There isn’t a shortage of changes in politics: A provincial election has just ended. There are threats of U.S. President Donald Trump implementing tariffs on Canada. A federal election is imminent. And it’s only March.
But with so many big headlines in the news, the smaller, more community-based stories sometimes go unnoticed. The Kitchissippi Times caught up with Liberal MP Yasir Naqvi to learn more about what he’s working on for the riding and how he’s feeling going into an uncertain election cycle.
1- Federal transit funds
In a somewhat rare move, the federal government announced in January that it was giving the City of Ottawa $180 million to maintain and upgrade its transit infrastructure fleet.
The announcement made at the LRT Line 2 Coro Italia Station near Preston and Gladstone committed to giving OC Transpo $18 million per year for a decade — though it was tied to building greater density around transit hubs.
“What I keep hearing from constituents is that they want a reliable and affordable public transit system. And so we worked hard in finding funds that would help the City in alleviating their financial pressures,” said Naqvi.
OC Transpo is currently facing a $120 million deficit. While operating costs typically come from the provincial government, Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe launched his ‘Fairness for Ottawa’ campaign in the spring, calling on both government levels for support.
2 – Building more affordable housing
According to 2021 statistics, one in five Ottawa residents lives in affordable housing.
Those numbers are growing as the cost of everything goes up, and the ability to purchase a home becomes more challenging to obtain.
Naqvi said he’s confident that Ottawa Centre is changing how affordable housing is built. Several projects are in the works, including Rochester Heights, 1010 Somerset, and LeBreton Flats.
“Those are all very significant projects taking place because of funding from the federal government,” he said. “But we need to keep building. My big focus has been making federal lands available as quickly as possible to build that housing.”
That’s what was done at Somerset and Preston, where 336 new affordable homes—ranging from studios to four-bedroom suites—are being constructed as Phase 1 of Gladstone Village. Ottawa Community Housing purchased the land from the federal government for $7 million in 2017.
Ottawa is in an affordable housing crisis. What’s made matters worse is the removal of rent control on any new buildings constructed after 2018. January statistics showed the average price to rent an apartment in Ottawa was $2,214 — up $49 from the month before.
Rents ranged from $1,638 for a bachelor to $2,553 monthly for a two-bedroom apartment. A three-bedroom would cost more like $2,618.
3 – The future of Tunney’s Pasture
Today, Tunney’s Pasture is a concrete jungle of Soviet-style office buildings and a whole lot of grey. But in a few decades, the site should hopefully be unrecognizable.
For years, the federal government has long talked about tearing portions of it down to make way for housing and green space, but little action has occurred. That might soon change.
The National Capital Commission unveiled a revamped vision for the site in January. It calls for between 7,000 and 9,000 new housing units, with upwards of 1,800 of them listed as affordable. That’s over double what the initial 2014 plan called for.
The space for federal office workers would also shrink — drastically. A decade ago, there were plans for as many as 25,000 employees. Today, that number is down to 7,600.
“The opportunity is for us to build an inclusive community that is mixed in its profile in terms of market homes, non-profit and affordable homes, not to mention it would be a sustainable community in terms of walkability and use of public transit,” said Naqvi. “The need arises because we don’t need a lot of those buildings anymore to provide important public service.”
The federal government is currently preparing a master plan that will be submitted to the city for zoning approval. The goal is for the first stage of construction to begin in 2026.
4 – Safety concerns
There has been increased crime reported in various parts of Centretown, including Chinatown and Rideau Street. To try to get issues under control, an increased police presence has been added to these areas.
A new police hub has opened in the Rideau Centre, and officers will soon begin patrolling the area on horseback. There have been mixed results. In November, police reported crime was down in the ByWard Market by 4.62 per cent, but noted calls for crime were up 25 per cent on Rideau Street and 24.2 per cent on Nelson Street.
Naqvi said policing is not the only option and is also looking for ways to improve access to social services.
“Recently, I was able to secure $1.3 million for Operation Come Home, which works with youth in the community,” he said. “That will allow for social workers to be out in the community working with youth, finding them housing, and ensuring they have all the support necessary to deal with the challenges they might be facing. But it also then allows for better-enhanced community safety.”
5 – The future of the Liberal Party
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resigned as leader of the Liberal Party after calls for his resignation came from within his own party. But one of his fiercest supporters right until the end was Naqvi, who believed he should have stayed and fought.
“I mean, hindsight is always always 2020. I stand with my perspective that Prime Minister Trudeau served our country well through some significant crises, whether it was dealing with the first Donald Trump administration, making sure the Canadians were safe through the pandemic, or building an enhanced social safety net across the country,” said the Ottawa Centre Liberal MP. “But I also know that no leader stays forever.”
The Liberals chose Mark Carney as their new leader on March 9. He won his most support in Ottawa Centre.
Despite strong support for Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives to win a majority, polls show it will become a more competitive race. But it will also be in Ottawa Centre, where Naqvi will be going up against NDP candidate Joel Harden, who until recently served as MPP.
Sound familiar? The two faced off together in 2018 when Harden beat Naqvi for a spot at Queen’s Park.
“It’s a democracy, and the people will decide at the end of the day. My focus is to keep working hard for the people who live in Ottawa Centre,” said Naqvi.