St. James Town TV (AUDIO): Unconventional George: A Conversation with Former MPP George Smitherman
by Nea Maaty with contribution by Adonis Huggins
(Nea and Adonis are staff journalists with the FOCUS Media Arts Centre)
In this episode St. James Town TV Reporter interviews former Toronto Centre Riding Member of Provincial Parliament from 1999 to 2010, George Smitherman.
George Smitherman was the former Toronto Centre Riding Member of Provincial Parliament from 1999 to 2009 (representing the communities of St. Jamestown, Regent Park, Moss Park, Cabbagetown and Church and Wellesley). George Smitherman served as Minister of Health and Long-Term Care from 2003 to 2007 and Minister of Energy and Infrastructure from 2008 to 2009. George was also the Deputy Premier of Ontario from 2006 to 2009. George resigned as a MPP to contest the mayoralty of Toronto in 2010, finishing second with 35.6% vote and losing to Doug Ford who won with 41% of the vote.
In 1999 Smitherman was nominated as the Liberal Party candidate for Toronto Centre Riding. Winning the riding George was elected Minister of Provincial Parliament (MPP). As the area MPP from 1999 to his resignation in 2010, George Smitherman had the opportunity to meet and work with many residents and groups in the St. James Town and Regent Park area who were working to make the neighbourhood stronger. During this time George also became minister of health, minister of infrastructure and Energy, and deputy premier.
Retired from politics, George Smitherman’s family is fully central to his life and expresses joy in raising his children and finding love and companionship with a new partner named Ronaldo. George also let us know that he loves the diversity of the St. James Town and having purchased a condo in the neighbourhood, will be returning to St. James Town as a resident.
As a Member of Provincial Parliament, as a Gay politician, as a loving father of two, George Smitherman will always be Unconventional George.
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FOCUS Media Arts Centre (FOCUS) is a not-for-profit organization that was established in 1990 to counter negative media stereotypes of low income communities and provide relevant information to residents living in the Regent Park area and surrounding communities.
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