Aislinn Clancy officially sworn in as new Kitchener Centre MPP

Aislinn Clancy has officially been sworn in as the next MPP for Kitchener Centre.

Clancy won the byelection on Nov. 30 with more than 5,000 votes than second-place finisher, Debbie Chapman for the NDP. She replaces former NDP MPP Laura Mae Lindo, who stepped down from the job in July.

The ceremony took place Thursday afternoon at Queen's Park. Clancy's family and Green Party of Ontario Leader and Guelph MPP Mike Schreiner attended.

"There's a lot of emotions. It's big, big shoes to fill and pretty excited that I get to take this on, but also humbled by the responsibilities and the faith people put in me," Clancy told CBC News.

Clancy won't be jumping right into debates, though, as the legislature is on break until after the Family Day long weekend in February.

WATCH | Newly elected MPP Aislinn Clancy the day after the byelection talks about the first issue she wants to address at Queen's Park:

Newly elected MPP Aislinn Clancy on first issue she wants to address at Queen's Park

1 year ago

Duration 0:53

Green candidate Aislinn Clancy won the Kitchener Centre provincial byelection on Thursday night. In an interview on CBC K-W's The Morning Edition, she talked about an important issue she wants to raise when she gets to Queen's Park.

Instead, she says she'll be focused on getting set up in the riding and connecting with people locally.

"The focus is really on Kitchener Centre and how we can set up our shop and our teams to best serve our constituents," she said. "The priority is to make sure we can serve people well and get up and running as soon as possible."

Clancy says there are also plans to introduce a private member's bill in March.

"I'm glad to have time in Kitchener Centre to get organized. But for sure, getting ready, getting prepared to make a big difference at Queens Park, is a priority," she said.

Schreiner said it was "a true privilege" to watch Clancy be sworn in.

"I know that she will be a strong, effective advocate for her community, and I'm looking forward to working with her in 2024 and beyond," Schreiner said, adding it was "a huge moment" for the party.

Clancy was a Kitchener city councillor when she won the byelection. City council has declared her seat vacant and councillors are expected to decide in January how to go about filling Clancy's seat.