Swearing-in ceremony opens new chapter in municipal politics

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A new season in municipal politics begins Tuesday when Mayor-elect Mark Sutcliffe and the 24 newly elected councilors are sworn in during a ceremony at Ottawa City Hall.

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The swearing-in ceremony marks the new mayor’s first chance to set the tone for his reign, and councilors expect a less flashy shindig than some of the lavish affairs of the past.

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Instead of hosting a fancy formal dinner in a grand hall, Tuesday’s event takes place in the council chamber in the morning and will be followed by lunch, which will be served in the spacious hall of the town hall known under the name of Jean Pigott Place. And if you tune into the livestream, you won’t see the politicians in fur-trimmed formal robes, but in modern business attire.

« I know Mayor Sutcliffe campaigned to be better with the city’s money, which is probably why he wants to show a more toned down event with less pageantry, » said Wilson Lo, councilor for 24th and up. newest part of town, Barrhaven East. « My understanding is that the only real pageantry will be Mark Sutcliffe’s string of duties. »

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At 30, Lo is the youngest member of the council and one of 11 new faces at the table, all of whom attended last week’s boot camp for new councilors. Each councilor is authorized to invite up to six people to the swearing-in ceremony; Lo will bring his wife, Amelie Howelland in-laws, longtime residents of Barrhaven who wish to attend an official reception at City Hall despite their pandemic concerns.

« They’re very excited, » Lo said, « so much so that they’re ready to attend an indoor event. And we’ve never been to anything like this before, so it’s definitely going to be a new experience. .

Across town, Catherine Kitts (Ward 19 Cumberland) is one of the incumbents who has never experienced an in-person band inauguration. Elected in a by-election during the pandemic, her first swearing-in ceremony, held in October 2020, was little more than a brief formality before a virtual board meeting.

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« I can’t imagine having a more bizarre start to my career as a city councilman, » said Kitts, who is 34. « It was still a full pandemic and so none of my friends or family were there and my fellow councilors were joining virtually. It was very few staff, just Mayor Watson and the city attorney, and they didn’t even want me to stay in the rooms for the meeting. They took a break so I could go back to my office. That’s how strict the COVID protocols were at the time.

This time, her husband, Shane Bakker, her parents and three staff members will be in the audience, and she’s caught up in the buzz generated by the rookie advisers.

« There’s definitely a lot of excitement and anticipation, and I know they can’t wait to be officially sworn in to start sinking their teeth into the role, » she said. « It feels like there’s a generational shift going on. »

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At the other end of the council’s demographic spectrum is Allan Hubley, the 64-year-old outgoing councilor for Ward 23 Kanata South. He and Tim Tierney (Ward 11 Beacon Hill-Cyrville) are now the council’s oldest statesmen, having represented residents since 2010, the year Watson, elected on a penny pinch platform , served Tim Hortons coffee and donuts at the front desk.

Although Hubley says he doesn’t like the pomp and pageantry, the swearing-in ceremony is a special event because family members can attend. On the eve of his fourth inauguration, he’s glad it’s scheduled for the day so his granddaughter can be there (along with his wife, Wendy Barber, and their daughter), but he wonders how the granddaughter, Macara , now six, will react when she sees Sutcliffe with the pantry chain.

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« She’s always called Jim Watson her friend, » Hubley said with a laugh, « and he let her wear the chain once, so she’ll be wondering what the new mayor is doing with his friend’s chain. Her mom will having to explain to him the concept of an election.

His first order of business will be to return to his office in City Hall after renovations to the building resulted in the addition of a 24th office for Lo. After the turmoil of the past four years, the veteran adviser says he looks forward to a fresh start.

« For me, the swearing in signifies the start of something new, which I think the board badly needs right now, » Hubley said. « I hope this term is peaceful and productive, and that people try harder to get along and become more productive. Let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work — for the taxpayers.

lsaxberg@postmedia.com