By Councillor Stéphanie Plante (Rideau-Vanier)
At the end of 2023, I took the time to reflect on my first year as Councillor for the best ward in the city. This article is a highlight reel of a longer version that can be found in full on my website at Stephanieplante.ca. In the full article you will find a complete list of all the events we organized in 2023, the motions I presented at Council that I am most proud of, some of my big and small wins, as well as a consideration of what I want to work on and what we can look forward to this year.
During my first year I dealt with people calling my office regularly in crisis, in need of housing, and time-sensitive requests. Often, as many of the concerns brought to me are outside the responsibility of the municipal government, the only thing I was able to offer was a listening ear. However, many times, my staff and I were able to connect people with the resources that they so badly needed.
Having these conversations with residents has just emphasized that times are especially tough right now. Our system is overstretched. The waiting lists for affordable housing are too long. There are gaps in services, as well as unnecessary duplications. My campaign commitment of working towards solutions to our many overlapping crises remains the same. I know many of you feel that what has been done in the past is not working and we are now at a tipping point.
One of my main priorities for my first year was to start honestly and openly talking about the opioid and homelessness crises. The overconcentration of social services in the downtown core is not helping people who use those services. It is also creating a hostile environment for people that live nearby. Families, often low-income families, are losing amenities and programming in arenas and daycares. I think I have been successful this year in starting the conversation about the need to balance community safety and well-being. I speak to those with lived and living experience every day and they agree.
I was pleased with the way my fellow councillors and I worked together respectfully and effectively this year. I was especially excited to work with Councillors King and Troster on our joint Transit Town Hall in the spring, a conversation which will keep going as we do the Route Review in 2024. Of course, each ward has specific transit needs, however, especially when it comes to transit, it made sense to work together. I look forward to continuing working together with my colleagues in 2024.
I am proud of achieving two School Streets this year (read more about School Streets on my website). I am committed to safety around schools and prioritizing active transportation. Our two School Streets were a perfect combination of these priorities. If you have not already, check out the traffic calming map on my website which we crowd-sourced at our public consultation, and through my newsletter.
A highlight in the 2024 budget for Lowertown included $2,300,000.00 for improvements to Bingham Park!
In 2024 in Lowertown I am looking forward to:
• Bringing back a Santa Claus parade to Ward 12!
• Holding our second annual Drag Bingo fundraiser for St. Brigid’s. Join us on February 11th from 2 – 4 pm at Brigid’s Well. Tickets on my website.
• Looking to plant a second tiny forest (We planted one with York St. Public School in 2023! Look for it on, you guessed it, York St.).
• Doing more outreach and education about a Good Neighbour Bylaw. The idea is to create a bylaw that would require shelters and safe injection sites to enforce standards of cleanliness and safety in their immediate radius, rather than have their responsibility end at the door.
• The eventual move of the Sandy Hill Daycare to Lowertown opening in Spring 2024.
I say this often, but I really do have the best residents. Thank you to all of you for being engaged, for caring so deeply, and for making my job fun. I am proud to call many of you my friends and am so lucky to have you working alongside me. Here’s to an even better year in 2024!
Please visit my website and subscribe to my newsletter so that we can stay in touch! Wishing you all the best in 2024.
A highlight in the 2024 budget for Lowertown included $2,300,000.00 for improvements to Bingham Park!