Miriam Katawazi, Centretown News
Somerset Ward councillor-elect Catherine McKenney will seek allies for an urban caucus.With urban wards outnumbered in city council meeting decisions in past years, newly elected Somerset Ward Coun. Catherine McKenney and fellow central-area councillors say they believe an urban caucus will be the key in making changes that benefit the city’s urban core.
The proposed informal group of downtown councillors would represent and leverage the interests of inner-city neighbourhoods during council meetings. It would resemble the existing rural caucus that represents the interests of residents in Ottawa’s countryside.
“With the urban caucus, I see us working together to form a framework and roadmap for what it is we need for the next four to eight years to build a greater downtown,” says McKenney. “And we’d be voting based on that roadmap when issues relevant to us come up.”
McKenney, 53, pulled out a strong win in Somerset Ward in the election.
She was elected with approximately 40 per cent of the vote, beating out 10 other candidates vying to replace veteran Diane Holmes.
Runners-up Jeff Morrison and Martin Canning finished second and third, respectively, with roughly 16 per cent of the vote each.
McKenney says that the “exhausting” and “exciting” campaign prepared her for what it would take to fill the shoes of her predecessor.
“Holmes knew the community better than I would say almost anyone and was probably one of the hardest workers I’ve ever witnessed,” says McKenney.
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McKenney hopes to tackle issues concerning planning and development in the city’s downtown core, particularly better road networks, cycling and pedestrian infrastructure for Somerset Ward.
“It doesn’t increase my vote obviously but hopefully through it we can convince our other council colleagues of where we landed on some of these issues,” says McKenney.
Re-elected Rideau-Vanier Coun. Mathieu Fleury, who would serve as one of the urban caucus members, supports the proposal. He says the collaboration will help build the city’s urban core from both a policy and operational side.
“It’s about making our city and our city’s core even better than it is in terms of quality, in terms of safety, in terms of active transportation. We have great services downtown, so how can we continue to improve them?”
The urban caucus would also include fellow central-area councillors David Chernushenko from Capital Ward, Jeff Leiper from Kitchissippi and Tobi Nussbaum from Rideau-Rockcliffe. But McKenney believes councillors beyond the five wards will be interested in joining the group once it moves forward.
The purpose of this caucus would not be to undermine the powers of existing bodies and neighbourhoods, says Fleury.
“It’s got to be clear that this is not our intent in having these discussions. We’re collaborating for our city, we’re collaborating for the purpose of improving services in the core, but we’re not playing on the backs of other colleagues.”
Though the planned structure of the urban caucus is not quite clear, McKenney is certain that whatever form the group takes, the outcome will be beneficial to the interests of not only those in the urban core, but the city as a whole.
For rural councillors, McKenney says the urban caucus would serve as a tool in helping them understand and appreciate the issues the urban core faces – and the other way around.
Because there are overlaps with the problems various wards face, McKenney’s proposal would further enable the city’s councillors to see how solutions in one area can be adapted to another, says Mike Powell, president of the Dalhousie Community Association.
“I think anything that helps reduce the need for different communities to fight the same issues at different times is very helpful,” says Powell.
“The distinctions between one ward and another are almost artificial, so to have a regular process where urban councillors can compare notes and make sure that all are being served effectively is a good thing.”
McKenney, along with seven other newly elected candidates, will be sworn in on Dec. 1.