By Michael Connors
Olivia Bradley, a 50-year-old registered nurse who lives near the Pretoria Bridge, will challenge Coun. Elisabeth Arnold for the right to represent Centretown on the new city council. Brad-ley came forward just before the Oct. 13 nomination deadline to make this year’s election in Somerset Ward a two-way race.
A newcomer to municipal politics, Bradley says she seeks better policing, fairer taxes and a revitalized downtown.
“I love this city, and I want to make sure the direction it’s going in is a positive one that’s equitable to families, to taxpayers, to businesses.”
Bradley firmly opposes any tax increases. She says downtown needs to be more inviting for businesses, which are having a hard time making ends meet under current property taxes.
Downtown also needs more parking spaces if those businesses are going to attract more shoppers, Bradley says.
“Most people drive. It’s a fact of life,” she says. “So we’ve got to see parking available for people because the downtown core is pretty much the heart of the city.
“I don’t agree with the traffic calming,” she adds. “That just creates a lot of frustration. The best traffic calming is a cop.”
With that in mind, Bradley says she wants to see more street patrols in places like Chinatown and other parts of Somerset Ward.
“Elgin Street is gorgeous, but Bank Street has become a place where you don’t want to go at night,” she says. “You could be mugged. You could be accosted by panhandlers.”
Bradley also opposes official bilingualism for Ottawa, saying the policy causes rifts between people over jobs.
“I don’t believe in affirmative action,” she says. “I don’t think one group should be ostracized or prohibited from a job.”
Bradley says Arnold hasn’t done very much to make downtown inviting for businesses.
Arnold, whose campaign planks include affordable housing, traffic calming, saving downtown schools and promoting the city’s downtown revitalization plan, says she has worked well with businesses over the years.
“I think that if you talk to a very broad range of business people that you’ll find some who support me and some who have concerns with some of my positions,” she says. “I don’t think it’s fair to say that business people as a bloc are opposed to me. Probably some will support me and others may not, and that’s part of the healthy democratic election process.”
Arnold says she expected another candidate from the start.
“I’m looking forward to the campaign,” she says.