Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing
The Honourable Jim Watson was first elected to the Ontario Legislature representing the riding of Ottawa West Nepean in 2003 and re-elected in 2007.
He is Ontario’s Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, appointed to the Ministry by Premier Dalton McGuinty on October 30, 2007.
Following his first election to the provincial legislature, Minister Watson was appointed Minister of Consumer and Business Services from 2003-2005 and was Ontario’s first Minister of Health Promotion from 2005-2007.
Since becoming Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Watson has been hard at work, meeting with Mayors, municipal leaders, and housing advocates across the province to help find solutions to the complex challenges they face.
Together with Finance Minister Dwight Duncan, Watson co-ordinated the Provincial-Municipal Service Delivery Review, a landmark report that has begun the process of uploading $1.5 billion in social service and court security costs back to the province from the municipal sector. This consensus report was adopted unanimously by the report partners, the City of Toronto and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario.
The 2008 Ontario budget delivered great news for municipalities and the affordable housing sector. Critical infrastructure dollars for projects including roads and bridges was increased substantially. In addition, $100 million in new funds was invested into capital repairs of affordable housing in Ontario. Watson’s membership on the Cabinet Committee on Poverty Reduction demonstrates the government’s recognition that adequate affordable housing is key to any poverty reduction strategy.
Prior to becoming an MPP, Watson served in several prominent elected and non-elected offices, including President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Tourism Commission — a federal crown corporation; Mayor of the City of Ottawa; Ottawa City Councillor; and as Director of Communications for the Speaker of the House of Commons.
An active member of his community, Watson has also served on the boards or as honourary chair of several community organizations, including the Riverside Hospital, the National Arts Centre, the Christmas Exchange of Ottawa and the Forum for Young Canadians. He served as chair of United Way’s 2002 campaign, which raised a record $21 million.
An avid volunteer with several groups, he has helped serve meals at the Shepherds of Good Hope, a local soup kitchen. His commitment to those less fortunate was evident when, in August of 2000, he contributed his entire municipal severance payment of $31,000 to Ottawa’s Union Mission for Men.
His years of active involvement and community service have made him the recipient of several awards and accolades, including Maclean’s magazine's “100 Young Canadians To Watch,” Carleton University Honours Award, the City of Ottawa’s highest civic honour, the Key to the City; the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal; the Visionary Award by the Ontario Pharmacists’ Association, and the National Leadership Award by the Canadian Council for Tobacco Control for his role in implementing the Smoke Free Ontario Act.
Watson is a graduate of the Carleton University School of Journalism and Communications. In his spare time he stays active by skiing, swimming, golfing and walking.