Amanda Simard

Simard was raised in Embrun, Ontario, in her riding, where she lives along with her family. She worked to pay for law school, graduating from the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law in 2013. After graduating, her intention to run for public office postponed her plans to be called to the bar in Ontario.^[7][8]

Simard was part of the Senate Page Program from 2009 to 2010^[9] and continued to work at the Senate of Canada as an Executive Assistant and Policy Advisor to Senators from 2010 to 2017.

Simard was elected as a municipal councillor in the Township of Russell in 2014.^[10] During her time on council, she was the Chair of the Public Library Board, the Parks, Recreation and Culture Advisory Committee and the ad hoc Recreation Complex Committee. She ceased holding municipal office upon her election to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in 2018.

Simard is fluent in French and English.^[11]

She served as Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Francophone Affairs. On December 4, 2017, Simard was acclaimed as the Ontario PC candidate for Glengarry Prescott Russell after another nominee, Derek Duval, was disallowed by the party executive.^[12] Simard left the Ontario PC Party on November 29, 2018, to sit as an independent when Premier Doug Ford eliminated the province's French-language services commissioner and cancelled plans for a French-language university.^[2] She was praised for defence of her fellow Franco-Ontarians including by a unanimous resolution of the National Assembly of Quebec.^[13]

On January 16, 2020, Simard joined the Ontario Liberal Party.^[14] She was also selected as the Ontario Liberal Party candidate for the 2022 provincial elections. This nomination was defended by interim leader John Fraser but opposed by former riding MPP Jean-Marc Lalonde.^[15] On May 8, 2020, she was named the Ontario Liberal Party Critic for Francophone Affairs, Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries, and Small Business and Red Tape Reduction.^[16]