Somerest Ward voters will have a lot of options to consider when they go to the polls next Monday. While most wards have three to six candidates running in the municipal election, 11 have stepped forward to fill the void left by veteran Diane Holmes, who is retiring.
For those that missed the debate last month, Centretown News caught up with 10 of the candidates and asked why they were running and what they hope to accomplish.
Martin Canning entered the race hoping to make Ottawa the “most livable, affordable and sustainable city in the country” and he says he believes that Somerset Ward can be the epicentre of that change.
Canning says the city is lacking in community-focused urban planning and he would aim to work more closely with community groups and fellow councillors to ensure that proposals meet the Centretown Design Plan and the Official Plan for the city.
He wants to replace the traditional councillor’s office with more accessible pop-up offices throughout the ward.
Edward Conway is running after working as a lawyer battling city problems such as accessibility for 30 years and says he wants to have his own seat at committee tables, instead of lobbying them.
Conway says Somerset’s main challenge is intensification. He says that people living downtown won’t use the LRT and the benefits are skewed to the suburbs and should be priced accordingly. He also wants policies that discourage suburban commuters from taking the Queensway after the LRT is built.
Catherine McKenney says she wants to ensure that Somerset Ward remains a “healthy, livable place with safe streets and sidewalks, parks and good local transit.”
She says that while the LRT is being built, it is the perfect time to invest in pedestrian and cycling infrastructure. She would use the $70 million earmarked in the budget for cycling infrastructure over the next 15 years in the first four, so that “by the time light rail arrives . . . people feel comfortable walking, cycling and taking transit in the downtown core.”
Thomas McVeigh says he thought running for councillor was the natural next step after being heavily involved in the Centretown Citizens Community Association and local business improvement areas.
He says intensification is one of the biggest issues he hopes to tackle. He’ll also work on intensification-related issues such as transportation, lack of parking for Somerset residents and visitors and housing diversity.
He also wants to set up a BIA for Elgin Street to ensure local businesses have a say in the upcoming redesign of Elgin Street.
Conor Meade entered the election campaign several months after most candidates because he felt none of them reflected his values.
He wants to develop “the highest quality of life for the City of Ottawa” and wants to refocus the downtown core on cyclist and pedestrians. He says streets such as Metcalfe, O’Connor, Kent and Lyon all have bike lane potential, but are currently being used as a “downtown highway off the 417.”
He also wants the city to adopt a proposal by Citizens for Safe Cycling to fund cycling infrastructure funded through ridership.
Jeff Morrison is running because being a councillor would give him the time and resources to pursue issues important in which he is active on a smaller scale in the community.
He says that when it comes to developing downtown Ottawa, it is important to “fight for the things that we already have,” such as the main branch of the library on Metcalfe Street.
He also wants to end the Ontario Municipal Board’s appeals process, which he says skews development benefits in favour of the developers over residents 75 per cent of the time.
Sandro Provenzano wants to rebuild the vibrant community that he recalls from growing up in Centretown as a youth.
Provenzano says he will focus on “simple ideas” to rejuvenate Somerset that can be achieved within a four-year term.
These ideas include having more events in local parks and festivals on Sparks Street and turning the buildings at 933 Gladstone Ave. into a central hub for residents.
He also wants to reduce the bus pass cost for seniors by 50 per cent and improve bike transportation in the area.
Denis Schryburt says that politics is the natural progression from his career as a public servant, but he chose municipal politics because of the more direct impact he could make. He wants to make sure that phase one of the LRT is finished on time, but also propose an extension to phase two that would go to Gatineau and the airport, which he says can be built on existing tracks.
He also wants to bring back the Ottawa Community Police Centre on Somerset Street and work with private industry and government to open a new addiction centre.
Curtis Tom is running because he says his career as a project manager will ensure projects get done right and on time.
He wants to see Ottawa develop into a greener city by promoting car sharing and reducing traffic buildup in the downtown core. He also wants to introduce environmentally-friendly garbage disposal bins that can separate trash from recyclables.
He wants to make the streets more senior-friendly by building more bus shelters and benches and safer by re-establishing the police centre that closed on Somerset in the summer of 2012.
Lili Weemen says that there should be term limits for city councillors, and would limit herself to eight years in office.
During that time, she wants to plant more trees and bring back weekly garbage disposal, at least for the hot summer months when the garbage rots.
She also wants to build social housing through public-private partnerships and aims to have all homeless people off the streets before winter.
Silviu Riley could not be reached for comment.