Marsha King

Marsha King was a founding member of Ottawa ACORN and, until she passed away in October 2010, a dedicated leader and community activist.  

She joined as one of the first dues paying members in the Vanier chapter of Ottawa ACORN, when an organizer knocked on her door wanting to know what kind of community issues she had.  It wasn’t long before Marsha was standing up in front of her neighbours at community meeting and leading discussing and planning sessions on how to win improvements for tenants and work to raise Ontario Works and Ontario Disability rates. 

Marsha was also an active member of her union, the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC).  It was through her introduction into the union that Marsha first developed her commitment to social and economic justice.  The first time an ACORN Canada organizer knocked on her door, the fit was obvious and she never looked back.

In early 2009 Marsha began taking on greater responsibility in her organization by working on multiple campaign, most notably affordable housing.  She was one of Ottawa ACORN’s key leaders in the campaign to see Canada adopt Bill C-304 for a National Affordable Housing Strategy.  ACORN Canada members from across have rallied around this key piece of legislation from coast to coast, and Marsha was always in the thick of things as a spokesperson and in engaging her neighbours around this important issue. 

Marsha passed away this October 2010 and will be remembered.