We had the pleasure of speaking with the Honorable Vic Fedeli last week, who joined us from his home in his riding of North Bay. Mr. Fedeli has held his seat in the Legislature since 2011 and had many stories to share with us about his almost decade-long career as an MPP. However, we started the discussion by learning about Mr. Fedeli’s path to Queens Park, which came by way of a successful career in marketing and two terms as mayor of North Bay. We learned that it was the last major communicable disease outbreak that led Mr. Fedeli to run for mayor. After retiring from marketing, Mr. Fedeli was travelling worldwide; however, in 2003, SARS put a halt on his travel plans, and his wife Patty encouraged him to run for mayor as “something to do”.
Sticking to his word to only serve two terms, Mr. Fedeli decided to transition to provincial politics, where he has been ever since. We were lucky to hear about his time doing in Opposition, what he enjoyed about his critic roles, and being a part of a smaller caucus. We were also interested to hear about his time as the Leader of the Official Opposition and the transition period between then and when the Progressive Conservatives formed government after the 2018 election.
It was fascinating to also hear about his Ministerial duties and his role as Chair of the Cabinet. He discussed how these positions integrate and contrast with his role and responsibility to serve as a Member of a northern riding and the unique challenges that the north faces, like access to broadband and transportation.
We couldn’t let him go without hearing about the yellow ties and how they have become his signature wardrobe item. Thank you, Minister Fedeli, for taking the time to share your experiences with the interns!