Barrhaven Independent October 14, 2022

Barrhaven council candidates battle to replace Harder, Meehan at City Hall

By Charlie SenaCk

The municipal election is now just two weeks away and new faces will represent both Barrhaven East and West wards.

This election cycle saw election boundaries change with Riverside South-Findlay Creek becoming its own ward and Barrhaven being split into two.

Longtime Barrhaven West councillor Jan Harder announced during her 2018 swearing in that it would be her last term in office after two and a half decades. Harder also served on the former Nepean city council for one term before amalgamation.

Current GloucesterSouth Nepean councillor Carol Anne initially vowed to run again and registered, but later decided one term was enough. Meehan, former anchor of CTV Ottawa News at six, said the change of heart came after deep personal reflection. She said

division at city hall, the pandemic, and personal circumstances made her decide not to seek re-election.

At least 11 city wards will see a fresh face next term of council, after their incumbent didn’t run for re-election, in addition to the new ward which is being created. A new Mayor will sit at the helm of it all after Jim Watson announced he wasn’t seeking another term.

In total there are 14 people running to be Mayor, but only three are seen as front runners: Mark Sutcliffe, Catherine McKenney, and Bob Chiarelli.

A recent Mainstreet Research poll had McKenney, the current Somerset ward councillor, in the lead with 34 per cent of the vote.

Sutcliffe, a journalist and businessman, id projected in second place at 11 per cent.

Chiarelli, Ottawa’s former Mayor and a provincial cabinet minister in the Wynne government, is polling in

third place at 10 per cent. 24 per cent said they were undecided and the rest were split between the other lesser known candidates.

In the Barrhaven West race, David Hill, Jay Chadha, Sadaf Ibrahim, and Taayo Simmonds are on the ballot.

Hill was the first person to launch his campaign with a petition advocating for the Greenbank road realignment project to be fast tracked. Chadha started a petition requesting more police resources for the community and is relying on his 20 years of experience at OC Transpo. Simmonds, a Stonebridge resident and lawyer by trade, has focused his campaign on his upbringing, coming from a low-income, single mother family. Ebrahim owns a UPS store in the east end and has been involved with local cultural groups in the Barrhaven community.

Full profiles with each candidate can be found on

the Barrhaven Independent website.

In Barrhaven East, there are seven names on the ballot: Wilson Lo, Richard Garrick, Kathleen Caught, Dominik Janelle, Guy Boone, Patrick Brennan, and Atiq Qureshi.

The Barrhaven Independent asked each candidate in the ward to submit 300 words introducing themselves and their platform.

sponsible for managing public feedback on social media (I’m ^WL from their Twitter) and emails to councillors. I was a bus operator for seven years before that. I am on unpaid leave from my position. In those roles, I tried advocating for my community, but it’s impossible as an employee. I decided it’s time to transfer my skills and care to a role where I can more effectively serve you.

We have an exciting decade ahead. We’re welcoming about 13,000 new neighbours and we have the chance to design and build a vibrant new town centre, including spaces for local arts and culture and gathering places with family and friends. Although that growth is outside our ward’s boundaries, its pressures will affect our infrastructure and services.

sponsible with our spending and revenue. Hyperlocal issues near your home, wider Barrhaven concerns, and some broader city items, my platform is based upon my experiences as a resident and city employee, plus feedback from neighbours at the doors. It’s effective, practical, and sustainable while ensuring our newfound stability after decades of growth is not jeopardised.

Wilson Lo Hi, I’m Wilson! I’m a customer communications officer at OC Transpo, re-

I’m focused on ensuring our infrastructure and services don’t fall behind as our community continues growing and that we’re more re-

Raised by my mom, I know the demands of providing for a family in the face of rising costs, but also the joy of knowing where you live is where your family thrives. My wife and I live here and plan to raise a family here, so I have a very personal interest in shaping a healthy and sustainable future together for our community. On October 24, I hope to earn the privilege of your trust, support, and vote to be your city councillor for Barrhaven East.

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candidates

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focusing on more local routes and not stall or stop LRT from coming to Barrhaven. Most importantly, we need someone that loves this community, that knows this community and someone that has always been here to help.

I am that person.

Richard Garrick

After meeting and talking with residents during this campaign, I have heard loud and clear what we need in our city councillor.

We need someone who is strong, that will speak up for Barrhaven East at the council table and have the backbone to fight for what our ward deserves. Someone who will be an advocate for its residents and that will work hard to tackle issues like rising crime, housing affordability and fixing our aging roads, sidewalks and parks. We need someone who will work to restore faith in our transit system,

I have lived in Barrhaven for 30 years. I went to school here, I volunteer here, I have taught here and my family lives here. I know Barrhaven like the back of my hand and I would be a councillor that comes into city hall with a fresh perspective, eagerness and a knowledge of their ward like no other. I want to bring my passion for volunteering and teaching to council to offer a different view. I will use my experience working alongside the Ottawa Police for the past 15+ years to help come up with solutions to combat the rise in crime we are seeing and I will advocate to be on the Police Services Board to

ensure Barrhaven East has a voice. I will work to have more youth and senior programming, ensure we have increased access to recreation facilities and I’d work to bring the Boys and Girls Club to Barrhaven.

On October 24th, I would be honoured to have your vote.

School Board Trustee when several schools were built as Barrhaven was beginning its significant growth.

I have a background in finance over 30+ years. Moreover, I have been a volunteer with the NMHA Raiders, NGHA Wildcats, coaching East Nepean Little League and St Andrew’s.

dents face. I support a safe community. We must address speeding and careless driving with speed cameras.

I support added police presence for the enforcement of traffic violations and crime.

I support looking at ways to reduce fossil fuels, EV/ hybrid vehicles and mental health initiatives.

have met throughout the ward. I would be honoured to be your councillor in Barrhaven East.

Patrick Brennan

Barrhaven is a great community where my wife and I have had the opportunity to raise our family.

My experience includes having served Barrhaven as

The growth in Barrhaven has been incredible as everyone can attest to. I represent someone who thinks the city should deliver its core services well. This includes road resurfacing, transit, bike paths, snow plowing, trash, parks, recreation facilities and police and fire services. The need for fiscal responsibility must start now. The city has a significant debt. Interest rates have risen, and this will impact on the city borrowing going forward.

As a council we must keep taxes down given the inflationary pressures resi-

Given the supply shortage of homes in the city and the population projections in the next 10 years, I support building new homes.

I also support initiatives that attract capital and good paying jobs to Barrhaven and the city. Restoring confidence in transit (LRT and OC Transpo) is critical. Funds from taxpayers directed to transit are significant. Ridership must be monitored. Too many buses having only a few riders, too many cancellations and delays.

I have appreciated the good wishes and support from numerous people I

Kathleen Caught

I moved to Ottawa in 1968, was Co-President of Bell High School. Walter Baker, Deputy Prime Minister, was my mentor. My first career was in Recreation for the City of Nepean when Andy Hayden was Reeve. I was first hired in the Lighthouse program for the City of Ottawa in Manor Park, a realtor in the 1980’s, banker, mortgage manager, then as a financial consultant.

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candidates continues from page 3

Ottawa experienced expenses that were not in the budget approved. I agree with a top to bottom and line by line review of services.

Reducing to one car families, using car share programs to supplement. Communauto as an option and TeleTranspo as a form of ordering a bus instead of empty buses and routes being cancelled.

I am proposing we add All Season Greenhouses to public housing, school and retirement homes to grow vegetables year round. Helping people to help themselves.

During campaigning I did advocacy for some people in the community and repaired potholes and park equipment.

Shopping list: Tree canopy along sidewalks, renewing trees in our forests. Repair roads — not increase roads. 24 hour daycare. More activities for youth and seniors.

Transportation for the people not for transportation sake. Cross cultural events. Affordable housing and affordable living. Keeping property taxes within historical levels. No windmills. I want to bring a little Nashville into the community and a little Riverwalk from San Antonio to Barrhaven. We need to create safe streets within the framework of Neighborhood Watch.

family, I have lived in Ottawa for 17 years and a resident of ward 24 since 2014.

Over the past 26 years, I’ve worked in a variety of fields in the finance industry including Income Tax, Financial management, Debt Consolidations, Audits, and Budgeting. A Co-Op mentor and teacher for Ottawa and Carleton Universities. Always look to enhance my skills & knowledge for better understanding and integration. For that, I achieved my Paralegal Certificate in 2021.

and experience I can bring to city hall to benefit our residents.

Working for the community always inspired me, either physically or monetarily. Whether it is Barrhaven Food Cupboard, The Shepherds of Good Hope Soup Kitchen, Ottawa Mission, SNMC, Debra Dynes Family House & Caldwell Family Centre. Thanks to my wife who always with me for these social works.

Existing LRT plan has no innovation, costly & burden on City finances.

Looking to bring commuter trains to the existing VIA RAIL track. To rebuild people’s trust, we need to work with OC Transpo to strictly adhere to its schedules. Will focus on utilizing Ward taxes on ward services. . More sports facilities for youth and Senior workshops is important to me. Reduction in City Hall costs,

freezing property taxes and weekly garbage collection during the three months of summer will be my focus. Among others, Road safety with speed controls measures and cameras. Grade separation at Woodroffe and Fallowfield. Revision of the decision about Truck Yard.

Dominik Janelle and Guy Boone did not respond to the Barrhaven Independent’s request for comment.

Atiq Quereshi

Together with my

I was a science student majoring in Mathematics and Physics before choosing Finance and Accounting as a career. This gives me a better understanding of science in view of current emerging situations around us. To integrate with technology, I have done a post graduate diploma in computer sciences. These credentials

Ebrahim says her passion and commitment is with the community

By Charlie SenaCk

Community volunteer Sadaf Ebrahim is running for city council in Barrhaven West and hopes her commitment to the neighborhood will be noticed.

The Order of Ottawa recipient has lived in Barrhaven since 2014 and has run a UPS store in the east end for 12 years.

“I’m not a new face for the community, I’ve raised funds for so many organizations like mental health, for CHEO, the Ottawa Mission, and am involved as much as I can,” she told the Barrhaven Independent. “My passion and commitment is with the community.”

Ebrahim says with Barrhaven being one of the fastest growing suburbs, Ward 3 will be faced with many key projects over the next few years.

One of those projects is the Greenbank Road realignment, which currently has a construction start time of 2030. The project would not be completed

until at least 2032, a decade and a half after initially planned.

“This thing is very important for all of us, but I’m not going to say if (I’m elected) it’s going to get done overnight,”

Ebrahim said. “Definitely we could push more and reopen the plan to look at the date. Everyone wants it done as soon as possible.”

Ebrahim said she lives in Half Moon Bay and her son goes to St. Joseph High School. She takes that stretch of road everyday and feels it’s congested.

But even more important, Ebrahim says, is making school zones more safe.

“The number one thing I will do is try to reduce speeding in school zone areas for children,” she said. “Maybe a camera or more awareness signs. Yes the Greenbank Road realignment is important, but school zones are more important for me. We have seen cars stolen and all that so we need more policing so residents can feel safe.”

Ebrahim adds Barrhaven

West needs to be served by a better transit plan to help move people around in a way that’s good both economically and for the environment.

She said the community is in need of a diverse individual for the position along with electing more women to council.

For the first time in over two and a half decades, there is no incumbent running in Barrhaven West. Jan Harder announced in 2018 she would be retiring after her last term was up.

Four names are on the ballot in Barrhaven West. They are David Hill, Jay Chadha, Sadaf Ebrahim, and Taayo Simmonds. The other candidates have been profiled in previous editions of the Barrhaven Independent and can be found online at BarrhavenIndependent.ca.

The municipal election will be held on Oct. 24. In the first four days of advanced polling, 2,159 people cast their ballots at the Minto Recreation Complex in Barrhaven.

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Half Moon Bay resident Sadaf Ebrahim has been active in the community in the past, raising money for mental health, for CHEO, and the Ottawa Mission. She says her “passion and commitment is with the community.”

Trudeau government not serious about making life more affordable for us

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s approach to making life more affordable is like giving somebody a bike after totalling their car and then waiting for a big thank you.

Instead of reversing his recent tax hikes, Trudeau’s latest crack at making life more af fordable includes GST rebates and borrowing another $2 billion to cover some rent and dental bills.

The GST rebates are a nice gesture for the Canadians who get some money back after being overtaxed at the till. But two-thirds of Canadians won’t receive a rebate. And if the government acknowledges that Canadians are better off keeping more of their own money, then why not just cut taxes?

The announcement shows the Trudeau government isn’t serious about making life more affordable for Canadians. Hard-working Canadians need meaningful tax relief.

Trudeau is also ignoring the unaffordable elephant in the room: his tax hikes are driving up the cost of living.

Higher pump prices are the goal of Trudeau’s carbon tax which increases the price of gas by 11 cents per litre and will increase the price by nearly 40 cents by 2030. Even with rebates, Trudeau’s carbon tax costs the average family between $300 and $670 this year, depending on the province.

If you’re making more than $40,000 this year, your federal income tax bill is also going up, thanks to the fourth annual payroll tax hike in a row.

Trudeau claims his latest announcement is about helping low-income Canadians. But these are the people most impacted by the government’s inflation-inducing policies.

Take the impending second carbon tax that will raise gas prices by up to 13 cents per litre by 2030 through fuel regulations, for example. The people who will feel the most pain are “lower and middle-income households,” along with Canadians living in “energy poverty,” “single mothers,” and “seniors living on fixed incomes,” according to the government’s an alysis. There are no rebates for the second carbon tax.

If that drives you to drink, just know the feds increased taxes on your favourite case of beer and bottle of wine three times since the beginning of the pandemic.

Trudeau’s latest affordability announcement won’t help most Canadians. That’s a shame because he could make life more affordable today. Trudeau could cut gas taxes and immedi ately save every driver between 18 and 30 cents per litre depending on where they fuel up. Or he could cut the payroll, income, excise, sales, business and import taxes his government charges.

Regardless of which tax the government cuts, the key point is that Trudeau could provide meaningful relief. But by raising taxes and then giving peanuts back to some Canadians, Trudeau shows that he isn’t serious about the inflation that’s keeping struggling Canadians up at night.

Franco Terrazzano is the Federal Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. © Troy Media

BARRHAVEN

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Hunting for signs with the Coffee Guy

I can’t remember the last time I talked to the Coffee Guy, but I remember the con versation.

“Coffee Guy,” I said earnestly. “I can’t take it anymore. I have to tell him.”

“What?,” he said. “You can’t.”

“I have to,” I replied. “It’s been bothering me for years. I just need to purge my soul of the burden we have been carrying.”

“I can’t believe you,” he said.

“It’s time,” I said. “He has announced he is not running for city council again. As soon as I confirm that, I will let him know.”

The Coffee Guy sighed and took a deep breath, and I could hear him take a sip on the other end. I recognized that sound. And even though Coffee Guy was on his cell phone in Florida, I knew it was an extra large styrofoam cup, one sugar, two creams.

“Okay, tell him, but just don’t write your column about it,” he said.

“I have to.”

“Why?”

“It’s part of the cleansing.”

“Why do you need a cleansing?”

“Because for three years I have written about graffiti and how terrible it is, and here we are, masterminds of one of the greatest graffiti escapades in the history of munici pal politics. And every time I go to Ottawa City Hall, I see him sitting there, and it’s all I can think about. It’s way too hypocritical.”

The Coffee Guy paused again.

“You know, Coff,” I told him, “I almost told him once.”

“When?”

“Back in 1990. We were at a political function at the Log Farm in Nepean. He told me that he still had the signs. He said it was those signs that got him elected, be cause everyone remembered him. I wanted to say something. The words were fighting to come out but I wouldn’t let them. I prac tically had to swallow the words and staple them to the inside of my throat.”

The Coffee Guy laughed.

“Remember that night?” he said, laugh ing. “That was so much fun.”

That night. That early autumn night in 1988. It was an Ottawa Bootleggers foot ball practice followed by a night of chicken wings and a pitcher of beer. I had been Diet Cokin’ it most of the night, but I should have known better anyway.

But still, as we drove along Fallowfield Road in Barrhaven, the signs were just there like blank slates inviting a pair of warped minds. They were white, with a simple red word. “Hunter”. Above the word was what seemed like a baron tundra of white space. Coffee Guy and I were thinking the same thing as we drove past. And then, we real ized that we had some thick, black magic markers in the van. They weren’t Sharpies. They were much thicker.

“Stop the van,” said the Coffee Guy. Laughing, he ran over to one of Gord Hunt

er’s election signs. I couldn’t see what he was doing, but I pretty much knew. He re turned to the van, in hysterics, and I looked at the sign. He had written the word “Duck” above Hunter.

We drove another kilometre, and there was another sign. It was my turn. I ran up to the sign, made sure there was no one coming – it was 2 a.m. so the roads were somewhat quiet – and I stroked the word “Deer” above Hunter.

We drove around until about 3:30 a.m., enhancing every one of Gord Hunter’s elec tion campaign signs that we came across. We challenged each other to be more and more creative, as the rule was that no sign could be duplicated.

Bear. Moose. Dale. Mark. Seal. I think the funniest one was when the Coffee Guy wrote “Tommy” above “Hunter” on the sign. He staggered back to the van, laugh ing so hard he could hardly breathe.

If you are too young to remember the Tommy Hunter Show, well, I can’t help you.

And the secret stayed with us, growing into urban legend in our own minds, for more than 30 years.

Eventually, I finally had my chance to come clean.

“Gord, are you absolutely positive you are not running again?”

“Positive.”

“Well, I have to ask you about something I wanted to write my column on.”

I told him the story of the night of chick en wings and beer and a magic marker, and how the Coffee Guy and I had destroyed his election signs.

He laughed.

“That was you?!?!”

“Uh, yup.”

Gord Hunter had been wondering for years who had been the architect of the signs that got him elected to Nepean City Council. After the city amalgamation, Gord Hunter would become one of the most con sistent and respected councillors in Ottawa. And now, in the final weeks of his political career that spanned nearly a quarter cen tury, the cat was out of the bag.

Looking back, it’s kind of ironic. I know now that what we did was illegal, but we had no idea then. It was wrong and it must have infuriated Gord and the Hunter cam paign team. But I have always wondered if, as he told me at the Log Farm, those signs really did get him elected.

And now, as I drive around Barrhaven and see election signs sprouting up at every corner like weeds out of control, I think of that night with the Coffee Guy and think that maybe injecting a little fun into the campaign that night wasn’t so bad after all.

Okay, it was. But it’s still fun to think about.

from the other side

Local

There is a lot of artistic talent within the Barrhaven community, and much of it will be on display at Paint the Town, the 12th annual Fall Show and Sale by the Artists of Stonebridge (AOS). The event will take place on October 22-23 from 10 am to 4 pm at the Cedarhill Golf and Country Club, 56 Cedarhill Dr. You won’t want to miss Barrhaven’s largest sale of visual art by local artists, which features a wide variety of original artwork in many different styles and sizes. It’s a must-see event if you are decorating your walls, looking for that special gift, or even just love beautiful art!

AOS is a not-for-profit group that was started 13 years ago by a group of artists who had a common desire to promote visual arts in the community. The group has now grown to around 40 visual art-

ists and it is very active. You may be familiar with their ongoing exhibits at the Minto Recreation Complex, the RBC Royal Bank at 4120 Strandherd Drive, and the TLC Legal Office at 240 Kennevale Drive.

The Fall Show is sponsored by CPI Interiors, Lépine, MacMillan BMO Nesbitt Burns, Royal LePage, Barrhaven Auto Centre, Capital City Heating & Cooling, TLC Legal, and Myers Barrhaven Toyota.

It is a core value of AOS to give back to the community, and a portion of this year’s proceeds will go to support the Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind (CGDB) and the Art for Aid Project, an organization that supports Canadian First Nations, Inuit and Metis art and cultural programs.

Nicole Parent displays her works at the 2019 Artists of Stonebridge Art Show.

Watson's Mill

for Barrhaven’s

Re-elect Donna BlackBuRn

Board

Leadership that matters!

Warren seeking third term as Barrhaven’s Catholic school trustee

Spencer Warren wants to serve a third term as Barrhaven’s Catholic school board trustee, hoping his experience and ideas will stick with voters.

First elected in 2014, Warren has been part of various committees, and more recently, brought forward a motion to fly the Pride flag at all OCSB schools during the month of June. He lists that as one of his greatest accomplishments over the last eight years. The motion was past almost unanimously with a vote of 9-1.

“The overwhelming positive feedback from staff, students and the overall community was incredible,” said Warren. “This has allowed educators and students to have open conversations in the classrooms and break down the barriers that prevented these conversations from taking place.”

The next four years will

be crucial for the Ottawa Catholic School Board, noted Warren. He has concerns over the shortage of yellow school bus drivers, an issue which has long impacted Barrhaven families.

“OSTA (Ottawa Student Transportation Authority) works around the clock trying to address the transportation constraints, but the problem really lies with a lack of Provincial funding and finding people to drive the buses,” noted Warren. “We continue to help navigate families to the right resources within our schools and OSTA to resolve their concerns. My daughter faces the same challenges of having a bus to consistently drive her to/ from school.”

During the 2018 city election, Warren was acclaimed into the position after no one else ran for the Barrhaven Trustee seat. But this time around there are three names on the ballot.

Greg Hopkins, a youth worker who’s been in classrooms for 20 years, said he’s running because the Ottawa Catholic School Board needs to be taken in a new direction.

“It’s currently underfunded and the little money left is being spent with little regard to essential services,” he said. “We need to reduce class sizes, add more support staffing with equitable pay, and improve transportation. Money instead is being wastefully spent on school board advertising, on untested/ unmeasured training or professional development, and what I refer to as ‘gimmicks’ in the classroom to de-stress the stressed out environment. Lower class sizes, with more educational support, will enhance student learning much more than bean-bag chairs, triangle desks with wheels, exercise bikes, and lavish trips around the province

to see what other school boards are doing.”

As Barrhaven continues to grow, new schools are being built at a rapid pace to keep up with the demand. Many schools are facing overcrowding and have to add additional portable classrooms every fall.

Warren says during his time as trustee, funding was secured for St. Benedict Elementary School in Half Moon Bay, which was at maximum capacity on day one.

Recently, funding has also been made available for a new Catholic elementary school in Barrhaven South, with the groundbreaking to begin soon.

“This will help offset the numbers at St Benedict and allow us to properly balance our classroom sizes,” said Warren. “We also had to build an extension on St Joseph’s High School to help accommodate the large population there. We

Greg Hopkins says the solution to overcrowded schools is to build new ones and expand existing ones.

are building a business case for more funding to build another Catholic high school in Barrhaven to support the rapid growth and alleviate the overcrowding at our two existing Barrhaven high schools.”

Hopkins says the solution to help overcrowding is simple: build more schools and expand existing ones.

“I will not abide 20-30 portables in the schoolyard, or more overcrowded

classes,” he said. “If Amazon can put up a giant warehouse next door in only a year, during a pandemic no less, we can build a wing on a school to support our students’ learning and the educators’ well-being.”

Nicolas Caravaggio is also running for Catholic School Board Trustee in Zone 4. No contact information was provided and the Barrhaven Independent was unable to reach him for comment.

Spencer Warren has been the local Catholic school trustee since 2014.

Larkin Park corn and weiner boil supports Barrhaven Food Cupboard

By Charlie SenaCk

A remnant of the former ‘Barrhaven Days’ made a comeback this year with a corn and wiener boil held at Larkin Park on Sept. 24.

The day featured free food, games, and a petting zoo for the kids. Ecology Ottawa was on hand for a free tree giveaway and donations for the Barrhaven Food Cupboard were accepted.

Darrell Bartraw, president of the West Barrhaven Community Association, said it’s been nice to see the community come together again.

“It was a very successful event and we saw a large crowd of people stroll through the park,” he said. “The corn was good and it was nice to see so many kids playing on the grass and taking part in the many games. People from all ages said they had lots of fun.”

The last cornboil in the community was held in 2018. It turned into a multi-day event after multiple tornadoes struck the Ottawa area, leaving parts

of Barrhaven without power for days.

This year it was one of many events to make a return after COVID-19 prevented gatherings from taking place.

For the first time in years, the Barrhaven Santa Claus Parade will be held on Nov. 20, followed by the annual Barrhaven Skate Day on Dec. 4.

It’s events like this which support community organizations such as the Barrhaven Food Cupboard, which has seen a dramatic increase in calls for service since the beginning of the pandemic.

A few hundred dollars and about a dozen boxes of food was raised for the community food organization during the corn and wiener boil. George MacDonald, the Barrhaven Food Cupboard’s president, said those donations will go a long way.

“Since February of this year, we have seen a dramatic increase for service month over month compared to previous years,” he said. “It varies every month but the average

amount of demand we saw in 2022 is 42 per cent higher than in 2021. It’s a big increase and it’s but a big strain on us.”

The increase in demand means more volunteers have been needed and more food needs to be purchased.

“We don’t compromise on what we give our clients, and we haven’t cut back at all on the meat, dairy, or perishable food items we give,” said MacDonald. “The inflation and high food costs also make it really difficult.”

A Canada Food Price report for 2022 predicted a five to seven per cent increase in food prices this year, the highest yearly increase reported on record. In May of this year it was reported food prices rose 9.7 per cent, with meat, dairy, fruits, and vegetables seeing the biggest jump.

MacDonald says donations rolling in are increasing thanks to school food drives which are taking place again after the pandemic. He said they are increasing their own fundraising initiatives and are

urging people to donate what they can.

“If you give us a cash donation we can spend it to our best effect to get us the items we need,” MacDonald said. “We are planning to do a holiday hamper program this year and we are expecting an increase again this year. A hamper is worth $125 so if people would be generous enough to help with the hampers, it would really help with the dramatic costs we are expecting.”

Mayoral, council candidates discuss light rail and Barrhaven transit issues

By Charlie SenaCk

The next term or council will be tasked with some big decisions, including the future of Ottawa’s transit system.

With ridership habits changing and light rail transit not getting the reception city planners hoped for, some Mayoral candidates believe the planned expansion to Barrhaven should be put in pause — at least for now.

If it ever happens, light rail trains won’t be rolling through Barrhaven for at least another decade with construction not starting until at least 2027. The third phase of LRT would bring the trains from Baseline Station at Algonquin college to the future Barrhaven Town Centre behind Marketplace Station.

The price tag for the project is over $5 billion in today’s dollars, a number which would be higher by the time contracts are signed and construction starts.

Mayoral candidate Mark Sutcliffe announced soon after running that getting Phase 3 LRT out to Bar-

rhaven, Kanata, and Stitsville, was a priority. Despite calls from many current councillors and candidates not to go ahead in its current form, Sutcliffe said the longawaited project was needed for the growing suburb.

“We are going to get the rest of the funding from the provincial and federal governments and get the rest of the system built,” he told the Barrhaven Independent. “But we still need to improve the bus system in addition to that.”

Catherine McKenney, the current Somerset ward councillor who is running for Mayor, said they believe light rail out to Barrhaven shouldn’t be rushed until we have a better understanding of current transit patterns.

“We are living in a different time where people aren’t travelling downtown at the same rate and park and rides are empty,” McKenney said. “When you think about Barrhaven, the number of local routes does not serve the population. You would have a difficult time getting to a library, grocery store, and then

back home. It would take a long time.”

McKenney said transit patterns are shifting to more localized routes and believes creating better bus options in Barrhaven should be the first priority. They also noted Barrhaven is currently served by the bus rapid transitway, which does a good job of getting people in and out of the community when serviced by proper routes and enough buses.

Former Ottawa Mayor Bob Chiarelli, who is hoping to return to City Hall, believes all major city projects should be put on ice for at least the first year of council’s new term.

Chiarelli said there’s a lot of patchwork going on between the city and OC Transpo. He believes the entire system needs to be assessed — including the future of light rail transit expansions.

“That includes accessing the ridership, that includes doing a new examination of what the reality of our city is in terms of remote work,” he told the Barrhaven In-

dependent. “People are not going downtown as much now, they are working from home. So there needs to be a very significant reassessment and I have some concern that the governments in our area are not working on the same page, they are not cooperating in terms of assessing the situation.”

Local candidates’ reactions

Council candidates in Barrhaven East and West all seemingly agree that transit options in the community need a complete overhaul, but are divided over whether or not to move forward with Phase 3 of light rail transit.

During the height of the pandemic, OC Transpo dropped to their lowest ridership levels ever, but are slowly seeing a climb with students back in school and people returning to in-person office work — at least in some capacity.

Now sitting at about 50 per cent pre-pandemic lev-

els, OC Transpo general manager Renée Amilcar said it’s unlikely ridership will ever get back to its highest levels seen. With a projected $85 million deficit, the transit agency is calling on the provincial and federal governments to help balance its books.

Barrhaven East candidate Wilson Lo, who worked as an OC Transpo driver and in communications at the company, believes light rail transit out to Barrhaven shouldn’t be supported in its current form.

He wants to spend the next few years getting a better understanding of the system and how Barrhaven can best be served.

“I want to use that time to get a better deal for the city,” he said. “A project partner that has experience building LRT and related infrastructure, a contract that allows the city to demand better accountability and transparency, a train depot not located in the middle of a residential

area (current plan has it at Greenbank/Highbury Park), and a project that applies lessons learned from stages 1 and 2 for both bus and train operations, especially at the transition.”

Barrhaven West candidate Jay Chadha, who has also worked at OC Transpo for the last 20 years (most recently in rail operations), believes an expansion out to Barrhaven isn’t needed. He said the current transitway was built as one of the best in Canada and has a lot of potential.

“People don’t care what mode of transportation they use to get around, as long as it’s fast, reliable, and affordable,” Chadha said. “This is a very expensive project and we don’t even have Phase 2 open yet. Let’s stop rushing projects along and make sure we do them right. I’m not against reassessing light rail transit out to Barrhaven, but we need to first see what the Public wants.”

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Your Ward’s Missed Opportunity

DID YOU KNOW. . .

People living in suburban and rural communities like Orleans, Barrhaven, and Stittsville do not have quick access to basic and emergency hospital

Smaller hospitals with less than 600 beds located close to where people live give us all better care and cost less to run than larger hospitals.

The new Civic Hospital will have over 1200 beds and be built in central location targeted for intensification with more traffic.

The board of the Ottawa Hospital refused the Tunney’s Pasture site recommended by the National Capital Commission. Politicians decided to take 53 acres of the Experimental Farm (a National Historic Site) instead. Why? No reasons were given.

The Tunney’s Pasture site is estimated to have a potential of $2.5 Billion for developers.

Almost half of councillors elected in 2018 received more than half of their election funding from individuals connected to the development

Vote for a mayor and councillors who represent the needs of your community not those of the development industry.

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Chapman Mills

A section of trail at Chapman Mills Conservation Area will close on Monday, Oct. 3 so crews can install a new, state-ofthe-art accessible pedestrian bridge this fall.

The current wooden bridge near the northern trailhead of the beloved boardwalk has reached the end of its life cycle. Thanks to local donors, several significant grants and support from the Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation (RVCF), the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority has secured the funding to do the work.

The trail will be closed on either side of the bridge for about six weeks. Visitors can still access the docks and picnic shelter from Winding Way Ave. Most of the trail will remain accessible from the southern trail connection beside Vimy Memorial Bridge.

“This is a really exciting project that will improve

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Phase 2 will see the Trillium line extend from South Keys out to Limebank Road in Riverside South and to the airport. While the line was expected to open this summer, supply chain issues have pushed the project back by a year.

The Confederation line will extend from Blair station to Trim Road in the east and from Tunney’s Pasture to Baseline Station and Moodie drive in the west. Transit riders will have to wait a few more years for that section of

accessibility and safety at one of our busiest properties,” said Chelsey Ellis, RVCA’s conservation lands manager. “We know the closure will be inconvenient in the short term, but it’ll be worth it.”

The current bridge has several accessibility issues: it’s not wide enough for two people with wheelchairs or strollers to pass, for example, leaving one person to back up beside the path’s steep shorelines.

The narrow bridge also led to temporary park closures in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic because adequate physical distancing couldn’t be maintained – leaving many local residents without their go-to nature escape just when they needed it most.

RVCA staff worked with the RVCF and local accessibility consultant Marnie Peters to ensure the new bridge is built to the gold standard of accessibil-

ity – not just the legislated minimums. This includes a wider deck, more gradual slopes, accessible sight lines and longer ramps.

“It’s critical that this urban oasis be as accessible as possible for the local community,” Ellis said.

“It’s close to two large seniors’ residences and is located in the middle of a family-friendly suburb. It was time to get this done.”

Individuals can still donate to the bridge project directly at www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/73114.

To learn more visit www.rvcf.ca/ways-to-give/ chapman-mills-accessiblebridge or contact Chelsey Ellis at chelsey.ellis@rvca. ca.

A new pedestrian bridge will replace the existing one at Chapman Mills Conservation Area along the Rideau River at Prince of Wales Drive and Winding Way north of Manotick.

Phase 2 with construction not expected to finish until 2026.

Barrhaven East council candidate Atiq Qureshi said he wants the Phase 3 project to be shelved due to the lack of ridership. He said with many people no longer commuting downtown for work, the expensive costs don’t justify limited gain.

Richard Garrick, also running in Barrhaven East, is firmly in support of a light rail transit expansion out to Barrhaven, saying we cannot wait any longer.

“Holding off or cancelling this project, like some other candidates have stated, would only hurt the residents that rely on transit and the businesses in our community like the new Downtown Barrhaven project and other small businesses in our community,” he said. “LRT will make it easier for residents and visitors from all over the city to get to Barrhaven to help these businesses grow. The LRT will also help attract new businesses and companies that want to come to Bar-

rhaven and bring jobs to our area.”

David Hill, running in Barrhaven West, said he’s in support of Phase 3, but said the city must learn lessons from Phases one and two.

“The City of Ottawa and Barrhaven are growing very quickly, and we need an effective and connected public transit system to support this growth and bring together all of our major communities,” he said. “We need to take a measured approach and determine the city’s future tran-

sit needs to ensure we invest wisely.”

Barrhaven West candidate Taayo Simmonds said he would support Phase 3 as long as it’s reliable and greatly improved.

“My family took the bus everywhere. So I know the importance of reliable public transit,” he said. “I believe it’s important for our community but my concern is the quality of service. The LRT inquiry final report (due on November 30th) will provide more clarity on the path for-

ward.”

Barrhaven East candidate Kathleen Caught said it’s premature to even discuss funding Phase 3 until we see results from the inquiry.

Barrhaven West candidate Sadaf Ebrahim said while people want to see more transparency and accountability with the system, she’s in support of funding Phase 3.

Dominik Janelle, Patrick Brennan, and Guy Boone, did not respond to the Barrhaven Independent’s request for comment.

Football Jaguars off to 2-0 start, play St. Mark Thursday

The 2022-23 NCSSAA fall high school sports season is well underway.

The St. Joseph Jaguars football team has a 2-0 record after a 20-6 win over St. Mother Teresa and a 33-7 win over Holy Trinity. The Jaguars have a big showdown with St. Mark Oct. 13 in Manotick. The Lions also have two wins heading into the game. St. Mother Teresa bounced back from their loss at St. Joseph to blank St. Patrick’s 24-0 in their home opener Thurs., Oct. 6.

In senior boys soccer, John McCrae is off to a good start, beating Sacred Heart 1-0 before tying Earl of March 1-1. St. Joseph beat LongfieldsDavidson Heights 2-0 but lost to Sacred Heart 3-1. St. Mother Teresa beat LongfieldsDavidson Heights 4-0 but lost to Earl of March 2-0. Pierre Savard is 0-2 after losing to All Saints 4-3 and FrancoOuest 2-1.

In junior boys soccer, St. Mother Teresa has a 1-0 win over Longfields-Davidson Heights and a 4-3 win over

St. Joseph defenders stop a St. Mother Teresa running back during their 21-6 win at the St. Joseph field.

South Carleton. They lost 1-0 to St. Joseph. John McCrae lost their opener 4-0 to St. Francis Xavier but rebounded with a 6-1 win over Bell. The Bulldogs tied South Carleton Oct. 5 by a 1-1 score. After losing their opener to St. Mother Teresa, LongfieldsDavidson Heights rebounded with a 4-0 win over St. Joseph.

In senior girls basketball, the Jaguars are 1-2. They beat St. Mark 43-24 after losing to Paul-Desmarais 46-42 and St. Pius 44-26.

St. Mother Teresa is off to a 2-1 start. They defeated All Saints 54-33 and Sacred Heart 57-46, while losing to Earl of March 53-50.

The Longfields-Davidson

Players from John McCrae and South Carleton battle for a loose ball during the Storm’s 5025 win over the Bulldogs.

heights Ravens are 1-3, losing to South Carleton 51-46, Sacred Heart 52-43 and Earl of March 47-34. Their win came against crosstown rival John McCrae by a 37-35 score. McCrae is winless after having

also lost to South Carleton 3429 and All Saints 38-28.

In junior girls basketball action, John McCrae lost their opener to South Carleton 5025 but bounced back to beat Sir Robert Borden 36-14.

St. Joseph beat LongfieldsDavidson Heights 38-35 in the season opener but then lost 41-30 to Earl of March. Longfields-Davidson Heights also lost to Sacred Heart by a score of 52-32.

Seven OSU players selected for national women’s development program

The Canadian National Women’s Soccer program will have a big injection of local talent.

The Canadian National Development Centre announced the 22 women’s players for its 2022-23 player intake for the national team program. Eight of the 22 are members of Manotick-based Ottawa South United.

Ottawa South United players Anabelle Chukwu, Isabelle Chukwu, Kayla DiTeiro, Katherine

Ozard, Naomi Lofthouse, Mia Ugarte, Mya Angus and Felicia Hanisch were among the 22 players invited to the development program. Two other players, Teegan Melenhorst and Maya Galko, were accepted into the program from the Ottawa TFC program. Most of the rest of the players selected were from the GTA, with one coming from London and one from Caledon.

“Our club’s long-term strategic planning efforts

to create the best possible environments for players to grow and develop organically have never been so evident than this milestone moment,” said OSU President Bill Michalopulos. “We want to wish these players success in their futures.”

Ottawa South United has seven players who were invited to the Canadian national women’s development program.