Guy Ouellette is the MNA for Chomedey and theChair of the Committee on Planning and the Public Domain.

Two Choices, One Decision
Ouellette grew up in a modest family. Being the oldest of seven children, he saw his five brothers and one sister grow up. “I had to set the example,” he says. His father, who was a mechanic, worked 20 hours a day while his mother took care of the seven children and the household. According to Ouellette, his mother was an extraordinary example of hard work. “I always had the impression that she never slept,” he says. “She was always the first one up and the last one to go to sleep. She made sure that we became autonomous and she taught us everything, from cooking to sewing.”

At school, Ouellette was gifted in mental calculations and Geography. “I was able to name the capital cities of many countries,” he said. From a young age, he was fascinated with planes. Even to this day, he’s still in awe when he sees a plane, whether it’s taking off or in the air. As a teen, he began to consider a career in justice, and even now, he says he can’t tolerate injustice. He narrowed down his career choices to just two; flight controller or police officer.

“I applied to both positions, and the responses came back on the same day,” he says. “My acceptance letter from the Sûreté du Québec arrived at 10;00 in the morning, while the other acceptance letter arrived in the afternoon.” At 17 years old, he made the decision to join the Sûreté du Québec, where he remained for 32 years.

Becoming an Expert
Over the course of his career as a police officer, Ouellette became a sought-after expert in organized crime and biker gangs. The 1970’s saw a period of war between different biker gangs, and it instilled fear and uncertainty in people across the province. Ouellette became very interested in the situation as it unfolded. “At first my interest was mainly as a hobby, but then I began to spend long nights and even entire weeks researching and learning,” he says. In 1994, when biker gang wars were at their peak in Quebec, Ouellette found himself in a unique position. He was one of the few in Canada to have cultivated such an expertise in the subject of biker gangs. “By 1994, I was working full-time on the subject. I was training patrollers, I gave testimony and I helped with daily investigations. I was proactive in the fight against organized crime.”

Just over 10 years later, Ouellette published a book called Mom in collaboration with Normand Lester. The book covered the factual history of the well-known head of the Quebec Hells Angels, Maurice “Mom” Boucher. The book was very well received by the public.

Continuing to Serve
A father of four and a grandfather to two grand-children, Ouellette has not slowed down since retiring from his career as a police officer. In his free time, he likes to walk, at least 10 km per day. It’s a habit that helps him to clear his head, stay in shape and work efficiently.

“For me, justice is really important,” he says. As an MNA, he wants to serve and protect citizens in his riding. “It my biggest mission after all the posts I had with the Sûreté du Québec.” Among some of the many proud moments of his political career, Ouellette singles out four dates; March 26th, 2007, December 8th, 2008, September 4th, 2012 and April 7th, 2017. “Those are the four dates that the citizens of Chomedey gave me their trust,” he says.

He hopes to add one more date to that list; October 1st, 2018. “It’s the most amazing thing that could happen, because it’s the people that decide,” he says. “It’s not a job we can get, it’s one we have to earn.”

The concerns of the citizens of Chomedey are what keep him going; access to health services, education and social equality. “I want citizens to have a good quality of life. The doors of my office are always open for everyone,” says Ouellette. “In a MNA’s office, the citizen is the main priority.” Ouellette’s office is adapted for individuals with all sorts of physical disabilities.

Ouellette wants to be remembered as someone who worked hard and with high integrity, and who always sought justice.

Translation by Lisa Cipriani