Jem's Biography
Jem Cain was born forty-seven years ago and has always called Etobicoke-Lakeshore home. Jem and her three sisters were raised on Sixteenth Street. Both parents worked at the New Toronto Goodyear plant; her father, Jim Cain for forty-two years.
Originally, Jem’s parents were from rural communities. They impressed upon their children the hardships people experienced during the Depression and The War, and the importance of helping each other and your neighbours. Her father was in the Army during WWII. Her grandfather served in both World War I and II. Responsibility, integrity, courtesy and kindness were cornerstone values her parents practiced and taught their children.
Jem remembers, “We didn’t have a lot of money – but we had a lot of love and fun. Our parents did the very best for us with what they had.” Jem and her sisters recall their Dad teaching his four daughters how to camp, roof a house, paint, and to wire electrical outlets.
With post-secondary education in typesetting, sign language, and adult teaching and training, Jem has been employed as a typesetter, in healthcare, the airline industry and currently technology.
In her spare time Jem is a very active and committed volunteer, she has worked with Toronto Association of the Deaf, Children’s Aid Society, National Newspaper Awards, MS Society, Canadian Cancer Society, Daily Bread Food Bank, Mimico Station Gala, Brass in the Grass, Mimico Party in the Park, and LAMP. She also enjoys reading, walking, biking, and wants to learn to roller blade.
Jem is dedicated to this active and vibrant community. Jem is currently a member of New Toronto Good Neighbours, LEGS - Lakeshore Environmental Gardening Society, New Toronto Historical Society, Mimico Resident’s Association, TEA - Toronto Environmental Alliance, Lakeshore Planning Council, CCFEW- Citizens Concerned about the Future of the Etobicoke Waterfront and LAMP.
She is a leader. In 2004 Jem founded New Toronto Good Neighbours, a community association and has proven herself an effective advocate for her neighbourhood and Ward 6.
As a supportive neighbour Jem listens to the concerns of her community and finds solutions. Through Good Neighbours she has tirelessly researched and worked on local issues like zoning, planning, environment and air quality. Two successes that Good Neighbours and Jem are very proud of are relocating a concrete plant away from homes, parks and schools into an industrial area and working to make the skate board park location and design an open public process, where the community is engaged and consulted.
Jem Cain is proud to live and work Etobicoke-Lakeshore, and will continue her public commitment of addressing the issues and concerns of its constituents. As Ward 6 councillor Jem will bring integrity and strong leadership back to the community.
