Dear neighbour,
Land use planning is political. The decisions that we make about how to use city-owned land today will have an impact on our children and grandchildren’s future. At every council meeting, we begin with a land acknowledgement, reminding ourselves that Ottawa sits on the unceded and unsurrendered territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin People.
Dear neighbour,
I know how much Centretown has been struggling with the impact of the overdose, mental health and homelessness crises. I receive dozens of emails a week from residents who don’t know what to do when confronted with open drug use, erratic behaviour, or displays of psychological distress by people on our streets or in local businesses and community spaces.
Dear neighbour,
The thing that constantly amazes me about this job is that I never know what I am going to learn a lot about very quickly. In the last few months, I have had to study up on the Transportation Master Plan, the right-of-way guidelines governing front-yard gardens, and the regulations governing zoning amendments. This week, it was all about the shadow impacts of a potential high-rise development on the Experimental Farm.
Hello neighbour,
The cooler mornings are hinting at the crispness of fall that is about to come. Things are getting busier at City Hall, as we get back into the regular rhythm of committee and council meetings and prepare for the consultation process for the next city budget.
I hope you are taking advantage of the waning days of summer. I am definitely enjoying the slightly cooler temperatures, though I always dread the slow march toward the dark evenings of the fall and winter. After a short break, council meetings and committees are back at it, and I wanted to give you an update on some issues that we have been discussing in the community and at City Hall.
I hope you are enjoying time with friends and family and taking some time to rest and recharge this summer. I just got back from a trip to Montreal, where I re-connected with the city I went to university in 20 years ago. It was inspiring to see the transformative changes that have been made to the core since Valérie Plante was elected mayor. The rapid scale-up of safe cycling infrastructure and lush greenery-filled traffic calming installations was really something to behold.