Campaign to elect Jim Watson Information

Jim Watson is a candidate for Mayor of Ottawa. He announced his intention to run for Mayor on January 12, 2010 and officially filed his nomination papers on February 1, 2010. Jim Watson was first elected to the Ontario Legislature representing the riding of Ottawa West - Nepean in 2003 and re-elected in 2007. He served as Ontario’s Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. He was appointed to the Ministry by Premier Dalton McGuinty on October 30, 2007. Following his first election to the provincial legislature, Minister Watson was appointed Minister of Consumer and Business Services from 2003-2005 and was Ontario’s first Minister of Health Promotion from 2005-2007. Prior to becoming an MPP, Watson served in several prominent elected and non-elected offices, including President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Tourism Commission — a federal crown corporation; Mayor of the City of Ottawa; Ottawa City Councillor; and as Director of Communications for the Speaker of the House of Commons. An active member of his community, Watson has also served on the boards or as honourary chair of several community organizations, including the Riverside Hospital, the National Arts Centre, the Christmas Exchange of Ottawa and the Forum for Young Canadians. He served as chair of United Way’s 2002 campaign, which raised a record $21 million. An avid volunteer with several groups, he has helped serve meals at the Shepherds of Good Hope, a local soup kitchen. His commitment to those less fortunate was evident when, in August of 2000, he contributed his entire municipal severance payment of $31,000 to Ottawa’s Union Mission for Men. Watson is a graduate of the Carleton University School of Journalism and Communications.