Cathy Curry

Now that COP26 is over…

CathyCurry — Sat, 06 Nov 2021 06:06:00 +0000

I feel for Greta Thunberg in her concern that the Conference of the Parties was, again, a lot of people talking. Indeed, talking is not enough. I do, however, feel that there was a different energy at COP26 that differentiates it from the ones that have come before. There is an urgency and, I think, a real recognition that we are in this together. The swiftness with which the world was able to manufacture COVID vaccines is evidence that we can work together and achieve results faster than ever before. As a kid, I loved the line from the Six Million Dollar Man series — “We can rebuild him!” As a parent, I loved Bob the Builder’s “We can fix it!” I think we have the technology, the ability to work together, and the urgency that is needed to reduce our carbon emissions and sequester it.

What about the traffic?

CathyCurry — Wed, 03 Nov 2021 06:04:00 +0000

When I talk to the residents of Kanata North, they cannot believe how fast houses go up and new neighbourhoods are built. They wonder if the City has taken into consideration the traffic that will come when everyone has actually moved in! And, with intensification, will the existing roads be able to handle the additional cars when residents already can’t get out of their driveways? These are all real issues and planning has to take into consideration traffic patterns and road capacity. With the new roundabouts we have seen constructed, it is great to see residents’ concerns taken seriously. Consultation does work. We just have to work together to make it meaningful enough to see solution-focused decisions come from it.

The only two sureties in life…

CathyCurry — Thu, 28 Oct 2021 06:07:00 +0000

Taxes stink. However, as I have tried to teach my children, taxes help pay for many of the things we enjoy everyday; we just don’t really think about that when we get our tax bills. That said, COVID19 changed the game for governments all over the world. In Ottawa, we are not alone in our efforts to try to balance rising costs with reduced revenue. The promises made regarding 3% may be difficult to achieve. However, with the tremendous growth in Kanata, Stittsville, Orleans, Barrhaven, Nepean South, Riverside and intensification projects all over the city, revenue generation is not as challenging here compared to many other cities across Ontario, Canada and the world, for that matter. I attended two community budget consultations and heard what residents had to say as did the City of Ottawa staff. I look forward to hearing the rationale for holding to a 3% tax increase and will do my best to balance the needs of the community with our rising costs.

What does a system perspective really mean?

CathyCurry — Mon, 25 Oct 2021 00:50:00 +0000

Being a part of the Community Foundations of Canada Grants’ Committee and the Ottawa Community Foundation’s Grants’ Committee, I am inspired by the number of organizations that are formed and committed to making the world a better place for others in need. I am also aware, however, that many organizations are trying to do the same things other organizations are trying to do and are not able to spend time seeking out partners and collaborators. I believe that our granting organizations, who have a unique view point, have an opportunity to bring organizations together. The possibility of true needle movement on social indicators that have remained steady for so many years could come to fruition with the thought leadership provided by our granting organizations and the City of Ottawa.

Building a ship while it is sailing is always challenging….

CathyCurry — Wed, 20 Oct 2021 06:03:00 +0000

People often comment to me that the LRT has been a disaster. Growing up in Scarborough, it was so easy to jump on the Kennedy subway train and zip down to the CNE or Ontario Place or right out to Kipling station to visit my cousin in Etobicoke. I didn’t live during the time when the subway was being built. I only enjoyed the system’s reliability. In Boston, the “T” was never down. I could rely on it to get to Logan Airport any day, any time. However, it too was built many years ago. I can’t imagine the construction of either system was problem free. Now, when trains break down in Toronto or Boston, they have hundreds of trains to use as replacements. In Ottawa, we don’t. We are dealing with the growing pains that people in other cities dealt with decades ago. We will get through this. Our children will never know how challenging it was when the LRT was first being built and run at the same time.

We need a children’s recovery plan

CathyCurry — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 06:00:00 +0000

The pandemic’s impact on children will be felt for decades to come. CHEO and the Ontario Centre of Excellence for Children and Youth Mental Health know intimately that you only have once chance to have a good childhood. Given the repercussions of reduced social, physical and mental stimulation on developing brains, swift action must be taken to mitigate the effects of the pandemic on children. While the various provincial and federal ministries are largely responsible for funding allocations for children’s services, there is much municipalities can do to ensure the facilities that are required to run children’s programming are open and available for the many organizations who run programs for children and youth. The Ottawa Fusion Volleyball Club was one of the very few volleyball clubs to keep running practices throughout the pandemic, only stopping temporarily for lock down periods. Most Ontario clubs folded or paused. Resurrecting clubs and programming will take a recognition by all that children have lost opportunities that we can help them recoup.

Why parents should ask their children what they learned at school today…

CathyCurry — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 21:14:00 +0000

I was so glad to spend September 30^th, 2021 in an Ottawa elementary school. As the students and I read through the 96 Calls to Action, the insightful comments and thoughtful dialogue that took place was enlightening. What struck me was students’ clarity of the concept that wrongs must be made right. In addition, when asked what we could do in our education system to address any of the Calls, the students had concrete, specific and creative ideas for many of the Calls. I believe that all organizations should go through a similar process of looking at each Call to Action and determining what they can do, specifically, to start making what is wrong, right.

Why do you want to do this, Cathy?

CathyCurry — Wed, 22 Sep 2021 05:56:00 +0000

When former City Councillor, Jenna Sudds, was successful in being elected as a Member of Canada’s Parliament, a number of colleagues, friends, neighbours and Kanata residents reached out to me to ask me if I would consider filling the now-vacant Ward 4 spot on Council. I didn’t consider it at first as I quite enjoy the life I have right now—teaching occasionally, serving on many of our city’s impactful boards and gradually working on my Masters of Arts in Counselling Psychology online. However, I thought about it longer and, given the encouragement of the people whose opinions I respect, I decided that I could and I would. Given that I only take the required courses for my program when it fits into my schedule, I have a flexible end date for the degree I am taking. (I plan to be a psychotherapist for children and youth sometime in the next 5-10 years.) Frankly, most people in my family live to be 100, so I have always tried to plan my life on that 100-year time line. So, I can do this now. And, given the decades I have chosen to serve my community in so many different capacities, my experience would make me an excellent candidate. Moreover, I feel that even with only 11 months remaining in the term, I feel that I could bring the concerns of Kanata North residents to the table as I did as a school trustee and Chair of the OCDSB. Meaningful consultation for me meant meeting with all of Kanata’s school council chairs and community associations once a month. I looked forward to doing that again.

The future is bright

CathyCurry — Sat, 18 Sep 2021 21:13:00 +0000

I am always amazed at how much this generation’s children care about others. We are doing something right in education and in society given how much the students today are aware of, and want to take action to fix, the inequities we all see in our neighborhoods, our schools, our communities and all over the world. When I hear people lament about teenagers or children today, I wish that they could spend time in our schools and listen to what the adults of tomorrow are spending time thinking about. I have great faith in the generations of children with whom I have been so privileged to spend my days. Our future is bright as the leaders of tomorrow are headed in the right direction.

A shot in the arm…

CathyCurry — Tue, 14 Sep 2021 06:08:00 +0000

I am so proud (and I brag to my mother in Scarborough regularly) that Ottawa has one of the highest percentage of vaccinated citizens in all of Canada. Hearing regular updates at the Caldwell Family Centre board meetings that Ottawa Community Housing staff were going door-to-door with Ottawa Public Health staff to vaccinate people right at their front doors made me even more proud to live in this city. My four children and I were all front-line workers throughout the pandemic, working in long-term care, schools, camps, restaurants, and grocery stores. We were as careful as we could possibly be, but counted down the days to get both of our vaccinations. I look forward to the day where we no longer have to wear masks (so hard to hear people!), but I am also happy to do my part to prevent any further waves as variants change.