Amanda Simard

Simard grew up in Embrun, Ontario, in her riding, where she lives along with her family, who have been there for centuries. She worked throughout her high school, college, and university years, and worked full-time while simultaneously attending law school full-time. She held down two jobs in high school and paid her own way through law school, graduating from the University of Ottawa in 2013.

Shortly after graduation, she was elected as a municipal councillor in the Township of Russell.[5] During her time on council, she was the Chair of the Public Library Board, the Parks, Recreation and Culture Advisory Committee and the Recreation Complex ad-hoc Committee.

Simard is a graduate of the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law. She worked at the Parliament of Canada as a Policy Advisor and Executive Assistant from 2009 to 2017. After graduating from law school, she ran for public office, postponing plans to get called to the bar in Ontario.[6][7] Before her election to the legislature, Simard served as municipal councillor for Russell from 2014 to 2018.

Simard is fluently bilingual in both French and English.[8]

She served as Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Francophone Affairs. Simard left the Ontario PC Party on November 29, 2018, to sit as an independent when Premier Doug Ford eliminated the province's French-language services commissioner and cancelled plans for a French-language university.[2] She was praised for defence of her fellow Franco-Ontarians including by a unanimous resolution of the National Assembly of Quebec.[9]

On January 16, 2020, Simard joined the Ontario Liberal Party.[10] On May 8, 2020, she was named the Ontario Liberal Party Critic for Francophone Affairs, Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries, and Small Business and Red Tape Reduction. [11]

• Amanda Simard on Twitter