Pierre Bourque | |||||||
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![]() Bourque's 2010 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series car | |||||||
Ottawa City Councillor for By-Rideau Ward | |||||||
In office March 4, 1991[1] – December 1, 1991 | |||||||
Preceded by | Marc Laviolette | ||||||
Succeeded by | Richard Cannings | ||||||
Personal details | |||||||
Born | Ottawa | October 7, 1958||||||
Died | August 28, 2021 | (aged 62)||||||
Residence(s) | Ottawa, Ontario | ||||||
Profession | Journalist, race car driver | ||||||
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career | |||||||
2 races run over 2 years | |||||||
Best finish | 101st (2009) | ||||||
First race | 2009 Power Stroke Diesel 200 (IRP) | ||||||
Last race | 2009 Lucas Oil 200 (Iowa) | ||||||
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NASCAR Canada Series career | |||||||
33 races run over 6 years | |||||||
2011 position | 28th | ||||||
Best finish | 15th (2010) | ||||||
First race | 2006 Griddly Headz 100 (Edmonton) | ||||||
Last race | 2011 Wild Wing 300 (Barrie) | ||||||
| |||||||
Statistics current as of June 17, 2012. | |||||||
André Pierre Bourque Jr.[2][3] (October 7, 1958 – August 28, 2021[4]) was a race car driver, developer, journalist, broadcaster and former politician in Ottawa, Ontario,[5] and operated the online news aggregator site Bourque Newswatch (Newswatch).
Bourque was born at the Ottawa General Hospital in 1958, the son of Pierre Bourque (Sr.) and Barbara McNeil.[6] He was the grandson of E. A. Bourque, Ottawa's first francophone mayor.[7]
Politics
[edit]Following a ten-year career as a race car driver, and a brief apprenticeship with his father's land development business,[3] Bourque was appointed to Ottawa City Council and the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton in March 1991 to fill a vacancy after Marc Laviolette became mayor. Bourque was appointed following a council vote, defeating 17 other candidates, including community activists Maurice Pagé and Richard Cannings. Bourque was supported by the "pro-developer" bloc on council, and was opposed by the council's left wing, who coalesced behind Pagé.[1] Bourque's stay on council was short lived, however, and he was defeated by Cannings in the municipal election that November.[8] While on council, he opposed "all big projects", including bringing in a Triple-A baseball team and improving Lansdowne Park. He also opposed all tax increases, and called for the demolition of some heritage buildings in his ward such as the Daly Building. He had near-perfect attendance in both committee and council meetings.[3]
Two years later, he ran for Parliament in the 1993 Canadian election as a Liberal candidate in the Montreal riding of Rosemont, and lost to Bloc Québécois candidate Benoît Tremblay.[8]
Bourque ran for Ottawa city council again in 1994, in the new Bruyère-Strathcona Ward but was defeated[8] by Stéphane Émard-Chabot. At this point in his career, he was vice president of his father's company, Bourque, Pierre & Fils. He ran on a platform of safety, improving street lighting and basic services, and called for the removal of traffic barriers in the Byward Market. He also wanted to "control taxes by cutting frivolous expenditures".[9] Despite his campaign of fiscal restraint, Bourque was embroiled in a scandal during the campaign as he owed $1.1 million to creditors, after his father promised to repay some of his debts, but went to other debts instead.[10]
Journalism
[edit]In 2001, the Ryerson Review of Journalism (RRJ) criticized Bourque and Newswatch. RRJ said Bourque had not written some of his books but only acted as a researcher. In addition, many of Newswatch's breaking stories had often been inaccurate. RRJ also reported that, despite Bourque's web traffic claims, a random sample indicated that Canadian Internet users had not visited the Newswatch site and that no major Canadian journalist used Newswatch as a source.[8]
Newswatch has also been criticized for allowing advertisers to purchase headlines and to "torque" them to highlight a positive news story about itself or a negative story about an opponent.[5]
Bourque was a fill-in host and contributor to radio talk shows on 580 CFRA.[4]
Racing driver
[edit]Bourque was race car driver in the NASCAR Busch East Series and NASCAR Canadian Tire Series,[11] competing from 2007 to 2011.[4]
Motorsports career results
[edit]NASCAR
[edit](key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
Nationwide Series
[edit]NASCAR Nationwide Series results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | NNSC | Pts | Ref |
2010 | Specialty Racing | 61 | Ford | DAY | CAL | LVS | BRI | NSH | PHO | TEX | TAL | RCH | DAR | DOV | CLT | NSH | KEN | ROA | NHA | DAY | CHI | GTY | IRP | IOW | GLN | MCH | BRI | CGV DNQ |
ATL | RCH | DOV | KAN | CAL | CLT | GTY | TEX | PHO | HOM | 153th | - | [12] |
Camping World Truck Series
[edit]NASCAR Camping World Truck Series results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | NCWTC | Pts | Ref | |||||||||||||
2007 | Fast Track Racing | 71 | Chevy | DAY | CAL | ATL | MAR | KAN | CLT | MFD | DOV | TEX | MCH | MLW | MEM | KEN | IRP 36 |
NSH | BRI | GTW | NHA | LVS | TAL | MAR | ATL | TEX | PHO | HOM | 115th | 55 | [13] | |||||||||||||
2009 | Fast Track Racing | 48 | Chevy | DAY | CAL | ATL | MAR | KAN | CLT | DOV | TEX | MCH | MLW | MEM | KEN | IRP | NSH | BRI | CHI | IOW 29 |
GTW | NHA | LVS | MAR | TAL | TEX | PHO | HOM | 101st | 76 | [14] |
Rolex Sports Car Series
[edit]Grand Touring
[edit](key) Bold – Pole Position. (Overall Finish/Class Finish).
Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series GT results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Team | No. | Engine | Chassis | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Pos | Pts | Ref | |||||||||||||||||||||||
2007 | The Racer's Group | 67 | Pontiac 5.0L V8 | Porsche GT3 Cup | DAY (28/12) |
MEX | HOM | VIR | LGA | WGL | MDO | DAY | IOW | BAR | MON | WGL | INF | MIL | 119th | 19 | [15] |
Personal life
[edit]Bourque was married to Kristine Haselsteiner and had two children.[2]
Death
[edit]Bourque died of a heart attack in 2021.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Developer appointed alderman". Ottawa Citizen. March 5, 1991. p. 23. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
- ^ a b "André Pierre BOURQUE". Ottawa Citizen Obituaries. Retrieved 2021-10-06.
- ^ a b c "Old foes spark hot contest in Lowertown". Ottawa Citizen. November 6, 1991. p. 68. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Condolences pour in for former Ottawa broadcaster and city councillor Pierre Bourque". CTV. August 29, 2021. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
- ^ a b Cheadle, Bruce (January 15, 2007). "How much for a friendly headline?". Globe and Mail. p. A7. Retrieved 2007-01-15.
- ^ "Bourque". Ottawa Citizen. March 8, 1958. p. 24. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
- ^ "Council seat attracts lengthy list of candidates". Ottawa Citizen. February 24, 1991. p. 7. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
- ^ a b c d Heller, Joshua (Summer 2001). "The Wrong Man". Ryerson Review of Journalism. School of Journalism, Ryerson University. Archived from the original on 2007-03-10. Retrieved 2012-05-21.
- ^ "Ward OT5". Ottawa Citizen. November 8, 1994. p. 26. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
- ^ "Candidate of 'fiscal responsibility' owes creditors $1.1M". Ottawa Citizen. November 12, 1994. p. 21. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
- ^ "Pierre Bourque". racing-reference.info. Retrieved 2012-05-21.
- ^ "Pierre Bourque – 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
- ^ "Pierre Bourque – 2007 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
- ^ "Pierre Bourque – 2009 Crafting World Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
- ^ "Pierre Bourque – 2007 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
External links
[edit]- Personal site
- Pierre Bourque driver statistics at Racing-Reference
- Bourque Newswatch