Career
Bellemare is a former administrator and teacher. He is a former parliamentary secretary to the Minister for International Cooperation. Bellemare lost his riding nomination battle to Marc Godbout for the 2004 election.
He was one of only eight Liberal MPs to lose their party nomination battle for the 2004 election.
Before entering federal politics, Bellemare served on the council for the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton from 1980 to 1985 and the township and then city council for Gloucester from 1966 to 1988. Bellemare endorsed Dalton McGuinty"s bid to lead the Ontario Liberal Party in 1996 (Canada NewsWire, 19 August 1996).