Community Spirit Makes Ward 21 A Special Place To Live

It has been a whirlwind two weeks for my team and I, as we settle into our new roles.

I am pleased to say that I have met with seven local community associations, have attended a few bake sales and Christmas markets and have been meeting daily with residents who are looking for support on a variety of city issues. A great start to what I hope will be a successful four years.

Many local volunteers, service clubs and not-for-profit groups have been quick to reach out to highlight the good that they are doing in their respective communities. As we head into the holiday season, I thought I would take this opportunity to highlight the tremendous work that is done and which often goes unacknowledged.

If you are reading this article, you are likely interested in the comings and goings within our community.

From family movie nights, church dinners, bingo and euchre tournaments, farmer’s markets, Christmas bazaars, concerts in the park, lighting of community parks, fairs and festivals, local dances, parades, Remembrance Day ceremonies and coming up shortly, breakfasts with Santa!

All of these are organized by volunteers in our community. Every one of them is our neighbour who cares about the community, who wants to make it the best place in Ottawa to live. With so much going on, we sometimes forget how lucky we are to live in such a busy and vibrant community. Throughout the year, there is scarcely a weekend or weekday evening in one of the towns, villages or hamlets across rural Ottawa that doesn’t have some activity on the go, all being put on by local volunteers looking to make a small difference in their own way.

This has been highlighted for me over these past two weeks as each of these organizations has reached out to me, looking for support, requesting I attend one of their meetings or simply to invite me to come and enjoy myself. It’s no exaggeration to say that thousands of collective hours every year are spent organizing these community building activities for us to enjoy.

Many of these events happen without support for any level of government, a testament to the determination of these community volunteers and a reminder that our sense of community comes from within.

I hope to do everything I can over these next four years to support, promote, attend and enjoy as many of these wonderful community-led activities as I can, and hope you will too!

Within the next week, I hope to have my website up and running where you will be able to find a calendar of events showcasing these activities and other information that will keep you informed. If you would like something included on the website, in my weekly newsletter or if there is something I can do to help, you can connect with me through email at ward21@ottawa.ca or call 613-580-2491.

David Brown

Councillor Ward 21