Rick Chiarelli
Richard "Rick" Chiarelli is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He is an Ottawa City Councillor, and the second cousin of former Ottawa mayor Bob Chiarelli. He represents the College Ward covering part of Nepean and Ottawa's west end. On council, Chiarelli is known for being an "independent voice, often voicing dissent on issues his fellow councillors support". He is currently the longest serving municipal politician on Ottawa's city council.
Early years
Chiarelli grew up in the Qualicum-Graham Park neighbourhood of Nepean, and has lived in Nepean his whole life. His father owned a real estate agency and a restaurant and co-started Ottawa/Algonquin Travel with Lowell Green, while his mother was a homemaker.At age 16, while attending St. Pius X High School in Ottawa, Chiarelli formed the Ontario Students Alliance for Fair Funding to fight for the equality that was promised in the Canadian Constitution. At this time, Ontario’s separate schools were funded only to grade 10. Beyond this, a high school student was required to pay substantial tuition fees.
Chiarelli began to speak at hundreds of schools and the OSAFF quickly grew to over 70,000 members across Ontario.
OSAFF launched a legal challenge against the Government of Ontario’s treatment of separate schools and convinced Ian Scott, a prominent Canadian lawyer, to represent them in court. The action was timed to coincide with the visit to the Premier by Pope John Paul II. The court imposed deadlines on the Province to file its full defence to the action. As a result, Premier Bill Davis announced a change in the Province’s century old policy and granted full funding to separate schools. The case was unanimously won by OSAFF 9-0 at the Supreme Court of Canada.
During OSAFF’s legal challenge, at the age of 19, Chiarelli ran for school trustee of the Carleton Separate School Board and won in the 1982 elections. This resulted in Chiarelli becoming the youngest ever elected official in the province.
Chiarelli has a law degree from the University of Ottawa, but is not a member of the Law Society of Ontario. He also has a Communications and Economics Degree.
City Council
At the age of 22, Chiraelli ran for a seat on the council of the Regional Municipality of Ottawa Carleton in the 1985 elections, but lost by nearly 2,000 votes.In the 1988 municipal election, he was elected to the Nepean City Council for the Borden ward. In the 1991 municipal election, he once again ran for a seat on regional council, but lost by 500 votes. He ran for election on Nepean City Council in 1994 in the newly created Nepean Centre Ward and was re-elected by acclamation in 1997. While on Nepean City Council, he briefly served as acting mayor of the city. On September 17, 1998, Chiarelli won the Ontario Liberal Party nomination for the new riding of Ottawa West—Nepean for the 1999 Ontario general election. Chiarelli defeated sitting Liberal MPP Alex Cullen, who was an "outspoken and independent minded MPP" and would later cross the floor to join the NDP in his defeat. Chiarelli would go on to lose the election to Progressive Conservative Gary Guzzo.
The 2000 municipal election was the first for the newly amalgamated City of Ottawa. Chiarelli, who had been a leading opponent of amalgamation, faced long-time Councillor Al Loney in what was thought would be one of the tightest election battles of the year. Chiarelli prevailed by nearly 2,000 votes, and became councillor for Baseline Ward. In 2003, Chiarelli was re-elected by acclamation. In 2006, after ward boundary changes, Chiarelli faced a challenge from cycling activist Brett Delmage in the newly created College Ward. Chiarelli won by a wide majority, securing 73% of the votes. He won despite criticisms that he appeared to be "bored with his job", and sometimes slept at council meetings. His campaign focused on improving police and fire services in his ward and a desire to keep property tax increases to a minimum. During his time on council, he voted against expanding Ottawa's north-south light rail plan and served as chairman of the Ottawa Public Library Board. He was easily re-elected in 2010 running on a campaign of wanting to "keep taxes down" and having council focus on "'core' services", as well as his work with the plan to redevelop Lansdowne Park, improving Centrepointe Town Centre and the launch of the Bells Corners business Improvement association. He was again easily re-elected in 2014, an election which made him the longest serving city councillor. During the campaign, he spoke out against illegal rooming house conversions and his ward becoming a "party scene" student ghetto for Algonquin College. Chiarelli faced tougher competition in 2018, defeating lawyer Emilie Coyle by 1,300 votes. Voters in the ward had called for renewal of city facilities and infrastructure and student housing. Chiarelli campaigned on maintaining roads and infrastructure in the short-term.
Active Controversy
Beginning in September 2019, several former employees have come forward with allegations of inappropriate statements in the Councillor's office. Councillor Chiarelli has issued a statement denying all allegations.Multiple other women later came forward with similar accusations against the councillor. One person, who decided not to take a job with the councillor, alleged: "Chiarelli told her that he likes "his girls to wear revealing clothing, so it would be, like, a short skirt and a low, revealing top." News sites were also provided with screenshots of emails, and text messages.
The councillor later refused to comply with the Integrity Commissioner's investigations. Allegations included women being asked not to wear a bra, selecting revealing clothing for a former employee, assigning them to go to strip clubs to gather information on other councillors, and women being asked to wear revealing clothing. Part of the controversy includes Councillor Chiarelli asking for indefinite leave for a medical condition after being reported on by the CBC, and having it denied. Councillor Chiarelli also asked for taxpayer funds to pay for his legal defence. These requests were both denied, and Chiarelli blamed the council, claiming they were biased against him, due to the above mentioned "mob-mentality". Chiarelli's defence has sought legal restrictions to block the release of the investigatory notes to the public, claiming bias.