Michael Coteau was elected as the MP for Don Valley East in 2021, having previously served as the provincial representative, and local school board trustee.

During his time at Queen’s Park, Michael was appointed to various Cabinet positions. He served as the Minister of Children and Youth Services, Minister of Community and Social Services, Minister Responsible for Anti-Racism, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, Minister Responsible for the 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games, and as the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. Prior to entering the provincial government, Michael was elected as a school board trustee for the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) in 2003, 2006 and 2010.

As a trustee, Michael advocated for student nutrition, community use of space and the use of educational technology. Michael is the recipient of the Martin Luther King Award, The Toronto Bob Marley Lifetime Achievement Award, The African Canadian Achievement Award, The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee and the Planet Africa Leadership Award. Prior to politics, Michael worked as an ESL instructor and curriculum developer before becoming a community organizer for a United Way agency in Scarborough.

He was also the Marketing Manager for ABC Life Literacy, where he was responsible for organizing Family Literacy Day across Canada, and was Executive Director of Alpha Plus, a national literacy organization mandated to support adult education through the use of technology. Michael grew up in Don Valley East and attended Don Mills Middle School and Victoria Park Collegiate Institute. He holds degrees from Carleton University in Political Science and Canadian History. He and his wife Lori live in Toronto with their two daughters, Maren and Myla.

He is currently on the standing committee of  Canadian Heritage (CHPC) and Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities (HUMA), and proudly chairs Canada’s Parliamentary Black Caucus.