(Posted 7:30 a.m., Jan. 31)
Michel Bellemare ponders run at federal seat
By Fred Sherwin
Orléans Online

Beacon Hill, Cyrville Coun. Michel Bellemare is thinking about running for the Liberal nomination in the next federal election in the riding of Ottawa-Orléans.

The veteran city councillor says he's been approached by several members of the Liberal Party to make a run at the nomination in the riding once held by his father Eugene Bellemare.

Before making a decision, Bellemare says he wants to consult with his family and seek the advice of a number of close friends.

A lawyer by trade, the 39-year-old Bellemare was first elected to the former regional council in 1994 and was reelected in 1997. He successfully ran for city council after amalgamation in 2000 and was reelected in 2003 and again this past November.

His father served on Parliament Hill from 1988 until 2004 when he lost the Liberal nomination to Marc Godbout. Godbout went on to serve in the Liberal minority government for one year before being defeated by Royal Galipeau last January.

Bellemare says he's tempted to take a run at the nomination so that he can offer his years of municipal experience at the federal level and lobby for a reduction in the funding gap between all three levels of government.

"There's a lot of issues that overlap both levels of government. Infrastructure funding being one of them. There's a huge infrastructure gap and the property tax base can't do it all to keep up with the growing needs of the cities," says Bellemare who plans to make up his mind one way or the other soon.

Should he decide to seek the Liberal nomination he plans to keep his seat on city council through the next federal election and only step down should he win which is allowed under the provincial Municipal Act.

"I would certainly retain my seat until the nomination and until the election. I'm committed to public service and I"m committed to continue to serve the residents of Beacon Hill, Cyrville," says Bellemare.

If he decides to seek the nomination he will join Marc Thibault and Marc Godbout as the only other candidates to declare their intention to run thus far. Former Liberal MP (Elgin-Middlesex-London) Gar Knutson is also rumoured to be interested in the job.

(This story was made possible thanks to the generous support of our local business partners.)

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