Ariel Troster
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arieltroster.com
Ariel Troster
@arieltroster.com
City Councillor for #SomersetWard in Ottawa. Queer Jew. A better city is possible. Let’s build it together. 🏳️‍🌈
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It is very cold outside. Please call 311 if you need access to a warm space or a shelter for you or someone you know. Our system has more than 100 extra beds available, no one will be turned away.

Full list of warming centres and shelters: www.ottawapublichealth.ca/en/public-he...
I can’t stand AI slop images and I will never use them to communicate city issues to my constituents. The energy consumption, the undermining of actual paid artists and the weird sameness of it all creeps me out. No thanks.
February 9, 2026 at 4:37 PM
Had a great afternoon at one of my favourite places yesterday, at the @ottawaartgallery.bsky.social Firestone Day. I learned so much about the artistic influence of Firestone collection artists on the Kanata community of Beaverbrook. Great to be there with Kanata North councillor Cathy Curry.
February 9, 2026 at 12:29 PM
Reposted by Ariel Troster
man I’m sorry to be all corny here but when I see a “the city is beautiful! There’s more to it than homeless people!” I gotta say you know who’s also beautiful? People who have no place to live & are trying to get by in a system that has turned its back on them & if you don’t see that that’s on you
February 8, 2026 at 4:42 AM
I am so over this.

Reminder to call 311 if you or someone you know needs a warm place to go.

Full list of warming centres and cold weather resources from @ottawapublichealth.ca:

www.ottawapublichealth.ca/en/public-he...
February 8, 2026 at 1:45 PM
On Wednesday evening, hundreds of people packed into Knox Presbyterian Church for a conversation on homelessness, organized by the Centretown Community Association, the Centretown Community Health Centre, and dozens of community partners.
February 7, 2026 at 6:39 PM
Reposted by Ariel Troster
We saw about 9 cm of snow yesterday, and crews are out clearing roads, sidewalks, and the winter cycling network.

If you’re out, please watch for blue flashing lights and give our vehicles space to work.

Info: https://bit.ly/4p8VQo4
February 7, 2026 at 4:22 PM
This is so wonderful. I have been involved in refugee sponsorship for over a decade, creating networks of chosen family for newcomers to Ottawa. And as a queer person, chosen family is an anchor of our community. Cheers to these “chosen grandmas.”

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Family by design: program connects kids with volunteer 'grandmothers' | CBC News
A new program that links kids with volunteer grandmothers is helping bridge generations in Ottawa.
www.cbc.ca
February 7, 2026 at 1:26 PM
I am about to get very judgemental about sports that I would absolutely never be able to do myself
February 7, 2026 at 1:08 AM
The latest issue of the Somerset Ward newsletter is out, with updates on the heritage watch list, a new Preston pedestrian bridge, transit compensation, the zoning bylaw, and more!

Read it and sign up here: www.arieltroster.com/swm_65
February 7, 2026 at 12:07 AM
Congratulations to The Good Companions Seniors Centre on 70 years! We are so grateful for all of the incredible services and activities you offer to seniors in Ottawa. Also, great to bump into the legendary Diane Holmes, who is now a proud member of TGC.
February 6, 2026 at 8:43 PM
It’s the tiny podium for me
From @acyn.bsky.social (posted on X)

"Reporter: Do any of you have a favorite animal?

Child: My favorite one is a gold snake that can move. It has gold eyes, and it has a super-duper tail…

Reporter: Mr. Mamdani, the second question for you.

Mamdani: Yes. It’s also the golden snake."
February 6, 2026 at 4:16 PM
A baby in a stroller was injured by a car driver, in the exact location where the Ford government forced the city to remove a speed camera.

I am so tired of how the provincial government is actively making our city less safe.

ottawacitizen.com/news/baby-st...
Baby in stroller left with minor injuries after near-miss with driver in Kanata
A stroller tipped over following a near-miss with a driver in Kanata on Thursday morning, leaving a baby with minor injuries.
ottawacitizen.com
February 6, 2026 at 3:48 PM
At Planning Committee yesterday, we voted unanimously to replace a road that was originally going to connect Preston to Lebreton Flats with a pedestrian and cycling bridge. This is a win for active transportation and for traffic management in Little Italy. www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/artic...
Ottawa to scrap Preston Street expansion to make way for LeBreton Flats subdivision, arena
The City of Ottawa is looking to hit the brakes on a future expansion of Preston Street to assist with the planned development of a subdivision and an NHL-sized arena at LeBreton Flats.
www.ctvnews.ca
February 5, 2026 at 2:05 PM
Really looking forward to participating in this community conversation on homelessness tonight. Hope you can join us!
February 5, 2026 at 12:45 PM
Great to drop by the YMCA on Argyle today for their open house. From child care, to affordable housing, to services for newcomers and youth, the Y has always been there for our community.
February 4, 2026 at 11:48 PM
It was an honour to provide opening remarks with Councillor @rawlson.bsky.social today, for Somerset West Community Health Centre’s Black History Month event titled, The Future is Now: Building Thriving Black Communities in Ottawa.
February 3, 2026 at 10:58 PM
Wonderful to finally get to chat with Ala’a Shadid, the new executive director of Multifaith Housing Initiative.

It is amazing to see MHI’s Odenak project coming to life at Lebreton Flats. Two tall towers built by Dream will house 600 apartments, 30% of which will be affordable housing.
February 3, 2026 at 8:46 PM
I hope you will join me in welcoming Ann Van Welter to the Ward 14 team as our new case worker. Ann’s most recent position was as the Assistant Manager of Programming at Shepherds of Good Hope.

You can reach Ann through the main inbox at Ariel.Troster@ottawa.ca.
February 2, 2026 at 5:55 PM
Finally watched the Lilith Fair documentary and remembered how the Sarah MacLachlan/Sheryl Crow pixie cut era in the late 90s is what inspired me to chop off my hair and never look back.

I still have FOMO over the fact that I was working at sleepover camps and never made it to Lilith Fair.
February 2, 2026 at 12:47 AM
What an incredible launch of Black History Month today, at a beautiful ceremony organized by Black History Ottawa. Amazing to see so many community members and unveil the @octranspo.com bus mural, featuring Stefan Keyes and Angelique Francis.
February 2, 2026 at 12:14 AM
I wish sweet Liam nothing but love, comfort, safety and justice for the rest of his life.
Yesterday, five-year-old Liam and his dad Adrian were released from Dilley detention center. I picked them up last night and escorted them back to Minnesota this morning.

Liam is now home. With his hat and his backpack.
February 1, 2026 at 4:35 PM
It’s good to see other regions adopting this method of measuring snowfall (how many corgis deep?)
February 1, 2026 at 3:25 AM
Had lots of fun this afternoon at the Dalhousie Community Association’s trivia event at Natural History on Somerset, helping to launch Tonya Davidson’s book Ottawaology. Can’t wait to dig in and learn more fun historical facts about the city we all love.
January 31, 2026 at 10:59 PM
An oft-repeated statistic says men apply for a job when they have 60% of the qualifications while women wait till they have 100%. Pretty sure that stat was debunked, but …

Several men seem to think that being Mayor is a suitable starter job for someone with no municipal experience. It’s not.
January 31, 2026 at 8:10 PM