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Peter Fonseca
Peter Fonseca
Peter Fonseca
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For other people with a similar name, see Pedro da Fonseca (disambiguation)

Key Information

Peter Fonseca MP (born 5 October 1966) is a Portuguese-born Canadian politician and former athlete. He is a Liberal member of the House of Commons of Canada, representing the riding of Mississauga East—Cooksville since his election in 2015.

Prior to entering federal politics, Fonseca was a provincial Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario representing Mississauga East (2003-2007) and Mississauga East—Cooksville (2007- 2011). He was a cabinet minister in the government of Dalton McGuinty.

Fonseca was re-elected in his safe Liberal riding of Mississauga East—Cooksville with roughly 53% of the vote in the 2019 federal election and again with 50% of the vote in the 2021 federal election.

In the 44th parliament which was formed after the 2021 federal election (where the governing Liberals were re-elected with an increased minority), Fonseca was selected as the chair of the powerful Finance Committee.

Background

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Fonseca was born in Lisbon, Portugal and immigrated to Toronto with his family in 1968. He was raised in Little Portugal. He graduated from St. Michael's College School and attended the University of Oregon, gaining a Bachelor of Arts on an athletic scholarship. He also holds a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Windsor.[1] He worked as a senior performance management consultant for the Coach Corporation and has run an importing and distributing company in Portugal.[2]

He married his wife Christine "Chris" Fonseca in 2003.[1] Christine was elected to Mississauga City Council as Councillor for Ward 3 in the 2010 Mississauga municipal election[3] and re-elected in 2014 Mississauga municipal election, 2018 Mississauga municipal election, and 2022 Mississauga municipal election.[4]

Fonseca holds Dual-citizenship with Portugal.[5]

Athletic career

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He finished 5th in the 10,000 metres at the 1994 Commonwealth Games. He also represented Canada at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia in the Men's Marathon. He was the top finisher for the Canadians, placing 21st overall in a 42.195-kilometre (26.219 mi) race with a time of 2 hours, 17 minutes and 28 seconds.[6] He also placed second in the 1994 Toronto Marathon and the 1994 Houston Marathon, and third in the 1992 New York City Marathon and the 1990 Los Angeles Marathon.[7]

Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
Representing  Canada
1994 Houston Marathon Houston, United States 2nd Marathon 2:13:53
1994 Toronto Marathon Toronto, Canada 2nd Marathon 2:17:16
1994 Commonwealth Games Victoria, Canada 5th 10,000 m 29:14.85
1995 Houston Marathon Houston, United States 1st Marathon 2:11:52
1996 Olympic Games Atlanta, United States 21st Marathon 2:17:28
1997 Toronto Marathon Toronto, Canada 1st Marathon 2:28:26

Politics

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Provincial

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Fonseca was elected to the Ontario legislature in the provincial election of 2003, defeating incumbent Progressive Conservative Carl DeFaria by about 3,000 votes in Mississauga East.[8] On 23 October 2003, he was named parliamentary assistant to George Smitherman, the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. In July 2005, he became the parliamentary assistant to Jim Watson, the Minister of Health Promotion.[citation needed]

In October 2007, Fonseca was named to cabinet as Minister of Tourism and Recreation.[9] In a cabinet shuffle on 18 September 2008, Fonseca was appointed as the province's Minister of Labour.[10]

Federal

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On 16 December 2010, Fonseca resigned from the Ontario cabinet to run for the federal Liberals in the riding of Mississauga East—Cooksville.[11] He was defeated by Conservative candidate Wladyslaw Lizon in the 2011 federal election by 676 votes.[12][13]

Fonseca ran for the Liberals again in the 2015 federal election and defeated Lizon by a wide margin as part of the Liberal sweep of Mississauga ridings. Fonseca was re-elected in the 2019 and 2021 elections.[14]

Fonseca's constituency office was on fire, on 22 February 2022. Peel Regional Police is investigating the matter as arson.[15][16][17][18]

Electoral record

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Federal

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2025 Canadian federal election: Mississauga East—Cooksville
** Preliminary results — Not yet official **
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Peter Fonseca 27,138 50.20 –0.08
Conservative Nita Kang 24,112 44.61 +13.01
New Democratic Khawar Hussain 1,508 2.79 –7.71
People's Amit Gupta 964 1.78 –4.67
Independent Winston Harding 221 0.41 N/A
Marxist–Leninist Dagmar Sullivan 113 0.21 –0.03
Total valid votes/expense limit 54,056 98.88
Total rejected ballots 610 1.12
Turnout 54,666 64.04
Eligible voters 85,360
Liberal notional hold Swing –6.55
Source: Elections Canada[19][20]
2021 Canadian federal election: Mississauga East—Cooksville
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Peter Fonseca 22,806 50.0 -3.1 $48,174.27
Conservative Grace Adamu 14,722 32.3 -1.3 $16,774.32
New Democratic Tom Takacs 4,678 10.3 +1.5 1,363.00
People's Joseph Westover 2,933 6.4 +5.2 $809.98
Independent Gord Elliott 329 0.7 N/A $0.00
Marxist–Leninist Dagmar Sullivan 107 0.2 -0.1 $0.00
Total valid votes/expense limit 45,575 99.2 – $112,477.70
Total rejected ballots 383 0.8
Turnout 45,958 55.6
Eligible voters 82,603
Liberal hold Swing -0.9
Source: Elections Canada[21]
2019 Canadian federal election: Mississauga East—Cooksville
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Peter Fonseca 27,923 53.1 -1.13 $54,292.81
Conservative Wladyslaw Lizon 17,664 33.6 -1.75 none listed
New Democratic Tom Takacs 4,643 8.8 +0.17 none listed
Green Maha Rasheed 1,578 3.0 +1.52 $0.00
People's Syed Rizvi 637 1.2 $2,799.42
Marxist–Leninist Anna Di Carlo 178 0.3 -0.01 $0.00
Total valid votes/expense limit 52,623 100.0
Total rejected ballots 483
Turnout 53,106 62.1
Eligible voters 85,584
Liberal hold Swing +0.31
Source: Elections Canada[22][23]
2015 Canadian federal election: Mississauga East—Cooksville
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Peter Fonseca 28,154 54.23 +18.07 $85,296.75
Conservative Wladyslaw Lizon 18,353 35.35 -8.20 $109,692.04
New Democratic Ali Naqvi 4,481 8.63 -9.03 $34,143.24
Green Jaymini Bhikha 766 1.48 -0.69 –
Marxist–Leninist Tim Sullivan 163 0.31 – –
Total valid votes/expense limit 51,917 100.00     $217,661.14
Total rejected ballots 287 0.55
Turnout 52,204 63.87
Eligible voters 81,736
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +13.13
Source(s)
  • "Mississaugs East--Cooksville". Election Results. Elections Canada. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
  • Elections Canada – Preliminary Election Expenses Limits for Candidates
2011 Canadian federal election: Mississauga East—Cooksville
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Conservative Wladyslaw Lizon 18,796 39.97 +7.42 $90,142
Liberal Peter Fonseca 18,120 38.53 -11.63 $71,450
New Democratic Waseem Ahmed 8,836 18.79 +7.44 $6,591
Green Jaymini Bhikha 1,032 2.19 -3.05 $968
Marxist–Leninist Pierre Chénier 241 0.51 -0.16
Total valid votes/expense limit 47,025 100.00   $169,151
Total rejected ballots 289 0.61
Turnout 47,314 56.8
Eligible voters 83,018
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +9.52
Source(s)
Elections Canada (2011). "Official Voting Results: Forty-first General Election". Retrieved 28 September 2015.

Provincial

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2007 Ontario general election: Mississauga East—Cooksville
Party Candidate Votes %
Liberal Peter Fonseca 22,249 58.93
Progressive Conservative Zoran Churchin 8,715 23.08
New Democratic Satish Balasunderam 3,192 8.46
Green Carla Cassanova 2,361 6.25
Family Coalition Al Zawadzki 992 2.63
Freedom Ryan Jamieson 243 0.64
Total valid votes 37,752 100.0
Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots 349 0.92
Turnout 38,101 47.47
Eligible voters 80,247
Liberal pickup new district.
Source(s)
Elections Ontario (2007). "General Election Poll by Poll Results, 048 Mississauga East—Cooksville" (PDF). Retrieved 24 August 2015.
2003 Ontario general election: Mississauga East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Peter Fonseca 16,686 48.68 +9.69
Progressive Conservative Carl DeFaria 13,832 40.35 -11.23
New Democratic Michael Hancock 2,479 7.23 -0.01
Green Donald Barber 666 1.94
Family Coalition Gary Nail 358 1.04
Independent Pierre Chénier 256 0.75
Total valid votes 34,277 100.00
Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots 252 0.73
Turnout 34,529 51.38
Eligible voters 67,198
Liberal gain from Progressive Conservative Swing +10.46
Source(s)
Elections Ontario (2003). "General Election of October 2, 2003 Poll By Poll Results 47 Mississauga East". Retrieved 24 August 2015.

References

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[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Peter Fonseca

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from Grokipedia
Peter Fonseca is a Portuguese-born Canadian Liberal politician and former Olympic long-distance runner known for his service as the Member of Parliament for Mississauga East—Cooksville and his earlier roles as a provincial cabinet minister in Ontario, alongside his achievements representing Canada in international marathon competitions. Born in Lisbon, Portugal, on October 5, 1966, Fonseca immigrated to Canada with his family and developed a career in athletics before transitioning to public service. He represented Canada at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, competing in the men's marathon, and was recognized as a top marathon runner during his athletic career. Fonseca entered politics as a Member of Provincial Parliament for Mississauga East from 2003 to 2007 and Mississauga East—Cooksville from 2007 to 2011, serving in the Ontario Liberal government as Minister of Tourism and Recreation from 2007 to 2008 and Minister of Labour from 2008 to 2010. He was first elected to the federal House of Commons in 2015 as the Liberal MP for Mississauga East—Cooksville and has been re-elected in 2019 and 2021. He resides in Mississauga with his wife, local councillor Chris Fonseca, and their two children, and is fluent in English and Portuguese.

Early life

Peter Fonseca was born on October 5, 1966, in Lisbon, Portugal. He immigrated to Canada with his family in 1968 at the age of two and was raised in Toronto's Little Portugal neighbourhood. He graduated from St. Michael's College School. Peter Fonseca, the Canadian politician and former Olympic long-distance runner born in 1966, has no documented career in ballet or dance. The original section content appears to refer to a different individual named Peter Fonseca, a soloist with American Ballet Theatre who died in 1986 at age 28. No further details on ballet apply to this Peter Fonseca. No media appearances are documented for Peter Fonseca in the field of televised ballet or related performing arts. This section previously contained misattributed information about a different individual of the same name.

Illness and death

Health decline and passing

Peter Fonseca died on November 29, 1986, at the age of 28, at his mother's home in Silver Spring, Maryland, near Wheaton. Although he had lived in New York City during his professional career with American Ballet Theatre, he spent his final days with family amid his declining health. Contemporary obituaries described his passing as resulting from a long or lengthy illness, with one report specifying a viral brain infection. Later accounts in the dance community, including articles on the AIDS epidemic's impact on ballet and a profile of his mother, have attributed his death to AIDS-related complications. No legacy section is appropriate at this time, as the provided content incorrectly describes a different individual (a deceased ballet dancer). Peter Fonseca remains an active politician and former athlete, with his contributions ongoing.
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