Dina Epale

The Voice of Orléans Ward

By Dina Epale –

Cameroonian by birth, Jamaican by heritage, Canadian by choice.

I am running as city Councillor for ward 1 (Orléans) in the October 22 municipal election.  As a resident of the ward for the past five years, I have increasingly loved and cared about my community and have seen it grow by leaps and bounds. As a father and husband, I have seen through my kids’ school and extracurricular undertakings how fortunate we are to have an array of activities to keep them active and healthy.

Not only do I care about this community I call home, as a bilingual (English and French) candidate with over 12 years of government relations experience, I have represented the community’s interests at the municipal, provincial and federal levels. For example, as Executive Director of the Orléans Chamber of Commerce, I appeared as a witness before the city’s Finance and Economic Development Committee (FEDCO) in support of Ottawa’s Light Rail Transit (LRT). Despite the unfortunate delays in the launch of stage 1 LRT, the planned Stage 2 LRT is anticipated to extend to Trim road when it’s completed by 2022. Once operational, stage 2 LRT will bring 70 per cent of Ottawa residents within five kilometers of an efficient, reliable rail service. I was also part of a city-wide delegation with the Mayor that met with key provincial Ministers at Queens Park to discuss topics of economic relevance to Ottawa and also worked with the former local member of Parliament to secure funding under the Canada Summer Jobs program. I was also Director of Parliament Affairs for a local not-for-profit organisation for close to 10 years where, amongst other things, I was in charge of an all-party Parliamentary association with representation from both Houses of Parliament and four of five political parties in Canada’s parliament.

25 years ago this month, I stepped foot on Canadian soil in Nova Scotia for the very first time. The warm welcome I received will forever be ingrained in my mind. Since then, I obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science in Nova Scotia and Master’s Degree in International Relations from McMaster University in Hamilton.

 

Orléans ward needs a Councillor who is bilingual, has a strong educational background, has extensive experience in government relations and community engagement, and is passionate about representing the ward to;

 

  • Ensure that transportation infrastructure is adequate,
  • Support the uptake of programs that benefit our bilingual community,
  • ensure that all residents can walk around without fear,
  • support our small and medium sized enterprises to grow,
  • and to make sure our parks reflect the needs of residents.

To learn more about me and my campaign and to follow my path to the October 22 municipal election, check out my website and various campaign-related social media accounts (Twitter, Instagram and Facebook). Feel free to share these links with your networks, especially those who live in Orléans  Ward.

On October 22, vote for Dina Epale – “The Voice of Orléans Ward.”