What do you think will be the three main challenges residents of Lowertown will face during the mandate of the next council and what could/ would you as a councillor propose to do to meet these?
Mathieu Fleury
1. Safe and healthy community: I am committed to making our community the safest and healthiest place to live, work, and raise a family. As your Councillor, I will continue to advocate on your behalf to further enhance pedestrian and community safety by eliminating interprovincial truck traffic on King Edward Avenue by building a tunnel. This will improve livability by making the corridor safer and reduce noise as well as air pollution.
2- Housing and adequate supports: Part of building a safe and healthy community also means working to address access to supportive housing, preventing homelessness, and assisting people who are homeless with mental health and/or substance abuse disorders. As your Councillor, I will continue to work alongside community partners – such as the Alliance to End Homelessness – to modernize our City’s approach to housing. That means developing targeted strategies to prevent vulnerable individuals from becoming homeless, and providing tailored supports to those who are, including families, women, and members of the Indigenous community.
3- Vibrant public spaces
Healthy and livable communities all share one thing in common: vibrant public spaces. These spaces, whether they be parks, libraries, markets or playgrounds, need to be safe and accessible. As your Councillor, I will continue to promote the beautification and the vibrancy of our community. That includes the renewal of the ByWard Market (through a new governance model and infrastructure initiatives such as the George Street Plaza pilot), but also things like well-maintained parks, safe recreational facilities, and more public washrooms so you and your family can enjoy Lowertown and the Market to its fullest.
Thierry Harris
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. As councillor, I will collaborate with local groups to develop innovative crime prevention programs. I will also make better use of our community centres, focusing on opportunities for youth and at-risk individuals. In addition, I will improve public spaces so that they are clean, well–lit and abide by the principles of crime prevention through environmental design. Another important priority is to improve the public’s relationship with the police. My role will be to continually find new and better ways to engage both groups and ensure cooperation. I will push for a better police presence, such as more foot patrols. I will also sponsor diverse, inclusive and community-centered events where we can interact with each other 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 empowering our community and including all voices into the conversation, I know we can achieve safer streets for all.
The broken planning process at City Hall: Poor planning decisions have negatively impacted both the livability and cohesion of our neighbourhood. The years of inaction on King Edward, including the failure to get the trucks out, the plethora of unimaginative developments and the shameful neglect for the historic character of our neighbourhood has left us in a challenging position. We are at a crossroads, facing enormous pressure from profit-centered developers and it is more important than ever to have a capable, community-focused councillor at the helm. I will push for an open and transparent consultation process and work to attract green, sustainable and human scale development. I would also implement safety measures for pedestrians, improve the accessibility of our streets and re-explore a bridge option as a solution to curbing traffic in our downtown area.
The lack of vision for Byward Market: This is one of our ward’s crown jewels and a pillar for Ottawa’s economic and cultural identity. But the lack of vision and leadership by the city has allowed it to decline. The exorbitant rents and recent fee hikes for independent businesses have now put us at risk of losing our local merchants in favour of big chain retailers. This is an ill-suited approach for a historic district like the Market. With my experience in both business and community work, I can effectively engage business owners and residents. I will work to repair trust with the city and start collaborating with all sides on a shared vision: a world-class, vibrant market experience where locals and tourists alike can shop at unique stores and enjoy activities that reflect our identity as the nation’s capital.