Marc Bureau

Marc Bureau (born August 11, 1955) is a Canadian politician, who was the mayor of the city of Gatineau, Quebec from 2005 to 2013.

Between 2001 and 2005, Bureau was a city councillor for Gatineau City Council.

He was president of the environment commission and the housing commission between 2003 and 2005.

At the environment commission, he dealt with the elaboration of the "Programme de gestion des matières résiduelles," a waste management plan ordered by the government of Quebec.

At the housing commission, he had to deal on numerous occasion with July 1 Moving Day problems and the elaboration of a social housing policy.

Housing commission member François Roy, president of Logemen'Occupe, heavily criticized Bureau's work, arguing that he wasn't able to deliver the policy on time.

Bureau answered that the consultant hired to draft the policy was hospitalized and could not complete the policy.

Bureau was elected back to City Council in a by-election in 2022 in the district of Parc-de-la-Montagne-Saint-Raymond.

Bureau's first political decision as mayor of Gatineau was to redirect the annual budget retreat.

Instead of following Ducharme's retreat outside of Gatineau, Bureau ordered that the elaboration of the municipal budget be held in Gatineau with full public access.

Aurèle Desjardins, city councillor of ward 14, publicly mentioned that such openness would be inefficient because the council would be often disturbed.

The elaboration of the city budget showed some level of transparency.

On the first day, the news media had full access to the rooms in which the elected officials were briefed on the budget.

Later, council adopted a policy in which all meetings are broadcast live on the city's website.

Among Bureau's main projects for the city's future was the realization of a new sports complex in the Gatineau sector, which residents had demanded for several years.

Born in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, he was elected mayor of Gatineau on November 6, 2005, by beating incumbent Yves Ducharme with 68% of the vote.

His landslide victory came as a surprise because he had trailed in the polls at the start of the campaign, although he progressed until being given winner by a small margin two weeks before the election (52% vs 48%).

More than a week before the election, polls gave him a 14 points advance (57% vs 43%).

His victory is attributed by most people including both candidates to the citizen's desire for a change after 13 years of reign from Ducharme, and also Bureau's promises of a more transparent city council.

See 2005 Quebec municipal elections.

During the 2005 campaign, Bureau promised that he would do anything in his power for the completion of a new sports complex.

Immediately after the election, he went into discussion with Chapleau MNA Benoit Pelletier in order to get funding for the province to build the complex.

The province had approved money for the project and the city had some surplus money of its own.

The project was completed, despite a significant rise of costs, but adds a new key location in the downtown part of the Gatineau sector, which includes a federal government office building and a college school.

The City of Gatineau had submitted bids for hosting the Quebec Games in 2007 and in 2010, but the initial bid for 2007 was defeated by the city of Sept-Îles.

However, Bureau, former mayor Robert Labine and a large group of volunteers attempted another bid which was made successful by defeating bids from Rivière-du-Loup, Charlevoix, Shawinigan and Vaudreuil-Dorion.

The sports complex, according to Bureau is stated to be a key element for the games.

After delays, cost overruns and threatened legal action, the sports complex finally opened its doors on June 14, 2010 and came with a price tag of $50.4 million, becoming the largest sport and recreation complex completed in Quebec since the 1976 Montreal Olympics.

He was defeated by Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin in the 2013 municipal election.

He lives in the Hull area of Gatineau and was the owner of a second-hand book, CD, and cassette store.

He has a wife and four children.

Bureau has also voiced his support for the Société de Transport de l'Outaouais's Rapibus project (similar to OC Transpo's Transitway in Ottawa) which is expected to be opened in 2013 after the provincial government officially secured a $146 million funding for the project, while the City of Gatineau provided the remainder $49 million.

The Rapibus would also pass near the proposed sports complex in the Gatineau sector, as well as near the Casino du Lac-Leamy and the downtown Hull sector area.

Bureau added that the city opted for bus rapid-transit ahead of light-rail service as the project was long-awaited.

A transportation committee set up by Ottawa Mayor Larry O'Brien and led by former Liberal Minister David Collenette proposed light-rail extensions to Gatineau, Wakefield and Masson-Angers on existing railways right near most of the proposed Rapibus corridor.

During his political campaign, Bureau stated his will to evenly distribute roles and responsibilities to council members.

The selection process was based on "blind" competence evaluation.

Without looking at the political allegation of the elected officials (pro-Bureau or pro-Ducharme), every candidate had an interview in the mayor's office to determine their professional backgrounds, qualifications and interests.

For the role of deputy mayor, rumours stated that Joseph De Sylva would be nominated.

Finally, Aurèle Desjardins was nominated for one year.