In 1982 Linda Thom, a 38 year old cooking instructor and mother of two, came out of a seven-year shooting retirement to train for the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Two years later, she won Canada’s first Olympic Gold since 1968. Now a cherished member of the Old Ottawa South community, Linda and her neighbours at 551 Riverdale Ave. are at risk of being demovicted from their rent-controlled apartments.
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The past few weeks have been a flurry of excitement in our community, with so many incredible events to end summer and usher in a new school year. In particular it was incredible to see so many neighbours out at Capital Pride and Labour Day festivities! |
Every year the Association of Municipalities of Ontario’s annual conference sees municipal leaders from across the province gather here in downtown Ottawa to discuss the issues facing their local communities, and get valuable face-to-face time with provincial lawmakers.
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I want to start off this newsletter by thanking everyone who made it out to our annual ice cream social and community office open house with Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles. Despite initial forecasts of heavy rain and thunderstorms, it ended up being a perfect day for some sweet treats with friends and family! |
Queen's Park has officially shut down for the summer, with MPPs going back to their constituencies and not returning to the Legislature until October 27th. This means that after spending just 30 days in the Ontario Legislature, Doug Ford’s government will be taking an extra long summer vacation.
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Though today’s cloudy sky and chilly winds may make it hard to remember, summer is just around the corner in Ottawa. With it comes fields of tulips, epic festivals, weekends at the beach and, of course, blistering summer heats. |
I don’t have to tell you that life in Ottawa and across Ontario is more expensive. Grocery prices are up 30% in five years. Gas and transit costs are skyrocketing. Homes are out of reach. The cost of everything is through the roof.
On Monday I’ll be back at Queen’s Park, with the legislature finally returning to work after a longer than usual winter recess. On Thursday March 26th, MPPs will be getting their first look at the government’s 2026-2027 budget, a budget we suspect will include cuts to the services our neighbours rely on the most.
One year ago today, February 27th 2025, you put your trust in me to be your champion at Queen’s Park. It remains an incredible honour to get to represent this wonderful community every day as its Member of Provincial Parliament.
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I hope you were able to enjoy a joyous winter holiday season with your loved ones, and are staying warm and safe in this frigid January weather! |