Jim Watson
Encyclopedia
James Alexander "Jim" Watson (born 1961) is the current mayor of Ottawa
, Ontario
, Canada
. He is a former Ottawa
city councillor (1991–1997) and mayor
(1997–2000), and subsequently represented the riding
of Ottawa West—Nepean
in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
from 2003 to 2010. He was a Minister in the Cabinet
of Premier
Dalton McGuinty
until he resigned in January 2010 to successfully run for mayor in the 2010 Ottawa municipal election
.
and attended Laurentian Regional High School from 1974-1978. He later moved to Ottawa to attend Carleton University
and graduated in 1983 with a Bachelor of Arts
degree from the School of Journalism and Communications. He entered the federal public service and rose to the position of director of communications for the Speaker of the House of Commons
.
's bid to lead the Ontario Liberal party.
He resigned as mayor on August 14, 2000 to become president and CEO of the Canadian Tourism Commission
.
's The New RO @ Noon. He was also a regular contributor to the Ottawa radio station
CFRA and the Ottawa Citizen
.
Watson has served on the board or as honorary chair of several community organizations including the Riverside Hospital
, the National Arts Centre
, the Central Canada Exhibition Association
, the Christmas Exchange of Ottawa and the Forum for Young Canadians. He served as chair of the United Way
's 2002 campaign, which raised a record $21 million.
, Watson defeated Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
incumbent Garry Guzzo
to become the Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for the Ottawa West-Nepean riding and was appointed by Premier of Ontario
Dalton McGuinty
as Minister of Consumer and Business Services on October 23, 2003. He became Ontario's first Minister of Health Promotion on June 29, 2005.
, he became Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. During his tenure as Queen's Park's official liaison with Ontario's municipalities, Watson was able to implement a substantive policy designed to support the uploading of property tax supported programs from the budgets of Ontario’s municipalities to that of the Provincial budget. Under this policy, the province will take back $1.5 Billion worth of programs funded by Ontario’s municipalities by 2018, reversing previous downloading of provincial responsibilities which occurred during Mike Harris’ tenure as Premier. As a result of this uploading of associated costs to the province, the estimated benefit to Ottawa is approximately $122 Million. Furthermore, the up-loads are projected to reduce Ottawa’s social program costs by over $18.7 Million.
In addition, Watson signed the Federal-Provincial Housing Agreement in 2008, the largest housing agreement of its kind to date.
. Watson won the election with almost 50% of the vote.
| align="left" | Jim Watson
| align="right" | 131,258
| align="right" | 48.70
|-
| align="left" | Larry O'Brien
(X)
| align="right" | 64,853
| align="right" | 24.06
|-
| align="left" | Clive Doucet
| align="right" | 40,147
| align="right" | 14.89
|-
| align="left" | Andrew S. Haydon
| align="right" | 18,904
| align="right" | 7.01
|-
| align="left" | Mike Maguire
| align="right" | 6,617
| align="right" | 2.45
|}
|-
|Jim Watson
|align="right"|23,852
|align="right"|50.6
|align="right"|
|-
|Mike Patton
|align="right"|14,950
|align="right"|31.7
|align="right"|
|-
|Lynn Hamilton
|align="right"|4,565
|align="right"|9.7
|align="right"|
|-
|Martyn Hyde
|align="right"|2,957
|align="right"|6.3
|align="right"|
|-
|John Pacheco
|align="right"|591
|align="right"|1.3
|align="right"|
|-
|Robert Gauthier
|align="right"|208
|align="right"|0.4
|align="right"|
|}
|-
|Jim Watson
|align="right"|23,127
|align="right"|47.04
|align="right"|+12.68
|-
|Garry Guzzo
|align="right"|20,277
|align="right"|41.24
|align="right"|-6.55
|-
|Marlene Rivier
|align="right"|4,099
|align="right"|8.34
|align="right"|-7.78
|-
|Neil Adair
|align="right"|1,309
|align="right"|2.66
|align="right"|+1.71
|-
|Robert G. Gauthier
|align="right"|353
|align="right"|0.72
|}
1997 Ottawa municipal election
, Mayor
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...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, 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...
. He is a former Ottawa
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...
city councillor (1991–1997) and mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
(1997–2000), and subsequently represented the riding
Electoral district (Canada)
An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
of Ottawa West—Nepean
Ottawa West—Nepean
Ottawa West—Nepean is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997. Its population in 2001 was 112,509.-Geography:...
in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
from 2003 to 2010. He was a Minister in the Cabinet
Executive Council of Ontario
The Executive Council of Ontario plays an important role in theGovernment of Ontario, in accordance with the Westminster system....
of Premier
Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in some countries and states.-Examples by country:In many nations, "premier" is used interchangeably with "prime minister"...
Dalton McGuinty
Dalton McGuinty
Dalton James Patrick McGuinty, Jr., MPP is a Canadian lawyer, politician and, since October 23, 2003, the 24th and current Premier of the Canadian province of Ontario....
until he resigned in January 2010 to successfully run for mayor in the 2010 Ottawa municipal election
Ottawa municipal election, 2010
The Ottawa municipal election was contested on October 25, 2010 to elect the mayor of Ottawa, Ottawa City Council and the Ottawa-Carleton Public and Catholic School Boards...
.
Early life
Jim Watson grew up in Lachute, QuebecQuebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
and attended Laurentian Regional High School from 1974-1978. He later moved to Ottawa to attend Carleton University
Carleton University
Carleton University is a comprehensive university located in the capital of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. The enabling legislation is The Carleton University Act, 1952, S.O. 1952. Founded as a small college in 1942, Carleton now offers over 65 programs in a diverse range of disciplines. Carleton has...
and graduated in 1983 with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from the School of Journalism and Communications. He entered the federal public service and rose to the position of director of communications for the Speaker of the House of Commons
Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons
The Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada is the presiding officer of the lower house of the Parliament of Canada and is elected at the beginning of each new parliament by fellow Members of Parliament...
.
City Council
Jim Watson first entered public office in 1991 when he was elected to Ottawa’s City Council as councilor for Capital Ward. He was subsequently re-elected to Council in 1994. In 1992 Watson championed a roll-back of salaries and operating costs at the city level. His first direct action against excessive city spending was his unilateral decision to donate his yearly 2% salary increase, totaling $700, to charity. In addition, as part of the re-election process Mr. Watson donated his severance pay of $5200 to four local charities after moving from Regional to City Council in 1994. During his second term as Councilor, Watson reduced his own salary by 13% from $51,000 to $45,000 while voting to reduce the mayor’s office budget and salary. In 1996, he supported Dalton McGuintyDalton McGuinty
Dalton James Patrick McGuinty, Jr., MPP is a Canadian lawyer, politician and, since October 23, 2003, the 24th and current Premier of the Canadian province of Ontario....
's bid to lead the Ontario Liberal party.
First mayoral term
In 1997, Watson sought election as mayor of Ottawa winning 83 per cent of the popular vote to become Ottawa's 56th mayor. During his term as mayor, Watson’s emphasis centered on ensuring that the City adopt sustainable fiscal management policies which would enable overall operating costs to go down while reducing budget deficits and the city’s debt burden. In conjunction, Watson managed to freeze property tax rates in consecutive years, with only a marginal 3% increase, below the rate of inflation during this period, taking place during his entire tenure as mayor.He resigned as mayor on August 14, 2000 to become president and CEO of the Canadian Tourism Commission
Canadian Tourism Commission
The Canadian Tourism Commission was created in 1995 to promote in order to capitalize on a major international industry.The CTC states that it "is dedicated to promoting the growth and profitability of the Canadian tourism industry by marketing Canada as a desirable travel destination and...
.
After municipal politics
In 2003, Watson left public service to pursue a career in journalism as host of CHRO-TVCHRO-TV
CHRO-TV is a television station serving the National Capital and Ottawa Valley regions of Ontario, Canada. Owned by Bell Media, it is part of the CTV Two television system....
's The New RO @ Noon. He was also a regular contributor to the Ottawa radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
CFRA and 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 :...
.
Watson has served on the board or as honorary chair of several community organizations including the Riverside Hospital
The Ottawa Hospital
The Ottawa Hospital or L'Hôpital d'Ottawa is a major, non-profit, public, university teaching hospital in Ottawa made up of the former Grace Hospital, Riverside Hospital, Ottawa General Hospital and Ottawa Civic Hospital. It is a 1,195-bed academic health sciences centre...
, the National Arts Centre
National Arts Centre
The National Arts Centre is a centre for the performing arts located in Ottawa, Ontario, between Elgin Street and the Rideau Canal...
, the Central Canada Exhibition Association
Ottawa SuperEX
Ottawa SuperEX is an eleven-day annual exhibition that takes places every August at Lansdowne Park in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The exhibition provides exhibits, entertainment and amusements indoors in the buildings on site and outdoors on the grounds...
, the Christmas Exchange of Ottawa and the Forum for Young Canadians. He served as chair of the United Way
United Way of Canada
United Way of Canada is the national organization for the 117 autonomous, volunteer-based United Ways across Canada. United Way campaigns raise money for local groups that address community issues and problems, and the national organization provides leadership, services and coordination to the...
's 2002 campaign, which raised a record $21 million.
Provincial politics
In the 2003 provincial electionOntario general election, 2003
The Ontario general election of 2003 was held on October 2, 2003, to elect the 103 members of the 38th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, Watson defeated Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
incumbent Garry Guzzo
Garry Guzzo
Garry Guzzo is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1995 to 2003....
to become the Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for the Ottawa West-Nepean riding and was appointed by Premier of Ontario
Premier of Ontario
The Premier of Ontario is the first Minister of the Crown for the Canadian province of Ontario. The Premier is appointed as the province's head of government by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and presides over the Executive council, or Cabinet. The Executive Council Act The Premier of Ontario...
Dalton McGuinty
Dalton McGuinty
Dalton James Patrick McGuinty, Jr., MPP is a Canadian lawyer, politician and, since October 23, 2003, the 24th and current Premier of the Canadian province of Ontario....
as Minister of Consumer and Business Services on October 23, 2003. He became Ontario's first Minister of Health Promotion on June 29, 2005.
Minister of Municipal Affairs
After the 2007 electionOntario general election, 2007
The Ontario general election of 2007 was held on October 10, 2007 to elect members of the 39th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada. The Liberals under Dalton McGuinty won the election with a majority government, winning 71 out of a possible 107 seats with 42.2% of the popular...
, he became Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. During his tenure as Queen's Park's official liaison with Ontario's municipalities, Watson was able to implement a substantive policy designed to support the uploading of property tax supported programs from the budgets of Ontario’s municipalities to that of the Provincial budget. Under this policy, the province will take back $1.5 Billion worth of programs funded by Ontario’s municipalities by 2018, reversing previous downloading of provincial responsibilities which occurred during Mike Harris’ tenure as Premier. As a result of this uploading of associated costs to the province, the estimated benefit to Ottawa is approximately $122 Million. Furthermore, the up-loads are projected to reduce Ottawa’s social program costs by over $18.7 Million.
In addition, Watson signed the Federal-Provincial Housing Agreement in 2008, the largest housing agreement of its kind to date.
Second mayoral term
On January 12, 2010, Watson resigned from cabinet in order to run for mayor of Ottawa in the Ottawa municipal election, 2010Ottawa municipal election, 2010
The Ottawa municipal election was contested on October 25, 2010 to elect the mayor of Ottawa, Ottawa City Council and the Ottawa-Carleton Public and Catholic School Boards...
. Watson won the election with almost 50% of the vote.
Electoral record
|-| align="left" | Jim Watson
| align="right" | 131,258
| align="right" | 48.70
|-
| align="left" | 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....
(X)
| align="right" | 64,853
| align="right" | 24.06
|-
| align="left" | Clive Doucet
Clive Doucet
Clive Doucet is a Canadian writer and politician.Doucet was born in 1946 in London, England to an Acadian serviceman and an English war bride. Doucet grew up in the city of Ottawa, Ontario. He also spent some of his youth in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Doucet was raised as a Catholic,...
| align="right" | 40,147
| align="right" | 14.89
|-
| align="left" | Andrew S. Haydon
Andrew S. Haydon
Andrew Scott "Andy" Haydon is a Canadian engineer and politician. He was reeve of Nepean Township, Ontario from 1970 to 1978 and Regional Chair of Ottawa-Carleton from 1978-1991...
| align="right" | 18,904
| align="right" | 7.01
|-
| align="left" | Mike Maguire
| align="right" | 6,617
| align="right" | 2.45
|}
|-
|Jim Watson
Jim Watson
James Alexander "Jim" Watson is the current mayor of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. He is a former Ottawa city councillor and mayor , and subsequently represented the riding of Ottawa West—Nepean in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 2003 to 2010...
|align="right"|23,852
|align="right"|50.6
|align="right"|
|-
|Mike Patton
|align="right"|14,950
|align="right"|31.7
|align="right"|
|-
|Lynn Hamilton
|align="right"|4,565
|align="right"|9.7
|align="right"|
|-
|Martyn Hyde
|align="right"|2,957
|align="right"|6.3
|align="right"|
|-
|John Pacheco
|align="right"|591
|align="right"|1.3
|align="right"|
|-
|Robert Gauthier
|align="right"|208
|align="right"|0.4
|align="right"|
|}
|-
|Jim Watson
Jim Watson
James Alexander "Jim" Watson is the current mayor of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. He is a former Ottawa city councillor and mayor , and subsequently represented the riding of Ottawa West—Nepean in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 2003 to 2010...
|align="right"|23,127
|align="right"|47.04
|align="right"|+12.68
|-
|Garry Guzzo
Garry Guzzo
Garry Guzzo is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1995 to 2003....
|align="right"|20,277
|align="right"|41.24
|align="right"|-6.55
|-
|Marlene Rivier
|align="right"|4,099
|align="right"|8.34
|align="right"|-7.78
|-
|Neil Adair
|align="right"|1,309
|align="right"|2.66
|align="right"|+1.71
|-
|Robert G. Gauthier
|align="right"|353
|align="right"|0.72
|}
1997 Ottawa municipal election
Ottawa municipal election, 1997
The 1997 Ottawa municipal election was held on November 10, 1997, in Ottawa, Canada. Capital Ward councillor Jim Watson was easily elected mayor over two lesser known candidates. Mayor Jacquelin Holzman did not run for re-election. This would be the last election for the old city of Ottawa...
, Mayor
| Candidate | Vote | % |
|---|---|---|
| Jim Watson | 54,148 | 81.56 |
| Robert G. Gauthier | 8,037 | 12.11 |
| Alexander Saikaley | 4,209 | 6.34 |