The race for Ottawa Centre

June 12 is the day that Ontario residents will be heading to the polls to cast their votes for MPP for Ottawa Centre. We asked the area candidates what they would do for Kitchissippi. Here’s what they said in their own words:

 

Rob Dekker, Ontario Conservative candidate for Ottawa Centre

The residents of Kitchissippi face several of the same concerns as other communities where growth is taking place. As the MPP for Ottawa Centre and a member of a PC Government I would partner with the community to ensure that the following are done:

– Ensure Residents and Business Owners can count on having affordable energy. For businesses and homeowners energy one of the highest expenses paid. We need to ensure businesses can afford to stay open and drive economic stability in the area. Homeowners also need to know that there is going to be stability in the cost of energy for their homes.

– Easy to use and fast Transit and transportation, moving people daily to and from work for recreational activities is an expectation in Kitchissippi, a PC government is committed to assisting in transit expansion. The growth of transit will be supported by our government with affordable funding and sound planning.

– Most important for the residents of Kitchissippi, growth and development must be a trilateral conversation where the development is being requested involves the Community, City and Developer to discuss together the application. The appeal process MUST be fixed, but it doesn’t mean throw it away.

These three concerns along with a Section 37 compensation review will be key issues I will work on, on behalf of residents and business owners in Kitchissippi.

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Jennifer McKenzie, Ontario NDP candidate for Ottawa Centre

It has been a pleasure to have served the people of Kitchissippi over the past eight years as your school trustee and as school board chair.

I have worked tirelessly through some very difficult circumstances to secure funding for the rebuild of Broadview Public School. In fact, I will be at the school board today to make sure that the funding that was missing from a recent provincial announcement is secured.

Consultation on Ontario Municipal Board reforms would receive my immediate attention. The OMB has tripled the amount of developable farmland around Ottawa by overruling a city council decision in 2011. The Liberals have been promising reforms for 10 years and nothing has changed.
I would coordinate the next phase of the Ottawa River clean-up with municipal and federal partners to ensure that our impact on the environment is reduced and make sure that we have sustainable practices in Ottawa Centre and across the province.

There has been a lot of waste and mismanagement at Queen’s Park in recent years. As your MPP, I will bring the same integrity and commitment to the job so that the needs of Kitchissippi, and indeed all of Ottawa Centre are fully met.

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Yasir Naqvi, Ontario Liberal candidate for Ottawa Centre

I love knocking on doors in Kitchissippi’s vibrant neighbourhoods, and meeting local residents. It lets me hear directly from neighbours about what is important to them and see the positive difference we are making firsthand.

Parents want to make sure we continue investing in their children’s success. Full-day kindergarten, smaller class sizes, and the complete rebuild of Broadview are giving our kids more opportunities to succeed.

Broadview also highlighted the continued needs of local schools. Working with school boards and trustees, I have proposed expanding the use of Education Development Charge so school boards have more flexibility to renovate and rebuild urban schools.

We need to make sure kids walking to school or playing on their street are protected. Lower speed limits are a key part of it. I will work with community associations, neighbours, and others to reduce residential speed limits to 40 km/h and to 30 km/h in school zones to protect our kids and make our streets safer.

And we would protect the Ottawa River. We completed Phase I and committed $65 million in our budget for Phase II. The Conservatives and NDP did not include any funding for the Ottawa River in their platforms. A Liberal government will get the job done to clean up and protect the river.

I hope that with your support on June 12, we can build on our achievements and keep building a better community together.

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Kevin O’Donnell, Ontario Green Party candidate for Ottawa Centre

Let me set aside the Green Party’s provincial platform of “Jobs, Kids and the Environment” for a moment. I have one specific goal for Kitchissippi – slowing down traffic on our local streets. My goal is to lower the default speed limit on local, residential streets in Ontario to 30km/h. Instead of having to beg City Hall for traffic calming measures, one at a time, year after year, a 30km/h limit will make streets safer for everyone.

Sadly a lower limit won’t work on its own. Adequate enforcement is always an issue. To ensure compliance I would also empower cities to use photo-radar to enforce the 30km/h residential limit. Discreet and mobile photo-radar stations will be effective in catching the dangerous drivers who put the rest of us in danger.

I expect some readers will balk at a politician mentioning “photo-radar”. But I simply have no patience left for drivers who put other drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists at risk by speeding. Our local streets are for everyone. It’s time to take them back and make them safe.

It’s time for a safe 30km/h speed limit on our local, residential streets. I hope you will consider voting Green on election day.

Have you ever watched a child bike on the street in front of their home and wondered “is that safe?”

Is there any reason cars for cars to go 50km/h on the last 200m of a trip home from work? I say no. I would rather slow this traffic down and make streets safer for everyone, everyday, year around.

 

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