Next Municipal Election - Oct 27, 2014 - contenders

[McC]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

the Harper regime [is] really not big on infrastructure investment.

What the deuce are you talking about?

First there was This: http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/prog/bcp-pcc-eng.html
Then This: http://www.actionplan.gc.ca/en/page/stim...nomic-action-plan-final-report-canadians
and now This: http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/plan-eng.html

There are lots of good reasons to criticize the current government, fill your boots, but base it on actual facts. There is a bit of double counting in the total investments between the old and new Building Canada Plans, but even discounting for that and inflation, the Federal government has increased its investments in infrastructure exponentially over the past decade; this chart tells just part of the story (only includes annual federal contributions to provincial-, territorial- and municipal-owned infrastructure):

[1overcosc]

An increase from peanuts doesn't equal boatloads.

$8B a year is not a lot given just how much infrastructure we need. Case in point, Ontario is now spending $13B/year on infrastructure and even then there's need. Federal infra spending needs to be at least $20B.

And when it comes to transit infrastructure, they're especially cheap. Toronto has tens of billions of dollars in unfunded projects that need to happen, and the federal government is offering $660M to help build a 3 stop subway... and nothing else. They're making the province pay for all of it. Interested in transit infra, ya right.

Ontario's $29B transportation plan is getting only $2.55B from the feds. That's pathetic.

[JCL]

Originally Posted by JCL

I just checked the Mayoral Candidates page, and noticed that there is an individual by the name Robert White.

Is he by any chance the "Robert from Kanata" that calls into CFRA talkshows?

Responding to my own post, here's an article on Robert White: http://metronews.ca/news/ottawa/1114560/will-this-ottawa-mayoral-candidate-win-he-doesnt-think-so/

He sure does sound like "Robert from Kanata" who calls into CFRA.

[Aylmer]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

An increase from peanuts doesn't equal boatloads.

$8B a year is not a lot given just how much infrastructure we need. Case in point, Ontario is now spending $13B/year on infrastructure and even then there's need. Federal infra spending needs to be at least $20B.

And when it comes to transit infrastructure, they're especially cheap. Toronto has tens of billions of dollars in unfunded projects that need to happen, and the federal government is offering $660M to help build a 3 stop subway... and nothing else. They're making the province pay for all of it. Interested in transit infra, ya right.

Ontario's $29B transportation plan is getting only $2.55B from the feds. That's pathetic.

As much as I bemoan the lack of federal funding, I do have to point out that the provincial budget is $14B over 10 years. So $1.4B/y

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by Aylmer

As much as I bemoan the lack of federal funding, I do have to point out that the provincial budget is $14B over 10 years. So $1.4B/y

That's specifically for transit funding for non-GTHA projects. The discussion is about total infrastructure spending on all projects, which for the federal government has reached $5B/year. ($8B was a misreading of the chart by me).

The provincial's governments total infra spending, using the same metric that the federal measure is using, is $130B over 10 years, so $13B annually.

The federal government's dollars for non-GTHA Ontario transit projects? About $1.3B over 10 years--a paltry $130M/year. (Calculated by noting the per capita share of the transit portion of the Building Canada Fund).

[waterloowarrior]

Sue Sherring from the Ottawa Sun is running in Gloucester-South Nepean
https://twitter.com/SusanSherring/status/499889831187447809

[JeffB]

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

Sue Sherring from the Ottawa Sun is running in Gloucester-South Nepean
https://twitter.com/SusanSherring/status/499889831187447809

Isn't she married to Paul Knowlton, the former head of the Ottawa-Carleton Home Builders Association? A group representing developers?

[rocketphish]

Municipal election: Deans looks to continue her run in Gloucester-Southgate

Matthew Pearson & Carys Mills, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: August 20, 2014, Last Updated: August 20, 2014 6:04 PM EDT

It’s been almost 20 years since Diane Deans won her first municipal election.

The Gloucester-Southgate councillor was first elected in November 1994, and has been re-elected in five consecutive elections.

Deans took 48 per cent of the vote in 2010, when she handily beat three opponents.

This fall, the chair of the transit commission will probably face at least five challengers (people have until Sept. 12 to enter the race).

Encouraging youth involvement in politics is one of the reasons Mohamed Roble, 29, says he’s running for council.

Roble said he generally wants to get people more involved because the ward had the second-lowest voter turnout, at 40 per cent, in the last municipal election.

“I think there’s a lack of civic engagement in our community, and I think it’s because city council isn’t really reflective and engaging,” he said.

He wants city council to be more representative of the community in terms of age, background and experience.

“Ottawa South is quite diverse and I think city council isn’t very reflective of the diversity of people, it’s not representative,” Roble said.

He’s lived in Ottawa for 20 years since his family moved from Somalia, with much of the time spent in Ottawa South, where he now lives.

The University of Ottawa graduate said he’s been working in international development and has been a reserve medic in the Canadian Forces for seven years.

One of his top priorities is improving community safety. Citing Ottawa police statistics that show 43 per cent of ward residents feel safe walking alone at night compared to a 60 per cent average across the city, Roble said improvements could be made if there were increased collaborations between the police and community groups.

Residents have also told him they’re concerned about drinking and surface water being contaminated because TransCanada’s proposed pipeline would run through the area.

Brad Pye, 39, said he wants to be on city council because “there are so many issues.”

“In our community alone, just speaking for Ward 10, there are huge issues with crime,” he said, adding that years ago he held a community meeting in his living room to talk about shootings, drug trade and other crimes.

Pye, who previously worked in international development and just recently finished his Bachelor of Education at the University of Ottawa, said there needs to be increased police presence on the ground in the area, which would require more funding.

“The police are underfunded,” he said, adding he’d need to discuss with Ottawa police how exactly to get more officers in his ward and conduct a holistic review of crime prevention measures, including improving relations within Ottawa Community Housing.

Transportation is also an issue in the ward because it’s not adequate away from the Transitway, Pye said, adding he discovered that when he was commuting to the U of O.

“Unlike most places in Ottawa, we’re a community in transition — we are moving from what traditionally was 20 years ago a suburban community and now we’re moving into the urban core … with that comes new challenges, such as transportation,” said Pye, who ran unsuccessfully in the 2008 federal election for the NDP in Dartmouth-Cole Harbour.

That’s his hometown but he was working overseas at the time and Ottawa has been his home base for about 15 years, he said.

Another registered candidate, George Marko, says he still plans to run, despite being currently “stranded” in Budapest, Hungary.

The 36-year-old travelled there in June to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, but says he was later robbed by three men who brandished knives and stole $5,000 cash.

Marko says he hopes to return to Ottawa by the end of September and “start going hard on the election.”

Meladul Haq Ahmadzai is also registered, though he has twice announced on Twitter that he is pulling out of the race. He’s also made unsubstantiated allegations that Deans and other city councillors are corrupt.

Rodaina Chahrour, who immigrated to Canada in 1996 and is a mother of three, is also registered.

[email protected]
@CarysMills

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news...continue-her-run-in-gloucester-southgate

[waterloowarrior]

Councillor Peter Hume not seeking re-election!
http://blogs.canoe.ca/cityhall/city/peter-hume-not-seeking-re-election/

Who will be next planning committee chair? Jan Harder?

[rocketphish]

Planning chair Peter Hume stepping down

Matthew Pearson, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: August 22, 2014, Last Updated: August 22, 2014 7:26 PM EDT

After 23 years as a city councillor — including more than a decade as chair of the powerful planning committee, Alta Vista Coun. Peter Hume announced late Friday that he is retiring.

In a letter to constituents, Hume said the widespread adoption of email, Twitter and other new forms of social media meant that being councillor had become a 24/7 job.

Hume said he had let work “dominate his life,” had no work/life balance and that lack of balance “wasn’t good for me, wasn’t good for my family, and wasn’t good for the way I interacted with my constituents,” he said.

Hume, 51, was first elected in 1991. He was appointed chair of the planning and environment committee in 2003, and also sits on the finance and economic development committee.

He has also served as the president of the Association of Ontario Municipalities.

The outgoing councillor has spent his entire life in Alta Vista, where he now lives with his wife and daughter.

With Hume out of the race in Alta Vista, all eyes turn to the two other registered candidates: Daher Muse Calin and Hussein Mahmoud.
The Hume file

Current job: Councillor for Alta Vista ward. Chair of city’s planning committee.

Background: Life-long resident of Alta Vista, where he still lives with his wife and daughter. He attended Hawthorne Public School and Canterbury High School before graduating with a degree in economics from Carleton University.

First elected: 1991, as pre-amalgamation councillor for Alta Vista ward. Also served on regional council from 1994 to 2000.

Politics: Red Tory, in the classic sense of the phrase.

Known for: Deep knowledge of planning, garnered from more than a decade as committee chair. Championed new bylaw to govern infill development in mature neighbourhoods and cancer survivors park located in his ward, but opposed the urban boundary expansion. Held contest to encourage residents to cut garbage by offering $1,000 rebate on property tax bill. As head of environment committee, ushered in green-bin organics recycling. Outspoken fan of Lansdowne urban park. Effectively stick-handled sometimes long and complex committee meetings.

[email protected]
mpearson78

[rocketphish]

Peter Clark running for re-election in Rideau-Rockcliffe

Michael Woods, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: August 22, 2014, Last Updated: August 22, 2014 7:11 PM EDT

After months of uncertainty, Coun. Peter Clark has registered to run for re-election in Rideau-Rockcliffe ward.

Clark filed his nomination papers on Friday, but said he decided in June that he would run for re-election. “The longer you wait to register, the shorter the campaign,” he said.

The 76-year-old veteran politician said he wanted to make sure he was physically capable before deciding to seek another term on council.

“I believe that I’ve been effective. I believe that I have, clearly, a lot of experience. And I think I’ve had a positive impact.”

Clark’s challengers are Cam Holmstrom, Jevone Nicholas, Tobi Nussbaum, Sheila Perry and Penny Thompson.

Some of Clark’s challengers in the Oct. 27 election have been campaigning for months. But he said he’s not worried about their head starts.

“People won’t turn their mind to an election until September anyway,” he said.

Clark re-entered elected office in 2010 to Ottawa city council. He was mayor of the Township of Cumberland from 1980 to 1989, and chair of the regional municipality of Ottawa-Carleton from 1991 to 1997, prior to amalgamation.

Clark said his main priority, among others, is to give more teeth to the city’s heritage conservation by-laws.

[email protected]
twitter.com/michaelrwoods

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/peter-clark-running-for-re-election-in-rideau-rockcliffe

[rocketphish]

Peter Hume's retirement bombshell leaves hole in planning, Alta Vista race

Joanne Chianello, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: August 23, 2014, Last Updated: August 23, 2014 1:28 PM EDT

Peter Hume’s two-decade-long city council career started and ended with Lansdowne Park.

When Ottawa city council wanted to demolish the Aberdeen Pavilion in 1991 because it was deemed too expensive to fix up, Alta Vista’s newly minted councillor teamed up with another rookie councillor — it was Jim Watson — to help lead the fight to save the heritage building.

More than 20 years later, Hume was part of the official opening of the 18-acre urban park at Lansdowne just last week. Of course almost anything that gets done at City Hall is a team effort, but Hume more than anyone was responsible for making the public park a reality, for pushing for an international design competition to plan the new public space, for establishing a design panel for the entire Lansdowne Park redevelopment.

There have been many ups and downs in the intervening 23 years. But even if you didn’t agree with everything Hume did — and what two-decade politician can boast universal approval? — it’s hard not to be happy for Hume that he leaves city politics on something of a high note.

Hume shocked his community and many City Hall insiders when he announced in a letter to his constituents Friday afternoon that he was retiring in order to restore some balance to his life. Even Watson said he was “surprised and really saddened” when Hume gave him a head’s-up about the news.
Related

The longtime councillor hasn’t said publicly what he will do next, but in his letter Hume cited the 24/7 demands on his time as a key reason for moving on. Being a councillor is (or at least should be) an extremely demanding job, which has been made more demanding with smart phones and Twitter and other social meeting requiring constant attention.

“It was clear I had let my work dominate my life,” wrote Hume. “That lack of balance wasn’t good for me, it wasn’t good for my family, it wasn’t good for the way I interacted with my constituents.”

But Hume isn’t just a veteran councillor. For more than a decade he’s been the chair of the planning committee during one of the most tumultuous times in the city’s history as we try to embrace (and often fight) intensification. That resulted in Hume being criticized by all sides: residents, developers, the media. (I was always underwhelmed by the planning summit, a much-hyped affair that resulted in business as usual.)

As a skilled politician, though, he was able to get things done, from bringing in an organics recycling program (the environment file used to be attached to planning) to fighting the urban boundary expansion.

But nothing is ever tidy in politics. The green-bin program has been plagued by a poorly negotiated contract, while winning over enough of his council colleagues’ votes to freeze the urban boundary necessitated some backroom politics that caused much grumbling. (The city also lost an appeal to the urban boundary decision.)

No wonder Hume is exhausted.

On a personal note, I always appreciated the many hours Hume spent explaining the complexities of planning documents and legislation, not to mention the mysterious ways of the Ontario Municipal Board. Other reporters relate similar stories of Hume’s generosity in that way. And while many people didn’t agree with his decisions as the planning chair, Hume never lost his cool no matter what people were screaming at him.

It’s probably best, though, that Hume moves on. Twenty-three years is a long time in the same job. After a while, you accumulate too much political baggage — it must weigh a ton.

Hume’s departure leaves a big hole on council. The planning committee is by far the most technically challenging. Hume was well-versed in the policies, and most people expected him to remain the chair of the powerful committee. The political jockeying for his job has surely already begun.

And the sudden withdrawal from the Alta Vista race means that ward is completely up for grabs. Hume was assumed to be a shoo-in for re-election, so there are just two not-very-organized candidates currently nominated. Leaving his surprise retirement this late in the election campaign throws the local race into disarray.

But what happens in Alta Vista ward is somebody else’s problem now. And that must be a huge relief to Hume who, in retrospect, has been feeling the wearying pressure of the job for some time.

At the start of this term of council, Hume was asked by the Citizen what would be the death of him, and what he’d like on his tombstone.

“E-mail,” he replied. For his epitaph,”Peter Hume is no longer in the office and cannot respond to your e-mail.”

[email protected]
twitter.com/jchianello

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/0823-col-chianello

[rocketphish]

Peter Hume throws support behind Jean Cloutier in Alta Vista

Matthew Pearson, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: August 25, 2014, Last Updated: August 25, 2014 9:58 AM EDT

Fresh from announcing his retirement after 23 years on city council, Alta Vista Coun. Peter Hume announced Monday that he is throwing his support behind Jean Cloutier as a potential replacement.

“After spending 23 years as a municipal councillor, I have a pretty good idea of what the job entails,” Hume said in a statement.

“I also know the job requires someone who cares deeply about residents and their neighbourhoods. Our ward and our city are in transition, and it’s critical to choose the best person to make decisions that directly affect us. I sincerely believe Jean Cloutier is that person.”

Cloutier, according to the statement, has lived in Alta Vista since childhood, has served as president of a community association and has been a “driving force” on the Alta Vista planning group. He also has a background in business and accounting.

Hume is the second council lion to pull out of a ward race after registering and instead choosing to support a successor.

In April, longtime Somerset Coun. Diane Holmes announced she was stepping aside and supporting Catherine McKenney.

Daher Muse Calin and Hussein Mahmoud are also registered as candidates in Alta Vista.

[email protected]
mpearson78

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news...pport-behind-jean-cloutier-in-alta-vista

[rocketphish]

Rick Chiarelli registers for re-election

Carys Mills, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: August 29, 2014, Last Updated: August 29, 2014 6:27 PM EDT

A familiar face joined the four other people running to be councillor in College ward on Friday.

Incumbent Rick Chiarelli, who was first elected to Ottawa city council in 2000, filed his nomination paperwork two weeks ahead of the deadline.

Chiarelli, who was also a councillor and school trustee in the former city of Nepean, joins four other candidates vying to replace him: Guy Annable, Craig MacAulay, Scott Andrew McLarens and Basil Swedani.

The municipal election will be held on Oct. 27. Candidates have until Sept. 12 to file their paperwork or withdraw from the race.

Election signs started going up in Ottawa on Thursday, as it was the first day signs could go on private property. They can’t go on public property until Sept. 27.

[email protected]
twitter.com/CarysMills

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/rick-chiarelli-registers-for-re-election

[Schattenjager]

Candidates make their pitches for city council

OBJ Staff
Published on September 04, 2014

On Thursday, Aug. 28, OBJ issued an open invitation to all candidates in the upcoming municipal election to answer one simple question: Why should the business community vote for you?

As the responses come in, one will be published online each day, and be included in our daily email newsletter. Send your response to [email protected].

Today's submission comes from Thomas McVeigh, candidate in Somerset Ward

**************

I'll start by thanking the Ottawa Business Journal for providing a forum to discuss the election through the lens of businesses.

I am running for the open council seat in Somerset Ward. Between our downtown office area, Elgin St., Bank St., Somerset St., Sparks St., Elgin St., along with secondary shopping areas along Gladstone, Rochester, and City Centre, we have a huge number of small businesses, and are also home to some of large corporate presences such as Adobe and Shopify.

A thriving business climate is crucial to our ward. Not just for the businesses. They are crucial to our economy and to create jobs for our citizens.

They provide the services and shops that make our community liveable and walkable.

I've made a choice to work for small business my entire career. I've lived the challenges of covering payroll, rent, government remittances and growing a business for over twenty years.

I am currently the General Manager for Absinthe on Wellington West, one of Ottawa's very best restaurants.

I enjoy building communities and that includes the businesses I've worked for. It's what we do in business.

I joined the race in large part because I saw that the business community in Somerset Ward was not being served well by our current councillor.

Working in the Wellington West area, and being on the board for the Wellington West BIA, I've contrasted the commitment that Katherine Hobbs has shown to building up the small business community in her ward, and I've found our current councillor for my ward at city hall lacking.

A small example; she has never to my knowledge shown up for the opening of a business.

That cannot go on. I commit that if there is any help a business needs I will do everything in my power to help.

Helping with permits, speaking up for patio permits, being pro-active and giving helpful advice to BIA's is part of it, and promoting and vocally championing our businesses is important, no doubt about it. These are the basics that need to be done.

Somerset Ward also needs a councillor who will start pushing developers to create the kinds of spaces for business that are missing.

Large floorplates for anchor tenants like Holt Renfrew that attract independent boutiques and support stores like tailors and shoe repair stores. And Holt Renfrew left in part because they couldn't get the store size that they wanted in Ottawa.

This story has been told over and over. Businesses that want to come to Ottawa and can't because we don't have the space that they need. H&M had wanted into Ottawa for years, and settled for space in the suburbs instead of a downtown flagship.

We also need a councillor who will see the need for the retention of semi industrial space like City Centre that can work as incubators.

Who sees the benefit of more shared workspaces like Hub Ottawa and Invest Ottawa, and short term office spaces for nimble high tech startups.

Who will allow businesses to grow in out of the way corners where rent is cheap, and ideas can be tested without bankrupting young entrepreneurs.

Elgin St. needs a councillor who will guide the street towards creating a BIA so that when the street is rebuilt in the next term, the businesses will have a say in how it works and looks.

And most importantly, we need a councillor who sees the increasing density of an urban ward as an amenity, one that brings with it more liveliness to the streets, more opportunities for it's business people, and more jobs for it's citizens.

Corporate HQ's need to be able to show potential employees, people who are talented and who can live anywhere in the world, that Ottawa is the kind of place you will choose when the world is literally your oyster.

We have art galleries. We have music and museums. We are creating things like the Eco-District and The Islands redevelopment at Chaudiere that are putting us at the forefront of ecologically sensitive urbanism.

We are becoming one of the cool places to live in the world. We have potential. Let's realize it! Help elect me to be the councillor that the business community in Somerset Ward needs.
Thomas McVeighA Voice for Ottawa's Urban Core ~ Une voix pour le noyau urbain d'Ottawacontact: email :[email protected] twitter : @McVeighWard14 Cell : 613 863 8466

http://www.obj.ca/Local/City-Hall/2014-0...es-make-their-pitches-for-city-council/1

[waterloowarrior]

Maria McRae retiring
http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/0906-councillor

[rocketphish]

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

Maria McRae retiring
http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/0906-councillor

Ottawa's Coun. Maria McRae announces retirement
Joanne Chianello, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: September 5, 2014Last Updated: September 5, 2014 6:56 PM EDT

Coun. Maria McRae has announced that she will not run for re-election after 11 years of representing River Ward at City Hall.

She becomes the second veteran councillor in as many weeks to surprise constituents — and the city — with a retirement announcement. In late August, Alta Vista ward Coun. Peter Hume also declared that he had decided to retire from municipal politics.

Both councillors will continue to represent their wards until Dec. 1, when their newly elected replacements are sworn in.

In a letter she emailed to her constituents early Friday evening, McRae described her decision not to seek re-election as “very difficult.”

McRae, 48, gave Mayor Jim Watson his due — “it has been my great pleasure to work with him” she said — and thanked the community, friends and her family for their support, adding she was “grateful for the hard work and dedication of city staff, whose tireless efforts help build this great city.”

She reserved her most heartfelt thanks for her husband, Paul McRae “who is always by my side and whose support has allowed me to best serve you.”

During past terms of office, McRae was the chair of the board of Ottawa Community Housing and of the transportation committee, but is better known for her recent position as chair of the environment committee. Notably, McRae called for the audit to the green-bin Orgaworld contract, which eventually resulted in a report damning city staff for not undertaking the proper due diligence when negotiating the agreement. Ottawa’s auditor general, Ken Hughes, found the controversial green-bin recycling contract cost the city more than $7 million in unnecessary expenses.

As environment chair, the River ward councillor also oversaw the move to bi-weekly garbage — which continues to anger some residents — while increasing weekly green-bin pick up to once a week.

Because the Airport Parkway footbridge is in River ward, that fiasco also fell under McRae’s watch. It was the councillor who initially told the city manager that the bridge was delayed. And it was McRae who called for a third-party review of the project, which resulted in a scathing report that detailed the poor management oversight of the bridge.

With McRae’s resignation, there are now six wards where no incumbent is running for re-election.

The McRae file

Current job: Councillor for River ward. Chair of city’s environment committee.

Background: Born and raised in Sudbury. BA in biology from Laurentian University and a law degree from the University of Western Ontario. She lives with her husband in the Hunt Club community. Before running for office, she worked with former River ward councillor Wendy Stewart.

First elected: 2003

Politics: Centrist

Known for: An attention to detail on the files under her watch, and pointed questioning of city staff. Called for the audit of the Orgaworld contract. Ushered in biweekly garbage collection (as well as weekly green-bin pick-up). Championed increased recycling, solar panels on city facilities and Ottawa River clean-up. Bore the brunt of the local complaints over the long delays in completing the Airport Parkway cycling-and-pedestrian bridge, although she was the first to alert city’s senior management to the delays and called for an independent review of the project.

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/0906-councillor

.

[Cre47]

Is it O'Brien's former staffer that is running in River Ward or it's another Mike Patton? Before Chiarelli officially mentionning he was running again in College Ward, I was thinking a clash between Patton and Rick Chiarelli for the Ottawa West-Nepean riding next year in which Baird decide to leave that riding for the new riding of Nepean because of the fact Baird would have likely lost if not changing riding.

Meanwhile still two of the Kanata wards which only has the incumbent registered.

[TransitZilla]

Originally Posted by Cre47

Is it O'Brien's former staffer that is running in River Ward or it's another Mike Patton?

Yes, the same guy. Sadly his competition appears to be quite weak.

[Cre47]

While it would be awesome to see Mitic in the Council Table, I'm not looking forward for Patton and Sherring for sure.

I would like to see Deans ousted, because she had a very terrible term as Chair of the Transit Commission and all the fiasco regarding bus fleet (double deckers), massive service cuts, negligence on serving employment areas, etc.

Meanwhile Egli and Qadri have opponents now, so only Hubley is left unopposed. Come on, someone in Kanata South. This is a ward with a lot of planning, transportation and transit issues.

Mayor's race has now 7 candidates