It is with a vision for the community that I love and call home, that I announce my candidacy to become the City Councillor for Ward 18 - Alta Vista.

 

Many of you are aware of my commitment to community service through my work as President of the Elmvale Acres Community Association (EACA).

And while the roots of the EACA began around my kitchen table in 2015 – I would like to tell you how I arrived at this point.

 

I lived in cities all across Canada, including Mississauga where as a 10 year old, I remember sitting in my school gymnasium and listening to Mayor Hazel McCallion. 

She told us that each person must determine what they want to achieve in life, and then be courageous enough to reach out for it. 

 

I was moved by Ms. McCallion’s message.  I began listening to other public leaders and came to realize that I was inspired by people who sought to positively affect the world around them.

 

There is an old saying – it is not where you start that matters, but where you end up.  True enough, but the origin for wanting to make a difference in the community around me, began on the floor of my school gymnasium.

 

I moved to Ottawa in my early twenties – motivated by the idea of public service.  Two years later, I received my Master’s Degree in Public Policy and accepted a position working at the Office of the Auditor General of Canada.  At the Auditor General, I worked to make government more accountable for the money it spends.  After more than a decade of dedicated service as an auditor, I believed I had found my professional calling. 

 

However, life surprises you sometimes. 

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When I founded the EACA in 2015, an inner spark was ignited.  That spark ignited a passion to stand up and represent community concerns including:  land-use and redevelopment, residential flooding, community safety, the preservation of local journalism and infrastructure renewal. 

 

During this time I arrived at two important truths.

 

The first, is that my passion for community service is not found sitting behind a desk.  It is on the streets of the community, working tirelessly with my neighbours to ensure that people’s collective voices are heard!

 

The second, is that there is no magic formula for delivering results for community residents – except through honest hard work.

 

It is on these two truths, that l move forward to become Alta Vista’s next City Councillor.  

 

It’s time for a renewed Alta Vista, where the City Councillor consistently engages with residents, so that together we can prioritize issues that need to be addressed, including:

 

• Revitalizing crumbling roads and faulty sewers;

• Enhancing community safety;

• Ensuring effective public engagement on development projects;

• Advancing environmental initiatives for a greener Ottawa.

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It’s time to shape Alta Vista by listening to the voices of many, instead of the voices of a few.

 

It’s time to focus on people, not politics.  

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We can achieve this together; and together we can ensure that the people’s business is the only business that matters at City Hall.

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Sincerely,

Kevin Kit