Cathy Ann Greene Curry[1] (born c. 1968)[5] is a Canadian politician. She is currently the city councillor for Kanata North Ward on Ottawa City Council, having been appointed to that position on November 10, 2021.[6]
Curry, described as an "education activist" was elected as an Ottawa-Carleton District School Board trustee in the 2006 Ottawa municipal election without any opposition.[10] As a member of the board, Curry supported eliminating the Catholic school board despite being a Catholic herself.[11] Curry was appointed as the chair of the School Board in 2009, replacing Lynn Scott.[4] Curry was re-elected in the 2010 Ottawa municipal election, defeating Christine Boothby. She did not offer re-election as Chair of the Board. Curry resigned her seat in 2012, stating that "she's so sick of the board's dysfunction", and called on the Ministry of Education "to introduce sweeping changes to the way public school trustees conduct business... and to launch and investigation into how (the board) govern themselves".[12] She was replaced on the board by Boothby, her opponent in the 2010 election.[2]
Council appointment
Following Curry's predecessor, Jenna Sudds being elected to Canadian Parliament in the 2021 Canadian federal election, city council opted to appoint a replacement rather than hold a by-election, citing the cost of holding a by-election ($500,000), COVID-19 restrictions,[13] and the need to have the seat full immediately to participate in the 2022 budget. Twelve members of City council (including mayor Jim Watson) voted for Curry versus eight who voted for previous city councillor Marianne Wilkinson. Three councillors voted for other candidates.[6] Wilkinson had been "presented as the top choice of community associations in Kanata", though Curry stated she had consulted with Sudds and local MPP Merrilee Fullerton prior to her appointment. Curry did not promise to not run for election in the 2022 Ottawa municipal election.[9]
Prior to her appointment to council, Curry served as a board member at CHEO, the Caldwell Family Centre, Ronald McDonald House Ottawa, the Ontario Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health and Ottawa Fusion Volleyball.[6]