Spencer Radford
"Build infrastructure right, and build it right the first time. Housing is incredibly important, but we cannot just build housing without making sure our infrastructure is adequate.
Along with infrastructure, ensuring that the city puts a lot of thought into increasing the number of trees for shade, cooling, and because we should be caring for our planet. "
Theresa Kavanagh
"Climate change means we need to make our city’s infrastructure far more resilient against the impacts of increasingly frequent severe weather events. I have long advocated for greater investment to repair or replace aging stormwater and sewer infrastructure in Ottawa’s older neighbourhoods, including many in Bay Ward. In the aftermath of the Canada Day storm this year, I brought an inquiry to City Council to explore supports available for tenants of multi-residential buildings in the aftermath of extreme weather events, and I worked with other Councillors in impacted wards to demand a thorough investigation of the storm and its impacts, including recommendations for improving stormwater infrastructure to make our city more resilient to extreme weather events. We need to use every tool at our disposal to protect residents, and to mitigate the impact of severe weather events.
This includes:
- Expanding existing programs like the Residential Protective Plumbing Program, Compassionate Grant, and Rain Ready;
- Expanding the City’s AC pilot to get affordable cooling options in the homes of vulnerable residents;
- Partnering with organizations to improve education, emergency preparedness, and community support; and
- Making efforts to preserve and expand the City’s tree canopy, preserving green space, and investing in urban design initiatives like “sponge parks”, permeable parking lots, and other sustainable ways to mitigate the impacts of flooding and heavy rain."