WARD 1: ORLéANS
Population (2016): Households (2016): Votes cast/eligible in 2014:
Area: Boundaries:
What are the two most important issues in your ward? Why?
One of the biggest issues for my ward is resurfacing or repaving St. Joseph Boulevard and revitalizing the business area along it. The other big issue of the moment is transit. We need responsible development around LRT Phase 2 to ensure the impact on people’s daily commute is minimized. Recent changes to bus routes have also caused major problems. Many people used the No. 131 to get around Orléans. Now people in Orléans who live north of the 174 need to transfer between local buses that only run every 30 minutes in order to get to Innes Rd.
What ward-specific decision do you wish council had dealt with better?
Nothing specific but I wish St. Joseph Boulevard was a higher priority.
What are the two most important issues in your ward? Why?
As excited as we are about the LRT coming to Orléans during Phase 2, we need to ensure that our public transit system is practical and affordable.
The revitalization of our main street has the potential to drastically alter the physical and economic landscape of our community. We need to make it more attractive and more accessible, in order to draw more visitors, which in turn will spur development.
What ward-specific decision do you wish council had dealt with better?
I wish council had integrated the extension of LRT to Orléans in phase one. Residents of Orléans have the highest ridership of public transit. That combined with our very congested four-lane highway should have been indicative of the need to have better transit in the east end, sooner.
What are the two most important issues in your ward? Why?
The cost and need for public and accessible transportation are the most important for people with low income. The need for subsidized housing, rentals and accessible housing continues to grow, with 10,000 on the Ottawa waiting list. If we give a helping hand to people with low income they will have enough to excel in our neighbourhood and throughout Ottawa.
What ward-specific decision do you wish council had dealt with better?
I feel more public consultation was needed about LRT and buses that feed it. I would begin by educating people now as to how the buses will feed the riders into the LRT phase two transit stations. Accessibility is also a big factor for our disabled residents. Many of them that are now using the city buses and need to have the assurance that accessibility for them on the LRT and LRT platforms will be effortless. Lastly, the south area of Orléans has been left out regarding where and how they will gain access to the LRT. I would push for a continuance of the LRT line to that area of Orléans.
What are the two most important issues in your ward? Why?
Transportation and security. With a lack of jobs and post-secondary institutions in the ward, a majority of residents in Orléans commute day in, day out to work or study. There are also some residents who need to get around in Orléans by using the transit system. With the September 2nd changes to OC Transpo’s bus routes, Orléans is now worse off than it was before the current scheduling changes. Residents were not consulted. Our roads are also in need of repairs, namely St. Joseph, Centrum, Tompkins and Jeanne d’Arc. The cycling network in Orléans is deficient, does not meet the demand, nor does it encourage people to use their bikes and is not very secure. Security is also a concern in Orléans. Residents have expressed their worries this summer (i.e. youth delinquency, swarmings, etc.). Ensuring that Orléans remains a safe place to live, raise a family and live out a happy retirement, is essential for a good quality of life and a local striving economy.
What ward-specific decision do you wish council had dealt with better?
A decision has not yet been taken but will very soon: a Toronto property developer wishes to have the zoning modified at the corner of Place-d’Orléans and Duford drives, to allow 12 stories rather than six.
On this issue, I support the position of the outgoing councillor and I oppose the construction of the first highrise in the heart of Orléans, which would be located next to a 50-plus year old neighbourhood. There is also the concern of unstable ground.
What are the two most important issues in your ward? Why?
A) Transportation — According to a 2016 transportation committee report, work related trips account for only about 20 per cent of the daily trips in Orléans. The rest are for school, shopping, restaurants, recreation, health appointments, visits, etc. That is why the transit system has to find a balance between servicing the LRT and making sure that people can move easily within Orléans. We also need to look at traffic-calming measures/policies in consultation with the residents taking into consideration a number of factors.
B) Economic Development – Economic development in the east end has been the talk for many years. Residents would love to see an increase in economic development as this will give rise to employment opportunities here. When thinking about economic development, it is also important for us to also think about what we can do to assist already existing businesses to expand.
What ward-specific decision do you wish council had dealt with better?
Economic Development.
What are the two most important issues in your ward? Why?
Securing signature tenants near phase two LRT stations. The city needs to encourage bold plans to entice developers and entrepreneurs to Orléans. Having a highly-skilled workforce centralized in Orléans will bring much economic development and employment for the region. The St. Joseph Boulevard corridor, one of the most active streets in Orléans, is out of date. It needs to be revitalized with current infrastructure, businesses and safe cycling/pedestrian walkways. The goal would be to position St. Joseph as a walkable and livable area, much like the Glebe, New Edinburgh or Westboro.
What ward-specific decision do you wish council had dealt with better?
(The candidate did not answer)
What are the two most important issues in your ward? Why?
LRT stage two construction is the most talked about city decision. Running the LRT down the middle of the 174 will impact everyone’s commute time. Either your bus will be detoured or your car will be detoured. (Eighty per cent of employed people in Orléans must leave the ward to get to work.)
Planning for the future of St. Joseph Boulevard is the second most common discussion. It should be a feature attraction for locals and others — a series of unique small businesses. Instead it is an awkward mix of a high speed corridor and strip malls. As nearly all of it is within transit oriented development zones, adopting a long-range vision for the street’s development is a key issue.
What ward-specific decision do you wish council had dealt with better?
I wish council (via its transit commission) had directed OC Transpo to have public consultations on route re-alignments related to LRT.
Typically, route alignments are infrequent and are caused by changes in population. But the LRT will transform our city. OC Transpo is transforming the transit map slowly and generally without much consultation. Very few members of council or the transit commission are routine bus riders so they are too distant from the impact of all these changes. The changes this September in Orléans change how one whole community relates to the rest of Orléans. It makes sense for rush hour commuting but not for day-to-day errands inside Orléans. Local riders will know stuff about travel patterns that aren’t obvious to people who never take the bus. Local riders need to be part of the planning when routes change.
What are the two most important issues in your ward? Why?
Affordable housing and senior care. We need to change direction, there’s too much focus on developing for the sole purpose of making money. We need to slow down and do things right. Because big developers are not being forced to build affordable housing, they simply don’t. From a business perspective it’s hard to blame them. Why make $3 million when you can make $10 million? Unfortunately, big businesses seldom base their decisions on moral values so it’s up to the governments to step up! Seniors are the kings and queens of Ottawa. But it’s as though they have an expiry date and when they reach a certain age we forget about them — this is unacceptable. I want better senior care in all areas but most importantly I would like to create a city-run program that will help keep seniors in their homes longer. After all, they built this city!
What ward-specific decision do you wish council had dealt with better?
They isolated the Wigwamen affordable housing complex which is located south of the 174 and hiding behind the police station. Wigwamen is an Indigenous housing provider and the location the city provided is a disgrace. No public transit and a 1.7 km walk to the nearest grocery store. Most community members don’t even have any clue of its existence.
What are the two most important issues in your ward? Why?
Employment and transit. With safety and infrastructure around revitalizing certain areas a close third and fourth. On the subject of employment, Orléans is full of public servants, but very few federal job opportunities exist. During my time at the Orléans Star newspaper, I wrote extensively about the exodus of the RCMP and DND offices when they moved westward from their home in the east end.