Jennifer McKelvie

Jennifer McKelvie ( ) is a Canadian politician who has been the deputy mayor of Toronto since November 16, 2022. McKelvie has also represented Ward 25 Scarborough—Rouge Park on Toronto City Council since 2018.

McKelvie was one of only two candidates to unseat an incumbent in the 2018 municipal election, a rare feat in Toronto politics. In the 2014 Toronto municipal election, she was a candidate in the now defunct Ward 44, and came within less than 600 votes of defeating then long-time incumbent Ron Moeser.

Enhancing public transit, protecting the environment and creating employment opportunities in Scarborough, were her key electoral priorities. She also derided the post-amalgamation shift of public investment and municipal jobs out of Scarborough to Toronto's downtown core. McKelvie believes replacing Line 3 Scarborough line in favour of a three-stop subway and building an Eglinton East LRT line are crucial transit projects necessary to properly connect Scarborough with the rest of Toronto.

Early life and family

Jennifer McKelvie (née Gray) was born in East York, and lived her early years in an apartment complex on the North York-Scarborough border. She attended the French immersion program at Precious Blood Elementary School, and is a graduate of Senator O'Connor College School. She is one of the few members of city council who is fluent in French.

She lives in Ward 25 with her husband, Warren, and her two children.

Academic career

An environmental geoscientist, she received her M.Sc. and Ph.D. from the University of Toronto in geology, with research specializing in geochemistry, environmental remediation, and biochemistry. Her academic mentor and supervisor was Barbara Sherwood Lollar.

McKelvie's academic work has been recognized and supported by the L’Oréal UNESCO Women in Science Fellowship, and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. She has authored more than twenty peer-reviewed scientific journal publications, which have been referenced more than 900 times. Prior to her election, McKelvie worked as an environmental geoscientist and researcher. For almost a decade, she served as a senior scientist at the Nuclear Waste Management Organization, and as a research director at the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research.

Community service

McKelvie was the first president of the Scarborough Community Renewal Organization, and was president of the Centennial Community & Recreation Association. In both of these capacities she fought for renewal and investment in Scarborough. McKelvie also served as a member of the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus Council, and as a citizen member of the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA).

Her community service has been recognized by the Scarborough Rotary Clubs, who awarded her with the Paul Harris Fellow award in 2017. She has also received awards recognizing her leadership from the province of Ontario and was named a 150 Neighbour by the University of Toronto Scarborough.

Political career

Jennifer McKelvie currently serves as Chair of Toronto's Infrastructure and Environment Committee, Chair of Scarborough Community Council and Chair of the Toronto Francophone Affairs Advisory Committee. She also serves on Toronto's executive committee, Toronto's Budget Committee, Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) and Toronto Zoo Board of Management.

Electoral record

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McKelvie, Jennifer
21st-century Canadian geologists
Canadian women geologists
Environmental scientists
Toronto city councillors
Women in Ontario politics
Women municipal councillors in Canada
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)
Place of birth missing (living people)