Diane Deans Politician

Diane Elisabeth Deans is a member of Ottawa City Council, Canada, representing Gloucester-Southgate Ward in the city's south-east.A graduate of the University of Guelph she was active in the Canadian Federation of Students. Deans was first elected to Ottawa city council in 1994. When Ottawa and its surrounding municipalities were amalgamated in 2000, she faced a tough election against a fellow City Councillor and the chair of the Ottawa Board of Trade. In the 2003 Ottawa election, she handily defeated two lesser-known opponents. After victory in the 2006 Ottawa election, Diane began her fifth term as Councillor for Gloucester-Southgate ward. In the 2010 election, Deans was re-elected in her Gloucester-Southgate ward.Deans considers herself a centrist member of council but traditionally takes a Liberal stance on most issues. In recent years, Deans' main concern has been the creation of a new branch for the Ottawa Public Library in her rapidly growing ward. She also supported by-laws limiting smoking in the city, while not supporting a lawn pesticide bylaw in 2002 and 2005. She has engaged in public clashes with Mayor Bob Chiarelli while advocating for her ward.Deans sought the Federal Liberal nomination in the riding of Ottawa South in 2004. She lost to David McGuinty. She was seen as a possible candidate to challenge Chiarelli for the mayoralty in 2006, but chose to run for re-election in Gloucester-Southgate Ward. In March 2007, Diane Deans announced that she had been approached by members of the Ontario Liberal Party urging her to seek the party's nomination for the riding of Ottawa Centre. She received the support of the sitting MPP Richard Patten. On June 4, 2007, she lost the provincial nomination to Yasir Naqvi.