Elinor Caplan was first elected to provincial office in 1985 as the MPP for Oriole. During the Peterson years, she served as Chair of the Management Board of Cabinet, Minister of Government Services, the Commissioner of the Board of Internal Economy, and Minister of Health. #ThePetersonYears

Jim Bradley was first elected as the MPP for St. Catharines in 1977. He went on to win 11 consecutive elections, earning the title “Dean of the Legislature” as one of Ontario’s longest-serving parliamentarians. In total, he spent an extraordinary 55 years in public service. #ThePetersonYears

Ken Black was elected to one term as the MPP for Muskoka-Georgian Bay. In 1988, he was tasked by the Premier to review Ontario’s approach to combating drug abuse. He later served as Minister of Tourism and Recreation and the Minister Responsible for the Anti-Drug Strategy.

Charles Beer was elected to the Legislature in 1987 in the riding of York North. He served as the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Education before being promoted to Minister of Community and Social Services and Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs. #ThePetersonYears

The Peterson Government modernized Ontario’s education system to help ready students for the changing economy they would soon lead. It strengthened elementary school literacy and problem-solving curricula, ended the practice of high school streaming, and expanded co-op opportunities.

The Peterson Government created a comprehensive, integrated, and affordable child care system that increased subsidies, required newly-built schools to include child care spaces, and significantly expanded kindergarten. #ThePetersonYears

The Peterson Liberals entered office with an ambitious agenda to prepare the province for the 21st Century. At its heart was preparing young people for a rapidly changing world. The Peterson years would transform childcare, education, and labour market preparation for an entire generation.

Ontario’s conditions for supporting a free trade deal included protecting the Auto Pact, creating a fair dispute mechanism, protecting farmers, the ability to review foreign investment, protecting the cultural sector, and maintaining regional financial supports. Cartoon: Windsor Star, Aug. 13 1987

Bernard Grandmaître served as the Ontario Liberal MPP for Ottawa East from 1984 to 1999. During the Peterson Years, he served as the Minister of Municipal Affairs, the Minister of Revenue, and the Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs. www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/artic...

The issue of whether and how to enter into free trade with the United States was a dominant political debate in the latter half of the 1980s. A supporter of free trade in principle, Premier Peterson implemented many initiatives to enhance trade ties with Europe and the Pacific Rim.

Initially popular, and strongly supported by the Peterson Liberals as an attempt to unify the nation, the Meech Lake Accord was soon derailed by newly elected governments and legislatures that did not support its ratification in Newfoundland, New Brunswick, and Manitoba. #ThePetersonYears

In 1987, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney convened all ten premiers to discuss proposals for amending the Constitution that became known as the Meech Lake Accord. The primary aim was to bring Quebec into the constitutional fold after the repatriation of the Constitution in 1982 without Quebec’s assent.

The Peterson Liberals took an active role on the national and international political scene, working towards constitutional change, opposing free trade with the US, standing up against Apartheid in South Africa, and leading the way on global environmental action. #ThePetersonYears

In 1986, the Peterson Government sought a way to celebrate excellence in Ontario. The cabinet recommended Lieutenant Governor Lincoln Alexander create the Order of Ontario. It continues to be awarded annually as the province's highest civilian honour. #ThePetersonYears

When the Peterson Government took office, it relocated government offices from downtown Toronto to different regions of the province and introduced the Northern Ontario Relocation Program, moving hundreds of government jobs to Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, North Bay, and Sudbury. #ThePetersonYears

The Peterson Government took major actions to help define and celebrate Ontario as a province. It expanded government offices into all regions, created 53 provincial parks, boosted key economic sectors Ontario is now known for globally, and established the Order of Ontario. #ThePetersonYears

The needs of families changed by the 1980s. Rising divorce, more women working, and many families relying on two-incomes all put pressure on childcare options. The government quadrupled childcare spending, doubled subsidized spaces, and required them in newly built schools. #ThePetersonYears

In the 1986 Throne Speech the Peterson Government announced a ground-breaking review of social assistance programs. It led to historic investments in supports for seniors, children, and persons with disabilities and increased social assistance benefits by an historic 31%. #ThePetersonYears

By the 1980s, Ontario’s social safety net no longer met the challenges of the modern world. Social assistance programs were overhauled to reflect new family arrangements, childcare options grew to support hardworking parents, and supports were created to help seniors age at home. #ThePetersonYears

The Peterson Government quickly tackled gender inequality in Ontario through legislation securing equal pay for work of equal value and by protecting women’s retirement income and their survivor benefits. #ThePetersonYears

Premier Peterson appointed the first Minister for Native Affairs and established a Native Affairs Directorate in the government. #ThePetersonYears #NationalDayforTruthandReconciliation

By the 1980s, not all Ontarians were reflected in the decisions made by their government. The Peterson Liberals improved the government’s relationship with Indigenous communities, fought for the equal rights of women, and began making the province more accessible to all. #ThePetersonYears

"Politics was his destiny. He got himself elected to St. Catharines city council in 1970 and spent the next 55 years in public life." Please take some time to read this beautiful tribute by Steve Paikin to our dear friend Jim Bradley. www.tvo.org/article/jim-...

If you missed last night's premiere of TVO's #ThePremierFiles, here is the full episode with Steve Paikin and former Premier David Peterson. #ThePetersonYears www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2QL...

Tune in to TVO tonight to catch the first episode of a new series, “The Premier Files.” In the opening episode, former premier David Peterson discusses his life and political legacy. The episode will be available at 8PM ET and repeats again at 11PM ET on TVO. #ThePetersonYears

On December 13, 1988, Ontario’s first female Solicitor General Joan Smith, struck the Race Relations and Policing Task Force to review the way police interacted with an increasingly racialized population in Ontario. #ThePetersonYears

The Peterson Government quickly updated Ontario’s rights-based legal system to better reflect and serve an increasingly diverse citizenry. Racialized Ontarians, persons with disabilities, Francophones, and the LGBTQ community all saw improved protections under the law. #ThePetersonYears

A key component of the Peterson Government’s changes to policing was the introduction of a civilian Special Investigations Unit. According to Minister Steve Offer at the time, the goal of the unit was to end the practice of “police investigating police.” #ThePetersonYears

By the 1980s, Ontario was becoming more diverse. The Police Act, however, was passed forty years earlier and did not account for changing community safety considerations. Solicitor General Steve Offer set out to modernize policing in the province by introducing the Police Services Act, 1990.

The Peterson Government took swift action to update policing legislation and make communities safer for families. In addition to changes to policing, it made life-saving changes to impaired driving laws that led to a decades-long decline in incidents. #ThePetersonYears

Premier Peterson and his cabinet believed an educated workforce was the key to the province's success and invested in that success by providing substantial annual increases to major transfer payments to colleges and universities. #ThePetersonYears

The Peterson Government’s approach to higher learning was focused squarely on the future. The government aimed to prepare young workers to compete not just in the looming 1990s but also the new century. #ThePetersonYears

The Peterson Government consistently increased post-secondary funding, expanded learning opportunities, nurtured innovation, and enabled connections with the business community to create pathways to work for young people. #ThePetersonYears

In 1989, the Peterson Government introduced legislation to make it possible for parents to request heritage language education for their children. At the time, 62 different languages were being studied by over 100,000 students in Ontario. #ThePetersonYears

On June 12, 1984, Progressive Conservative Premier Bill Davis announced he would fully fund Catholic education to grade 12. As Minister of Education in the 1960s, he had only extended funding to grade 10, leaving Catholics to pay tuition for grades 11 and 12. #ThePetersonYears

While the Peterson Government is remembered for completing the full-funding of Catholic education in Ontario, it also greatly expanded kindergarten, introduced heritage language education, and put skills-development at the heart of the curriculum. #ThePetersonYears

In the mid-1980s, the Mulroney Government made major funding cuts to its share of federal-provincial social housing agreements. The Peterson Government stepped in, taking over the lead funding and administrative role. #ThePetersonYears

Housing Minister Alvin Curling brought together landlords and tenant organizations to revise and expand the rent review process, culminating in the Residential Rent Regulation Act passed in December 1986. #ThePetersonYears

On October 6, 2025, The Pearson Centre will commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Peterson Liberal government. The event will kick off at 5:45PM ET in downtown Toronto. Tickets and tables are available now through the Pearson Centre: thepearsoncentre.ca/event/an-eve...

By the mid-80s, housing was unaffordable for renters and first-time homebuyers, due to rising costs, limited supply, and loss of rental housing units. The Peterson Government extended rent review to almost all units and reinvested across the entire housing spectrum. #ThePetersonYears

Despite belonging to different parties, Premier Peterson found an environmental ally in Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. Together, they targeted acid rain and ozone depletion. Their “clean hands” efforts influenced President George H.W. Bush to sign Congress’ amended Clean Air Act in 1990.

In 1989, Premier Peterson tapped MPP Ron Kanter to conduct a study and recommend options for a Greenlands Strategy for the GTA that would take a regional approach to protecting significant open space and natural areas. #ThePetersonYears

Premier Peterson and Minister Bradley backed the green agenda on the national and global stages. The budget for environmental initiatives more than doubled as Ontario took action on acid rain, protected the ozone layer, and cleaned up waterways. #ThePetersonYears

When Jim Bradley asked to become Ontario’s Environment Minister at age 40, it was not a senior role. His environmental leadership turned it into one. Bradley would hold the position for the entire Peterson mandate and take on the job again over 20 years later. #ThePetersonYears

The Blue Box program was first piloted in Kitchener with 1,000 participating households. Environment Minister Jim Bradley significantly expanded curbside recycling through a province-wide multi-material Blue Box program. By 1988, the program was used by over 1 million households. #ThePetersonYears

Environment Minister Jim Bradley quickly carried the green movement into the halls of power, enacting sweeping reforms to protect the health of Ontarians and introducing innovative practices like Blue Box recycling that have since spread around the world. #ThePetersonYears

In 1988, the Supreme Court ruled criminal regulation of abortion was unconstitutional. Health Minister Caplan stated, “We respect the Court’s decision, and from now on, OHIP will fund this procedure.” The Government introduced coverage and banned commercial abortion clinics. #ThePetersonYears

At the core of the government’s commitment to modernizing health care was a guarantee that it should provide the very best care to all. Premier Peterson noted, “If compassion means anything, it means support for guaranteed first-class health care for all.” #ThePetersonYears

Under Elinor Caplan’s strong leadership as Minister of Health, the Peterson Government modernized Ontario’s health care system with a special focus on addressing service gaps and bringing care into communities through specialized, freestanding health facilities. #ThePetersonYears

In 1988, Labour Minister Greg Sorbara made Ontario the first province in Canada to prohibit smoking in all enclosed workplaces. Sorbara would later go on to become Finance Minister in the McGuinty government and raised tobacco taxes as part of the Smoke-Free Ontario campaign. #ThePetersonYears