Ottawa city councillors share New Year’s resolutions

When it comes to New Year's resolutions, spending more time with family is top of many Ottawa city councillors' lists. 

As the municipal election campaign kept candidates and incumbents busy last fall, councillors are hoping to see more of their families in 2019.  But that might be hard considering the number of priorities they have for the coming term of council. 

City councillors shared their personal and professional New Year’s resolutions with 1310 NEWS:

• Riley Brockington (River Ward)

“I used to bike a lot and just with the business of life, being a parent and working full time, I've not biked as much as I've liked to. So I'd like to dust that bike off in the garage and get out more.”

“I think there is a strong appetite to see the LRT open and to get people using it to reduce the detours and impact this has had particularly in the downtown core, but also on a lot of our local buses that are currently experiencing scheduling challenges and punctuality concerns.” 

 

• Rick Chiarelli (College Ward)

“What I want to do is flush out a really good proposal for generating revenue at the city that doesn't involve new taxes.”

“The second is to finish a script I've been writing, because I write screenplays for fun.”  

 

• Laura Dudas (Innes Ward) 

“Throughout 2019, I intend to work very closely with city staff, with the business community, including the Ottawa Board of Trade and the local BIA, to make sure that zoning is appropriate to attracting businesses and encouraging businesses to set up shop here in the east end. LRT is going to be a game changer for the entire city, but the stage two will be a huge change for the east. And I want to make sure that in 2019, we're laying all the tracks in place so that we can have success with that going forward.”

“I'm a mom of a young family and I adore spending time with my family and kids. Certainly in this new role and job, it's an incredibly busy and engaged role. I'm so privileged to be in it. I need to make sure that I'm also spending quality time with my family.” 

 

• Keith Egli (Knoxdale-Merivale Ward)

“I hope to spend a bit more time with family now that the election is over.” 

“As the new chair of the Board of Public Health, I want to do everything I can to create more awareness in the city about the services that are offered and to work with that team to make the city as healthy as it can be.”

 

• Eli El-Chantiry (West Carleton-March Ward)

“My professional resolution is to do my best representing the interests of the rural residents of Ottawa in the upcoming Official Plan review and the Master Transportation Plan. As always, my personal resolution is to continue to make sure I have a good work-life balance.”

 

• Mathieu Fleury (Rideau-Vanier Ward)

“We need to ensure that the LRT opens early in the year, that Lebreton Flats is on track, and for me locally, focusing on the improvements that are needed in the ByWard Market and beginning construction on Montreal Road.”

“I run a very busy and active schedule. So last year with the campaign it helped to get out and knocking on doors. Obviously you want to keep that same flow of physical activity to stay health. I'm a young dad now, so also making sure that I put in the calendar some time with the family.” 

 

• Glen Gower (Stittsville Ward) 

“I'd like to improve my French. It's something that I haven't had a lot of chance to use in my career, but is something that is important as an elected official.”

“Another one is to take the bus more often. It's a promise that I made during the election campaign and I'm trying to build my schedule so that I can be using the bus to go downtown and run other errands as well.” 

 

• Theresa Kavanagh (Bay Ward) 

“My typical New Years resolution is to stay fit. What I usually do every single year is I have a 100-day challenge. And that is to go from January 1 to April 10 and do 30 minutes of fitness every day.” 

“I'm hoping to make the whole city more approachable, more walkable, more accessible and more livable. That's been my theme all along. I can't talk about people going outside for a walk unless we have good sidewalks, unless we have good transit. So we have to build a city that works for that. Otherwise people will just continue to jump in their cars.”