MPP & MAYOR'S REPORT
Glebe Report November 12, 2021
Collaboration with federal and provincial partners key to Ottawa’s success
Standing up against hate I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Ottawa Centre never ceases to amaze me. From hurricanes to massive floods, from bus crashes to a historic pandemic – I’ve seen our community rise in the face of adversity. In October, it happened again on Broadview Avenue. A bigot from British Columbia arrived intent on protesting “gender ideology” in our public schools. The previous week he had filmed and photographed children outside Toronto schools while displaying transphobic messages. These are acts of open violence against queer, transgender and gender non-conforming people. At least half of homeless youth in Ottawa were rejected by their families for their gender identity, and rates of suicide and suicidal ideation among transgender youth denied access to necessary health care are alarmingly high. As my colleague MPP Suze Morrison noted in a crucial private members bill on this issue, we have much more to do. In this context, a bigot arrived on Broadview Avenue on October 18. He filmed, postured and displayed his hate outside public schools. He told his online followers he’d be back the next day. But the next day, he wasn’t alone. Rainbow Carleton, a queer/transgender student group at Carleton University, put out a call for a counter-demonstration before and after school. When I arrived at 8:30 a.m., the intersection of Broadview and Avondale was crammed with people – at least a hundred students, parents and neighbours. When the bigot appeared, we challenged him, told him he wasn’t welcome and asked him to leave. When he refused, we turned our backs, still blocking his signs. We
Ignoring hate is dangerous.
chanted queer-positive and transgender-positive slogans to drown out the hate. After an hour of this, and a memorable stand-off with Councillor Catherine McKenney (a trans nonbinary elected official), the bigot left and pledged to come back after school with more people. Classic bully tactics. But this time, the students were ready. Hundreds mobilized to insist the bigots leave, and after 20 minutes they did, but not before inciting violence and shoving at least one student to the ground. But, some might ask, was this the best community response? Why not ignore the bigotry and deprive it of attention? Alas, history isn’t kind to those who suggest that strategy works. Ignoring hate is dangerous. As the Southern Poverty Law Center explains, “in the face of hate, silence is deadly. Apathy will be interpreted as acceptance – by the perpetrators, the public and, worse, the victims. If left unchallenged, hate persists and grows.” Queer, transgender and gender nonconforming folks are proud of the response, and that is a victory in itself. Our community organized against hate, and I was proud to be there as your MPP.
By Jim Watson I am proud of the relationships we have maintained with our federal and provincial counterparts over the years, which have allowed our city to engage in meaningful dialogue to deliver on priority issues. In order to make real progress on important city building initiatives, all three levels of government must work together with our residents and community groups. Most recently, these strong partnerships have kept our residents safe and informed throughout the pandemic. Due in large part to our effective collaboration with the province of Ontario, Ottawa boasts one of the highest vaccination rates amongst large cities in Canada and across North America. With the federal election now behind us, we can once again look ahead to all the work the City has started with our partners at the provincial and federal levels. The new year will be a great opportunity for us to roll up our sleeves and continue to make headway on key city-building projects like the following, to name a few: • the addition of hundreds of new affordable housing units • continued dialogue and action
to address ongoing public safety concerns • the “Adisōke” net-zero central library • the Chief William Commanda Bridge for active transportation • our electric bus conversion program • improving internet connectivity for our underserved residents • Stage 3 LRT I also look forward to working with my former colleague on City Council and the newly elected MP for Kanata-Carleton, Jenna Sudds, to secure funds for Stage 3 LRT, which will bring train service to Kanata, Stittsville and Barrhaven, three of the fastest growing areas of the city. Congratulations on your election, Jenna! Finally, I am keen to work with our partners at the federal and provincial levels to ensure that Ottawa makes a strong economic rebound in the coming months with another big push on vaccines and a safe return to workplaces – especially in the downtown core – that will give a boost to our small businesses, which have been so impacted over the last 19 months. Jim Watson is mayor of Ottawa.
PHOTO: CITY OF OTTAWA
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