvoy 74 0.24
People's Political Party Kevin Clarke 73 0.24
Freedom David McGruer 52 0.17
Pauper John Turmel 48 0.16
Total valid votes 30,454 99.50
Total rejected ballots 153 0.50 -0.80
Turnout 30,607 37.36 -11.49
Eligible voters 81,902
Liberal hold Swing -6.90
Source(s)
Elections Ontario[11]

Cabinet positions

Ontario provincial government of Kathleen Wynne
Cabinet post (1)
Predecessor Office Successor
Kathryn McGarry Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry
2018 (January–June) 		Jeff Yurek

References

  1. ^ "Nathalie des Rosiers Elected Principal of Massey College – Massey College". Archived from the original on 2019-05-27. Retrieved 2019-06-09.
  2. ^ "Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada announces a judicial appointment in the province of Ontario". December 18, 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Nathalie Des Rosiers". Common Law Section. University of Ottawa.
  4. ^ a b "Nathalie Des Rosiers: On guard for Canadians' freedoms". Globe and Mail. December 28, 2010.
  5. ^ "U of O law dean seeks provincial Liberal nomination in Ottawa-Vanier". Ottawa Citizen. September 9, 2016.
  6. ^ "Nathalie Des Rosiers nominated for provincial Liberals for upcoming Ottawa-Vanier byelection". CBC News. October 15, 2016.
  7. ^ "Parliamentary Assistants of Ontario". Archived from the original on November 24, 2017.
  8. ^ "Ottawa MPP Nathalie Des Rosiers leaving seat for position at U of T". CBC News. May 16, 2019. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  9. ^ Westoll, Nick; Dhanraj, Travis (May 16, 2019). "Nathalie Des Rosiers, Ottawa-area Liberal MPP, set to resign seat at Queen's Park". Global News. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  10. ^ "Summary of Valid Votes Cast for each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. p. 8. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  11. ^ "Internet Application - Search Candidates". Elections Ontario.
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