For Pride 2024, I want to acknowledge two very important people who inspire me every day. 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️
As many of you know I was a gestational surrogate. Watching her amazing dads raise her is the most heartwarming experience!❤️
Second, Lowertown’s own Paul Fournier, aka Peaches Latour, Ottawa’s first drag queen. Fournier was arrested by the RCMP in the late 1960s and shown dozens of photo books filled primarily with snapshots of men suspected to be gay, but he refused to betray his friends and community by identifying them. He kept on performing and I will be nominating him for the Order of Ottawa this year.🎖️
Pride is an important reminder that often the most important work occurs without a parade, without fanfare, and that each and every one of us has the power, voice, and responsibility to create, maintain, and develop safe spaces, communities, and workplaces for 2SLGBTQIA+ people to live, work, grow daily.🙌
Happy Pride everyone! 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️
This post is also available in French.
I have participated in a number of measures that are making the market a safer place for everyone, from residents of Ward 12 to visitors from other parts of the city, to international tourists. While I am proud of these measures and I feel strongly that they will make...
Over the past decades, communities across Canada have experienced the devastating consequences of the opioid crisis. Over 53,000 Canadians have died from overdose since 2016. I am always looking at ways municipalities can make a difference in this...
In 2023, the Ottawa Humane Society asked residents about the biggest challenges facing pet owners in our city. More than 3,000 people responded, and the message was clear: affordability and access to veterinary care remain one of the biggest concerns for families...
What is a motion? A motion, with its very legal language, is simply a formal proposal asking the City to take action, make a change, or direct city staff to do something. Motions are presented first at Committee, and if successful, they move on to be debated and voted...
One of the major benefits of being a downtown urban ward is receiving Cash in Lieu of Parkland (CILP, CIL for short) from developments. What is Cash in Lieu? When a new development happens, the city requires developers to set aside land for public parks. But in an...
On May 28, the Emergency Preparedness and Protective Services Committee approved my report on construction encroachment, demolition impacts, and enforcement gaps related to urban infill development. You can listen to my remarks here.The report was developed in...
On May 27, Council approved projects to help revitalize and enhance the downtown and ByWard. The funding to support these initiatives will be reallocated from the William Street pedestrian and streetscape project, funded by the Ontario-Ottawa Agreement. That project...
Lansdowne is at the centre of everyday life in Ottawa. It is where people gather for games, concerts, markets, and spending time with friends. It’s history and its location make it much more than a destination. It is part of the city’s identity. And now…Lansdowne is...
Does this unfortunately look all too familiar to you? Construction projects that trespass onto neighbouring properties, damage fencing or landscaping, or ignore approved conditions are becoming too common. At the Emergency Preparedness and Protective Services...
English
French