Joel Harden MPP for Ottawa Centre

Friends, Spring 2019 Newsletter

It is an honour to serve as your MPP for Ottawa Centre. Our community is a special place, full of people who devote themselves to helping their neighbours. Since the election, we’ve seen this spirit of generosity displayed over and over. In our community

We saw it in the aftermath of the September 2018 tornadoes, when so many people helped those who experienced property damage or power outages. We saw it in those who donated blood to help victims of the Westboro bus crash. And we saw it in the outpouring of grief after the passing of Paul Dewar.

In fact, in one of his last public addresses, Paul offered these words that captured what we need in politics:

My mom was a strong feminist, and she said something very important that I learned at an early age: don’t be afraid of power, know how to use and share it, and give it to those who don’t have it. Hearing from attendees at the March of ¸ȈȟǉĀƃʍȢӗʥƃȶɽɽȃǉɰǉʤƃȢʍǉɰɨǉːǉƺɽǉǁȈȶɽȃǉʥɁɨȟʥǉǁɁƃɽĂʍǉǉȶԇɰĀƃɨȟӗƃȶǁƃɰ Dimes reception at Queen’s Park ƃƺɁȴȴʍȶȈɽʰɁǹˎƺǉӝěȃȈɰȴǉƃȶɰȴɁȶɽȃȢʰǉʤǉȶɽɰʥȃǉɨǉʥǉƹɨȈȶǼɥǉɁɥȢǉɽɁǼǉɽȃǉɨ to make their voices heard on important issues. It means going door-to-door to hear directly from you about your concerns. It means using the resources of our ÃĀĀɁǹˎƺǉɽɁɰʍɥɥɁɨɽƺɁȴȴʍȶȈɽʰƹʍȈȢǁǉɨɰʥȃɁƃɨǉȴƃȟȈȶǼƃɨǉƃȢǁȈǹǹǉɨǉȶƺǉӝ

ǹʰɁʍȶǉǉǁȃǉȢɥӗɁɨȃƃʤǉɽȃɁʍǼȃɽɰɽɁɰȃƃɨǉӗǁɁȶԇɽȃǉɰȈɽƃɽǉɽɁƺɁȶɽƃƺɽɁʍɨɁǹˎƺǉӝ As we like to say: it’s about us, and building the strength of us.

My very best,

Our community coming together to support Visit our website the family of Abdirahman Abdi Joel Harden, MPP for Ottawa Centre joelharden.ca for more updates! Save the Date! Without community builders, Ottawa Community would not be the special place it is. April 26 – 28: Community Builders Forum Builders Forum And I want to encourage a culture MayӖԄěƃȟǉʰɁʍɨÃĀĀɽɁʥɁɨȟԅÃɁȶɽȃӯʤȈɰȈɽɁʍɨ website for more details!) As your MPP, I want to build a strong, of community organizing by sharing supportive community here in Ottawa organizer skills with you. June 1ӖěɁʥȶƃȢȢɁȶěȃǉyʍɽʍɨǉɁǹĀʍƹȢȈƺ Education Centre, and to do that we need to build °ɁȈȶʍɰɥɨȈȢїћɽɁїѝƃɽěȃǉÃƃʍɨȈȢӸ August 16ӖěɁʥȶƃȢȢɁȶČǉȶȈɁɨɰԇɰɰʍǉɰ up people doing compassionate work. Bélanger Social Innovation Centre (95 We need people who volunteer for their Clegg St.) to learn new skills, meet September 21ӖěɁʥȶƃȢȢɁȶĀɨɁɽǉƺɽȈȶǼɽȃǉ Ottawa River community and give back to our city by local organizers and help strengthen empowering local folks. People who are our collective ability to make change. Ongoing: Every Friday we are out hosting a meet and greet with Ottawa Centre residents. Check community builders. Register now at: joelharden.ca/forum ɁʍɽɁʍɨʥǉƹɰȈɽǉɽɁˎȶǁɁʍɽʥȃǉɨǉʥǉƃɨǉǼɁȈȶǼә Reading from everyone’s Supporting Ontario students as At our emergency roundtable discussion feedback at our November they demand increased public to hear from the autism community and town hall funding for public education their concerns around the OAP changes

ȈǁǉȶɽȈˎǉǁƃʤƃɨȈǉɽʰɁǹɰɁȢʍɽȈɁȶɰǹɁɨ language Services Commissioner as Seniors & both the short term and the long term, an independent office. Communities Accessibility and we will continue to push for more rose up on an unprecedented scale funding from the city and province to across Ontario, including here in One of my top priorities is working with ensure proper housing for all. Ottawa. I was proud to join thousands people with disabilities and seniors of people in the demonstration at City towards an accessible, age-friendly Hall on December 1, and to speak in city and province. Since the election Environment the legislature in defence of French I’ve met with dozens of seniors’ and language rights. As the struggle ěȃȈɰǹƃȢȢԇɰȢƃȶǁȴƃɨȟɨǉɥɁɨɽɁǹɽȃǉĩȶȈɽǉǁ disability rights organizations, service continues, Franco-Ontarians continue Nations Intergovernmental Panel on providers, and advocates to learn about to show us what real organizing Climate Change (IPCC) draws a line in the issues and how I can support their looks like! the sand for governments of the world. crucial work. We have 12 years to take drastic action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions— On the International Day of People with otherwise it will be impossible to keep Monthly Disabilities (December 3), I announced global warming below 1.5 degrees in the legislature that our first private Town Halls Celsius, with catastrophic consequences member’s bill will focus on requiring I’ve been proud to host monthly events for global ecosystems. new private residences to be built to on many issues that matter to you and a universal design standardӝěȃǉɨǉȈɰ ȃǉƃɨǹɨɁȴȢɁƺƃȢǉʯɥǉɨɽɰӝÝʍɨˎɨɰɽɽɁʥȶ When the repeal of the Green Energy a huge shortage of accessible housing, hall in September was on Ontario’s Act was before the Social Policy and I look forward to tabling a bill this cannabis policy, where participants Committee this fall, I introduced an fall that addresses this issue. gathered to hear from local drug policy amendment to allow virtual net and legal experts on what legalization metering in Ontario, a measure means for them. In October, we that would make it easier to grow hosted a town hall on Responsible Housing renewable energy infrastructure Development with speakers from the We have a housing crisis in our city at the local level. At my urging, the housing sector, in November we held and province, and many people I speak committee heard from members of the a 100-day review of the Government to on the doors are asking us to take Ottawa Renewable Energy Co-op, who and in December we held a community action. After an extremely cold winter, are engaged in that work right now in feast. where many in our city had no warm Eastern Ontario. place to go, we have to make sure that ȶyǉƹɨʍƃɨʰӗʥǉȃǉȢǁƃˎȢȴɰƺɨǉǉȶȈȶǼ we are advocating for emergency and and town hall on eating disorders, and long-term solutions to our housing Cuts to French ʥǉʥǉɨǉɥɨɁʍǁɽɁƹǉȚɁȈȶǉǁƹʰěɁɨɁȶɽɁ crisis. Services MPP Jill Andrew to speak from her expertise on the issue. We convened a meeting before the In December, the government holidays to bring together front-line announced that it would withdraw staff and housing providers to discuss all funding from the Franco-Ontarian Visit our website to read reports what we can do as a community. We ĩȶȈʤǉɨɰȈɽʰӗƃȶǁǉȢȈȴȈȶƃɽǉǁɽȃǉyɨǉȶƺȃӸ and notes from past town halls to see what was discussed.

:ɁȴȴʍȶȈɽʰÝǹˎƺǉ ĂʍǉǉȶԇɰĀƃɨȟÝǹˎƺǉ Contact us 109 Catherine St. • Ottawa, ON K2P 0P4 Room 328, Main Legislative Building 613-722-6414 [email protected] Queen’s Park • Toronto, ON M7A 1A8 joelharden.ca 416-326-7648 [email protected]