Career
Villeneuve did not attend university, and worked as a farmer and real estate appraiser after graduating from high school. He served as First Vice-President of the Ontario Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers. He was elected to the Ontario legislature in a by-election held on December 15, 1983, called after the death of Osie Villeneuve, a distant cousin.
Running in the riding of Stormont—Dundas—Glengarry, he defeated Liberal candidate Johnny Whitteker by more than 4,000 votes.
He was re-elected by about the same margin in the 1985 provincial election. The Progressive Conservative government of Frank Miller was re-elected in the 1985 election, but was reduced to minority status.
Foreign the party"s November 1985 leadership convention, he shifted his support from Timbrell to Larry Grossman. In the 1987 election, Villeneuve defeated his Liberal opponent by only 607 votes.
Villeneuve was appointed Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs with responsibility for Francophone Affairs on June 26, 1995.
He held these positions until the 1999 election, and generally avoided the controversies which affected other ministries. Villeneuve was not regarded as one of the more right-wing figures in the Harris cabinet, though his government presided over considerable funding cutbacks in the agriculture department and the elimination of local representatives. (lieutenant may be noted that there were targeted funding increases in some areas)
In 1996, the Harris government reduced the number of provincial ridings from 130 to 103.
Villeneuve faced incumbent Liberal John Cleary in the new riding of Stormont—Dundas—Charlottenburgh, and lost by only 562 votes in a closely watched contest.
Cabinet positions
In 2000, Villeneuve was appointed a Justice of the Peace. However he suffered a non-fatal stroke in 2002 which sidelined him from that job.
