Orléans East-Cumberland: Franklin — We can make Orléans a ‘destination’


Our priorities must change: how we think about the arts, helping our neighbours, and how public transit works.

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The Citizen invited candidates in the Oct. 24 municipal election to share their thoughts:

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I’m hearing it at the doors, on the phone and in emails. Suburban and rural neighbours feel left behind and are wondering why we can’t have nice things. This is why I’ve brought forward a platform that ensures small businesses can thrive and neighbours have access to the vital services they need.

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Much of the infrastructure in Orléans East-Cumberland is aging and not meeting the needs of increasing development. We must prioritize investment to repair the aging infrastructure in Orléans and the many rural communities that surround it. Additionally, we need to make active transit a real option in Orléans. Improved connections to Blair are important for keeping us connected to the rest of Ottawa; however, we also need to prioritize community routes that get us to local shops, restaurants and events. Work-from-home arrangements are here to stay and it’s time we make OC Transpo a service that works for everyone, not just office workers.

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At the same time, we need to make Orléans a destination. Neighbours have asked me why we don’t have thriving areas like Bank Street and Wellington Street West in Orléans. The idea that we can’t have nice things is an understandable misconception. With hard work and bold ideas, we can turn streets like Jeanne d’Arc into thriving areas filled with small businesses and events.

That’s why I’m proposing we shift our priorities from tax cuts for Porsche dealerships to tax cuts and grants for small, locally owned businesses. Above this, working with local event organizers like Spectrasonic and Debaser to bring more events to the east end at venues like the Shenkman Arts Centre allows neighbours to enjoy the arts in their backyard and brings residents from across Ottawa and beyond to Orléans. The economic and quality-of-life benefits pay in dividends when we invest in our local businesses and artists.

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Finally, our neighbours in rural and suburban wards are struggling with a lack of social services. A few weeks ago I talked to a neighbour on ODSP. They told me about how someone they know can’t use the food bank as much as they need because of a lack of transit. Another neighbour who needs medical treatment for addiction is spending an hour and a half on a bus every day to get treatment. I’m proposing the creation of a Veterans Food Bank, mobile options for food banks and increased service availability for food banks, addiction treatment and services to help victims of crime.

How are we going to pay for it? We already do. We spend on all of the issues I’ve mentioned; the problem is we don’t prioritize the community. We give grants and tax cuts to wealthy companies instead of small businesses. We spend plenty on OC Transpo but continue to prioritize the 9-to-5 schedule. We throw money away on incomplete infrastructure instead of completing projects right the first time.

We don’t need big tax increases; we need someone who will fight for the investment that our neighbours need.

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