Rideau-Jock District: Brunet: Ottawa council must not leave rural areas behind

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The Citizen invited the candidates for the municipal elections on October 24 to share their thoughts:

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Rural residents feel ignored and excluded. A room as large as Rideau-Jock will no doubt have a long list of problems. Some have been recurring over the years: upkeep and maintenance of our roads; fast-growing communities with infrastructure development that hasn’t kept pace; the lack of police presence in our small communities; safe streets for families to enjoy walking in their neighborhoods; access to mental health and other family support; And the list goes on. Rideau-Jock residents feel like they’ve been talking for years, but the city doesn’t listen to them when it comes to funding and meeting their needs.

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During the last three years, new concerns have begun to emerge. There is a growing fear of the exploitation of rural green spaces. A massive light industrial development approved by the city could set a precedent for future zoning amendments, if the council deems it appropriate. Without consultation, education, and real engagement in rural Ottawa, the city has developed plans build 710 wind turbines, five or six of them in the next three years, and erect 35 square kilometers of solar panels, in locations yet to be revealed.

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Billions of dollars have been spent on a transit system that is inoperable or inaccessible to rural residents, while existing roads continue to collapse. The issues that have been won on appeal have come back before the committee. Difficulty with access to information and continued cut-and-fill development in the floodplain are contributing factors that rural residents have lost faith in our leadership.

But there is hope. As members of a new council will soon take their seats around the table, it is imperative that they act transparently. Rideau-Jock residents need to make sure they are choosing the right voice to speak on their behalf, act intentionally on the issues that affect them, and ask the questions that will hold them accountable. The new councilmember must work with the council to repair the trust that has been lost not only in rural Ottawa but throughout the city.

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It is time to be present, to listen and to regain the trust of our neighbors. Councilmembers must be prepared to quickly roll up their sleeves and address issues that affect the quality of life for our residents. Issues like transit and the current housing crisis, appropriate development, and preservation of farmland and green space. They must be prepared to realign the city budget and find internal efficiencies, and do so in an open and engagement-driven manner.

Our next council must work to ensure that no neighborhood is left behind and that all rural residents feel that they are an integral part of their city. As a candidate for District 21, this is my priority. Please see my website, www.leighandreabrunet.cato learn more about me and my vision for both our neighborhood and our city.

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