In November 2000, area residents elected the first Council of the newly amalgamated City of Ottawa and chose Rainer Bloess as Councillor for the area which was designated as Innes Ward. This large, east-end ward is home to 40,000 residents and encompasses several distinct communities, including Blackburn Hamlet, Chapel Hill, Notre Dame des Champs, Chateau Neuf, Bradley Estates and part of Orleans village.

A long-time resident of Blackburn Hamlet, Rainer has been involved over the years in a number of community organizations, handling Civic Affairs for the Blackburn Community Association, serving as Facilities Director for the annual Fun Fair fundraising event and playing an active role in the local volunteer Recreation and Parks Board. He has also been active on the local scene as a coach, manager and player in a number of sports including soccer and hockey.

Rainer was first elected to Gloucester Council in 1994 where he served two terms as the representative for Ward 3 (Blackburn Hamlet.) At the time, he worked diligently both as an advocate for individual constituents and as a forceful voice on City Council representing his community. During Rainer's tenure on Gloucester Council, Gloucester was recognized for practicing fiscal restraint and for reducing taxes by 15%.

In recent years, Rainer has been particularly involved in dealing with the transit and transportation challenges that accompany the unprecedented growth Ottawa’s east end has experienced. Through three terms on City Council he has championed projects such as the reconstruction and widening of Innes Road in both the western and eastern sectors of the ward, the Innes-Walkley-Hunt Club Extension project, and a host of improvements and adjustments to east end transit service such as Route 94.   During the heated light rail debates of 2006, Councillor Bloess emerged early as a supporter of the construction of a transit tunnel to relieve congestion in the downtown core, an option which has now been adopted as a key part of Ottawa’s long-term transit plans. In 2008, it was Rainer Bloess who put forward a motion at City Council (which was defeated) to initiate efforts to have public transit declared an essential service in order to prevent the transit strike which subsequently crippled the City for months.

Over the years, as well, Rainer has strongly supported recreational and cultural programs in his constituency. A longtime ally of the vibrant east end arts community, he is particularly proud of the development and funding of the new Shenkman Arts Centre. He has rallied the community in support of the retention of the Blackburn Hamlet library branch and advocated on Council for extensive improvements to Petrie Island which have made it an increasingly popular east end family recreation location and facility. He has also, along with his fellow east-end Council colleagues, vigorously supported the selection of Kettle Island as the site of a future interprovincial bridge, a choice which will ensure the protection of Petrie Island for generations to come. An avid sports enthusiast, he supported the public-private initiative which brought the multi-purpose SuperDome to Hornets’ Nest. When threats to Greenbelt lands arise, as they do from time to time, Rainer mobilizes the forceful and vocal “Save the Greenbelt” advocacy group founded during his time on Gloucester Council.

Rainer is as much at home at community events as he is at the Council table and he is a highly visible, accessible and welcome presence throughout his constituency; at local legion halls, community meetings, arenas, retirement homes, and schools. He routinely rides the busses throughout his constituency for feedback on transit issues and has always encouraged residents to provide their input by email, phone, or in person, whether positive or negative, on municipal matters. He has visited countless residents in their homes to listen to their concerns firsthand and to respond to their questions. 

Rainer is committed both to resolving problems for individual constituents and to mediating disputes and issues which arise among various community groups. Throughout his years in office, he has also assisted numerous deserving organizations in securing funding and/or connecting with municipal resources and advisors. He is, in short, genuinely dedicated to the capable representation of the interests of his community and its residents at City Hall and highly experienced in delivering this representation consistently for over sixteen years.

Rainer can be reached at the office at 613-580-2472. He can also be emailed at the city at Rainer.Bloess@ottawa.ca.