Ward 13 - Rideau-Rockcliffe

Want to know how Ward 13 City Council candidates compare in terms of taking climate action? Then read on!

1. The YES/NO grid below shows whether candidates agree to commit to a specific environmental action.

2. The devil is in the details. Not all "yes" or "no" answers are equal. We HIGHLY recommend reading the long answers found beneath the grid, to get a real understanding of how committed Candidates are to a range of environmental issues.

*** Candidate Clayton Fitzsimmons did not fill out this survey and have been removed from the table.

Ward 13 - Rideau-Rockcliffe
	Questions	Answers
		Rawlson King	Peter Jan Karwacki	Peter Zanette
1	Will you commit to fully funding and implementing the City of Ottawa’s Energy Evolution Plan?	Yes	Yes	Yes
2	Will you commit to no more extensions of the urban boundary, and support building more 15-minute neighborhoods throughout the City of Ottawa, not just in the urban core?	Yes	Yes	Yes
3	Will you commit to phasing out natural gas infrastructure and prioritize conservation and efficiency over new, renewed or expanded gas infrastructure?	Yes	No	Yes
4	Will you commit to investing in energy efficient housing for lower income communities, and ensuring that the costs of retrofits are not passed down to tenants?	Yes	Yes	Yes
5	Will you commit to prioritizing climate adaptation planning for the city, including measures to protect people, infrastructure and city services, and to ensure that the city's most vulnerable populations are supported during extreme climate events?	Yes	Yes	Yes
6	Will you commit to building a public transit system that is rapid, reliable, affordable and accessible for all users, with proper transit routes within rural, suburban and lower income communities?	Yes	Yes	Yes
7	Will you commit to an active transit network with interconnected and protected bike lanes and multi-use paths City-wide (not just in the downtown core)?	Yes	Yes	Yes
8	Will you support our target for a 40% tree canopy cover per neighborhood and protection of mature trees through the new Tree Protection By-Law?	Yes	Yes	Yes
9	Will you ensure that the City of Ottawa prioritizes the conservation of existing greenspace, as well as biodiversity on both city and privately owned lands by actioning the following: amending the property standards by-law, as well as increasing targets for and allocating more funds towards naturalization?	Yes	No	Yes
10	In addition to improving recycling, will you support ambitiously collecting organic green bin waste for composting in multi-residential buildings as well as curbside, to ensure that Ottawa can avoid replacing the Trail Road landfill site with either a new landfill or an incinerator for residual waste for the foreseeable future?	Yes	Yes	Yes
11	Will you support the introduction of a user pay system for curbside residual waste collection, where residents pay for the bags or containers that they put out for collection, according to the actual level of service that they use?	No	No	Yes
12	If elected, would you intentionally include, and work in partnership with, the Algonquin Anishinaabe people and other Indigenous people in the creation and implementation of environmental policies?	Yes	Yes	Yes
13	Will you commit to developing strategies that bring Ottawans at all diversity intersections together on environmental issues?	Yes	Yes	Yes
	# Yes	12	10	13
	# No	1	3	0

Q1 - Will you commit to fully funding and implementing the City of Ottawa’s Energy Evolution Plan?

Rawlson King

Yes.

Peter Jan Karwacki

Yes. Do we have a climate emergency or not?

Peter Zanette

Yes. It's important to have annual status reports on this plan.

Clayton Fitzsimmons

Did not participate.

Q2 - Will you commit to no more extensions of the urban boundary, and support building more 15-minute neighborhoods throughout the City of Ottawa, not just in the urban core?

Rawlson King

Yes.

Peter Jan Karwacki

Yes. Tewin was folly from its inception.

Peter Zanette

Yes.

Clayton Fitzsimmons

Did not participate.

Q3 - Will you commit to phasing out natural gas infrastructure and prioritize conservation and efficiency over new, renewed or expanded gas infrastructure?

Rawlson King

Yes.

Peter Jan Karwacki

No. We still need gas.

Peter Zanette

Yes. We also must look for other green energy sources.

Clayton Fitzsimmons

Did not participate.

Q4 - Will you commit to investing in energy efficient housing for lower income communities, and ensuring that the costs of retrofits are not passed down to tenants?

Rawlson King

Yes.

Peter Jan Karwacki

Yes. Green policies actually save money.

Peter Zanette

Yes. Rent geared to income.

Clayton Fitzsimmons

Did not participate.

Q5 - Will you commit to prioritizing climate adaptation planning for the city, including measures to protect people, infrastructure and city services, and to ensure that the city's most vulnerable populations are supported during extreme climate events?

Rawlson King

Yes.

Peter Jan Karwacki

Yes. Climate change is leading to more destructive storms.

Peter Zanette

Yes. Everyone is vulnerable. We need hydro and water infrastructure upgrades to sustain this essential service to everyone.

Clayton Fitzsimmons

Did not participate.

Q6 - Will you commit to building a public transit system that is rapid, reliable, affordable and accessible for all users, with proper transit routes within rural, suburban and lower income communities?

Rawlson King

Yes.

Peter Jan Karwacki

Yes. The LRT is a lynchpin in Ottawa's climate action plan.

Peter Zanette

Yes. It took an inquiry to get some answers to the LRT failures. More transparency is essential by the city. Transparency is the beginning of trust.

Clayton Fitzsimmons

Did not participate.

Q7 - Will you commit to an active transit network with interconnected and protected bike lanes and multi-use paths City-wide (not just in the downtown core)?

Rawlson King

Yes.

Peter Jan Karwacki

Yes. More accommodation for bikes.

Peter Zanette

Yes. An expanded safe LRT will resuce the need for additional roads.

Clayton Fitzsimmons

Did not participate.

Q8 - Will you support our target for a 40% tree canopy cover per neighborhood and protection of mature trees through the new Tree Protection By-Law?

Rawlson King

Yes.

Peter Jan Karwacki

Yes. Don't forget the white rooves.

Peter Zanette

Yes. A law that should be enforced with annual audits.

Clayton Fitzsimmons

Did not participate.

Q9 - Will you prioritize the conservation of existing greenspace, as well as biodiversity on both city and privately owned lands by amending the property standards by-law, as well as increasing targets for and allocating more funds towards naturalization?

Rawlson King

Yes.

Peter Jan Karwacki

No. The greenspace is important.

Peter Zanette

Yes. Green space is a healthy space.

Clayton Fitzsimmons

Did not participate.

Q10 - In addition to improving recycling, will you support ambitiously collecting green bin waste in multi-residential buildings and curbside, ensuring Ottawa avoids replacing our landfill site with either a new landfill or an incinerator anytime soon?

Rawlson King

Yes.

Peter Jan Karwacki

Yes. More recycling, reuse, and reduction strategies please.

Peter Zanette

Yes. Education, education, education is key. Every home must see the great reasoning you put forward in the question.

Clayton Fitzsimmons

Did not participate.

Q11 - Will you support the introduction of a user pay system for curbside residual waste collection, where residents pay for the bags or containers that they put out for collection, according to the actual level of service that they use?

Rawlson King

No. The province is still creating regulations to shift Ontario’s existing waste diversion programs to a producer responsibility model. This means producers (the companies that design, create and market products and packaging) will be responsible for managing and paying for the full life-cycle of their products to make recycling easier and more accessible across the province. It will be important to understand the impact of this producer pay model before shifting further costs to taxpayers.

Peter Jan Karwacki

No. Some people need more help with their waste management.

Peter Zanette

Yes. Along with education material on how to recuse curbside pickup.

Clayton Fitzsimmons

Did not participate.

Q12 - If elected, would you intentionally include, and work in partnership with, the Algonquin Anishinaabe people and other Indigenous people in the creation and implementation of environmental policies?

Rawlson King

Yes.

Peter Jan Karwacki

Yes. The Algonquin do not have a monopoly on concern for the environment.

Peter Zanette

Yes. We settled on their land. We must heal it with them.

Clayton Fitzsimmons

Did not participate.

Q13 - Will you commit to developing strategies that bring Ottawans at all diversity intersections together on environmental issues?

Rawlson King

Yes.

Peter Jan Karwacki

Yes. This is the smartest thing you have had to say. We are in this together. We have to work together to resolve these pressing issues.

Peter Zanette

Yes. A transparent process is essential here. It will be a difficult but necessary journey.

Clayton Fitzsimmons

Did not participate.

Q14 - Is there anything else you would like to share regarding your ideas, goals or commitments to improving the City's performance on climate change and environmental issues?

Rawlson King

The City will need to work diligently to implement the City's Climate Change Master Plan in the next Term of Council and fight climate change though converting Ottawa’s entire public transit fleet of vehicles to “zero emission” by 2030 to complement emission reductions from the implementation of light rail. Achieving this will require the City to roll out 450 new 40- foot battery-powered buses over five years and transition to a fully zero emission bus fleet. Another area of focus must involve ensuring a “deep retrofit” of 27 percent of Ottawa’s building stock by 2030 and 98 percent of Ottawa’s building stock by 2040. Recent studies have found that improving energy efficiency in buildings is the least costly way to reduce a large quantity of carbon emissions. By changing energy management practices and instituting technologies that enhance energy efficiency, we can reduce energy consumption in the City by up to 35 per cent.

Peter Jan Karwacki

People have said there is a climate emergency. I have yet to see the kinds of initiatives that truly indicate we are in an emergency.

In true emergencies people do different things and demonstrate different priorities.

Peter Zanette

I want to finish my term in a city that is better and safer environmentally then when I started. An inclusive Ottawa, is a safe Ottawa, is a united Ottawa.

Clayton Fitzsimmons

Did not participate.

Ward 13 - Rideau-Rockcliffe

Q1 - Will you commit to fully funding and implementing the City of Ottawa’s Energy Evolution Plan?

Q2 - Will you commit to no more extensions of the urban boundary, and support building more 15-minute neighborhoods throughout the City of Ottawa, not just in the urban core?

Q3 - Will you commit to phasing out natural gas infrastructure and prioritize conservation and efficiency over new, renewed or expanded gas infrastructure?

Q4 - Will you commit to investing in energy efficient housing for lower income communities, and ensuring that the costs of retrofits are not passed down to tenants?

Q5 - Will you commit to prioritizing climate adaptation planning for the city, including measures to protect people, infrastructure and city services, and to ensure that the city's most vulnerable populations are supported during extreme climate events?

Q6 - Will you commit to building a public transit system that is rapid, reliable, affordable and accessible for all users, with proper transit routes within rural, suburban and lower income communities?

Q7 - Will you commit to an active transit network with interconnected and protected bike lanes and multi-use paths City-wide (not just in the downtown core)?

Q8 - Will you support our target for a 40% tree canopy cover per neighborhood and protection of mature trees through the new Tree Protection By-Law?

Q9 - Will you prioritize the conservation of existing greenspace, as well as biodiversity on both city and privately owned lands by amending the property standards by-law, as well as increasing targets for and allocating more funds towards naturalization?

Q10 - In addition to improving recycling, will you support ambitiously collecting green bin waste in multi-residential buildings and curbside, ensuring Ottawa avoids replacing our landfill site with either a new landfill or an incinerator anytime soon?

Q11 - Will you support the introduction of a user pay system for curbside residual waste collection, where residents pay for the bags or containers that they put out for collection, according to the actual level of service that they use?

Q12 - If elected, would you intentionally include, and work in partnership with, the Algonquin Anishinaabe people and other Indigenous people in the creation and implementation of environmental policies?

Q13 - Will you commit to developing strategies that bring Ottawans at all diversity intersections together on environmental issues?

Q14 - Is there anything else you would like to share regarding your ideas, goals or commitments to improving the City's performance on climate change and environmental issues?

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