Alvin Curling
| Alvin Curling | |
|---|---|
| Ontario MPP | |
|
In office 1999–2005 |
|
| Preceded by | New riding |
| Succeeded by | Bas Balkissoon |
| Constituency | Scarborough—Rouge River |
|
In office 1985–1999 |
|
| Preceded by | Thomas Leonard Wells |
| Succeeded by | Riding abolished |
| Constituency | Scarborough North |
| Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario | |
|
In office 2003–2005 |
|
| Preceded by | Gary Carr |
| Succeeded by | Michael A. Brown |
| Canada's ambassador to the Dominican Republic | |
|
In office 2005–2006 |
|
| Preceded by | Adam Blackwell |
| Succeeded by | Patricia Fortier |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
November 15, 1939 Kingston, Jamaica |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Residence | Toronto |
| Occupation | educator, diplomat |
Alvin Curling (born November 15, 1939) is a Jamaican-born Canadian politician. He was Canada's envoy to the Dominican Republic from 2005-2006. A former politician in Ontario, Canada, he was Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario until he resigned on August 19, 2005 to accept his diplomatic appointment. He had been a Liberal MPP for twenty years, from 1985 to 2005.
Curling was educated at Seneca College and at York University in Toronto. He began working as an educator in 1972, and served as President of the World Literacy of Canada organization from 1981 to 1984, as well as working in the Jamaican Canadian Association.
He was elected to the Ontario legislature in the provincial election of 1985 as a Liberal in the suburban Toronto riding of Scarborough North. Curling defeated Progressive Conservative candidate Carole Noble by about 8,000 votes. His personal total of 30,504 votes was a provincial record at the time.
The Liberals formed a minority government after this election, and Curling was appointed Minister of Housing on June 26, 1985. He was the first Black Canadian to hold a cabinet-level position in Ontario. During his time as minister of Housing, he expanded the parameters of Ontario's rent control program, and announced a $500 million initiative for new urban housing. Curling was easily re-elected in the provincial election of 1987, and was appointed Minister of Skills Development on September 29, 1987. He served in this capacity until August 2, 1989, when he was dropped from cabinet.
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