Celina Caesar-Chavannes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Celina Caesar-Chavannes
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Caesar-Chavannes in 2021
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| Member of the Canadian Parliament for Whitby |
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| In office October 19, 2015 – September 11, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Pat Perkins |
| Succeeded by | Ryan Turnbull |
| Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development | |
| In office January 26, 2017 – August 31, 2018 |
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| Minister | Marie-Claude Bibeau |
| Preceded by | Karina Gould |
| Succeeded by | Kamal Khera |
| Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister | |
| In office December 2, 2015 – January 26, 2017 |
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| Minister | Justin Trudeau |
| Preceded by | Paul Calandra |
| Succeeded by | Peter Schiefke |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 24, 1974 Pomme Rose, St. David's, Grenada |
| Political party | Independent |
| Other political affiliations |
Liberal (2015–2019) |
| Spouse | Vidal Chavannes |
| Residences | Whitby, Ontario, Canada |
| Alma mater | New College, Toronto (BSc) University of Phoenix (MBA) |
| Profession | Entrepreneur, Author |
Celina R. Caesar-Chavannes (born June 24, 1974) is a Canadian politician, entrepreneur, and author. She served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the area of Whitby in the House of Commons of Canada. She was an MP from 2015 to 2019.
Celina Caesar-Chavannes was first elected as a member of the Liberal Party in the 2015 federal election. Later, she decided to sit as an independent member. In 2023, she also ran for mayor of Toronto but was not elected.
While with the Liberal Party, she became a Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister in December 2015. She held this role until January 2017. After that, she became Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development. In August 2018, she returned to being a regular MP. In March 2019, she announced she would not run for re-election. Soon after, she left the Liberal Party to become an independent MP.
Contents
Education and Career
Learning and Degrees
Celina Caesar-Chavannes studied at the University of Toronto. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from New College. Later, she completed an online MBA (Master of Business Administration) in healthcare management. She also served on the governing council for the University of Toronto. This included time as a leader for the University of Toronto, Scarborough campus.
Professional Life
Before becoming an MP, Celina Caesar-Chavannes worked as an international research consultant. She also gave talks about the importance of including all people in health research. In 2012, the Toronto Region Board of Trade named her Business Entrepreneur of the Year. This award recognized her success as a business owner.
Political Journey
Running for Parliament
Celina Caesar-Chavannes first ran for Parliament in 2014. She was the Liberal candidate for the Whitby—Oshawa area in a special election. She finished second in that election.
In the main election held the next year, in 2015, she ran again. This time, she was the Liberal candidate for the new Whitby area. She won this election and became the Member of Parliament for Whitby.
Speaking Up for Fairness
As an MP, Celina Caesar-Chavannes often spoke about her experiences. She talked about the challenges she faced because of her background while working on Parliament Hill. She worked to promote fairness and equality for everyone.
Deciding Not to Run Again
In February 2019, Celina Caesar-Chavannes told Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that she would not seek re-election. She publicly announced her decision in March 2019. She explained that her reasons for leaving politics were personal and had developed over time.
Leaving the Liberal Party
On March 20, 2019, Celina Caesar-Chavannes decided to leave the Liberal Party. She chose to become an independent Member of Parliament. She stated that she had disagreements with the Prime Minister. She felt it was important to speak out about her experiences and stand up for herself.
After Parliament
Writing a Book
In 2021, Celina Caesar-Chavannes published a book called Can You Hear Me Now?. The book shares her life story, including her childhood and her journey as a young Black woman entrepreneur and politician. It talks about how she overcame challenges. The book focuses on healing, finding your true voice, and showing that good leaders learn from their mistakes. Her book was nominated for a writing award in 2021.
Other Activities
Celina Caesar-Chavannes also contributes to a podcast called The Backbench.
In the 2019 federal election, Ryan Turnbull won the seat for Whitby. He took over from Celina Caesar-Chavannes. In the 2021 federal election, she supported another candidate in Whitby.
In April 2023, Celina Caesar-Chavannes officially registered to run for mayor of Toronto. She received 253 votes in that election.
Images for kids
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Celina Caesar-Chavannes in 2021
