Representative Francis Scarpaleggia Contact information

Francis Scarpaleggia MP, born on June 6, 1957, in Montreal, Quebec, is a prominent Canadian politician and member of the Liberal Party of Canada. He currently serves as the Member of Parliament for the riding of Lac-Saint-Louis, which encompasses the western region of Montreal, Quebec.

Scarpaleggia embarked on his political journey by winning the seat in the House of Commons of Canada during the 2004 federal election. His victory marked the beginning of a distinguished career in Canadian politics, as he went on to secure re-election in 2006, 2008, 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2021.

Throughout his tenure, Scarpaleggia has taken up various roles and responsibilities in the Canadian political landscape. He currently holds the position of Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development. Previously, he served on several other House of Commons committees, including Public Safety, Canadian Heritage, Transport, and Government Operations and Estimates. Notably, Scarpaleggia served as the Chair of the House of Commons Special Committee on Electoral Reform, a committee established to fulfill the 2015 Liberal election platform commitment on electoral reform.

From 2011 to 2021, Scarpaleggia served as the Chair of the National Liberal Caucus, playing a pivotal role during a transformative period in Canadian politics. Under the leadership of Justin Trudeau, the Liberal Party of Canada transitioned from being the third-party in the House of Commons to forming the government in a single election cycle.

Scarpaleggia’s educational background is anchored in Montreal. He attended Loyola High School, a semi-private Jesuit-run institution in western Montreal, followed by Marianopolis College. He later pursued his studies at McGill University, where he obtained an honors degree in economics. Continuing his academic journey, Scarpaleggia earned a master’s degree in economics from Columbia University in New York. Eventually, he obtained an MBA from Concordia University in Montreal.

Before his entry into politics, Scarpaleggia gained valuable experience in the private sector. He worked for Petro-Canada and Comterm, a Quebec-based microcomputer and keyboard-terminal manufacturer, as well as a local-area-network software developer. He then transitioned to Montreal’s pharmaceutical industry, serving as a corporate financial analyst for Bristol-Myers Squibb. Subsequently, he ventured into the field of education, teaching business administration at Dawson College in Montreal.

Scarpaleggia’s political engagement began as a volunteer during the 1981 Quebec election in the riding of Mount Royal. He worked for the Liberal incumbent, John Ciaccia, who successfully secured re-election to the provincial legislature. Following the election, Scarpaleggia remained actively involved as a grassroots provincial Liberal organizer. Notably, he held the position of the youngest riding president in the Quebec Liberal Party at the time, specifically within the Mount Royal provincial riding association. In 1984, he became involved in the Liberal Party of Canada at the federal level in the riding of Mount Royal.

Prior to his election to Parliament, Scarpaleggia worked as a legislative assistant to Clifford Lincoln from 1994 to 2004. Lincoln, a former environment minister in the Quebec government, later served as the parliamentary secretary to the Minister of the Environment and as the chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage.

Throughout his political career, Scarpaleggia has shown a strong commitment to protecting freshwater resources. He has introduced various water bills and motions in the House of Commons, including a bill aimed at prohibiting bulk-water exports. As a member of the House of Commons environment committee, he

has spearheaded water-focused studies, such as an investigation into the impact of the Alberta oilsands industry on the Athabasca River watershed.

Scarpaleggia has built a reputation as a devoted representative of his constituents. He maintains a close connection with the people he serves and is dedicated to addressing their political concerns and priorities.

On a personal note, Scarpaleggia was born to Maurice Scarpaleggia, a businessman-turned-college administrator, and Lois Doucet. His paternal grandfather, Frank Scarpaleggia, owned a barbershop in Montreal, while his maternal grandfather, Louis Doucet, worked in building services at Montreal’s historic Sun Life Building. His paternal grandparents immigrated from Italy, and his maternal grandmother immigrated from Ireland. Furthermore, his maternal grandfather was a French-Canadian born in Quebec.

Scarpaleggia spent his formative years in Laval, Quebec, and later moved to the Town of Mount Royal, a suburb of Montreal on the island. He has been married to Jan Ramsay since 1998, and they are the proud parents of two grown daughters.