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Sam Hersh

@samhersh01.bsky.social
1.4K followers 212 following 162 posts

is known to occasionally post something interesting. community/political organizer based in #ottcity

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Sam Hersh @samhersh01.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Public pressure works folks! Solidarity with Ottawa's 2SLGBTQ+ community. The bigots will never win.
cbc.ca
OCDSB now registered to march in parade, says Capital Pride | CBC News
After questions about its participation in Ottawa's Pride parade this year, Ottawa's largest school board is now planning to march.
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Sam Hersh @samhersh01.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Not only is the OCDSB not going to Pride, they are now actively telling students *not* to attend. Disgusting from an institution with an equity statement on their website supporting 2SLGBTQ+ students. Ford's takeover is about more than just "fiscal responsibility."
ctvnews.ca
Ottawa public school board recommends students not participate in Pride parade for ‘safety’
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) says staff will participate in the Capital Pride parade but recommends students not participate in next month’s event “because the board cannot guaran...
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Sam Hersh @samhersh01.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
This is on no one else but Sutcliffe who advocated for a smaller arena, now permanently pushes the Charge out of the downtown core. Shame.
ctvnews.ca
Ottawa Charge to play at Canadian Tire Centre next season
The Ottawa Charge will be playing hockey at Canadian Tire Centre next season. The Professional Women’s Hockey League team and the Ottawa Senators announced the Charge will be moving to the arena in Ot...
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Kim Moir @kmoir.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
I’m on the o-train at Tunneys going to Blair and two special constables just got on. One of them woke up a sleeping passenger (appeared to be unhoused). The constable asked him what his final destination was and when he didn’t respond said “Well we’re getting you off the fucking train.”
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TTCriders @ttcriders.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
Bill 98, Ford's backdoor upload of the TTC, just passed in the legislature 61-31. This is a dark day for transit. We expect fares to go up, routes to be changed and consultations with riders to cease.
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Sam Hersh @samhersh01.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
Every year we are told to accept massive Ottawa Police budget increases with very little scrutiny because they apparently don't ever have enough resources. What's shocking isnt that OPS doesn't have proper oversight - what's shocking is that they continue to get away with it.
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Sam Hersh @samhersh01.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
I don't always agree with Councillor Carr but this is a great idea that is picking up steam across the country. Municipal, publicly-run grocery stores drive down costs and focus on affordable food rather than profit. Glad to see it having potential here in Ottawa.
ctvnews.ca
Ottawa councillor wants to explore city-run grocery stores to improve food access
An Ottawa councillor wants the city to explore the development of a municipal food strategy, including city-owned grocery stores to improve food access and tackle food insecurity.
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Denis Agar (he/him) @denisagar.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
I thought Carney was a builder of infrastructure? With $2.4 billion, we could quickly get to incredible levels of intercity bus service. Medical appointments, family visits, vacations, etc could all be done without a car. Instead, the people who can afford a car will save ~$5 per tank.
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Sam Hersh @samhersh01.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
For the past three years since hes been councillor, David Brown has voted in favour of fare increases and cuts to routes that have devastated our system, including his rural residents and now he's using that as an excuse to privatize a public service. Councillors must defeat his motion.
cbc.ca
Councillor, transit union to face off over private bus service in rural Ottawa | CBC News
Coun. David Brown wants the city to look at engaging private mass transit providers in rural areas, but the union that represents OC Transpo operators says he should support more funding for public se...
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Sam Hersh @samhersh01.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
More extreme overreach from Ford who wants to take away the ability of cities to...set their own transit fares?? Setting fares is not and should not be the jurisdiction of provincial govts. The power of democratically elected local officials should not be at the whim of Doug Ford.
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Sam Hersh @samhersh01.bsky.social · 22/03/2026
Of course they would. Bus lanes cost the city virtually nothing, would reduce congestion and increase the number of customers businesses get while cops would cost the city tens of millions more for very little benefit. Why do businesses continue to advocate against their own interests?
obj.ca
Glebe BIA would rather see increased police presence over bus lanes on Bank St.
Reducing on-street parking in favour of more permanent bus lanes may lead to loss of customers and revenue for Glebe businesses, the local BIA executive director says.
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Horizon Ottawa @horizonottawa.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
People should be prioritized over cars at all times in a place like the Market, not just on special occasions. Sam, one of our board members, breaks down the case for a fully-pedestrianized Byward Market rather than the proposed half-measures ⤵️
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Sam Hersh @samhersh01.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
New from me in @ottawacitizen.com today. If Sutcliffe and the rest of council is serious about supporting local businesses, improving safety and restoring the vibrancy of the Market, they need to do something far more straightforward: pedestrianize it.
ottawacitizen.com
It's time to pedestrianize the ByWard Market | Opinion
The decision to reopen William Street to cars speaks volumes about the direction of the so-called “new” ByWard Market action plan. | Opinion
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Sam Hersh @samhersh01.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
Doug Ford wants my neighbours to die. The toxic drug crisis has only worsened and now Ford thinks we need to remove life-saving services for people in neighbourhoods like Sandy Hill and Lowertown? There's absolutely no evidence for this. ottawa.citynews.ca/2026/03/16/o...
ottawa.citynews.ca
Two Ottawa supervised injection sites lose funding from province
The government will begin a 90‑day wind‑down period to transition clients from the seven affected sites to their local HART Hub.
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Sam Hersh @samhersh01.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
Luloff stepped down as Conservative candidate when it was found he had a potential DUI - now he's found guilt but hes not stepping down as councillor in the next election? What gives? Orleans deserves better.
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Ariel Troster @arieltroster.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
The chair of the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee thinks it’s “wasting people’s time” for me to submit an inquiry to city staff about the pedestrian safety issues that impact Centretown residents. That’s the job, Tim. See you at committee tomorrow.
According to statistics from Gonthier, less than 20 percent of collisions involving cyclists and four percent of collisions involving pedestrians at intersections in Ottawa between 2019 and 2022 are later to right turns on reds. 

For Coun. Tierney, who is the chair of the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee, road safety is along his top priorities. He is glad the data is supporting what we already know.

“I’m glad we can turn the page on tis and focus on the other important issues in our city. If the councillor really feels that strong about it, table a motion about it, because you are wasting people’s time with this house.”
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Équiterre @equiterre.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
Équiterre et plusieurs organisations au 🇨🇦 dénoncent les 5 G$ retirés du transport collectif : « En coupant les solutions qui permettent aux gens d’économiser sur leurs déplacements, ça n'aide pas les ménages à réduire leur facture de mobilité » Communiqué : www.equiterre.org/fr/articles/...
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Sam Hersh @samhersh01.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
This has to be the lamest plan to "revitalize" the Market I've ever seen - it revamps some parking garages but functionality changes nothing. Right now, a lot of it just acts as a giant parking lot -- council should be bold and pedestrianize it.
ctvnews.ca
Ottawa’s ByWard Market plan would create ‘flex’ streets closed to traffic during major events
The City of Ottawa will not permanently close streets to vehicles in Ottawa’s ByWard Market as part of the plan to revitalize the popular tourist area, instead creating “flex pedestrianized” streets d...
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Markwayne Carney ☭ @barrhavenist.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
Note to Claridge and Ottawa council:
Michael Jordan meme where he says, “Stop it. Get some help.”
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Sam Hersh @samhersh01.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
Ottawa City Council has already ceded so much land to urban sprawl at the behest of their wealthy developer donors. It's just never enough for big corporate developers like Claridge.
ctvnews.ca
Claridge Homes proposes expanding Ottawa’s urban boundary to build 2,300 new homes
Claridge Homes wants to expand the urban boundary in Ottawa’s west end by 276 acres for a future development, with approximately 2,391 new homes to support more than 6,800 people.
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Sam Hersh @samhersh01.bsky.social · 14/02/2026
I was reminded that yesterday was the 4th anniversary of the now-dubbed "Battle of Billings Bridge" when over a thousand of us in Ottawa blockaded convoyers from coming into our city. With the growing far-right, it's a good reminder of how we can still fight back - and win.
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Sam Hersh @samhersh01.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
Ottawa City Councillor Stephanie Plante just put forward a motion at Council to essentially give transit special constables the same powers as police when it comes to people using drugs. When it comes to transit, people are asking for better servie not expanding policing powers.
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Sam Hersh @samhersh01.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
Last week, the govt finally admitted they cut public $5 billion from the Canada Public Transit Fund. Without predictable federal funding, cities will be forced to cut service or raise fares outcomes that disproportionately hurt low-income riders. From me on behalf of @environmentaldefence.ca:
bit.ly
Statement: $5 Billion in Transit Cuts a Huge Step Backwards - Environmental Defence
Statement from Sam Hersh, Clean Transportation Program Manager Ottawa | Traditional, unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg People – Cutting $5
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Horizon Ottawa @horizonottawa.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
Here's a visualization of how Watson and Sutcliffe's austerity impacted our bus fleet since 2010. This was never a sustainable path and now we're left with too few buses on the best of days, let alone enough to cover for an LRT service disruption.
Chart showing Ottawa's bus fleet size decline since 2010, while the population increases
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Sam Hersh @samhersh01.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
15 years ago, Ottawa had a fleet of 1000 buses - that number has dwindled to 730 as a result of reckless cuts and now with constant LRT shutdowns we are feeling the consequences of decades of bad decision-making. Sign the petition below to call on council to buy more buses:
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Sam Hersh @samhersh01.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
Just what we need for Ottawa's mayor: another developer-backed, cut-and-slash conservative hell-bent on austerity because it's working so well right now!
cbc.ca
Homebuilder plans to run for Ottawa mayor | CBC News
A candidate with the backing of some big political operators plans to enter this year's race to be Ottawa’s mayor.
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Luke LeBrun @lukelebrun.ca · 21/01/2026
Let the historical record note that the business elites at Davos repeatedly laughed during a fascist speech that declared intent to annex another country’s land, promoted election conspiracies and railed against the free press
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Sam Hersh @samhersh01.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
Before the massive cuts to OC Transpo in 2011, Ottawa had around 1000 buses in its fleet - in 2025 that number's dwindled to around 760. The problem of bad transit service didn't just happen. It is the result of over a decade of bad council decision. Remember that in the coming election this year.
cbc.ca
OC Transpo temporarily cuts 255 trips from schedule amid bus shortage | CBC News
OC Transpo needs about 520 buses to meet its weekday service requirements, but was only able to get an average of 467 on the road last week.
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Sam Hersh @samhersh01.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
Very disappointed in some councillors who voted for the @ottawapolice.bsky.social budget. If there was ever a year to oppose it, it's now when police are asking for their biggest increase in 10+ years. Glad we have ANCHOR, but this is some major backsliding on where we were in 2020/2021.
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Sam Hersh @samhersh01.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
Smh councillors calling the biggest increase in the @ottawapolice.bsky.social budget in the last 15 years "reasonable." There is *nothing* reasonable about giving the OPS a $30 million budget increase while we can't even provide enough emergency services for people. It's absurd.
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Sam Hersh @samhersh01.bsky.social · 08/12/2025
Guy who says he loves keeping costs low will force people to work in offices costing taxpayers more to keep office spaces open so govt workers can take Zoom meetings in downtown Ottawa instead of at home. It makes a lot of sense.
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David Moscrop @davidmoscrop.com · 08/12/2025
Terribly stupid idea that will satisfy faux-populist urges to dunk on public servants while simultaneously making the lives of public servants and the service itself so much worse. Goofy stuff.
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Mvelo76 @mvelo367.bsky.social · 06/12/2025
Tim Tierney "there is no time for political theatre" Also Tim
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Sam Hersh @samhersh01.bsky.social · 06/12/2025
In the @ottawacitizen.com today Cllr Tim Tierney scolds progressives for opposing four years of shitty budgets under Mark Sutcliffe. Tierney's history of corruption scandals, gaffes and accepting developer money should tell you exactly whose side hes on.
ottawacitizen.com
Is your councillor a chronic no-voter on city budgets? | Opinion
Tim Tierney: Ottawa has traded safety and security for policing alternatives – experiments that have repeatedly failed. | Opinion
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Horizon Ottawa @horizonottawa.bsky.social · 13/11/2025
Join us on Tuesday evening from 6:30 - 8:30 at 464 Metcalfe St. for our City Budget 101 event! We'll be diving into the details of the budget, and discussing how we can organize to demand better, together. Learn more and RSVP today: www.horizonottawa.ca/budget_101
horizonottawa.ca
City Budget 101
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Paris Marx @parismarx.com · 05/11/2025
it’s funny seeing canadian media present zohran as a “democratic socialist” like it’s some shocking thing and not just the left flank of the ndp
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Sydney @sydneyholmes.bsky.social · 04/11/2025
Imagine the response in any other workplace if you called your colleague names in the middle of a meeting. A public apology for such childish behaviour is warranted @timtierney.ca.
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Horizon Ottawa @horizonottawa.bsky.social · 04/11/2025
Just now - Councillor @shawnmenard.bsky.social is interrupted by Councillor @timtierney.ca while asking questions on Lansdowne. Menard pushes back, then Tierney calls him an "asshole". This behaviour is unbefitting of a councillor, and demands an integrity complaint. ➡️ integrity@ottawa.ca
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Transit Action Alliance of Guelph (TAAG) @taaguelph.bsky.social · 06/10/2025
12 days until the Transportation Summit #Guelph on October 18! Presentations from @chanface.bsky.social, @ttcriders.bsky.social, @transportaction.ca, @cyclewr.ca, @cgreysongaito.bsky.social, @bicyclemayorguelph.bsky.social, @samhersh01.bsky.social & more! Free Event! Register @ taaguelph.com/summit
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Sam Hersh @samhersh01.bsky.social · 24/09/2025
This is so shameful. For those not watching council today, as you'll see below Mark Sutcliffe is pulling the same EXACT tactics as Jim Watson would in the last council, pulling the rug out from under councillors and trying to derail debate at the last possible moment.
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Sam Hersh @samhersh01.bsky.social · 15/09/2025
The Ottawa Business Journal founded by and formerly owned by Mark Sutcliffe has come out in defence of his city-wide RTO mandate. The article is also written by a commercial real estate boss. He argues that forcing workers back to the office is "city-building."
obj.ca
Op-ed: Return-to-office is a city-wide imperative — Ottawa can’t afford to be left behind
Will we embrace the return-to-office as a catalyst for growth, or will we cling to a remote-first mindset that isolates us from the global conversation?
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Jeff Leiper @jleiper.bsky.social · 10/09/2025
At today's Council meeting, I brought a motion forward to reverse the City Manager's five-day-a-week return-to-office order. We'll debate that in two weeks. I've heard from many City staff about the diminishment in the quality of both life and work the order will create, with too little benefit.
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KGE hockey fan 🇨🇦🍁 @kbyrd.bsky.social · 10/09/2025
As always, @samhersh01.bsky.social is blunt. This city could be so much better, especially on issues like transit. @otttransitriders.bsky.social ottawacitizen.com/opinion/hers...
ottawacitizen.com
Hersh: The mayor has made our public transit mess even worse
OC Transpo riders are suffering the consequences of a growing budget hole, writes Sam Hersh.
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Sam Hersh @samhersh01.bsky.social · 09/09/2025
It's fair to say Mark Sutcliffe inherited a mess of a public transit system when he was elected, but throughout his term as Mayor, despite running on a pledge to "fix transit" he's done everything he can to make that mess ten times worse. From me today in the @ottawacitizen.com:
ottawacitizen.com
Hersh: The mayor has made our public transit mess even worse
OC Transpo riders are suffering the consequences of a growing budget hole, writes Sam Hersh.
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Sam Hersh @samhersh01.bsky.social · 26/08/2025
Forcing municipal workers back to the office 5 days a week to take Zoom meetings serves absolutely no purpose. If Sutcliffe really wanted to "revitalize" our downtown he'd stop cutting public transit and other services. Workers dont just exist to service downtown businesses.
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Jeff Leiper @jleiper.bsky.social · 26/08/2025
I want to express my profound disappointment today that the City has ordered its workers back into the office five days a week. It is a short-sighted decision that serves no one well in either the short or long term. (1/6)
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Sam Hersh @samhersh01.bsky.social · 21/08/2025
Sutcliffe just announced a potential 6.5% increase for Ottawa Police in next years budget (the largest increase in 15 years) and ANOTHER potential transit fare increase. Sutcliffe has made his priorities clear - and it's not Ottawa residents. We have a transit budget crisis, not a policing crisis.
cbc.ca
Mayor asks council to limit next year's tax increase to 3.75% | CBC News
Policing and transit remain critical factors that will determine the final balance as the months-long municipal budget process gets underway.
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Sam Hersh @samhersh01.bsky.social · 30/07/2025
Opposing new sidewalks? Really? I've been to Manor Park and if you're on foot it's a pain to get around because of the lack of sidewalks. Sidewalks don't "destroy greenspace" they encourage sustainable modes of transport and make neighbourhoods more accessible.
ottawacitizen.com
Why some Manor Park residents don’t want sidewalks
The city has undertaken a road, sewer and watermain rehabilitation project on several neighbourhood streets, including installing sidewalks.
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Sam Hersh @samhersh01.bsky.social · 28/07/2025
Our feminist Prime Minister
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