Local media covered our GOOD NEWS story. It's an example of how a small improvement can make a big difference. Still LOTS to fix with @octranspo.com, but yesterday life got a little bit easier for some of Ottawa's most vulnerable residents. Here's CTV's coverage. 1/ www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/artic...

It was an honour to join Rabbi Moshe Caytek at the Jewish Centre for Wellington West for tonight’s lighting of the menorah, on the 8th night of Hanukkah. Glad to be joined by my colleague @jleiper.bsky.social who spoke eloquently about the courage of the Jewish community. Chat Hanukkah Sameach!

I’m proud of what I was able to get done today, and grateful for @octranspo.com’s support in making it happen. Today, we got weekend service restored for Route 189, and that makes a huge difference for one particular community. 1/

So…who knows any local fiddle players? My band needs some new sounds. Send me a message or contact info.

I had a very good meeting with Premier Doug Ford today in Ottawa. We had a productive discussion on several topics, including our Housing Action Plan, Public Safety Action Plan, downtown revitalization, and public transit. We will keep working together to strengthen Ottawa’s economy.

I’ll be gladly supporting @mayormarksutcliffe.bsky.social and the rest of Council as we lobby to have Ottawa be the headquarters for the Defence Security & Resilience Bank. There are numerous reasons why our city is best positioned to serve this international strategic interest. More to come soon!

In the Ward 9 Newsletter we released yesterday, I've got a couple heartwarming stories about some "problem solving" I did with @octranspo.com. This first story is about how I worked with Sadaqa Food Bank to address a major problem they were experiencing. 1/ www.youtube.com/watch?v=Np0Z...

It's the latest issue of the Ward 9 Newsletter. We start with two heartwarming stories of how my office and @octranspo.com worked together to make a real difference in some folks' lives. And of course, my thoughts on Budget 2026. That, and a whole lot more! www.seandevine.ca/december_16_...

What a horror out of Australia, and the targeted massacre of 11 Jews. This is what happens when antisemitism becomes normalized. I sympathize with Ottawa’s own Jewish community today, to have to live with such anger and fear.

@benoitgratton.bsky.social is a Montreal city councillor for Verdun. He and I discussed active transportation during my trip to MTL last summer. His city’s bike share program is the model for North America. Looking forward to our next discussions, Benoit!

What Toronto and Montreal have done, Ottawa / Gatineau is overdue to try. I continue to work with @shawnmenard.bsky.social and @envirocentre.bsky.social to bring bike share to the National Capital Region. In Toronto, from 2.4 million rides in 2019 to 8.1 million (projected) in 2025.

We done good today! Several of these large bins were filled up, thanks to the generosity of hundreds of shoppers, and volunteers from @octranspo.com.

Volunteering for the OC Transpo/Loblaw Annual Holiday Food Drive is now a part of my yearly Xmas traditions. I love seeing how willing people are to donate. Of course, my many years of being a salesman helps!

Oh Will! 🤷🏻‍♂️

While there are definitely some great things coming out of the 2026 City of Ottawa budget, I couldn't give it my vote of support. It was a pleasant surprise that CBC Radio used some of my speech to show a contrast between my position and the Mayor's. Give it a listen. 1/ www.cbc.ca/listen/live-...

Is anyone in Ward 9 currently experiencing a power outage? What I'm seeing on the Hydro Ottawa outage map is unlike most outages I've seen, so I'm not sure what's happening.

I’m looking to seeing this motion and working with my colleagues to support Councillor Menard’s efforts. Maintain and incentivizing youth ridership is essential to the future of Ottawa transit.

Just when I thought that I couldn’t adore @lucyvanolden.bsky.social any more, she goes and lays out this awesome thread exposing not only the unmistakable value of the ANCHOR program, but the roots of the problem at City Council that prevents its wider adoption.

Read this excellent thread by @lucyvanolden.bsky.social. As always, she hits the nail on the head.

@octranspo.com can you give me an idea of why 4 scheduled buses in a row for Route 53 were canceled?

Please take a moment to review this important public safety message from Ottawa Fire Services. Remember to stay off the ice, because no ice is safe ice. www.facebook.com/reel/1168293...

Grateful to Catherine Boucher (@bearswim.bsky.social) and the Dalhousie Community Association for standing up for evidence-based policy when it comes to addiction, homelessness and crime rates — in Chinatown and across Ottawa.

More info on the Habitat for Humanity project coming to Ward 9 that I helped make happen. 33 new townhomes might be a drop in the bucket when it comes to our housing needs, but for 33 qualifying families soon to own their first home, that drop is as deep as an ocean! www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/artic...

UPDATE ON LAST NIGHT'S POWER OUTAGE: I wrote to Hydro Ottawa with several questions about last night's significant power outage. They've written me back with a quick explanation of what happened last night and have promised to share more details soon. 1/

I’m in a virtual public meeting with several of my rural Council colleagues on dry well conditions resulting from drought. I know that municipalities aren’t responsible for private wells, but responsible governments need to prepare for future trends and how to respond to them. 1/

Two pieces of excellent news for housing affordability in Ottawa today, one of which I was integrally involved in. First, it was great to have a front-row (third-row) seat at this morning's meeting between Mayor Sutcliffe and PM Carney. 1/ ottawacitizen.com/news/ottawa-...

Mayor Sutcliffe and PM Carney are genuinely hilarious together. We’re about to hear of a funding announcement, but the jokes are flying. In reference to PM’s recent visit to DC for the FIFA Cup draw: “It was the first time I haven’t danced to YMCA.” 1/

I’m at the Mayor’s Breakfast Series, with PM Carney as the special guest. I’m very glad to hear our Mayor speak excitedly about the potential for significant investment in Canada’s defence sector, where Ward 9’s Area X.O can be the centre of a new Canada Defence Innovation Hub.

Well, that was both fulfilling, and far too filling. I just left the Christmas Dinner for ABLE2, a local org that empowers individuals with disabilities. Great event! I’m here with Exec Director Heather Lacey, John Bishop of Sequence Marketing, and… 1/

My daughters and I went to the annual Ottawa Humane Society Open House. We gladly brought a contribution to their pet food drive. But now I’m the bad guy because I didn’t adopt a dog today. But I’ve got 4 kids and 1 dog already!!! My hands are full, kids.

This AI rendition of me doesn’t look like me much at all, but it makes me look like a badass, so I’ll take it. But why would AI give @arieltroster.com two boxing gloves and me just one?!

It’s quite impressive that my colleague @lainejohnson.bsky.social assembles this many senior staff for these community engagement sessions.

@glengower.ca I look forward to telling you how it went!

It was great to bring some good news to Ward 9’s Sadaqa Food Bank, one of Ottawa’s five emergency food banks, that will make a huge impact for their customers. I look forward to sharing this news on December 16, and continuing to work with Sadaqa’s Salim Jam on sector improvements.

This was a scurrilous ad hominem attack on the integrity of City Council colleagues by @timtierney.ca. During a Term of Council when we've all sought to avoid the petty divisiveness of the last term, Councillor Tierney sadly brought us all lower yesterday. 1/ ottawacitizen.com/opinion/budg...

I hadn't been to see a theatre production in years, and boy, was I lucky to have seen Kid Koala's The Storyville Mosquito, a multi-media live puppet show that drew the longest standing ovation I've ever seen. It's playing at the NAC until Dec 13th. Go check it out! www.cbc.ca/player/play/...

As of 10:38pm the @hydroottawa.bsky.social Outage Map is clear, but that doesn't mean that all power is restored. As I've said before, outages are only put on the map if 10 or more "customers" are affected. But one apartment building = one customer. Let me know if your power is still out.

There's finally been an update on the @hydroottawa.bsky.social Outage Map. The outage is now down to the areas north/south of Meadowlands Drive, which means much of Parkwood Hills. This is a common occurrence, including a lot of lower-income multi-unit housing. Let me know if your power is out.

@heatherbadenoch.bsky.social is your part of Manordale back on yet? As I drove through I could see most of Tanglewood back on, but it looked like Manordale / Craig Henry were half-on / half-off.

I’m driving through the areas marked out by the outage map. Power seems to be on in much of Tanglewood. Avoid the intersection of Woodroffe and West Hunt Club as there are no traffic lights. I just spoke to OPS to send traffic control officers.

This is a large outage across much of Wards 8 and 9, affecting Manordale, Tanglewood, Crestview, Merivale Gardens, The Glens, General Burns, Carleton Heights, Parkwood Hills, and Fisher Heights. No info on the cause. Estimated restoration time 2:30am. I’ll try to get more info.

I’m just getting reports now on a wide power outage affecting several parts of Ward 9, from Parkwood Hills to Manordale. I’m trying to get info from @hydroottawa.bsky.social.

It's always a good time to send people over to Thrive on Merivale Road. A great thrift store where the proceeds go to an even greater cause. And my predecessor @kegli.bsky.social is not only a strong supporter of Thrive, but also one of their most committed volunteers!

I didn't know that people would get such a kick out of this post. For anyone curious, here's one of the saucier reviews about my performance in this film: "The only downside was that one of the lead guys has a lisp, which tends to get annoying." That wathh thho embaratthing.

I was living in Montreal on Dec 6, 1989, as news broke of the murders of 14 female students at l'École Polytechnique de Montréal. Today we mark the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women in Canada, to remember these women, and the ongoing issue of gender-based violence.

A friend found a DVD copy of a movie I did way back in 1999. I was one of the leads - a group of misfits who kidnap Tori Spelling. Now it’s lining the shelves at a used movie/bookstore.

And here's a copy of the article for those who aren't Globe & Mail subscribers.

Just in time to get you into a Classic Canadian Christmas spirit, it's Ottawa's own @chrisholski.bsky.social nailing Gordon Lightfoot doing some classic Christmas tunes, Lightfoot-style. soundcloud.com/holski/go-go...

This scathing Globe & Mail article on Lansdowne 2.0 touches on every concern that I and 9 of my Council colleagues raised about the massive risk now faced by taxpayers. The entire country is now aware of our folly. Remember this for the 2026 elections. www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/edit...

This was a campaign event. I have great respect for Chief Stubbs, Chief Hutt, and Chief Poirier, and I think that it was inappropriate to use them like this. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...