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The Citizen invited the candidates for the municipal elections on October 24 to share their thoughts:
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The central problem in District 21 is the continuing effect of the rural-urban divide since the merger of 11 municipalities into one City of Ottawa. The priorities of individual municipalities have been subsumed into the needs of urban and suburban districts throughout the city.
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This has been especially true in our rural communities. In the Rideau-Jock district, Manotick faces a problem of 800 transport trucks per day passing through our small town, putting safety at risk and reducing the quality of life for our residents and the viability of our businesses. In neighboring North Gower, a huge warehouse has been approved for construction on the outskirts of town. In the wake of the housing boom, Richmond suffers from a lack of proactive funding for basic infrastructure such as roads, essential shopping options, bike paths, and state-of-the-art community recreation facilities. Ashton also needs more infrastructure development and paved roads to support residents and small businesses.
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Municipal staff have been instructed to start working on projects in rural areas of the city that include large wind turbines to provide 20 MW of wind power. These problems stem from the city neglecting the specific needs of District 21 and using our rural residents as collateral damage.
We simply cannot paint the entire city of Ottawa with a single brush. District 21 has more miles of highway than several of the other districts combined. We need more funds for our increased infrastructure needs. Our residents and households have unique needs that must be addressed. The overall solution is adequate funding and resources to develop a proactive infrastructure that meets the growing needs of this neighborhood. Our residents deserve value for the tax dollars they send to City Hall.
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I propose some important solutions. We must review the $57 billion Green Plan to ensure a fair allocation of green projects to different areas in the greater city of Ottawa and a concrete plan for what alternative solutions would be available to residents to heat their homes, commute to work and live their lives. uninterrupted lives and without large cost increases.
We must redirect some of the emerging traffic north and south of Manotick with alternative roads, while at the same time working to change the transportation master plan to get Manotick off the truck route.
We must work to have a designated industrial warehouse zone close to major roads and highways to avoid warehouses at the gates of rural villages.
Finally, we need an appropriate share of infrastructure funding based on the size of the district and our communities and the number of miles of road that need to be built and maintained.
This is my promise to the residents of Rideau-Jock: I will be your vocal, non-partisan, available and visible advocate to bring real change and value to your tax dollars and solve everyday problems for my residents.
—Kevin Setia. For more information, please go to kevinsetia.ca