Neil Armstrong
Freelance Editor

Toronto, ON

Six of the 21 Black candidates who ran in the Ontario general election have won their ridings and will be heading to Queen's Park, the Ontario Legislature.

Doug Ford-led Progressive Conservative Party won 76 seats - its only Black candidate, Dionne Duncan, lost to the incumbent Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) and NDP leader, Andrea Horwath in Hamilton Centre.

The Ontario NDP gained 40 seats and among them are winners: Jill Andrew of Toronto-St. Paul's, Laura Mae Lindo of Kitchener Centre, Faisal Hassan representing York South-Weston and Kevin Yarde of Brampton North.

Incumbents, Mitzie Hunter and Michael Coteau, of the Ontario Liberal Party representing Scarborough-Guildwood and Don Valley East, respectively, were among the seven candidates who won.

However this number falls under eight and the Liberal Party that formed the Ontario government for 15 years has lost its "recognised party" status.

Kathleen Wynne, won her riding of Don Valley West but announced her resignation as leader of the Liberal party. Mike Schreiner, leader of the Green Party of Ontario, won his seat in Guelph - the only victory for his party.

Coteau was first elected to the legislature in 2011 as the MPP for Don Valley East and was re-elected in 2014.

He served as Minister of Community and Social Services, Minister of Children and Youth Services, and Minister Responsible for Anti-Racism.

Hunter was first elected to the Ontario legislature in 2013 as the MPP for Scarborough-Guildwood and was re-elected in 2014.

Yarde made a name for himself as a weather expert on The Weather Network for over a decade. He studied journalism, and has been involved with the National Association of Black Journalists and volunteered at Covenant House - helping at-risk and homeless youth.

As director of diversity and equity at Wilfrid Laurier University, Lindo worked closely with Focus on Ethnic Women, The Working Centre and the Sexual Assault Support Centre.

Lindo, who has PhD, is a former performer and recording artist, and is a mother of three.

Andrew is an equity advocate, inclusive fashion educator, writer, speaker and columnist.

As the co-founder of Body Confidence Canada, she advocates to end size and appearance-based discrimination, harassment and bullying.

Andrew has a Master's degree in Women & Gender Studies from the University of Toronto, and is a PhD candidate at York University.

Hassan, former broadcaster and a published author, has volunteered on the boards of the Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation, Habitat for Humanity and currently serves on the board of directors at the Weston King Neighbourhood Centre.

Meanwhile, the premier-designate has announced his team that will oversee the transition into government.

"We have a team that has already hit the ground running as we prepare to form government and deliver on our commitments to the people," said Ford on June 8, in announcing the leadership of his transition organisation. "This team has the judgement and experience necessary to ensure we make a seamless transition into government."

The members of the transition team are: Chris Froggatt, chair;John Baird, Dean French, Simone Daniels, Dr. Rueben Devlin and Mike Coates.

Ford also announced that, as a first transition decision, he has asked French to serve as chief of staff in the Office of the Premier. French served as the campaign chair of the 2018 Ontario PC campaign.

"We are welcoming a team of all-star Ontario PC MPPs and can count on a depth of talent unrivaled anywhere else in Canada," said Ford. "The people of Ontario can be confident that we will be ready to govern starting on day one."