Denise has lived and worked in Victoria for more than 20 years. During that time, she's been active in a variety of environmental and community projects, including spearheading the development of the Galloping Goose trail and Selkirk Trestle, and co-founding the Greater Victoria Cycling Coalition.
Before becoming MP in January 2006, she was a Victoria city councillor for six years as well as a director for the Capital Regional District. At the local level, Denise worked on many projects that reflect the high value she places on social justice, environmental sustainability and democratic governance. These included helping establish a regional housing trust, and advocating for the development of a greenways and trails system. She worked to ensure Victoria’s Dockside Lands were developed in a way that gave equal consideration to social, environmental and economic concerns, and has advocated for a harm-reduction approach to open drug use in Victoria. She also worked with young people to create a youth council for the city.
The additional positions Denise held during her time on council and at the CRD include chair of the CRD’s Roundtable on the Environment, and vice-chair of the Core Area Liquid Waste Management Plan Committee. From 1995 to 1998, she served on the board of the Provincial Capital Commission. As councillor, she acted as a liaison to a number of city committees, including environment and shoreline, and the greenways committee. She chaired the Rock Bay contaminant reduction committee and sat on the Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Task Force on Victoria’s Learning Centre. She was also council liaison to the Victoria West and Burnside Gorge neighbourhoods.
Recently her environmental leadership was recognized by Canadian Society of Landscape Architects, which gave her its 2005 community service award. She was also one of two people named 2005 EcoCouncillor of the Year by the Gallon Environmental Letter.
Denise was elected Member of Parliament for Victoria in January 2006, and is the first woman ever to serve in that position. She is the NDP's critic for post-secondary education and literacy, as well as deputy human resources critic for skills training. Denise co-chairs the NDP's Environment Caucus and sits on the parliamentary committee that is now studying employability.
She holds two Master of Arts degrees, and in her professional life was an adult educator.
Denise was born and raised in the Francophone community of St. Boniface, Manitoba, and is fluently bilingual. She is mother of three and grandmother of four.