Bill is born and raised in the City of North Bay. Bill can offer a different perspective.
His wife Gisele (Gravelle) was born and raised in Corbeil. They have been married for 46 years. They have recently relocated to North Bay as their house outgrew them. They have downsized and moved to the ONR building on Oak St East.
Bill and Gisele have 4 children, Lisa, Louise, Billy and Tanya. Gisele worked in the family business, Gravelle's Meat Market, for almost her entire life. Bill told Gisele that 5 years after they were married that he would run for politics in some capacity. In 1976, 5 years after they were married, Bill ran for council in East Ferris where he topped the polls and became the first Deputy Mayor for East Ferris. He went on to succeed Paul Rochefort as Mayor and continued as Mayor and Deputy Mayor in East Ferris for the last 40 years.
Realizing that East Ferris could not exist alone, Bill sought provincial seats on the Association for Municipalities of Ontario Executive and the Rural Caucus. He has been successfully elected to the board since the late 90's.
Bill worked in banking and finance prior to joining the Nipissing District Catholic School Board. He taught music to over 17,000 kids in the Nipissing District over 30 years. Bill has a University Degree in Social Sciences and Population Geography.
You may also have known Bill with his band Bill Vrebosch and the Descendants of Tyme. They produced records called Cara Mia and Duke the Toque (North Bay Winter Carnival Theme Song).
Bill's grandfather and father, worked for the TNO and ONR since the 1900s. They lived in the East End of North Bay where Bill grew up.
Before living in Corbeil, Bill and Gisele lived in North Bay in West Ferris. Bill understands what it means to work hard. He worked his full time job as a teacher, took courses towards his degrees and then worked 6 nights a week with his band in order to make a living to support his wife and children.
Bill has over 40 years of local municipal experience as the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of East Ferris and over 20 years of provincial experience as the Chair of ROMA and as a Rural Caucus Member. All my experience with these boards has been fundamental in my political knowledge. They give me the opportunity to lobby higher levels of government on issues that matter to East Ferris and North Bay. In addition, they provide invaluable access to municipal resources and information across the province.
Bill has always worked hard to make people feel comfortable with contacting him if they have a problem or a suggestion. “Politicians aren’t your enemy, we’re here to go to meetings, study issues, get advice and make decisions on your behalf. I have always been guided by my conscience.” That’s why he’s always worked using principles such as honesty, integrity and fiscal responsibility as his guide.
Bill believes the negative images put forward over the years have been harmful to the overall image of North Bay.
People draw jobs. You must create a new positive image for the city that will draw people to it. One of the biggest problems we have is the lack of population and population retention. We need to protect what we have and create a positive image. He sees that in some ways this trend is reversing. Many people his children’s ages are coming back to North Bay, or at least looking to come back. The negative attitudes that have been put forth in the last few years have to change. If we have healthy existing businesses, they will help attract new ancillary businesses to the City. The word will get out that this is GOOD place to live and set up your business. We must support the people in our community who are committed to making it better and building it up.
