W
ith a proven track record as a Guelph City Councillor, Dominique O’Rourke has a passion for community-driven solutions. Now, she believes she can make a greater impact for Guelph by serving in Ottawa as the next Member of Parliament.
Dominique O’Rourke has spent over 27 years working to make Guelph a better place, and she isn’t about to ease up. From working in Guelph and volunteering with community organizations, to serving as a City Councillor for Ward 6 since 2018, O’Rourke says her record of hard work, collaboration, and commitment to community service has allowed her to get things done.
“I have a deep understanding of the challenges and aspirations in this city and know I can tackle issues that are top priorities for Guelph residents, like affordability, housing, job creation and climate change; and, beyond that, to help maximize Guelph’s potential,” O’Rourke says.
Stepping up to Serve
Interestingly, if elected as Guelph’s Member of Parliament, it would not be O’Rourke’s first time working in the House of Commons. As a first-year economics student she was a page in the House of Commons and witnessed democracy in action. To help pay for school, she worked as a tour guide in Parliament. After graduation, Dominique was chosen to participate in the Parliamentary Internship Program where a group of 10 young Canadians work for both a government and an opposition MP and learn about parliamentary democracies.
“That was the year of the Quebec Referendum,” she recalls. “Canada as a nation held its breath that night because we knew we were stronger together. I believe deeply in the promise of Canada and want to contribute to building a stronger and more united country.”
So when Lloyd Longfield, Guelph’s current Member of Parliament, decided that he would not be seeking re-election and local supporters began encouraging her to put her name forward, she says she knew it was the right time to think about how she could serve Guelph in a greater way.
From Gryphon to Community Leader
Moving to Guelph in 1997, O’Rourke began her career at The Co-operators Group as a public relations specialist, later advancing to director of Public Affairs. In these roles, she gained extensive experience in public, media and government relations. “From being a national, bilingual spokesperson to leading national campaigns, I learned so much about how a large organization works and about insurance, sustainability, community investment and co-ops,” O’Rourke says. “I regularly draw upon that experience as a councillor and consultant.”
While raising her young children, O’Rourke embraced her entrepreneurial spirit, launching a consultancy that collaborated with local and national organizations like Community Foundations of Canada (CFC) and the Canadian Index of Wellbeing, which uses a new model to measure quality of life. Through her work with CFC, O’Rourke researched and wrote three national reports, one about the challenges facing youth and two on different drivers and benefits of belonging.
For much of O’Rourke’s life, she has focused on understanding challenges, researching solutions, and advocating for meaningful change.
After earning her Masters at the University of Guelph – yes, she’s a proud Gryphon – Dominique worked at Agricorp, a provincial crown agency, where she gained a deeper understanding of agriculture, policy development, and program delivery.
But the community soon pulled at her heart again and she began working with Special Olympics Ontario and the Guelph Police Service to lead fundraising and communication for the 2016 Special Olympics Ontario’s Provincial Spring Games which were held in Guelph. “It was pure magic the way residents, businesses and so many organizations came together for the games and for the athletes,” she says. “We’re an extraordinary city with extraordinary people.”
As a dedicated volunteer, O’Rourke is drawn to initiatives that uplift and serve others. Her contributions include literacy tutoring, tree planting, school council, founding Réseau Franco-Guelph, and a decade of service with Guelph Community Foundation where she co-chaired Guelph’s first Random Act of Kindness Day, chaired the 15th Anniversary Gala, and co-authored the 2018 Vital Signs report.
Later, after she was recognized among the 2018 Women of Distinction, O’Rourke continued to help plan that event as well as an International Women’s Day event for several years. She is also a 10-year member of 100 Women Who Care Guelph and a new Rotarian.
“There’s no better way to deepen your understanding of the needs in our community and to build connections than through volunteering,” she says.
Making a Difference
O’Rourke’s decision to run for public office in 2018 stemmed from this desire to make a difference. As a City Councillor for Ward 6, she is proud of her accomplishments over the past six years. She’s improved communications with her constituents and fought for more equal representation. A centrist with an eagle-eye on the budget, she has passed several measures to lower property taxes and to increase accountability and efficiency, including Value for Money Audits. She has been a champion of economic development and for the new South End Recreation Centre which broke ground last fall.
Beyond budgets and buildings, Dominique cares about people.
That’s why she passed a motion to declare Intimate Partner Violence an Epidemic last year. She also successfully proposed increased funding for the city’s designated long term care home during COVID and beyond. O’Rourke says, “I’m so proud that The Elliott Community recently opened 29 new, much-needed long term care beds. We need many more, but this is an important step in meeting the growing needs of our seniors.”
O’Rourke says the big moments are nice, but helping constituents solve a problem that matters to them is just as rewarding. She has a genuine belief in building a better Guelph for everyone.
Looking to the Future
Although non-partisan for most of her life, O’Rourke says there are many reasons she has chosen to stand with the Liberal Party: “The largest expansion of our healthcare system since the 1960s, the Canada Child Benefit and lower fees for child care, OAS and GIS benefits to seniors restored from age 67 to 65, climate action that has cut our pollution to its lowest levels in more than 27 years, and direct action on housing and homelessness.” She adds, “That’s progress that Guelph can’t afford to have reversed.”
In Guelph, O’Rourke points to $21.4M from the federal Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) that will pay for many of the city’s high priority affordable housing initiatives, more than $50M over the past four years invested in affordable and supportive housing, and more than $19M for social housing retrofits and repairs. “That’s on the housing file alone,” she says. “Childcare costs are dropping from $35/day to $22/day in Guelph in 2025 thanks to the child care strategy. Those are real savings.”
“To me, it isn't about polls, personalities or three-word slogans. It’s about values and programs that work for Canadians and help address our biggest challenges,” says O’Rourke.
O’Rourke’s decision to run federally was also influenced by conversations with her children, who are now young adults concerned about the cost of living, housing and homelessness, jobs, and climate change, which mirror conversations she’s having with everyone she talks to at doors across Guelph.
“These are not abstract policy issues; they’re real challenges shaping the lives and futures of families,” O’Rourke explains. “I know that I can do more to tackle these issues as Guelph’s next MP than from my council seat. I’m listening to folks in our community and running to serve as Guelph’s Member of Parliament to help build a better future for our city and for Canada.”
It’s clear: with years of experience in communications and community leadership, O’Rourke knows how to build bridges, encourage collaboration, and turn ideas into action. She has gained trust and respect as a tireless advocate for the city she calls home and is looking to stepping up to serve in a bigger way.
Contact Dominique O’Rourke at (226) 770-4988 or via email at [email protected]. Visit her online here.