Craig Macbride Email & Phone Number

Toronto, On, Ca

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

As Liberal Campaign Manager for the 2024 Durham Federal By-Election, I led a small team to fight a good fight in a no-win situation. We worked incredibly hard, and I've never been so proud of a team. As a Campaign Manager in 2019, I oversaw a team of six staff and dozens of volunteers toreelect Omar Alghabra in Mississauga Centre. We utilized every tool available to us andincreased support from 2015 to win the riding with more than 55% of the vote.As a Director of Communications in several provincial and federal elections, I built and implemented communications strategies and created all supporting materials while becoming a trusted advisor to candidates while prepping them for speeches, local debates and media interviews.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Wrote speeches for the CEO and other executives, covering topics from government subsidies for electric vehicle manufacturing to Bank of Canada interest rate policy to the climate economy.During the 2022 Toronto Municipal Election and the 2023 Toronto Mayoral By-Election, wrote a series of op-eds for the Toronto Star, TVO, and the Toronto Sun about traffic congestion, public safety, and housing, creating mass awareness of the Board’s positions.Regularly met with high-profile stakeholders to coordinate messaging, script fireside chats, and co-author op-eds.

Parliament Hill, Ottawa

As Director of Communications to a Cabinet Minister on Parliament Hill, I oversee a team ofpeople to ensure the seamless coordination of announcements, events, speeches, earnedmedia, and social media. I work closely with the Prime Minister’s Office, the Minister, and thebureaucracy to strategically execute high-profile announcements across the country.

Queen'S Park, Toronto

Working in Cabinet Ministers’ Offices at Queen’s Park for more than five years, I have influenced policy decisions, communicated government initiatives, and coached ministers on getting the most out of speeches and interviews to ensure positive media coverage and stakeholder response. I have also:- Mentored and directed junior staffers who managed the minister’s preparation for Question Period, media interactions, and events.- Worked with other Ministers’ Offices and the Premier’s Office, as well as other levels of government, to write speeches and strategically execute high-profile announcements across Ontario.- Managed media calls, working with ministry and political staff, as well as the Premier’s Office, to collect information and draft responses.

Queen'S Park, Toronto

Worked closely with the Minister of Labour, Premier's Office, ministry staff, and stakeholders on important high-profile announcements, including:- Worker health and safety- PTSD coverage for Ontario firefighters- Minimum wage increases- Employment standards improvements for vulnerable workers

Queen'S Park, Toronto

Worked closely with the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services, Premier's Office, ministry staff, and stakeholders on important high-profile announcements, including:-Expanded animal welfare protections-A review of mental health policies of police services-Increased fire protection in seniors' residences-The opening of detention and corrections centres

Toronto

During the Liberal Leadership race, I managed volunteers at the community outreach centre in Toronto, training them to make calls to party members and pitch our message to voters. Also helped host recruitment and retention events and acted as media spokesperson in Toronto during the leadership convention.

Victoria, British Columbia

In Victoria, I cut my teeth in government communications, making a strong enough impression that I was appointed to represent the government as a media relations officer at the International Media Centre during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Day to day, I responded to media calls on behalf of the Minister of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development, often on tight deadlines, with accurate, on-message information. I also created communications materials, including speeches, letters to editors, editorials, news releases and event plans.

Wrote really long articles in small amounts of time.

Wrote profiles, arts and sports articles, and humour columns for the Toronto Star, CBC Radio One, and Eye Weekly. Covered the advertising and media planning industries for Strategy magazine and Media in Canada.Wrote an eight-part series for The Daily News in Halifax, challenging east coast stereotypes while visiting the region for the first time.Copyedited Lush Magazine, a Toronto-based high fashion publication.Wrote regularly for Chill magazine, West of the City magazine, and Centre of the City Magazine.

Covered the education beat, as well as provincial and federal politics; maintained a daily blog; researched and wrote editorials; led election coverage; held feet to fire.

Covered arts and entertainment, led coverage of the 2004 federal election, wrote and filed from Guatemala during a two-week field assignment with a medical-dental aid team.

Journalism

Creative Writing

Attended the Humber School for Writers on a full scholarship.