Mary Anne Chambers facts for kids

Mary Anne Veronica Chambers (born September 8, 1950) is a well-known Canadian who used to be a politician in Ontario, Canada. She was named the Chancellor of the University of Guelph in September 2022. From 2003 to 2007, she was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, which is like the provincial parliament. During this time, she was also part of the cabinet for Premier Dalton McGuinty's government. The cabinet is a group of important advisors to the Premier.

Early Life and Career

Mary Anne Chambers was born in Jamaica. She moved to Canada in 1976. Before she became a politician, she worked as a banker. She joined Scotiabank in 1976. There, she helped expand the bank's computer and electronic services. She also worked on projects to support women in the workplace. In 1988, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto, where she studied Commerce.

In 1998, Mary Anne Chambers became a Senior Vice-President at Scotiabank. She retired from this role in December 2002. She also served on the board of directors for Grace, Kennedy (Ontario) Ltd. and Grace Foods International Ltd.. These are food distribution companies connected to a larger organization in Jamaica.

Community Involvement

Mary Anne Chambers was very active in her community. She was a member of the Rouge Valley Health System and even served as its Vice-Chair for a while. From 1993 to 2001, she was on the Board of Governors at the University of Toronto. She was also the Vice-Chair of the Governing Council from 1998 to 2001. She helped create a university policy that aimed to ensure no student would be stopped from studying at Toronto because they didn't have enough money.

She was also a member of the Board of Trustees for the United Way of Greater Toronto from 1994 to 2001. She was the President of the Canadian Club of Toronto from 1998 to 1999. In 2003, the Jamaican Prime Minister Percival James Patterson gave her the Jamaican Prime Ministers Medal of Appreciation for her service to Jamaica. This award recognized her work within Toronto's Jamaican community.

Political Career

Mary Anne Chambers was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the 2003 Ontario general election. She ran as a Liberal in the area called Scarborough East. She won against the current politician, Progressive Conservative Steve Gilchrist, by more than 7,000 votes. The Liberals won the election, and Mary Anne Chambers was given an important job.

On October 23, 2003, she became the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities. In early 2004, she confirmed that her government would keep its promise not to raise tuition fees for colleges and universities.

In June 2005, Mary Anne Chambers was appointed the Ontario Minister of Children and Youth Services. This role focused on helping children and young people. On July 11, 2007, she announced that she would not run for re-election in the next provincial election. In 2015, she was made a member of the Order of Ontario, which is a special award given to people who have made a big difference in the province. On May 17, 2015, she spoke in support of Adaoma Patterson, who was running for election in Brampton West.

Cabinet Roles

Election Results

Here are the results from the 2003 election where Mary Anne Chambers was elected: