Jacquelin Holzman

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Jacquelin Holzman

Jacquelin Holzman

Rank: 55th Mayor
Term of Office: 1991January 1, 1998
Predecessor: Marc Laviolette
Successor: Jim Watson
Date of Birth: ?
Place of Birth: ?
Spouse: John Rutherford
Profession: Volunteer
Political affiliations: Ontario Progressive Conservative Party

Jacquelin Holzman served as mayor of Ottawa from 1991 to 1997. Never attending university she married at age nineteen and started a family. She became a prominent volunteer, especially on causes relating to the disabled.

She was elected to Ottawa city council in 1982 representing the Richmond area and became one of the more right leaning city councillors. Acclaimed in the 1985 elections she soon ran into controversy in her second term over an expansion to the Carlingwood shopping centre. Holzman supported the expansion but many of her constituents were opposed. She later was criticized for supporting cuts to AIDS benefits as "people who have AIDS are going to die anyway." In the 1988 Ottawa election she faced a strong challenge from Alex Cullen but won reelection with a solid majority.

She was a close ally of mayor Jim Durrell and was described as his heir apparent. When he chose not to run election Holzman ran against left leaning councillor Nancy Smith. Holzman ran with a pro-development and tax cut platform and defeated Smith and interim mayor Marc Laviolette.

Her first term as mayor was relatively uneventful. A small controversy developed when she reversed her earlier position and backed the official recognition of Gay Pride Day. She also worked hard for the yes side in the Charlottetown Accord referendum. In the 1994 mayoral election she faced off a number of challengers with relative ease. She was accused of arrogance for planning an expedition to China under the assumption she would win reelection. Her second term was also mostly uneventful. One major debate was over the mayor's desire to add an expensive unity tower to the new city hall. The tower was eventually left unfinished, as it remains today.

In November 1996 she announcved that she would not run for reelection, citing the desire to spend more time with her family. She was expected to face a difficult election against city councillor Jim Watson. After leaving the mayor's office she became head of the Ottawa Congress Centre. The next year she was diagnosed with breast cancer, but was treated successfully and became an advocate for breast cancer related causes. In 2002 she became chair of the Ottawa Health Research Institute. She remained head of the Congress Centre before retiring in 2004.


Flag of Ottawa Mayors of Ottawa Old Flag of Ottawa
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New city of Ottawa: Chiarelli | O'Brien

Preceded by
Marc Laviolette
Mayor of Ottawa
1991-1997
Succeeded by
Jim Watson
Preceded by
Donald Bartlett Reid
City councillor from Richmond Ward
1982-1991
Succeeded by
Alex Cullen