Alex Munter
Encyclopedia
Alexander Mathias Munter (born April 29, 1968) is a former politician and journalist in Ottawa
, Canada
's capital city. He is currently the Chief Executive Officer
of the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario
.
Munter's family emigrated from Germany
to Montreal
in 1966, two years prior to his birth. His family moved to the Ottawa region in 1977, and settled in the Katimavik-Hazeldean area west of the city. At age 14, Munter began publishing the Kanata Kourier from his basement as a monthly local paper for the suburban community of Kanata, Ontario
. In four years, the paper had a staff of seven and a circulation of 10,000 in the town of 27,000. In recognition of his success in business, he received an award as "Young Entrepreneur of the Year" from then-Prime Minister
Brian Mulroney
in 1988.
, whom he once controversially compared to Joseph Stalin
.
In August 1989, he sold his paper to Runge Newspapers Inc. for over $300,000
due to competition from the rival paper Kanata Standard, but stayed on as publisher. In November 1989, Munter left the Kourier to focus on his ongoing studies in Political Science at the University of Ottawa.
He became a political reporter for the Ottawa Citizen
, but left to run as a candidate of the Ontario New Democratic Party
in the 1990 provincial election
, contesting the riding of Carleton
. Munter placed third in this conservative riding, but received more votes than any previous NDP candidate in the area.
Munter briefly returned to the Citizen, then worked for the Spicer Commission on Canada's Future before re-entering politics to run for Kanata City Council against incumbent Bev Read. After winning the race, Munter quickly became a prominent member of the council. One of his most notable achievements was pushing through an initiative to install condom dispensers in some municipal buildings. He also chaired the Kanata Police Services Board. In 1993, he came out of the closet as the Ottawa area's first openly gay politician.
The following year, he ran for a seat on the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton
representing all of Kanata. He easily won the seat against two other Kanata politicians. On Regional Council, he became one of the most outspoken left-wing members of council.
During his time in office, Kanata was in the midst of an economic boom centred on the high-tech industry. Munter's main concern was managing the area's rapid growth. He supported creating the amalgamated city
of Ottawa, and was acclaimed to the new Ottawa City Council
when it was created. He also chaired the new city of Ottawa's health committee and, along with Medical Officer of Health Robert Cushman, led the battle to bring Ottawa's no-smoking by-law.
Munter was courted to run provincially or to challenge for the mayoralty against Bob Chiarelli
in 2003, but instead took a hiatus from electoral politics. He became a visiting professor of Urban Studies and Communications at the University of Ottawa
and resumed writing for the Citizen. The federal New Democratic Party
(NDP) approached him to run in Ottawa Centre
in the 2006 federal election
to succeed Ed Broadbent
but Munter declined. Munter was the co-ordinator for Canadians for Equal Marriage
, a group that campaigned successfully in favour of legislation to enshrine same-sex marriage in Canada
.
While still sometimes identified in the media as an NDP supporter, Munter is currently not a member of any political party. At the national level, he worked with Liberal
Prime Minister Paul Martin
's team in the 2006 election as reported in the Ottawa Citizen "[Munter] acted as a middleman to supply The Canadian Press
with a story damaging to Stephen Harper
. It made the media aware of statements Harper made in an old speech to an American conservative group. The Martin campaign was behind the story and CP was unhappy that Munter didn't acknowledge the connection." Locally, the Ottawa Sun
reported Munter campaigned "for candidates from all the major parties, including Tory
[candidate] Royal Galipeau
in Ottawa—Orléans
, Liberal Isabel Metcalfe in Carleton—Mississippi Mills
and NDPer Paul Dewar
in Ottawa Centre
."
On February 13, 2006, Alex Munter announced his candidacy for mayor of Ottawa in the November 2006 municipal election
. A 2005 poll by the Ottawa Sun had Munter as a front-runner, in a statistical tie with the incumbent Bob Chiarelli
. Another public poll in April 2006 had Munter as the front runner with a significant lead over Chiarelli. Most polls made public in the early stages of the campaign showed Munter in first place, often by a small margin. A poll conducted between October 13 and 18 by UniMarketing and sponsored by Radio-Canada and Le Droit
, had Munter ahead by 12 percentage points at 44% of decided voters. Larry O'Brien
was in second place with 32% and Chiarelli third (24%).
On election night, Munter finished second with 36.25%, behind O'Brien (47%) but ahead of Chiarelli (15.6%).
Munter set out several key priorities in his mayor campaign: public safety
, fiscal responsibility, local economy and public transit. He promised to limit tax hikes to the inflation rate
. While he was a city councillor, he claimed he helped to bring in ten consecutive balanced budget
s without any tax increases. His opponents claimed that the budget was balanced despite his votes to increase spending.
He said he planned to improve public transit in the city of Ottawa, to review the O-Train project and to fix possible irregularities regarding the contract with Siemens
. Munter said that the project could have been significantly better than the current proposal, and that the costs could have been reduced. He did his own proposal of the north-south line by proposing the removal of the Barrhaven
and downtown sections. Funding released would have redirected for the development of a future east-west line.
He criticized outgoing mayor Bob Chiarelli
on several occasions for proceeding too quickly on the project, without proper information and consultation. He also criticized the Mayor for allegedly providing incorrect information about the project, including saying that there will be additional costs because of an announcement made by John Baird
, President of the Treasury Board, that the federal government's $200 million contribution would be delayed until after the November election. After Larry O'Brien's election as the new mayor, the expansion project was completely cancelled by City Council on December 14, 2006.
He promised to improve safety on the city streets with an increase of the number of police
officers. He supported, along with mayors from other cities, increased gun control
and stricter measures for drug dealing
. He also proposed to give an easier access to leisure
activities for kids with lower recreational fees. In regards to the environment
, he wanted the city of Ottawa to be environmentally friendly. In addition of improvements for the public transit system, he also promised to close two landfill
sites situated on Carp and Navan Roads in which there were expansion requests by private firms despite opposition by citizens.
where he leads 350 staff delivering services to youth aged 12 to 20. Every month, at two-dozen
locations across Ottawa, between 2,500 and 3,000 youth and families come to YSB for help.
YSB is a community based not-for-profit agency with a budget of over $22 million that offers a wide range of supports – from emergency shelters to mental health crisis support, from employment programs to custody facilities for those in conflict with the law, from drop-in centres to permanent housing, from school programs to individual/family counselling.
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's capital city. He is currently the Chief Executive Officer
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario
Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario
The Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario is a major children's hospital and university teaching hospital in Ottawa, Ontario, serving Eastern Ontario and western Quebec. It is affiliated with The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa, and is funded by the provincial Government of Ontario...
.
Munter's family emigrated from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
to Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
in 1966, two years prior to his birth. His family moved to the Ottawa region in 1977, and settled in the Katimavik-Hazeldean area west of the city. At age 14, Munter began publishing the Kanata Kourier from his basement as a monthly local paper for the suburban community of Kanata, Ontario
Kanata, Ontario
Situated in the Ottawa Valley, Kanata is located about west-southwest of Downtown Ottawa along Highway 417 at a latitude of 45°18' North and a longitude of 75°55' West, with an area of . Its northern end is just to the west of the Ottawa River....
. In four years, the paper had a staff of seven and a circulation of 10,000 in the town of 27,000. In recognition of his success in business, he received an award as "Young Entrepreneur of the Year" from then-Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Brian Mulroney
Brian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...
in 1988.
Involvement in local politics
Munter became much involved in local politics in his role as editor of the Kanata Kourier. He was frequently at odds with Kanata Mayor Des AdamDes Adam
Des Adam served as the second mayor of Kanata, Ontario from 1985 to 1991.Adam served for two terms as mayor until he was defeated by Merle Nicholds in the 12 November 1991 municipal election. He currently remains in the community working as a real estate lawyer, and serving as the deacon at St....
, whom he once controversially compared to Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
.
In August 1989, he sold his paper to Runge Newspapers Inc. for over $300,000
due to competition from the rival paper Kanata Standard, but stayed on as publisher. In November 1989, Munter left the Kourier to focus on his ongoing studies in Political Science at the University of Ottawa.
He became a political reporter for the Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa Citizen
The Ottawa Citizen is an English-language daily newspaper owned by Postmedia Network in Ottawa, Canada. According to the Canadian Newspaper Association, the paper had a 2008 weekly circulation of 900,197.- History :...
, but left to run as a candidate of the Ontario New Democratic Party
Ontario New Democratic Party
The Ontario New Democratic Party or , formally known as New Democratic Party of Ontario, is a social democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. It is a provincial section of the federal New Democratic Party. It was formed in October 1961, a few months after the federal party. The ONDP had its...
in the 1990 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1990
The Ontario general election of 1990 was held on September 6, 1990, to elect members of the 35th Legislative Assembly of the province of Ontario, Canada....
, contesting the riding of Carleton
Carleton (Ontario electoral district)
Carleton was a federal and provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1968, and in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1867 to 1987...
. Munter placed third in this conservative riding, but received more votes than any previous NDP candidate in the area.
Munter briefly returned to the Citizen, then worked for the Spicer Commission on Canada's Future before re-entering politics to run for Kanata City Council against incumbent Bev Read. After winning the race, Munter quickly became a prominent member of the council. One of his most notable achievements was pushing through an initiative to install condom dispensers in some municipal buildings. He also chaired the Kanata Police Services Board. In 1993, he came out of the closet as the Ottawa area's first openly gay politician.
The following year, he ran for a seat on the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton
Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton
The Regional Municipality of Ottawa–Carleton was a regional government area and census division in Ontario, Canada which existed from 1969 until 2001...
representing all of Kanata. He easily won the seat against two other Kanata politicians. On Regional Council, he became one of the most outspoken left-wing members of council.
During his time in office, Kanata was in the midst of an economic boom centred on the high-tech industry. Munter's main concern was managing the area's rapid growth. He supported creating the amalgamated city
Amalgamation (politics)
A merger or amalgamation in a political or administrative sense is the combination of two or more political or administrative entities such as municipalities , counties, districts, etc. into a single entity. This term is used when the process occurs within a sovereign entity...
of Ottawa, and was acclaimed to the new Ottawa City Council
Ottawa City Council
The Ottawa City Council is the governing body of the City of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is composed of 23 city councillors and the mayor. The mayor is elected at large, while each of the councillors represent wards throughout the city. Council members are elected to four year terms with the...
when it was created. He also chaired the new city of Ottawa's health committee and, along with Medical Officer of Health Robert Cushman, led the battle to bring Ottawa's no-smoking by-law.
Bob Chiarelli
Robert "Bob" Chiarelli is a Canadian politician. He served in the Ontario Legislative Assembly from 1987 to 1997, and was subsequently re-elected to the legislature in 2010 after serving as regional chair and mayor of Ottawa from 1997 to 2006...
in 2003, but instead took a hiatus from electoral politics. He became a visiting professor of Urban Studies and Communications at the University of Ottawa
University of Ottawa
The University of Ottawa is a bilingual, research-intensive, non-denominational, international university in Ottawa, Ontario. It is one of the oldest universities in Canada. It was originally established as the College of Bytown in 1848 by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate...
and resumed writing for the Citizen. The federal New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
(NDP) approached him to run in Ottawa Centre
Ottawa Centre
Ottawa Centre is an urban federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968...
in the 2006 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2006
The 2006 Canadian federal election was held on January 23, 2006, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 39th Parliament of Canada. The Conservative Party of Canada won the greatest number of seats: 40.3% of seats, or 124 out of 308, up from 99 seats in 2004, and 36.3% of votes:...
to succeed Ed Broadbent
Ed Broadbent
John Edward "Ed" Broadbent, is a Canadian social democratic politician and political scientist. He was leader of the federal New Democratic Party from 1975 to 1989. In the 2004 federal election, he returned to Parliament for one additional term as the Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre.-Life...
but Munter declined. Munter was the co-ordinator for Canadians for Equal Marriage
Canadians for Equal Marriage
Canadians for Equal Marriage is a Canadian public interest group representing Egale Canada, PFLAG Canada, the Canadian Federation of Students, the Canadian Labour Congress, the Canadian Psychological Association, the Canadian Association of University Teachers, and the Canadian Association of...
, a group that campaigned successfully in favour of legislation to enshrine same-sex marriage in Canada
Same-sex marriage in Canada
On July 20, 2005, Canada became the fourth country in the world and the first country in the Americas to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide with the enactment of the Civil Marriage Act which provided a gender-neutral marriage definition...
.
While still sometimes identified in the media as an NDP supporter, Munter is currently not a member of any political party. At the national level, he worked with Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
Prime Minister Paul Martin
Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , also known as Paul Martin, Jr. is a Canadian politician who was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
's team in the 2006 election as reported in the Ottawa Citizen "[Munter] acted as a middleman to supply The Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Canadian Press Enterprises Inc. is the entity which "will take over the operations of the Canadian Press" according to a November 26, 2010 article in the Toronto Star...
with a story damaging to Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
. It made the media aware of statements Harper made in an old speech to an American conservative group. The Martin campaign was behind the story and CP was unhappy that Munter didn't acknowledge the connection." Locally, the Ottawa Sun
Ottawa Sun
The Ottawa Sun is a daily tabloid newspaper in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is published by Sun Media. It was first published in the early 1980s as the Ottawa Sunday Herald, until it was acquired by Toronto Sun Publishing Corporation in 1988....
reported Munter campaigned "for candidates from all the major parties, including Tory
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
[candidate] Royal Galipeau
Royal Galipeau
Royal Galipeau is a Member of Parliament for the Ottawa—Orléans federal constituency. He was the successful Conservative Party candidate in the Canadian federal elections of 2006 and 2008...
in Ottawa—Orléans
Ottawa—Orléans
Ottawa—Orléans is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1988....
, Liberal Isabel Metcalfe in Carleton—Mississippi Mills
Carleton—Mississippi Mills
Carleton–Mississippi Mills is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1988....
and NDPer Paul Dewar
Paul Dewar
Paul W. Dewar is a Canadian politician currently serving as the Member of Parliament for the riding of Ottawa Centre.Dewar is a member of the New Democratic Party and was first elected to the House of Commons in the 2006 federal election...
in Ottawa Centre
Ottawa Centre
Ottawa Centre is an urban federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968...
."
On February 13, 2006, Alex Munter announced his candidacy for mayor of Ottawa in the November 2006 municipal election
Ottawa municipal election, 2006
The 2006 Ottawa municipal election was held on November 13, 2006, in Ottawa, Canada, to elect the mayor of Ottawa, Ottawa City Council and the Ottawa-Carleton Public and Catholic School Boards. The election was one of many races across the province of Ontario...
. A 2005 poll by the Ottawa Sun had Munter as a front-runner, in a statistical tie with the incumbent Bob Chiarelli
Bob Chiarelli
Robert "Bob" Chiarelli is a Canadian politician. He served in the Ontario Legislative Assembly from 1987 to 1997, and was subsequently re-elected to the legislature in 2010 after serving as regional chair and mayor of Ottawa from 1997 to 2006...
. Another public poll in April 2006 had Munter as the front runner with a significant lead over Chiarelli. Most polls made public in the early stages of the campaign showed Munter in first place, often by a small margin. A poll conducted between October 13 and 18 by UniMarketing and sponsored by Radio-Canada and Le Droit
Le Droit
Le Droit is a Canadian daily newspaper, published in Ottawa, Canada. Initially established and owned by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, the paper was has been published by Gesca since 2000.-History:...
, had Munter ahead by 12 percentage points at 44% of decided voters. Larry O'Brien
Larry O'Brien (Canadian politician)
Lawrence Robert O'Brien , was the 58th mayor of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. He is also a current director of Calian Technologies Ltd. and its former CEO and chairman....
was in second place with 32% and Chiarelli third (24%).
On election night, Munter finished second with 36.25%, behind O'Brien (47%) but ahead of Chiarelli (15.6%).
2006 Mayoral campaign platform
Public Safety
Public safety involves the prevention of and protection from events that could endanger the safety of the general public from significant danger, injury/harm, or damage, such as crimes or disasters .-See also:* By nation...
, fiscal responsibility, local economy and public transit. He promised to limit tax hikes to the inflation rate
Inflation rate
In economics, the inflation rate is a measure of inflation, the rate of increase of a price index . It is the percentage rate of change in price level over time. The rate of decrease in the purchasing power of money is approximately equal.The inflation rate is used to calculate the real interest...
. While he was a city councillor, he claimed he helped to bring in ten consecutive balanced budget
Balanced budget
A balanced budget is when there is neither a budget deficit or a budget surplus – when revenues equal expenditure – particularly by a government. More generally, it refers to when there is no deficit, but possibly a surplus...
s without any tax increases. His opponents claimed that the budget was balanced despite his votes to increase spending.
He said he planned to improve public transit in the city of Ottawa, to review the O-Train project and to fix possible irregularities regarding the contract with Siemens
Siemens AG
Siemens AG is a German multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Munich, Germany. It is the largest Europe-based electronics and electrical engineering company....
. Munter said that the project could have been significantly better than the current proposal, and that the costs could have been reduced. He did his own proposal of the north-south line by proposing the removal of the Barrhaven
Barrhaven, Ontario
Barrhaven is a rapidly growing suburban neighbourhood in the southwest of the urban area of the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, about southwest of downtown Ottawa. Prior to amalgamation with Ottawa in 2001, Barrhaven was part of the City of Nepean. Its population as of the Canada 2006 Census was...
and downtown sections. Funding released would have redirected for the development of a future east-west line.
He criticized outgoing mayor Bob Chiarelli
Bob Chiarelli
Robert "Bob" Chiarelli is a Canadian politician. He served in the Ontario Legislative Assembly from 1987 to 1997, and was subsequently re-elected to the legislature in 2010 after serving as regional chair and mayor of Ottawa from 1997 to 2006...
on several occasions for proceeding too quickly on the project, without proper information and consultation. He also criticized the Mayor for allegedly providing incorrect information about the project, including saying that there will be additional costs because of an announcement made by John Baird
John Baird (Canadian politician)
John Russell Baird, PC, MP is a Canadian politician currently serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the cabinet of Prime Minister Stephen Harper....
, President of the Treasury Board, that the federal government's $200 million contribution would be delayed until after the November election. After Larry O'Brien's election as the new mayor, the expansion project was completely cancelled by City Council on December 14, 2006.
He promised to improve safety on the city streets with an increase of the number of police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
officers. He supported, along with mayors from other cities, increased gun control
Gun control
Gun control is any law, policy, practice, or proposal designed to restrict or limit the possession, production, importation, shipment, sale, and/or use of guns or other firearms by private citizens...
and stricter measures for drug dealing
Illegal drug trade
The illegal drug trade is a global black market, dedicated to cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of those substances which are subject to drug prohibition laws. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs by drug prohibition laws.A UN report said the...
. He also proposed to give an easier access to leisure
Leisure
Leisure, or free time, is time spent away from business, work, and domestic chores. It is also the periods of time before or after necessary activities such as eating, sleeping and, where it is compulsory, education....
activities for kids with lower recreational fees. In regards to the environment
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
, he wanted the city of Ottawa to be environmentally friendly. In addition of improvements for the public transit system, he also promised to close two landfill
Landfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
sites situated on Carp and Navan Roads in which there were expansion requests by private firms despite opposition by citizens.
Executive Director of the Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa
Alex Munter has been Executive Director of the Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa (YSB) since 2007,where he leads 350 staff delivering services to youth aged 12 to 20. Every month, at two-dozen
locations across Ottawa, between 2,500 and 3,000 youth and families come to YSB for help.
YSB is a community based not-for-profit agency with a budget of over $22 million that offers a wide range of supports – from emergency shelters to mental health crisis support, from employment programs to custody facilities for those in conflict with the law, from drop-in centres to permanent housing, from school programs to individual/family counselling.