Who is Jennifer McKelvie? What we know about the councillor poised to take over as Toronto mayor

Mayor John Tory has announced his intention to resign from office after admitting to having a relationship with a staff member.

Tory made the announcement late on Friday night, telling reporters at an abruptly scheduled press conference at city hall that his resignation would take effect in “the coming days.”

Under the City of Toronto Act, Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie will now take over the job until a byelection can be held.

She is likely to remain in the job for a period of months, as the City of Toronto Act requires that candidates be given a minimum of 30 days and a maximum of 60 days to file their nomination papers after a byelection is formally declared.

Election day would then come 45 days later.

However, before anything happens city council must first meet to declare the office vacant and then has 60 days to pass a by-law requiring a by-election.

Here is what you need to know about the councillor who will soon become Toronto’s 66th mayor:

NEWCOMER TO CITY HALL

McKelvie was first elected as the councillor for Ward 25 Scarborough—Rouge Park in 2018 and just recently began her second term at city hall. She currently serves as chair of Toronto’s Infrastructure and Environment Committee, where she is responsible for helping to implement the city’s Vision Zero road safety strategy. She also sits on the Toronto Hydro Corporation Board of Directors and the Toronto Zoo Board of Management.

PROFESSIONAL GEOSCIENTIST

Before entering politics, McKelvie was employed as a researcher at the Nuclear Waste Management Organization. During that time she served a project manager for geoscientific site assessments that were conducted in five northern Ontario communities. She also managed research and development that was focused on the prevention of microbiologically influenced corrosion of used nuclear fuel containers, according to her Linkedin profile. She holds a Ph.D in Geology from the University of Toronto.

HISTORY OF COMMUNITY SERVICE

McKelvie was the first president of the Scarborough Community Renewal Organization from 2016 until her election in 2018. She has also served as a citizen member of the Toronto Region Conservation Authority and on the University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC) Campus Council, among other organizations.