Newsletter: November 29, 2022

Hello!

I’m so happy to get our ward newsletter started. Going forward, on Mondays, my team and I will share community information, ward news, and City Council updates.

There’s optimism in the air at City Hall among new and returning Councillors. Along with the resounding demand to be a less divisive Council, there is value in being able to see and work with each other in person. From meeting in each other’s offices to simply greeting each other in the hallway, it has added a sense of camaraderie among us.

I think it bodes well for the challenges ahead that we’ll face, including, the release of the LRT public inquiry’s findings and the province’s Bill 23.

This week, the LRT Public Inquiry’s findings will be released on Wednesday, November 30th at 11AM. Nobody will receive any advance copies, so I’ll be seeing it for the first time along with everybody else. In preparation, we held a special Council meeting on Monday to discuss some legal matters and implications behind it.

I’m looking forward to the release of the inquiry’s findings. While it might not hold the solution that would fix the LRT once and for all, it will likely include recommendations for the city’s procurement and oversight processes to mitigate or avoid a repeat of these issues.

We have four years before Stage 2 opens and slightly less time before Stage 3 contract negotiations come into play. That time is extremely valuable to allow us to implement the recommendations so future phases of the LRT roll out much smoother.

Other than that, my office set up is complete, and the Barrhaven East team is excited to be at your service! Please contact us at Wilson.Lo@ottawa.ca or at 613-580-2846. Social media accounts for Twitter and Instagram are just being finalized, but you can follow us on Facebook or follow me personally on Twitter in the meantime.

I’m honoured to represent you at City Hall to make our community even better.