George Brown (Ottawa politician)

George M. Brown (born 1959) is a former Ottawa City Councillor. He represented Riverside Ward from 1985 to 1994.[1]

George Brown
Ottawa City Councillor
In office
1985–1994
Preceded byJim Durrell
Succeeded byKarin Howard
ConstituencyRiverside Ward
Personal details
Born1959
Spouse(s)Sandy
Children2
Alma materUniversity of Ottawa
Southern New Hampshire University

Brown was first elected in the 1985 municipal election, defeating three other candidates with 45% of the vote. Prior to being elected he was a child care worker.[2] In his initial election campaign, he characterized himself as a centrist who combined a dislike of bureaucracy and "big government" with strong support for community-based services such as non-profit organizations, child care services and co-operatives.[3] Early in his first council term, he served on a committee to save the city's bookmobile service after it was threatened by funding cuts,[4] and spearheaded a motion to have city council members' job title formally changed from "alderman" to "councillor".[5] He also supported a then-controversial $5,000 grant to Gays of Ottawa, the city's primary organization for LGBT people, on the grounds that denying the grant because of the group's sexual orientation would be discriminatory.[6]

He was easily re-elected in the 1988 municipal election, winning 85 per cent of the vote over his sole opponent.[7] During his second term, he successfully lobbied his fellow councillors to institute a ban on gun and weapon shows on city property.[8] He became chair of the city's economic affairs committee,[9] and served on the environmental services committee of the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton.[10]

He was reelected again in the 1991 municipal election.[11] During this term he was chair of the regional environmental services committee,[11] and served as vice-chair of the housing task force for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.[11]

He did not run for re-election in 1994.

After municipal politics, Brown joined the Ontario Green Party and ran in Ottawa South in the 1999 provincial election, winning two per cent of the vote. In 2007, he ran for the Conservative Party of Canada nomination in Ottawa South, losing to Elie Salibi.

Brown became a lawyer in 2003. He served as president of the Ottawa Community Loan Fund, and is a part-time professor at the University of Ottawa's law school. As a lawyer, he specializes in immigration and community development. He currently lives in the Mooney's Bay area of the city. He has a Master of Science degree in community economic development from New Hampshire College (now Southern New Hampshire University) and an LL.B. degree from the University of Ottawa Law School.

He ran for the New Democratic Party in Ottawa South in the 2015 Canadian federal election.[1]

References
  1. "Former councillor to represent New Democrats in Ottawa South federal riding". Ottawa Community News, March 18, 2015.
  2. "A ward-by-ward breakdown of the election results across Ottawa". Ottawa Citizen, November 13, 1985.
  3. "Durrell's new council not a swing to right, but the middle". Ottawa Citizen, November 16, 1985.
  4. "Ottawa committee hopes to find way to save bookmobiles". Ottawa Citizen, January 8, 1986.
  5. "Ottawa councillors say 'alderman' a sexist title". Ottawa Citizen, January 16, 1986.
  6. "Gays win, peace group loses in Ottawa Council grant votes". Ottawa Citizen, June 6, 1986.
  7. "All but 3 Ottawa incumbents re-elected; Riverside ward". Ottawa Citizen, November 15, 1988.
  8. "Ottawa City Council: A six-month report card". Ottawa Citizen, May 27, 1989.
  9. "Kent heads city committee". Ottawa Citizen, December 8, 1988.
  10. "Environment meeting requested". Ottawa Citizen, May 16, 1989.
  11. "Rough year for the Class of '92; Report cards are in for members of Ottawa city council". Ottawa Citizen, August 1, 1992.
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