spoke to each of the party leaders, made presentations to all three party caucuses, and liaised with Premier McGuinty and his staff. The ensuing election campaign was longer than the general election, and when the dust cleared, Levac had won again. “In a partisan, trench warfare kind of place, Dave is a team player,” says New Democrat MPP Cheri DiNovo, who worked with Levac on the Holdomor Memorial Day Act of 2009, the first ever tri-party bill in Canada. “That’s what went to his election as Speaker. When the candidates were before them, most members saw him as the least partisan.” It’s a refrain that one hears again and again from people who know Levac. Whether it’s in the Legislature or on the streets of Brantford, he is known as someone who listens, tries to do right and plays well with others. He’s also a fun guy to hang around with. “Yesterday we were both at the opening of a ceramic place here in town, called Crock a Doodle,” says Friel. “We both sat down at a table to paint a bowl and Dave had his tongue out, painting this thing, totally into it. I thought, ‘That’s so Dave.’ If there’s a flash mob, he’s the first person up there dancing. He doesn’t worry about how he looks.” Even so, it is clear there’s more behind Levac’s success than affability and a sense of humour. He doesn’t show off his intellectual side in public, but colleagues describe him as a keen student of history with an encyclopedic knowledge of parliamentary rules and procedures. Then there is his toughness, a trait that is serving him well in Question Period, where he is tasked with keeping order among 106 ornery MPPs. “I’ve teasingly and with some seriousness asked them
to use their inside voices,” Levac says. “I acknowledge and accept heckling. I think there’s a tradition to it — a good heckle is cool. It can break the ice and calm things down. But the type of heckling I’ve been exposed to recently has been very venomous. I’ve told them, ‘Until you decide this is really not acceptable, it’s going to be hard for us to change.’ My secret is to make them responsible.”
Later
in January, Levac was back in his riding for an eco fair (similar to a science fair) at a local high school. Students had set up displays of their projects in a classroom and were giving presentations. Levac listened to the presentations and spoke to each of the students individually, asking questions and encouraging them to keep working hard on their ideas. “That’s the way he is,” says Friel. “He wouldn’t just go to an event and shake a couple of hands. He spends the time, lets the kids do what they want, makes them feel important.” Given his background in teaching, it’s not surprising that Levac’s vision for Brantford puts education front and centre. He wants to keep expanding the presence of Laurier Brantford in the downtown core, so the area’s revitalization continues to progress. Education brings smart, ambitious people into the community, he believes, and prepares them for the kinds of jobs likely to matter in a post-industrial economy. As for his own future, Levac doesn’t have any plans beyond trying to be a good Speaker. “After that, the next step might not be Speaker of the House. It might not be MP. It might not be Premier. But it might be, ‘OK, there is a door opening over there.’” He chuckles. “And it very well might be, ‘I’m going to be the best retired guy around.’” ❖
A P P L I C AT I O N F O R
BOARD OF DIRECTORS The Wilfrid Laurier University Alumni Association (WLUAA) plays a vital role within the university community. The Association is governed by a Board of Directors consisting of 22 to 25 elected directors. The directors hold office for a period of two years and take office on September 1, 2012. The Board of Directors comprises volunteers from various years of graduation and faculties that demographically represent WLU’s over 80,000 alumni. The Alumni Association looks for people who are willing to donate their time, energy and talent to directing the affairs of the organization at WLU. If you would like to get involved with the Alumni Association, please apply at the link below. Deadline for application is Friday, April 20, 2012
Submit your application online at:
laurieralumni.ca/applications We thank all applicants; only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.
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LAURIER CAMPUS Spring 2012