Responses to the Mayor’s Questionnaire for Ottawa-Vanier Candidates have been organized alphabetically by each candidate’s last name who has responded.

1. The city is embarking on an ambitious Light Rail Transit project, including Stage 2 that sends light rail further East, West and South. If elected, will you and your party support Stage 2?

New Democratic Party of Ontario candidate Claude Bisson

Yes

Comments:

My party and I believe that we should focus our efforts towards transit projects like the LRT expansion. It will help Ottawa’s economy, provide more transportation options around the city and ultimately reduce our carbon footprint. We also need to make sure transit options are affordable in order to ensure that Ottawa citizens can all have equal access to transit options in the city.

Ontario Liberal Party candidate Nathalie Des Rosiers

Yes

Comments:

I strongly support the expansion of the LRT. This project means that people in Ottawa-Vanier would spend less time in traffic and more time with their families. Continuing to improve transit for Ottawa-Vanier families is an issue I have raised throughout this campaign will continue to fight for.

I am very proud to be running for the team that funded the first phase of the LRT and has already committed to funding the second phase of this important project. Unlike the Conservatives, the Ontario Liberal Party has never wavered in its support for building transit in Ottawa.

Stop the New Sex-Ed Agenda candidate Elizabeth de Viel Castel

Yes

Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario candidate André Marin

Comments:

The Ontario PC Party believes that one of the province’s most pressing needs is infrastructure. Congestion, wait times and gridlock drag down our economy and our quality of life. Unfortunately this Liberal Government has been in power for 13 years and Ontario is still burdened by gridlock and insufficient transit. The Ontario PC Party supports Stage 2 of the City of Ottawa’s Light Rail Transit project. Should I have the honour of being elected as the MPP of Ottawa-Vanier, I will support this project on behalf of my constituents. Ontario PC Leader Patrick Brown has also made it clear that if elected, an Ontario PC government would honour infrastructure projects that have shovels in the ground. Infrastructure projects must be started within the mandate a government is elected, and be delivered on time and on budget.

Green Party of Ontario candidate Raphaël Morin

Yes

Comments:

I believe transit and active transportation are essential for the health of our communities and economy.

The Green Party of Ontario supports regional transit infrastructure renewal throughout the City of Ottawa, including funding for Stage 2 of the LRT.

In addition, the Green Party of Ontario renews its call for all levels of government to work together to expedite the extension of the Trillium Line to the Ottawa International Airport.

2. Truck traffic in the downtown core, particularly on Kind Edward, Rideau and Waller Streets, is often unsafe and takes away from the quality of life of residents and visitors. The city has approved a plan to conduct an EA on a proposed truck tunnel that would remove the majority of trucks from the downtown core. Will you and your party support 1/3 funding of the EA in this next fiscal year so that work can begin on the study next year?

New Democratic Party of Ontario candidate Claude Bisson

Yes

Comments:

Three cyclists recently lost their lives here in Ottawa because of all the heavy traffic that is currently using our roads in the downtown core. That’s three too many. We need to make our streets secure for everyone. We would definitely fund the environmental assessment, but any project moving forward will need proper public consultations so we can ensure that we build a consensus around the solutions that will be identified.

Ontario Liberal Party candidate Nathalie Des Rosiers

Yes

Comments:

Truck traffic continues to be an issue for families in this community. The time for action is now. I am very pleased to know that the Ontario Liberal government also recognizes the importance of this issue and has already provided $375,000 towards the initial feasibility study.

If I have the honour of serving the people of Ottawa-Vanier as their MPP, I will work with the City of Ottawa on this next step, and further explore the feasibility of the tunnel by contributing 1/3 of the funding required for the EA.

Stop the New Sex-Ed Agenda candidate Elizabeth de Viel Castel

Yes

Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario candidate André Marin

Comments:

The Ontario PC Party is open to evaluating every idea on its merits, particularly one that may help to make our streets safer and reduce congestion. We are also willing to work with our federal and municipal partners to come to solutions that are in the best interest of the province.

Green Party of Ontario candidate Raphaël Morin

No

Comments:

Removing trucks from our downtown streets is an important priority for our city. It’s one of many long-term unaddressed infrastructure problems in the City of Ottawa.

At this point the tunnel proposal has been limited to a technical feasibility study. Although the high level of public interest in understandable, it is too early in the process to consider it a done deal.

We also need to acknowledge the existing commitments to other major infrastructure projects in the City of Ottawa. Phase II LRT expansion and the Ottawa River Action Plan must continue to be the top infrastructure priorities for Ottawa for the next 5 to 10 years.

There must be a lot more community consultation before this proposal or any other proposal goes forward. Time after time, the residents of Ottawa-Vanier and their quality of life have been treated as an afterthought. The public deserves more clarity about all possible solutions. More study is needed, particularly on the roundabout proposed at Overbrook.

Before investing $1.5 to $2 billion in a tunnel project, the community needs to have their say on other, lower cost options that could perhaps be implemented more rapidly. Instead, in effect, the tunnel project has been “floated as trial balloon.” Unfortunately, we’ve already seen how divisive these issues can be, for example with the NCC’s earlier $1.2 billion Kettle Island bridge proposal. That is why broad and meaningful consultation with the affected communities is so important.

3. Ottawa has seen an increase in the number of shootings in our city. Would you support providing ongoing sustainable funding for our Ottawa Police DART and Guns and Gangs teams to help combat this serious challenge?

New Democratic Party of Ontario candidate Claude Bisson

Comments:

In my experience in the RCMP, I believe that only using repressive measures won’t make us successful. To reduce crime in Ottawa, we need a balanced approach that involves our communities, business leaders, and police officers. We have to offer our youth activities that will get them off the streets and only our community organizations can do that. We also have to address the root causes of such violence like poverty and access to education.

Ontario Liberal Party candidate Nathalie Des Rosiers

Yes

Comments:

Ontario Liberals have consistently increased funding to local police services in Ottawa as we believe that the best way to fight crime is to let local communities decide their own priorities.

This past year the City of Ottawa and Ottawa Police Service received over $7 million support local community safety and well-being efforts, an increase of nearly $300,000 from the year before.

According to the Crime Severity Index (a measure of violent crime) Ottawa has one of the lowest rates in Ontario. Of the 32 largest Census Metropolitan Areas in Canada, Ottawa ranks behind only Toronto and Barrie in Ontario, and is one of the 5 lowest in the country.

We will continue to fund programs in Ottawa to ensure it remains one of the safest cities in the country.

Through my work at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and as a long-time advocate, I know what important work our police do. I also know that policing is only part of the solution. If we truly want to address violence in our community, we must also focus on prevention. That’s why I’m proud to be part of a team that not only continues to increase funding to the Ottawa Police Service but also invests in programs for at risk youth and vulnerable communities.

Stop the New Sex-Ed Agenda candidate Elizabeth de Viel Castel

Yes

Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario candidate André Marin

Comments:

As the candidate of Ottawa-Vanier, I have been busy knocking on doors and meeting with residents. What I’ve been hearing from the community – from families and businesses – is that people are worried and afraid. A record number of shootings this year is completely unacceptable in the city that I call home. Parents shouldn’t have to worry about whether their child will come home at the end of the day. While Ottawa’s police work extremely hard protecting our entire community we need to do more to support them and make the community safer. As a lifelong resident of Ottawa and the candidate for Ottawa-Vanier, I have a sincere desire to address this issue. That is why last month Ontario PC Leader Patrick Brown and I called upon the government to restore their shortsighted cuts to Ottawa’s DART program. We continue to hear from cops with anti-gang experience that the cuts to this unit have impacted their ability to prevent shootings. The province urgently needs to take action to get guns off our streets and build stronger, safer communities for Ottawa families. If this government won’t act, I would continue to advocate for the restoration of this funding as MPP, and an Ontario PC government commits to restoring this funding.

Green Party of Ontario candidate Raphaël Morin

Yes

Comments:

The Green Party of Ontario supports sustainable funding for all aspects of policing, including the DART and Guns and Gangs units.

As a candidate for Ottawa-Vanier, I acknowledge that our community faces challenges regarding criminal organizations. To that end, I also support funding for diversion programs for youth, for addictions treatment centres and for harm-reduction facilities such as safe injection sites.

It is also important to acknowledge the ongoing demands placed on the Ottawa Police Service related to the presence of the federal Parliament and the many diplomatic representatives in our city. Every time there is a major demonstration in our city, our police play an important role in protecting people and property while safeguarding our freedom of assembly. As an MPP, I would work with other levels of government to ensure stable funding in this regard.

4. Will you and your party join with the Federal Government and the City of Ottawa in adding additional funding for affordable housing? If so, what kind of support do you envision?

New Democratic Party of Ontario candidate Claude Bisson

Yes

Comments:

We must ensure that all Ontarians have safe and affordable housing by building and repairing more affordable housing units. The government must stop downloading this crucial responsibility onto cash-strapped municipalities. We need to set attainable targets for increasing affordable housing for the people that need it the most, invest in new affordable housing and repair existing sub-standard housing. Ultimately, the Ontario NPD would develop an Ontario housing plan that includes inclusionary zoning and better tenants’ rights.

Ontario Liberal Party candidate Nathalie Des Rosiers

Yes

Comments:

Supporting people who are in need is one of the values that has guided me throughout my life and career. And one of the most essential supports is having a home.

Having a place to call home is a foundation that leads to better health outcomes, improved access to services, more employment opportunities and stability.

The Ontario Liberal Government currently funds and will continue to fund a number of affordable housing programs in Ottawa.

For Ottawa specifically this includes but is not limited to;

$35.6M for the Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative for Ottawa this past year

$48.2Mthrough the extension of the Investment in Affordable Housing for Ontario

$16.2M from the Social Infrastructure Fund for the Social Housing Improvement Program

$12M from the Green Investment Fund for the Social Housing Apartment Retrofit Program

The Ontario Liberal Government has a strong track record of making investments in affordable housing in Ottawa and we will continue to make these important investments.

Stop the New Sex-Ed Agenda candidate Elizabeth de Viel Castel

Yes

Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario candidate André Marin

Comments:

The Ontario PC Party is open to evaluating every idea on its merits. We are also willing to work with our federal and municipal partners to come to solutions that are in the best interest of the province. One issue we have seen continued provincial inaction on is affordable housing. This government has had 13 years to fix Ontario’s affordable housing waitlist, yet we now have over 171,000 families waiting for housing – the longest it’s ever been. It’s clear the current approach is not working. Liberal policies – from spiraling hydro rates, to high taxes, to increasing development charges on new homes and rentals – are making life more unaffordable for all Ontarians. What’s more, years of Liberal waste, scandal and mismanagement, including the irresponsible spending at Housing Services Corporation, have left this government unable to fund the services Ontarians depend on, such as health care and affordable housing. While this is an issue that requires all levels of government to work together, organizations such as the Home Builders and Rental Housing Providers have made suggestions to help reduce building costs that would also be worthwhile to consider.

Green Party of Ontario candidate Raphaël Morin

Yes

Comments:

The Green Party believes it is the right of every Canadian to have affordable, safe, and secure housing. It enhances people’s health, dignity, and life opportunities. It is an essential prerequisite to an equitable society. The Green Party supports the delivery of social housing dollars to provincial, territorial, and municipal governments through the traditional vehicle of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).