Archie Campbell
Catherine Boucher was elected president of the Dalhousie Community Association (DCA) on May 4 at the first board meeting following the recent DCA AGM (see last month’s BUZZ). She is a longstanding DCA executive member.
Boucher is a former executive director of the Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation (CCOC), the local non-profit housing organization. She has been active in various community endeavours since her retirement, including stints on the boards of Rooftops Canada and the Catherine Donnelly Foundation. She spent a year in South Africa working as a volunteer for the social housing sector there.
The previous president, Michael Powell, decided not continue in that position but will stay on the DCA board as a member at large. Also elected to executive positions were Ed McKenna (vice-president), David Seaborn (treasurer), and Ryan Turley (secretary). Ryan is one of seven new members on the board.
Besides the usual full plate of planning files, the board–plus Councillor Catherine McKenney–discussed several recent violent incidents which raised safety and security concerns.
In response, the councillor has organized a Zoom meeting for May 19 at 4 p.m. with the DCA, Constable Stephanie Lemieux, Somerset West CHC, the Salvation Army Outreach Team, and interested residents. More details are available from McKenney’s office.
The meeting also paid tribute to Carl Reinboth, a harm reduction worker with the Somerset West Community Health Centre, who died in a random stabbing attack on April 23. Councillor McKenney is working on a memorial commemoration. More details to follow.