Jim is a Canadian business owner, former Ottawa mayor, and former president of the Ottawa Senators.
In 1980, Jim was elected alderman of Riverside Ward on Ottawa City Council. In 1985, he was elected the 53rd mayor of Ottawa – a position he held until 1991. His achievements were transformative. He oversaw the expansion of the Ottawa International Airport and the construction of the Ottawa Convention Centre. He brought the Ottawa Senators, triple-A baseball, and three Grey Cup games to the city, and was the first president of The Ottawa Senators hockey team — a franchise that he is largely credited for bringing to Canada’s capital city.
Jim served on numerous boards, and his charitable and volunteer contributions have been significant, including Business Development Bank of Canada and Ottawa Police Services, and chair of the Ottawa International Airport’s Board of Directors, the Ottawa Convention Centre, and Hydro Ottawa.
In 2013, Jim was honoured for his achievements and received the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce’s inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, the Order of Ottawa, and was invested as a Member of the Order of Canada.
