Meet Councillor Daniel Fontaine
Over the course of his 25+ year career, Quayside resident Daniel Fontaine has worked in the private and not-for-profit sectors as well as government. Most recently, he served as the Deputy Minister and Chief Executive Officer for Metis Nation BC. Fontaine is Metis and obtained his citizenship in 2020. Fontaine is the Principal at MICHIFCO Consulting.
After obtaining his political science degree from the University of Manitoba, Fontaine went on to complete the Media Writing and Public Relations certificate program at Langara College. He was appointed to the Board of Directors for Douglas College and served on the BC College of Psychologists from 2004-2010. He formerly served as the President for the Canadian Association for Long-Term Care and a board director for SafeCare BC.
In May 2018 the Minister of Health appointed Fontaine to the Federal Advisory Panel on Dementia. The Panel worked to support the implementation of Canada’s National Dementia Strategy.
Fontaine co-hosted #BCPoliTalk, a podcast/webcast that focused on BC politics. He also wrote a monthly political column for The Orca online. He is the former weekly civic affairs columnist for 24 Hours Newspaper and political commentator on Global TV & Global BC1 news channel. He actively participated in the weekly civic affairs panel for the top-rated Bill Good Show on CKNW radio.
Fontaine also served as Chief of Staff in the Office of the Mayor of Vancouver. In 2015 he was appointed to the Board of Directors for SafeCare BC which has a mandate to reduce workplace injuries in the long-term care sector.
In March 2022 Fontaine was inducted into Canada’s Marketing, PR, Advertising and Communications Hall of Fame. In 2012 Fontaine was awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for public service. He remains an active volunteer with the New Westminster Minor Hockey Association. In 2016 the NWMHA presented him with the Volunteer of the Year award.
Fontaine is married with one son and they live in the beautiful Quayside neighbourhood. Fontaine has resided in New Westminster for over 20 years and he ran for a position on city council in 2018.