Bryan on working in Ernie Hardeman’s office

So far my placement in Ernie Hardeman’s office has been going very well. After arriving Tuesday morning and being set up with my own computer and email address I got right to work. It is constituency week this week which means the members are all away in their ridings, but there is still a lot of work to be done. So far I have written a members statement, prepared an update to the hansard section of Mr. Hardeman’s website, and even written a recipe! I am quickly realizing how varied the work is in this job, and how you really never know what you will be asked to learn about or work on until you come into the office each day. Mr. Hardeman’s EA Tara is incredibly hard working and it seems as though there will be no shortage of projects for us to work on throughout the coming months!

Katie on working in Donna Cansfield’s office

This week marked my first day in Donna Cansfield’s office. Although a little nervous on the subway ride in (inquiring minds should know that not only did I make it on time, I also didn’t get lost!), my worries were quickly allayed by the warm welcome I received from Ms. Cansfield’s EA, Rebecca.

As this week is a constituency week, Ms. Cansfield hasn’t been in the office. My first day was mostly quiet, as I sifted through files on the issues Ms. Cansfield is most interested/involved in. Although I don’t know much about Alzheimer’s Disease, it is a prevalent issue in Ms. Cansfield’s riding, and I found the background material very interesting. Fun Fact: Etobicoke Centre has the highest population of seniors than any other provincial riding. Slightly less fun fact:  The current prevalence of dementia (including Alzheimer’s disease) will rise by 40% in the next 20 years!

I also had the opportunity to sit in on a Ministry Diversity Event, organized by the ADM for Municipal Affairs and Housing. Mike Lipinski, President of the Metis Nation of Ontario, spoke to us about the history of the Metis people, as well as the issues currently facing their community. It was really interesting hearing Canadian history from the Metis’ perspective, rather than learning the facts from a text book. I really enjoyed the meeting and hope to have the opportunity to attend others, as well!

I can’t wait for next week to start!

Natalie’s first week in Jean-Marc Lalonde’s office

I’ve been having a great first week of work in MPP Jean-Marc Lalonde’s office. Mr. Lalonde has been in his riding all week, but his staff have been great in helping me become accustomed to the office and orienting me to some of the current issues they are working on. Some of the things I have been doing are updating press releases n on Mr. Lalonde’s website, and liaising with constituency offices. My first observations are that there is always a constant flow of things to do, and it is impressive how the staff stays focused and organized despite how many things they are dealing with at any given point. I am also learning Mr. Lalonde’s dedication to his riding and his constituents, as he is constantly engaged in a plethora of events in his constituency. I am excited to see how the office work and pace will change next week, when the MPPs return to Queen’s Park and the House is sitting.