RENFREW COUNTY (Pembroke) — The guest speaker at the Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke NDP’s annual meeting provided flesh-and-blood proof that youth activism and energy can result in big political change.
Joel Harden, the first-term MPP for Ottawa-Centre, shared a story from NDP founder Tommy Douglas about how the Liberals and Conservatives are both just basically cats and that the residents of Mouseland will never get ahead until they elect mice to represent them.
“The government of black cats did everything they could to benefit cats,” he laughed. “They passed a law that mouse-holes had to be big enough cats to get their paws into. Then the white cats got elected and legislated square mouse-holes so cats could get right into them. Finally, the mice realized they could never survive unless they elected mice, not cats, to govern.”
Joel Harden is a community activist in Ottawa and the father of two young children. He has taught at Carleton University, Brock University, Nipissing University, McMaster University and the Labour College of Canada. He earned his undergraduate degree in sociology and political studies at Queen’s University and his masters and doctorate in political science at York University. From 1998 to 2000, he was the chairperson of the Ontario section of the Canadian Federation of Students. In the Legislature, he is the Official Opposition Critic for Seniors, Accessibility and Persons with Disabilities.
Mr. Harden said he has been on picket lines with striking teachers. “They’re standing up for our public education system. They’re not going to be backing down,” he said. “I heard nothing but honks and positive things from the public.”
Before his speech, Maxine Jeffrey, gave the meeting a shot of activist energy by updating the members on the activities of Climate Justice Climatique Pembroke, which has successfully lobbied Pembroke’s city council to recognize the climate crisis and has been taking its message of better environmental stewardship to the streets of Pembroke, staging a protest or strike in front of Pembroke city hall on the last Friday of the month since September.
“We want to start organizing bigger events,” to raise public awareness, she told NDP members. Some of the group’s goals are to help establish edible community gardens, to campaign for people to turn their lawns into wild flower beds, and to access federal and other funding to set up and electric public transportation system in Pembroke.
Meeting chair Chris Tanner and provincial association treasurer Colette Taylor reported that both the federal and provincial riding associations are in good shape, with more than $13 thousand in the provincial account and more than $21 thousand in the federal one.
In keeping with the theme of new energy, several new members were elected to the executives of the two riding association. Members elected a new federal riding association executive consisting of President Dez Bair-Patel from Pembroke, Vice President Brian Dougherty from Arnprior, Secretary Hilda Young from Petawawa and Treasurer Chris Tanner from Deep River.
The new provincial executive includes President Dez Bair-Patel from Pembroke, Vice President Kurt Stoll from Petawawa, Secretary Hilda Young from Petawawa, Treasurer Colette Taylor from Petawawa. The Provincial council delegates includes Eileen Jones-Whyte from Eganville and Maxine Jeffrey from Pembroke. The Youth Representative is Dorian Pearce from Pembroke, the Women’s Representative is Maxine Jeffrey from Pembroke and the Indigenous Representative is Roberta Della-Pica from Eganville.
