Lynne Browne: a tireless advocate for the homeless

Tony Wohlfarth

On October 29, 2023, Ottawa lost a piece of this community’s heart. Lynne Browne died unexpectedly at the age of 76.

Lynne was instrumental in helping to establish the Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa. She led the organization until she retired in 2014, when she and her partner moved back to Toronto.

Born on her grandmother’s farm in Weston, Ontario, her family moved to Toronto when she was very young.

Educated at the University of Toronto, Lynne was a passionate and outspoken advocate for the rights of those less fortunate in our society. In 1974, she married Jim Turk, who came to Ottawa in 2004 as executive director of the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT).

Lynne’s early advocacy was with the NDP where she became an effective political organizer. In Ottawa, she was best known for meeting with the former mayor, Jim Watson, and raising the challenges facing Ottawa’s homeless.

Dedicated and passionate

Kaite Burkholder Harris, the current executive director of the alliance, contributed the following:

“Lynne’s dedication and passion for her work were truly inspiring. Throughout her tenure, she achieved significant milestones, including the incorporation of the alliance as a non-profit organization. Her efforts in organizing the annual Community Forum, as well as publishing the annual report card on housing and homelessness in Ottawa, have left a lasting impact on our community.

“Not only was Lynne a tireless advocate for political change, but she also demonstrated an unwavering commitment to her role. Her dedication to the cause of ending homelessness was evident in her work, and her legacy will continue to inspire us all.”

Schooling the mayor

Tim Aubrey from the University of Ottawa added this insightful anecdote:

“I remember her inviting me to a meeting with the mayor (Jim Watson) because he wasn’t happy with the alliance putting out an annual report card that made the city look bad. I marveled sitting in on the meeting and watching Lynne school the mayor. He said, initially, he only had 20 minutes to give but the meeting ended up lasting almost one hour!

“In those days, people thought the alliance had a paid staff because Lynne was so productive, effective and efficient. It was actually only her, some volunteers and students.

“Her legacy of her time as executive director is very much alive today as the alliance is now an incorporated not-for-profit (that she brought in), has several staff members and is very influential politically in how the city responds to homelessness.”

Paddy Fuller, a volunteer at that time added, “I worked closely with Lynne at the Ottawa Alliance to End Homelessness where she worked tirelessly to energize the community to meet the challenge of homelessness.”

Back in Toronto, Lynne and Jim settled in The Beaches. She visited friends and family and was a regular visitor at their local library. Her Celebration of Life (December 2) was held in Beeton Hall in the central branch of the library. Friends and family paid tribute to her as a mother, an organizer and her lifelong activism.

Ottawa and Canada lost a passionate advocate for the homeless in 2023. Those who want to know more, or pay tribute to her memory, can do so at: www.aftercare.org.

Tony Wohlfarth is a friend of Jim Turk and was fortunate to be able to attend the Celebration of Life for Lynne on December 2.