IN WARD 9, WARD 12 AND WARD 5
ELI EL-CHANTIRY 1. What are the two most important issues in your ward? Why?
A) A top priority for Ward 5 is our roads. Our roads are residents’ most essential service and we need to make sure the roads are maintained accordingly.
B) In this next term of council another very important file for me will be the development happening in and around South March.
2.
If you are the incumbent, what ward-specific decision made by council in the last term are you most proud?
Two issues come to mind: 1) My ability to get over $37 million allocated to Ward 5 roads, and 2) My spearheading council approving an increase in the number of paramedics to assist with increase in demand for ambulatory services.
3.
What ward-specific decision do you wish council had dealt with better?
Better pre- and post-education game plans relating to the stormwater fee, which was implemented by council midterm.
4.
Do you live in the ward in which you’re running? If not, what’s your interest in the area?
Yes, I live in Carp.
JUDI VARGA-TOTH
1.
What are the two most important issues in your ward? Why?
The most important issue for my ward is a network of safe roads and paths for all users that are maintained to a ‘Good State of Repair.’
Another priority is to improve access to a wider range of ruralappropriate municipal services including health care, policing, transit and recreation as well as opportunities for employment and volunteering.
As an underlying issue, we need to improve engagement and consultation with residents by providing a strong voice for our ward at the council table, using more proactive communication and engagement tools with all local stakeholders, and providing more frequent and flexible opportunities to meet the councillor.
2.
What ward-specific decision do you wish council had dealt with better?
Council’s worst decision affecting the rural area was its decision to levy the stormwater management fee on rural residents to maintain their ditches and culverts instead of simply including the cost of maintenance of those rural ditches and culverts within the general tax for rural road maintenance. And for a decision that was not made, it is regretful that the city failed to conduct a rural summit during its term as was originally decided after Rural Summit I.
3.
Do you live in the ward in which you’re running?
Yes, I am proud to say I live in West Carleton-March.
WARD 12: RIDEAU-VANIER
Population (2016): 48,536
Households (2016): 27,549
Votes eligible/cast in 2014: 10,885/29,194 (37.3 per cent)
Area: 7.9 sq. km.
Boundaries: The boundary of the city’s second-smallest ward extends east from the Rideau Canal and includes the ByWard Market, Lowertown and Sandy Hill before the boundary crosses the Rideau River to encompass the area south of Beechwood Avenue and Beechwood Cemetery, to a line just south of McArthur Avenue.
Mathieu Fleury won 51.5 per cent of the vote in 2014, beating out four challengers for the seat on council. Four people are vying for the seat in 2018, including Fleury; Salar Changiz; Thierry Harris; and Matt Lowe. Harris, a McGill business school grad, has worked as a producer for CBC/Radio Canada and as a press officer for the National Film Board, while Lowe describes himself as an “honourable military veteran and true resident of the ward I hope to represent.” The other candidate, Salar Changiz, did not complete this survey because the Citizen was unable to reach Changiz.
MATHIEU FLEURY
1.
What are the two most important issues in your ward? Why?
Housing and Infrastructure.
Housing: need for affordable housing to reduce the vulnerable residents left in emergency situations in our shelter, newcomers and those who require a subsidy in order to be appropriately housed.
Infrastructure: need to build a truck tunnel to remove interprovincial trucks that go through our city’s downtown without ever making a stop for business (bad for noise, pollution, safety and economic development), need to revitalize our main street, specifically Montreal Road, and we also need to invest in street improvements as well as leading the beautification and improvements of public spaces in the ByWard Market.
2.
If you are the incumbent, what ward-specific decision made by council in the last term are you most proud?
Approving the Montreal Road revitalization funding program as well as the Community Improvement Plan (CIP) funds for Montreal Road. A first in our city ’s history, we are investing in infrastructure renewal at the same time as launching, for the same area, a CIP which is the city’s tool to promote a new business-mix and renewal through freezing of property taxes for new projects.
3.
What ward-specific decision do you wish council had dealt with better?
I have consistently opposed the Salvation Army’s proposal at 333 Montreal Road because of the model and location. As soon as I could, I worked to mobilize the community against this project and together with 10 community working groups, we are getting closer to our goal of reaching $200,000 to put in place the best legal team for our appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board. Together, we will stop this project.
4.
Do you live in the ward in which you’re running? If not, what’s your interest in the area?
No. I was raised in Rideau-Vanier. Growing up, I went to school, volunteered, and worked in this community. The ward limitations are only drawn out on paper. While I am physically three streets outside the map limitations, I do not feel out of touch, nor less engaged with my community as it is where I grew up and continue to live my life. Over the past eight years, I have been effective and present in my role as city councillor and have spent every day in Lowertown, Sandy Hill and Vanier engaging with the residents, businesses and stakeholders in finding solutions and approaches to increase the quality of life for our community.
THIERRY HARRIS
1. What are the two most important issues in your ward? Why?
A) Crime and safety
Our ward, Rideau–Vanier, now has a crime rate that’s 3.5 times higher than the rest of Ottawa. We cannot thrive as a neighbourhood when people fear for their safety. I actually live in this ward, unlike the current councillor, and I invested in this neighbourhood. I understand the realities we face. Very little has been done in the last eight years to improve the safety of our neighbourhood. As councillor, I will collaborate with the police and local community groups to develop innovative crime prevention programs. I will push for a better police presence, such as more foot patrols, which we desperately lack in many areas. In addition, I plan to improve our public spaces so that they are clean, well–lit and abide by the principles of crime prevention through environmental design. We also need to make better use of our community centres to offer more opportunities for youth and at-risk individuals. Another priority will be to improve the public’s relationship with the police. I see a real need to invest in progressive policing approaches. We must continually find new and better ways to engage the community and ensure co-operation. For example, we can sponsor diverse, inclusive and community-centred events where the police and community can interact with community groups and build trust. During my time at the Federation of Citizens’ Association of Ottawa, where I served on the Ottawa Police Community Advisory Group, I built a positive relationship with both the community and the police. I believe this relationship will be an asset during my term in office.
By including all voices into the conversation and empowering our community, I know we can make our streets safe for all.
B) Housing and Infrastructure In the short term, I see an urgent need to improve our transportation systems and networks. This includes fixing our streets and sidewalks so they are accessible, improving winter snow clearing, introducing safety measures that protect pedestrians and cyclists and improving our public transit system’s reliability. These issues were neglected for too long.
In the medium term, we should address the housing and homelessness crisis. This includes developing a workable plan and securing investment to build mixed-income and supportive housing (not shelters), land-banking and the creation of a rent bank program to keep people out of shelters.
In the long term, I want to fundamentally change the way our city decides what gets built. I believe the current planning system is deeply flawed, which affects everything from roads, to urban development and beyond. I plan to work toward a more open and transparent process so our community ’s infrastructure and housing needs can be better met.
2. What ward-specific decision do you wish council had dealt with better?
The Salvation Army shelter move and its handling, which has divided our community. I lay the blame squarely on the councillor’s shoulders for not being transparent and for failing to act on housing and homelessness in Ward 12.
3. Do you live in the ward in which you’re running? If not, what’s your interest in the area?
Yes, I live in Lowertown close to Sandy Hill and Vanier with my beautiful wife Mélissa. I’m fully invested in this community. I own a home and business here in Rideau-Vanier and I’m incredibly proud to call this place my home.
MATT LOWE
1.
What are the two most important issues in your ward? Why?
Salvation Army. Biggest issue is we have not developed Vanier into the true French quarter in the spirit of Little Italy and Chinatown.
2.
What ward-specific decision do you wish council had dealt with better?
The Salvation Army’s 350-bed mega shelter of horror coming to Vanier.
3.
Do you live in the ward in which you’re running? If not, what’s your interest in the area?
I live in Vanier.
CORRECTION
The cost of a portable shack in the vicinity of Pushman Park was $500,000, according to Gloucester-Southgate (Ward 10) candidate Alek Golijanin. Incorrect information appeared in the Oct. 9 issue of the Citizen.