Ward 11 – Beacon Hill-Cyrville – Candidate Questionnaire Responses

Ecology Ottawa asked all candidates in the 2014 municipal election a series of questions on important environmental issues.

Complete Streets:

Many Ottawa streets are dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians and too many neighbourhoods lack affordable and convenient public transportation options. Badly designed streets discourage active and healthy lifestyles and limit transportation choices. In 2013, City Council adopted a Complete Streets policy that will put more emphasis on designing streets for all ages, abilities and users (pedestrians, cyclists, and transit users, as well as cars).

Candidate *indicates incumbent If elected, will you commit to prioritizing pedestrian, cycling and affordable public transit infrastructure over automobile infrastructure in meeting the future growth in travel demand in the urban area? If elected, will you work to ensure that all new roads and road renewal projects integrate Complete Streets principles? The City's new transportation master plan increases funding for cycling infrastructure but delays many investments for over 15 years. If elected, will you work to increase the overall level of investment and accelerate the pace of implementation?
Francesca D'Ambrosio  YES  YES  YES
Nicolas Séguin YES - Ensure that the efforts to pursue efficient and safe transportation continues to progress.Offer reduced transit fee to seniors, children and low income patrons.Redesign, build and adapt a bicycle network and pedestrian access in order to allow safe movement in the neighbourhood. YES - Ensure that the efforts to pursue efficient and safe transportation continues to progress.Offer reduced transit fee to seniors, children and low income patrons.Redesign, build and adapt a bicycle network and pedestrian access in order to allow safe movement in the neighbourhood. YES - We all have a role to play in protecting the environnement.  I will make sure the City plays a leadership role towards climate change actions aimed at environnemental issues.
Michel Tardif YES – Always let my city councillor need for this over numerous past years. YES – Once again I must read the full document to determine if it needs changes.  YES – I would attempt to.
Rene Tessier  YES  YES  YES
Tim  Tierney *  YES  YES  YES
Climate Change:

About 75 percent of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions come from activities that occur in cities, and municipalities have direct or indirect control over about half of these emissions. In 2014 the City of Ottawa adopted a new Air Quality and Climate Change Management Plan.

Candidate*indicates incumbent Do you agree that human-induced climate change is an urgent issue and all levels of government have a role to play in helping to reduce community greenhouse gas emissions? If elected, will you push for the full implementation of the City of Ottawa’s Air Quality and Climate Change Management Plan, including items identified in the plan for the 2015 budget? The Air Quality and Climate Change Management Plan establishes the modest goal of reducing Ottawa’s greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent per capita by 2024, but leaves open a lot of space for new initiatives to emerge in the coming years. If elected, will you push for actions aimed at surpassing the current goal?
Francesca D'Ambrosio  YES  YES  YES
Nicolas Séguin YES - We all have a role to play in protecting the environnement.  I will make sure the City plays a leadership role towards climate change actions aimed at environnemental issues. YES - We all have a role to play in protecting the environnement.  I will make sure the City plays a leadership role towards climate change actions aimed at environnemental issues. YES - We all have a role to play in protecting the environnement.  I will make sure the City plays a leadership role towards climate change actions aimed at environnemental issues.
Michel Tardif YES - Education of the public would help in change. YES - All might not be feasible on such a short time span.  YES - The probably would be industry in which is not govern by the city.
Rene Tessier  YES  YES  YES
Tim  Tierney *  YES  YES  YES
Clean Water and Healthy Watersheds:

Every time it rains, a cocktail of contaminants (including bacteria, chemicals, fuels and heavy metals) washes off our streets and runs straight into our rivers and streams via the underground storm-sewer system. Ecology Ottawa wants the City of Ottawa to follow-through on its commitment to develop a Water Environment Strategy that improves stormwater management, invests in green infrastructure, reduces flooding, protects our streams, and makes it safer to swim and fish in our rivers.

Candidate*indicates incumbent The City of Ottawa is developing a Water Environment Strategy that will provide a framework for action to promote clean drinking water, reduce the toxins going into our rivers, and protect communities and streams from flooding associated with severe weather. If elected, will you support the development of a strong strategy and prioritize the investments necessary to realize the strategy’s goals? The April 2014 Ontario Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) instructs planning authorities to promote green infrastructure measures (such as parklands, stormwater systems, wetlands, street trees, urban forests, natural channels, permeable surfaces, and green roofs) in order to reduce costs, protect ecosystems and adapt to extreme weather events. If elected, will you prioritize green infrastructure in addressing the City of Ottawa’s water management needs?   The production of clean water for public consumption has been falling over the past decade in Ottawa (ie., we are using less water). Between 2004 and 2013, the amount of clean water produced and used inside Ottawa fell from over 125,000 million litres to about 100,000 million litres (not including private wells). If elected will you commit to continuing this trend by prioritizing water conservation measures that reduce usage by 3 percent per year?
Francesca D'Ambrosio  YES  YES  YES
Nicolas Séguin  YES - Improve the system of water retention to prevent sewers’ discharges into the river.Maintain high standards of quality drinking water in Ottawa. Recognize the benefits of consuming tap water, rather than bottled thus avoiding excess waste in landfills or extra recycling costs.  YES - Encourage green infrastructure throughout the city to save energy, reduce pollution.Encourage the protection of green space by financially rewarding ($) developers to protect trees and woodlands during development.  YES - Maintain high standards of quality drinking water in Ottawa. Recognize the benefits of consuming tap water, rather than bottled thus avoiding excess waste in landfills or extra recycling costs.
Michel Tardif  YES - I have made a few recommendations on treatment of waste water and drinking water to be cleaner. One was utilizing a plasma discharge in the water to break down all organics which is better than reverse osmosis where the toxins are still intact.  YES - I would like to see a bylaw in place like Vancouver on required parks for each development and green top roofs on buildings.  YES - San Francisco reuses some of its wastewater by treatment of reverse osmosis but believe high voltage discard of treated waste water could be incorporated to recycle our water.
Rene Tessier  YES  YES  YES
Tim  Tierney *  YES  YES  YES - Recognizing that budgets must be adjusted.
Healthy Urban Trees:
Candidate*indicates incumbent  The Emerald Ash Borer infestation is killing millions of trees across Ottawa, including about 25 percent of the trees in the urban area. In response, organizations and individuals, including the City of Ottawa, are coming together to set the collective goal of planting a million trees in our nation’s capital as part of our contribution to Canada's 150 birthday celebration in 2017. If elected, will you support and prioritize investments towards this goal?  The City of Ottawa has announced its intention to develop a new Forest Management Strategy. If elected, will you support the development of a strong strategy and the investments necessary to realize the strategy’s goals? 
Francesca D'Ambrosio  YES  YES
Nicolas Séguin  YES - Encourage the protection of green space by financially rewarding ($) developers to protect trees and woodlands during development.  Replace every tree cut down due to sickness like Emerald Ash Borer.  YES - Encourage green infrastructure throughout the city to save energy, reduce pollution.Encourage the protection of green space by financially rewarding ($) developers to protect trees and woodlands during development. Replace every tree cut down due to sickness like Emerald Ash Borer.
Michel Tardif  YES - I had replanted five trees in my yard including the ash the City of Ottawa replaced. I fully endorse planting of the trees.  YES - Yes but I must determine if the strategy needs strengthening?
Rene Tessier  YES  YES
Tim  Tierney *  YES  YES
 

Proposed Oil Pipeline Threatens Ottawa Water and Communities:

TransCanada wants to move more than a million barrels a day of tar sands oil through the City of Ottawa and across the World Heritage Rideau River on its way to export terminals in eastern Canada. The proposed “Energy East” pipeline puts communities and waterways in danger all along the pipeline route.

Candidate*indicates incumbent Do you think the City of Ottawa should conduct a thorough and independent assessment of the risks and costs that the proposed Energy East pipeline poses to the health of Ottawa's communities and water?  Would you oppose the Energy East Pipeline if it was demonstrated that it threatened the health of Ottawa's water, climate and communities? Should the City of Ottawa intervene in the National Energy Board review of the proposed Energy East pipeline in order to ensure that the interests of the people of Ottawa are well represented? 
Francesca D'Ambrosio  YES  YES  YES - TransCanada wants to move more than a million barrels a day of tar sands oil through the City of Ottawa and across the World Heritage Rideau River on its way to export terminals in eastern Canada. The proposed “Energy East” pipeline puts communities and waterways in danger all along the pipeline route.
Nicolas Séguin  YES - Public safety is a priority. The City should be very careful with assessing risks and cost related to environmental issues. We all have a role to play in protecting the environment.  I will make sure the City plays a leadership role towards climate change actions aimed at environmental issues  YES - Public safety is a priority. The City should be very careful with assessing risks and cost related to environmental issues.  We all have a role to play in protecting the environment.  I will make sure the City plays a leadership role towards climate change actions aimed at environmental issues.  YES - Public safety is a priority. The City should be very careful with assessing risks and cost related to environmental issues. We all have a role to play in protecting the environment.  I will make sure the City plays a leadership role towards climate change actions aimed at environmental issues.
Michel Tardif  YES  YES  YES - By having a non-bias expert third party to ensure we have the right representation.
Rene Tessier  YES  YES  YES
Tim  Tierney *  YES - * NOTE: The federal government has a role to play.  YES - * NOTE: The federal government has a role to play.  YES - * NOTE: The federal government has a role to play.

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