By Rym Ghazal
This is a tale of two streets.
Geographically, Bell Street North and Clemow Avenue are a few minutes walk from each other in Ottawa Centre.
But politically, socially and economically, they are worlds apart.
With views as diverse as their backgrounds, the residents of these two streets provide a study in contrasting priorities as they prepare to go to the polls.
Down on leaf-strewn Bell Street North, resident An Song is upset with the government.
“Change the welfare system,” says Song, standing in front of his green painted two-storey house. He is an Asian Canadian in his early 50s who has been unemployed for three months. He says he deserves better benefits after having worked for 17 years as an electrician.
But he says he can do nothing to change the system.
“A lot of refugees and immigrants want to get involved in the elections, but the trouble is that people in the election talk very well but nothing changes once elected,” says Song. “How can I trust elections? They just tell lies. Talk for nothing. A lot of people here feel like this.”
Song is not going to vote this year.
Another Bell Street resident echoes Song.
“Only under the table seems the way to make a good living now,” says Chau Nguyen, a 36-year-old apprentice mechanic. A father of two, he lives with his family in a house built of pink, grey and white bricks.
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“Taxes are too high. I have to watch what I spend on. You pay tax on everything now,” says Nguyen.
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“When I first came to Canada 12 years ago, standard of life was better. Now, everything went down while cost of living went up.”
Nguyen also feels the welfare system needs to be reformed.
“Abuses of the welfare system hurts people like us, the working people.”
Unlike Song, Nguyen has not completely lost faith in the system. He is still voting. “I don’t want just one party to rule. We should have more than one party to give people choice,” says Nguyen, “I don’t care who wins, but he who wins, please look at the low-class people, not just the high-income people.”
Younger residents of Bell Street are equally serious about the elections.
“October second!” says Graham Hillgren, 20, before he hears the question.
“Freezing tuition fees is important,” says Hillgren, a Carleton University student, who is still undecided about his vote. “I have not had enough time to research it, but I will definitely vote.”
A few houses down, Chantelle Skitmore, a 23-year-old program developer, has already decided on who she will vote for.
“The NDP,” says Skitmore, “Childcare is important to me, my daughter is a subsidized child and NDP is consistent in making that a concern.”
Skitmore takes a moment and reflects upon the Bell Street neighbourhood.
“Social programs are important to a community like this, because it is so multi-cultured and below standard in income. Everyone here is in the same situation. They need help.”
Not too far away across Bronson Avenue is Clemow Avenue, a tranquil and leafy oasis with only the sound of crickets welcoming visitors.
Unlike their ‘neighbours’ on Bell Street, only a few people were willing to voice an opinion about the election.
“I am worried about the electricity, I also worry about front-line workers at places like the hospital,” says Lelia Bousquet. Lelia, along with her husband Arthur, were taking a stroll with their grandchildren, Liam and Fiona.
But her husband Arthur doesn’t care much for politics.
“I hate politicians, whether federal, municipal or provincial. I am not interested in politics at all.”
While they can’t agree on politics, they agree on one thing: the Bousquets will be voting.
Four houses away, David Dunbar, a 39-year-old lawyer, says that “infrastructure, water, electricity are the issues the current government seems to have done a bad job on.”
“It is about time for a change,” says Dunbar as he plays with his daughter on the front lawn of his house.
His neighbour, Ian Kimmerly, a 56-year-old businessman, agrees.
“I am pretty convinced it is past due to have a change of government,” he says.
Kimmerly wonders whether the Conservatives deserve to continue in office, and says he will vote for Richard Patten.
“He is the right person for the job. He represented the community and spoke out on important issues.”
A few Clemow Avenue residents cite health care as an important issue in this election.
“Health care and education for everybody,” says John Clarke, a retired firefighter as he pulls his daughter in a plastic trolley and his son scootes away on a scooter. He is undecided on his vote, but in previous elections has voted for the Conservatives.
“Yes, health care is first,” says Jhani Razaqpur, a Carleton University engineering professor who was watering his flowers close by.
“We should not have to wait so long for MRI and emergency.”
The wait might not be for too long.
On October second, Bell Street North and Clemow Avenue residents can go to the polls and voice their concern.
Bell residents can vote for social services.
While Clemow residents can vote for infrastructure.
But whatever happens on election day, one thing is for sure.
Bell and Clemow are more than just two different streets.
They are two different cultures.