A bit too soon, but blame CBC Ottawa Morning, lol!

The Parkdale Market lit up Ottawa's most delightful public tree today in memory of longtime vendor Maurice Lavoie, assisted by his widow Claire. It was a busy day in the ward and I was happy to see my friends @catmckenney.bsky.social and @jchianello.bsky.social again!

Cornerstone is accepting personal item (and cash!) donations as part of Light Up the Village at Winston Sq. until 4. Always glad to see my friend @jchianello.bsky.social !

The City has significantly improved its sidewalk snow clearing in recent years, but cost pressures mean they won't codify the change. Residents in walkable neighbourhoods should be able to hold them (and us) to account for something better than 2003 standards. ottawacitizen.com/news/local-n...

I hope neighbours can join Elder Verna McGregor, Mayor Sutcliffe, Dave Allston and me to cut the ribbon on the new Papichì Park at the corner of Spencer and Huron on Saturday at 11. We'll have warm drinks and some short words. (Papichì is the Algonquin Inòdewiziwin word for Robin).

The Better Ottawa Municipal Panel weighs in on #Lansdowne2.0 for one final time. Hats off to @neilsara.bsky.social for the city-wide conversation he led on this file! open.substack.com/pub/the613/p...

Yesterday I announced my new UN net zero report "Integrity Matters: Winning the Future". These are the critical six Calls to Action to step up and drive climate implementation this decade #COP30 @c40cities.bsky.social static1.squarespace.com/static/66200...

Ottawa Auditor General doubles down on her risk assessment for Lansdowne 2.0: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

There is nothing overly controversial about this plan - so why would #ottcity “not say” what it cost? #transparency+accountability www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/artic...

I spoke to the @ottcity council committee dealing with Lansdowne 2.0 (first time delegate!). I didn't talk about the pros and cons, but the alarming lack of transparency around this file. #ottcity www.youtube.com/live/asifIBt...

Pretty interesting timing for this award, with Lansdowne on the table again. Jim Watson's council pushed forward Lansdowne 1.0, claiming it would be revenue neutral (not true) and not having the political will to spend enough to redevelop the site properly the first time. So here we are again.

Pretty hilarious, yet still informative, video on Lansdowne from @betterottawa.bsky.social podcast host Neil Saravanamuttoo: substack.com/@neilsara/no... #ottnews

I mostly just picked up the coffee and got to hang out with my fantastic neighbours! Thank you Todd and company for this continuing this great neighbourhood tradition!

It was a great time!

Thrilled to be part of this discussion on #Lansdowne 2.0 organized by @neilsara.bsky.social moderated by @jchianello.bsky.social

Required reading from CBC Kate Porter’s on the Lansdowne 2.0 numbers - facts are important!!!! www.cbc.ca/news/canada/... #ottnews

Hmmm … clearly this should have said “procurement debacle.” (Damn auto-correct/lack of coffee..)

Excellent reporting by ⁦‪Arthur White-Crummy‬⁩ … I am deeply disturbed that #ottcity has not released the wording for the Lansdowne 2.0 RFP. They seemed to have learned nothing from the LRT2 predicament debacle. Where is the transparency?

Parents, councillors rally to ‘Save Our Safety Cameras’ after Ford’s plan to ban them

Looking forward to reading the #Lansdowne 2.0 report but I’m disappointed that Mayor Sutcliffe held a media briefing before the report is out. He throws out a lot of numbers, makes his pitch and takes questions from reporters who don’t have all the facts. Not transparent, not accountable. #ottnews

L’événement Right to Food du Parkdale Food Centre a été un autre grand succès aujourd’hui – et tant de mes personnes préférées !

📍Nepean – Oct 22, Barley Mow Merivale 📍Orléans – Oct 23, Café Amore And on Oct 26, join us at Beyond the Pale, one year out from Ottawa’s election day. Together, let’s build a city that works.

I’m launching a listening tour to hear directly from residents. First stops: 📍Kanata – Oct 7, Three Brewers 📍Hunt Club – Oct 14, Moose McGuire 📍Bells Corners – Oct 15, Kichesippi Beer Co

Across Ottawa, from fairs and markets to townhalls and meetings, I’ve been hearing the same thing: people are frustrated and want a new direction for our city. We need a city that works, with reliable transit, strong services, repaired roads and community centres.

Speed enforcement cameras work to keep neighbourhoods safe by reducing dangerous speeding. I and @catmckenney.bsky.social ask you to write to your MPP and Premier Ford to oppose legislation that would ban their use in Ontario cities.

On Oct. 9, join me for Designing a Better City, an exciting lunch & learn on design vision & leadership. A rare opportunity to hear some of Canada's most exciting voices on architecture & public policy, in a panel discussion with Ottawa's new Chief Planner! www.eventbrite.com/e/designing-...

In 2017, Catherine McKenney and I traveled to Queen's Park to fight for safer streets in Ottawa-Centre. The government listened to residents. Now, Premier Ford is proposing to make our streets more dangerous. It's the wrong move for intensifying neighbourhoods. www.ola.org/sites/defaul...

The decision to remove speed cameras from Ontario streets is unbelievably irresponsible and flies in the face of clear evidence … even police chiefs are against this populist move. It’s disgraceful.

The engagement efforts by the city on this plan have been a big improvement over the last “refresh.” Always grateful to my Councillor @jleiper.bsky.social for his commitment to making our city better. Next up: Tunney’s Pasture development update, Monday at 6:30 at HCC! See you all there

Getting together with my friends and neighbours - and Councillor! - before school starts has been a cherished tradition on Patricia Ave N for more than 20 years!

This summer has been busy with block parties all over Kitchissippi! This afternoon I was happy to pop by Patricia Ave's and say hi to neighbours and to @jchianello.bsky.social who has been doing some exciting things in Champlain Park this year.

The biggest change from the second to third drafts of the zoning by-law is the proposed height increase to 11m in the lowest-density zones in the urban area. I provided some comments to CBC today in support of that. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

I want to express my profound disappointment today that the City has ordered its workers back into the office five days a week. It is a short-sighted decision that serves no one well in either the short or long term. (1/6)

Brutal. I testified at the Bill 9 hearings. The submissions were nearly unanimous, saying that the threshold of 100% of councillors needing to vote someone w/ serious integrity violations out of office made the process impossible. All it will take is one buddy of an abuser to obstruct the process.

Ottawa's local MPPs Stephen Blais and @catmckenney.bsky.social were excellent during today's line-by-line reading of Bill 9, proposing dozens of amendments that would make the bill effective in dealing with abusive behaviour by council members. The PC MPPs voted every single one of them down.

After a summer break, our crew talks budget directions, the evergreen issue of extending lifeguard season, why the LTFP is MIA and the NCC-Sens decision. It's feeling like back to school season! #ottnews Muni Panel: Is the City Breaking the Law? open.substack.com/pub/the613/p...

Intensification and transit-oriented development are an existential imperative for North American cites, but who's thinking about the strip malls?! As it turns out, Toronto city planners are. Read my latest post here: kitchissippiward.ca/2025/07/18/t...

OC Transpo's regular and "help" accounts have both joined Bluesky!

I'm looking forward to attending tonight's Ottawa Youth Council policy forum open mic. Organizers have published a look at its genesis and aims below. Learn more about the event here: www.eventbrite.ca/e/youth-poli....

An on-location of the Better Ottawa Muni Panel: Hot (in fact, sweltering) Takes on Lansdowne #ottnews open.substack.com/pub/the613/p...

firing bad politicians: gut-wrenching testimony at Bill 9 hearings 😲 bellscorners.wordpress.com/2025/07/16/f... #bellscorners @jchianello.bsky.social @tylerwatt.bsky.social @lainejohnson.bsky.social @arieltroster.com @seandevine9.bsky.social @tkavanaghbayward.bsky.social @catmckenney.bsky.social

Bill 9 claims to offer a process to remove council members who've seriously contravened the code of conduct -- have harassed and harmed others. But the process is so convoluted and politicized, that removal will be all but impossible. My @ottawacitizen.com op-ed: ottawacitizen.com/opinion/fire...

If you care about changing provincial law so that a councillor, like Rick Chiarelli, found to have committed "incomprehensible incidents of harassment," then you need to sign up to speak to law-makers by July 9! substack.com/@neilsara/no...

This story infuriates me in a number of ways. First, that the city's planning staff could be MORE THAN $1M OFF-BASE in what it wanted to charge applicants. 1.../ www.cbc.ca/news/canada/... #ottnews

Suzanne Obiorah, @cassiesmith.bsky.social, @jchianello.bsky.social and Sarah Button were very helpful panelists adding expert perspectives to the City staff presentations at the 2026 budget consultation that @arieltroster.com and I held last night. Thanks to each for agreeing to do it!

I am looking forward to this! www.cbc.ca/news/canada/... #ottnews

Why are you trying to escape me @jleiper.bsky.social? Also, big thanks to you and your staff for support in booking Champlain Park for our first ever spring picnic!

Many thanks to @jleiper.bsky.social and staff for hosting this event. Excellent non-confrontational discussion of community issues!