... appointed to new post
JAN 19, 2010
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CANADA - ONTARIO - Hamilton Mountain MPP Sophia Aggelonitis says she's "extremely honoured" to become the city's new voice in Premier Dalton McGuinty's cabinet.
The rookie Liberal MPP has been made minister of consumer services, taking over from local MPP Ted McMeekin, one of three veterans dropped from cabinet.
Aggelonitis was sworn in yesterday afternoon at Queen's Park with three other new ministers.
"It's an honour and a real privilege," she said last night.
She called McMeekin a "great friend" and said he will still be an important voice for Hamilton. McMeekin, who has had health problems, was out of town on vacation and could not be reached for comment.
"He is a mentor and the two of us together are a team," Aggelonitis said. "We're going to continue to be a great team."
Aggelonitis, 41, recently had her workload boosted, raising speculation that she was being groomed for cabinet. She was one of two parliamentary assistants appointed to a seven-member group advising Finance Minister Dwight Duncan on the next budget. The rest were cabinet ministers.
She got a call from the premier's office Sunday asking if she could meet McGuinty the next day. She had a 30-minute talk with the premier in which he asked her to serve in cabinet.
She had just enough time to call her parents in Welland to come to the swearing-in ceremony.
Former Wellander
sworn in as Ontario's consumer services minister
STAFF PHOTO Allan Benner — Charles and Maria Aggelonitis, proud parents of Sophia Aggelonitis, hold a copy of The Tribune with a story announcing that the MPP for Hamilton Mountain was promoted to minister of consumer services. Aggelonitis, 41, grew up in Welland.
WELLAND TRIBUNE / ALLAN BENNER
Even as a child growing up, Sophia Aggelonitis had an interest in politics.
Her parents, Charles and Maria, owners of Fireside Restaurant on Southworth St., weren't surprised to learn their daughter moved another step up the political ladder Monday.
"From the beginning, she liked politics," said her father Charles Aggelonitis, recalling taking her with him to vote during past elections.
"We're proud she's going so far," he said, while sitting in the restaurant Sophia used to work at growing up.
Monday, not long after she learned the news herself, Sophia called home to tell her parents, her mother said.
Aggelonitis, 41, was sworn in Monday as the province's new minister of consumer services — one of four new cabinet ministers Premier Dalton McGuinty appointed.
"We're very, very proud of every step she does," added her mother Maria.
And the parents of the MPP for the Hamilton Mountain riding are confident there's no limit to what she can achieve.
"Even if she becomes the Queen of England," her father said, laughing.
Her mother said Sophia was also very involved in her community — volunteering while a student at Eastdale, as well as within her community with the Red Cross.
After Sophia finished her education at Brock University and Niagara College, she got married and moved to Hamilton, he mother said.
Sophia is committed to the city she now calls home, her mother said.
"She's a Hamilton girl now."
However, she added, "she still loves Welland."
Unfortunately, she's been too busy to visit her home town as much as her parents would like.
"She's not coming home a lot because she doesn't have time," she said. "We miss her."
The family did spend Christmas together, though.
"We spent Christmas day together," Maria said, adding it was a very special event for the Aggelonitis family.
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