Looking for memories and photos of David Gladstone

Read the BUZZ’s tribute to David Gladstone here.

The Centretown BUZZ is sad to report that longtime Ottawa activist and writer David Gladstone died earlier this month. His obituary said he had been suffering from primary progressive Multiple Sclerosis.

Gladstone was a mainstay of The BUZZ for many years. One of its most frequent contributors, he wrote about city politics and the music scene with wit and intelligence. He gave our readers a comprehensive guide to local issues affecting them in his monthly column on planning and development. He also regularly delivered the paper to many of the businesses on Elgin Street for years.

He wrote for The BUZZ until April, 2013. In the paper’s first decade, his articles appeared in all but one issue. He moved out of Centretown for health reasons in 2015.

He was forthright, for example in his March 2005 column in The BUZZ: “Put it bluntly, the City of Ottawa doesn’t appear to be doing a good job in planning its future. It’s not as if Ottawa’s residents haven’t been doing their civic duty. We go to meetings when invited and consistently push for transit-oriented smart growth. … And yet, transit service remains poor in many parts of the city… the Prince of Wales railway bridge remains unused; residential sidewalks are ice-covered throughout the winter.”

Gladstone certainly did his civic duty: he was instrumental in bringing the first light rail pilot project to Ottawa, he opposed the Alta Vista Expressway as part of the City Centre Coalition, and he consistently fought for better conditions for pedestrians and traffic calming – among many other contributions.

He had worked for many years as a research scientist for the federal government (Department of National Defense), but was now retired.

The BUZZ will publish a full tribute to Gladstone in its August issue. We’re looking for your photographs and memories of him: please email editor@centretownbuzz.ca with any you can provide (or comment below).

A few we’ve already received:

City Councillor Shawn Menard tweeted that “David was a staple in Centretown, I’d often encounter him walking at all hours of day/night near Elgin. I have fond memories of his knowledge and contributions when I was President of [the Centretown Community Association].”

Former city councillor Alex Cullen said that “David was an articulate, intelligent critic of municipal politics, with a wry sense of humor. Always well-read, well briefed.”

City Councillor Diane Deans concurred: “David was a regular contributor to debates at City Hall. We will miss his thoughtfulness, perspective and wisdom.”

Fellow city activist Erwin Dreessen said “David was a good man, passionate in his beliefs, effective in handling diverse opinions, a man of action. He will be sorely missed by all.”

Raymond Sullivan noted that Gladstone was “a great advocate for affordable housing and a long-time volunteer for CCOC (Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation).”

Patricia Marsden-Dole said, “When I first met the gruff, somewhat crumpled, man in the squashed-in hat, in Jean Piggot Hall, David suggested that I join the Centretown Community Association (CCA). He was writing an article for The BUZZ about a citizen’s consultation on city planning then underway. I took David up on his suggestion and joined the CCA Board on which he was a member.

“I later joined The BUZZ Board and David was a member of it also, and a regular contributor to the paper. David was also a major advocate on using the Prince of Wales Bridge as part of the LRT route to connect Ottawa with
Gatineau.

“I last saw David sitting in the sun on Bank Street just before he left for
Toronto, when he reminded me philosophically that all good things come to
an end. RIP David.”