Cansfield looks forward to new term

Cansfield looks forward to new term. Liberal MPPs Donna Cansfield, left, representing Etobicoke Centre, and Laurel Broten, representing Etobicoke-Lakeshore, pose on the waterfront after their re-election. Staff Photo/MARY GAUDET

First off: ensuring that plans for the controversial 280-megawatt, natural gas-fired power plant on the Etobicoke-Mississauga border are finally put to rest - for good.

"We made that commitment, so we have to follow through. It's the first order of business," said the former energy minister, who stood alongside fellow Liberal MPPs from Etobicoke-Lakeshore and Mississauga late last month to announce the cancellation of the project. "It really will rest with the Mississauga riding, and so I'll be there encouraging from the sideline big time...and hopefully we've learned some really good lessons from this process."

Moving forward, Cansfield said the selection process around the placement of such gas plants will be a more rigourous one, instituting more concrete setback requirements. When Mississauga first zoned the site of the proposed plant and its surrounding area years ago, she added, there was very little development there. But things changed.

"Then all of a sudden Sherway Gardens popped up, we had the hospice, (Trillium) hospital building 250 more beds, and residences going up close by. Suddenly the whole complexion of the area had changed, and then it was a case of: 'holy crow! What do we do?'" she said. "So now, all new sites will have the rigour around where they're located - their proximity to residences, hospitals, businesses. That's a lesson learned."

Another of Cansfield's priorities moving forward is helping the Liberal party rebuild after losing 17 seats in the legislature this election - three of which belonged to cabinet members Sophia Aggelonitis, revenue minister, Leona Dombrowsky, minister of education, and Carol Mitchell, agriculture minister.

Faced with the first minority government at Queen's Park in 26 years, Cansfield, who won Etobicoke Centre with 51.4 per cent of the vote, said her outlook is a glass half full one for MPPs of all political stripes.

"We've lost some colleagues who were absolutely superb individuals and that's always a loss on all sides. Everybody brings something of value to the legislature...regardless of their party, with good intent of bringing forth their particular perspectives and ideology. So, absolutely, for all of the parties, a lot of good people were lost, so we need to rebuild," she said.

"That said, with this minority, I've always been one of those folks that believes if you work together for the common good, it's amazing what you can accomplish. And I think I've proven that in the past by the work I've done not only as a minister, but an individual member reaching out to the other parties to work with me on issues that I consider important."

One of those issues that hits particularly close to home for Cansfield, whose riding boasts the province's highest proportion of seniors, is Alzheimer's disease and the establishment of a provincial Alzheimer Advisory Council.

Last year, Cansfield introduced Bill 52 - an Act to deal with Alzheimer's and dementia-related diseases that, she said, speaks to prevention and intervention, as well as support and research. Bill 52 also has the rare backing of all three parties, having been co-sponsored by Progressive Conservative MPP Christine Elliott (Whitby-Oshawa) and New Democratic Party MPP Cheri DiNovo (Parkdale-High Park).

"So we've got already a genesis of how we can move forward on an all-party basis and that, for me, is the focus. I don't care what party got in this election, (this bill) had to go forward, by virtue of the fact that one in four people in the City of Toronto will be over the age of 65 next year," she said. "Alzheimer's is a non-partisan issue, and I think you shouldn't underestimate the good intent of the people in the building - from all parties."