Michael Coteau facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michael Coteau
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| Member of Parliament for Scarborough—Woburn Don Valley East (2021–2025) |
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| Assumed office September 20, 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Yasmin Ratansi |
| Minister of Community and Social Services | |
| In office February 26, 2018 – June 29, 2018 |
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| Premier | Kathleen Wynne |
| Preceded by | Helena Jazeck |
| Succeeded by | Lisa MacLeod |
| Minister of Children and Youth Services | |
| In office June 13, 2016 – June 29, 2018 |
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| Premier | Kathleen Wynne |
| Preceded by | Tracy MacCharles |
| Succeeded by | Lisa MacLeod |
| Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport | |
| In office June 24, 2014 – June 13, 2016 |
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| Premier | Kathleen Wynne |
| Preceded by | Michael Chan |
| Succeeded by | Eleanor McMahon |
| Minister of Citizenship and Immigration | |
| In office February 11, 2013 – June 24, 2014 |
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| Premier | Kathleen Wynne |
| Preceded by | Michael Chan |
| Succeeded by | Michael Chan |
| Member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament for Don Valley East |
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| In office October 6, 2011 – August 17, 2021 |
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| Preceded by | David Caplan |
| Succeeded by | Adil Shamji |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1972 (age 52–53) Huddersfield, England |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Spouse | Lori Coteau |
| Children | 2 |
| Residences | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Alma mater | Carleton University (BA) |
| Occupation | Educator, businessman |
Michael Joseph Coteau is a Canadian politician. He is currently a Member of Parliament (MP) for Scarborough—Woburn. An MP is someone elected to represent a specific area in the House of Commons of Canada, which is part of Canada's government.
Before becoming an MP, Michael Coteau was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. This is like being an MP, but for the province of Ontario instead of the whole country. He represented the area of Don Valley East in Toronto from 2011 to 2021. During this time, he was part of the Cabinet of Ontario under Premier Kathleen Wynne. He held several important jobs, like Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, and Minister of Community and Social Services.
In 2021, Coteau left his provincial role to run for a federal seat. He was elected as the MP for Scarborough—Woburn in the 44th Canadian general election.
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Early Life and Education
Michael Coteau was born in Huddersfield, England, in 1972. His father came from Carriacou, Grenada, and his mother, Sandra, was from England. In 1976, when Michael was four years old, his family moved to Canada.
He grew up in Flemingdon Park, a neighbourhood in North York, Toronto. His family did not have a lot of money. After finishing high school at Leaside High School, he went to Carleton University. He studied history and political science there. After university, he worked as an English teacher in South Korea.
Career Before Politics
Before becoming a politician, Michael Coteau was involved in his community. He served as a Trustee for the Toronto District School Board for Ward 17. A school board trustee helps make decisions about local schools. He was elected to this role three times: in 2003, 2006, and 2010.
As a trustee, he worked to make sure students had healthy food. He also helped make school buildings more available for community groups. He supported programs that helped children and raised awareness about student hunger. Besides this, Coteau was the head of a company that helped adults learn to read and write. He also worked as a community organizer in the Malvern area of Scarborough. He even owned his own small business.
Provincial Politics
In 2011, Michael Coteau ran in the provincial election for the area of Don Valley East. He won this election and became a Member of the Provincial Parliament (MPP). He was re-elected in 2014 and 2018.
When Kathleen Wynne became the premier of Ontario in 2013, she chose Michael Coteau to be a minister in her government. This meant he was in charge of certain government departments.
Key Roles in Provincial Government
- Minister of Citizenship and Immigration: From 2013 to 2014, he helped people who were new to Canada.
- Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport: From 2014 to 2016, he worked on promoting tourism and supporting arts and sports in Ontario. He also helped with the 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games. He even spoke up for children who wanted to play street hockey.
- Minister of Children and Youth Services: From 2016 to 2018, he focused on programs for children and young people. He worked with parents to improve the Ontario Autism Program.
- Minister of Community and Social Services: From 2018, he also took on this role, helping with social programs for communities.
In 2019, Michael Coteau ran to become the leader of the Ontario Liberal Party. He finished second in the leadership election in March 2020.
Federal Politics
On August 17, 2021, Michael Coteau resigned from his provincial role. He decided to run for a federal seat in the Canadian Parliament. On September 20, 2021, he was elected as the Member of Parliament for Don Valley East.
Later, due to changes in electoral boundaries, his riding was merged with another. He then won the Liberal nomination for the new riding of Scarborough—Woburn. He is currently the MP for this area.
