Steve Desroches

Steve Desroches
Ottawa City Councillor
Incumbent
Assumed office
November 15, 2022[1]
Preceded byCarol Anne Meehan
ConstituencyRiverside South-Findlay Creek Ward
In office
December 1, 2006 – December 1, 2014
Preceded byWard created
Succeeded byMichael Qaqish
ConstituencyGloucester-South Nepean Ward
Deputy Mayor of Ottawa
In office
December 1, 2010 – December 1, 2014
Serving with Eli El-Chantiry
Succeeded byMark Taylor & Bob Monette
Personal details
Born1969 (age 54–55)
Midland, Ontario, Canada
Political partyIndependent
SpouseMichelle Desroches[2]
Children4
ResidenceRiverside South[3]
Alma mater
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Steve Desroches (born 1969)[4][5] is a politician in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. He is a member of Ottawa City Council, representing Riverside South-Findlay Creek Ward since 2022. He was previously a member of Ottawa City Council from 2006 to 2014, representing for Gloucester-South Nepean Ward, a ward representing some of Ottawa's southern suburbs. He was first elected in the 2006 municipal election,[6] and was re-elected in the 2010 municipal election.[7]

Desroches studied at the University of Ottawa and Carleton University, where he obtained a Master's degree in public administration.[6] Prior to his entry in municipal politics, Desroches worked for several Ministries in the federal government as well as the office of the Auditor General.[6] He was a trustee at the Ottawa Public Library Board and also a vice-chair in the OC Transpo Advisory Committee.[6] He was also the vice-present of the Riverside South Community Association.[8] At the time of the 2006 election, he was employed by the Department of Agriculture.[9]

In the 2006 election, Desroches defeated former Ottawa-Carleton Regional Chair Andrew Haydon to become the first councillor of this new ward which included about half of Barrhaven, Riverside South and Findlay Creek.

He listed his priorities as to improving infrastructures in the ward that is under massive development, including improving roads and public transit. Public Safety and fiscal management were also key priorities in his campaign and for his upcoming term at City Council. He was also a supporter of the now-cancelled expansion of the City's O-Train north-south light-rail expansion project which would have served Riverside South and Barrhaven South starting in 2009.

Desroches was easily re-elected in 2010, and served until 2014, as he had promised to only serve for two terms.

Following his time on council, Desroches became a member of the Board of Directors of the Perley-Rideau Veterans Health Centre Foundation.[10] In 2015 he was awarded the Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation for his work to support Canadian veterans.[11] Desroches expressed interest in running for the Conservative Party of Canada in the 2015 Canadian federal election, but ultimately did not.[12] He had also been touted as a potential candidate for the Liberals, but considered his personal politics to be "conservative", due to his economic views.[5]

On May 18, 2022 Desroches announced he would be running for city council once again in the 2022 Ottawa municipal election. He ran in Riverside South-Findlay Creek Ward, a re-drawn version of his old ward.[13]

  1. ^ "Mark Sutcliffe laces up for new political marathon". CTV Ottawa. 25 October 2022. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  2. ^ "Ottawa councillor Steve Desroches is a man of his word and won't be running in 2014".
  3. ^ "Steve Desroches". Ottawa Citizen. November 6, 2006. p. 42. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  4. ^ "Race:Haydon expects competition to be stiff". Ottawa Citizen. September 8, 2006. p. 56. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  5. ^ a b "What's next for Nepean". Ottawa Citizen. February 4, 2015. p. 8. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  6. ^ a b c d "Councillor Steve Desroches". City of Ottawa. Retrieved 2010-04-09.
  7. ^ "Ottawa 2010 Nominations". Retrieved April 18, 2010.
  8. ^ "Political newcomer Desroches surprises veteran campaigner Haydon". Ottawa Citizen. November 14, 2006. p. 19. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  9. ^ "Desroches has edge on legend Haydon". Ottawa Citizen. November 7, 2006. p. 30. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  10. ^ "Perley Health Foundation - Steve Desroches -".
  11. ^ "Steve Desroches - Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation - Veterans Affairs Canada". 14 February 2019.
  12. ^ "Macleod won't seek Baird's seat". Ottawa Citizen. February 18, 2015. p. 9. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  13. ^ "Steve Desroches registers as candidate for municipal election". Retrieved May 19, 2022.