Therefore be it resolved…motions and some of my work at council

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 on at Council. If Council approves the motion, then City staff will carry out the work needed to implement it.

I am Vice-Chair of the Built Heritage Committee, and I sit on the Community Services Committee, the Emergency Preparedness and Protective Services Committee, the Board of the Ottawa Community Housing Corporation, and the Rogers Centre Board of Directors. I am also a non-voting member of the ByWard Market District Authority.

Presenting motions at Council is one of the ways to create change and have an impact as a City Councillor. There is a lot of debate and, at times, disagreement around the council table, but since each councillor gets one vote, the only way to make things happen is through collaboration.

On all of my committees and on Council, I do my best to listen to all delegations, to ask meaningful questions, and to read all important documents in order to make the most informed decision possible.

Starting with the first council meeting after being elected in November of 2022, I introduced a number of motions that were supported by the majority of Councillors to allow several brownfield applications to proceed, in spite of a suspension of the Community Improvement Plan. These motions led to the construction of up to 2700 new rental units in Ward 12, and 5,000 more across the rest of the city. One of the projects at Montreal Road and North River is now renting units, and rental projects at Laurier and Nicholas and at 2 Robinson are under construction.

Since my first council session, I have put forward 74 motions. Of those, 66 motions were carried, and 2 were withdrawn. I also seconded 16 motions from other Councillors. Each motion requires research, planning, consultation with the community and with my colleagues.

Of my 74 motions, 24% of my motions related to municipal governance, transparency, and ethics. The next 16% had to do with housing, homelessness, and shelters.

Below are some highlights of the most impactful motions that I have successfully put forward since 2022.

16-Apr-25. Motion 2025-56-15: Primary Care Provider Recruitment and Retention Strategy.

Called on the City of Ottawa to come up with a strategy for doctor recruitment and retention, based on the best practices of other cities. This motion led to the hiring of a Primary Care Ambassador, as well as the adoption of a ten-point plan to recruit and retain doctors in Ottawa. eSCRIBE Minutes.

2-Oct-24. Motion 2024 – 44-06: Tackling homelessness & mental health crisis. Called on provincial & federal governments to support the Solve the Crisis campaign by increasing funding to address the homelessness, mental health and addiction crises that are impacting all municipalities in Ontario. Visit SolveTheCrisis.ca to learn how you can support this initiative.

Zoning bylaw amendment to address the “Missing Middle” 3-bedroom units (Jan 2026): Draft 3 of the new zoning bylaw contains a provision that for lots that are larger than 450 square meters, 15% of the units need to have 3 or more bedrooms. My research showed that for Ward 12 this would have little effect as the standard lot size was 300 square meters, and many of the lots currently being redeveloped are close to being 400 square meters and would not be subject to this threshold. The threshold is important to develop what is described as the “missing middle” in housing, that is, multi-unit housing with 3 or more bedrooms. Working with planning staff, I moved a motion to lower the threshold to 360 square meters so the objective of the official plan was met in ward 12, and it was extended to cover the entire downtown transect.

26-Nov-25. Motion 2025-70-04: Protection of Tenants’ Rights. Asked the Mayor to work with the province to deliver more affordable housing units in Ottawa, and to protect tenants from eviction by protecting fixed-term leases.

26-Nov-25. Motion 2025-70-04: Protection of Tenants’ Rights. Asked the Mayor to work with the province to deliver more affordable housing units in Ottawa, and to protect tenants from eviction by protecting fixed-term leases.. City Council – December 10, 2025

Commemorative Naming:

• Renaming Besserer Park to Herbert and Estelle Brown Park, in honour of the Black entrepreneurs who left a lasting legacy in Ottawa;
• Renaming Emond Park to Mary Papatsie Park in honour of the Inuit community and of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and Two Spirit folks.

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