Joel Harden MPP / Député, Ottawa Centre

Tonight is our third emergency town hall in the last week.  Our goal was to keep you informed about community efforts to get through this moment.  As I said last week, we will outlast the convoy wi... More

As a convoy of anti-vaccination protesters arrives in Ottawa, I’m feeling similar to protests at the Civic Hospital last September.  On the one hand, convoy participants rail against the Prime Mini... More

Last Friday, we held a community fundraiser for Cooking for a Cause (CfC), and wow, I’m still in awe of what we did together.  It was a reminder of the level of empathy and generosity we have in ou... More

I’ve been hearing from many parents, and the message is clear: you are exhausted, and tired of managing your childrens’ virtual school and work.  But many also wonder what kind of schools will be o... More

With Omicron afoot, many of us are isolated and struggling for social connection. Our schools are closed to in-person learning, and our health and community services are under massive strain. We ar... More

This week I met an Ottawa family in crisis. Dave and Linda Hoffman need supportive housing for Monica, their 30-year-old daughter who lives with various disabilities. The Hoffmans can no longer man... More

I heard a mind-blowing story last week, but I’ve learned in politics to expect the unexpected.  PSW students at Willis College – a private career college with two campuses in the Ottawa area – were... More

There are historic moments in Canadian politics, and one is happening now.  For decades, child care advocates have been pushing for dramatic expansion of non-profit, high-quality child care — the k... More

I’m often asked why I got into politics, and the answer is simple. I got into politics to help people, and to work with others to make change.  Long before I was a politician, I was a community org... More

It’s been quite a week for Ottawa’s LRT. As readers of our MPP newsletter know, I’ve been urging the province to help fix our LRT for a long time.  On December 1, 2019, we held an LRT town hall in ... More