From the candidates – the answers to Image’s questions
IMAGE and The Echo collaborated to reach out to the candidates for municipal councillor for Ward 12 Rideau – Vanier with a series of questions. The answers to the first 2 broad questions were printed in the Fall issue of IMAGE. Those questions were:
- Why do you want to be councillor for Ward 12 Rideau – Vanier?
- What do you think are the important issues affecting Sandy Hill and Lowertown, and how do you propose to deal with them?
We allowed candidates a longer timeframe to reply to more specific questions. Three of the six candidates submitted their responses by the deadline, which was extended. The answers appear exactly as they were submitted and in alphabetical order.
Question 3: How do you propose to deal with:
- the impacts of the closure of supervised injection services in Lowertown and Sandy Hill?
- encampments that are appearing in both neighbourhoods?
- the concentration of support services in the downtown core?
Lyra Evans
Solving addiction, especially when combined with homelessness, trauma, or mental health issues, is a complex, multifaceted problem. The closure of the supervised injection sites has turned every bus stop and street corner into an unsupervised injection site. We have seen an increase in needles on the streets, in people oblivious to the world around them, and in aggressive confrontations with vehicles and pedestrians. Part of the solution should be the city setting up wrap-around housing programs near public transit, but further towards the edge of the city to limit the interactions between the people who are actively trying to manage their addiction and those who have not taken that step yet. Part of the solution is the province stepping up and appropriately funding addictions programs.
Brian Paquette
Impacts of supervised injection service closures:
We need to make sure there is a real plan in place, not just move the problem somewhere else. We need better outreach, treatment, recovery, housing and crisis services, while making sure residents and businesses are not left dealing with everything on there own. We need to track what is working and what isnt.
Encampments:
We have to deal with encampments with compassion, but also with accountability. People need a pathway to shelter, treatment, housing and recovery. Just moving people from one park or street to another doesnt solve anything. At the same time, our parks, sidewalks and public spaces need to be safe and available for everyone.
Concentration of support services downtown:
Lowertown and Sandy Hill cant continue carrying such a large part of the burden. We need a more balanced approach across the city, working with the Province, service providers and other partners. The goal should be getting people the help they need without putting the entire responsibility on a few neighbourhoods.
Stéphanie Plante
The impacts of the closure of supervised injection services in Lowertown and Sandy Hill
We need reliable evidence about what happens to the local drug supply and surrounding communities when services close. That is why I brought forward a motion directing the City to work with Ottawa Public Health, Ottawa Police and other partners on wastewater monitoring for toxic drugs. It passed unanimously.
Wastewater surveillance can identify emerging substances and changes in drug use earlier than traditional reporting, allowing public-health officials, first responders and community organizations to respond more quickly. I will continue pressing the provincial and federal governments to provide appropriate treatment, withdrawal management and recovery services so that the consequences of their policy decisions are not simply downloaded onto downtown residents.
Encampments appearing in both neighbourhoods
Councillor Ariel Troster and I have discussed establishing an urban councillors’ caucus to examine issues that affect the core differently from the rest of Ottawa. Citywide service standards do not always reflect the density and intensity of downtown neighbourhoods.
For example, if the usual timeline for addressing an encampment is seven days, a shorter standard may be appropriate in a dense downtown park or beside homes, schools and businesses. Any response must comply with the Waterloo court decision by ensuring that people are offered suitable shelter or housing options. But once those options have been provided, residents should not have to wait a three to four weeks for an important public space to be restored.
The concentration of support services in the downtown core
Lowertown and Sandy Hill cannot continue to absorb services intended for the entire city and region. Every new proposal is often considered individually, without accounting for the cumulative impact of the shelters, drop-ins and crisis services already concentrated here.
I will continue advocating for a citywide distribution of supportive housing, treatment and social services. City funding, zoning and procurement decisions should include a neighbourhood-impact assessment that considers existing service concentration. Existing organizations must also be accountable for managing their properties and their effects on neighbours.
People need services, but those services do not all need to be located within a few downtown blocks.
Question 4: What is your plan for affordable housing in both neighbourhoods?
Lyra Evans
The price of housing is largely a function of the vacancy rate. The higher the vacancy rate, the more available units, the more competition between landlords, the lower rents will become as each has to decide between carrying a property with costs but no tenants, or holding out for a higher rent. I have three proposals for the city of Ottawa as methods to help address the price of housing, each of which centre on increasing supply. The first is building more city-owned, non-profit or co-op housing. I would push the city to begin building a target of 1500 city-owned units per year by 2032. The second is to create a new permit requirement, that as a condition of constructing a building with 10 or more storeys, a fixed number of units be given to the city for use as affordable housing. This has the benefit of creating mixed income neighbourhoods, and giving the city some distribution for locations. Finally, the city should be reviewing zoning, parking minimums, and setback requirements to make it easier to allow individual property owners to build more intensive housing.
Brian Paquette
We need more housing at different levels, including affordable rentals, supportive housing and housing people can actually afford to buy. I support responsible development, but we also have to protect the livability of our neighbourhoods. Housing also needs to be connected to jobs, transportation, treatment, recovery and community supports.
We have to deal with encampments with compassion, but also with accountability. People need a pathway to shelter, treatment, housing and recovery. Just moving people from one park or street to another doesnt solve anything. At the same time, our parks, sidewalks and public spaces need to be safe and available for everyone
Stéphanie Plante
Rideau-Vanier already plays a major role in providing affordable housing, with almost 2,000 community-housing units. We are also adding approximately 160 affordable homes at 200 Beausoleil, and the City supported the Ottawa Community Land Trust’s acquisition of properties on Brant Street to preserve existing affordable rentals.
Because our ward is already highly developed and densely populated, we must focus not only on new construction but also on protecting the affordable housing we have. I want the City to pursue more strategic acquisitions with Ottawa Community Land Trust and non-profit providers before affordable buildings are sold, demolished or converted into more expensive housing.
Affordable and supportive housing must also be expanded across Ottawa. Ward 12 should continue doing its share, but it cannot be expected to meet the entire city’s housing needs. If asked, I would be pleased to continue serving on the Ottawa Community Housing board and advancing this work.
Question 5: What is your vision for the ByWard Market, which is celebrating its 200th anniversary in 2027, and how will you implement it?
Lyra Evans
Two centuries is a long time, and the character of a place will naturally change given such tenure. I fondly remember the market as a collection of stalls, a touch of chaos, and a bustling hub within the city. I envision the market better than it is today, back to the town square, buskers, and farmers market of my memories. The space that people from across the city come to visit, and the people who live in and nearby get their produce from the stalls. With eclectic shops, shopkeepers, and wares; a space for people to visit, to take their kids, and to have a good time.
The major barrier to this becoming a reality is the consistently unaddressed mental health and addictions crisis on our streets. For too long, the city and the province have not addressed the healthcare needs of the Market, and the local community is suffering accordingly. The solution has to involve solving that crisis.
Brian Paquette
My vision is pretty simple. The Market should be safe, clean, busy and welcoming for residents, businesses and tourists. The 200th anniversary in 2027 is a huge opportunity to bring people together and build something that lasts beyond the celebration. We need better safety, cleaner public spaces, support for local businesses, tourism and more family friendly activities year round.
Stéphanie Plante
My vision is a ByWard Market that welcomes everyone: residents, families, visitors, businesses and people of every income. It should feel like a neighbourhood and public market throughout the day, not only an entertainment district at night. I hosted a very successful FIFA Final Watch Party on July 19 that included the ambassadors of Spain and Argentina and over 1000 people from all over the city came to the Byward to celebrate.
An important part of that transformation is the planned conversion of the Shepherds of Good Hope property from an emergency shelter into permanent supportive housing. Housing people rather than cycling them through a shelter will provide greater stability for residents and the surrounding community.
For the Market’s 200th anniversary, I would also like to launch an initiative to plant 200 trees, with an emphasis on beautiful flowering species such as magnolias and cherry blossoms where conditions permit. This would create shade, improve the tree canopy and give the Market a living legacy from its bicentennial.
I also initiated the application to have the ByWard Market recognized as a federal heritage site. I hope to have more news to share soon.
Question 6: What are your solutions for mitigating the impact of the climate crisis in our neighbourhoods?
Lyra Evans
As an environmental chemist, there are two conversations, one is adaptation to the changing climate, the other is reducing our contribution to climate change. On mitigation: renewal of the sewer infrastructure to accommodate heavier rainfalls and faster snowmelt; public information campaigns about ticks moving further north; preparing for disasters, such as floods, wildfires, and wind before they happen; ensuring city spaces have the ability to be adequately cooled during heat waves; and preparing for drier summers and potential drought.
On reduction: the city should be leading by example by investing in renewable infrastructure for city owned buildings, such as solar and geothermal heat pumps, proper insulation, minimizing unnecessary light pollution and light usage at night, and limiting unnecessary water usage. Finish the electrification of the public transit system, and support creation of public electric charging stations. The city should also focus on native plants for green spaces to support local pollinators and ecosystems and support community gardens growing food.
Brian Paquette
My approach is practical. We need to prepare our neighbourhoods before the next major storm, flood or heat event happens. That means better stormwater management, more trees, cooling spaces and stronger infrastructure. We should be looking at where the biggest risks are and putting our resources there first.
Stéphanie Plante
Rideau-Vanier is home to Ottawa’s first sponge park, at Carillon Park. A sponge park uses trees, plants, soil and specially designed landscaping to absorb and temporarily retain stormwater. This reduces pressure on the sewer system and helps protect surrounding properties during increasingly intense storms.
I want to build on that work through more sponge parks, tiny forests, shade trees and green infrastructure. My proposal to plant 200 trees for the ByWard Market’s 200th anniversary would be another practical contribution.
Transportation is also central to climate action. I have supported bus-only lanes on Rideau Street and Montréal Road, and I want to identify additional corridors where transit priority can improve reliability. We also need a safer, better-connected cycling network so that walking, cycling and transit are realistic choices for more residents.
Question 7: How do you propose to address crime in our neighbourhoods and support community safety?
Lyra Evans
Crime in our neighbourhood comes from two major sources. Addiction/mental health and poverty. Mental health crises, poverty, and addiction are complex problems requiring intersectional solutions, not problems the city can simply police our way out of. Over the last number of years, we have seen a sharp increase in “porch pirates”, thefts, vandalism, and trespassing. Part of this is what experts term drug seeking behaviour; breaking into things or stealing to fuel an addiction. The province needs to be building and funding adequate healthcare supports for people who are struggling, particularly those who end up homeless as a result.
On poverty, the problem is equally complex; and has historically involved building communities that prosper, have economic stability, and where people see a realistic path to building a better life than recurring petty theft can provide.
Brian Paquette
Safety starts with being visible and actually being present in the community. We need targeted policing where crime is happening, better lighting, cleaner streets, safer transit and better coordination with social services. And we need to measure the results—crime, violence, theft, response times and disorder complaints—so residents can see if things are actually getting better.
Stéphanie Plante
Living downtown can be stressful right now. I live here too, and I see and experience many of the same conditions residents describe to me.
Community safety requires several approaches. I supported and helped secure the expansion of the 211/ANCHOR non-police crisis response so trained professionals can respond to appropriate mental-health and substance-use calls. This also allows police to focus on violence, trafficking and serious crime.
I have raised concerns directly with Health Canada about the diversion of hydromorphone pills associated with its safer-supply pilot and the impact this was having in the surrounding community. Governments must evaluate these programs honestly and respond when unintended consequences emerge.
I also support the CORE policing model, which puts officers on foot in key downtown locations where they can build relationships, respond more quickly and address persistent criminal activity. Finally, converting the Shepherds of Good Hope from a shelter into permanent supportive housing will help address some of the instability concentrated in Lowertown.
Compassion and accountability are not opposites. We need appropriate care for people in crisis and clear consequences for criminal behaviour that harms others.
Question 8: What is your position on heritage conservation, particularly when conservation is in conflict with development plans?
Lyra Evans
The city has genuine heritage properties, buildings who housed prime ministers of Canada, architectural beauties like the Chateau Laurier, and world historical sites like the Rideau Canal. It also has other buildings that have been put on the historical lists, but which do not rise to the caliber of the other group. In some cases, the heritage list has been used to try and protect neighbourhood character, instead of the intended purpose of preserving sites of major historical value. We can preserve genuine history while making it easier for housing or updates to be built, without detrimentally impacting neighbourhood character.
For example, Broadview (A school in Westboro) was declared a heritage building based on the exterior brickwork, but was previously declared unusable as a school due to not meeting modern school based needs such as number and size of washrooms for the student population, safety hazards like asbestos, and size of classrooms. This has resulted in an unusable building sitting empty, and a new school being built on a now-smaller plot of usable land. The brickwork in question is the same as the school next door.
Brian Paquette
I believe we can protect our history without stopping our neighbourhoods from moving forward. Heritage matters, but we also need housing, businesses and communities that work today. When development and heritage are in conflict, we need an honest conversation about what is worth preserving, what can be changed and what the community benefit is.
Stéphanie Plante
As vice-chair of the Built Heritage Committee, I do not believe heritage conservation and development must always be treated as competing goals. We need housing and growth, but we can often achieve them through adaptive reuse, sensitive additions and designs that preserve the features giving a building or neighbourhood its character.
The Province must provide municipalities with stronger tools and financial mechanisms to preserve heritage properties. We also need better ways to hold negligent owners accountable when they allow significant buildings to deteriorate and then use that deterioration as an argument for demolition.
Not every building can be preserved unchanged, but demolition should not be the default simply because responsible maintenance or thoughtful design requires more effort.
Question 9: How do you propose to manage situations that are not necessarily within the scope of municipal government but still have a local impact?
Lyra Evans
The role of councillor is to be the voice of the community. A councillor is not required to be silent on issues impacting their constituents, and as a councillor I intend to attempt to be collaborative, working with elected officials of any stripe to achieve the best outcomes for our neighbourhoods. If being collaborative does not work, I intend to be outspoken. When another level of government is making a decision that would have a detrimental impact, such as a provincial government implementing healthcare cuts impacting the Montfort, cancelling or delaying the proposed 6th crossing, or inadequately funding Ottawa’s public transportation, I would be outspoken about that.
Brian Paquette
If something is affecting Ward 12, I dont believe the answer should be “not our problem” just because it belongs to another level of government. As a coach, if there is a problem, I find out who needs to be at the table, bring people together and keep pushing for a solution. Then I report back to residents and hold people accountable for getting results.
Stéphanie Plante
I reject the idea that municipal councillors have no role simply because another government holds the formal authority. We may not make the final decision, but we can organize, advocate, bring governments together and make it politically difficult for local impacts to be ignored.
The proposed sixth interprovincial crossing to help with our truck issue downtown is a clear example. It requires federal and provincial leadership, but I have worked persistently with senior government officials, City staff and political representatives to build support for the project. That advocacy has helped move the discussion forward, and partners across governments have acknowledged my role.
Residents do not care which order of government’s name appears on an organizational chart. They want their representatives to work together and solve the problem. My approach is to identify who has the authority, bring the right people to the table and keep pushing until there is action.