Shawn Menard, Capital Ward Councillor

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Hi Shawn,


Last year you wrote a piece about derelict buildings, and specifically mentioned the burn-out husk of West Coast Video. As a long-time Old Ottawa South resident, I would like to know what you are doing, now that you have been elected, to remedy this issue. Thank you for your time.

Thank you deeply for your proposed motion that the City of Ottawa declare a climate emergency. PLEASE be strong and persist, and I hope you will succeed. You are a breath of fresh air who is championing a lot of important causes, but none more important than this. As Thoreau said, “What is the use of a house if you haven’t got a tolerable planet to put it on?”


Humanity in general is too preoccupied and uninterested – and sadly, too powerless – to solve this problem for themselves, so in this case especially, it falls to our elected leaders to show leadership and tackle it head-on. You appear to be the kind of leader we’ve been needing – and lacking – for many years.


The word “existential” is all the rage these days, but in this case it’s accurate and appropriate. Climate change is threatening life as we know it on this planet. People say we need to “save the planet”, but that’s not right. As a rock in orbit around our star, this planet will do just fine – like billions of other planets. It’s life that’s in jeopardy; the beautiful, precious life that has evolved here, enabled by an incredible set of circumstances that are required to even make it possible. They are possibly unique in the universe. [The over-hyped but otherwise incredible current National Geographic series “One Strange Rock” presents this case most convincingly. Highly recommended – combine that with this TED talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/stephen_webb_where_are_all_the_aliens/up-next?fbclid=IwAR1G1wxmkr39U6JmRvDagOpfTx3Zt4Fv_W3I2vszLUjRvz2H4BK4k1APJks]


And here are we, today, undoing that incredible balance as if humanity is incapable of doing damage on the scale required, and there can’t be any consequences of our actions – or lack of actions. That’s just wrong. Humans are the dominant force on this planet today (therefore the “Anthropocene”) and too many of us are an unthinking cancer that’s upsetting the delicate balance that’s required for life to prevail and survive. In fact, viewed from space, cities look – and mushroom – like cancers on the landscape. Humanity in general is not equipped to understand or even simply believe that this is real. But it unquestionably is.


Our current minimal, incremental progress is vastly insufficient; it’s not enough to even marginally slow our ultimate demise. Dramatic and forceful action is required. The problem is too large. In spite of courageous and Herculean efforts, NGOs and enlightened corporations cannot do it on their own. (I speak from experience – I’ve been woking that route for 25+ years.) Our politicians must begin to truly represent the people – not “special” interests – and lead the efforts on the scale required by this challenge. The current upwelling demand – especially, but not exclusively, among the young – for our leaders to take BOLD action is an essential and appropriate reaction to this historical inaction. Before it really is too late and the damages become truly irreversible – assuming they aren’t already.


I’m 72 years old, so hopefully I won’t have to see or live through the worst consequences (although I’m starting to doubt even that!) But that does not mean I can shirk my responsibility to keep trying to do something about it. None of us can. Like most people my age, I feel for my grandkids who will. In spite of how this rant may sound, I’m not weird or a fanatic – just passionate. I care deeply about our exquisite planet! I trust you are the same.


In that case, how can I help you?