Candidate, Denys Petika
York Catholic District School Board, ON
Electoral District: Markham Area 1: Wards 1,2,3,6 (Thornhill/Unionville)
Bio
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CLC rating: Educable
Rating Comments: Sent lengthy responses to each question on CLC's 2026 candidate survey. On the surface, most answers seemed positive, but as one reads deeper into his response, one discovers many caveats that tend towards undue deference to the Education Act, the Ontario Human Rights Code, and "Canadian law" and a diminishment of the higher order constitutional rights that Catholic school boards have in Ontario. Petika has a false understanding of Canada's constitution, believing that provincial and federal laws and human rights codes can somehow trump the Constitution. He seems unaware that the constitutional rights of Catholic school boards in Ontario are "absolute", as affirmed in two separate Supreme Court case. Petika fails to understand that Catholic boards have the absolute right, under the Constitution Act of 18675, to reject any federal or provincial law, regulation, Ministry of Education policy, or Human Rights Code directive that adversely affects the contents of faith and morals. On a more positive note, he would support efforts to ban the LGBT Pride flag from being flown at Catholic schools.
Religion / Faith: Catholic
Contact
Parliamentary Office
Ontario
Here is Denys Petika's voting record relating to life and family issues:
| Votes, Surveys and Policy Decision | Vote | Score |
|---|---|---|
| There are no votes, surveys or policy decisions to display for Denys Petika. | ||
There are no quotes for Denys Petika at this time.
Here are the answers for the questionnaire as provided by Denys Petika on Sep. 9, 2026.
| Question | Response |
|---|---|
| Will you work to ensure that Catholic schools do not invite guest speakers who have publicly expressed positions that contradict the morality and teaching of the Church, no matter how great their achievements in politics, business, sports, science or the arts? | No |
| Will you work to ensure that educational materials that enter the premises of Catholic schools (e.g., library resources, curriculum texts, awareness campaigns, flyers) and all approved school activities are consistent with and do not undermine the morality and teachings of the Church? | Yes (but with nuances) |
| Will you work to ensure that your Catholic school board enacts a policy requiring all agents and employees of the board to uphold the rights of custodial parents to direct and control the education of, and any medical treatment provided to, their dependent children attending its schools? | Yes (with big legal caveats) |
| Are there any circumstances under which you believe a woman should have access to abortion*? (*Note: a surgical or medical intervention designed to prevent the death of the mother but which results in the unintended and undesired death of the pre-born child, is not an abortion) | life of the mother |
| Will you work to ensure that your Board publicly promotes total fidelity to the faith and moral teachings of the Catholic Church? (Current examples include the illicitness of abortion, contraception and homosexual practice) | Yes (but with caveats for "the law" & "human rights code") |
| Will you oppose sex-ed programs which are contrary to Church teaching? | Yes (but with caveats) |
| Given that the Gay Pride flag is a controversial political symbol which contradicts Church teaching on marriage & human sexuality, will you oppose any and all proposals to fly the Gay Pride flag at Catholic schools, at the board office, or to acknowledge and celebrate June as Pride month? | Yes |
There are no videos available for Denys Petika.
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AMBER light means voters should be cautious about the candidate. CLC is still evaluating this individual, does not have enough data, or their record is mixed. View their quotes & voting history to help you decide.