November 4, 2014

Sophie Kiwala
Parliamentary Assistant to the
Minister Responsible for the 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games
Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport
Ninth Floor, Hearst Block
900 Bay Street
Toronto, Ontario
M7A 2E1

Dear Sophie Kiwala:

It is an honour and a pleasure to have you as my Parliamentary Assistant. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to the Ministry Responsible for the 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games and to outline some of the important work that lies ahead of us.

As you know, our government has a plan to invest in the talent and skills of our people, build modern infrastructure, support a dynamic and innovative business climate, and provide better retirement security to people across the province. At the heart of this plan are partnerships with businesses, people and communities, which will help our government grow the economy, create jobs and implement solutions that have a meaningful impact on people’s lives.

This balanced and comprehensive plan is underpinned by a focus on fiscal prudence. The mandate letter I received last month from Premier Kathleen Wynne reinforced our government’s commitment to balance the budget by 2017-18 and to pursue increased openness, accountability and modernization.

Parliamentary Assistants play a key role in delivering these priorities and have a responsibility to put our government’s plan into action.

As the Ministry Responsible for the 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games, we will continue to engage other governments, sport partners and stakeholders to enable a successful Games. We will work to ensure that the Games showcase the talents of athletes of all abilities — and promote Ontario’s success in creating a more accessible, inclusive society.

As Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister Responsible for the 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games, your specific responsibilities include:

Fostering Partnership, Community Engagement and Inclusion

  • Assist in collaborating with the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games Organizing Committee (TO2015), relevant ministers and other partners to develop and implement strategies for community engagement and inclusion.

Maximizing the Economic Benefits of the Games

  • Assist in showcasing Ontario to an international audience and creating economic opportunities through jobs, tourism and strategic investments. The Games are expected to generate more than 26,000 new jobs, grow our GDP by $3.7 billion — and attract more than 250,000 tourists.

I am confident that together, working in collaboration with our partners in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors, we can deliver on our commitment to the people we are privileged to represent and serve. I look forward to working with you to deliver our ministry’s mandate, build Ontario up — and help achieve a brighter future for every person in this province.

Sincerely,

Michael Coteau signature

The Honourable Michael Coteau
Minister Responsible for the 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games