Ottawa Area All Candidates Debates!

The federal elections are just under four weeks away.

We know that the federal election is a vital opportunity to get candidates from all parties to voice their positions on important issues affecting the city. However, there are nine ridings in Ottawa, and you have a chance to ask all of these candidates questions on important environmental issues. We need your help to make sure our environmental priorities are front and centre in all nine ridings in Ottawa.

We are working to compile a list of debates in ridings across the city (below), and have prepared key questions on our issues of focus. You are invited to attend debates in your riding and ask these questions to your riding’s candidates.

This is the perfect occasion to meet your candidates, listen to them and ask them some questions about important environmental issues.

Get out there, ask the questions that matter, and make it happen! You can also write a short summary of what happened, what questions were asked, which candidates were present, and e-mail it back to us.

If you plan on attending an all-candidates' debate, let us know by emailing us!

Here are some questions on these important issues that you can use and ask your candidates at these debates:

According to the CBC show The Current, climate change is the number two concern of Canadians in this election. The current government has gone backwards on climate change. What will your party do to help Canadian cities move to renewable energy and increase their energy efficiency; and since green energy industries are forecast to be huge (in trillions of dollars) how will you get those jobs in Canadian cities?

We have an infestation of Emerald Ash Borer that is killing Ash trees at an unprecedented rate. The City of Ottawa, our nation's capital, has been hit harder than any other city in the province of Ontario with an Ash tree density of approximately 25%. If elected how would you prioritize funding, on a federal level, to allocate funds to the National Capital Commission, knowing they are cutting thousands of trees but are failing to replace enough of them, while millions others are dying?

There is widespread opposition to the proposed Energy East pipeline proposition across Canada. The project presents a threat to Ottawa's rivers and aquifers, and ultimately undermines Canada's capacity to do its fair share to fight climate change. If elected, what will you do to stop this ill conceived project?

Ottawa’s Light Rail Train project will bring environmental and economic savings, the overall money added to the economy from employment benefits alone could top $3 billion. Phase 1 construction is well under way, but Phase 2 is this city's most important infrastructure priority. What is your party's position in providing the billion dollars in matching funds that the city seeking, and what do you see as a difference between your position and the other parties'?

Urban areas are at risk of flooding when too much of their surface is impermeable through pavement, buildings and other infrastructure. Ottawa is now above that level. What will you do to prevent the kind of downtown flooding we've recently seen in Calgary and Toronto?

Here is a listing of the Debates:

(If you see mistakes in the list, know information on debates that is missing in the list, or know of debates not listed in any of the ridings, please send an e-mail to Estelle so we can correct the situation in a timely manner!)

Carleton

• Saturday, Sept. 26, Manotick Arena, 7PM, 5572 Doctor Leach Dr., Sponsored by the Manotick Village and Community Association

• Monday, Sept 28^th, Stittsville United Church,6:30 PM, 6255 Fernbank Rd., Sponsored by the Stittsville Village Association

• Wednesday, Oct 14^th, Fred Barrett Arena, 8:30 p.m., 3280 Leitrim Rd., Sponsored by the Findlay Creek Community Association

Glengarry – Prescott – Russell

• Nothing yet.

Kanata - Carleton

• Nothing yet.

Nepean

• Sunday, Oct. 4, Westcliffe Community Centre, 7 p.m., 681 Seyton Dr., Hosted by the Westcliffe and Lynwood Village community associations

Ottawa Centre

• Friday Sept, 25^th, National Art Gallery, 6PM to 7PM, LGBTQ debate

• Monday Sept, 28^th, University of Ottawa, 6 :30PM to 8 :30PM

• Tuesday Sept, 29^th, Carleton University, University Centre Room 231, 6:30PM to 7:30PM

• Thursday Oct, 1^st, St. George's Parish, 415 Piccadilly Ave, 7PM (Organized by MPCA, Hampton-Iona Community Group and four other community associations — Wellington Village, Champlain Park, Westboro, and Island Park)

Ottawa-Orléans

• Thursday, Oct 8^th, Shenkman Arts Centre - Centre des Arts Shenkman, 7 :15AM to 9AM, 245 Centrum Boulevard. Breakfast debate.

Ottawa South

• Thursday Oct, 8^th, Hillcrest High School, 1900 Dauphin Rd  at 7pm

Ottawa Vanier

• Tuesday, Oct 6^th, Rockcliffe Park Community Centre, 7:30-9 p.m., 360 Springfield Rd, Hosted by the Rockcliffe Park Community Association

• Wednesday, Oct 7^th, Colonel By Secondary School, 2381 Ogilvie Rd., 7:00-9:00 p.m. Sponsored by the Beacon Hill Community Association.

• Thursday Oct, 8^th, Sandy Hill Community Centre, 7:00-8:30 p.m. Somerset St E. Sponsored by a coalition of communication associations and groups including Action Sandy Hill.

Ottawa West Nepean

• Wednesday, Oct 14^th, 12:00 PM,  doors open at 11:30. Algonquin College in the Students Commons Corner Lounge.

• Friday, Oct 16th, Ben Franklin Place (101 Centrepointe Drive), 6 to 8PM, hosted by Evidence for Democracy.

Others

Together, we can make Ottawa the green capital of Canada.