Centretown's Cyrus Reporter was one of four Ottawa residents appointed to the city’s transit commission on Wednesday.
“I live in Somerset ward on Cooper Street, and I think one of the things I can bring to the commission is the perspective of someone living in Centretown,” said Reporter, a lawyer and lobbyist at law firm Fraser Milner Casgrain.
“The commission has representation in terms of councilors and others from rural and suburban areas of the city, and I think I can be an effective voice of people living in the downtown core.”
Reporter is a former senior Liberal staffer and an advisor to multiple private sector corporations.
“Over the years I think I’ve developed a problem-solving skill set and a knowledge of how policy gets developed, and I want to bring that experience to bear on the commission,” he said.
Reporter said his first step is to bring himself up to speed on transit issues.
“I’ll be getting immersed in everything transit related, so I will be looking at all the current issues along with my fellow commission members. First and foremost on our plate will be public consultations regarding the transit optimization initiative that was just unveiled.”
The appointment of these four community members represents the first time in Ottawa’s history that citizens will be full voting members of a transit commission.
“What the incoming mayor is trying to accomplish in part with this commission is a body that can take a step back,” he said.
According to Reporter, this requires people who aren’t exclusively concerned with specific changes happening in their ward, but people from the public domain who have a broader perspective.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” he said. “It’s a great way to contribute to the community, and transit is such a big piece of what makes us a livable community and a great place to live.”
The other new members of the commission are Blair Crew, a lawyer with Greenspon, Brown and Associates; Justin Ferrabee, a partner in the consulting firm Totem Hill; and Emily Rahn, a junior associate at the law firm Perley-Robertson, Hill and McDougall.
The new commissioners will take their seats on April 20,and serve two-year terms.