View source for Bob Chiarelli

{{Short description|Canadian politician}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2013}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix = [[The Honourable]]
|honorific-suffix =[[Executive Council of Ontario|ECO]]
| name          = Bob Chiarelli
| image         = [[File:Bob Chiarelli OTT.jpg|230px]]
| caption       = Chiarelli in 2022
| parliament2   = Ontario Provincial
| term_start2   = March 4, 2010
| term_end2     = June 7, 2018
| predecessor2  = [[Jim Watson (Canadian politician)|Jim Watson]]
| successor2    = [[Jeremy Roberts (politician)|Jeremy Roberts]]
| riding2       = [[Ottawa West—Nepean (provincial electoral district)|Ottawa West—Nepean]]<br /><small>[[Ottawa West]] (1987–1997)</small>
| term_start3   = September 10, 1987
| term_end3     = July 23, 1997
| predecessor3  = [[Reuben Baetz]]
| successor3    = [[Alex Cullen (politician)|Alex Cullen]]
| order4        = 57th
| office4       = Mayor of Ottawa
| term_start4   = January 1, 2001
| term_end4     = December 1, 2006
| predecessor4  = [[Allan Higdon]] (interim)
| successor4    = [[Larry O'Brien (businessman)|Larry O'Brien]]
| office5       = [[Regional Chair of Ottawa-Carleton]]
| term_start5   = November 10, 1997
| term_end5     = January 1, 2001
| predecessor5  = [[Peter D. Clark (politician)|Peter Clark]]
| successor5    = ''Position abolished''
| party         = [[Ontario Liberal Party|Liberal]]
| birth_name    = Robert Chiarelli
| birth_date    = {{Birth date and age|1941|09|24}}
| birth_place   = [[Ottawa]], [[Ontario]], Canada
| spouse        = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|Susan Orth|end=divorced}}
* {{marriage|Carol Chiarelli|1985|1996|reason=died}}
* Randi Hansen
}}
| profession    = Lawyer
}}

'''Roberto Chiarelli'''<ref name="Antonia"/> (born September 24, 1941) is a Canadian politician. He was a [[Ontario Liberal Party|Liberal]] member in the [[Legislative Assembly of Ontario]] who served from 1987 to 1997 and again from 2010 to 2018 who represented the ridings of [[Ottawa West]] and [[Ottawa West—Nepean (provincial electoral district)|Ottawa West—Nepean]]. He was the [[Regional Chair of Ottawa-Carleton]] from 1997 to 2001 and was mayor of [[Ottawa]] from 2001 to 2006. He served in the [[Executive Council of Ontario|provincial cabinets]] of [[Dalton McGuinty]] and [[Kathleen Wynne]]. Chiarelli was a candidate for [[Mayor of Ottawa]] in the [[2022 Ottawa municipal election]].

==Background==
The youngest of seven children, Chiarelli is the son of Antonia ({{nee}} Lorello) and Eugenio Chiarelli, an immigrant from [[Cleto, Calabria]], [[Italy]], who owned a grocery store and butcher shop in [[Little Italy, Ottawa|Little Italy]] on Rochester Street.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ottawa's "Village" |url=https://accenti.ca/ottawas-village/ |website=accenti |accessdate=January 17, 2025 |date=April 18, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://bobchiarelli.onmpp.ca/Biography |title=Biography: Bob Chiarelli MPP Ottawa West-Nepean |access-date=March 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180526233336/http://www.bobchiarelli.onmpp.ca/Biography |archive-date=May 26, 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Eugenio first moved to Ottawa, before Atonia moved from Italy with their first two children. The family lived above Eugenio's store.<ref name="Antonia">{{cite news|title=Mother praised for devotion to family|date=December 11, 1998|page=51|newspaper=Ottawa Citizen|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ottawa-citizen-obituary-for-antonia/163270907/|accessdate=January 17, 2024}}</ref> Bob was an [[ice hockey]] player in high school and attended [[Clarkson University]], [[New York State|New York]], on a hockey scholarship. He received a [[Bachelor of Business Administration]] degree, and then returned to Ottawa to attend the [[University of Ottawa]] law school.  He began his legal practice in 1969. He served for seven years on the [[National Capital Commission]]. He lives in Ottawa with his partner Randi Hansen, and has five adult children and two grandchildren.

==Provincial politics==
Chiarelli entered politics in 1987, where he ran as a [[Liberal Party of Ontario|Liberal]] candidate in the [[1987 Ontario general election|1987 provincial election]] in the riding of [[Ottawa West]]. He defeated  [[Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario|Progressive Conservative]] candidate  Derek Insley by about 6,000 votes.<ref name="1987 results">{{cite news |title=Results from individual ridings |newspaper=The Windsor Star |date=September 11, 1987 |page=F2}}</ref>  He served as the [[parliamentary assistant]] to the [[Chair of the Management Board of Cabinet (Ontario)|Chair of the Management Board]] in 1987–88.  Chiarelli was re-elected in the provincial elections of [[1990 Ontario general election|1990]] and [[1995 Ontario general election|1995]].<ref name="1990 results">{{cite news |title=Ontario election: Riding-by-riding voting results |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=September 7, 1990 |page=A12}}</ref><ref name="1995 results">{{cite web |url=http://results.elections.on.ca/results/1995_results/valid_votes.jsp?e_code=36&rec=0&district=ottawa+west&flag=E&layout=G |title=Summary of Valid Ballots by Candidate |publisher=Elections Ontario |date=June 8, 1995 |access-date=2014-03-02 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140821234616/http://results.elections.on.ca/results/1995_results/valid_votes.jsp?e_code=36&rec=0&district=ottawa+west&flag=E&layout=G |archive-date=August 21, 2014 |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref name=Sun>{{Cite news |last=Sherring |first=Susan |title=Bob makes run for Queen's Park |url=http://www.ottawasun.com/news/columnists/susan_sherring/2010/01/17/12504661.html |newspaper=Ottawa Sun |date=January 18, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100121051753/http://www.ottawasun.com/news/columnists/susan_sherring/2010/01/17/12504661.html |archive-date=January 21, 2010 |access-date=March 5, 2010 |url-status=dead |df=mdy }}</ref> Chiarelli endorsed [[Dalton McGuinty]]'s bid to lead the Ontario Liberal Party in 1996.<ref name=Sun/>

He resigned his seat in 1997 in order to pursue a position in municipal politics.<ref>{{cite news |title=Chiarelli will seek regional chair: Incumbent Clark files papers to seek third term |last=Eade |first=Ron |newspaper=The Ottawa Citizen |date=April 3, 1997 |page=B1}}</ref>

===Return to provincial politics===
In 2010, Chiarelli ran as the Liberal Party candidate in a by-election held in the riding of [[Ottawa West–Nepean (provincial electoral district)|Ottawa West–Nepean]] to succeed [[Jim Watson (Canadian politician)|Jim Watson]] who resigned to run for  Mayor of Ottawa. He won the by-election, which was held on March 4.<ref name=globe>{{Cite news |last=Howlett |first=Karen |title=McGuinty Liberals win narrow victory in Ottawa by-election |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/mcguinty-liberals-win-narrow-victory-in-ottawa-by-election/article1490446/ |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=March 4, 2010 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240524212811/https://www.webcitation.org/5nzgJ0XI0?url=http://license.icopyright.net/user/viewFreeUse.act%3Ffuid=NzM1OTYzOQ== |archive-date=May 24, 2024 |access-date=March 5, 2010 |url-status=dead |df=mdy }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Macleod |first=Ian |title=Liberals acclaim Bob Chiarelli in Ottawa-West Nepean race |url=https://ottawacitizen.com/news/Liberals+acclaim+Chiarelli+Ottawa+West+Nepean+race/2506667/story.html |newspaper=Ottawa Citizen |date=February 1, 2010 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20100305043301/http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Liberals+acclaim+Chiarelli+Ottawa+West+Nepean+race/2506667/story.html |archive-date=March 5, 2010 |access-date=March 5, 2010 |url-status=dead |df=mdy }}</ref> Chiarelli was re-elected in the [[2011 Ontario general election|2011]] and [[2014 Ontario general election|2014]] elections.<ref name="2011 results">{{cite web|url=http://elections.on.ca/NR/rdonlyres/7849B894-4C4F-490E-9E8C-271BCF0C0D4D/5712/SummaryofvalidvotescastforeacndGE2011.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130330163815/http://elections.on.ca/NR/rdonlyres/7849B894-4C4F-490E-9E8C-271BCF0C0D4D/5712/SummaryofvalidvotescastforeacndGE2011.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 30, 2013 |title=Summary of Valid Ballots Cast for Each Candidate |publisher=Elections Ontario |date=October 6, 2011 |access-date=2014-03-02 |page=13 }}</ref><ref name="2014 results">{{cite web |title=General Election by District: Ottawa West-Nepean |publisher=Elections Ontario |date=June 12, 2014 |url=http://wemakevotingeasy.ca/en/general-election-district-results.aspx?d=066 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140923154021/http://wemakevotingeasy.ca/en/general-election-district-results.aspx?d=066 |archive-date=September 23, 2014 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

On August 18, 2010, Chiarelli was appointed to cabinet as [[Ministry of Infrastructure (Ontario)|Minister of Public Infrastructure and Renewal]].<ref name="McGuinty2010Cab2">{{cite news |title=McGuinty moves 6, brings in 2 new faces in Ontario cabinet shuffle |last=Aveling |first=Nick |publisher=Postmedia News |date=August 18, 2010}}</ref>

On June 7, 2018, Chiarelli was defeated in the provincial election. He placed 3rd, behind the PC and NDP local candidates. The Progressive Conservatives, led by Doug Ford, won a sizeable majority government, ending 15 consecutive years of Liberal power.

==Municipal politics==
In November 1997, Chiarelli contested the position of [[Regional Chair of Ottawa-Carleton]]. He defeated incumbent [[Peter D. Clark (politician)|Peter Clark]]. Chiarelli's win was the only Ottawa municipal contest where an incumbent was upset.<ref>{{cite news |title=Veterans picked to face unknown: Ontario voters have largely chosen ... |last1=Delacourt |first1=Susan |last2= Coutts |first2=Jane |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |date=November 11, 1997 |page=A12}}</ref> For the next three years, he advocated eliminating the region's "two-tiered" government, and  amalgamating the regional municipalities into a single city.<ref>{{cite news |title=Lansdowne deal looks promising |newspaper=The Ottawa Citizen |date=April 27, 1999 |page=F4}}</ref>  The provincial government of [[Mike Harris]] did this in 2000, and Chiarelli declared himself a candidate to become the first mayor of the amalgamated city of Ottawa.<ref>{{cite news |title=Foreign Affairs has its eye on Ottawa City Hall: Chiarelli |last=Gray |first=Ken |newspaper=The Ottawa Citizen |date=February 10, 2000 |page=F3}}</ref>

Chiarelli was elected as the first mayor of the newly amalgamated city of Ottawa on [[2000 Ottawa municipal election|November 13, 2000]] defeating former mayor of [[Gloucester, Ontario]], Claudette Cain.<ref>{{cite news |title=Chiarelli wins historic race to lead amalgamated City of Ottawa |publisher=Canadian Press NewsWire |date=November 13, 2000}}</ref> He was easily re-elected in the [[2003 Ottawa municipal election|2003 election]] beating his closest rival by nearly 40,000 votes.<ref>{{cite news |title=Final election results |newspaper=The Ottawa Citizen |date=November 12, 2003 |page=B7}}</ref>

===2006 election===
[[Image:2006 Chiarelli vote.png|right|thumb|300px|A map showing the distribution of Chiarelli's vote in the 2006 election. His best areas were his home district around Carlingwood and the southern suburbs that were to have been serviced by his O-Train plan.]]
{{Main|Ottawa municipal election, 2006}}
In the [[Ottawa municipal election, 2006|2006 election]], he ran for re-election against two main opponents: former Kanata councillor [[Alex Munter]], and businessman [[Larry O'Brien (businessman)|Larry O'Brien]]. Terry Kilrea, runner-up to Chiarelli in 2003, campaigned through the summer but withdrew when it seemed left-wing candidate [[Alex Munter]] had taken the lead. Kilrea decided to support Chiarelli for the remainder of the campaign.{{Citation needed|date=December 2021}}

Chiarelli's main project was the expansion of the city's [[O-Train|light-rail system]]: a north-south line would run from [[Barrhaven, Ontario|Barrhaven]] to downtown Ottawa starting in 2009. His opponents in the election alleged that the project had been undertaken without sufficient consultation or communication with the public. The project was cancelled shortly after his departure of City Hall.{{Citation needed|date=December 2021}}

Chiarelli also had plans to improve the east end of the city. He introduced a 10-point revitalization plan that would include attracting more jobs and businesses east of the [[Rideau River]] in order to improve its [[economic development]]. He also planned to build new roads to improve connections between [[Orleans, Ontario|Orleans]] and the south end of the city.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Chiarelli reveals 10-point plan |url=http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=15b1a058-6843-45a8-9ec9-e5d07fbf48d6&k=92930 |newspaper=Ottawa Citizen |date=October 19, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929213839/http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=15b1a058-6843-45a8-9ec9-e5d07fbf48d6&k=92930 |archive-date=September 29, 2007 |access-date=March 5, 2010 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Also he promised to expand the existing bike trail system with additional trails connecting suburban and rural areas of Ottawa.

In a survey conducted by UniMarketing during the week of October 13, 2006, Chiarelli placed second with an 11-point percentage deficit on Munter but had a three-point advantage over O'Brien among the most likely to vote. In the election, he finished in third position with just over 15% of the vote and lost the mayoral position to O'Brien.{{Citation needed|date=December 2021}}

===Return to municipal politics===
{{Main|2022 Ottawa municipal election}}
On December 10, 2021, Chiarelli announced his intention to return to municipal politics, declaring himself a candidate for his former job as mayor in the [[2022 Ottawa municipal election|2022 municipal election]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/bob-chiarelli-diane-deans-and-catherine-mckenney-confirm-theyll-run-for-mayor-of-ottawa|title=Bob Chiarelli, Diane Deans and Catherine McKenney confirm they'll run for mayor of Ottawa|date=December 10, 2021|access-date=December 20, 2021|website=Ottawa Citizen}}</ref> He finished third with 5.08% of the vote.<ref>{{cite web |date=October 25, 2022 |title=2022 Official election results |url=https://app06.ottawa.ca/election/2022_en.html |website=City of Ottawa}}</ref>

==Electoral record==
{{2022 Ottawa municipal election/Mayor}}
{{2018 Ontario general election/Ottawa West—Nepean}}
{{2014 Ontario general election/Ottawa West—Nepean}}
{{2011 Ontario general election/Ottawa West—Nepean}}
{{2010 Ontario provincial by-elections/Ottawa West—Nepean}}
{{2006 Ottawa municipal election/Mayor}}
{{2003 Ottawa municipal election/Mayor}}
{{2000 Ottawa municipal election/Mayor}}
{{1997 Ottawa–Carleton regional elections/Regional Chair}}
{{1995 Ontario general election/Ottawa West}}
{{1990 Ontario general election/Ottawa West}}
{{1987 Ontario general election/Ottawa West}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Ontario MPP biography|id=bob-chiarelli|old_id=324|name=Bob Chiarelli}}

{{s-start}}
{{Canadian cabinet member navigational box header |ministry=Kathleen_Wynne}}
{{ministry box cabinet posts
| post2preceded = [[Brad Duguid]]
| post2         = [[Ministry of Infrastructure (Ontario)|Minister of Infrastructure]]
| post2years    = 2016-2018
| post2note     =
| post2followed = [[Monte McNaughton]]

| post1preceded = [[Chris Bentley (politician)|Chris Bentley]]
| post1         = [[Ministry of Energy (Ontario)|Minister of Energy]]
| post1years    = 2013-2016
| post1note     =
| post1followed = [[Glenn Thibeault]]
}}
{{Canadian cabinet member navigational box header |ministry=Dalton_McGuinty}}
{{ministry box cabinet posts
| post3preceded = [[Kathleen Wynne]]
| post3         = [[Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (Ontario)|Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing]]
| post3years    = 2012-2013
| post3note     =
| post3followed = [[Linda Jeffrey]]

| post2preceded = [[Kathleen Wynne]]
| post2         = [[Ministry of Transportation (Ontario)|Minister of Transportation]]
| post2years    = 2011-2013
| post2note     =
| post2followed = [[Glen Murray (politician)|Glen Murray]]

| post1preceded = [[Brad Duguid]] <small>(Energy and Infrastructure)</small>
| post1         = [[Ministry of Infrastructure (Ontario)|Minister of Infrastructure]]
| post1years    = 2010-2013
| post1note     =
| post1followed = [[Glen Murray (politician)|Glen Murray]]
}}
{{s-end}}
{{Wynne Ministry}}
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{{Ottawamayor}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chiarelli, Bob}}
[[Category:1941 births]]
[[Category:21st-century mayors of places in Ontario]]
[[Category:Canadian people of Calabrian descent]]
[[Category:Chairs of the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton]]
[[Category:Clarkson University alumni]]
[[Category:Ice hockey people from Ottawa]]
[[Category:Lawyers in Ontario]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Mayors of Ottawa]]
[[Category:Members of the Executive Council of Ontario]]
[[Category:Ontario Liberal Party MPPs]]
[[Category:University of Ottawa alumni]]
[[Category:University of Ottawa Faculty of Law alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario]]
[[Category:21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario]]