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George Darouze

George Darouze
Darouze in 2025
Ottawa City Councillor
Incumbent
Assumed office
December 1, 2014
Preceded byDoug Thompson
ConstituencyOsgoode Ward
Deputy Mayor of Ottawa
In office
December 2018 – December 1, 2022
Serving with Matthew Luloff (until 2020), Jenna Sudds (2020–2021) & Laura Dudas
Preceded byBob Monette, Mark Taylor
Personal details
BornNovember 1964
Political partyOntario Progressive Conservative Party
SpouseSue Darouze

George Darouze (born November 1964) is the Ottawa City Councillor for Osgoode Ward. He was elected for the first time in the 2014 Ottawa municipal election.

Darouze immigrated from Lebanon in 1990, settling in the community of Greely, Ontario in Osgoode Township, which would be amalgamated into Ottawa in 2001.

Darouze graduated from the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts with a degree in Telecommunications. After moving to Canada, he worked in a number of odd-jobs such as busboy, baker, dishwasher and fast food employee before purchasing a pizzeria. Later, he became a sales representative for a Bell Mobility dealer, which led him to work in a number of managerial positions for various telecommunications companies.[1] He speaks English, French and Arabic. He is the former president of the Ottawa-Carleton Snowmobile Trail Club.[2]

Darouze has supported Conservative Member of Parliament Pierre Poilievre, as well as the previous councillor for Osgoode Ward, Doug Thompson.[3]

Darouze, along with Laura Dudas and Matthew Luloff was appointed as a deputy mayor of the city in December 2018.[4]

In 2020, Darouze was caught texting while driving while livestreaming as part of a virtual meeting of the city's audit committee. Darouze indicated he had done so "inadvertently." He has since apologized.[5]

In 2022, Darouze won re-election as the representative for Osgoode Ward 20. He won the election by a margin of approximately 200 votes, securing a third term on Ottawa's city council.[6]

On November 9, 2024, Darouze announced he was running for the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party nomination for the riding of Carleton ahead of the Next Ontario general election.[7] On December 8, 2024, the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party announced Darouze as their candidate for the riding of Carleton.[8] Darouze won the nomination contest with 96% of the vote, defeating Ottawa-Carleton District School Board trustee and former 2021 Conservative candidate for Ottawa West—Nepean Jennifer Jennekens.[9]

2022-2026 Term of Council

Darouze has spoken out against the Vacant Unit Tax in Ottawa on multiple occasions, including trying to repeal the Vacant Unit Tax in August 2023,[10] and proposing changes that exempted certain rural properties, as well as providing opportunities for additional case-specific exemptions.[11]

Darouze has pushed for further enhancements to the rural economy in Ottawa, moving a motion to include the rural and agricultural sector within the strategic priorities of the City's Economic Development Strategy and Action Plan.[12]

Darouze spoke out against a lowering of the curbside waste collection limit in 2023, acknowledging concerns from rural residents with respect to the potential for an increase in illegal dumping.[13]

Darouze spoke out[14] and voted against deferral of works related to the widening of the Airport Parkway,[15] citing the fact that this highway is one of the first impressions that visitors to the City of Ottawa will have upon arrival at the Ottawa Airport in the City's south end.

Darouze provided a direction to City staff in October 2024 to conduct a fulsome review of rural villages in 2025 and provide recommendations for growth opportunities in smaller and mid-size villages, in order to prevent stagnation of housing development and services.[16]

Committees

As of February 2023, Darouze sits on the following Committees and Boards of Directors:

  • Transportation Committee[17][18]
  • Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee (Chair) [19]
  • Finance and Corporate Services Committee [20]
  • Planning and Housing Committee (ex-officio) [21]
  • South Nation Conservation Authority [22]

Volunteering and awards

Darouze has volunteered with the Greely Winter Carnival, the Osgoode Village and Metcalfe Santa Claus Parades, the Vernon Arts and Crafts Show, and the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation.[23]

In 2011, Darouze was awarded Volunteer of the Year by the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs.[23] George's extensive volunteer work was also recognized in 2011 when he received the Osgoode Ward Community Volunteer Award, and in 2012 when he became a Queen's Diamond Jubilee medal recipient.[24]

Integrity commissioner investigation and lawsuit

According to CBC News, Darouze "tried to silence a woman who criticized him on social media during last fall's [2018] municipal election by writing to her husband's boss, the chief of police, according to a scathing report from the city's integrity commissioner."[25]

The complaint was received on March 12, 2019.[26]

The commissioner stated that "on a balance of probabilities, I find that the major motivation of the councillor was to bully and intimidate the complainants and each of them in the hope that female complainant might cease her critical Facebook commentary of him." The commissioner further wrote that it was written "for the primary reason of silencing the female complainant and causing the male complainant grief in his workplace."[25]

Darouze was criticized online over the matter.[27][28]

The matter is settled (as of August 2022), the complainant and her husband had filed a lawsuit against Darouze for alleged damages, but eventually dropped the lawsuit. Following the commissioner's report, Darouze had emailed the couple that he was "truly sorry" that they "perceived" his actions as harassment.[29]

Political positions

  • On August 31, 2016, Darouze argued against banning hookah waterpipe smoking indoors, saying: "I'm tired of being the nanny state and the government telling us how to do our business. I find in our city, we go from one extreme to another."[30]
  • On May 18, 2017, A motion to delay construction on Saturday morning by two hours failed at Thursday's community and protective services committee. Darouze was among four councillors opposing the motion, part of a larger noise by-law review.[31]
  • On March 20, 2018, CBC News published an analysis of the preceding three years of hospitality spending by councillors. The analysis found a four-way tie among councillors who expensed business lunches. Darouze was among the four who expensed 60 lunches during the council term. After Tim Tierney and Rick Chiarelli, Darouze was third in overall spending.[32][33][34]
  • Following a Byward market shooting in January 2019 by a man known to police, Darouze indicated he would not support a handgun ban, stating: "You can ban guns all you want. They just go to the States and buy them at corner store and smuggle them here.  We need to have tougher laws so if the criminal puts his hand on a gun and he gets caught, he goes to jail for a long, long time."[35]
  • In December 2019, Darouze was among three of four councillors voting in the rural and agricultural affairs committee to approve a warehouse in North Gower. The meeting had been attended by about 30 local residents opposed to the warehouse.[36]
  • On May 27, 2020, council voted on a motion from Mathieu Fleury to expand a program that provides people addicted to opioids with a safe supply of drugs. Fleury indicated the measure could increases in petty crime since the arrival of the pandemic. George Darouze was among three councillors voting against.[37]
  • On September 22, 2021, council voted on a motion from Jeff Leiper to allow his Confederation Line (LRT) motion to be discussed, which would see city council hold bi-weekly meetings to address recent issues such as derailments. The motion was defeated. Darouze was among seven council members who dismissed the motion.[38]

Electoral history

Provincial

2025 Ontario general election: Carleton
The 2025 general election will be held on February 27.
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Brandon Bay
Progressive Conservative George Darouze
Ontario Party Myles Dear
New Democratic Sherin Faili
Libertarian Bruce Anthony Faulkner
Independent Brian Hull
Green Mystic Plaunt
New Blue Rob Stocki
Total valid votes/expense limit
Total rejected, unmarked, and declined ballots
Turnout
Eligible voters

Municipal

After eight months of campaigning and knocking on over 9,000 doors,[39] Darouze was elected as a first time councillor in the 2014 municipal election for Osgoode Ward. He won with 1,783 votes and 21.06% in a crowded race.[40]

Darouze was re-elected in the 2018 municipal election as the councillor for Osgoode Ward. According to Horizon Ottawa, Darouze received $20,100 in campaign contributions from individuals connected to the real estate development industry, totaling 78% of contributions. Almost half of elected councillors also received the majority of their campaign contributions from such individuals.[41]

2014 Ottawa municipal election: Osgoode Ward
Candidate Vote %
    George Darouze 1,783 21.06
    George Wright 1,309 15.46
    Jean Johnston-McKitterick 1,158 13.68
    Liam Maguire 1,146 13.54
    Tom Dawson 1,097 12.96
    Davis Jermacans 1,064 12.57
    Mark Scharfe 327 3.86
    Kim Sheldrick 293 3.46
    Bob Masaro 215 2.54
    Paul St. Jean 45 0.53
    Allen Scantland 28 0.33
2018 Ottawa municipal election: Osgoode Ward
Candidate Vote %
    George Darouze (X) 4,653 54.86
    Jay Tysick 2,694 31.76
    Mark Scharfe 603 7.11
    Kim Sheldrick 504 5.94
    Auguste Banfalvi 28 0.33
2022 Ottawa municipal election: Osgoode Ward
Candidate Vote %
    George Darouze (X) 4,353 40.81
    Doug Thompson 4,115 38.58
    Dan O'Brien 1541 14.45
    Bob Masaro 432 4.05
    Bruce Anthony Faulkner 226 2.12

References

  1. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 7, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. ^ "George Darouze's Bio". Archived from the original on January 28, 2016. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  3. ^ "Meet the Candidate: George Darouze". Ottawa Community News.
  4. ^ Ottawa Citizen, December 12, 2018, pg A4, "Mayor's picks for the top job
  5. ^ "Councillor apologizes for texting while driving during livestream". CBC.
  6. ^ https://app06.ottawa.ca/election/2022_en.html [bare URL]
  7. ^ "Ottawa city councillor George Darouze to run for PC nomination in Carleton". CTV.
  8. ^ "George Darouze Nominated as Ontario PC Party Candidate for Carleton". December 8, 2024.
  9. ^ "Manotick Messenger December 13, 2024 by J Morris - Issuu". issuu.com. December 13, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  10. ^ Raymond, Ted (July 12, 2023). "Ottawa councillor wants to end vacant unit tax, suggesting it's too broad". CTVNews. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
  11. ^ Raymond, Ted (November 6, 2024). "City committees vote to approve strengthening Vacant Unit Tax". CTVNews. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
  12. ^ "Finance and Corporate Services Committee - March 05, 2024". pub-ottawa.escribemeetings.com. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
  13. ^ Environment and Climate Change Committee - Monday, June 5, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2025 – via www.youtube.com.
  14. ^ Transportation Committee Meeting - February 23, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2025 – via www.youtube.com.
  15. ^ "Transportation Committee - February 23, 2023". pub-ottawa.escribemeetings.com. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
  16. ^ Joint Planning and Housing and Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee - Wednesday, October 09, 2024. Retrieved January 17, 2025 – via www.youtube.com.
  17. ^ Clerk, Office of the City (April 19, 2021). "Council and standing committees". ottawa.ca. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
  18. ^ "Transportation Committee". City of Ottawa. January 13, 2023. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  19. ^ "Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee". January 13, 2023.
  20. ^ "Finance and Corporate Services Committee". City of Ottawa. January 13, 2023. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  21. ^ "Planning and Housing Committee". City of Ottawa. January 13, 2023. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  22. ^ "Governance - Board of Directors and Committees". South Nation Conservation Authority. October 4, 2013. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  23. ^ a b "George Darouze". ottawa.ca. Archived from the original on January 19, 2016. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
  24. ^ "George Darouze's Bio". georgedarouze.ca. Archived from the original on January 28, 2016. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
  25. ^ a b "Darouze used power to 'bully and intimidate' Facebook critic, report finds". CBC News. September 20, 2019. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  26. ^ "Integrity watchdog rings up Coun. George Darouze for bullying constituents". ottawacitizen. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  27. ^ "Mayor, Council Failed The Victims Of Bullying". THE BULLDOG. September 28, 2019. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  28. ^ Sherring, Susan (November 25, 2020). "Should George Darouze Resign As Deputy Mayor: YES". Susan Sherring. Archived from the original on November 25, 2020. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  29. ^ "Constituents sue George Darouze for defamation". CBC News. June 19, 2020. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  30. ^ "Ottawa hookah lounge owners waiting on potentially 'devastating' city council decision". CBC News. August 31, 2016. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
  31. ^ "Saturday morning construction start to stay at 7 a.m. after motion fails". CBC News. May 18, 2017. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
  32. ^ "Councillors who swan around on your dime". CBC News. March 20, 2018. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
  33. ^ Clerk, Office of the City (December 10, 2019). "George Darouze (Ward 20) - Disclosure of office expenses (2014-2018 Term of Council)". ottawa.ca. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  34. ^ Clerk, Office of the City (June 25, 2020). "George Darouze (Ward 20) - Disclosure of office expenses (2018-2022 Term of Council)". ottawa.ca. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  35. ^ Schnurr, Joanne (June 10, 2019). "18-year-old charged in Byward market shooting linked to Burger King shooting". CTV News Ottawa. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
  36. ^ "North Gower warehouse OK'd despite residents' concerns". CBC News. December 5, 2019. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
  37. ^ "Bolster drug program to curb petty crime during pandemic, councillor urges". CBC News. May 13, 2020. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
  38. ^ "Council doesn't address latest LRT derailment as some members pursue judicial inquiry". ottawacitizen. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  39. ^ "Annual Report" (PDF). George Darouze. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 28, 2016. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
  40. ^ "2014 Election Results | City of Ottawa". ottawa.ca. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
  41. ^ "Your city councillor". Follow the money. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
Quelle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Darouze