That’s the only way I can explain the fact that his political career just won’t die.
From 1987 to 1997, Ottawa suffered through Mr. Chiarelli’s reign as an MPP. His time at Queen’s Park was undistinguished, and ended when Mr. Chiarelli resigned and returned to Ottawa to deal with a family tragedy. Soon after, he settled in as Regional Chair. This was a fairly suitable high-profile, low-impact position befitting a politician of Mr. Chiarelli’s stature and competency. His name remained in the news, but he wasn’t able to do too much damage.
Upon the amalgamation of Ottawa and several surrounding municipalities, Mr. Chiarelli was elected mayor. The cities that had been relatively well run during the ’90s, became a unified bloated lumbering beast after Mr. Chiarelli assumed power. Under his guidance, the city council was more interested in enacting smoking bands, debating the Iraq war and trying to build a $9 million chamber music hall than it was in making sure the city ran smoothly. Mr. Chiarelli was fiddling while this monolithic new city burned.
A little while ago, it seemed like the city had been freed. Mr. Chiarelli resigned and, although it made way for criminal mastermind Lex Luthor to become mayor, the city was better for it. Lary O’Brien’s time as mayor has not been without controversy, and it appears that he won’t secure a second term. In a fitting, circular development, one of the leading candidates to replace Mr. O’Brien is Jim Watson, former Ontario Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing… and the man Mr. Chiarelli replaced as Mayor in 2001.*
Before declaring his candidacy for mayor, Jim Watson had been the MPP for Ottawa West-Nepean, essentially the same riding that Mr. Chiarelli first represented back in 1987. On Thursday, Mr. Chiarelli won a by-election and, once again, will be replacing Mr. Watson.
So it’s 1987 again, and, just like Kiefer Sutherland in The Lost Boys, Bob Chiarelli’s political career appears to be immortal**.
*Okay, technically, Mr. Chiarelli replaced Allan Higdon, but that doesn’t really count.
**Yeah, yeah, I’m mixing my undead metaphors. Deal with it.