On Monday, March 30th, at 7pm in Council Chambers at Ottawa City Hall Councillor Clive Doucet will host a Public Forum on Governing Ottawa Better.

       Thirteen years ago, Ottawa had a Regional Government which provided the core regional urban services, sewer, water, arterial roads, transit, housing and 11 municipalities which delivered local services. All this changed with the Fewer Politicians Act of 1996. The 11 municipalities and the region were reduced to one government and local politicians shrunk from 82 to 22.

       Since then it has become clear that in spite of good intentions, the Ottawa amalgamation has created a divisive, under-performing political structure. We see this occurring with transit, at the school board level, the community and recreation level and it’s the same deal on the road level. Amalgamation has created difficulties but with insight and public debate, we should be able to find solutions.

       Join moderator Clive Doucet, author of ‘Urban Meltdown, Cities, Climate Change and Politics as Usual’ with Jim McKenzie, a Director of the Carleton Landowners Association, Pam Fitzgerald and Jennifer McKenzie Ottawa-Carleton School Board Trustees, and Adam Found a member of a consulting team for the de-amalgamation proposal in the town of Essex and a PhD candidate in economics at the University or Toronto, as they discuss the issues surrounding de-amalgamation. Your questions and participation will be welcome.

       For more information please contact: Office of Clive Doucet 613-580-2487