Want to know how Ward 4 City Council candidates compare in terms of taking environmental and climate action? Then read on!
Candidates were asked to answer 10 questions to answer in their own words.
The devil is in the details. We HIGHLY recommend reading each candidate's full answers below, organized by question, to get a real understanding of how committed candidates are to a range of environmental issues.
Responded (3/3): Cathy Curry, James Murchison, Rob Millan
“No councillor alone does this. However, getting the LRT to Kanata will be one of my top three transit priorities for Kanata North. One is the commitment to getting the train to Hazeldean. The other is to get Bus-Rapid Transit up March Road fully funded and construction started. The other is to get On-Demand Bussing to Kanata North.”
"By pushing for as many transit priority measures as possible. Bus lanes, bus bulbouts, priority signals. These are very inexpensive and highly effective measures to implement.
We also need to procure new buses at a steady rate, rather than single large purchases that put us into situations where we don't have enough buses."
"Reliability comes first. OC Transpo should publish route-level cancellation and on-time performance, set clear service standards, and require corrective plans for routes that consistently fall short.
In Kanata North, I support better bus connections to major employment areas and the rapid-transit network, advancing the March Road/Kanata North BRT corridor, and a realistic path to Stage 3 LRT as funding allows. Affordability matters, but fare policy should be considered together with service levels and the operating budget, not in isolation."
“I will continue to get our sidewalks repaired, get missing links completed, and focus on getting the Beachburg rail corridor project completed. Those three things will help with active transportation considerably. I will also continue to support the Ottawa Mountain Biking Association who do really important work in South March Highlands.”
"To increase walking, we need more places that people can walk to. I support mixed use development, corner stores, and building the necessary density to support them.
We need traffic calming on our local streets and bike lanes on our busier streets to make it safe for people to bike where they want to go. Build the missing links so there's a complete network. If even a small portion of someone's trip is along a dangerous road, that's enough to make them not even consider"
“Use collision and demand data to close the most important network gaps, connect routes to schools, transit and employment, and maintain them year-round. New road and renewal projects should consider safe walking, cycling and accessibility from the start, while reflecting the actual context of each corridor. Progress should be reported publicly against the Transportation Master Plan.”
"Staff have told us that it does not need to be expanded. We voted against it. If the Province changes the population projection numbers again, we will have to look at this again. However, there is so much we can do to increase the number of housing units with the land we already have. Overall, my perspective is that we don't need to expand it again. That said, we will likely be forced to."
"There's plenty enough land within the existing urban boundary to handle Ottawa's growth. In fact, I believe we could absorb all the growth within the existing built up area without expanding any further into the forest, wetland, and farmland that was already added to the urban boundary. Tewin comes to mind."
"I do not support treating the urban boundary as an ideological yes-or-no question. Ottawa should use existing serviced land efficiently and add density where infrastructure can support it, but boundary expansion should remain available where population growth and land-supply analysis show it is needed.
Any expansion should be tested against water, sewer, road and transit capacity and its full lifecycle cost. Growth should pay for the infrastructure it requires, and expansion should avoid unnecessary loss of valuable farmland and natural areas."
"We have increased the budget and narrowed our focus on climate resiliency. I am supportive of both of these things. Given the recent flooding in Beaverbrook, it is even more important now that we don't build on our storm water management lands that are the 40% agreement lands. This decision to keep this greenspace in such a rocky landscape was very important. The amount of water already low-lying in Kanata North makes the risk of flooding significant when we alter drainage at all. Also, we need to make sure there is money in the budget to harden even more infrastructure and ensure our Emergency Management Plan continues to be reviewed frequently."
"I don't think there's much the municipal government can do about wildfire smoke, but I'm open to hearing any suggestions.
As for flooding, we need to invest in our aging and underbuilt storm water infrastructure. The city has repeatedly deferred renewal in our underground infrastructure. We also need to look into other methods of managing stormwater like permeable surfaces, daylighting buried creeks, bioswales, etc.
For extreme heat, we need to plant more trees. We need to reduce the number of surface parking lots, narrow roadways. We need to keep outdoor pools open longer. "
"For Kanata North, flooding and stormwater resilience are a major priority. I support an independent review of flood risks, updated rainfall and design assumptions, and capital planning for major storm events where the risk justifies it.
The City should also use tree canopy, cooling and clean-air spaces, and emergency planning to manage heat, smoke and severe weather. Resilience spending should be prioritized by risk and lifecycle cost."
"My newsletter is a great way for me to let residents know about the various tree planting programs and information the City has. I will continue to work with the Community Associations to support their tree planting and preservation programs. Kanata's tree canopy seems high, but it doesn't meet the 40% target. I will continue to work with staff and the community to find even more areas where trees can be planted. The 40% greenspace/golflands are a great spot to plant thousands of more trees!"
"The city owns much of the land between the roadway and people's homes. But planting trees in this city-owned right of way is only done by request of the adjacent homeowner. The city needs to assert ownership of it's own land and plant trees wherever it deems they're needed. It's city land."
"Protect healthy mature trees where feasible, require meaningful replacement when trees are removed, and stop measuring success by planting counts alone. New trees need appropriate species selection, soil, watering and maintenance if they are actually going to survive.
I support expanding canopy where it is weakest while balancing tree protection with housing, transportation and infrastructure needs. Canopy and survival rates should be measured and reported by ward."
"I continue to help get information to residents on how to recycle. I want to see more recycling options in our parks and our City buildings. I will continue to support the City's and businesses' "take it back" programs and the "repair cafes" that have proven to be helpful. I would like to see more hazardous waste days or a dedicated place that people can go anytime to drop off the hazardous waste in multiple locations across the City. I would also like to see the dog waste bins in more helpful locations. I think the City can do more with the school boards to produce videos that students can watch that would encourage them to be leaders within their families to promote the circular economy."
"Since the province took over recycling responsibilities from the city, I assume the city now owns some excess capacity in recycling capabilities. If this is the case it should be fairly simple to use that capacity to recycle other items not currently collected, for example textiles.
That said, it's now possible to divert so much waste through our existing systems, but residents aren't fully using them. The city definitely needs to educate people on what can be recycled, even if it's no longer their responsibility. And there's also room for some 'carrot and stick' approaches to encourage people to use the services provided. It's still far too easy to simply throw things into the trash.
And no, I would not support an incinerator. Pumping our waste into the atmosphere is not a solution to any problem."
"Keep increasing diversion, particularly organics and construction and demolition waste, and make reuse easier where it is cost-effective. Ottawa's three-item garbage limit is a reasonable tool, but any future restrictions should be based on measured results rather than symbolism.
For residual waste, I am open to landfill expansion, private capacity or waste-to-energy if a transparent lifecycle analysis shows the best combination of cost, emissions, reliability and environmental impact."
"I think Energy Evolution is a document that needs to be rewritten. It is out of scope and unrealistic. The plan, as it was written and estimated, would require over $50 billion dollars. We have already given Council direction for the City of Ottawa to deal with its own net zero targets and work outward from there. The City of Ottawa is doing that. That should continue. However, we can continue a number of programs that help homeowners reduce their own carbon emissions. Getting more people on transit, see above, is also key. Electric power is another thing to encourage as our grid achieves more capacity. Getting more capacity in our grid is also foundational to support here...which I do! A district energy model in the Tech Park will also make a huge difference."
"The Energy Evolution Strategy is a great plan, but I find the city is very compartmentalized. The climate change people will come up with this plan, only for all the other city departments to keep doing what they've always done.
We need to make sure the various departments are actually working towards this goal. As an example, we're never going to meet these targets if the planning and transportation departments keep approving car dependent suburban sprawl."
"Energy Evolution should be managed like any major long-term program, with clear milestones, accountability, costs and measurable results.
I support working toward Council's emissions targets through measures that deliver practical reductions, including municipal buildings and fleets, better transit, building retrofits and organics diversion.
I would not treat the plan as blank-cheque spending authority. Major measures should disclose expected emissions reductions, lifecycle cost, outside funding and delivery status."
"I will help to support less fossil fuel use by supporting the great work of our city-owned asset, Hydro Ottawa. And, see my answer to the question above."
"This question really leads back into the Energy Evolution strategy question. But apart from that it's really a matter for higher levels of government. We need to continue to advocate to the federal and provincial governments to take these issues seriously."
"Ottawa has already endorsed the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. At the municipal level, I would focus on what City Hall actually controls: its own buildings and fleet, transportation, municipal planning decisions and advocacy to other governments.
I support reducing fossil-fuel use where it is technically and financially practical, while recognizing that the major policy decisions governing fossil-fuel production and energy supply rest with the provincial and federal governments."
"See my work on the Kanata Greenspace file. And, see the important work we are doing with the Ottawa Climate Action Fund in the Kanata North Tech Park and the work with the Ottawa Wildlife Centre to help manage our beaver population better. Preserving our wetlands may get more difficult with the amalgamation of the Conservation Authorities. However, I will be committed to watching the new organization very carefully to ensure our watershed and wetlands are not ignored, misunderstood or neglected given that 9 CAs merged into one and our most precious resources will have fewer eyes on them. Worrisome."
"It's difficult not simply answer "stop sprawl" to every question here, but this is one of those ones that really could use that response. We need to stop eating into our natural habitat's and instead build on existing built up lands and ecologically dead areas like golf courses."
"Ottawa has signed the Montréal Pledge, which contains 15 commitments. I would focus on implementing those commitments through practical municipal tools, including protecting significant natural systems and wetlands, maintaining ecological corridors, managing invasive species, improving tree and greenspace management, and incorporating biodiversity into planning decisions.
Progress should be measured against the actual commitments, with costs and results reported publicly. Where development affects important natural features, avoidance should be considered first, followed by mitigation or compensation where appropriate."
"My newsletter and my regular meetings with the Kanata North Community Associations and community groups is an excellent way to ensure that everyone stays abreast of what is going on and where they can provide feedback or attend consultations. I will continue to do that. Kanata North residents are very active, smart and keen to be involved in ecological issues. I continue to help them to be involved and stay involved."
"There is an untapped resource in our communities when it comes to environmental issues. There are countless people ready to help plant trees, beautify parks, and plant gardens in bulbouts and boulevards if only the city organized it better and gave people the authority to improve their communities. I think many people are too afraid to get in trouble doing work on city land to even consider it. The city needs to do more to support these initiatives and even organize them within the city."
"Engage residents early enough that the result is not already predetermined. Publish the evidence, constraints and realistic options in plain language, make participation available online and in person, and explain what changed as a result.
Community input matters, but consultation should inform Council's decision rather than function as an automatic veto over housing, infrastructure or other citywide needs."
"I think Ecology Ottawa would benefit from following the District Energy Model plans that are shaping up in The Kanata North Tech Park with the help of the Ottawa Climate Action Fund. This will be a huge benefit to our environment and our economic development. Win-Win."
"I'm an environmentalist, but by no means an expert. I'm always open to defer to experts, or lean heavily on data in any decision making."
"Kanata North shows why environmental protection and infrastructure planning cannot be separated. I support growth, but growth has to be matched by roads, transit, sewer, stormwater, parks and pathways.
I also oppose development on the former Kanata Golf and Country Club greenspace and support the land-swap approach as the best available path to preserve it."