Janet Harder is an Ottawa City Councillor representing the ward of Barrhaven. She is the appointed chair of the Ottawa Public Library board, which sets policy and has the ultimate say in decisions affecting the library system. Born at the Civic Hospital in Ottawa, to parents Philip and Blanche Weatherall she spent her youth in a number of different Ontario cities. Trained as a radiological technician, she eventually became an executive in the grocery business. She first entered politics in the 1997 municipal elections when she was elected to Nepeancity council. Prior to her election, she served for eight years as the President of the Barrhaven Community Association. She ran on a platform of "fast-tracking urban development" in south Nepean, increasing the number of sports fields and ice rinks and improved commuter roads, transit and the building of a VIA rail station. She was easily elected to council, defeating rivals Mike Kronick and Bill Gordon with 55% of the vote. With the creation of the new amalgamated city of Ottawa in 2000, Harder ran against regional councillor Molly McGoldrick-Larsen. While the race was expected to be close, Harder ended up winning by several thousand votes. In 2003, Harder described youth gangs in her ward as "non-whites", which led to calls to her resignations and a hate crime complaint that did not lead to charges. She was reelected in the 2003 Ottawa election, by defeating newcomer John R. Palmer. One of her first efforts on city council was the successful campaign to replace the new coat of arms with that of the old city of Ottawa. She also led a campaign to have filters installed on computers in the public libraries that would restrict users from accessing pornography. In the November 2006 municipal elections, Harder retained her position as councillor with 75% of the vote in Barrhaven Ward. Harder was accused of conflict of interest in 2008 for allegedly endorsing a waste management company, Plasco, and accepting money in the form of a paid trip Harder is heavily active in Conservative politics and in the past mused about running federally in her riding. Her daughter, Elena ran for the vacant Orléans Ward seat in a by-election in January 2006, but was unsuccessful. Harder endorsed Ottawa mayorJim Watson for mayor of Ottawa in the 2018 Ottawa municipal election.
