Jenna Jessop
"I believe Ottawa should focus on making better use of the land we already have within our urban boundary before continuing to expand outward. We need more housing, but where and how we build it matters.
Expanding the boundary comes with long-term costs. New communities need roads, transit, water and sewer infrastructure, emergency services, parks and other City services. At the same time, we already have infrastructure within the existing city that needs significant investment.
Focusing more growth within the existing boundary also does not mean putting high-rise towers everywhere there is available land. We need to be intentional about the type and scale of development we bring into established communities. There are places where greater height and density make sense, particularly around major transit corridors and hubs, but development also needs to fit the surrounding community and be supported by the infrastructure and services available. We can add more housing through a range of options, including low- and mid-rise development, without dramatically changing every established neighbourhood.
I would not treat the urban boundary as something that can never change, but I would set a high bar for further expansion. We should be able to demonstrate that it is actually needed, understand the full infrastructure and financial impacts, and consider what we are losing in farmland and natural areas before expanding farther outward.
Growth is coming, and we need to plan for it. My priority would be thoughtful growth that makes better use of the communities and infrastructure we already have, while making sure new development is appropriate for the places where we put it."
David Purchase
"I don't support expanding Ottawa's urban boundary when we already have enough land inside it to accommodate years of growth.
That doesn't mean I would say the boundary can never change. Ottawa is going to keep growing and we have to plan for that. But before we take more land into the urban area, I want to see that we actually need it and understand what it's going to cost taxpayers to service it.
That part matters to me. Expanding outward can mean extending roads, water, sewers, transit and other City services farther and farther out. I don't think existing taxpayers should be picking up that bill just because someone wants to open up more land for development.
Use the land we already have responsibly first. If the numbers eventually show Ottawa needs more land to handle its growth, then we look at it based on the facts at that time."
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Response in French Provided by the Candidate
"Je ne vois pas pourquoi on devrait agrandir les limites urbaines présentement alors qu'on a déjà assez de terrains pour répondre à la croissance pendant plusieurs années.
Ça ne veut pas dire que les limites ne changeront jamais. Ottawa continue de grandir et il faut être réaliste là-dessus. Mais avant d'aller plus loin, je veux qu'on démontre qu'on a réellement besoin de ces terrains et surtout qu'on sache combien ça va coûter aux contribuables.
Parce qu'un nouveau secteur, ce n'est pas seulement des maisons. Il faut aussi penser aux rues, aux égouts, à l'eau, au transport en commun et aux services que la Ville devra fournir pendant des années. Je ne veux pas transférer ces coûts aux résidents qui paient déjà leurs taxes.
Utilisons d'abord intelligemment l'espace qu'on a. Si un jour les chiffres démontrent qu'on doit agrandir les limites pour répondre à la croissance d'Ottawa, on prendra cette décision avec les faits devant nous."