{{Short description|Canadian politician and television meteorologist}} {{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Kevin Yarde | image = Kevin Yarde MS.png | caption = Yarde in 2019 | parliament2 = Ontario Provincial | term_start2 = June 7, 2018 | term_end2 = May 3, 2022 | predecessor2 = ''Riding established'' | successor2 = Graham McGregor | riding2 = Brampton North | party = Independent<ref name="CBC-2022-04-22" /> | other_party = New Democratic (2018–2022) | birth_date = | birth_place = Toronto, Ontario, Canada | education = York University<br />Ryerson University | occupation = Weather presenter | spouse = | children = | website = {{URL|https://kevinyarde.ontariondp.ca/}} }}
'''Kevin Yarde''' is a former Canadian politician and former weather presenter who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the 2018 provincial election for the riding of Brampton North.<ref>{{cite news|title=NDP leader's brother elected in Brampton East, Weather Network personality wins Brampton North|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2018/06/07/ndp-leaders-brother-elected-brampton-east-weather-network-personality-wins-brampton-north.html|access-date=June 8, 2018|newspaper=Toronto Star|date=June 7, 2018|archive-date=June 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612140907/https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2018/06/07/ndp-leaders-brother-elected-brampton-east-weather-network-personality-wins-brampton-north.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Initially elected as a member of the Ontario New Democratic Party,<ref name="brampton guardian win">{{cite news |last1=Frisque |first1=Graeme |title=NDP's Kevin Yarde wins in Brampton North |url=https://www.bramptonguardian.com/news-story/8658934-ndp-s-kevin-yarde-wins-in-brampton-north/ |access-date=June 11, 2018 |work=Brampton Guardian |date=June 8, 2018 |language=en-CA|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180611143157/https://www.bramptonguardian.com/news-story/8658934-ndp-s-kevin-yarde-wins-in-brampton-north/|archive-date=June 11, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> he eventually left the party to sit as an independent.<ref name="CBC-2022-04-22">{{cite news |title=Brampton NDP MPP leaves caucus to sit as independent after losing nomination contest |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/brampton-ndp-kevin-yarde-1.6428046 |access-date=23 April 2022 |work=CBC News |agency=The Canadian Press |date=22 April 2022 |location=Toronto |archive-date=April 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220423145808/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/brampton-ndp-kevin-yarde-1.6428046 |url-status=live }}</ref>
He is part of Ontario's first ever black caucus, alongside NDP caucus colleagues Laura Mae Lindo, Faisal Hassan, Jill Andrew and Rima Berns-McGown.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.ontariondp.ca/news/ndp-establishes-first-official-black-caucus-ontario-history-0 |title=NDP establishes first official Black Caucus in Ontario History |website=Ontario New Democratic Party |date=April 15, 2019}}</ref>
While serving as a Member of Provincial Parliament, Yarde was employed by private security firms Sentinel Security and Nationwide Security Ltd.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://pds.oico.on.ca/Pages/Public/PublicDisclosures.aspx |access-date=2022-07-16 |title=Public Disclosure Statements |website= Office of the Integrity Commissioner of Ontario}}</ref>
Yarde did not receive his party's nomination as a candidate in the 2022 election, losing to Sandeep Singh, who unsuccessfully ran in Caledon Ward 2 in the 2018 municipal elections. Yarde was the only NDP incumbent MPP to not receive his party nomination.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cornwell |first1=Steve |title=Current Brampton NDP MPP loses nomination battle to former Caledon council hopeful ahead of Ontario election |url=https://www.bramptonguardian.com/news-story/10603828-current-brampton-ndp-mpp-loses-nomination-battle-to-former-caledon-council-hopeful-ahead-of-ontario-election/ |access-date=8 April 2022 |work=The Brampton Guardian |publisher=Metroland Media Group |date=8 April 2022 |location=Mississauga ON |archive-date=April 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220409003141/https://www.bramptonguardian.com/news-story/10603828-current-brampton-ndp-mpp-loses-nomination-battle-to-former-caledon-council-hopeful-ahead-of-ontario-election/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Subsequently, Yarde resigned from the NDP to sit as an independent MPP for the remainder of the 42nd Parliament of Ontario.<ref name="CBC-2022-04-22" />
Prior to his election to the legislature, Yarde worked for The Weather Network.<ref name="TWN profile">{{cite web |title=On TV with Kevin Yarde |url=https://www.theweathernetwork.com/tv/kevinyarde |website=The Weather Network |publisher=Pelmorex |access-date=June 11, 2018 |language=en-CA |archive-date=June 12, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612143626/https://www.theweathernetwork.com/tv/kevinyarde |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Personal life and education== Yarde was born in Toronto and has never lived in Brampton, but has "longtime family roots in Brampton".<ref name="TWN profile" /><ref>{{cite news | last1 = Brown | first1 = Nikita | title = NDP - Kevin Yarde | url = http://bramptonist.com/kevin-yarde-ndp/ | work = Bramptonist | access-date = June 11, 2018 | date = May 1, 2018 | url-status = live | archive-date = 2018-06-12 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180612140125/http://bramptonist.com/kevin-yarde-ndp/ }}</ref> His ancestors emigrated to Canada from the United States (Virginia), Barbados and Saint Kitts and Nevis (Saint Kitts).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bramptonguardian.com/opinion/black-history-month-is-a-time-for-reflection/article_c2062c55-6908-5452-8e1a-c030da739d8c.html|title=Black History Month is a time for reflection|date=February 25, 2019|quote=I can trace my family routes in southern Ontario back to 1902, when my ancestors emigrated from Virginia. I also have a proud Caribbean family history — my father is from Barbados, and came to Canada in the 1950s. My grandmother came from St. Kitts and settled in Fredericton, N.B., before she came to Ontario to work as a domestic.|access-date=July 29, 2025|archive-date=July 2, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250702141417/https://www.bramptonguardian.com/opinion/black-history-month-is-a-time-for-reflection/article_c2062c55-6908-5452-8e1a-c030da739d8c.html|url-status=live}}</ref> He studied journalism at York University and Ryerson University, before beginning his television career on the Rogers TV community television network.<ref name="TWN profile" /> He joined The Weather Network in 2001, first as a field correspondent and later as a studio host.<ref name="TWN profile" /> Yarde is a member of the US-based National Association of Black Journalists and also a volunteer with the Toronto location of Covenant House, a shelter and support centre for homeless and at-risk youth.<ref name="brampton guardian win" />
He is a first cousin of drummer Tyler Stewart of the Barenaked Ladies.<ref name="TWN profile" />
==Electoral record== {{Ontario provincial election, 2018/Brampton North}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yarde, Kevin}} Category:Ontario New Democratic Party MPPs Category:21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario Category:20th-century births Category:Living people Category:Politicians from Brampton Category:Black Canadian politicians Category:Black Canadian broadcasters Category:Canadian television weather presenters Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:York University alumni Category:Toronto Metropolitan University alumni Category:Politicians from Toronto Category:Black Canadian scientists Category:Independent MPPs in Ontario Category:Canadian people of American descent Category:Canadian people of Barbadian descent Category:Canadian people of Saint Kitts and Nevis descent