Yves Côté
Yves Côté is a lawyer with extensive experience in senior public-sector roles, including serving as Commissioner of Canada Elections.
He began his career in 1977 as a legal officer in the Canadian Armed Forces. In 1981, he joined the federal Department of Justice, where he advised several departments, including Health Canada and National Defence. Over the years, he held several senior positions and eventually became Assistant Deputy Minister and Head of the Business and Regulatory Affairs Portfolio.
In 2003, he moved to the Privy Council Office as Counsel to the Clerk of the Privy Council and as Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet (Legislation and House Planning). He then served as Ombudsman for the Canadian Forces and the Department of National Defence.
In 2008, Mr. Côté was appointed Associate Deputy Minister of Justice, where part of his work involved coordinating national-security advice across government. He later became Commissioner of Canada Elections, a position he held from 2012 to 2022.
More recently, he worked as a senior policy advisor with the Public Order Emergency Commission (the Rouleau Commission) and as an executive in residence at the University of Ottawa.
Mr. Côté holds a Bachelor of Civil Law from Université Laval and a Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) from the University of Ottawa. He has been a member of the Barreau du Québec since 1977 and was appointed King’s Counsel in 1992. In 2000, the Chief of the Defence Staff awarded him the Canadian Forces Medallion for Distinguished Service.
A lifelong jogger and avid reader, he has recently returned to studying Latin, a language he loves. He lives in Gatineau.