The new year has certainly come in with a roar!  Prorogation has reared it’s head again, a local by-election is in the wind and our first social night is coming up. Add our Earth Hour Vigil to the mix and the coming months are guaranteed to be packed with opportunities to get involved!

Read on for:

• The No-Prorogation Rally (January 23)
• Social & Phone Canvassing Night (January 27)
• Ottawa-West Nepean Provincial By-Election
• Green Party of Ontario Membership Renewals

No-Prorogation Rally on Parliament Hill, January 23rd, 1pm to 3pm

In a non-partisan capacity several Ottawa Centre volunteers have been involved with the Ottawa chapter of Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament (CAPP) to help organize a rally on Parliament Hill.  Elizabeth May is coming in from B.C. to speak at the rally!  Canadians are certainly kicking and screaming about prorogation.

Over 190,000 people have joined CAPP on Facebook and our rally on Parliament Hill will receive lots of coverage from the mainstream media.  If you’re going to attend here’s what you can do:

• Bring a noise maker!  CAPP suggests a coffee can with beans but use your imagination!
• RSVP to the event on Facebook.  Over 600 people have already sent an RSVP and we want to reach 1,000 before the end of the weekend.
• Bring a placard or banner! Please remember that this is a non-partisan movement about Government accountability.  We want our MPs to Get Back To Work providing oversight!

Even if you can’t make it to the rally itself there are other ways to get involved:

• Join the Facebook group to show you support the movement.
• Download a poster, print it, and put it up in your part of town. After you’re done, email CAPP Ottawa with the number of posters and area so they know it’s been covered.
• Make a donation to Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament – Ottawa Chapter.  See noprorogue.ca/ottawa for details on how donations are being handled.

See you on the 23rd!

Social night and Phone Canvassing on January 27th

The first of many social nights is coming up on January 27th.  The idea is to get together as friends to discuss Green issues and have some fun (the social part) and also get some concrete work done by making phone calls to the parts of Ottawa Centre where we have the best support (the phone canvassing part). 

Members and non-members alike are invited to come out!  Experienced phone canvassers will be on hand to guide newcomers through their first few calls - an easy task because it’s a myth that phone canvassing is hard.  The only hard part is the first call - after that the ice is broken!

When: January 27th, 6:30pm to 9pm
Where: Apt 3, 165 Hinchey Avenue
Contact: Dylan Lineger, 613-720-4832
What To Bring: a cell phone to for making calls, a laptop if you can (saves on paper), and any drinks/snacks you would like to share with everyone.

If you can’t make it on the 27th there will be more social nights on the 4th Wednesday of every month.  Check the next newsletter for details.

See you on the 27th!

Ottawa-West Nepean Ontario By-Election

With the Jim Watson resigning his cabinet post earlier this week to run for Mayor of Ottawa in the autumn, the 2010 political calendar now includes a likely provincial by-election in Ottawa-West Nepean.

The Ottawa West-Nepean (Provincial) Green Party Association will be holding a candidate nomination meeting this coming Tuesday, January 19, 2010.  The venue for the event is the Atrium Room of the Ron Kolbus Lakeside Centre, situated at Britannia Park, 102 Greenview Avenue, Ottawa.

Start time for the event is 7 p.m.  Registration will begin at 6:30 p.m.

Given the truncated nature of the political calendar, the window for candidate nominations closes at 7 p.m. on Sunday, January 17, 2010.  If you are interested in becoming the candidate, please contact Peter Brebner, Ottawa West-Nepean Returning Officer at: breb@cyberus.ca.  Applications will be due by the above deadline.

Green Party of Ontario Membership Renewals

Are you currently a member of the GPO?  If so then your membership will need to be renewed before February 14th (Valentines day!).  You can renew your membership or join for the first time online.  If you are able to include a donation at the same time that is fantastic and much appreciated.  Mike Schreiner has set a goal of raising $1,000,000 before the 2011 provincial elections.

If you would like to make a donation to the provincial Ottawa Centre Greens you can send us a cheque or donate by credit card.  Every dollar counts as we prepare for 2011!