Written by stevedesroches.ca

Councillor Steve Desroches was first elected in 2006. He was re-elected in 2010 with a strong mandate to continue the progress made with the residents of Gloucester-South Nepean, which includes neighbourhoods in Leitrim, Findlay Creek, Riverside South and Barrhaven.

He is currently the Deputy Mayor of the City of Ottawa following his appointment by Mayor Watson and City Council.

He is a member of the newly created Environment Committee and the City's new Transit Commission. Councillor Desroches is also Chair of the Ottawa Housing Corporation (OCH), which is the largest social housing provider in Ottawa, and the second largest in Ontario. OCH provides 14,783 homes for about 32,000 seniors, parents, children, singles and persons with special needs.

Councillor Desroches previously served as the Vice-Chair of both the Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee and the Information Technology Sub-committee. He also served on the Transportation Committee and the Planning and Environment Committee. He is also a past Board Member of the Nepean Museum.

Councillor Desroches serves on the Board of Directors of the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, the Pineview Municipal Golf Club, the Barrhaven Business Improvement Area, and is a member of the Advisory Board of the Carleton Lodge. In addition, he represents the City of Ottawa on the Board of Directors of the province-wide Ontario Good Roads Association.

Since being elected, Councillor Desroches has been instrumental in championing the infrastructure needs of the rapidly growing region of South Ottawa. These projects include the Strandherd-Armstrong Bridge, new roads for South Ottawa including Longfields Drive, Jockvale Road, Earl Armstrong Road, Strandherd Drive and Limebank Road, as well as improved transit. Steve was also successful in forging a partnership between the City of Ottawa, Earth Day Canada, and Sunoco/Suncor Energy Foundation to plant 10,000 trees in Ward 22. He has championed the Southwest Transitway Expansion in Barrhaven and has been a strong supporter of the respite care facility for the Ottawa Rotary Home in the Leitrim area.

Steve was a member of the City of Ottawa's successful bid team for the 2013 IIHF World Women's Championship games in Ottawa.

Prior to his election, Steve was an active member of his community as Executive Vice-President of the Riverside South Community Association and a founding member of the Barrhaven Legion. Steve had also played a lead role in the successful fight to protect lands reserved for a much-needed elementary school and lobbied school boards to focus on the needs of the community. An avid volunteer, Steve was a leading advocate for residents of Ottawa having served as Vice-Chair of the OC-Transpo Advisory Committee, a member of the City of Ottawa Heritage Advisory Committee and a trustee on the Ottawa Public Library Board.

Prior to 2006, Steve worked for several departments in the federal government including Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the Privy Council Office and Elections Canada. He recently managed a federal program designed to support small-and-medium sized enterprise and he has served on federal audit and review teams and worked alongside the Office of the Auditor General towards strengthening government performance.

Fully bilingual, Steve is a graduate of the University of Ottawa and holds a Masters degree in Public Administration from Carleton University.

Steve and his family are residents of Gloucester - South Nepean. Steve and his wife Michelle are the proud parents of two boys, who were born at the Queensway-Carleton Hospital.