37 Facts About Monte Kwinter

Monte Kwinter was a Canadian politician in Ontario.

Monte Kwinter was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1985 until 2018.

Monte Kwinter represented the ridings of Wilson Heights from 1985 to 1999, and York Centre from 1999 to 2018.

Monte Kwinter was the oldest person ever to be an MPP in Ontario, although at his death, Raymond Cho, was seven months shy of surpassing him.

On January 26,2013, Monte Kwinter became the oldest person to ever serve in the Ontario legislature at the age of 81 years 310 days, surpassing previous record holder Lex MacKenzie, who was 81 years and 309 days old when he left provincial politics in 1967.

Monte Kwinter was born in Toronto on March 22,1931.

Monte Kwinter was educated at the Ontario College of Art, Syracuse University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, and the Universite de Montreal.

Monte Kwinter has a degree in fine arts, specializing in industrial design.

Monte Kwinter worked in real estate before entering political life, eventually owning his own firm within the field.

Monte Kwinter was a founding member of the Toronto Regional Council of B'nai Brith Canada, served on the board of directors of the Upper Canadian Zoological Society, and the Canadian National Exhibition, was chair of the Toronto Harbour Commission, chair of the Toronto Humane Society, vice-president of the Ontario College of Art, and served as an executive member on the League for Human Rights of B'nai B'rith Canada.

Monte Kwinter was involved in the Liberal Party of Canada as a fundraiser and organizer and worked on John Turner's 1984 leadership campaign.

Monte Kwinter was elected to the Ontario legislature in the provincial election of 1985 as a Liberal, defeating incumbent Progressive Conservative David Rotenberg and New Democrat city councillor Howard Moscoe in the North York riding of Wilson Heights.

Monte Kwinter had been a strong advocate for the completion of the controversial Spadina Expressway in Toronto but abandoned this position soon after winning election.

Monte Kwinter was easily re-elected in the provincial election of 1987, and was named Minister of Industry, Trade and Technology in September of that year.

In June 1989, Monte Kwinter was implicated in the Patti Starr corruption scandal.

Monte Kwinter's riding of Wilson Heights was among those who received these illegal contributions.

The Liberals were upset by the New Democratic Party in the 1990 provincial election, although Monte Kwinter himself was again re-elected without difficulty, although one contender was better known as the alter-ego of Ed the Sock.

Monte Kwinter faced a more serious challenge in the 1995 election, which was won by the Progressive Conservatives; Tory candidate Sam Pasternak came within 3,000 votes of upsetting him.

Monte Kwinter was not a prominent figure in the Legislative Assembly during his time in the opposition, though he was nevertheless regarded as a strong community representative.

Monte Kwinter was challenged for the Liberal nomination in the new riding of York Centre by fellow MPP Anna-Marie Castrilli, who had unsuccessfully competed for the party's leadership in 1996.

Castrilli's challenge to Monte Kwinter was extremely controversial, and was marked by serious divisions in the local riding association.

Monte Kwinter was subjected to a number of incidents of anti-Semitic abuse during this period, and on one occasion received hate mail at his legislative office.

Rumours began to circulate that Monte Kwinter was planning to defect to the Progressive Conservatives in the event that he was defeated.

The Progressive Conservatives were again victorious across the province, and Monte Kwinter remained on the opposition benches.

In 2002, Monte Kwinter publicly opposed the Liberal Party's position on tax credits for parents who send their children to private and non-Catholic denominational schools.

Monte Kwinter referred to the distinction between publicly funded Catholic Separate Schools and non-Catholic denominational schools as one of discrimination, though he opposed funding for non-denominational private schools.

Monte Kwinter was again re-elected in the 2003 election without difficulty.

Monte Kwinter put forward a plan to combat marijuana grow-ops in Ontario that would permit local utilities to cut off electrical power to those in the illegal industry.

Monte Kwinter was re-elected in the 2007 provincial election despite a stronger challenge from the Progressive Conservative Party due to its support for extending funding to Jewish and other religious day schools.

Monte Kwinter broke with the Liberal platform and cabinet solidarity by supporting the Progressive Conservative's proposal.

The Liberal government was re-elected however Monte Kwinter was dropped from Cabinet in the post-election cabinet shuffle.

Monte Kwinter retained his seat in the 2011 provincial election against Progressive Conservative candidate Michael Mostyn by 3,188 votes.

Monte Kwinter's riding association nominated him to run as the Liberal candidate in the next provincial election which occurred on June 12,2014.

Monte Kwinter defeated PC candidate Avi Yufest by 6,066 votes.

In October 2016, it was reported that Monte Kwinter was living in a nursing home, Kensington Place, while recovering from an illness.

In March 2017, Monte Kwinter reappeared in public after his months long recovery from shingles.

Monte Kwinter died on July 21,2023, at the age of 92.