Kitchissippi MP candidate survey responses
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I'm very pleased to provide the responses the candidates for MP in our riding have submitted below to my candidates survey. I've published these as received from the candidates, editing only for formatting and obvious typos.
1. Traffic congestion in Kitchissippi is becoming untenable, and the resulting cut-through traffic as drivers seek to bypass it is hurting quality of life in our ward. Putting the Prince of Wales bridge into service for transit, cycling and walking is an important part of the solution. How will you work to achieve that?
Carol Clemenhagen (Conservative)
A Conservative government will introduce a Green Transit Tax credit to make public transit more affordable for more people.
To ease traffic congestion and future gridlock, we clearly need interprovincial links that harmonize and facilitate transit. Retrofitting existing structures as well as new options should be on the table. The environmental assessments already completed for LeBreton Flatts could be helpful.
A Conservative government will fund all infrastructure projects approved to date and move forward quickly on others with provincial and municipal partners, prioritizing projects that shorten commute times.
Transparency and openness on infrastructure funding are important. When the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) asked for an accounting and revised Liberal infrastructure spending plan based on the 2018 Budget, PBO found that one did not exist. That was a mistake by the Liberal government.
With a federal and a provincial government burdened by Liberal debt and deficits, a key factor moving forward with a new Conservative government will be securing funding for our local priorities via federal, provincial, municipal collaboration.
The incumbent Liberal member has been absent, silent or unhelpful on local issues like the Château Laurier addition, Tunney’s Pasture re-development for a new Ottawa community, the LeBreton Flats re-development which has the most contaminated soil in the National Capital Region but ignored by the Environment Minister, the new Civic Hospital campus, and the effective governance of the National Capital Commission.
I want to speak up for Ottawa Centre, bringing our diverse community into the priorities that are set and choices made for federal spending proposals.
Angela Keller-Herzog (Green)
As part of our goal that all cities should be transitioning to transport via trains and electric buses, the Green Party platform calls for the development of a national transportation strategy with a goal of reaching zero-carbon public ground transportation everywhere in Canada by 2040.
We support the integration of Ottawa’s transportation network with Gatineau and bridges that will enable light rail transit between the two cities. The option should certainly be kept on the table for the Prince of Wales Bridge to link transit between Ottawa and Gatineau. I would work with the City of Ottawa and the community to promote this option.
The Green Party aims to create a national cycling and walking infrastructure fund to help support zero emissions active transportation. We would work with the cities of Ottawa and Gatineau to fund restoration of the bridge into a safe pedestrian and cycling crossing.
Catherine McKenna (Liberal)
I have committed to advocate for federal support to make the derelict Prince of Wales Bridge safe and accessible for pedestrians and cyclists, providing people with a new option to cross between Ottawa and Gatineau, if re-elected.
Bringing the Prince of Wales Bridge back into service, in partnership with the City of Ottawa and Ontario government, is an important piece of any strategy for transportation infrastructure in the National Capital Region.
The bridge may play a role in a longer term interprovincial light rail transit strategy, but there is a need now for another safe and secure cross-river link to serve pedestrians and cyclists.
People in the National Capital Region live, work and play on both sides of the Ottawa River, and we need public infrastructure to facilitate that. More pedestrians and cyclists mean less people using carbon-emitting vehicles, and this is good for everyone. I delivered on my promise last election to help get the Flora Footbridge built and it has been very positively received by the local communities.
Emilie Taman (NDP)
We have a serious traffic congestion problem in all parts of Kitchissippi Ward, and we need to take immediate steps to resolve it. New Democrats want to see more electrified transit and cycling infrastructure throughout the city. As an MP, I will work with the local community to advocate for a better use of the Prince of Wales bridge than its current state and look into all the options, including using it for transit and rail.
2. On a related note, the setting and enforcement of traffic laws on Island Park Drive is a federal responsibility, as is safe design such as bike lanes and traffic calming. How will you work if elected to calm and slow Island Park Drive traffic, and to ensure the safety of all users of this road with funded measures?
Carol Clemenhagen (Conservative)
The NCC’s responsibility for road arteries like Queen Elizabeth Driveway, Sir John A Macdonald Parkway, Island Park Drive requires it to address traffic, cycling and pedestrian safety with appropriate measures.
When the incumbent Liberal MP was elected in 2015, the only Ottawa-area MP in Cabinet, she should have been asked to oversee the responsibilities of the NCC. She was not.
Like many residents of Ottawa Centre, I want to see the NCC more focused on what residents of our National Capital Region say they want and need, to retain the next generation of our workforce, and to attract the best and the brightest to help our city’s economy grow. Ottawa Centre is falling behind comparable cities of a million people. We need strong federal leadership in our riding, and I promise to bring that to Ottawa Centre.
Angela Keller-Herzog (Green)
An important means of addressing the problems with Island Park Drive would be an integrated transportation strategy for the National Capital Region including better public transit links between Ottawa and Gatineau.
Another means is to look at ways to make this important artery safer for all. “Complete streets”, such those that have served us well on a section of Churchill Avenue and on Main Street, are streets that are designed to provide safe and comfortable access for people of all ages, gender, abilities, and modes of travel – including pedestrians, cyclists, transit users and motorists. To accommodate all users, Complete Streets often include features such as on-road bike lanes, wider sidewalks, protected crossings, trees, storm-water absorbing permeable landscaped areas, and traffic calming measures.
I will work with the National Capital Commission to ensure a sustainable and holistic approach to the many roles it plays in the region, including taking care of arteries such as Island Park Drive. I will work with the city and the NCC to ensure that this busy street complies with the city of Ottawa’s Multimodal Level of Service Guidelines that include provisions for safe cycling and pedestrian crossings.
Catherine McKenna (Liberal)
Traffic on Island Park Drive is difficult for residents and everyone who needs to move around the area at rush hour. The long term solution to the problem will be an integrated transportation strategy for the National Capital Region which will create better public transit links between the two sides of the Ottawa River.
In the short term, I have raised this issue with the National Capital Commission and will continue to press them to take additional measures, working with the RCMP and local residents, to find ways to alleviate the problem that work for everyone - residents and road-users.
Emilie Taman (NDP)
Our neighbours living around Island Park Drive need a local champion, someone who is not afraid to go to bat for them to ensure their streets are kept safe for their families and children. I will listen to the community and work with all municipal and federal enforcement bodies to advocate for better enforcement of traffic laws on Island Park Drive. However the lack of enforcement isn’t simply a question of shifting policy priorities. The RCMP is severely underfunded in the National Capital Region and we need to ensure their traffic enforcement officers have the funding they need to do their jobs.
3. Tunney’s Pasture and 250 Lanark will be re-developed at some point into mixed-use communities. How will you work to ensure that these prime parcels are re-developed with affordable housing, recreation facilities and green space in ways that are environmentally sustainable, and with full continued consultation with the community?
Carol Clemenhagen (Conservative)
The One Planet Living framework is an advanced sustainability vision for new communities. The approach was adopted by the Zibi development, the same framework that was adopted by the Rendez-Vous LeBreton plan. It is an applicable and desirable inspiration for both the Tunney’s Pasture re-development and 250 Lanark.
The incumbent Liberal MP, despite being the only Cabinet Minister for Ottawa, was absent, completely silent on the entire four-year planning for Rendez-vous LeBreton. A laissez-faire attitude, when a federal Minister’s intervention could have salvaged the project, is inexplicable given the significance of the estimated 22,000 jobs and the billions in tax dollars that were lost the day the project collapsed.
As the MP for Ottawa Centre, I will take a leadership role to bring these jobs and infusion of economic development back to Ottawa Centre. This is where the Liberal government failed in Ottawa Centre over the last four years. I promise to bring leadership and oversight on the redevelopment of LeBreton Flats and Tunney’s Pasture.
Angela Keller-Herzog (Green)
The affordable housing crisis is all too real and needs both short and long term actions. Rather than privatizing all these public lands and then having millionaire developers see who can make more money from condos (Lebreton model), we should set aside lands to stay in public trust and invite non-profits and coop housing corporations to put forward proposals for affordable rental housing as part of a larger mixed use design.
One of our greatest opportunities to reduce emissions and slow climate change is by making our homes and buildings more energy efficient. That’s why the Green Party will move us to net-zero emission standards for new construction by 2030 (as well as a massive energy efficiency retrofit of existing buildings).
The federal government should play a leadership role by redeveloping Tunney’s Pasture and 250 Lanark as flagship models of environmentally sustainable communities. These communities should be walkable, be designed for net-zero carbon emissions, and include plenty of affordable housing, as well as a mix of uses from day cares to seniors’ residences, places of employment and retail services.
Catherine McKenna (Liberal)
My role as Member of Parliament is to work collaboratively with all stakeholders to make sure these re-developments serve the needs of everyone, including the residents of Ottawa Centre.
I am in the community and listening to your voices and making sure they are heard where they need to be heard.
These re-developments should be mixed-used and reflect community values for more affordable housing, green space, recreation facilities and sustainability.
During my first term as MP for Ottawa Centre, I worked collaboratively with community groups to successfully enhance social infrastructure projects including the redevelopment of the Tomlinson family clubhouse and the Soloway Jewish community Centre. I look forward to working with stakeholders on the redevelopment of Tunney’s Pasture and 250 Lanark.
Emilie Taman (NDP)
The future plans for Tunney’s pasture and 250 Lanark will have a significant impact to people who live, work and play in Hintonburg, but it feels like the community is being left out of the conversation. During this campaign I have highlighted the need for the community to have a community benefits agreement in place for all development on federal lands, to ensure community needs are taken into account for this development.
This is a standard that we need to see in developments all across the city, especially when we are in a housing crisis. We don’t have the luxury of allowing developments to continue being built in our city without affordable housing, recreation facilities and green space.
4. Will you work with the NCC and Government to stop development plans at Rochester Field?
Carol Clemenhagen (Conservative)
The zoning and permissions concerning building heights, set-backs, entryway and park space were worked out as a compromise and then passed by City Council in February 2018. This seems to have been a reasonable solution.
Angela Keller-Herzog (Green)
The meadow called Rochester Field, an important pathway to the river that allows a view of the river from Richmond Road, has been an integral part of the community for a century.
The agreement between the city and the NCC to have a developer build six-storey buildings in Rochester Field is an example of putting profits ahead of the needs and preferences of the residents and neighbourhoods most affected.
I will work to ensure that no development in Rochester Field takes place without the support of the community and protection of public greenspace.
Catherine McKenna (Liberal)
While conditional zoning has been granted to the NCC by the City of Ottawa, no detailed development plan that could be subject to consultation (a condition for the zoning) has been put forward. I am interested to hear all opinions on the matter and am looking forward to public consultations on a plan for development.
Emilie Taman (NDP)
The agreement between the city and NCC in regards to Rochester Field is one of the many examples in our city where the needs of developers have always outweighed the needs and benefits of the community. We can’t allow this to happen any longer. I will fight to ensure that if any development happens in Rochester Field, that it be done with the full support and consent of the community. We need to keep the valuable green, public space we have in the city and I trust the people in the community to protect it, not large developers.
5. The Sir John A. Macdonald parkway path has, thanks to the efforts of the SJAM Winter Trail group, become an important four-season recreational opportunity. Will you work with the City and NCC to contribute financially to its sustainability?
Carol Clemenhagen (Conservative)
Community associations should be involved in local priority setting for recreation funding choices. Volunteer fund raising often provides the foundation to which eligible grant funding from applicable funding envelopes can subsequently be attracted. Kitchissippi Newsletter #187, September 21, 2019 anticipates progress on City funding for winter trails in the future.
Angela Keller-Herzog (Green)
Yes, absolutely. Healthy active living is a key component of improving the health of Canadians, reducing healthcare costs as a result, and at the same time helping the environment, because the healthier we are, the more we can walk, cycle, and yes, ski! – to get to work or school.
We are more than a city; we are Canada’s National Capital Region. This region is exceptional in its natural beauty, and at its heart is the Ottawa River. I am passionate about protecting the Ottawa River (more about that below in question 8) and believe the SJAM Winter Trail helps residents and visitors appreciate this stunning and historic waterway right through the winter. Like the Canal and Winterlude, it’s part of sharing our uniqueness with Canadians and the world.
Of course, we need to encourage access to the river in all seasons. I would work with the NCC to invest in better maintenance of our multiuse pathways, some of which are deteriorating – in part, sadly, because of climate effects such as more frequent flooding. We need better pathway conditions for cyclists, including better signage and connections, especially to the new LRT line.
Catherine McKenna (Liberal)
I am a huge supporter and user of the SJAM Winter Trail. I am actively working to secure federal support for the trail.
Emilie Taman (NDP)
Yes. The work of the SJAM Winter Trail group is a gift to the rest of our city that has allowed the parkway to be used all year. Spaces like this should have sustainable funding and I will advocate to ensure it does, along with sustainable funding for many more winter trails.
6. The decision by the NCC to allow the Ottawa Hospital to locate in the eastern portion of the Experimental Farm implies significant traffic impacts on local residents. How will you work to mitigate those including with funding, and to ensure that the Confederation Line 2 is funded to connect to the Carling station to ensure staff and visitors use public transit as much as possible?
Carol Clemenhagen (Conservative)
The Civic Hospital campus is currently set to locate at the site of the former Sir John Carling Building under a 99-year lease, a compromise with the federal government after the incumbent Liberal MP hastily first had it moved to the federal employment campus at Tunney’s Pasture.
Given that the new Civic campus will provide complex, specialized care for patients from Ottawa, eastern Ontario, and the federal health jurisdiction of Nunavut, federal leadership will be needed to see that the hospital is built on time, on budget, with federal cooperation.
The hospital has committed to preserving the natural beauty and unique features of the new site. It has adopted the Ontario Public Engagement Framework (www.ontario.ca/page/public-engagement) to ensure extensive community engagement on planning needs including traffic and transit.
I will play a central role, along with the Civic Hospital Neighbourhood Association, on behalf of the community at-large, in this ongoing community engagement process.
Angela Keller-Herzog (Green)
The Green Party supports improving public transit across Canada and have proposed a permanent, dedicated federal public transit fund of $3.4 billion annually starting in 2028, once the existing transit funding program expires.
A dedicated O-Train station for the new hospital campus is one option. In consultation with local hospital patients, families and staff, connections should be designed to ensure they encourage as many people as possible to use public transit to get there.
Given the new hospital's location on the Experimental Farm, the federal government has a responsibility to do its part in designing traffic calming measures to minimize impacts on nearby neighbourhoods.
Catherine McKenna (Liberal)
In this election, we are committing to $3 billion of extra funding each year to municipalities for public transit. This is on top of the gas tax transfers and in addition to the $28 billion we have already invested in public transit while in government.
Public transit is a key part of our Clean Canada plan to reduce our carbon emissions and, as we are now committing to, bring Canada to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
I will continue to advocate strongly and work collaboratively with municipal leaders to deliver more clean transit, as I did for LRT Phase 2.
Emilie Taman (NDP)
The decision to locate the Ottawa Hospital in the Experimental Farm was made in part by the Federal government and so the Federal government must do its part to ensure there are proper traffic calming measures in place. In addition to better enforcement, I will advocate for funding of additional traffic calming measures so the residents of the neighbourhood know their kids are safe on their streets.
We also need to be advocating for convenient transit options for the hospital workers so that they are not relying on cars to get them into work. An LRT station that leads directly inside the hospital is a great way to ensure those working at the hospital can get to work safely and on time, without having to trek through snow and rain half of the year. We know that proper transit is the best solution and I will advocate for convenient local transit options for the hospital as well as free and electrified transit across our city.
7. Do you support changes in federal policies that would remove the requirement for child-care centres on federally-owned lands such as Tunney’s Pasture to pay market rent?
Carol Clemenhagen (Conservative)
Parental fee subsidies cover some or all of applicable child care fees. The adequacy of existing subsidies should be regularly reviewed over time, in keeping with changing circumstances, to ensure access to child care is protected. Staffing costs are generally the most significant component of a child care centre’s budget.
Angela Keller-Herzog (Green)
Quality affordable child care is a key plank of the Green Party platform. This includes a universal, affordable, early learning and child-care (ELCC) system with an additional billion dollars of funding each year. In that context, it makes no sense for federal workplaces to charge market rent. Having child care in parents’ workplaces increases quality-of-life and helps the environment by reducing commutes and making public transit an option for more families.
Catherine McKenna (Liberal)
Ottawa Centre residents who work in the federal government have spoken to me about the necessity of making sure that there is accessible day-care near their workplaces.
Also, I have strongly advocated of the Garderie Tunney’s file for the best interests of the families who use the daycare.
In our platform, we are proposing measures that help ease the cost of day-care for new families, such as increasing the Canada Child Benefit by 10% for children who are 1 year old and younger and creating 250,000 new spaces in before and after school care, in addition to reducing the cost of those spaces by 10%.
We are also committing to creating a national secretariat that will lay the groundwork for a pan-Canadian child care system.
Emilie Taman (NDP)
Yes, we have an affordable childcare crisis across the country and the Liberals spent the last four years in power offering patchwork approaches that hasn’t made a significant difference to families struggling to find the care they need. We need to give families relief so they can access quality, affordable childcare, and that starts with lowering the costs to child care centres.
8. Initiatives such as the Ottawa River Action Plan and CSST will help significantly reduce the number of days that Westboro Beach is closed each season. What other actions can the federal government take to keep our river clean?
Carol Clemenhagen (Conservative)
The City of Ottawa says it dumped 850 Olympic sized swimming pools of effluent into the Ottawa River in 2017.
The Liberal government contributed $62M for Ottawa’s Combined Sewage Storage Tunnel (CSST). The Province of Ontario matched the federal funding and the City put up $108M. The Combined Sewage Storage Tunnel is thought to hold and prevent about 18 Olympic swimming pools of wastewater from overflowing into the river.
There is vital work to be done with provincial and municipal governments toward sewer and water infrastructure investments that stop untreated sewage dumps into the Ottawa River. This is a top priority in our Conservative plan—A Real Plan to Protect our Environment (arealplan.ca).
A Conservative government will work with provinces and municipalities to bring an end to raw sewage dumps into aquatic ecosystems.
A Conservative government will also incorporate a mitigation and adaptation lens to infrastructure investments recognizing that natural infrastructure like wetlands and natural features leverages the resilience of landscapes, protects water quality and mitigates flood and drought risks.
Angela Keller-Herzog (Green)
Our incumbent MP Catherine McKenna, who is the Minister for the new Impact Assessment Agency, says that Bill C-69 will improve environmental assessment to protect the Ottawa River‘s health. This is false. She has exempted nuclear reactors under 200 MW from Bill C-69. Right now Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) is reviewing proposals to build a “small” experimental reactor at Chalk River, on the Ottawa River and 200 km upstream from Westboro Beach. CNL also plans to build a mega-dump of nuclear waste at Chalk River and bury an old reactor in cement just 100 metres from the river. CNL has received billions of dollars in funding from the Liberal government. And CNL is run by SNC-Lavalin and two American corporations!
The Liberals, like the Conservatives, are too cosy with corporations to be trusted to protect the Ottawa River and the environment. Millions of people in Ontario and Quebec get their drinking water from the Ottawa River. A Green government will not fund new nuclear reactors, will ensure all such projects go through federal impact assessment, and will cancel the radioactive mega-dump at Chalk River. We will instead responsibly manage Canada’s huge nuclear waste legacy and legislate how that must be done to protect people and the earth.
Catherine McKenna (Liberal)
Improving the health of the Ottawa River is a huge priority for me. I have worked closely with partners, including the Ottawa Riverkeeper, over the last four years to protect this incredible natural resource. Here is what has been accomplished:
- Designation of the Ottawa River as a Heritage River;
- A report on sustainability and management of the Ottawa River;
- An investment of $275,000 in citizen science monitoring and protection of the Ottawa River as part of the implementation of the recommendations of the report;
- An investment of $232 million in the CSST.
In 2018 our government banned the use of micro-beads in industrial products. Micro-beads find their way into our waterways and constitute a source of pollution in our fresh water. We also passed Bill C-69, which will improve environmental assessments that will protect the Ottawa River’s health in the planning of industrial projects that might impact the river.
We are going to ban single-use plastics, like micro-beads, end up in our waterways. I have made a commitment locally to ensure that single-use plastics are no longer used in federal workplaces and museums.
To ensure that the Ottawa River and all of Canada’s fresh water is well managed, we are committing to creating a new Canada Water Agency which will work with the provinces and territories, indigenous communities, local authorities and scientists to find the best ways to keep our water safe and clean.
Emilie Taman (NDP)
Ottawa’s freshwater resources are critical for the health and well-being of our ecosystems, our communities, and our local economies. The federal government should implement a national freshwater strategy and work with the city to protect our waterways, including at Westboro Beach. I also think we must reverse the harmful changes brought in by the Conservatives, fully restore navigable waters protections for all of Canada’s lakes and rivers, and invest in research to support freshwater protections.
9. Kitchissippi is a rapidly changing and gentrifying ward. I and others will be watching the election for policies on child care, transit, poverty reduction, housing, food security and climate change in order to build an inclusive, healthy, sustainable community. Is there anything you'd tell Kitchissippi voters specifically about how you'll help achieve progress in these areas?
Carol Clemenhagen (Conservative)
With a federal and a provincial government burdened by Liberal debt and deficits, a key factor moving forward for the new MP for Ottawa Centre will be securing funding for local priorities via federal/provincial/municipal collaboration.
I want Ottawa Centre to have a strong voice in a competent and caring Conservative government. A government that advances health care and climate action, that fosters a strong economy investing in basic research and infrastructure.
For example, going beyond cycling links to build transit links between Ottawa and Gatineau that de-congest road traffic and harmonize transit.
I want to see the NCC more results focused and competent. Starting with its vision for LeBreton Flats which must be one that creates and captures a true sense of place and community for this area near the Parliament buildings, a sense of place worthy of our national capital.
The incumbent Liberal MP was the only Minister for Ottawa yet showed an astounding lack of leadership on the Rendez-vous LeBreton file. Where was she when the anticipated, approximately $5B Rendez-vous LeBreton construction input to our local economy started to unravel?
We need an MP for Ottawa Centre who rallies and demonstrates leadership on local priorities, who stands up for Ottawa Centre.
My focus is this riding. I will seek out residents’ input, meeting frequently with local community associations to engage Ottawa Centre’s broad views on issues that will be helped by strong federal leadership.
I am asking for your vote on October 21.
Angela Keller-Herzog (Green)
Childcare: Canada needs a plan – a road map to affordable child care for all children. A Green government will collaborate with provinces/territories, local communities, Indigenous communities and the child-care sector to ensure that a comprehensive short-, medium- and long-term policy road map – based on the principles of universality, affordability, quality, inclusivity and equity – finally becomes a reality. Canada must dedicate additional resources to making a universal, affordable, early learning and child-care system a reality. It cannot occur without public funding.
Transit: A Green government will develop a national transportation strategy with a goal of reaching zero-carbon public ground transportation everywhere in Canada by 2040. Rail will be the hub, with spokes of light rail and electric bus connections. This includes service to rural and remote communities, since everyone in Canada must have access to reliable transportation options at affordable rates. To get there, Canada needs regulations to shift from gasoline-powered transportation.
• Ban the sale of internal combustion engine passenger vehicles by 2030.
• Exempt new and used electric and zero-emission vehicles from federal sales tax.
• Expand charging stations for electric vehicles, including all parking lots associated with federal facilities.
• Maximize emissions reductions in all transportation through the use of sustainably produced biofuels.
• Create a national cycling and walking infrastructure fund to help support zero emissions active transportation.
Poverty Reduction and Affordable Housing: We must start by recommitting to a vision of Canada as a just society built around a progressive, fair, and compassionate social safety network. Ending poverty is not just about expanding the middle class; we must undertake real structural change to tackle the root causes.
- Eliminating poverty requires systemic action on many fronts with safe secure housing as a fundamental human right at its core.
- Regarding affordable housing, the Green Party will enhance the federal government’s contribution to meeting the housing needs of Canadians through direct investments, changes to tax policies, and lending and granting programs.
- We will institute a national pharmacare program that will help those living in poverty.
- Establish a universal Guaranteed Livable Income program to replace the current array of income supports.
- Establish the federal minimum wage of $15 per hour.
Food Security: 2030 is the deadline for reaching the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals which include food security. Canada is committed to these goals, but has no plan to get there. The Green Party endorses these goals and has a plan.
We support the transition of industrial agriculture systems to regenerative agriculture. Shifting to mostly local, organic production systems for both crops and livestock will reduce climate-changing pollution while increasing the soil’s ability to store carbon and retain productivity in the face of climate change. It will also reduce air pollution and algal blooms in waterways, protect pollinators and workers, increase food safety and create humane conditions for farm animals. And it will restructure food markets to provide farm families with a fair share of the consumer food dollar.
Climate Change: The climate is not an environmental issue; it is the gravest security threat the world has ever seen. The Green Party’s plan sets out clear initiatives to guide all sectors of Canadian society in transitioning to the vibrant, carbon-free economy of the 21st century. The plan targets 60 per cent greenhouse gas reductions (the only party to have targets that would allow Canada to abide by its commitments under the Paris Accord) against 2005 levels by 2030 and zero emissions by 2050.
Components of the Plan include:
• Modernize the east west electricity grid to ensure that renewable energy can be transmitted from one province to another.
• Complete a national building retrofit. Create millions of new, well-paying jobs in the trades by retrofitting every building in Canada.
• End all imports of foreign oil. Use only Canadian fossil fuels and invest in upgraders to turn Canadian solid bitumen into gas, diesel and other products providing jobs in Alberta.
• Prioritize adaptation. Invest significant resources in adaptation measures to protect Canadian resource sectors such as agriculture, fishing and forestry from the ravages of climate change.
The Green’s plan will re-establish Canada as a global leader: a fossil fuel dependent country that plans and successfully executes the end of our dependence on fossil fuels.
Catherine McKenna (Liberal)
Over the last four years, I have worked closely with many community organizations to support their missions and help them better serve residents of Kitchissippi and Ottawa Centre. This work has included:
- Working with local organizations such as the CCOC and Cornerstone on affordable housing, including for projects like women's housing at 373 Princeton, which provides 42 units for safe housing for women in a neighbourhood that is in desperate need of more affordable housing options.
- Supporting funding for the Somerset West Community Health Centre:
- Canada Summer Jobs funding of about $12,000 per year;
- $283,000 for harm reduction strategies; and
- $16,000 for a seniors peer-leadership program in 2017-2018.
- Canada Summer Jobs funding for the Parkdale Food Centre as well as supporting 13: A Social Enterprise and its group of young entrepreneurs.
- Bayview Yards:
- I have committed to work to secure federal support for the expansion of Bayview Yards, if re-elected. Also, I hope to have the opportunity to collaborate with Invest Ottawa and the cleantech sector to promote Ottawa as a world class cleantech hub.
- During my first term as MP for Ottawa Centre, I was happy to see an $8 million investment from the Federal Economic Development Agency of Southern Ontario for new programming and technology at Bayview Yards.
- Frequent visits and work to promote the Parkdale Market.
$220 million has been invested thus far in Ottawa Centre to create or renovate 3000 units of housing as part of our government’s National Housing Strategy, a $55 billion investment over 10 years to create affordable housing across the country.
Policies are important, and I understand how much of an impact government programs have on our lives. In my constituency office, my staff and I meet with constituents who have questions or concerns about policies that are and programs that are affecting their lives.
My office has helped over 2,500 people in Ottawa Centre who may have had an issue with a federal government program. I am especially pleased we have helped ensure many families are receiving their Canada Child Benefit to help pay for nutritious food, school supplies and extracurricular activities. In addition, this year we held a free tax clinic to help dozens of constituents file their taxes.
I fight for the interests that are important to my constituents and I will continue to work hard for Ottawa Centre.
Emilie Taman (NDP)
Kitchissippi is a vibrant and changing community that has come together over the last few years in solidarity and strength with their neighbours. This community cares about one another and what I know you folks need is a local champion who is there, listens and is in it for you. I am proud of the bold policies on child care, housing, transit and so much more that Jagmeet Singh and the NDP is proposing that will have an impact on the most vulnerable amongst our neighbours.
For example, when it comes to transit, we will work with provinces and municipalities to help them build towards fare-free transit to ease commutes, help people make ends meet, and lower emissions.
With respect to tackling poverty in Kitchissippi, we need to enshrine the right to housing in law and starting work now with a goal of ending homelessness in Canada within a decade. We need to build more social housing. Pharmacare, better access to mental health and addictions support will also be core components in my approach to fighting poverty.
We also know healthy, nutritious and culturally appropriate food is absolutely critical for a healthy community and environment. Our city, and Kitchissippi Ward in particular is a leader in food security advocacy with organizations like Parkdale Food Centre and the Parkdale Market bringing good food to the community. We need to ensure organizations that are making healthy food accessible have proper sustainable funding to keep going.
Finally, with respect to climate change, A New Democrat government will declare a climate emergency and put in place ambitious, science-based greenhouse gas reductions targets that will help stabilize the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
With the changes that have happened and that are coming to Kitchissippi, it’s time for Ottawa Centre and this ward to have bold policies that only the NDP are proposing. On October 21st (or before), I hope I can count on your vote.
