Joel Harden MPP / Député, Ottawa Centre

Have you ever been let down by someone who once called you a friend?  That’s how Hydro Ottawa workers, members of IBEW Local 636, feel right now.  In May 2022, we heaped praise on these folks, and ... More

Summer is a time to pause, and reconnect to yourself and others.  That age-old tradition took me to Wolfe Island for a few days this week, a lovely place across the water from Kingston.  I spent fo... More

On Monday, I had the privilege of being in Toronto to witness Olivia Chow’s victory in the mayoral by-election. I bundled the visit with Toronto Pride events the day before (which were massive, liv... More

I don’t know about you, but I’m sick of the war on the car. And the bicycle. And pedestrians. And road workers. And transit workers or riders. I’m tired of war metaphors altogether when it comes to... More

Not my monkeys, not my circus I believe that you Oh well you deserve,  An open heart   All the words that we tried to write down Did not have the fight, in our hearts I did not believe them   And I... More

Seventeen months ago, a man traveled from British Columbia to display homophobic and transphobic placards outside public schools in Toronto and Ottawa. At first, he took Toronto schools by surprise... More

This week we debated Bill G91, the Less Red Tape, Stronger Economy Act.  This was the Ford government’s seventh bill to remove “unnecessary regulatory burdens”. But as I studied Bill 91 – a massive... More

I met with a group of parents recently, and they told me more youth are in mental health crisis, or nearing a state of crisis. Youth mental health was in a challenging state before the COVID-19 pan... More

Last week, after Sgt. Eric Mueller was killed in nearby Bourget, I asked for your thoughts about how we keep each other safe. This is the tenth police officer killed on duty since September 2022 in... More

As I wrote this column, I received news of a tragedy in Bourget, Ontario.  Bourget is a 40 minute drive east from downtown Ottawa. It’s not far from where I grew up in Vankleek Hill. Like my hometo... More