David Gregory Rickford PC KC MPP (born September 24, 1967) is a Canadian politician. He is the Minister of Northern Development and Minister of Indigenous Affairs in the Executive Council of Ontario under Premier Doug Ford. He represents the Kenora—Rainy River riding in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

Greg Rickford
Minister of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation
Assumed office
June 29, 2018
PremierDoug Ford
Preceded byDavid Zimmer
Minister of Northern Development
Assumed office
June 24, 2022
PremierDoug Ford
Preceded byHimself (as Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines)
Member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament
for Kenora—Rainy River
Assumed office
June 7, 2018
Preceded bySarah Campbell
Member of the Canadian Parliament
for Kenora
In office
October 14, 2008 – August 4, 2015
Preceded byRoger Valley
Succeeded byBob Nault
Additional offices held
Ontario Minister of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry
In office
June 18, 2021 – June 24, 2022
PremierDoug Ford
Preceded byHimself (as Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines) John Yakabuski (as Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry)
Succeeded byHimself (as Minister of Northern Development) Graydon Smith (as Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry)
Ontario Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines
In office
June 29, 2018 – June 18, 2021
PremierDoug Ford
Preceded byGlenn Thibeault (Energy)
Michael Gravelle (Northern Development & Mines)
Succeeded byTodd Smith (Energy)
Minister of Natural Resources
In office
March 19, 2014 – November 4, 2015
Prime MinisterStephen Harper
Preceded byJoe Oliver
Succeeded byJim Carr
Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario
In office
July 15, 2013 – November 4, 2015
Prime MinisterStephen Harper
Preceded byTony Clement
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Minister of State for Science and Technology
In office
July 15, 2013 – March 19, 2014
Prime MinisterStephen Harper
Preceded byGary Goodyear
Succeeded byEd Holder
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs
In office
January 30, 2011 – July 15, 2013
Prime MinisterStephen Harper
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byMark Strahl
Personal details
Born (1967-09-24) September 24, 1967 (age 57)
Paris, Ontario, Canada
Political partyProgressive Conservative Party of Ontario
Other political
affiliations
Conservative Party of Canada
Alma materMohawk College (Dipl.)
University of Victoria (BScNursing)
McGill University (JD, BCL)
Université Laval (MBA)
OccupationNurse, lawyer, politician

Rickford previously served as the federal Minister of Natural Resources and as the Minister of State for Science and Technology in the cabinet of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He was elected to the House of Commons in the 2008 federal election[1] and represented the electoral district of Kenora as a member of the Conservative Party until his defeat in the 2015 election.

Background

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Rickford was born in Paris, Ontario, on September 24, 1967. He worked as a nurse and lawyer in the remote First Nations communities of the Kenora District.[2]

Federal politics

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Rickford was elected to represent the Ontario electoral district of Kenora in the 2008 federal election and re-elected in the 2011 election.

A member of the Conservative Party of Canada, Rickford was the first Conservative MP elected in the Kenora riding and the first right-wing MP to represent the Kenora area since 1921.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed Rickford Parliamentary Secretary for Official Languages on August 30, 2010.

On January 30, 2011, Rickford was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development.[3]

On July 15, 2013, he was appointed the Minister of State (Science and Technology, and Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario).[4]

On March 19, 2014, he was appointed to succeed Joe Oliver as Minister of Natural Resources.[5]

He was defeated in the October 19, 2015 Canadian federal election by Bob Nault. Nault had represented the predecessor riding of Kenora-Rainy River from 1988 until 2004, when he chose not to run in the 2004 Canadian federal election. Rickford was pushed into third place, behind Nault and former Ontario New Democratic Party leader Howard Hampton.

Provincial politics

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Rickford re-entered politics on November 18, 2017, when he was acclaimed as the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario candidate in Kenora—Rainy River for the 2018 election.[6] The Progressive Conservatives won a majority government in the June 7, election and Rickford was elected in his riding.

On June 29, 2018, Rickford was appointed Ministry of Energy, Mines, Northern Development and Indigenous Affairs in the cabinet of Premier Doug Ford.

Electoral record

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2022 Ontario general election: Kenora—Rainy River
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Progressive Conservative Greg Rickford 9,567 59.57 +11.01 $56,299
New Democratic JoAnne Formanek Gustafson 3,199 19.92 −17.41 $14,415
Liberal Anthony Leek 1,823 11.35 +0.77 $32,991
Green Catherine Kiewning 608 3.79 +0.26 $1,339
New Blue Kelvin Boucher-Chicago 393 2.45   $4,074
Ontario Party Larry Breiland 276 1.72   $0
Consensus Ontario Richard A. Jonasson 98 0.61   $0
Independent Mi'Azhikwan 95 0.59   $0
Total valid votes/Expense limit 16,059 98.56 -0.48 $66,892
Total rejected, unmarked, and declined ballots 235 1.44 +0.48
Turnout 16,294 40.21 -13.91
Eligible voters 40,231
Progressive Conservative hold Swing +14.21
Source(s)
  • "Summary of Valid Votes Cast for Each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. 2022. Archived from the original on May 18, 2023.
  • "Statistical Summary by Electoral District" (PDF). Elections Ontario. 2022. Archived from the original on May 21, 2023.
2018 Ontario general election: Kenora—Rainy River
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Greg Rickford 9,748 48.57 +23.08
New Democratic Glen Archer 7,493 37.33 -18.32
Liberal Karen Kejick 2,123 10.58 -5.19
Green Ember McKillop 707 3.52 +0.45
Total valid votes 20,071 100.0  
Turnout 56.6
Eligible voters 35,457
Progressive Conservative gain from New Democratic Swing +20.54
Source: Elections Ontario[7]
2015 Canadian federal election: Kenora
Party Candidate Votes %
Liberal Bob Nault 10,898 35.39
New Democratic Howard Hampton 10,379 33.71
Conservative Greg Rickford 8,760 28.45
Green Ember C. McKilop 501 1.63
Independent Kelvin Boucher-Chicago 162 0.53
Total valid votes 30,791 100.00
2011 Canadian federal election: Kenora
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Conservative Greg Rickford 11,567 47.05 +6.59
New Democratic Tania Cameron 6,855 27.88 +4.65
Liberal Roger Valley 5,381 21.89 -9.74
Green Mike Schwindt 636 2.59 -2.09
Independent Kelvin Chicago-Boucher 147 0.60
Total valid votes 24,586 100.00
Total rejected ballots 120 0.49 +0.09
Turnout 24,706 60.38 +5.01
Eligible voters 40,917
2008 Canadian federal election: Kenora
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Conservative Greg Rickford 9,395 40.46 +9.47 $80,724
Liberal Roger Valley 7,344 31.63 -4.89 $63,788
New Democratic Tania Cameron 5,394 23.23 -6.72 $59,298
Green JoJo Holiday 1,087 4.68 +2.14 $362
Total valid votes/Expense limit 23,220 100.00 $90,484
Total rejected ballots 94 0.40 +0.09
Turnout 23,314 55.37 -8.11
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing -7.18

Cabinet positions

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Ontario provincial government of Doug Ford
Cabinet posts (3)
Predecessor Office Successor
Glenn Thibeault Minister of Energy
June 29, 2018 – present
Incumbent
David Zimmer Minister of Indigenous Affairs
June 29, 2018 – present
Incumbent
Michael Gravelle Minister of Northern Development and Mines
June 29, 2018 – present
Incumbent
28th Ministry – Cabinet of Stephen Harper
Cabinet posts (3)
Predecessor Office Successor
Joe Oliver Minister of Natural Resources
March 19, 2014 – November 4, 2015
Jim Carr
Tony Clement Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario
July 15, 2013 – November 4, 2015
Position Abolished
Gary Goodyear Minister of State for Science and Technology
July 15, 2013 – March 19, 2014
Ed Holder

References

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  1. ^ "Kenora: 2008 Results". CBC News, October 14, 2008.
  2. ^ "Mission Impossible - accomplished" Archived 2012-07-11 at archive.today, Kenora Daily Miner, October 15, 2008.
  3. ^ Payton, Laura (January 31, 2011). "Harper gives new exposure to MPs". Fort McMurray Today. Ottawa, Ontario. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  4. ^ "Rickford appointed new Minister of State for Science and Technology", Brantford Expositor, July 15, 2008. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
  5. ^ Margo McDiarmid (March 20, 2014). "Greg Rickford takes on natural resources post at critical time". CBC.
  6. ^ "Rickford officially named PC candidate for Kenora-Rainy River". Kenora Daily Miner and News, November 19, 2017.
  7. ^ "Summary of Valid Votes Cast for each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
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