Bill Vrebosch

Bill Vrebosch (born July 10, 1943 in North Bay, Ontario) is a Canadian municipal politician, serving on council in the township of East Ferris as deputy reeve, reeve and mayor since 1978.
Musician and Teacher
Vrebosch attended St. Joseph School in the “East End” of North Bay. In high school, at Chippewa Secondary School, he was an active musician and football player. After high school, he worked in the finance and banking industry for Seaboard Finance and the Toronto Dominion Bank while playing music across Ontario. Two of the bands that he fronted were Billy and the Belmonts and Bill Vrebosch and the Descendants of Tyme. After the Descendants of Tyme broke up, he began his own DJ service with his wife Gisele where he still continues to sing. In 2013, he was inducted into the North Bay Music Hall of Fame.
He returned to North Bay to complete his BA at Nipissing University in social sciences and geography. He graduated from North Bay Teachers College and taught music for 30 years in the Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board. He taught music to grade 7 and 8 students throughout the district. He maitained classrooms at Mother St. Bride's School and St. Hubert's School, both in North Bay. Throughout his career as a teacher, he taught over 17,000 students.
Politician
Vrebosch first entered politics in 1977, sitting on the East Ferris Planning Board. He was first elected to council of East Ferris, as deputy reeve, in 1978. He was the provincial Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario candidate in the riding of Nipissing in the 2007 Ontario election, losing to incumbent MPP Monique Smith. He has sat as the chair of the Rural Ontario Municipal Association for three terms. He is currently a member of the Rural Caucus of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario. In 2005, he was presented with the Long Standing Service Award by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, for having served more than 25 years in public office.
Vrebosch Family in Municipal Politics
His father, Adrien "Babe" Vrebosch, was active with the union of employees at the Ontario Northland Railway. His father-in-law, George Gravelle, served a term as the reeve of East Ferris. His youngest daughter, Tanya Vrebosch-Merry, is a sitting member of North Bay City Council. His son Bill Vrebosch, Jr. ran unsuccessfully as a candidate for Toronto City Council in the 2010 municipal election and remains active in the Parkdale-High Park community.

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