Heron on the Rideau River at Carleton University - Photo by Brett Delmage

October 2009 Newsletter

Hello everyone!

On behalf of the departing 2008-2009 EDA Executive I would like to thank all of you for making a difference in Ottawa Centre. Everyone who receives the newsletter has made a contribution of some sort – by donating, volunteering, or becoming a member. It is through those continuing contributions that the future will bring electoral success at Parliament and Queen’s Park. Thank you for enabling us to prepare for the next election.

There are a slew of events to tell you about along with a quick update on the fall cleanup of Central Park. Here’s a quick run down – see below for the full details.

  • Our Annual General Meeting is on November 4th.
  • Fill the Hill, on October 24th, is part of International Climate Day.
  • Head to the Ottawa Writer’s Festival to see Elizabeth May on October 26th.
  • Register for the GPO 2009 Annual Policy Conference and Leadership Convention that runs from November 13th to 15th in London.
  • Do your part to ensure the Climate Change Accountability Bill does not continue to get stalled in Parliamentary Commitee.
  • Central Park Fall Cleanup Report
Annual General Meeting of the Ottawa Centre Green Party of Canada EDA

We are holding an Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 at 7:30pm at the Clocktower Brew Pub in the Glebe (575 Bank Street at Isabella, google map).

At the AGM we will be electing a new EDA Executive to manage the party’s business in Ottawa Centre for 2009-2010. If you would like to run for an Executive position contact Kevin O’Donnell for more information. The current list of nominees is on the AGM 2009 page on ottawagreens.ca.

Constitutional changes will also be voted on at the AGM (full details are available on the website). The changes are necessary in order to bring us into compliance with the new naming system for Green Party EDAs. The new constitution will also allow members to be notified about meetings via email instead of by mail.

Mike Schreiner is coming up from Toronto to meet with us at the AGM as well. Mike will (almost certainly) be the next leader of the Green Party of Ontario so this is a great chance to meet him in person!

A reminder: only current members of the Green Party of Canada may vote at the AGM. If your membership has lapsed you can only vote if you renew beforehand. If you are not a GPC member you can join the party right now and be eligible to vote as well.

Fill The Hill – October 24th

Join Jen Hunter, Elizabeth May and thousands of others on Parliament Hill for the International Day of Climate Action! Your presence will show that we care about our Climate, and that our government must make proactive decisions to meet our international obligations and combat climate change.

Where: Parliament Hill, Ottawa
When: Saturday October 24 from Noon to 3:30PM

For more information visit Fill the Hill, Powershift, or 350.org.

There is an after party for Green Party folks and Elizabeth May at Darcy McGee’s starting at around 4pm. If you are planning on going let the organizers know by filling in this quick event form.

Elizabeth May at the Ottawa Writer’s Festival – October 26th

THE BIG IDEA: DEMOCRACY IN CRISIS
With Elizabeth May and John Ibbitson
Hosted by Alison Buchanan

How democratic is our democracy? In Losing Confidence, Canada’s Green Party leader, Elizabeth May, shares her perspective on the problems and the solutions. In Open and Shut, Washington correspondent John Ibbitson compares our system with that of the United States, asking why they have Obama and we have Harper.

Where: Saint Brigid’s Centre for the Arts and Humanities, 314 Saint Patrick Street (at the corner of Cumberland)
When: Noon, October 26th

Tickets for individual events are available online, from the Box Office at 613-562-1243, or visit Nicholas Hoare Books (419 Sussex Drive), Octopus Books (116 Third Ave.) or Collected Works (1242 Wellington St. West.)

GPO 2009 Annual Policy Conference and Leadership Convention

What issue should be the Green Party of Ontario’s top priority for the 2011 election? What are green jobs? What environmental policies are most relevant in an economic crisis? What should Green Party policy be on the HST? Is Mike Schreiner the right leader for the Green Party of Ontario?

If you have an opinion on these questions or others, you should get involved in the Green Party of Ontario 2009 Annual Policy Conference and Leadership Convention being held Nov. 13-15, in London. Registration is now open.

Climate Change Accountability Bill

This week the House of Commons is voting whether to leave the Climate Change Accountibility Bill (wikipedia explanation) with the Environmental Commitee for further study or not. A previous incarnation of the bill passed third reading in 2008 prior to Parliament being prorogued* but now it could get stalled in commitee.

With less than sixty days left before the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Canada is running out of time to commit to legally binding, science-based greenhouse gas reduction targets.

Please contact the leaders of all the political parties in Parliament and urge them to support Canadian action on climate change. Click here for their contact information and to record your direct action.

(* I just really wanted to use ‘prorogued’ at least once. -kev)

Central Park Fall Cleanup Report

Thanks to Steven, Paul, Jen, Sarah, Jon and Coralee for cleaning up Central Park once again. Although it turns out we won’t be allowed to adopt it officially I hope we’ll return again in the spring. Cleaning the park during the Great Glebe Garage sale was a great way to be visible in the community.

Links and Information