Michael Gravelle (born January 23, 1949) is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario who represented the riding of Thunder Bay—Superior North from 1995 to 2022 (known as Port Arthur from 1995 to 1999). He served as a member of cabinet during the Dalton McGuinty and Kathleen Wynne governments.
Michael Gravelle | |
|---|---|
 Gravelle in 2015 | |
| Member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament for Thunder Bay—Superior North Port Arthur (1995–1999) | |
| In office June 8, 1995 – May 3, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Shelley Wark-Martyn |
| Succeeded by | Lise Vaugeois |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 23, 1949 Port Arthur, Ontario, Canada |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Occupation | Executive assistant, publicist |
Background
editGravelle was born in Port Arthur, which is now a part of Thunder Bay, the son of Edmund Gravelle and Jan Shepherd.[1] He was educated at the Port Arthur Collegiate Institute and Lakehead University, receiving a degree from the latter institution 1968. He was an assistant to Liberal politicians Robert Andras, Stuart Smith and Joe Comuzzi. He also worked as a publicist for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and was a founder of the North of Superior Film Association.[1]
Politics
editGravelle was elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1995 provincial election, defeating incumbent New Democrat Shelley Wark-Martyn by almost 7,000 votes in the riding of Port Arthur.[2] The election was won by the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, and Gravelle joined 29 other Liberals in the opposition benches. He supported Dwight Duncan for the party leadership in 1996.
Gravelle was easily re-elected for the new riding of Thunder Bay—Superior North in the 1999 provincial election.[3]
In the provincial election of 2003, Gravelle was re-elected with 72.5 per cent of the popular vote, the highest percentage total in the province.[4] He was appointed caucus chair on November 25, 2003. In the 2007 election, he was returned by a much narrower margin, 46.8 to 38.3, against New Democrat candidate Jim Foulds.[5]
On October 30, 2007, Gravelle was named Ontario Minister of Northern Development and Mines.[6] In the summer of 2009, Gravelle's ministry was expanded, adding on the responsibility of forestry. In 2011 he was shuffled to the position of Minister of Natural Resources. In February 2013, Kathleen Wynne moved him back to the position of Minister of Northern Development and Mines.[7] He was reconfirmed in that role after the 2014 election.[8]
He was re-elected in 2011,[9] and 2014.[10]
In February 2017, Gravelle temporarily stepped aside as minister because of his battle with depression; his duties were taken up by fellow cabinet minister Bill Mauro.[11]
The Liberals were heavily defeated at the 2018 provincial election, and Gravelle was left as the only Liberal MPP in Northern Ontario.
In 2020, Gravelle announced that he would be seeking re-election,[12] however, in April 2022 he announced that his previous cancer had returned,[13] and later that month said that he was not able to run for re-election.[14]
Cabinet positions
editElectoral record
edit| 2018 Ontario general election: Thunder Bay—Superior North | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Michael Gravelle | 11,973 | 39.86 | -16.14 | ||||
| New Democratic | Lise Vaugeois | 11,160 | 37.16 | +7.74 | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Derek Parks | 5,395 | 17.96 | +10.79 | ||||
| Green | Amanda Moddejonge | 838 | 2.79 | -0.8 | ||||
| Northern Ontario | Andy Wolff | 376 | 1.25 | +0.76 | ||||
| Libertarian | Tony Gallo | 148 | 0.49 | -2.84 | ||||
| Trillium | Louise Ewen | 145 | 0.48 | |||||
| Total valid votes | 30,035 | 100.0 | ||||||
| Turnout | 55.0 | |||||||
| Eligible voters | 54,627 | |||||||
| Liberal hold | Swing | -11.93 | ||||||
| Source: Elections Ontario[15] | ||||||||
| 2014 Ontario general election: Thunder Bay—Superior North | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Michael Gravelle | 15,503 | 56.00 | +11.00 | ||||
| New Democratic | Andrew Foulds | 8,144 | 29.42 | -5.43 | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Derek Parks | 1,985 | 7.17 | -10.34 | ||||
| Green | Joseph LeBlanc | 993 | 3.59 | +1.47 | ||||
| Libertarian | Tamara Johnson | 922 | 3.33 | +2.82 | ||||
| Northern Ontario Heritage | Paul Sloan | 136 | 0.49 | |||||
| Total valid votes | 27,683 | 100.00 | ||||||
| Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | 262 | 0.94 | ||||||
| Turnout | 27,945 | 50.41 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 55,436 | |||||||
| Source: Elections Ontario[16] | ||||||||
| 2011 Ontario general election: Thunder Bay—Superior North | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Michael Gravelle | 11,765 | 45.00 | -1.78 | ||||
| New Democratic | Steve Mantis | 9,111 | 34.85 | -3.41 | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Anthony LeBlanc | 4,578 | 17.51 | +8.11 | ||||
| Green | Scot Kyle | 555 | 2.12 | -3.43 | ||||
| Libertarian | Tony Gallo | 133 | 0.51 | |||||
| Total valid votes | 26,142 | 100.0 | ||||||
| Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | 97 | 0.37 | ||||||
| Turnout | 26,239 | 48.20 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 54,443 | |||||||
| Source: Elections Ontario[17] | ||||||||
| 2007 Ontario general election: Thunder Bay—Superior North | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Michael Gravelle | 13,373 | 46.78 | -25.28 | ||||
| New Democratic | Jim Foulds | 10,938 | 38.26 | +23.32 | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Scott Hobbs | 2,688 | 9.40 | -0.16 | ||||
| Green | Dawn Kannegiesser | 1,586 | 5.55 | +2.11 | ||||
| Total valid votes | 28,585 | 100.0 | ||||||
| Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | 169 | 0.59 | ||||||
| Turnout | 28,754 | 53.91 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 53,341 | |||||||
| Source: Elections Ontario[18] | ||||||||
| 2003 Ontario general election: Thunder Bay—Superior North | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Michael Gravelle | 21,938 | 72.45 | +11.55 | ||||
| New Democratic | Bonnie Satten | 4,548 | 15.02 | -3.53 | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Brent Sylvester | 2,912 | 9.62 | -8.36 | ||||
| Green | Carl Rose | 882 | 2.91 | +1.70 | ||||
| Total valid votes | 30,280 | 100.00 | ||||||
| Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | 160 | 0.53 | ||||||
| Turnout | 30,440 | 55.60 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 54,753 | |||||||
| Source: Elections Ontario[19] | ||||||||
| 1999 Ontario general election: Thunder Bay—Superior North | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Michael Gravelle | 19,249 | 60.9 | +11.98 | ||||
| New Democratic | Nathalie Galesloot | 5,864 | 18.55 | -7.11 | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Ed Linkewich | 5,683 | 17.98 | -4.47 | ||||
| Independent | Robert Woito | 431 | 1.36 | |||||
| Green | Carl Rose | 382 | 1.21 | |||||
| Total valid votes | 31,609 | 100.00 | ||||||
| Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | 232 | 0.73 | ||||||
| Turnout | 31,841 | 54.94 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 57,961 | |||||||
| Source: Elections Ontario[20] | ||||||||
| 1995 Ontario general election: Port Arthur | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Michael Gravelle | 14,281 | 48.92 | +9.76 | ||||
| New Democratic | (x)Shelley Wark-Martyn | 7,490 | 25.66 | -17.22 | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Jim Doherty | 6,554 | 22.45 | +8.59 | ||||
| Family Coalition | Anita Harris | 683 | 2.34 | -1.76 | ||||
| Independent | Paul Weber | 18 | 0.62 | |||||
| Total valid votes | 29,190 | 100.00 | ||||||
| Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | 322 | 1.09 | ||||||
| Turnout | 29,512 | 61.91 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 47,672 | |||||||
References
edit- ^ a b O'Handley, Kathryn (2005). Canadian Parliamentary Guide 2005. ISBN 1-4144-0141-8.
- ^ "Summary of Valid Ballots by Candidate". Elections Ontario. 8 June 1995. Archived from the original on 16 March 2014. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
- ^ "Summary of Valid Ballots by Candidate". Elections Ontario. June 3, 1999. Archived from Bay-Superior+North&flag=E&layout=G the original on August 19, 2014. Retrieved March 2, 2014.
{{cite web}}: Check|url=value (help) - ^ "Summary of Valid Ballots by Candidate". Elections Ontario. October 2, 2003. Archived from Bay-Superior+North&flag=E&layout=G the original on August 19, 2014. Retrieved March 2, 2014.
{{cite web}}: Check|url=value (help) - ^ "Summary of Valid Ballots Cast for Each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. 10 October 2007. p. 15 (xxiv). Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 October 2009. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
- ^ Ferguson, Rob; Benzie, Robert (31 October 2007). "Premier goes for new blood; Expanded 28-member cabinet has eight ministers from Toronto, three from 905 area". Toronto Star. p. A13.
- ^ "Ontario's new cabinet". Waterloo Region Record. Kitchener, Ont. 12 February 2013. p. A3.
- ^ Richard Brennan; Robert Benzie; Rob Ferguson (24 June 2014). "Kathleen Wynne warns financial cupboard is bare". Toronto Star.
- ^ "Summary of Valid Ballots Cast for Each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. 6 October 2011. p. 17. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 March 2013. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
- ^ "General Election by District: Thunder Bay-Superior North". Elections Ontario. 12 June 2014. Archived from the original on 14 June 2014.
- ^ "Michael Gravelle steps away from cabinet post, cites year-long battle with depression". CBC News. 13 February 2017. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
- ^ "Gravelle intends to run for re-election". The Chronicle-Journal. 9 November 2020. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
- ^ Rinne, Gary (5 April 2022). "Michael Gravelle fights a new battle with cancer". TBNewsWatch.com. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
- ^ "Long-serving Thunder Bay MPP Michael Gravelle not seeking re-election". CBC News. 25 April 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
- ^ "Summary of Valid Votes Cast for each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. p. 11. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 December 2018. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
- ^ Elections Ontario (2014). "General Election Results by District, 091 Thunder Bay-Superior North". Archived from the original on 14 June 2014. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
- ^ Elections Ontario (2011). "Official return from the records / Rapport des registres officiels - Thunder Bay—Superior North" (PDF). Retrieved 1 June 2014.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Elections Ontario (2007). "Official return from the records / Rapport des registres officiels - Thunder Bay—Superior North" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 May 2014. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
- ^ Elections Ontario (2003). "Official return from the records / Rapport des registres officiels - Thunder Bay—Superior North". Retrieved 1 June 2014.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Elections Ontario (1999). "Official return from the records / Rapport des registres officiels - Thunder Bay—Superior North". Retrieved 1 June 2014.[permanent dead link]