Peter Hume won't run for councillor in Ottawa city election
Alta Vista councillor has been a city politician since 1991
Longtime Ottawa city councillor Peter Hume has announced he has changed his mind and will not run again in October’s municipal election.
In an upcoming letter in his Alta Vista community newspaper, Hume says he wants to find "better balance" in an age where councillors are expected to be available 24/7.
"When I look at my own experience and my efforts to be available and accessible, it was clear that I had let my work dominate my life," he wrote.
"I had created an environment which I had no work-life balance and that lack of balance wasn’t good for me, wasn’t good for my family and it wasn’t good for the way I interacted with my constituents."
Hume said he’s confident other candidates will step forward to carry on his work and praised Mayor Jim Watson, calling him a "great city builder."
Watson tweeted his thanks to Hume for his time on council and said he’s "surprised and shocked" by the news.
Led influential planning committee
Hume has spent 23 years as a local politician, first elected to Ottawa city council in 1991.
He served two terms on the regional council for Ottawa-Carleton, then won or was acclaimed in four straight post-amalgamation city elections.
He has served as chairman of the city’s planning committee since 2003, overseeing development of Lansdowne Park, several large condominium developments and urban intensification since then.
He was also a member of the finance and economic development committee, along with the environment committee.
Hume went to Hawthorne Public School, Canterbury High School and Carleton University.
His city bio says he’s a life-long resident of Alta Vista ward, where he lives with his wife and daughter.
There are currently two nominated candidates in Hume’s now-former ward, Daher Calin and Hussein Mahmoud.
Ottawa’s city election is set for Oct. 27.
On mobile? Click here to see Hume's full letter to constituents.