DOWNTOWN AND GOWN
A look at new city council
Ottawa’s new city council was sworn in Monday night at a musicfilled ceremony at Centrepointe Theatre.
Mayor Jim Watson officially entered his second term on Dec. 1 alongside eight new councillors — Riley Brockington (River), Jean Cloutier (Alta Vista), George Darouze (Osgoode), Jeff Leiper (Kitchissippi), Catherine McKenney (Somerset), Jody Mitic (Innes), Tobi Nussbaum (Ride- au-Rockcliffe), Michael Qaqish (Gloucester- South Nepean), and 15 returning councillors.
Standing in a semicircle on stage, the councillors swore the declaration as a group but were called individually to sign on the dotted line. Each had been allowed to invite 30 guests, so as they were introduced, cheering sections around theatre broke out in hoots and hollers.
The crew for Beacon Hill-Cyrville Coun. Tim Tierney was especially vocal.
“Make us proud, Timmy,” shouted one man in the audience. The second-term councillor also hammed it up, posing for a quick selfie with Watson.
Watson, in his inaugural address, signalled what he expects of the new council. “Collaboration is not a luxury,” he told the audience. “It is a duty which residents have bestowed upon us. They have asked us to find solutions and to find the pragmatic centre in order to make our city even stronger.”
And he signalled what he sees as the key projects coming up over the next term of council, which meets for the first time on Wednesday. Light rail transit “will be the top priority,” but Watson also named the Bayview Innovation Centre, revitalization of Arts Court and Canada’s 150th birthday in 2017. The 2017 celebrations are of particular importance to the mayor, who hopes they will change the way the world sees Canada’s capital and help to make Ottawa what the late civic booster Jean Pigott always said it should be: every Canadian’s second hometown.
“Whether it’s 40 above or 40 below, Ottawa represents the best of what it means to be a Canadian,” Watson said.
Refreshments at the reception that followed were donated by Tim Hortons, saving the city $25,000, Watson told reporters.