Joel Harden
I hope you’ve had a chance to catch up with family, friends, and neighbours.
If you worked through the holiday season – as a first responder, or in essential services like shelters, home care, long-term care, health care, municipal services, or in business – please accept my heartfelt thanks. Ottawa is a great place because of you, and we appreciate you.
New Year’s Levee
At 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, January 20, let us offer you our appreciation in person.
We are hosting a New Year’s Levee in the ground floor boardroom of Beaver Barracks at 464 Metcalfe Street (at Catherine). You can RSVP for the event at www.joelhardenmpp.ca/levee. It’s a chance for us to meet over snacks and think about the community we want to build together in 2024.
You can take the #55 OC Transpo bus to our levee and places to park can be found nearby at the Canadian Museum of Nature, or the downtown YMCA-YWCA. We hope to see you there!
Our New Year’s Levee also aims to be a celebration of the community groups across Ottawa whose work uplifts our beautiful city. To operate, these groups often rely on our support and funding from all levels of government.
We know the value that these community groups bring to neighbours across the city, but rarely do we have an opportunity to celebrate them, or advocate for their success.
Your voice needed on the priorities for the 2024 Ontario budget
Later this month, the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs will be in Ottawa, Brockville, and Cornwall, to hear from local stakeholders, residents, and community groups about what priorities should be included in the 2024 Ontario Budget.
This is the chance for neighbours to champion the issues that matter most to them, and advocate for their government to invest seriously in the impactful, community-based solutions we know can make a difference.
Solutions like more operational funding to our public transit systems, support for our amazing community health centres, and investment in deeply affordable public housing. Like action on our climate emergency, initiatives to address rising levels of hatred, and strategies to help struggling downtown small businesses and neighbours struggling with mental health challenges.
Ottawa Centre is full of strong advocates on these and many other issues. Now is the perfect time to raise our voices and let these advocates be heard. Ontario needs your help.
In-person hearings will take place in Brockville on January 23, Ottawa on January 24, and Cornwall on January 25. These hearings are open to individuals and organizations, with an option to participate remotely.
The deadline for requesting to appear before the Finance Committee in Brockville, Cornwall or Ottawa is January 15 at 12 p.m.
If you request to appear you can also submit written material; the deadline to do so is January 31.
For more information on how to engage in the Ontario budget consultation process, visit www.joelhardenmpp.ca/budget2024, or email us at joel@joelharden.ca