November 25, 2006

While all those who worked on inserting an environmental perspective into the municipal election campaign can be proud of their effort (see http://www.ottawaenvironmentalvotes.org/ [no longer online]), unfortunately it has not resulted in a “green” Council. These are the “best” candidates who were elected (based on whom we named in the Nov 10 Metro ad – attached):

Alex Cullen; Diane Holmes; Peggy Feltmate; Jacques Legendre;

George Bédard; Shad Qadri; Clive Doucet; and Bob Monette.

Some of our other “best” candidates did well: J.P. Dorion, Brett Delmage, Jay Nordenstrom. Scott Moffatt came close to unseating Glenn Brooks. Anu Bose faired surprisingly poorly.

The most humbling results were for “best” candidates Don Dransfield, who garnered 158 votes, Robert Fowler (1,309), Dan Biocchi (1,192), Catherine Gardner (833), Perry Marleau (1,190), Yusef Al Mezel (1,063) and David Alloggia (1,465).

What next? I see three action items:

1) keep the heat on, including a Report Card after the first year (but, really, there ought to be action as items come up);

2) early in the term, organize an environmental awareness retreat for Councillors, in cooperation with the advisory committees and environmental management staff at the city and the conservation authorities;

3) the Alliance could send a letter either to “blank-page” Mayor-elect Larry O’Brien, or to all members of Council, setting out what, from our point of view, the environmental priorities are.

Comments?

Erwin Dreessen