by John Dance
Another high-profile candidate has decided to contest the upcoming municipal vote for Capital Ward city councilor. Shawn Menard, who joins four others vying for the seat, has submitted the following information on his candidacy:
Menard says, “The City of Ottawa is where I was born and raised, and never before have I felt so compelled to change the direction of our City Council. Developers and corporate money are in charge at City Hall. The public engagement process is broken, often with predetermined outcomes.
Shawn Menard
Our representatives have done very little to curb and adapt to the greatest threat we face – irreversible climate change – while the taxes we pay in Capital Ward are being allocated to destructive sprawl and road expansion. Together, we can change this direction. It’s time to stand up and fight for our City.”
Menard is currently the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board Trustee for Capital Ward. His experience includes being a senior staff person for Canada’s Big City Mayor’s Caucus and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
He is the past president of the Carleton University Alumni Association for the National Capital Region, the former vice chair of the City of Ottawa Pedestrian and Transit Advisory Committee, past president of the Rideau River Residence Association and Centretown Citizen’s Community Association, and previously worked within the federal government as a public servant. Menard previously lived in Old Ottawa East next to the Immaculata High field and now lives in Old Ottawa South along with his partner and young son.
