Georges Bédard (born in Ottawa, Ontario) is a member of Ottawa City Council representing the ward of Rideau-Vanier. This ward covers Lower Town, Sandy Hill, and Vanier. Born and raised in the area Bédard currently lives in Sandy Hill he attended Carleton University where he obtained a degree in political science. He first became involved in local politics in the successful effort to block the construction of the King Edward Expressway. He was first elected to city council at a young age in 1974 and served on the council until 1980. During this period he was best known for his efforts at preserving heritage structures. Upon leaving the council he became president of the Heritage Canada Foundation . He is also among the founders of the Franco-Ontarian Festival, and of Ottawa's Pollution Probe. He later joined the federal civil service serving as a land claims negotiator. He also had a number of other duties including serving as president of Ottawa's Tulip Festival. In the 2003 Ottawa election he returned to Ottawa's city council, replacing Madeleine Meilleur who had become a member of the provincial legislature. Meilleur endorsed Bédard's return to city council and he elected with 42% of the vote with his closest rival getting 27%.

He was re-elected in the 2006 Ottawa election with 47% of the vote to his closest, Bruce McConville, 45%. This was the narrowest margin of victory of any of the incumbent councillors in the 2006 election.

[edit] Homelessness

In July, 2006 Bédard became vocal about the concentration of services offered to homeless people in Ottawa. Bédard has been critical of adding to the six shelters which are located in his Rideau-Vanier ward, arguing that concentrating homeless services in one spot ghettoizes the area and makes it harder for people to escape poverty and homelessness. City Council has passed Bédard's motion ^[1] on having an interim moratorium on creating any more special needs housing in Rideau-Vanier until zoning review is completed.^[2] Bedard was also succesful in preventing the opening of new nightclubs, bars and pubs in his ward, and has tried unsuccessfully to get some of the area's bus shelters removed, saying that drug dealers and panhandlers use them.^[3]

[edit] References

1. ^ Ottawa City Council [1]
2. ^ "New program to help homeless set to start within year". Ottawa Citizen. June 3, 2008. http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=7f123462-7235-4dc8-82c3-239ccfc84f97. Retrieved December 2, 2009. 
3. ^ "Ottawa councilor calls for moratorium on downtown homeless services". CBC News. July 21, 2006. http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2006/07/21/homeless.html. Retrieved December 2, 2009. 

[edit] External links

• City hall page

Preceded by Madeleine Meilleur	City councillors from Rideau-Vanier Ward 2003-present	Succeeded by Incumbent
Preceded by Jules Morin	City councillors from By-St. George's Ward 1974-1980	Succeeded by Ward abolished. See Nancy Smith and Marc Laviolette