On September 25th I'm walking in the Scotiabank AIDS Walk for Life. We've got a team registration going and I would love for you to join us or sponsor our team. Our fundraising goal is $300.  Join or sponsor the team online: http://my.e2rm.com/TeamPage.aspx?Lang=en-CA&TSID=283864

Donations by cheque can be made out to "AIDS Walk for Life Ottawa" - contact me and we'll arrange a pickup.

I became seriously involved with the Green Party in 2008 when I volunteered as a telephone canvasser during the last federal election campaign. That was two years ago and since then I've learned that getting involved in the democratic process is as rewarding as I had hoped it would be.  I am very thankful I decided to take that first step to get involved.

The Green Party stands for personal freedoms, equality, social justice and ecological wisdom. It is a party that I feel very at home in because everyone I encounter within it shares my profound respect for democracy, our communities, the environment and the legacy that all of us hope to leave to future generations.

On September 22nd I will be asking the Ottawa Centre members to select me as their next candidate.  I want to take on the responsibility of representing the Green Party to voters next fall. I want to show them that the Green Party has developed the forward looking policies that Ontario needs in order to thrive. I want to tell voters that Ontario has the potential to lead Canada in the transition to a green economy.

We can create prosperity in Ontario and still keep it beautiful.

With a year to go until the next election I'm now asking you to take a step and become involved too.  If the Green Party Key Values match your own then I believe you will also feel at home in the Green Party.  The first steps are small ones - but I believe they will lead you to a satisfying future:

• Step 1: For $10 join the Green Party of Ontario before September 8th.
• Step 2: Vote for me on September 22 at the Candidate Nomination Meeting (Blue Nile restaurant, 577 Gladstone Avenue)

After the first Western LRT public consultation meeting in June I reached out to other attendees to see if there was interest in having an extra informal discussion.  There was a lot of interest and we're meeting tonight to brainstorm and share the different viewpoints we all have on the topic. Eric Darwin has already provided a good synopsis of the situation.

By default I lean towards putting  grade separated light rail onto Carling first. In the long term there is more development potential along Carling than along the river. It will link employment centres, hospitals, shopping centres and is already zoned for commercial use on both sides.  The Western Parkway will always be shielded from intensification by the NCC or by nature herself.

That said, choosing Carling may impact travel times for suburban commuters travelling to and from the core.  I'm hoping Delcan will provide details like that when we meet again in September so we can balance the needs of suburban commuters and daytime/nighttime/weekend transit users inside the greenbelt.  Suburban residents will probably always own cars for the foreseable future even if they use transit for work. I'd like to see us put some focus on encouraging a much higher modal split within the core by providing excellent "week long" service too.  Light rail on Carling will encourage more car-free households.  Light rail needs to be about more than just commuting.

It will be an interesting discussion for sure.  Look for an update tonight after the meeting.

You may also be interested in the supporting studies for the LRT project.