so you downan't tto be a POLITICIAN Ottawa Knoxdale-Merivale ? Ward 9 1 Prepared and compiled on the unceded and unsurrendered territories of the Anishinabe Algonquin peoples (Ottawa) by an unpaid & nerdy Black woman, this document's main purpose is to educate, inspire and empower Black, Indigenous and women of colour especially, to seek out positions of political power. It also serves as a simple information booklet for all regardless of their level of interest in or knowledge of Canadian politics.
Positions of political power in Canada have historically been reserved for white, able-bodied, middle- to-upper class, cis-het men. It is time that the systems that allow for this trend be disrupted and replaced by systems vested in principles of diversity and inclusion. This process can begin with simple information sharing activities such as this one.
This document provides general information on the Canadian political system and the 3-levels of government. The majority of this work concerns municipal level politics & specifically, Ward 9: Knoxdale-Merivale in Ottawa. A ward in which I resided in for the majority of my life. A ward, whose councillor position has been held by two white men, in their own respective terms, for (at least) the last 24 years.
If you don't live in #ward9, I hope you feel encouraged to research your own ward to ultimately identify the changes that need to take place. If you live in #ward9 - can we do something about this?! - Anne Moreau 2 CONTENT
G o v e r n m e n t s i n C a n a d a 4
S t a t s : R e p r e s e n t a t i o n i n p o l i t i c s 5
W h y a r e n ' t w e i n p o l i t i c s ? 1 1
M o r e t h a n c o n s t r u c t i o n : W h a t 1 3 t h e y d i s c u s s a t C i t y H a l l
J o b r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s : C i t y C o u n c i l 1 4 M e m b e r s
W a r d 9 P r o f i l e 1 5
2 6 + Y e a r s o f P a t r i a r c h y ! ? 1 9
Y o u ' r e I n v i t e d ! 2 1
A c t i o n ! 2 3
R e f e r e n c e 2 4 3 NB This resource is a simple consolidation of information and data readily available. Generally, disaggregated data reflecting the gender and race of elected persons & election candidates is either not being collected or is simply not accessible to the public without request. Moreover, the data & information that is collected generally excludes trans women, non-binary women and gender queer people.
Disaggregated data provides a good basis for which to understand progress towards critical goals of gender & racial equity and diversity & inclusion. This data must be collected to help create a safer political landscape for Indigenous, Black, racialized women and gender-diverse persons. GOVERNMENTS IN CANADA 4
"Formal structure through which Indigenous communities in INDIGENOUS Canada control the SELF-GOVERNMENTS administration of their people, land, resources and related programs and policies"
Deals with areas of law FEDERAL affecting the whole country (ie., national defence, foreign GOVERNMENT affairs, criminal law, taxes)
Deal with areas such as healthcare, education, road PROVINCIAL regulations. Sometime share GOVERNMENTS responsibilities with the federal government
Deal with areas such as MUNICIPAL social housing, police GOVERNMENTS services, parks & recreation, public health, arts & culture
[1] [2] [3] REPRESENTATION IN POLITICS statistics
According to a report by the Inter- Parliamentary Union, Canada ranks 54th in the world for Women in Politics s i
strong evidence
e that as more women are elected r to office, there is a corollary e
h i T ncr in policy makinge thaat se emphasizes quality of life reflects the priorities of families, &women, and ethnic and racial minorities. [4] 1/2 PARLIAMENT OF CANADA 7 G e n d e r D i v e r s i t y
There are 338 seats in the House of Commons. On Election Day in 2019 women won 98 of these seats, a record proportion.
Women 29% Current gender distribution of Members of Parliament
Men 71%
Not Available 0.6% Other Gender identity 0.1%
Women 34.7% Gender distribution of candidates in the 2019 general Men 64.5% elections
[5] 2/2 PARLIAMENT OF CANADA 8 V i s i b l e M i n o r i t i e s
Visible Minorities 15.1% "When we compare the proportion of visible minority candidates elected with that of the visible-minority population as a whole in Canada, which is 22.9%, that figure of 15.1% of all MPs could be seen as a problem Diversity inthe
House ofCommons of under-representation."
84.9%
Visible Minorities Candidates inthe2019 16.5% general elections "In terms of gender, 39% of visible minority candidates were women, compared with 12% of the total number of candidates. Of the visible minority women who ran in the 2019 election, 37.3% were elected..." 83.5% [6] LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 9 OF ONTARIO
There are 124 seats in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. 49 of the seats are represented by women, 'at 39.5%, that's the highest of any provincial legislature across the country.'
Women Current gender 39.5% distribution of Members
Men 60.5% ? ? 20% 20%
Elections Ontario does not ? ? collect demographic 20% 20% information about election candidates. ? 20% [7] 10 CITY HALL | CITY OF OTTAWA
Ottawa is divided into 23 wards. 16 men, 6 women and 1 non-binary individual serve as councillors to their respective ward. Non binary 4.3% Women Women 26.1% Men Women represent 51% 49% 51% of Ottawa's population
Men 69.6%
*Rawlson King, elected in a *Catherine McKenney, 2019 by-election, of Ward 13 first elected in 2014, of Rideau-Rockliffe is the first Ward 14 Somerset is the and only Black person to be first openly LGBT person a City of Ottawa council to be elected to Ottawa's member city council [8][9] 11 AREN'T WE IN POLITICS?: A 2019 report by the Standing Committee of the Status of Women lists the following seven factors as possible deterrents for women Why from entering electoral politics
Gender stereotypes Gender-biased media & discrimination treatment
Lack of confidence in Gender-based violence abilities & harassment
Insufficient efforts to Difficulties in financing recruit campaigns female candidates
Absence of family-friendly & gender-sensitive workspaces
These factors are amplified & compounded with others for Black, Indigenous and Women of Colour, 2sLGBTQIA folks & people
living with disabilities. [10] MUNICIPAL FOCUS City of Ottawa
1. Items of discussion at City Hall 2. General information on a city councillor's role 13 MORE THAN CONSTRUCTION: Items of discussion at City Hall
Items seen on Meeting Agendas:
Recommendations for addressing systemic racism, discrimination, and bias, and creating a more equitable and inclusive Ottawa Police Service Ottawa Police Services Board: June 22 2020 Reconciliation, Indigenous Health Equity and COVID-19 Ottawa Board of Health: June 15 2020
Ottawa's Electric Kick Scooter Strategy and Pilot Project Transportation Committee: June 3 2020
Service delivery review of Winter operation Transportation Committee: November 13 2019
Options for Traffic Calming on King Edward Avenue, North of Rideau Street Transportation Committee: November 13 2019
Tabling of Ottawa Police Service 2020 Draft Operating and Capital Budgets Ottawa Police Services Board: November 6 2019
City Public WI-FI Information Technology Sub-Committee: October 4 2019 Commemorative Naming Proposal Ottawa City Council: October 23 2019
Compliance audit of the campaign finances of a candidate for Innes Ward Elections Compliance Audit Committee: March 10 2020
Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit Community and Protective Services Committee: February 20 2020
Appointment of Special Constables - OC Transpo Ottawa Police Services Board: January 28 2019 [11] ROLE DESCRIPTION: 14 City of Ottawa Councillor
Term: Salary: Budget: 4 years $105,463.95* $266,565** Responsibilities:
Meet with ward residents, gain familiarity with local issues/concerns about existing and proposed City services directions and changes. Attend community association meetings and keep up-to-date with ward issues, needs and concerns. Communicate Council decisions concerning services/programs/issues to ward residents, either through attendance at meetings, preparation of newsletters or other communication vehicles. Provide assistance, direction and information to ward residents on access or use of City services. Develop positions and motions to influence the direction of policy/programs/services; determine level of support amongst citizens and colleagues, refine proposals and present and justify these at Committees of Council and Council meetings. Review, evaluate staff proposals, studies and recommendations concerning City services/programs. Chair/serve as member of City Committees of Council/Boards (e.g. Library Board, Police Services Board).
*As interpreted from the Sunshine List ** As seen & understood from a city councillor's Public Disclosure of office expenses 2019 & 2020 reports [12] WARD 9 Knoxdale-Merivale
1. Ward Profile 2. 2018 Election candidates & results 3. Who's been/ who is our Councillor? WARD PROFILE 16
Population: 39, 676
Households: 16, 391
Eligible Voters*: 25, 582
Neighbourhoods**:
Barrhaven Merivale Gardens - Greenfell Glen - Pineglen - Country Place Borden Farm - Stewart Farm - Parkwood Hills - Fisher Glen Stonebridge - Halfmoon Bay - Heart's Desire Carleton Heights - Rideauview Skyline - Fisher Heights Chapman Mills - Rideau Crest - Davidson Heights Tanglewood Cityview - Crestview - Meadowlands Trend - Arlington Greenbelt Woodvale - Craig Henry - Manordale - Estates of Arlington Woods Hunt Club South Industrial
*Data last 2018 Municipal Elections ** Information from Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa [13] [14] [15] Pressing issues in Ward 9 17 *issues that were constantly mentioned by 2014 & 2018 election candidates
Traffic & speeding in neighbourhoods Merivale Road Property Taxes Waste management
*Most candidates were in favour of the creation of a women's bureau for city hall **For more information on the incumbent's & past election candidates' stance on certain topics check out EcologyOttawa's "Election 2018: Candidates’ complete responses" Homelessness in Ward 9
[16] [17] [18] 2018 MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS: 18 Voter turnout, candidates, results
Candidate: Luigi Magone
Candidate: James Dean Winner: 12,500 Keith Egli
10,000
7,500 Candidate: Peter Anthony Weber
5,000 Candidate: Warren Arshinoff
2,500 Eligible Voters
Ballots Casted 40.03% voter turnout
0 0 10,000 20,000 Ballot Distribution [19] 19
ELECTIONS Past RESULTS:
2014 Winner: 2010 Winner: 2006 Winner: 2003 Winner: Keith Egli Keith Egli Gord Hunter Gord Hunter
2000 Winner: 1997 Acclaimed: 1994 Winner: Gord Hunter Gord Hunter Gord Hunter*
*"Pursuing a life long interest in politics Gord was elected a Nepean and Regional Councillor in 1980. Continuously reelected Gord became a separately elected Regional Councillor in 1994 and Councillor of the new City of Ottawa in 2000. Gord represented Knoxdale-Merivale Ward." [20] WHAT TO DO You're invited 21 to the
*if you answer 'yes' to any of the following questions Are we residing on unceded & unsurrendered Indigenous Land?
Should city council be more representative of Ottawa's diversity?
Is the political landscape extremely inaccessible to people living with disabilities?
Is gender-based violence in politics rampant?
Do you have a BIWOC friend who may be interested in politics?
Is municipal level politics even important?
Are you looking for ways to be more politically active?
Is there an egregious lack of gender & racial diversity in Canadian politics? Getting Involved: 22 Get informed | Pick a number ACTION 23 If you picked...
Find out who your city councillor is & request to see their voting record
Message that 1 friend you think would make a great politician & encourage them to run (you know who...)
Read(to l e"Gender-Basedarn more about Violencethe reali tinie sPolitics" women byin Platformpolitics face) Visit defundthepolice.org/canada("defunding the police doesn't mean abolishing community safety") Visit endhomelessnessottawa.ca
Attend an Ottawa city council meeting(streame d on YouTube!) Follow @justiceforabdirahamn on IG
Send an email to [email protected] to request that they collect race-based/ disaggregated data on election candidates & winners REFERENCES 24
[1] Library of Parliament. "The Three Levels of Government." Accessed 28 July 2020. https://lop.parl.ca/about/parliament/education/ourcountryourparliament/html_booklet/three-levels- government-e.html
[2] Canadian Encyclopedia. "Indigenous Self-Government in Canada." Accessed 28 July 2020. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/aboriginal-self-government
[3] Association of Municipalities Ontario. "Municipal Government Explained." Accessed 28 July 2020. https://www.amo.on.ca/YourAssociation/Municipal101
[4] Women Deliver. "Why Women in Politics?" Accessed 12 July 2020. https://womendeliver.org/2018/why- women-in-politics/%201
[5] Library of Parliament. "Women in the Parliament of Canada." Accessed 1 July 2020. https://hillnotes.ca/2020/01/23/women-in-the-parliament-of-canada/
[6] Institute for Research on Public Policy. "House of Commons Becoming More Reflective of Diverse Population." Accessed 13 July 2020. https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/november-2019/house-of- commons-becoming-more-reflective-of-diverse-population/
[7] The Star. "Ontario Makes History With Record Number of Female MPs." Accessed 1 July 2020. https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2018/06/14/ontario-makes-history-with-record-number-of- female-mpps.html
[8] City of Ottawa. "Mayor and City Councillors." Accessed 1 July 2020. https://ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/mayor- and-city-councillors
[9] Daily Xtra. "Getting to Know Catherine Mckenney ." Accessed 1 July 2020. https://www.dailyxtra.com/getting-to-know-catherine-mckenney-64781
[10] House of Commons. "Elect Her: A Roadmap for Improving the Representation of Women in Canadian Politics." Accessed 9 July 2020. https://www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Committee/421/FEWO/Reports/RP10366034/feworp14/feworp14- e.pdf
[11] City of Ottawa. "SIRE E-Agenda." Accessed 1 July 2020. https://ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/your-city- government/watch-or-listen-council-meetings
[12] City of Ottawa. "Role Description." Accessed 1 July 2020. https://app06.ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/csedc/2004/04-28/agendaitem2.htm 25 [13] City of Ottawa. "2018 Election Results: Ward 9." Accessed 28 July 2020. https://app06.ottawa.ca/election/2018_en.html
[14] Alliance to End Homelessness - Ottawa. "Homelessness in Ward 9: Knoxdale-Merivale." Accessed 28 July 2020. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a4d46cdb1ffb6b826e6d6aa/t/5bb545af7817f73b3f30b56c/1 538606511458/Ward+9+-+Knoxdale-Merivale.pdf
[15] City of Ottawa. "Current Population and Household Estimates." Accessed 28 July 2020. https://ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/get-know-your-city/statistics-and-economic-profile/statistics/current- population-and-household-estimates#ward-year-end-2019
[16] Ottawa Citizen. "Ottawa Votes: What you Need to Know About the Candidates in Knoxdale-Merivale." Accessed 12 July 2020. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/ottawa-votes-what-you-need-to-know- about-the-candidates-in-knoxville-merivale
[17] CTV News. "Councillor Candidates in Knoxdale-Merivale." Accessed 12 July 2020. https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/ottawa-votes/councillor-candidates-in-knoxdale-merivale-1.4100782
[18] Alliance to End Homelessness - Ottawa. "Homelessness in Ward 9: Knoxdale-Merivale." Accessed 28 July 2020. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a4d46cdb1ffb6b826e6d6aa/t/5bb545af7817f73b3f30b56c/1 538606511458/Ward+9+-+Knoxdale-Merivale.pdfn/
[19] City of Ottawa. "2018 Election Results: Ward 9." Accessed 28 July 2020. https://app06.ottawa.ca/election/2018_en.html
[20] Ottawa Kiosk. "Gord Hunter." Accessed 28 July 2020. http://www.ottawakiosk.com/councillor/gord- hunter.html
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