Born in Montreal, Ouimet received a degree in electrical engineering from McGill University in 1932. In 1932, he helped design, build, and demonstrate the first Canadian television set. In 1934, he joined the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission, which became the CBC, and was responsible for setting up and running CBC's national radio service. He was involved in launching television broadcasting on the CBC.
After retiring from the CBC, Ouimet became, in 1969, chairman of Telesat Canada, which built and launched many of Canada's communications satellites. He retired in 1980.
In 1968, Ouimet was made a Companion of the Order of Canada.
