Joel Harden MPP / Député, Ottawa Centre

Government of Ontario

Updates

Update #109: Masking in OCDSP schools

As a politician, I try to speak directly to community concerns. My job is to assist  those seeking change when orders decreed from above don’t make sense.  That’s why I supported OCDSB Trustee Mark... More

Update #108: We have the power to improve our lives

Breaking news from Staten Island, New York this week shocked the world. Amazon workers at the JFK8 warehouse voted to unionize. They were led by immigrant workers who were tired of  being treated w... More

Update #104: Honouring Yumna, with murals to combat Islamophobia

The Ottawa Convoy that gridlocked our city last month left much in its wake.  The trucks may be gone, but the impacts are still here. Workers and small businesses suffered, with estimates ranging f... More

We can't allow 750 trees to be cut down

I’d love to write a spoof column to mark the occasion of April Fool’s Day. Laughter is medicine, and we need it now more than ever.  But this week I’m focused on a joke that isn’t funny: the new Ci... More

Letter re: Disability Discrimination at Kismutt Dog Rescue

My colleague MPP Teresa Armstrong and I have written to Ontario's Seniors and Accessibility Minister Raymond Cho and Chief Commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission, Patricia DeGuire rega... More

Join us for a community check in townhall

This Thursday, March 31st at 7 PM, I'm hosting an interactive community check-in town hall.  It’ll be an opportunity for you to share your thoughts and ask me questions on health care, education, t... More

Advocating for a loved one is not a crime

Earlier this week, I helped a Peterborough family defy a trespass order. The action was significant, and the stakes were high.  Diane Tamblyn had been issued a notice of trespass from St. Joseph’s ... More

Who is Ford listening to when making decisions about the Ottawa Hospital?

Who is Ford listening to when making decisions about the Ottawa Hospital? OTTAWA - Following an announcement Friday that Premier Ford and his Conservative MPP’s are going ahead with funding the con... More

Update #105 Kindness always comes first

I’ve taken a couple of days off this week with our family for March Break. I hope you’ve had time off too. Taking a break allows time for reflection.  Lately I’ve been thinking about Wonder, one of... More

Update #103: It’s time to rally for peace

A text message from a Russian soldier to his mother was intercepted earlier this week. Its words were stark. “We were told we would be greeted with open arms, but they call us fascists,” the  soldi... More