James Alexander Watson is the current mayor of the City of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. He was a former Ottawa city councilor (1991–1997) and mayor (1997–2000), and subsequently represented the riding of Ottawa WestNepean in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 2003 to 2010. He served in the Cabinet of Premier Dalton McGuinty in the portfolios of Consumer and Business Services (2003 - 2005), Health Promotion (2005 - 2007), and Municipal Affairs and Housing (2007 - 2010). He resigned in January 2010 to successfully run for mayor in the 2010 Ottawa municipal election. He was subsequently re-elected mayor on October 27, 2014, and on October 22, 2018.
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson comes out as gay
Longtime Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson came out as gay in a column in the Ottawa Citizen on Saturday, writing that the announcement was "better late than never." The 58-year-old wrote he had long struggled with the decision to be open about his sexuality, and considered whether the revelation would affect his relationships with family, friends, and constituents. Watson's announcement came just a day before the start of Ottawa's Capital Pride 2019, a weeklong festival. "As I look back over my life, and in hindsight, not coming out sooner was a big mistake on my part," he wrote. Watson recalled being bullied in grade school and how his father's frequent relocation for work made it difficult to make friends in high school. There were virtually no resources for LGBTQ students to seek guidance or help, he wrote, and he couldn't remember ever meeting an openly gay student before college.
Though his university environment was more liberal, Watson said he was still too shy and reluctant to come to terms with that part of his identity. After graduation, he busied himself with his career. Watson, who has led Ottawa since 2010 and previously served as mayor from 1997 to 2000, said he was proud of his track record on LGBTQ issues. He voted in favor of same-sex marriage and as a provincial cabinet minister in the early 2000s, he made it easier for same-sex couples to get married. He was also the first Ottawa mayor to march in the city's Pride Parade.
Still, he said he had some regret -- and some words of wisdom for others in similar situations."But if I can be so bold as to offer one bit of advice to those still in the closet: Don't feel pressured or rushed to come out, but don't wait 40 years either," he wrote. "My reluctance has not allowed me to live my life as full of love and adventure as my gay friends who were bolder and braver than I ever was."
Famous for
Mayor of the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Early life of Jim Watson
Jim Watson was born on 30 July 1961 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He holds Canadian nationality with ethnicity and his birth sign is Leo. He was born to his father Beverly Watson and mother Frances Watson along with his sister Elizabeth Jean Watson and his birth name is James Alexander Watson. He grew up in Lachute, but his family moved a few times during his childhood for his father's work, taking him to Beaconsfield, Thornhill, and Sarnia. Regarding his education, He graduated high school from Northern Collegiate in Sarnia. Watson later moved to Ottawa to attend Carleton University and graduated in 1983 with a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications from the Faculty of Public Affairs.
Body Measurements of Jim Watson
There is no information available currently on this topic but will be updated soon.
Career of Jim Watson
- Watson began his career working in journalism for a few local newspapers, and later entered the federal public service, where he rose to the position of Director of Communications for the Speaker of the House of Commons.
- Watson first entered a public office in 1991 when he was elected to pre-amalgamation Ottawa's City Council as councilor for Capital Ward.
- He was subsequently re-elected to Council in 1994.
- In 1997, Watson sought election as Mayor of Ottawa, winning 83 percent of the popular vote to become Ottawa's youngest-ever mayor.
- Watson resigned as mayor on August 14, 2000, to become president and CEO of the Canadian Tourism Commission.
- In 2003, Watson left public service to pursue a career in media as host of CHRO-TV's The New RO @ Noon.
- In the 2003 provincial election, Watson defeated Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario incumbent Garry Guzzo to become the Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for the Ottawa West-Nepean riding and was appointed by Premier of Ontario Dalton McGuinty as Minister of Consumer and Business Services on October 23, 2003.
- He became Ontario's first Minister of Health Promotion on June 29, 2005.
- After the 2007 election, Watson became Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
- On January 12, 2010, Watson resigned from cabinet in order to run for mayor of Ottawa in the 2010 Ottawa municipal election where he won the election with almost 50% of the vote.
- Watson won the mayoral race in 2014 with 76.20% of the votes, defeating eight other candidates.
- On November 16, 2015, Watson lead an economic mission to China and Thailand to draw investment for Ottawa businesses, and to encourage tourism to the nation's capital.
- Since 2014, Watson has led to many significant projects in the city. Set to become one of the largest infrastructure projects in the city's history.
- On October 22, Jim Watson won the 2018 mayoral race with 71.03% of the votes, defeating eleven other candidates.
- On August 17, 2019, in an op-ed to the Ottawa Citizen, Watson announced that he was coming out of the closet, becoming Ottawa's first openly gay mayor.
What is the sexual orientation of Jim Watson?
Jim Watson came out as gay as his announcement came just a day before the start of Ottawa's Capital Pride 2019, a weeklong festival. "As I look back over my life, and in hindsight, not coming out sooner was a big mistake on my part," he wrote. "As I look back over my life, and in hindsight, not coming out sooner was a big mistake on my part," he wrote and also said of being bullied in his high school.
Birthday of Jim Watson
Canadian Mayor Jim Watson celebrates his birthday on the 30th of July. Currently, he is 58 years old.
Net worth of Jim Watson
Jim Watson is earning a considerable amount of money from his profession as he was earning a salary of $178,270 for 2017. As of 2019, his net worth is still under review.
