The Elected: Real World Lessons in Ontario Politics
The Elected is a five-part web series that chronicles the experiences of Ontario rookie MPP Michael Coteau as he navigates his new life of public service. With exclusive behind-the-scenes access, watch as Michael learns the ropes at Queen’s Park, takes his place in the legislature, and connects with constituents in his community.
Developed in partnership with the Civics Education Network, learning resources are available for each episode to help students better understand how government works in Ontario.
Episodes
Welcome to Queen's Park
Meet Michael and find out how he rose from humble beginnings growing up in a low income Toronto neighborhood, to becoming school board trustee, to learning the ropes as an elected member of the Ontario legislature. Watch this episode →
The Legislature
Michael’s maiden speech in the legislature goes largely unnoticed. This isn’t surprising - rookie backbenchers don’t traditionally have a high profile role in the legislature. That doesn’t mean, however, there aren’t other ways he can shape how Ontario is governed. Watch this episode →
The Committee
What is a committee? What is its role in the law-making process? Michael’s experience on the Committee on Regulations and Private Bills illustrates why, though they seldom make the news, committees are central to our democratic process. Watch this episode →
The Politics of Public Life
The job of an MPP is to represent the people of their riding, but MPPs are also members of political parties. Watch as Michael balances the needs of his constituents with the obligations of his party. Watch this episode →
The Community
As an MPP, one of Michael’s most important jobs is to connect with his constituents and represent them at Queen’s Park. Follow along as Michael engages with his community and helps residents in his riding with everyday problems.
Watch this episode →
Learning resources for The Elected were developed in partnership with the Civics Education Network.
Since 2006 the Civics Education Network (CEN) has been working to improve the teaching of civics and politics in Ontario's schools. Our vision is to see every student in Ontario leave high school with a passion for civic engagement and possessing the tools to become a active citizen. CEN is unique in that our programming is targeted to the one place that the youth can be reached and where they are supposed to be learning how to be a part of the community – their school. We are actively developing programs which do one of two things: either help teachers to teach civics and politics in new and engaging ways; or provide experiences for students within the context of their schools which they would not otherwise have had access to. Through better teaching and engagement in our schools we can build a more active community now and in the future.
