After five years as Ecology Ottawa's Executive Director, I am stepping down this week. My parting request is that you help make EcoFest, Ecology Ottawa's tenth anniversary event on October 12, the largest celebration of the environmental movement in the history of the great City of Ottawa. Tickets are only $35 (which includes some drinks and food), and you can get your ticket here.
The decision to move on was not taken lightly. Ecology Ottawa was founded by a small group of people in my living room ten years ago, and it has been an important part of my life ever since. I see my contribution to the organization as a life project – I was a volunteer for five years before assuming the role of Executive Director and I fully intend to return as a volunteer as soon as possible. For now, it's time for a new challenge at a new organization.
The good news is that the core group that founded Ecology Ottawa has grown into a movement reaching hundreds of thousands of people from all neighbourhoods of this great city. Together, our community has worked towards better greenspace, healthier watersheds, cleaner air, safer streets, and concrete action against climate change. The great staff team at Ecology Ottawa has been working and will continue to work towards making Ottawa the green capital of Canada after I'm gone, and I’m excited to see what the next ten years will bring.
I cannot think of a better way to celebrate my time at Ecology Ottawa than at EcoFest, Ecology Ottawa’s tenth anniversary celebration. So please join me on October 12th at the Aberdeen Pavilion as we organize the largest annual dinner in Ecology Ottawa’s history to celebrate our successes and demonstrate the strength, scale and diversity of the environmental movement in Ottawa. The Ottawa environmental community is an amazing group of people filled with great organizations doing amazing work, and this evening is an opportunity to celebrate this work.
I’m moving on, but not gone. Ecology Ottawa will always be a part of my life. It is a truly amazing community. I look forward to seeing you all at the EcoFest, to celebrating the many things we have accomplished together, and to kicking off Ecology Ottawa’s next decade in style. I hope you’ll join me there.
Graham Saul
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