Hon Bob Chiarelli, Ottawa West - Nepean

Father, thank you for Bob Chiarelli.   He is truly unique, and that is according to your design.   He especially excels as a builder, with the ability to take a dream and make it a reality.    Would you guide him as he serves the people of our province?   May the pathways he orchestrates ultimately lead people toward the destiny that You have in mind for them. Give him much joy as he sojourns through this day and may he know your hand upon him.

A well known figure in Ottawa, Bob Chiarelli was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario on March 4, 2010 in a byelection in the riding of Ottawa West-Nepean. Bob was previously MPP for the riding of Ottawa West from 1987 to 1997, and he served as the parliamentary assistant to the Chair of the Management Board in 1987-88. Bob was appointed Minister of Infrastructure in August 2010, in addition to this role he was appointed Minister of Transportation in October 2011. He served as the Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation until he was appointed as the Minister of Energy in February 2013. MPP Chiarelli currently serves as Minister of Infrastructure.

Bob also served as the Regional Chair of Ottawa-Carleton and was later elected Mayor of the amalgamated City of Ottawa. He has been a champion of public transit, including clean light-rail expansion, and helped build over $150 million in new recreational and health care infrastructure in Ottawa neighbourhoods. A strong financial manager, Bob ensured Ottawa maintained its Triple-A fiscal rating under his leadership.

Bob Chiarelli has been a passionate community advocate all his life. Born and raised in Ottawa's Little Italy as the youngest of seven children, Bob earned his law degree at the University of Ottawa and set up a community-based legal practice. Always actively involved in his community, Bob worked to modernize the refugee claim process and give low-income Ottawa residents better access to affordable housing.

During his break from political life, Bob remained actively committed to his community, serving as Vice-Chair of the Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health, Member of the Board of Peace Camp Ottawa, and as a fundraising volunteer with Citizen Advocacy. He was also a Senior Fellow in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa.

Bob and his partner, Randi Hansen, live in Ottawa. He enjoys spending time with his adult children and two grandchildren.