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Stephen Blais

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Stephen Blais
MPP
Stephen Blais in 2017
Member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament
for Orléans
Incumbent
Assumed office
February 27, 2020
Preceded byMarie-France Lalonde
Ottawa City Councillor
In office
December 1, 2010 – March 5, 2020
Preceded byRob Jellett
Succeeded byCatherine Kitts
ConstituencyCumberland Ward
Ottawa-Carleton Catholic School Board Trustee
In office
December 1, 2006 – November 30, 2010
Preceded byDes Curley
Succeeded byBrian Coburn
ConstituencyZone 3 (Orléans & Cumberland)
Personal details
Born (1980-07-20) July 20, 1980 (age 44)
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Political partyOntario Liberal Party
SpouseMarta Blais
Awards2013 Francophile de l'année - ACFO[1]
2013 Orléans Chamber of Commerce Community Service Business of the Year[2]
Websitehttps://www.stephenblais.ca

Stephen Christopher Leonard Blais[3] MPP (born July 20, 1980) is a Canadian politician who has served as the member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for Orléans since February 27, 2020.

Before being elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, he was the Ottawa City Councillor for Cumberland Ward. He won the ward in the 2010 Ottawa municipal election, defeating the incumbent Rob Jellett. He was re-elected in the 2014 and 2018 municipal elections.

Early life and career

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Blais was born at the Grace Hospital in Ottawa to Stephen and Debbie Blais (née Kane)[3] and grew up in the Queenswood Heights neighbourhood of Orléans in the former Cumberland Township. Upon graduating from St. Peter Catholic High School, he attended the University of Ottawa to pursue a bachelor's degree in political science.[4][5] Following university, he served as Executive Assistant to Jim Watson while Watson served in the Ontario Cabinet. Blais later moved to Carleton University where he worked as a media and communications advisor.[6]

Prior to being elected as a councillor, Blais served as an Ottawa Catholic School Board Trustee for Orléans-Cumberland. He was first elected as a Trustee in 2006 when he defeated the incumbent.[7][8]

Political career

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School Trustee

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As part of his election campaign, Blais promised to donate the pay raise trustees voted for themselves.[9] In 2006, Blais endowed a bursary at Carleton University for high school students from Orleans, Ontario.[10]

Ottawa City Council

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In 2010, Blais was elected the city councillor for Cumberland Ward, defeating the two-term incumbent, Rob Jellett.[8] In his first term, he secured an environmental assessment for the proposed widening Highway 174 and pushed to extend Light Rail Transit to Orléans.[11]

In 2011, Blais successfully spearheaded a campaign to ban smoking on outdoor patios in Ottawa.[12][13]

In 2013, Blais proposed that Ontario should re-upload Highway 174 and if not, allow the City of Ottawa to introduce a toll on out-of-town users to help pay for the much needed widening of the highway with the addition of a dedicated bus lane to Rockland.[14] Ottawa City Council received a direction to pursue the uploading of Highway 174 and if not, to designate it as a toll highway under Subsection 40(2) of the Municipal Act, 2001 if Council so chooses in the future.[15] The idea was well received by residents of Orléans.[16]

In his first term of office, Blais announced a plan to partner with the local homebuilding industry to complete an $8 million expansion of Millennium Park.[17]

In 2014, Blais was named Chair of the City of Ottawa Transit Commission. The Transit Commission is the body charged with oversight of the City's public transit provider OC Transpo.[18]

Blais was re-elected in the 2014 and 2018 municipal elections.[19]

Provincial Politics

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In October 2019, Blais announced that he would be seeking the Liberal nomination for the provincial riding of Orléans, which had been left vacant when Marie-France Lalonde stepped down to run for the federal Liberal Party.[20] He won the nomination on November 9.[21] Blais won the February 27 by-election with 55 per cent of the vote, defeating his nearest rival, Progressive Conservative candidate Natalie Montgomery, by more than 8,000 votes.[22] This is the largest majority in Orléans in more than 30 years.[23]

Blais has served as the Ontario Liberal critic for several areas:[24]

  • Caucus Chair
  • Municipal Affairs and Housing
  • Education
  • Economic Development and Trade

As of July 7, 2024, he serves as the Liberal Party critic for Infrastructure and Municipalities and as the critic for Labour and Skills Training.

In 2021, Blais introduced a private member's bill, Uploading Highways 174 and 17 Act, 2021, to return Highway 174 and Highway 17 back to provincial jurisdiction. The two highways had been downloaded to the municipal governments in the 1990s.[25][26]

He was re-elected in the 2022 Ontario election.[27]

Personal life

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Blais and his wife Marta have one son. They live in the Chaperal neighbourhood.[28]

On January 7, 2013, while working out at a local gym, Blais suffered a heart attack. He was initially treated at Montfort Hospital before being transferred to the University of Ottawa Heart Institute.[12] Blais spent four months in hospital recovering.[29]

Election results

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Provincial

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2022 Ontario general election: Orléans
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Stephen Blais 23,982 46.26 −8.75 $96,104
Progressive Conservative Melissa Felián 16,926 32.65 +9.78 $76,495
New Democratic Gabe Bourdon 7,150 13.79 −1.16 $13,851
Green Michelle Petersen 2,359 4.55 −1.32 $6,196
New Blue Liam Randall 796 1.54   $7,734
Ontario Party Vince Clements 442 0.85   $0
Libertarian Ken Lewis 184 0.35 −0.33 $0
Total valid votes/expense limit 51,839 99.64   $156,324
Total rejected, unmarked, and declined ballots 185 0.36
Turnout 52,024 46.59 +23.06
Eligible voters 111,075
Liberal hold Swing −9.27
Source(s)
  • "Summary of Valid Votes Cast for Each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. 2022. Archived from the original on May 18, 2023.
  • "Statistical Summary by Electoral District" (PDF). Elections Ontario. 2022. Archived from the original on May 21, 2023.
Ontario provincial by-election, February 27, 2020: Orléans
Resignation of Marie-France Lalonde
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Stephen Blais 14,303 55.01 +15.96
Progressive Conservative Natalie Montgomery 5,945 22.87 −12.33
New Democratic Manon Parrot 3,888 14.95 −6.99
Green Andrew West 1,527 5.87 +3.37
Libertarian Jean-Serge Brisson 177 0.68 +0.06
None of the Above Keegan Bennett 100 0.38
Pauper John Turmel 32 0.12
Ontario Alliance Gerrie Huenemoerder 28 0.11
Total valid votes 26,000
Total rejected ballots
Turnout 23.53 −39.24
Eligible voters 110,519
Liberal hold Swing +14.15

Municipal

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Ward 19 - Cumberland (2018)
Candidate Votes %
Stephen Blais (X) 11,230 89.08%
Cameron Rose Jette 741 5.88%
Jensen Boire 636 5.04%
Ward 19 - Cumberland (2014)
Candidate Votes %
Stephen Blais (X) 9,446 78.03%
Marc Belisle 2,659 21.96%
Ward 19 - Cumberland (2010)
Candidate Votes %
Stephen Blais 6,358 52.36%
Rob Jellett (X) 5,282 43.49%
Patrick Paquette 504 4.15%

School Board

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Zone 3 (Wards 1, 19) (2006)
Candidate Votes %
Stephen Blais 3,124 55.30%
Des Curley (X) 2,525 44.70%

References

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  1. ^ Brunette, Martin (February 13, 2014). "Stephen Blais francophile de l'année". Vision (in French). Vol. 20, no. 3. Ottawa, Ontario. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  2. ^ Dodge, Brian (February 6, 2014). "Orléans businesses shine at chamber awards". Orléans News. Ottawa, Ontario. p. 33. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Blais". Ottawa Citizen. July 24, 1980. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  4. ^ "About Stephen". Archived from the original on October 5, 2013.
  5. ^ "Stephen Blais". Ontario Liberal Party. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  6. ^ "Meet Your MPPs" (PDF). GLP Weekly Times. Vol. 16, no. 28. Professional Engineers Ontario. August 26, 2022. p. 5. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  7. ^ "Ottawa councillor Stephen Blais suffers heart attack". Ottawa Sun. January 7, 2013.
  8. ^ a b Campbell, Don (October 24, 2010). "Jellett out, Blais in". Ottawa Citizen. Ottawa, Ontario. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  9. ^ "Stephen Blais Biography". Ontario Liberal party. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
  10. ^ "Stephen Blais Bursary". Carleton University. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  11. ^ Chianello, Joanne (May 29, 2012). "Like him or not, rookie Blais is getting things done". Ottawa Citizen.
  12. ^ a b "Ottawa councillor Stephen Blais suffers heart attack". The Ottawa Sun. January 7, 2013.
  13. ^ "Ottawa councillor wants smoking banned in parks and patios". CTV News Ottawa. August 11, 2011.
  14. ^ "Put toll on 174 for out-of-towners, councillor says". CBC News. May 31, 2013. Archived from the original on May 31, 2023.
  15. ^ "OTTAWA CITY COUNCIL - MINUTES 56". City of Ottawa. June 12, 2013.
  16. ^ "The toll of two municipalities". CTV Ottawa. May 30, 2013.
  17. ^ Jon Willing (April 16, 2014). "Plans underway for $8M east-end Ottawa park". Ottawa Sun.
  18. ^ Willing, Jon (December 17, 2014). "New transit chair tasked with LRT prep and growing ridership". Ottawa Sun.
  19. ^ Provencher, Norman (October 22, 2018). "Stephen Blais cruises to re-election in Cumberland ward". Ottawa Citizen. Ottawa, Ontario. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  20. ^ Chianello, Joanne (October 10, 2019). "Blais running for Liberal nomination in Orléans". CBC News. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
  21. ^ Duffy, Andrew (November 9, 2019). "Orléans Liberals nominate Coun. Stephen Blais for provincial byelection". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  22. ^ "Stephen Blais keeps Orléans Liberal red". Ottawa: CBC News. February 27, 2020. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  23. ^ "Decisive victory sends Blais to Queen's Park". Ottawa: Orléans Star. March 5, 2020.
  24. ^ "Ontario Liberals Announce Updated Critic Roles". Toronto: Ontario Liberal Party. September 25, 2023. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  25. ^ "Bill 26, Uploading Highways 174 and 17 Act, 2021". Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  26. ^ Pringle, Josh (October 27, 2021). "MPP calls on Ontario to take over responsibility of Hwy. 174 in Ottawa's east end". CTV News. Ottawa, Ontario. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  27. ^ "Liberal Stephen Blais re-elected in Orléans". CBC News. Ottawa, Ontario. June 2, 2022. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  28. ^ Jon Willing (October 22, 2018). "Ottawa Votes: What you need to know about the candidates in Cumberland". Ottawa Citizen.
  29. ^ "Councillor discharged from hospital after heart attack". CBC Ottawa. April 30, 2013.
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