Jean Tremblay | |
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Mayor of Saguenay | |
Assumed office January 1, 2002 |
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Mayor of Chicoutimi | |
In office 1997–2002 |
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Preceded by | |
Succeeded by | Position abolished |
Personal details | |
Born |
Jean Eugène Gabriel André Tremblay November 29, 1948 Chicoutimi, Quebec |
Nationality | Canadian |
Alma mater | Université Laval |
Profession | Notary |
Religion | Roman Catholic |
Jean Tremblay (born November 29, 1948) is a Canadian politician who is Mayor of Saguenay, Quebec, Canada, serving since 2002. This is the 5th-largest urban area of the province. Before that he was mayor since 1996 of Chicoutimi, which since amalgamation in the province is the major borough of the new city.
Tremblay is from the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec. He is a notary by profession and a businessman. After the municipal reorganizations in Quebec, on 1 January 2002 he became the first magistrate of the new city of Saguenay. The popular mayor had his mandate renewed in the elections of November 2005, receiving 72% of the vote, and again in November 2009 with 78% support, described as a "dazzling victory." In the election of 2013, he received 63% of the vote.
Tremblay has worked to promote the economy of Saguenay, initiating actions to attract more cruise ships, as well as support development of the city and industries. He worked to recover taxes owed by private hydroelectric plants within the city, as they were exploiting a city resource. In 2008 he was the first mayor of a major Quebec city to implement a new form of municipal management called « Gestion par activités » (City Stat Performance Strategy).
He established the position of city ombudsman to serve residents. His administration initiated what was the city's first interactive website on the Internet, to improve communication and services for residents. In addition, the mayor's office makes use of social media such as Facebook and Twitter for communication.
While introducing technological innovation, Tremblay has been culturally conservative. He continued his practice of saying a prayer before city council meetings. The Commission on Human Rights ruled this violated freedom of conscience and religion after citizen complaints. The case was ultimately heard by the Canadian Supreme Court. In Mouvement laïque québécois v Saguenay (City) (2015), the court ruled that the prayers before city council meetings were unconstitutional, as the state had an obligation to be neutral, and ordered the city to end them and to pay damages.
Jean Tremblay was born in 1948 in Chicoutimi and attended local schools. He obtained a law degree from Université Laval in 1974. He received his diploma in notary law from the same university and became a member of the Chamber of Notaries of Quebec in 1975.