The Honourable Steve Peters
MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament) Elgin--Middlesex—London
& Speaker of the Ontario Legislative Assembly

Current Parliamentary Roles: Chair of the Board of Internal Economy Speaker  Party: Ontario Liberal Party

Steve Peters is the Member of Provincial Parliament for Elgin-Middlesex-London and is Speaker of the Ontario Legislative Assembly.  Steve was first elected to the Ontario Legislature in 1999 and was appointed as the Critic for Persons with Disabilities. He moved to the agriculture critic portfolio the next year and continued in that role until his re-election in October 2003. Premier Dalton McGuinty appointed Steve to Cabinet as the Minister of Agriculture and Food shortly after the 2003 election, a position he held until his re-appointment to Cabinet as the Minister of Labour in July 2005. Re-elected as a member of provincial parliament in October 2007, Steve became Speaker of the Legislature on November 28, 2007 after being successfully elected to the post by his MPP peers.

Steve has a long record of public service. First elected to St. Thomas Council as an alderman in 1988, he was elected to his first term as Mayor in 1991 and re-elected in 1994 and 1997.

Born in St. Thomas to Joan and Percy Peters, both children of Ukrainian immigrants, Steve is proud of his heritage. He is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree.

When not hard at work for his constituents, Steve enjoys gardening and his other passion, local history. He is an avid collector of Elgin County memorabilia and a noted authority on local history, including Jumbo, the circus elephant.

Mrs./Ms. Maggie Head: Executive Assistant of the Hon. Steve Peters.

Barbara is currently employed as Human Rights Commissioner. Barbara recently served on Ontario’s Health Results Team. As Chair of the National Strategy on Community Safety and Crime Prevention from 1997-2002, Barbara led a nation-wide campaign to reduce crime and make communities safer and healthier.

Under Barbara Hall's leadership, the program budget doubled to $60 million. She worked closely with the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, the Business Network on Crime Prevention, and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, and she continues to serve as an executive member of the International Crime Prevention Centre.

As Mayor from 1994 to 1997, she guided Toronto through three extremely productive and exciting years.

Before being elected as Mayor, Barbara served as councillor for downtown Toronto's Ward 7 for nine years. Barbara Hall was educated at the University of Victoria (B.C.) and at Osgoode Hall Law School. She was admitted to the Bar of Upper Canada in 1980. She currently serves as Chair of the Board of Harbourfront, as a Director of the United Way of Greater Toronto and of the Laidlaw Foundation, and donates her time to many community causes. Barbara and her husband, Max Beck, live in Cabbagetown in downtown Toronto.

Current Parliamentary Roles: Critic, Education & Critic, Women's Issues
Member, Standing Committee on Social Policy.
Party: Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
(born in Schiedam)

Elizabeth was first elected to the Ontario Legislature in 1990. In June 1995, she was appointed Minister of Labour. In this capacity, she moved quickly to restore balance to provincial labour relations and to strengthen workplace safety and insurance legislation. In October 1997, she was appointed Minister of Health, where she undertook the daunting task of implementing the long overdue restructuring of Ontario’s health system. In June 1999, Elizabeth was re-appointed Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. She forged a collaborative approach with health stakeholders to provide a continuum of care and moved forward decisively with primary care and mental health reform, the modernization of Ontario’s hospitals, and the expansion of community services and new long-term care beds. Elizabeth was appointed Minister of the Environment on February 8, 2001, signalling that the future sustainability and protection of Ontario’s air, water and natural environment were of the highest priority to the Ontario Government. She was appointed Deputy Premier of Ontario and Minister of Education in April 2002. After committing record levels of funding and the implementation of recommendations made by Dr. Mordecai Rozanski, students in Ontario saw unprecedented improvements to the education system in areas of early literacy and numeracy and students at risk.

Active in her community, Elizabeth was recognized in 1987 as Kitchener-Waterloo’s Woman of the Year. In 1996, the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association awarded her the Dr. Harry Paikin Award of Merit for her exceptional contribution in the field of education. She was awarded the Paul Harris Fellowship by the Rotary Club in 1997 “for service above self” and, in July 2001, she was presented with the international Philippe Pinel Award in recognition of her contribution to mental health reform. In May, 2002, Elizabeth was awarded honorary membership with the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario. In May, 2005, Elizabeth was awarded the SmogBuster award by the Ontario Clean Air Alliance for her work as Minister of the Environment when she signed the regulation to close the coal-fired Lakeview Generating Station, the Greater Toronto Area’s single-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. In 2007. Equal Voice, a multi-partisan organization committed to electing more women at every level of government in Canada, invited Ontarians to nominate the woman they felt would make Ontario’s Greatest Female Premier. When the votes were in, Ontarians voted Elizabeth Witmer as the woman who would make the province’s Greatest Female Premier. A former secondary school teacher, Elizabeth served as trustee for the Waterloo Board of Education from 1980 to 1990, including an unprecedented five years as chairperson. Born in the Netherlands, she was raised in Exeter, Ontario, and graduated from the University of Western Ontario. She and her husband, Cameron, a dentist, have two children: Scott and Sarah. In her leisure time, Elizabeth enjoys hiking, gardening, gourmet cooking, work-outs at the gym, reading and travelling.

Maria Van Bommel was elected to the Ontario legislature in 2003 and re-elected in 2007. She has served as Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Previously, she served two terms as a municipal councillor for East Williams Township, beginning in 1995. In 1996, she became a trustee on the board of governors for Strathroy Middlesex General Hospital. In 2001, she was chair of the board and of the joint executive for the Middlesex Hospital Alliance.

Her career has also included farming, accounting and small business. She served as the Ontario Federation of Agriculture member services representative for Lambton and Middlesex counties. Van Bommel was a founding member of Middlesex’s Women for the Support of Agriculture, the Ontario Farm Women’s Network and the Canadian Farm Women’s Network. As a member of the liaison committee of Ontario Farm Organizations, she was an outspoken defender of the family farm during the 1980s. She has served as a director of the Middlesex Federation of Agriculture and as provincial director of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. Van Bommel attended Centralia College of Agricultural Technology. She and her husband, Rene, operate a poultry farm near Strathroy. They have five children and 12 grandchildren.

Elected the Member of Parliament for London—Fanshawe in 2006

Irene has served as an Ontario MPP and is a member of the Ontario Health Coalition

She has worked to establish affordable housing, including working for a local tenant advocacy group

She has worked to promote better childcare and not-for-profit daycare

A committed community activist, she has been involved in the Pride and the London AIDS walk, the Women’s Community House, the London Coalition Against Pesticides and the Coalition of Canadian Immigrants

A former English teacher, Irene supports student clubs and activities designed to educate and motivate students about multi-cultural, anti-racism and equity issues.

Rick Dykstra was first elected to the House of Commons on January 23, 2006 as a member of the Conservative Party. In the 39th Parliament Rick quickly earned the reputation amongst his colleagues as a tireless worker and person focused on delivering results for his community. As a result, Rick was appointed as a government member to two senior parliamentary committees, the Standing Committees on Finance and Justice.

Thanks to his hard work, Rick was re-elected to the 40th Parliament on October 14, 2008 with a vastly increased margin of victory. On November 7th 2008 Rick had the honour of being appointed by the Prime Minister as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. His new role includes additional responsibilities including the overall coordination of the government members on the House Committee on Citizenship and Immigration.

Prior to being elected as the Member of Parliament for St. Catharines, Rick was partner in a successful public affairs business operating out of Niagara and Toronto. Previously, Rick spent five years working in a number of roles in the Ontario provincial government. Most notably, Rick was Director of Caucus relations for two Provincial Premiers and served as the Chief of Staff to the Minister of Community and Social Services. From 2003 up until the time of his election, Rick also served as a member of the Niagara Parks Commission.

Rick also had a distinguished political career at the municipal level. At the age of 25, Rick was elected as a representative for his community. From 1991-1997, Rick served two terms on St. Catharines city council representing St. Patrick’s Ward. During that time, Rick sat as chair of the Finance Committee that froze taxes for two consecutive years, a feat that has not been accomplished since.

Rick has a degree in Political Science from Brock University, and a Master's Certificate in Project Management from York University. He also served for twelve years as president of Dykstra Landscaping, a family owned and operated business.

Rick and his wife Kathy are lifelong residents of St. Catharines and are the proud parents of three children, Zachary, Jessica and Lauren.