2022 provincial election candidate survey

The 2022 provincial election is underway and I'm once again posing a few questions to candidates seeking to represent us as our Member of Provincial Parliament. I've sent the following questions to each of the Green Party of Ontario's candidate Shelby Bertrand, Liberal Party of Ontario's Katie Gibbs, Ontario New Democratic Party's Joel Harden and PC Party of Ontario's Scott Healey. I'm asking them to respond to me by 21h00 on May 23 and I'll publish responses received by the deadline.

1. The discussion is heating up across North America with respect to zoning that limits what can be built in some neighbourhoods to single detached homes. What would be your government’s approach to increased housing density, particularly in neighbourhoods that are in close proximity to light rail?

2. Kitchissippi’s formerly affordable rental housing is being rapidly re-developed in gentrifying neighbourhoods to become out-of-reach to many. What approaches will your government adopt to preserve affordable rental housing in some of Ottawa’s best-served neighbourhoods such as Westboro, Hintonburg and Mechanicsville?

3. What will your government’s approach be to re-using the current Civic Hospital site as the new campus moves to Dow’s Lake?

4. Quickly-intensifying neighbourhoods in the near west of Ottawa will need new schools, and particularly a French public high school. Will you commit to advocating for new schools in LRT-proximate, 15-minute neighbourhoods?

5. Alternative responses to policing for mental health crises are urgently needed. How will your government advocate for and help fund those?

6. Kitchissippi is being rapidly re-developed at a much greater density. What will your government’s approach be to ensuring building standards address climate change?

7. Municipalities are struggling to address building the infrastructure necessary to accomplish true 15-minute neighbourhoods with safe cycling infrastructure and frequent, affordable, convenient transit. How will your government address ensuring people have alternatives to driving on Kitchissippi’s increasingly congested streets contributing to further climate change?

8. Parkdale Food Centre is a model nationally for addressing food insecurity stemming from poverty. How will your government help lessen the burden on PFC of helping people struggling with extremely low incomes?