Jean Tremblay

Jean Tremblay
Mayor of Saguenay
Incumbent
Assumed office January 1, 2002
Mayor of Chicoutimi
In office 1997–2002
Preceded by	Ulric Blackburn
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Personal details
Born	Jean Eugène Gabriel André Tremblay (1948-11-29) November 29, 1948 Chicoutimi, Quebec
Nationality	Canadian
Alma mater	Université Laval
Profession	Notary
Religion	Roman Catholic
[1][2][3]

Jean Tremblay (born November 29, 1948) is a politician from the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region (Quebec, Canada). Notary by profession and a businessman, he became mayor of Chicoutimi in 1997.^[4] After the municipal reorganization in Quebec, he became the first magistrate of the city of Saguenay on 1 January 2002.^[5] Its mandate is renewed in the elections of November 2005^[6] with 72% of the vote and again in November 2009^[7] with 78% of support. In the election of 2013 he was elected with 63% of the vote.^[8]

Biography

Jean Tremblay obtained a law degree from Université Laval in 1974. He received his diploma in notary law from the same university in and became a member of the Chamber of Notaries of Quebec in 1975.

He became a practicing notary in Chicoutimi in 1975. In 1979, he became partner in a St-Hubert restaurant in Chicoutimi. He was also the majority shareholder in a real estate company from 1979 to 1997. He taught in the Department of Administrative Sciences University of Quebec at Chicoutimi during the 1980-1981 school year.

He was mayor of the city of Chicoutimi from 1997 to 2001. Following the municipal reorganization in Quebec, he was elected mayor of the new city of Saguenay November 25, 2001.

In 2002, he founded Promotion Saguenay. The same year he became a member of the Union of Quebec Municipalities (UMQ). He has sat on the executive committee from 2004.

In 2002, he held a referendum on the name of the new city. On April 12, 13 and 14, citizens chose between two proposed names, Chicoutimi and Saguenay. Saguenay received 35,810 votes (52.23%) to Chicoutimi's, 32,399 votes (47.26%) and became the name of the new city.^[9]

In 2004, he created a city ombudsman. In 2005, he launched a case against multinationals to recover payment of taxes on private hydroelectric dams on the territory of the city. In 2006, he reaffirmed his support for reciting a prayer before City Council meetings.^[10]

In 2007, he began promoting a port of call for cruise ships in the borough of La Baie.^[11]

In April 2009, the polling firm Influence Communication, hired by Le Journal de Quebec, published a study on the media weight of 11 mayors in Quebec. On this list, Jean Tremblay ranked third after Régis Labeaume, Mayor of Quebec, and Gérald Tremblay, Mayor of Montreal. Among the 11 mayors included in the survey, he received 7.5% of the local, national and international media coverage. 32% of this coverage concerned the regional and 26% concerned the prayer controversy.

In November 2009, Mayor Tremblay and the City of Saguenay were fined over half a million dollars by the superior court of Quebec, to be paid to the former general manager of the city, Bertrand Girard. It his verdict, Judge Yves Alain harshly criticized Mayor Tremblay and said his testimony was rife with hesitations and contradictions, even going as far as describing certain parts as "pure science fiction". Judge Alain said none of the motives given by the mayor in his decision to fire Girard were valid and said that in his opinion they were simply false pretenses to hide the mayor's animosity towards the former city employee.^[12]

Mayor Jean Tremblay has been an ardent supporter of the merger of seven municipalities (Chicoutimi, Jonquière, La Baie, Laterrière, a portion of the territory of Canton-Tremblay, Lac Kénogami and Shipshaw) into the new city of Saguenay. It was to this effect that he issued a document entitled Le courage de changer les choses to explain the benefits of creating the new city of Saguenay and gain support for this measure.

He was the first mayor of a major Quebec city to implement a new form of municipal management called « Gestion par activités » (City Stat Performance Strategy).^[13] The implementation of this new model has enabled Saguenay to make substantial cost savings and improve the efficiency of municipal services. He has presented this strategy on many occasions to other municipalities.^[14]

Prayer of the City Council

In September 2006, Christian Joncas and Alain Simoneau, two activists from the Coalition of Citizens of Saguenay, file a complaint to the Commission on Human Rights and Youth Rights (CDPDJ) against Mayor Jean Tremblay, for reciting a short prayer at the beginning of each meeting of City Council. Adapted from a tradition of the ancient city of Chicoutimi, municipal prayer reads: "Almighty God, we thank you for the great blessings which You have given to Saguenay and its citizens, including freedom, opportunities for development and peace. Guide us in our deliberations as a member of City Council and help us to well aware of our duties and responsibilities. Grant us wisdom, knowledge and understanding that will preserve the benefits enjoyed by our city for all to enjoy and we can make wise decisions. Amen " - Please municipal Saguenay, Prayer to the board: the floor to Simoneau^[15] Despite the complaint, the City Council decides to maintain the recitation of the prayer.^[16] In October of that year and following an investigation by the Commission on Human Rights, a mediation session^[17] is held between the parties to find a satisfactory arrangement. As a result of this mediation, Christian Joncas withdraws the complaint. On September 20, 2007, Jean Tremblay has the name of Ville Saguenay, a paper entitled Memory of reasonable accommodation^[18] to the Bouchard-Taylor Commission during the passage of the latter in Saguenay. It defends the place of the Catholic religion in public in Quebec. The submission raises various reactions.^[19] On May 15, 2008, the CDPDJ says that the recitation of a prayer at City Council Saguenay violates freedom of conscience and religion [35]. Refusing to comply with the decision of the commission, the mayor, city council supported, maintains practice. In August 2008, still supported by the MLQ, Simoneau said he continues Ville Saguenay and John Smith, claiming $100,000 in damages and fees for extrajudicial rights abuses and violation of freedom of religion and conscience [ 36]. Simoneau asked to stop reciting the prayer municipal and require the removal of a statue of the Sacred Heart located in a corner room overlooking the deliberations of the Chicoutimi district, and a crucifix mounted on a wall in the boardroom of the district of the Bay [36]. On November 27, 2008, a notice of continuation of Jean Tremblay and Ville Saguenay is sent to the Attorney General of Quebec.^[20] In February 2011, the Court of Human Rights ordered the Quebec Jean Tremblay and city of Saguenay to stop reciting the prayer to the city council to remove the religious symbols of the boardroom and to pay 30 000 CAD as punitive damages and moral Alain Simoneau.^[21] The mayor expressed his intention to appeal, the municipal use^[22] to launch a fundraising campaign, collects about 60 000 CAD and claims to be ready to go to the Supreme Court if necessary.^[23] The file is a national issue and the mayor is a strong media coverage. He gives interviews in English Canada, the United States and Europe with various news organizations including CBC News, Agence France-Presse, The Cross and Sun Media.^[24] In late March, the appellate court authorizes the Mayor and City Saguenay to appeal the decision.^[25] "[...] This battle, I do it because I love Christ. When I reach the other side, I can be a little proud. I will say, "I fought for you, I even went on trial for you. »» - Jean Tremblay, The Voice of the East^[26] On July 12, 2011, The Canadian Press says the mayor's fundraising campaign has raised $181,000, compared to the fundraiser launched by the MLQ which has received $25,000.^[27] In late March, the Court of Appeal authorizes the Mayor and City Saguenay to appeal the decision.^[28] The hearing will be held Monday, November 26, 2012 in Quebec^[29] before Judge France Thibault.

Media relations

Jean Tremblay made numerous appearances on regional television stations and provincial governments. He was host of a television series shown on Channel Community Saguenay Canal Vox.^[30] He was invited on the occasion of the national networks like LCN to discuss various topics. In April 2009, the firm Influence Communication, initiated by Le Journal de Quebec, published a study on media weight of 11 mayors of Quebec. On this list, Jean Tremblay ranks third after Régis Labeaume, Mayor of Quebec, and Gérald Tremblay, Mayor of Montreal. Of the 11 mayors surveyed, the first magistrate of Saguenay gets a percentage of media coverage locally, nationally and internationally valued at 7.5%.^[31]

In October 2010, the regional Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean of the Federation of Professional Journalists of Québec publishes a black file^[32] on the municipal information in Saguenay where eight journalists from different media reports of intimidation, customization records, and accused the city administration and Jean Tremblay to threaten the freedom of the press.^[33] The next day, the mayor says he does not apologize or take seriously the accusations of journalists.^[34] "The black file, it does not bother me too much. I think it's ridiculous. They would do it on any mayor, anyone. [...] My job is not to satisfy the journalists is to satisfy the citizens. " - Jean Tremblay, Jean Tremblay responds to record black^[34]

The same year, Jean Tremblay imagines a new way to inform citizens by creating the interactive site Villeenaction.com. The new city are presented in the form of capsules informative videos, hyperlinks and e-mail and also uses social networks like Facebook and Twitter.^[35] Since October 2012 Jean Tremblay is now on Twitter.^[36]

Publications

• 1999 - Le courage de changer les choses : un projet à construire pour les générations à venir, Chicoutimi, 33 pages;

• 2002 - Les régions du Québec en crise : bilan, enjeux et voie de solutions, Saguenay, 40 pages;

• 2003 - Des droits ancestraux et du droit à l’égalité des chances — Mémoire présenté à la Commission parlementaire des institutions touchant l’entente de principe d’ordre général entre les premières nations de Mamuitun et Nutashkuan et le gouvernement du Québec et le gouvernement du Canada, 18 pages;

• 2003 - Ville de Saguenay, un pôle majeur de croissance pour le Québec - Mémoire présenté à la Commission parlementaire sur l’aménagement du territoire touchant la Loi concernant la consultation des citoyens sur la réorganisation territoriale de certaines municipalités, 29 pages;

• 2004 - Saguenay, une ville tournée vers l’avenir - Mémoire présenté au ministre des Finances dans le cadre des consultations prébudgétaires, 33 pages;

• 2007 - Mémoire sur les accommodements raisonnables, Montréal, Les Éditions Anne Sigier, 120 pages.

• 2010 - Mémoire sur le projet de loi 94, Loi établissant les balises encadrant les demandes d'accommodement dans l'Administration gouvernementale et dans certains établissements, 15 pages.
• http://classiques.uqac.ca/desintegration/tremblay_jean/tremblay_jean_maire.html

• 2013 Croire ça change tout. http://www.amazon.ca/Croire-%C3%A7a-change-tout-transforme-t-elle-ebook/dp/B00H3TW6A8/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1387227316&sr=8-7&keywords=Jean+tremblay

• 2014 - Croire ça change tout, Édition des Oliviers, Montréal, 2014, 198 pages. ISBN 978-2-923378-25-1.

References

External links

• Profil Twitter
• (French) City of Saguenay
• http://www.villeenaction.com

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