CDN-NDG mayor dons scrubs to vaccinate people against COVID-19

Doctors, nurses, pharmacists and even veterinarians have administered COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic to support the rollout. One borough mayor added her name to that list Tuesday morning, offering a helping hand at a pop-up vaccination clinic at the Saint-Raymond Community Centre located in her own borough.

“I’m a mayor and a nurse. I’m both,” said Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce Mayor Gracia Katahwa.

The first-term borough mayor is no stranger to scrubs. She previously worked as a nurse at the Jewish General Hospital (JGH).

Katahwa told reporters she chose nursing because she wanted to make sure that when she woke up in the morning, she had a concrete effect on people’s lives, “and it’s the same thing for me in politics.”

The mayor left the profession to enter politics three months ago. But she jumped at the opportunity to participate in the vaccination campaign, offering first, second and third doses.

“When I was doing my training, it was really exciting to go back to the books and remember everything that you learnt and learning new things as well. So for me, it’s really fun,” she said.

She spent three hours vaccinating constituents and even city councillors.

“I made the appointment like a month ago or so and scheduled for in two days from now. And then it’s just turned out that she was coming here,” said CDN-NDG city councillor Peter McQueen, who lives around the corner from the Saint-Raymond Community Centre.

The mayor spent time getting to know everyone she vaccinated, bonding with Violet Collins over the fact that they both worked at the JGH.

“I feel very honoured,” said Collins adding that she thought it was wonderful Katahwa is a Black woman like her.

“That is nice to see somebody that looks like you, that has representation because representation really matters in all fields, in all areas. So definitely is a big impact on her coming for this vaccine,” said Collins’ daughter Nadine Collins.

Katahwa hopes she will convince more people to get vaccinated and that she can give them the jab herself.