Joel Harden MPP / Député, Ottawa Centre

Some think real change is impossible in politics, but I’ve never believed that. With hard work and good timing, breakthroughs can happen. On September 8 in this column, I asked for your help to sav... More

CONTENT WARNING: GRAPHIC VIOLENCE What a horrifying week.  We are shocked at further news about the deaths (and mass casualties) of civilians in Israeli communities. The brutality is staggering.  B... More

This weekend is a moment to be thankful for the bounty of our harvest, and the hard-working people who feed us. We should thank the farmers and farm workers (including almost 27,000 from other coun... More

We didn’t publish this newsletter last Friday, as we were on the road for our #SafetyRide to Toronto. It was a remarkable experience. The goal was to get from Ottawa to Toronto in four days, and I’... More

Today is another global climate strike, led by the Fridays for Future movement, and I’m headed to Parliament Hill to face tough questions from high school students. I hope to get a rough ride. Like... More

The unfolding saga on Ontario’s Greenbelt is beyond belief. This seems like a Netflix show that runs like a Nordic version of The Sopranos. Two damning independent reports — from Ontario’s Auditor ... More

This weekend is Capital Pride - Ottawa’s annual festival to celebrate, support, and uplift our 2SLGBTQ+ neighbours. There are many wonderful events, art installations, and performances to attend fo... More

Thanks to everyone who responded to my column last week. On August 8, we held an intense community forum on poverty, homelessness, and addictions, and it’s clear that you care. You offered plenty o... More

Frustration with poverty, homelessness, and addictions came to a head in our city this week. As promoted in this newsletter, Councillor Ariel Troster and I hosted a meeting on community safety at J... More

Like many people, I recently watched the film Barbie. It was a feast for the eyes and ears. By the end of this weekend, Barbie is likely to exceed $1 billion USD at the box office, by far the bigge... More