Donna Skelly

Donna Skelly is a Canadian politician and journalist.

She then moved on to CHRO-TV in Pembroke, Ontario, CKWS Radio/TV in Kingston before joining CHCH in 1988.

The station, which had been purchased by British Columbia-based Western International Communications in 1990, further adapted CHCH's evening news broadcast in 1993, assigning Skelly to a national newscast, Canada Tonight, co-produced with the channel's then-sister station CHAN in Vancouver and co-anchored with Tony Parsons.

In 1992, Skelly began co-hosting the "Golden Horseshoe Report" on CHCH as part of a "revamp" of the station's evening news broadcast.

In 2000, Skelly resigned from CHCH, at the time rebranded as "ONtv", to start a local news and information website called "news4hamilton.com".

Working from office space in the studios of local cable access channel Cable14, news4hamilton.com entered the growing online news market, with Skelly telling a local reporter that she wanted the site to grow into a "legitimate organization to compete in the marketplace."

The internet venture later stopped publishing and, after holding a contract teaching position at Mohawk College, Skelly returned to CHCH in 2002 following the station's purchase by Global TV parent company Canwest.

Following her return to the station, Skelly became the chair of the CHCH employees union, the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Local 1100.

After her former CHCH colleague Jennifer Mossop was elected in the electoral district of Stoney Creek in 2003, both Skelly and then-radio broadcaster Bob Bratina were both rumoured to be possible candidates in Hamilton East.

Despite the speculation, Skelly ruled out a run at the time.

After the death of Hamilton East MPP Dominic Agostino in 2004, Skelly was one of two local journalists rumoured to have been approached by the provincial Liberals to run in the electoral district's by-election.

At the time, retired army officer Chris Corrigan, who had been the party's candidate in the electoral district in 2007, was the only registered candidate for the party's nomination.

On March 28, at a media event in downtown Dundas, Skelly was announced as the party's candidate by PC leader Tim Hudak.

The Hamilton Spectator reported that Corrigan was informed by the party to abandon his campaign in favour of Skelly.

Despite the resignation of members of the local PC riding association over the party's handling of the nomination, Skelly was acclaimed as the PC candidate and faced veteran MPP Ted McMeekin in the October election.

Skelly was defeated by McMeekin.

After Canwest announced plans to sell or close CHCH in 2009, Skelly launched a campaign to create a community-led corporation that would take over the station.

The plan, backed by the station's employees, would have sought an independent licence to operate and secure support from local businesses, media workers, and advertisers to stay on the air.

This plan was unable to proceed when Canwest announced the sale of CHCH to Toronto-based media group Channel Zero.

In 2010, Skelly was awarded local YWCA's Women of Distinction Award for her role in Hamilton's politics and public affairs.

Skelly was one of 12 local women honoured during that year's Women of Distinction Awards, including Skelly's future fellow MPP, Sandy Shaw.

Skelly took a leave of absence from CHCH in 2011 to launch the first of two bids for provincial parliament with the Progressive Conservatives in the electoral district of Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale.

In early 2011, Skelly was approached by the Ontario Progressive Conservatives to seek their nomination in the electoral district of Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale.

Speaking with a reporter in February 2011, Skelly indicated she had not made a decision, but would consult with local political figures and consider her options.

Shortly after the 2011 election, Skelly indicated her interest in running in the electoral district again.

Opting for an open nomination race, the local Progressive Conservatives held an election between Skelly and local resident Nick Lauwers.

Lauwers was backed by Corrigan while Skelly earned the endorsement of former MPP Toni Skarica.

Skelly was nominated as the PC candidate in September 2012, beating Lauwers 194 to 166 votes in the nomination race.

Skelly was nominated as the PC candidate in September 2012.

In the lead-up to the campaign, Skelly hosted a fundraiser with prominent NHL players Darcy Tucker, Wendel Clark, and Dennis Hull.

In the June election, Skelly was once again defeated by McMeekin.

After CHCH filed for bankruptcy in 2015, Skelly was let go by the company during their restructuring.

In 2016, Skelly won a by-election to Hamilton City Council.

Skelly is presently the Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and was first elected in 2018 to the electoral district of Flamborough—Glanbrook with the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario.

In 2023, Skelly was appointed to the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.

Its mission is to promote the advancement of parliamentary democracy by enhancing knowledge and understanding democratic governance, youth engagement in democracy, gender equality and equal representation.

Prior to entering politics, Skelly worked as a journalist with CHCH-TV in Hamilton, anchoring and producing local and regional television newscasts.

Skelly resigned from council after being elected to the legislature in 2018.

Skelly was born in Northern Ontario and graduated from the journalism program at Seneca College.

Skelly began her broadcast journalism career at CHIP-FM in Fort Coulonge, Quebec.