We recently met with Jim Watson, the Mayor of Ottawa. Prior to becoming Mayor in 2010, Mayor Watson served as MPP for Ottawa West – Nepean and held several cabinet portfolios, including Minister of Consumer and Business Services, Minister of Health Promotion, and Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Mayor Watson shared insights from his extensive work in public office and his wide-ranging experience working with communities across the province. In addition to sharing his observations, Mayor Watson happily answered each of our questions in great detail!
A large portion of our conversation with Mayor Watson focused on the evolving and complex housing market we see today. As the former Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing between 2007-2010, Mayor Watson delivered great insights on this complicated file. We appreciated speaking with someone with first-hand experience in both the municipal and provincial levels of government about this issue.
Thank you very much, Mayor Watson, for your time and perspective. We want to especially thank you for giving us the opportunity to learn more about Ottawa, its expanding population, and the work you have done in your community. We hope to see you there on our upcoming study tour!