Michael Coteau; Levelling the playing field

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

“You know that voice, you know what it says; someone like you doesn’t belong here.” (Michael Coteau, The Star, June 2019)

Who knew that this biracial child from Flemington Park, would grow up to become a school board trustee for the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) in 2003, 2006 and 2010, and then serve as a Critic for Infrastructure, Energy, Labour, Economic Development, Job Creation & Trade. One would never have guessed that a young man who was having a hard time in school would become the Minister of Children and Youth Services, as well as Minister Responsible for Anti-Racism. Our classic man this edition has also served the community as the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, as well as Minister Responsible for the 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games, and before that, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. We have someone from our community who is doing his best to make sure that the playing field is level for our children, and that we continue to have a seat at the table of decision makers. I would like to present to you, the one and only Michael Coteau.

“I really appreciate you taking the time to talk with me Michael,” I said nervously as I prepared myself for the interview. “The pleasure is all mine, Simone.” Our conversation took place just days after Coteau announced that he was going to be entering the race to lead the Liberals. “Let’s start from the very beginning; what island do you proudly represent?”

“Well, my father is from Carriacou, which is an island of the Grenadine Islands located in the southeastern Caribbean Sea, northeast of Grenada. His sister had sent him a ticket to come to England, where he met my mother who is from Northern England. His sister then told him about Canada and all of the opportunities here, so he moved here and then he sent for my mother, then my brother and me. I was only about four years old when I arrived and my very first home was in Flemington Park.”

“How was life for you when you arrived in Canada?”

“Well as you can imagine, not the easiest. I was never what you would call a scholar; for a while, I didn’t expect to attend university. Interestingly enough, I was very inspired by Hip Hop; songs like “Don’t Believe the Hype,” by Public Enemy and also by other lyricists like KRS ONE. Something about their music really spoke to me. Everything that you wanted to know about life was in Hip Hop music.”

“What else inspired you when you were younger?”

“Well, I had switched to Leaside High School in grade 10, and everyone at that school had planned on going to university. It was at that time that I was introduced to the Autobiography of Malcolm X, and I also started to get into speeches written by Stokley Carmichael. I had to find someone to relate to at that time because people around me assumed that I would end up a certain way, just because I was a black child. It was difficult, especially in school for me because I was not doing very well. It was not until grade 12 that I really began to understand my value as a young black man and began to actually believe in myself.

“You did end up going to university; describe that time in your life for me if you will,” I asked.

“I was accepted to Carleton University, and I have to thank my friend at the time Freddy Alexis for helping me apply. It was a dream come true, and I really began to see that people around me had faith in my abilities. School was difficult, and I had a low average. I contemplated quitting and moving back home. One of my friends at the time said something to me that stuck, “Where are you going to go? Back home to your two-bedroom apartment; to do what?” I realized that I had to finish what I had started. I ended up graduating with a degree in political science, and in history. My true growth occurred when I went to South Korea in 1999. I was there for three years, but then I had to come home because my mom had been diagnosed with cancer. It was my duty to help out.”

“Is this around the time that you got into politics?”

“Well,” Michael chuckled, “ I can tell you the first time that I realized speaking up made a difference. There was a swimming pool in the back of our building. During the winter, children would play on it, and it was dangerous because the ice was not always frozen all the way through. I kept speaking up about it, but no one was listening. I decided to take action, so I opened up the Yellow Pages and found someone who I thought would deal with the situation. I made the call, and like that, it was fixed. “

“What else did that situation teach you?”

“It really made me see that life benefitted some people more than others. In order to win in this game of life, you had to learn the rules and play strategically. I began to volunteer and got a job at John Manley’s office. I did administration work for him, and when everyone would go home, I would sit there and read. I learned a lot there, and also realized that I was more Liberal then anything else. What the party stood for just felt right to me. I continued to learn as much as I could about politics, and in 2003 after knocking on 42,000 doors I became a Trustee.

“Wow Michael! You were determined. What would you say is your main focus?”

“I have and will always fight for the black youth in our community. I want to be the one to help them understand how life really is. It is one of the reasons why I have always appreciated the game of Monopoly. You have to learn the rules and open opportunities that level the playing field.”