Steve Desroches

{{Short description|Politician in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| image =

| name = Steve Desroches

| caption =

| office = Ottawa City Councillor

| term_start = November 15, 2022{{cite web|url=https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/mark-sutcliffe-laces-up-for-new-political-marathon-1.6124580|publisher=CTV Ottawa|title=Mark Sutcliffe laces up for new political marathon|date=25 October 2022|access-date=26 October 2022}}

| term_end =

| predecessor = Carol Anne Meehan

| constituency = Riverside South-Findlay Creek Ward

| term_start1 = December 1, 2006

| term_end1 = December 1, 2014

| predecessor1 = Ward created

| successor1 = Michael Qaqish

| constituency1 = Gloucester-South Nepean Ward

| office2 = Deputy Mayor of Ottawa

| alongside2 = Eli El-Chantiry

| term_start2 = December 1, 2010

| term_end2 = December 1, 2014

| successor2 = Mark Taylor & Bob Monette

| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1969}}

| birth_place = Midland, Ontario, Canada

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = Independent

| otherparty =

| alma_mater = {{plainlist|

• University of Ottawa (MA)
• Carleton University (MA)

}}

| spouse = Michelle Desroches{{Cite web|url=http://www.ottawasun.com/2014/01/08/ottawa-councillor-steve-desroches-is-a-man-of-his-word-and-wont-be-running-in-2014|title = Ottawa councillor Steve Desroches is a man of his word and won't be running in 2014}}

| children = 4

| residence = Riverside South{{cite news|title=Steve Desroches|date=November 6, 2006|page=42|newspaper=Ottawa Citizen|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102150509/the-ottawa-citizen/|accessdate=May 19, 2022}}

}}

Steve Desroches (born 1969){{cite news|title=Race:Haydon expects competition to be stiff|date=September 8, 2006|page=56|newspaper=Ottawa Citizen|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102149506/the-ottawa-citizen/|accessdate=May 19, 2022}}{{cite news|title=What's next for Nepean|date=February 4, 2015|page=8|newspaper=Ottawa Citizen|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102151327/the-ottawa-citizen/|accessdate=May 19, 2022}} is a politician in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. He is a member of Ottawa City Council, representing Riverside South-Findlay Creek Ward since 2022. He was previously a member of Ottawa City Council from 2006 to 2014, representing for Gloucester-South Nepean Ward, a ward representing some of Ottawa's southern suburbs. He was first elected in the 2006 municipal election,{{Cite web |title=Councillor Steve Desroches |url=http://www.ottawa.ca/city_hall/mayor_council/councillors/s_desroches_en.html |publisher=City of Ottawa |accessdate=2010-04-09}} and was re-elected in the 2010 municipal election.{{cite web |title= Ottawa 2010 Nominations |url= http://www.ottawa.ca/city_hall/elections/nominations/index_en.html |accessdate= April 18, 2010}}

Desroches studied at the University of Ottawa and Carleton University, where he obtained a Master's degree in public administration. Prior to his entry in municipal politics, Desroches worked for several Ministries in the federal government as well as the office of the Auditor General. He was a trustee at the Ottawa Public Library Board and also a vice-chair in the OC Transpo Advisory Committee. He was also the vice-present of the Riverside South Community Association.{{cite news|title=Political newcomer Desroches surprises veteran campaigner Haydon|date=November 14, 2006|page=19|newspaper=Ottawa Citizen|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102149868/the-ottawa-citizen/|accessdate=May 19, 2022}} At the time of the 2006 election, he was employed by the Department of Agriculture.{{cite news|title=Desroches has edge on legend Haydon|date=November 7, 2006|page=30|newspaper=Ottawa Citizen|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102150208/the-ottawa-citizen/|accessdate=May 19, 2022}}

In the 2006 election, Desroches defeated former Ottawa-Carleton Regional Chair Andrew Haydon to become the first councillor of this new ward which included about half of Barrhaven, Riverside South and Findlay Creek.

He listed his priorities as to improving infrastructures in the ward that is under massive development, including improving roads and public transit. Public Safety and fiscal management were also key priorities in his campaign and for his upcoming term at City Council. He was also a supporter of the now-cancelled expansion of the City's O-Train north-south light-rail expansion project which would have served Riverside South and Barrhaven South starting in 2009.

Desroches was easily re-elected in 2010, and served until 2014, as he had promised to only serve for two terms.

Following his time on council, Desroches became a member of the Board of Directors of the Perley-Rideau Veterans Health Centre Foundation.{{cite web | url=http://perleyrideaufoundation.ca/foundation/people/steve-desroches/ | title=Perley Health Foundation - Steve Desroches - }} In 2015 he was awarded the Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation for his work to support Canadian veterans.{{cite web | url=http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/about-us/department-officials/minister/commendation/bio/1335 | title=Steve Desroches - Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation - Veterans Affairs Canada | date=14 February 2019 }} Desroches expressed interest in running for the Conservative Party of Canada in the 2015 Canadian federal election, but ultimately did not.{{cite news|title=Macleod won't seek Baird's seat|date=February 18, 2015|page=9|newspaper=Ottawa Citizen|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102150950/the-ottawa-citizen/|accessdate=May 19, 2022}} He had also been touted as a potential candidate for the Liberals, but considered his personal politics to be "conservative", due to his economic views.

On May 18, 2022 Desroches announced he would be running for city council once again in the 2022 Ottawa municipal election. He ran in Riverside South-Findlay Creek Ward, a re-drawn version of his old ward.{{cite news|title=Steve Desroches registers as candidate for municipal election|url=https://ottawa.citynews.ca/local-news/steve-desroches-registers-as-candidate-for-municipal-election-5383346 |accessdate=May 19, 2022}}