Mauril Bélanger: who will replace the late MP?

[A vacancy was left in Parliament when Liberal MP Mauril Bélanger died unexpectedly on Aug. 15. CBC NEWS]

There’s been mourning and fluttering in the nation’s capital since the death of veteran Liberal MP Mauril Bélanger, who died mid-August from Lou Gehrig’s disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

His funeral is to be held Saturday at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Ottawa. The 61-year-old politician died Aug. 15, just nine months after getting his ALS diagnosis. He appeared on the Hill on June 10 to experience final debate on his bill to amend the lyrics to O Canada to be gender neutral, which is expected to be passed by the Senate in the next sitting.

It’s now a week since his passing, and thoughts are turning to who will represent his riding of Ottawa-Vanier.

A byelection will have to held to replace the late MP. So far, no announcement has been made. According to Elections Canada, the date of a byelection is “determined by the Governor in Council (the Governor General, acting on the advice of Cabinet). It must be called between the 11th day and the 180th day after the receipt by the Chief Electoral Officer of the document sent by the House Speaker advising of the vacancy.

Yahoo Canada News reached out to five possible candidates who, according to a published report, may consider a run. Some did not reply and others who did would not talk about running but added some personal comments about Bélanger.

Three Ottawa city councillors who represent different sections of the riding could be tossing their hats into the ring: Tobi Nussbaum, Tim Tierney and Mathieu Fleury.

“This is not the time to talk about that. It’s a rough time and a tough time for the community,” Fleury told Yahoo Canada News when asked about his possible run for the candidacy.

Fleury, who has a master’s degree in sports management, is one of the youngest people to enter municipal politics — he was 24 in 2010 when elected. Some of the committees and boards that he sits on include the Ottawa Community Housing Board, the Transportation Committee, Ottawa Public Health and the Ottawa Sports Council. Fleury is also co-chair of the city’s task force on Canada’s 150th anniversary in 2017.

“Growing up in the area, Mauril was the only MP I ever knew,” Fleury reflected. “He was very active in protecting francophone rights [and] I worked with him on about 20 files over the last six years. One of the major ones was social housing and investments and renovations to seniors housing in the area.”

Fleury noted Bélanger was also passionate about getting addictions treatment for youth and worked hard to make sure programs in Fleury’s part of Vanier were expanded.

“He didn’t see [that being an MP] was work but saw it as who he was and also, in helping out the community.”

‘Tireless champion’

Nussbaum is a graduate of Queen’s, the University of Victoria and Harvard University. Joining the foreign service in 1996, he moved to Ottawa. Since that time, he also worked at the United Nations in New York and on international trade policy in Geneva. When he returned to the nation’s capital, he spent time at the Canadian International Development Agency.

“Mauril was a tireless champion for Ottawa-Vanier who also advanced broader issues relevant to all Canadians — from international development to promoting co-operatives as an economic and social model,” said Nussbaum in a statement. “I will miss his quiet determination, friendly openness and the always-present respect he offered to his constituents, colleagues and peers.”

Tierney, whose experience is in the business technology field, told Yahoo News Canada he wouldn’t comment about the riding nomination but had this to say about the late MP:

“Ever since I took office in December 2010, Mauril has provided me with guidance and advice on several issues relevant to the community, and I will never forget how important he was to all of us,” said Tierney,

“Anytime I asked him to come out to an enjoyable community event or a more passionate public meeting on any issue, Mauril was always there and had no issue bridging any gaps between different levels of government.”

Tierney’s participation in local politics runs to sitting on the Ottawa Public Library Board, the city’s police services board, the planning committee, the transit commission, the community safety and crime prevention committee as well as representing Ottawa at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.

Two top Liberals

Of the top Liberals reportedly interested, ex-Nova Scotia Liberal MP Francis LeBlanc and communications consultant Mona Fortier are considered in strong contention. Neither responded to requests from Yahoo Canada News.

LeBlanc was an MP for Cape Breton Highlands-Canso twice. During his time as an MP, he was also chief of staff to former foreign affairs minister Pierre Pettigrew and an executive member of the Liberal riding association.

LeBlanc had close ties to Bélanger, serving as his campaign manager in the last election and also raised funds for the riding and the campaign.

Reluctant to comment on the nomination contest, LeBlanc told The Hill Times last week he just couldn’t “out of respect for Mauril” who was alive at the time.

“We did not want to convey any impression that we were somehow anticipating his demise and planning for the succession.”

Fortier was also close to Bélanger, having been a former riding association head. She is a communications consultant and member of the board of directors for the Shaw Centre and Montfort Hospital. Fortier, who holds an MBA, has more than two decades of experience in communications at public and private institutions. Most recently, she held the post of chief director of communications and market development at Collège La Cité, where she had been working since 2008. Prior to that, she was the executive vice-president of Equinox Inc. for several years.