Ward 16 - River

Riley Brockington

Yes. The majority of expenditures are already budget lines in the future.  What Council needs to do is to ensure new funding is provided to maximize the impact, as soon as possible.

Ethan Sabourin

Yes. I commit to fully funding and implementing the Energy Evolution plan. Unfortunately, this plan was designed to mobilize large amounts of private finance which have not yet appeared, but it is a comprehensive plan and we must step up to invest in the public side of it. 

If the plan was fully implemented, we would net $28.4 billion as a city by 2050, while zeroing out our emissions. We put in the work to develop the plan, we now need to fund it, make it understandable to the public, and communicate its benefits to engender widespread support. 

Alex Dugal 

Yes. This plan is an important part of the overall climate change strategy that needs to be implemented, and more importantly appropriately funded and supported.

Riley Brockington

Yes. During this current term of Council, I moved amendments to the staff recommendation to have the most aggressive urban core infill targets in the City's history. 

Ethan Sabourin

Yes.Ottawa's ever-expanding urban boundary is not only massively expensive, but a huge detriment to the environment, resulting in the destruction of wildlife habitats, adding more cars to our roads, and increased energy use in housing. 

Instead, we should work to re-zone current R1 areas and add more Missing Middle housing, which includes housing such as duplexes, triplexes and other small apartment buildings, to allow for gentle densification within our current communities. These developments will provide space for residents to age-in-place without being forced out of their communities. Meanwhile, we should build dense new Transit-Oriented Developments with all of the amenities that residents need. 

There are incredible opportunities to create neighbourhood hubs inside or just outside of River Ward, including at Confederation Heights, South Keys Centre, the Merivale Triangle, Westgate, and at the edge of Central Park. We must seize these opportunities to bring amenities into the fabric of our ward and make it easier to walk, roll, cycle, or bus to everything residents need. 

We must create more lively, 15-minute walkable neighborhoods, with more community space and a sustaining customer base for local businesses. That is a key part of how we build a livable and sustainable city.

Alex Dugal 

Yes. 

Riley Brockington

Yes, where feasible.  

Ethan Sabourin

There are so many better options for running our city than relying on natural gas. If elected, I would work to eliminate natural gas in all new builds by the end of the next term. 

We should continue to electrify the city bus fleet, including with overhead wires on major corridors as well as eliminating polluting leaf blowers and two-stroke gas engines from city equipment.

We can look at some of the work done by HEET (the Home Energy Efficiency Team) in Massachusetts to develop new systems for delivering heat, rather than gas, through gas company infrastructure. Their GeoMicroGrids project allows electrification to happen without a massive confrontation with gas distribution companies (like Enbridge), who can pivot to delivering heat with shallow geothermal water systems connected to heat pumps https://heet.org/geogrid/

Alex Dugal 

No. I believe energy security is an important topic and needs to be further discussed. Canada has a fast supply of oil and gas reserves, I believe developing and utilizing these reserves responsibly is a great social and economic benefit to our country. I believe the government needs to do a better job incentive Tising oil companies do use some of their profits to explore more sustainable energy projects as well. If we look at the last 60 days, Newfoundland is now exploring new technology energy projects and may become a huge exporter of energy to Europe.

Riley Brockington

Yes. OCH has done some work in this regard.  More tax credits to individual homeowners, tenants as well as landlords should be made available in greater quantities by both the Prov and Fed governments. 

Ethan Sabourin

Yes. 46% of Ottawa’s greenhouse gas emissions come from buildings. I want to develop a Green Economic Development Strategy for Ottawa, which would see the implementation of a program to retrofit all public buildings to make them more energy efficient, starting with Ottawa Community Housing. To accomplish this, we should provide public procurement incentives to cooperatives, unionized contractors, and businesses owned by OCH residents. 

By using procurement levers to build the retrofit industry, rather than just subsidies to homeowners, we can ensure that low-income residents are well served, with the goal of eliminating energy poverty as we decarbonize. 

Alex Dugal 

Yes. 

Riley Brockington

Yes. We are already witnessing extreme events in our own city, the time is now to ensure climate adaption planning is key in development planning decision making.  Protecting the public as well as property must remain a top priority.

Ethan Sabourin

Yes. Ottawa’s weather patterns are becoming more and more variable, especially with heavy rain events increasing in frequency and severity. 

Ottawa should partner with Conservation Authorities regulate land use and development in flood-prone areas and use stormwater and drainage plans to manage runoff. I would work to ensure that our building codes promote buildings, bridges and roads that can better withstand extreme weather events. 

This past May, many people went without power for over a week and were forced to go to friends, family or other alternative measures to eat, shower, work or maintain internet access. The city should provide central locations to provide these services to people left without power or shelter for extended periods of time after extreme climate events. Clear possibilities are schools, community centres, and public housing buildings. These should have solar panels, backup batteries, and high energy-efficiency standards so that they can serve as resiliency centres. 

Alex Dugal 

Yes. 

Riley Brockington

Yes. This is a key pillar of my campaign.  A reliable and affordable public transit system is key for a vibrant, healthy city, that moves people efficiently and effectively across the City.  We have work to and it isn't limited to just LRT and buses, Para Transpo must be part of the conversation.

Ethan Sabourin

Yes. Ottawa has the 4th highest transit fares in the country, but we don’t have the 4th best transit service. We need to reduce our transit fares, especially for low-income and youth residents, restore cuts and add new bus routes to make our system more reliable and easier to navigate. It’s time to restore bus routes cut by previous councils, commit to building the Baseline Bus Rapid Transit Corridor, bring weather protected bike parking to all stations on the Transitway and build out Phase 3 of the O-train. 

As a candidate I would commit to providing fare-free transit to youth under 18 and residents on Ontario Works and the Ontario Disability Support Program, reduce the cost of monthly passes, and cap fares at the cost of a monthly pass for all users.

Alex Dugal 

Yes. We need a reliable and cost-effective public transportation system in our city. Public transportation allows people to get from where they live to where they work and play. Public transportation opens the city up for business.

Riley Brockington

Yes. This is another key pillar of my campaign. Significant investment and planning in both the new TMP and annual budgets is a must.  There will not be any successful 15-minute neighbourhood, without an active transportation network. The road network is important too and we must fund maintenance and repair, but active transportation must receive a much greater share of funding.

Ethan Sabourin

Yes. Ottawa’s bike infrastructure is insufficient, especially in many of our suburbs. If elected, over the next council term, I would work to develop Ottawa’s 25-year bicycle network during one term, front-loading our investment and connecting residents with schools, businesses, and the O-Train. 

Our major transit stations should include secure, weather-protected bike parking, to enable a multi-modal system which connects deeper into the city. 

In River Ward, it’s time to fix intersections like Prince of Wales and Hog’s Back to enable cycling trips that continue smoothly from NCC pathways onto city infrastructure.

Alex Dugal 

Yes. 

Riley Brockington

Yes.

Yes, as an overall goal, acknowledging some neighbourhoods will be challenged to meet this ambitious target. 

Ethan Sabourin

Yes. As a city councilor, I would work to expand our tree canopy across River Ward, including working with the Canada Lands Corporation to ensure that new development at Confederation Heights will increase shade and create a climate-resilient neighbourhood. I would also push to do the same across the city. The expansion of our tree canopy should include the preservation of irreplaceable mature trees, to protect against extreme heat events, and the addition of more fruit and nut bearing trees throughout the city.

Alex Dugal 

Yes.

Riley Brockington

Yes. 

Ethan Sabourin

Yes. I would ensure that proper funding is allocated to naturalization and the protection and addition of greenspace. Our greenspace, specifically things like Right-of-Way projects should focus on biodiversity, including the addition of more fruit and nut bearing plants, to prevent monocultures and invasive species. In new builds or renovations both private and public, the city should ensure the development includes the addition or preservation of greenspace.

I strongly agree with amending the property standards by-law and naturalizing public spaces including road infrastructure like medians.

Alex Dugal 

Yes. I believe this is an important topic at the city of Ottawa has a great opportunity to do right, if the city can work with private landowners to build a maintain not only the current green areas but also add more I believe when we look back on this in many years in the future it will be regarded with the same high regard as Central Park in New York City

Riley Brockington

Yes. I have been calling for this for at least 5 years, support what staff are currently doing and consistently told them this needs to progress faster. 

Ethan Sabourin

Yes. Solid waste contributes to 9% of Ottawa’s greenhouse gas emissions, not to mention the environmental destruction that a new landfill or incinerator would cause. If elected I would bring secure waste, recycling, and compost containers to all city parks, as well as to all multi-unit buildings and expand it to institutional uses like schools and restaurants.

I would also support small composting projects to get residents familiar with the land and connected to soil-building.

Alex Dugal 

Yes. 

Riley Brockington

No. If the garbage levy remains on the tax bill, I will not support an additional user pay fee.

Ethan Sabourin

Yes. While I do not want to put further economic strain on Ottawa’s low-income populations, we do need to explore more options to incentivise the use of alternative waste systems, such as recycling and composting. As such, I would support the implementation of a user pay system for additional waste over a predetermined threshold. This must be guarded by strong equity policies, considering factors like family size. We also need containers which are protected from the weather and from animals. 

Alex Dugal 

Yes. Oh well developed and implemented education an incentive program will help us reduce overall city waste by residence

Riley Brockington

Yes. I believe the City has an obligation to do so.

Ethan Sabourin

Yes. The new Anishinabe Algonquin Nation Protocol that was established in Ottawa this past June is a start for ensuring that the city works with the Anishinabe nation, but it does not go far enough, and does not include protocol on working with the Anishnabe on environmental protection. We must go further, as Indigenous knowledge and the participation of Indigenous residents will be crucial as we reimagine Ottawa's relationship with the environment. 

Alex Dugal 

Yes. 

Riley Brockington

Yes. All voices must be incorporated and listened to.

Ethan Sabourin

Yes. The best way to make decisions for our city is to ensure that a wide variety of perspectives are sought out and included, specifically those that are often not included in our discussions in city hall. Our committees should meet a minimum diversity standard for rural, suburban and urban representation. We should also seek compensated outside opinions to ensure representation across socio-economic and racial lines. I would commit to working with community groups across the city for diverse consultation on city issues.

Alex Dugal 

Yes. 

Riley Brockington

I supported City Council's declaration of a climate emergency and believe the City can continue to do to achieve its targets of lowering GHG emissions and encourage all residents to do their part as well.  More needs to be done. 

Ethan Sabourin

We need a Green New Deal for Ottawa that invests in public good, in green social housing, in active transit, and in a reliable OC Transpo. This must come along with more attention to community and social services that keep us healthy and the infrastructure that connects us. 

I am excited to bring this plan to council. Thank you for all of your work at Ecology Ottawa and no matter the result of the election we will have much to do together. 

Alex Dugal 

Thank you for the great warranty organization does. Ottawa is a great city and we need to ensure that we protect our green spaces for future generations.