Aurèle Desjardins

Who is Aurèle Desjardins?

Aurèle Desjardins is a Quebec politician in the city of Gatineau. He is the councillor for the Lac-Beauchamp district in the Gatineau sector.

Desjardins studied at the Université du Québec en Outaouais and obtained a bachelor's degree in business administration and finances. He worked during a period with the University and was also involved in the region's funeral cooperative. He was also the director at one point of the Plaza Glenwood a strip mall in the Aylmer sector which was destroyed by a major fire in 2005 and later rebuilt partially.

After being a school trustee at the Commission Scolaire des Draveurs, Desjardins entered politics in 1999 when he was elected to the former city of Gatineau's Council under then-mayor Robert Labine.

When the new city of Gatineau was created Desjardins was elected again in 2001 and re-elected in 2005. In all three elections, Desjardins defeated former Gatineau councillor Pierre Durand, one of his main critics and opponents.

Under former mayor Yves Ducharme, he was one of the members of the city's executive committee along with Jocelyne Houle, Louise Poirier and André Levac. Under current mayor Marc Bureau, he was named as the substitute mayor. During his mandate, he is to give a particular attention to the city's finances and is involved with the business sector of the city as well as its economy.