Jonathan Denis facts for kids

Jonathan Brian Denis is a Canadian politician and lawyer. He served in the government of Alberta in important roles like Minister of Justice. From 2008 to 2015, he represented communities in Calgary as a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.

When he was first appointed to a minister role in 2010, he was the second-youngest person in Alberta's history to hold such a position.

Early Life and Education

Jonathan Denis was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, on September 22, 1975. His father was a veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces. Denis went to Luther College, a private high school in Regina, and graduated in 1993.

He continued his studies at the University of Regina, where he earned a degree in commerce in 1997. After that, he went to the University of Saskatchewan to study law and received his law degree in 2000. He later earned a Master of Laws (LL.M) degree from the University of Arizona.

Early Career Before Politics

Before he was elected, Denis worked as a lawyer. He specialized in government relations, which means he helped people and companies work with the government. He also co-founded a company called 3D Contact Inc. with Pierre Poilievre, who is also a politician.

A Career in Alberta's Government

Denis was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta in 2008. He represented the area of Calgary-Egmont. He served on several government committees, which are small groups of politicians who study specific topics like health or public money.

Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs (2010–2011)

In 2010, Denis was appointed Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs. In this role, he was in charge of government programs related to housing. For example, in 2011, his department gave money to help support a YWCA housing program in Calgary.

Minister of Justice and Other Roles (2011–2015)

In 2011, Denis became the Solicitor General and Minister of Public Security. After being re-elected in 2012 in the new area of Calgary-Acadia, he was given more responsibilities. He became the Minister of Justice and Attorney General for Alberta.

As minister, Denis focused on public safety. He supported a plan to hire 300 new police officers for Alberta's cities. He also introduced new rules to make roads safer by encouraging responsible driving.

In 2014, his department gave a grant to the Edmonton Pride Centre to help support programs for LGBTQ youth. He also made it easier for people to use small claims court by increasing the amount of money that could be handled there.

Denis resigned from his minister position during the 2015 election campaign because of a personal legal matter. A judge later cleared his name in this matter. He ran for re-election but was not successful.

Awards and Recognition

• In 2009, Denis was given the title of Queen's Counsel, an honor for lawyers who have made important contributions.
• In 2010, Avenue Magazine named him one of its "Top 40 Under 40," a list of successful young people in Calgary.
• In 2011, the Canadian Taxpayers' Federation praised Denis for reducing spending in his government department.

Life After Politics

After leaving politics, Denis returned to his career as a lawyer and founded a law firm called Guardian Law Group. In 2021, he represented Mike Nickel, who was a city councillor in Edmonton.

Election results