On October 24, voters in Somerset Ward will elect a new city councillor for 2022-26.
In each issue up to the election, The BUZZ will ask the candidates running in this ward one question about city issues important to this ward. If you have suggestions for future questions, email editor@centretownbuzz.ca.
This month, we ask:
You’ve heard the standard solutions like repurposing offices into housing and adding bike lanes. As a city councillor, what new ideas would you advocate to make downtown and Centretown more attractive to work, visit, and live in? Feel free to steal from other cities and to think big.
Ariel Troster
It’s time to dream big in Ottawa. We can have the most dynamic, accessible, green and fun city in Canada — we just need to work together to make it happen. The way to do this is to shift priorities and focus on places and services for people. It also means investing in affordable housing, embracing inclusionary zoning, and making our streets and parks places where people want to gather and invite their friends to join them.
Here are some ideas:
- Revive our parks and community spaces by partnering with local community groups and businesses to increase programming opportunities and events.
- Provide heat relief and expanded recreation options by building an adult-depth outdoor pool within Somerset Ward and extend the hours at the existing wading pools and public swim areas. Install misting machines or convert fire hydrants to provide further heat relief on hot days.
- Explore seasonal street closures to create more pedestrianized community spaces.
- Reduce the costs of new housing and promote walkable, 15 minute neighbourhoods by eliminating parking minimums for new builds.
- Make transit work for more people’s needs by increasing dedicated bus lanes and adjusting routes to focus on getting around within the city, deprioritizing the 9-5 commuter model.
- Work with the rest of City Council to expand Ottawa’s cycling network into a four-season, all ages and all abilities urban grid, that is focused on commuting and biking for utility, not just recreation.
- Invest in a functional and widespread bikeshare system, designed as a last-mile part of Ottawa’s public transit system, modeled on BikeTO’s success.
- Protect tenants from losing their housing by creating proactive renoviction and demoviction by-laws.
- Make it accessible for people of all ages and abilities to move around in the winter by prioritizing snow-clearing on sidewalks and ensuring access to curb cuts.
- Work with StopGap Ottawa to promote low-cost ramps for businesses with only one step to allow access into business for people with mobility devices.
- Make childcare more accessible and flexible by supporting the creation of more city-run and non-profit childcare centres.
- Work with the rest of City Council to create an affordable municipal public internet option, to ensure all neighbours can access the same services and supports.
- Work with community health centres and other partners to develop a pilot project for a non-police crisis intervention team to help resolve conflicts related to addiction, homelessness or mental health challenges.
At the core of my campaign for Somerset Ward is building a city where no one is left behind. If we prioritize people over profits, pedestrians over cars and community care over austerity, we can invest in a truly dynamic, creative and fun downtown core. I can’t wait to get started.
Stuart MacKay
Ottawa’s downtown core needs more people. Attracting more people to live in the downtown core is going to be the key goal over the next four years. While that involves creating more housing by building new homes and repurposing office buildings, we also need services like hardware stores, grocery stores, and retail stores to emerge. In other major urban centers like Toronto and New York we’ve seen traditionally suburban stores like IKEA experimenting with smaller, more urban stores that cater to condo and apartment residents.
We also need to take a hard look at zoning in the downtown core. Are there ways that we can encourage more multi-use buildings throughout the core? Are there ways that we as a city can make it easier to use a single space in different ways? Are there ways that we can encourage more performance spaces for the arts? We should create the conditions for an artistic renaissance in downtown Ottawa, one that is organic, and artist driven.
We should also look at integrating city services with existing buildings. L’Esplanade Laurier is a big, iconic building that is ripe for potential should it be sold by the federal government, and there have been discussions about repurposing it into new offices and housing. Could we transform a portion of L’Esplanade Laurier into a community centre for the downtown core? A downtown core community center could provide a gathering space for the downtown community, an all-season recreation place for kids, and a place to run workshops and events. We have seen great local businesses like Thali lead the way in revitalizing the previously barren corner of O’Connor and Laurier. Let’s use that same energy to think about transforming one of downtown Ottawa’s iconic buildings into a place where the community can come together.
Finally, we must make the downtown core livable at the street level. This means long-term investment by the city in larger sidewalks, accessible public spaces, comfortable seating, public restrooms, more green space, interesting public art, and a sensible tree-planting program that gives room for roots to grow and for a canopy to emerge.
We have an incredible opportunity as a community to transform Ottawa’s downtown core into a place that is vibrant and brimming with possibility. Should I have the honour of serving as Somerset Ward’s next city councillor, I will be a leader in the transformation of Ottawa’s downtown core.
Brandon Russell
People from across the country, and around the world look at many factors when moving to a new city. Ottawa can offer the best of the best in many areas.
However, some of the most important things people look for that Ottawa is lacking in. Transit comes to mind, we have 3 class transit. If we can’t expect to improve our transit, how can we expect to attract talented people? We also have serious homelessness and crime in our city. We need an experienced counselor that can get things done on day 1, I have the experience and know how to make Ottawa world class!