Newsletter - Feb. 23
From the desk of Councillor David Brown
One Size Doesn’t Fit All
Ottawa is massive. In fact, it is the largest municipality in North America at just under 2,800 square kilometres. Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, Montreal, and Vancouver all fit within Ottawa’s boundaries. Every urban and suburban ward fit within our Ward. This fact alone should be eye opening when we discuss service delivery that impacts rural residents.
No matter how you look at it, Ottawa is large enough that any policy, regardless of what it is, merits a targeted approach that reflects the realities of living in an urban, suburban or rural area.
Priorities in Orleans are different than the priorities in the downtown core, and certainly different than our priorities in rural Ottawa. Those that live in rural Ottawa do not have the same level of access to City services, recreational programming or community infrastructure that urban dwellers do.
One of the challenges that we face through the development of our villages is the lack of parking being included in new developments. If you look at homes built ten, twenty and even thirty years ago and compare them to today, you will notice that not only are the lot sizes much smaller, but driveways and garages are, too. Many single-family homes can barely fit a car in their garages, let alone the driveway, forcing many to park their vehicles on the road. This leads to many other problems within these communities.
Service delivery for snowplowing is another major concern, and certainly one I have heard much about given the record snowfall we have had this winter. Regardless of where you live in Ward 21, you need access to a road to move around. We are fortunate to have a great roads team out here, but for many, if the roads in your community haven’t been plowed in time for you to get out of your house, not much matters until that happens.
Taxpayers want to know that their money is being spent wisely on their priorities. One challenge is the “standard” approach Council uses across all 2,800 square kilometres to ensure every resident has the same level of service. Perhaps though, providing the same service city-wide is not the best use of tax dollars. Targeting service levels based on rural, urban and suburban merits a review.
The one size fits all approach has failed. It’s time Council and the City admits this and move forward building a city where we recognize that it is ok to be different!
This article was previously submitted to the Manotick Messenger.
Ward Updates
Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee Meeting
At this upcoming committee meeting, members will be reviewing the zoning bylaw amendment for 1185 Beaverwood Rd.
Meetings in open session are open to the public. There are several ways the general public can provide submissions to the Members of Committee and Council for the February 24, 2023, meeting. Learn more
Upcoming Events
Library programs: The Ottawa Public Library hosts a diverse array of weekly programs for all ages at each of its ward 21 library branches. Learn more
Murder Mystery Dinner/Lunch: ITR Theatre presents Death by Denoument, a Mary Jane Maffini Murder Mystery. There will be a dinner version on March. 3, at 6:30 pm, and a lunch version on March 4, at noon. Learn more
Shamrock 'n 2023: Get in the spirit with this all-ages family event on March 11, from 1 - 9 pm, at the Richmond Agricultural Hall. Learn more
St. Patrick's Day Trivia: On March 15, from 7 - 9:30 pm, join in on this trivia fundraiser hosted by the Rural Ottawa South Support Services. Learn more
City Updates
Vacant Unit Tax: More than 80 per cent of Vacant Unit Tax (VUT) declarations have been completed. March 16 is the deadline for those residential property owners who have not submitted their declaration. Learn More
More trees for West Carleton-March: The City of Ottawa and Government of Canada are partnering to plant 10,000 trees in West Carleton-March Ward, at Pinhey's Point park. Learn more
Stay in touch
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Calling the office at 613-580-2491
Meeting with Councillor Brown at the North Gower office every Thursday. Email ward21@ottawa.ca to book an appointment.