Archive 1997-2016
Community development and densification are the most critical concerns Somerset ward candidates should tackle in the upcoming municipal elections, say business and community associations. They agree the health of the city depends on resolving planning issues in the core, as well as preparing for the influx of residents that will result from high-density condo development.
With plans for a new Beer Store on Somerset Street in the works, Somerset Coun. Diane Holmes is calling for an expanded development to include residential space. 
Shamit Tushakiran, Centretown NewsThis multi-storey building over the LCBO at Bank and McLeod streets is similar to a proposed development over the Beer Store at Somerset Street.
A 27-storey condo building proposed by Claridge Homes on Lisgar Street has yet to be approved by city council and the Centretown community is already divided over what the development could mean.
When it comes to crime control, a University of Ottawa professor says many politicians, including those in the current Canadian government, are going about it all wrong. In his new book, Smarter Crime Control: A Guide to a Safer Future for Citizens, Communities, and Politicians, Irvin Waller argues that controlling crime is about prevention, not reaction, and that investments in the right solutions should help curb problems in high-crime areas such as Centretown.