Michael Tay
"We need to protect the mature trees we already have while significantly expanding our tree canopy.
One-size-fits-all approaches to tree planting do not work everywhere. In dense neighbourhoods like Centretown, many properties have very small front and back yards, less open soil and significant competition for space. The City needs planting strategies designed for those realities.
That means considering trees when we rebuild streets, sidewalks and public spaces, identifying opportunities on City property, and ensuring new development includes appropriate space for trees and landscaping.
Planting trees is also only the beginning. They need appropriate soil, watering, maintenance and protection so that they survive long enough to become mature trees.
Neighbourhoods with lower canopy coverage should receive particular attention. Trees provide shade, manage stormwater, improve air quality and make our streets and public spaces much more comfortable places to live."
Dillon Anderson
"Preserving and expanding Ottawa’s tree canopy—particularly in dense inner-city areas like Somerset Ward, which historically records some of the lowest canopy coverage in the city—is vital for mitigating the urban heat island effect, managing stormwater, and maintaining neighborhood livability. Achieving Ottawa's long-term goal of a 40% urban canopy cover requires shifting from reactive maintenance to proactive, equity-informed strategies: Enforcing Stronger Protection Bylaws: We must rigorously enforce and strengthen tree protection bylaws to prevent the unnecessary removal of mature, healthy trees during infill development and construction. Developers must be held accountable for preserving existing canopy on private and public lands alike. Targeted Tree Equity & Proactive Planting: Utilizing tree equity data to prioritize municipal planting resources in low-canopy neighborhoods. In urban wards like Somerset, this means aggressively greening public right-of-ways, parks, and school zones using modern infrastructure techniques—such as enhanced soil cells and permeable surfaces—to ensure urban trees can actually thrive. Expanding Private-Land Partnerships: Because a significant portion of planting potential lies on private property, the City must scale up programs (like Plant Your Place!) that provide free trees, technical guidance, and distribution events to empower residents and property managers to expand the canopy together."
Nicholas Golle
"Ottawa already has a target for expanding its tree canopy, and I will work to make sure we actually meet it.
That means making sure our policies and budgets support the goal, but also paying attention to what is happening on the ground. Residents often see where things are not working long before it shows up in a report, whether that is trees repeatedly dying in a certain location, inadequate maintenance, or a planting approach that simply does not suit the conditions.
I want the City to gather that experience, understand why an intervention is not working, and adapt rather than applying the same solution everywhere.
For me, success is not how many trees we plant. It is whether they survive, grow, and actually contribute to a healthier tree canopy over time."
Ariel Troster
"Push for more funding for the forestry department with a focus on tree planting in urban areas like Chinatown and Bank street with extremely low tree coverage. Invest in more soil cell technology to allow urban trees to thrive. Plant tiny forests along the Trillium pathway."