Fighting for Rural Ottawa at Council

The October 16th meeting of City Council covered a wide range of important topics. I would encourage everyone to watch the proceedings if they haven’t had the chance to yet as the discussion covered quite a bit of important ground on issues that matter to our communities.

First and foremost, Council discussed the Site Alteration By-law. Unfortunately, some of my colleagues thought that they knew best when it came to the rights and interests of rural property owners and the best ways to protect natural heritage in our communities. Common sense prevailed. The new by-law approved by Council does not overreach and better reflects rural interests.

Next, Council discussed the roundabout at Perth and Meynell. I have put together a full update for the community that can be read here. My Council colleagues supported a motion that I brought to Council that is investing additional resources into the roundabout to correct some issues that I had initially raised at the design stage of the roundabout. Many of my colleagues pointed out what I have been saying for some time: a one-size-fits-all approach does not work. In other words, a roundabout that works in Kanata does not always work in Richmond.

Near the beginning of the design phase, I had made my concerns known that large farming equipment would have difficulty navigating a roundabout design with narrow lanes and high curbs at entry points. Despite the roundabout not being managed by the City, I have done my utmost to bring it to a resolution that is safely navigable for everyone who uses it. It has taken a considerable amount of effort to correct these issues, but we are in the home stretch on the roundabout and I am excited for this infrastructure to finally be completed.

Please read the full update here.

A common theme that came up at Council was the need for rural issues and solutions for our communities to be respected by urban Councillors. Most of my colleagues certainly understood this, with many coming to bat to argue in favour of common sense decision-making where the Councillor who represents a given area is given more latitude for determining the needs and interests of their own communities. We discussed this in the context of a protected left turn signal that my colleague Councillor Darouze advanced at Rideau Road and Bridge/Mitch Owens.

Looking ahead, I’m excited for the upcoming Rural Summit in November. My aim is to advocate for greater rural autonomy in decision-making so that the priorities of rural Ottawa can be shaped by those who live there. We learned a great deal from the public consultations leading up to the summit; now it’s time to focus on implementing the ideas that matter most to our communities.

Please make sure to register for the upcoming Rural Summit to take part in this important opportunity for our communities.