FERGUS – Former Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott has received a lifetime achievement award from the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA).
The announcement was made during the 68th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, this year held in Barbados on Oct. 14.
In a press release, Arnott was lauded for his 35 years of parliamentary service and his time as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
“Praised for his encouragement to colleagues and an ability to inspire greater decorum and less divisiveness in the chamber, [Arnott] was also the Dean of Presiding Officers in Canada, sharing his knowledge and expertise with new Speakers from across the country,” reads the CPA statement.
In a phone interview, Arnott said he first felt disbelief, then wondered who nominated him, and then felt gratitude when he learned he was to receive the award.
“I’m very appreciative and thankful,” he said.
“And it’s great that Ontario was also recognized. Ontario sets a high standard and achieves strong results” when it comes to democracy.
Arnott said democracy is the best form of government because it represents the views of regular people.
“And it’s certainly under siege in certain areas of the world. We need to stand up for parliamentary democracy,” he stressed.
The CPA is a conglomerate of Commonwealth countries with democratic governance. Its mission is to strengthen parliamentary democracy through the promotion of good governance and sharing best practices.
The awards were launched in 2022 to recognize and highlight Parliamentarians who excelled and inspired in their field.
Also receiving awards at the conference were:
- Malik Ahmad Khan, MPA, Speaker of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab, Pakistan, who won the 2025 Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year Award;
- James Evans, MS from the Senedd Cymru/Welsh Parliament, who won the 2025 New Parliamentarian Award; and
- Olivia Grange, MP, Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, and the Deputy Leader of the House in the Parliament of Jamaica, who was awarded the 2025 Parliamentary Equality and Diversity Award.
Arnott was not in Barbados to receive the award, but current Speaker of the House Donna Skelly and Waterloo MPP Catherine Fife were there and received the award on Arnott’s behalf.
Prior to the 2024 provincial election, Arnott announced he wouldn’t be running again.
He officially retired from office in April of this year when the new Legislature was sworn in.
There’s a nice symmetry to receiving a lifetime achievement award in his final year in office he agreed, although he could think of “dozens of members who are more deserving,” he said.
As a politician he didn’t have a lot of time for volunteering, but now that he’s stepped away from public life, he’s giving his time to local community groups.
He sits on the board of directors for Groves Memorial Community Hospital, Kids Ability, and the Elora Festival and Singers.
He’s a member of the Fergus-Elora Rotary Club, and is currently helping with the its Catch the Ace fundraiser.
He volunteers at the Centre Wellington Food Bank, is helping the Fergus Legion with its poppy campaign, and is a volunteer with Cancer Assistance Halton Hills, where he drives cancer patients in Acton and Georgetown to appointments in Toronto.
“I want to give back to the community now,” he said.
“There’s not a lot of discretionary time as an MPP, but I always had involvements with these groups.
“It’s nice to be able to throw myself into it.”
