Alvin Curling facts for kids

Alvin Curling (born November 15, 1939) is a Canadian politician who was born in Jamaica. He served as Canada's ambassador to the Dominican Republic from 2005 to 2006. Before that, he was a politician in Ontario, Canada. He was the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario until he stepped down on August 19, 2005, to become an ambassador. Mr. Curling was a Liberal MPP for twenty years, from 1985 to 2005. An MPP is like a representative who helps make laws for the province.

Early Life and Education

Alvin Curling studied at Seneca College and York University in Toronto. He started working as a teacher in 1972. He also served as the President of the World Literacy of Canada organization from 1981 to 1984. He was also involved with the Jamaican Canadian Association.

Political Career

Becoming a Member of Provincial Parliament

Alvin Curling was first elected to the Ontario legislature in the provincial election of 1985. He ran as a Liberal in the area of Scarborough North in Toronto. He won by a large number of votes. At that time, he received 30,504 votes, which was a record for a single candidate in the province.

He was the second person of colour ever elected to the Ontario legislature. During his first term, he was the only visible minority member.

Serving in the Government

After the 1985 election, the Liberals formed a government, but they did not have a majority of seats. This is called a minority government. On June 26, 1985, Mr. Curling was made the Minister of Housing. He was the first Black Canadian to hold a cabinet position in Ontario. A cabinet minister is a leader in the government who is in charge of a specific area, like housing.

As Minister of Housing, he made changes to Ontario's rent control program. He also announced a $500 million plan to build new homes in cities. Mr. Curling was easily re-elected in the provincial election of 1987. On September 29, 1987, he became the Minister of Skills Development. He held this job until August 2, 1989.

Working in Opposition

In the 1990 election, the Liberals lost to the NDP. Even though his party was no longer in power, Mr. Curling was re-elected in his area. He was also re-elected in the 1995 and 1999 elections, even when the Progressive Conservatives formed a majority government. From 1996 to 1999, he was the Deputy House Leader for the Liberals. This role helps manage the party's work in the legislature.

In December 1995, Mr. Curling became well-known for an 18-hour protest. He was protesting against a bill proposed by the government. When he was told to leave the legislature for refusing to vote, he stayed in his seat. Other Liberal and NDP members stood around him to prevent him from being removed. This protest lasted all night and into the next morning. His protest helped lead to a discussion about the bill, and the government agreed to review it more carefully.

Becoming Speaker of the Legislature

The Liberals won the provincial election of 2003 and returned to power. On November 19, 2003, Mr. Curling was chosen as the Speaker of the Legislature without anyone opposing him. The Speaker is like a referee in the legislature, making sure debates are fair and rules are followed.

However, some other politicians felt that Mr. Curling was not always fair. They said he seemed to favour his own Liberal party members. He was also criticized for going to Liberal Party fundraising events while he was Speaker, which is usually avoided to show that the Speaker is neutral.

Life After Politics

Alvin Curling left his seat in the Legislative Assembly on August 19, 2005. He accepted a new job as Canada's ambassador to the Dominican Republic. He was called back from this position in 2006 after the federal Liberal government lost the election.

From June 2007 to May 2010, Mr. Curling worked as a Senior Fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) in Waterloo, Ontario. He also helped lead a special group called the Premier's Task Force, which looked into the causes of youth violence.

The government of Jamaica honoured Mr. Curling with the Order of Distinction. In 2014, he was made a Member of the Order of Ontario. This award recognized his important work in shaping government policies that help address youth violence.