By John Chenier
The Echo sent a questionnaire to all candidates running for mayor about their priorities for the city and for the problems in our ward specifically. There was not sufficient contact information to reach three of the 14 candidates. Of the 11 we were able to contact, eight responded.
These 11 candidates were contacted several times and given ample opportunity to respond. We can only conclude either that they care little about the issues or voters in our community or they felt that any answers to our issues would endanger their electoral chances in Lowertown or elsewhere.
Perhaps the consistently low voter turnout in Lowertown accounts for their attitude towards the problems in our community.
You will have to check the individual websites/ platforms to find what Bob Chiarelli, Mark Sutcliffe and Graham MacDonald to see their plans for our community.
We asked each candidate WHY they’re running, their QUALIFICATIONS for the position, and their views on the BEST elements and WORST problems in the ward. Here are their responses.
Brandon Bay – Capital
Why: To ensure the next council’s priorities are residents’ priorities, and to ensure Ottawa is as incredible as I often believe it to be.
Qualifications: People management and community service experience, boards for community and riding associations, a collaborative attitude, and a strong vision for the city
Bernard Couchman – Bay
Why: Help the environment, Advance the indigenous cause by creating sustainable jobs, by helping the poor people, Get us out of debt by investing wisely for a change, protect the pensions by diversification. Put an end to homelessness by addressing it. Promote Jesus’s financial and family plans for a healthy future.
Qualifications: I have worked for large and small companies, government agencies and NGOs. Over 10,000 volunteering in the community. My leadership style was formed as an elite Rugby player; helped me create the marathon mind set, Finnish what you start. Experience of building brands and putting teams together for one objective is what qualifies me. Being of a mix heritage, I can see things from many angles.
Nour Kardi – Somerset
Why: Our city is in shambles. Huge debts, structural deficits, and an LRT that keeps breaking down. A bus network that is not reliable, lots of red tape and bureaucracy, and a housing affordability crisis. I’ve got the political experience and business acumen to deal with these issues and be the inflation buster that the city needs.
Qualifications: Background in technology, business, politics and academia and an ability to listen, bring people together and develop consensus
Mike Maguire – Rideau Jock
Why: I want to address the failures of Council to fix the housing crisis, to address the unfortunate transit challenges we face, to address the explosion of violence on our streets as well as the challenges of the homelessness and opioid crisis on our streets.
Qualifications: This is my 3rd run for Mayor, I’m quite familiar with municipal government, I’ve run large companies and have been a senior management consultant for almost 40 years. My focus will be on practical solutions to local problems.
Catherine McKenney Somerset
Why: To make Ottawa the greenest, healthiest, and best-connected city in Canada. I want to put my experience to work to improve transit, create affordable housing, take climate action, ensure safer and more vibrant communities, and fix City Hall. I want to bring the change our city needs.
Qualifications: I am a two-term Councillor, who previously worked at City Hall for more than a decade as a Strategic Advisor to the Deputy City Manager, and Assistant to a Kanata Councillor. I have spent decades working to help the people of Ottawa. I know the city inside and out and am ready to champion the solutions and deliver the change we need. My proven leadership includes standing up to the convoy occupiers on behalf of city residents, pushing for greater transparency and accountability at City Hall by championing a public inquiry into Stage One of Ottawa’s light rail transit project, as well as strong advocacy to build new affordable housing and end homelessness.
Ade Olumide Stittsville
Why: To fill a gap in the competence and ethics of the current city council, particularly with regards to policing.
Qualifications: Create a Taxpayer Budget Advisory Committee similar to the intent of the Community Budget Advisory Team “CBAT” that was formed by 8 Councillors and the Municipal Taxpayer Advocacy Group, where as President I convinced 37 Cities across Ontario to pass a motion that Hydro should be affordable. I was also the Vice President of the Central Park Community Association and the Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator
Param Singh – Riverside South – Findlay Creek
Why: We need to do better as a city. We need a new vision, a fresh perspective and take bold decisions.
Qualifications: I have had 19 years of boots on the ground experience with the residents of Ottawa as a police officer. I have been listening and speaking to the residents and I have heard them loud & clear, and they want a change.
Challenges/problems
The main issues listed by the candidates were lack of affordable housing, problems with the transit system, budgetary constraints and preparing for or averting climate change.
Affordable housing was at or near the top of the list for Brandon Bay, Bernard Couchman, Nour Kardi Mike Maguire and Catherine McKenney. Also high on the lists of Bay, Couchman, Maguire, McKenney, and Ade Olumide were the reliability and/or affordability of the transit system. Fiscal and budgetary issues and coping with inflation were top of the list for Couchman, Nour Kadri, and Maguire, Transparency, accountability and loss of trust were listed by Couchman and Singh. Olumide listed policing as a major problem.
Priorities.
The priorities of Bay and McKenney were attacking the major problems they identified. For Bay, these were housing affordability, city planning and improving public image. For McKenney, housing affordability, reliable and affordable transit and bold climate action. Couchman’s priorities were human relations/ team building with city staff. Kardi’s priorities were to do an assessment of resources and capabilities and to search out and adopt best practice solutions. Maguire would streamline the planning/permitting process to encourage affordable housing, tackle problems with transit and address the opioid epidemic. Olumide would rectifying inequalities in city services and programs and strengthen integrity provisions. Singh would focus on transit, infrastructure repairs and proper emergency services.
Address homelessness
There were two basic tracks here. Couchman, Maguire and Olumide focused on the need for effective social and medical services to address the personal problems that lead to homelessness. Kardi, McKenney, and Singh stressed the need to work with other agencies and levels of government to increase the supply of affordable housing with McKenney noting the need for supportive housing. Maguire noted “it is time to address the wisdom of housing homeless people downtown. This is not only counter-intuitive, it exposes the homeless to being preyed upon by the drug dealers.”
Approach to shelters
Bay, Kardi – the current model is our only option until we get more housing.
Couchman – Use hotel rooms. Convert unused commercial and city buildings.
Maguire – Provide focused treatment for mental illness and addictions in secure facilities away from drug dealers.
McKenney – Shelters cannot provide stability and should be not be used as long term solution.
Olumide – ought to be replaced by supportive housing with services.
Singh – City must negotiate a cost-effective solution with the homeless population.
Concentration of social services
Bay – Build complete communities that include social services.
Couchman – Most cities have social problems in urban core. Treatment facilities would be more effective outside of the urban core where there is less temptation.
Kardi – Search for and implement dispersal solutions that have worked elsewhere.
Maguire – Social services are in the urban core by political choice at the expense of achieving success.
McKenney – Social services are provided where the need is highest. Needs would diminish with supply of supportive housing.
Olumide – Emphasis is on dispersal through partnerships.
Singh – Ensure services city provides are offered city wide.
Improving citizen engagement
Bay – Offer more means and times to engage. Perhaps offer drawings for prizes for participants.
Couchman – Have more affordable cultural activities. More transparency to increase trust.
Kardi – Organize discussion groups, volunteer brigades and programs to promote engagement.
Maguire – Citizens don’t engage because they know it makes no difference. We need to increase transparency to increase trust.
McKenney – Council discussions, priorities and decisions need to reflect the range of resident needs.
Olumide – create 12-24 Citizen Advisory committees for the mayor’s office. Obtain advice on which issues or departments should have these committees.
Singh – Engagement is up to the individual. All we can do is push for educate people on the benefits of participation.
Transportation challenges for pedestrian, bicycle, road, public transit
Bay – more money put into each of these infrastructure types, with a focus on expanding transit and active transportation routes and, over time, reducing road size and quantity. Funding can come from higher parking user fees, and perhaps other road user fees.
Couchman – Place emphasis on active transport and easy public transit.
Kardi – Focus on active transportation in urban core. (Re)design suburbs as 15-minute communities, improve reliability of transit and use better material in road construction.
Maguire – Build safer bike routes. Restore bus routes.
McKenney – reliable transit free for under 17, better cycling routes.
Olumide – Introduce home to LRT shuttle service in rural and suburban areas. Increase frequency ofService, Increase density of affordable housing near transit. Encourage employers to provide bus passes.
Singh – Improve coordination of various transportation modes.
Dealing with climate change
Bay – Build better transit-connected communities to reduce traffic.
Couchman – Retrofit buildings.
Kardi – reduce our carbon footprint by improving reduce, reuse, recycle performance
Maguire –- Ottawa not major contributor. Better to spend money on mitigation of effects.
McKenney – reach net-zeor by 2050.
Olumide – Better access to transit, reduce landfill emissions, increase use of hydro.
Singh – Rebuild using better material, technology use of renewable energy.
New fixed crossing
Bay – Supports a bridge or a tunnel.
Couchman – Unclear.
Kardi – feels we perhaps need two bridges.
Maguire – Not convinced there is a need.
McKenney – Thinks the problem of trucks on King Edward can be solved through use of regional depots.
Olumide – supports a fixed crossing
Singh – supports moving trucks away from centre, but is unclear how it can be done
Use of new powers for mayor
Bay, Maguire, McKenney, Olumide and Singh all state they will not use the new powers. Kardi’s position is unclear and Couchman will “do my job…with the powers given to me by the crown.”
Working with councillors
Bay – Will discourage formation of teams. Ensure each councillor gets a chance to lead on matters of importance.
Couchman – Feels he has the skills to bring peace and team work to council.
Kardi – Hopes to use a grand vision for the city to bring cohesion and consensus.
Maguire – Does not expect harmony to break out around the table. Hopes a focused and precise agenda will provide motivation to collaborate.
McKenney – Will discourage vitriol and personal attacks. Up to councillors to behave.
Olumide – Wants to have political parties at council. Use mandate letters, approved by council, for each department.
Singh – Debate and disagreement are not important as long as the decision reached is for the greater good and not one interest group.
Electoral reform to ranked ballot format
Bay, Kardi, McKenney would be for it if province allowed it, Olumide would prefer party system.
Couchman It is not our role to discuss or our decision to make. Singh offered no answer.
Ranked Ballot System
In a ranked system, rather than just putting an X beside the one candidate you like, you rank the candidates according to your preference. If a candidate gets a majority of votes, they win. If there isn’t a candidate with over 50% of the votes, there is an instant runoff where the candidate with the least number of votes is dropped and the voters’ second preferences are counted. In this way, voters’ preferences still count, even though their favourite didn’t win. The vote is recounted, and if there’s a winner by majority, the election is over. If there isn’t, the recounts continue going this way, with the person with the fewest votes being dropped and their votes being transferred according to the next ranked candidate. The eventual winner will enjoy a majority. It may not be a majority of first preferences, but it’s a majority based on ranked preferences.
[Source: University of Toronto, https://www.utoronto.ca/news/what-ranked-ballot-means-and-how-it-works]