Hello,

You all know the outcomes of the recent federal election by now. The Liberal Party came out ahead but without enough seats to form a majority government. Mark Carney remains Prime Minister, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre lost his seat in Carleton, and NDP leader Jagmeet Singh also lost in his Burnaby Central riding in B.C. NDP overall won only 5 seats, and so lost its status as an official party (which requires 12 seats).

As election results were rolling in on the night of April 28, members of environmental organizations across Canada met on an open Slack channel to talk about the developing news and what it might mean for national and local efforts to address climate change. You can read a summary of their discussion—with updates that had been posted in real time—here.

The winners in Ottawa’s ridings are:

• Carleton : Bruce Fanjoy, Liberal Party

• Kanata: Jenna Sudds, Liberal Party

• Nepean: Mark Carney, Liberal Party

• Orleans: Marie-France Lalonde, Liberal Party

• Ottawa Centre: Yasir Naqvi, Liberal Party

• Ottawa South: David McGuinty, Liberal Party

• Ottawa-Vanier-Gloucester: Mona Fortier, Liberal Party

• Ottawa-West Nepean: Anita Vandenbeld, Liberal Party

• Prescott-Russell-Cumberland: Giovanna Mingarelli, Liberal Party

Stories from the PEN!

This month’s stories from the PEN include:

• In Ottawa’s Transport Planners Must Not Overlook Non-Drivers, reprinted from The Energy Mix, two mobility advocates say that Ottawa’s final phase of consultations on its transportation plan needs to prioritize non-drivers, including seniors who no longer drive, differently-abled young people seeking options beyond downtown, and children eager to bike to their destinations, among others.

From the PEN Archives

The 1998 Insider edition of the PEN featured the “Raging Grannies,” a group of women (“the only criteria for membership are to be female, at least 55 years of age, and having a passion for political action”) who rewrote songs to have a political bent. The Grannies performed their songs at rallies and demonstrations for political causes. But Alma Norman, former teacher and a Raging Grannies member, told the PEN that the “We are not there as performers or entertainers. This is about Guerilla Action.”

Other News

• Over 100 First Nations have brought a class action lawsuit against Canada for failing to provide adequate housing on First Nations land and "deliberately underfunded housing on reserves," which is being heard in Federal Court in Winnipeg this week.

• Ontario's provincial government is rolling back laws that protect species at risk in order to speed up environmental approvals. Interprovincial trade restrictions are also on the cutting block.

• The City of Ottawa has officially launched the final theme of “Your city, your ideas,” a service review initiative for the public to share ideas on how the City can improve its service “while finding innovative ways to save money that can be reinvested into other City priorities.” The final theme is “A city that is green and resilient.” Read more here.

• City Councillors debating proposed zoning bylaws are divided over one that would end minimum parking rules, but agree on another that could further raise building heights. The first draft of the rewrite was submitted in spring 2024, and a final version is expected by the end of this year.

• A UBC policy professor published an op-ed in the Globe and Mail arguing that solving Canada’s housing issues should involve compensating Millennials and Gen-Z.

  • “Since younger Canadians are already doing their part, the question now is whether political leaders are ready to do theirs by making compensation part of the election conversation,” writes Paul Kershaw.

• On April 9, the Planning and Housing and the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committees received an update on a review of the consistency between Ottawa’s Official Plan and the 2024 Provincial Planning Statement (PPS 2024), which is a province-wide land-use planning policy framework that the provincial government adopted in to support the need for more housing. The City needs to revise its Official Plan so that it aligns with PPS 2024.

• Ontario’s provincial government is launching a financial review of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board after the Board posted four straight years of deficit budgets and faces a multi-million-dollar deficit next school year.

• After a report showed that funds millions of dollars worth of revenue generated by tickets from red-light cameras were directed to Ottawa Police Service rather than road safety initiatives, the Auditor General sought to confirm that the report is only flagging the issue for review, and is not claiming that the funds were wrongly spent.

• Following the Liberal Party’s win on April 28, Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on PM Mark Carney to "fulfill his commitment" to accelerate critical mineral and other resource development projects—including in the Ring of Fire in northwestern Ontario—and to support the province to undertake future nuclear energy projects and "nation-building infrastructure” like pipelines, highways, railways, and airports.

I look forward to connecting with you again next month through the PEN Newsletter. In the meantime, please use the comments section of the newsletter or email [email protected] with thoughts or questions.

—Christopher Bonasia, PEN editor

PERC appreciates all of our readers for giving us this chance to connect with members of our community, and we love being able to provide you with a forum to discuss pressing environmental and social justice issues.

But we also rely on your support to make this happen. If you are interested in helping our organization continue to use storytelling and networking to help individuals, non-profits, and community groups work locally for a greener and more peaceful world, please consider making a donation to the Peace and Environment Resource Centre.