Steven Blaney

Canadian Businessman and Conservative Politician.

• Born: April 8, 1965
• Place of Birth: Sherbrooke, Canada

• Education: Université de Sherbrooke and Université du Québec à Rimouski, Montréal.

Significance: An engineer, a businessman, and a politician, Steven Blaney served the Canadian government in numerous capacities since assuming office in 2006, applying his technical experience as a member of the Conservative Party.

Background

Canadian Businessman and Conservative Politician. Born on April 8, 1965, in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Steven Blaney was raised in Sainte-Marie-de-Beauce. Blaney pursued a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Sherbrooke, from which he graduated in 1988. He then furthered his education with the University of Quebec at Rimouski (UQAR), at their Lévis campus. He graduated from the program with a Master’s in Business Administration degree in 2002.

After his studies were completed, Blaney focused heavily on areas concerning technology for the environment, as well as on infrastructure for urban development. As his career advanced, he assumed roles predominantly concerned with consulting and advising within his entrepreneurial scope. Blaney became a member of Réseau Environnement (a group of environmental professionals) and served as its president in the years leading up to the launch of his political career.

In 2006, Blaney was voted into the House of Commons, at which point his political career officially began. He was voted to continue serving in 2008 and elected as a member of parliament (MP) of Lévis-Bellechasse in 2011. During his time in office, Blaney served the Quebec Conservative faction and stood on committees for Aboriginal Affairs, Infrastructure, Transport, Communities, and Defense. He also chaired the committee for Official Languages and stood as part of the Canada-France Interparliamentary Association. Blaney later assumed the role of Minister of Veteran Affairs, as well as that of La Francophonie Minister.

Life’s Work

Blaney worked in the water purification and energy efficiency sectors, focusing on engineering. He founded a company called Stratech in 1993. The company’s goal was to provide solutions to industries and municipalities with the use of environmental technology. Through this, he embarked upon a number of environmental-related projects. As an active environmental professional, Blaney became a member of Réseau Environnement, the largest group of environmental specialists in Quebec, representing over 2,700 members from all backgrounds. He served as the president of the Québec-Chaudière Chapter of the organization from 2003 until 2006.

In the election of January 23, 2006, Blaney was sworn into office through the House of Commons to represent the Lévis-Bellechasse constituency. In 2007, he was made the vice president of the Québec Conservative Faction and also appointed as the chairperson for the Standing Committee of Official Languages in Ottawa. In the election of October 2008, he was again elected to serve the Lévis-Bellechasse constituency. After this, he was appointed as Chairperson of the Québec Conservative Caucus. He then sat on the Indian Affairs Committee, as well as the Committee for Transport Infrastructure and Communities. He became one of the first "carbon neutral" MPs when he agreed to offset greenhouse gas emissions that came about due to his activities by planting trees alongside Tree Canada and Comité de restauration de la rivière Etchemin.

On May 2, 2011, Blaney was once more reelected to serve the Lévis-Bellechasse constituency. Later that month, he was appointed as Minister of Veteran Affairs, Member of the Committee for Foreign Affairs and Defense, and also Member of the Committee for Social Affairs. He served on the committees for Foreign Affairs & Defense as well as the Veteran Affairs Committee until July 14, 2013. Blaney initiated regulatory changes to the Enhanced Veterans Charter Act. This was set up to revamp the pension system that was initialized after World War I and World War II. The New Veterans Charter supported veterans in effectively transitioning from military to civilian life. He also simplified many of the administrative processes involved. During his tenure, Blaney also commenced the Helmet to Hardhats program that helped former Canadian Forces members obtain jobs that could adequately support them financially. On February 22, 2013, he became the Minister of La Francophonie and served as Secretary of State. He maintained this position until July 14, 2013. Blaney was appointed as Minister of Public Health and Emergency Preparedness on July 15, 2013. He was also appointed as a member of the Operations Committee and the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee. He maintained all three portfolios, alongside his role on the Social Affairs Committee, until November 3, 2015. In 2016, Blaney unsuccessfully ran for the leadership of the Conservative Party, though he was reelected as MP for Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis in 2019. In 2021, Blaney announced that he would not seek reelection.

On October 19, 2015, Blaney was elected to serve the Bellechasse-Les Etchemins-Lévis constituency. At this point, he was assigned an area of responsibility to serve as a critic for Public Works and Government Services. Following the 2015 elections, he remained an active critic and important contributor to environmental policy reform and development.

Impact

Blaney created a form of accessibility to benefits and governmental resources for senior citizens that previously had not been easily retrievable for them. He created job opportunities for persons in society who had moved out of very specialized fields. He also stimulated a strong move towards environmental consciousness in industrial practices and municipal development. Blaney successfully incorporated technical solutions for balancing economic development with environmental consciousness.

Personal Life

Blaney was the husband of Marie Bouchard and the father of two children, William-Antoine Blaney and Alexandra Blaney. The family resided in Lévis, Quebec.

Bibliography

"Engineers on Parliament Hill: The Honourable Steven Blaney." Engineers Canada, 25 Mar. 2021, engineerscanada.ca/news-and-events/news/engineers-on-parliament-hill-the-honourable-steven-blaney. Accessed 13 Oct. 2024.

“Quebec Conservative MP Steven Blaney Will Not Run in Next Election.” CTV News Montreal, 15 July 2021, montreal.ctvnews.ca/quebec-conservative-mp-steven-blaney-will-not-run-in-next-election-1.5510812. Accessed 13 Oct. 2024.

“The Honourable Steven Blaney - Member of Parliament - House of Commons of Canada.” Canada - House of Commons, 2023, www.ourcommons.ca/members/en/35389. Accessed 13 Oct. 2024.