39 Facts About Alex Munter

Alexander Mathias Munter was born on April 29,1968 and is a former Canadian politician and business owner in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Alex Munter is the former President and Chief Executive Officer of the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario.

Alex Munter is currently the head of the Canadian Medical Association.

In November 1989, Alex Munter left the Kourier to focus on his ongoing studies in Political Science at the University of Ottawa.

Alex Munter worked as a political reporter for the Ottawa Citizen before and after running as a candidate of the Ontario New Democratic Party in the 1990 provincial election, contesting the riding of Carleton.

Alex Munter placed third in this conservative riding, but received more votes than any previous NDP candidate in the area.

Alex Munter pushed through an initiative to install condom dispensers in some municipal buildings.

Alex Munter was a City and Regional Councillor in Ottawa from 1991 to 2003.

Alex Munter easily won the seat against two other Kanata politicians.

In 2012 and 2013, Alex Munter served as co-chair of the Ontario Healthy Kids Panel along with Kelly Murumets, president and CEO of ParticipACTION.

Alex Munter was the National Co-ordinator for Canadians for Equal Marriage, a group that campaigned successfully in favour of legislation to make same-sex marriage legal in Canada.

Alex Munter holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences degree from the University of Ottawa, a Master of Science degree in Behavioural Science from the London School of Economics and a professional designation as a Certified Health Executive from the Canadian College of Health Leaders.

Alex Munter supported creating the amalgamated city of Ottawa, and was acclaimed to the new Ottawa City Council when it was created.

Alex Munter chaired the new city of Ottawa's health committee and, along with Medical Officer of Health Robert Cushman, worked to bring in Ottawa's no-smoking by-law.

Alex Munter was courted to run provincially or to challenge for the mayoralty against Bob Chiarelli in 2003, but instead took a hiatus from electoral politics.

Alex Munter became a visiting professor of Urban Studies and Communications at the University of Ottawa and resumed writing for the Citizen.

On February 13,2006, Alex Munter announced his candidacy for mayor of Ottawa in the November 2006 municipal election.

Alex Munter promised to limit tax hikes to the inflation rate.

Alex Munter's opponents claimed that the budget was balanced despite his votes to increase spending.

Alex Munter said he planned to improve public transit in the city of Ottawa, to review the O-Train project and to fix possible irregularities regarding the contract with Siemens.

Alex Munter said that the project could have been significantly better than the existing proposal, and that the costs could have been reduced.

Alex Munter promised to improve safety on the city streets with an increase of the number of police officers.

Alex Munter proposed to give an easier access to leisure activities for kids with lower recreational fees.

Alex Munter wanted the city of Ottawa to be environmentally friendly.

Alex Munter has spent more than three decades in public service, first as an elected official, then as a leader and advocate with a focus on the health of children and youth.

Alex Munter has been the president and CEO of CHEO, eastern Ontario's children's hospital in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada since October 2011, replacing Michel Bilodeau who retired from CHEO after a 30-year career in health administration.

Since moving into health and social services administration in 2007, Alex Munter has focused on public policy issues like human rights, gene patenting, obesity, mental health and the future of health care.

Alex Munter was the City of Ottawa's first openly gay politician and, during his time in local politics, he helped bring in Ottawa's no-smoking bylaw.

Alex Munter was the president of CHEO during the COVID-19 pandemic when the health-care system faced unending pressures.

In 2001, as head of the city of Ottawa's Health and Social Services Committee, Alex Munter led the adoption of Canada's first big-city workplace and public place smoking ban on city council.

In 2003, Alex Munter was approached by Canadians for Equal Marriage, a coalition of churches, professional groups and citizen organizations, and was asked to be the group's National Co-ordinator.

In 2012, Alex Munter was appointed co-chair of a provincial expert panel on childhood obesity.

In 2014, Alex Munter spoke for CHEO when the organization launched a lawsuit against a private company, Transgenomic, challenging the legality of gene patents in Canada's Federal Court.

Alex Munter has been a vocal advocate for better access to mental health care and the adoption of innovative technologies within Canadian hospitals, as well as a frequent speaker on the future of Canada's universal medicare system.

Previously, Alex Munter briefly led the regional health authority, the Champlain Local Health Integration Network, which has since been absorbed into Ontario Health.

Alex Munter announced on August 16,2024, that CHEO, under his leadership as CEO, would boycott the Capital Pride 2024 festivities as a result of the organization expressing solidarity with Palestine, specifically recognizing the "ongoing Gaza Genocide", advocating for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions, in addition to condemning the October 7 attacks on Israel and rising anti-semitism and Islamophobia.

Alex Munter's father emigrated from Germany to Montreal in 1966, one year after his mother arrived from Egypt.

Alex Munter's parents met in a French class for immigrants, which his mother was teaching.

At age 14, Alex Munter began publishing the Kanata Kourier from his basement as a monthly local paper for the suburban community of Kanata, Ontario.