Eugène Bellemare is a Canadian

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 politician.

Bellemare is a former Member of Parliament of the Liberal Party of Canada

Liberal Party of Canada

The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...

 in the Canadian House of Commons

Canadian House of Commons

The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...

, representing the riding of Ottawa—Orléans

Ottawa—Orléans

Ottawa—Orléans is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1988....

 between 2000 and 2004 and previously Carleton—Gloucester from 1988 to 2000. Bellemare is a former administrator and teacher. He is a former parliamentary secretary

Parliamentary Secretary

A Parliamentary Secretary is a member of a Parliament in the Westminster system who assists a more senior minister with his or her duties.In the parliamentary systems of several Commonwealth countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, it is customary for the prime minister to...

 to the Minister for International Cooperation. Bellemare lost his riding nomination battle to Marc Godbout

Marc Godbout

Marc Godbout is the former Canadian Member of Parliament for the Ottawa—Orléans riding. He was first elected in the 2004 Canadian federal election, representing the Liberal Party of Canada....

 for the 2004 election

Canadian federal election, 2004

The Canadian federal election, 2004 , was held on June 28, 2004 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 38th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal government of Prime Minister Paul Martin lost its majority, but was able to form a minority government after the elections...

. He was one of only eight Liberal MPs to lose their party nomination battle for the 2004 election.

His son Michel Bellemare

Michel Bellemare

Michel Bellemare was member of the City Council in Ottawa, Canada from 1994 to 2010. He served as acting as mayor of Ottawa, while mayor Larry O'Brien faced charges from May 2-July 8, 2009....

 was an Ottawa city councillor

Ottawa City Council

The Ottawa City Council is the governing body of the City of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is composed of 23 city councillors and the mayor. The mayor is elected at large, while each of the councillors represent wards throughout the city. Council members are elected to four year terms with the...

.

Before entering federal politics, Bellemare served on the council for the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton

Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton

The Regional Municipality of Ottawa–Carleton was a regional government area and census division in Ontario, Canada which existed from 1969 until 2001...

 from 1980 to 1985 and the township and then city council for Gloucester

Gloucester, Ontario

Gloucester is a suburb of and within the City of Ottawa. Gloucester Township was established in 1792 and originally included lands east of the Rideau River from the Ottawa River south to Manotick. It was incorporated as a township in 1850 and became a city in 1981...

 from 1966 to 1988.

Bellemare endorsed Dalton McGuinty

Dalton McGuinty

Dalton James Patrick McGuinty, Jr., MPP is a Canadian lawyer, politician and, since October 23, 2003, the 24th and current Premier of the Canadian province of Ontario....

's bid to lead the Liberal Party of Ontario in 1996 (Canada NewsWire, 19 August 1996).