Don Rusnak facts for kids

Don Rusnak was born on October 5, 1975. He is a Canadian politician who served as a Member of Parliament (MP). An MP is a person elected to represent a specific area, called a riding, in the House of Commons of Canada.

Don Rusnak represented the riding of Thunder Bay—Rainy River from 2015 to 2019. He was a member of the Liberal Party of Canada.

About Don Rusnak

Don Rusnak grew up in Northwestern Ontario. He has strong connections to the Thunder Bay–Rainy River area. His parents are of Ukrainian and Anishinaabe (Ojibway) background.

Don Rusnak's Education Journey

Don Rusnak studied Political Science at Lakehead University. He also learned about managing forest resources. Later, in 2001, he went to law school at the University of Manitoba's Robson Hall Faculty of Law.

During his last year of law school, he studied at Osgoode Hall Law School. There, he focused on a special program about Aboriginal Lands, Resources, and Governments.

Before Becoming an MP

Before becoming a politician, Don Rusnak worked in several different fields. He gained a lot of experience in the forestry industry. He also worked in the public sector, which means for the government.

He even had his own legal practice as a lawyer. While working for Manitoba Health, he helped improve healthcare services for people in Northern Manitoba. As a Crown Prosecutor in Eastern Alberta, he handled criminal cases. He also served as the interim executive director for Grand Council Treaty No. 3. This group is located in Kenora.

Don Rusnak also spent time volunteering. He helped organizations like the Ontario Justice Education Network. He also volunteered with the Martin Aboriginal Education Initiative. This group works to improve education for Indigenous Canadians. They do this by creating special programs and using research.

Don Rusnak in Federal Politics

Don Rusnak was elected as an MP in the 2015 Canadian federal election. He won the election for the Thunder Bay—Rainy River riding. He was the only First Nation MP elected in Ontario that year.

Parliamentary Secretary Role

In September 2017, Don Rusnak was given a special role. He became the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous Services. A parliamentary secretary helps a minister with their duties. He left this role in August 2018 due to family reasons.

In November 2018, he was chosen to run again for the Liberal Party. This was for the 2019 Canadian federal election. However, he later decided not to seek re-election.

Political Committees and Groups

During his time as an MP, Don Rusnak was involved in several important groups:

• Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs: This committee looks at issues affecting Indigenous and Northern communities.
• Standing Joint Committee of the Library of Parliament: This committee oversees the Library of Parliament.
• Chair of the Indigenous Caucus: He led a group of Indigenous Members of Parliament.
• Director-at-Large Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group: This group works to build stronger ties between Canada and Ukraine.