Municipal elections 2022-Rideau-Rockcliffe city councillor candidates
The Manor Park Chronicle contacted, or attempted to contact, all candidates in the Rideau-Rockcliffe and Rideau-Vanier wards, as well as the local zones for three school boards. (The incumbent trustee for zone 11 of the French Catholic school board, Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est, has been acclaimed.) Out of a total of 23 candidates, 16 responded. Below are profiles for candidates running for city councillor in Ward 13-Rideau-Rockcliffe.
Rawlson King
It’s been an honour to serve as your city councillor over the past three and a half years, after winning a historic by-election to become Ottawa’s first black municipal councillor in April 2019.
I’m excited to be running in the upcoming election to continue to represent you. Ottawa is growing and crucial decisions will be made by the next council. In a post-COVID-19 world, we’ll need to provide more green space while building more affordable housing that respects the character of our neighbourhoods. We’ll need to continue to protect our built heritage.
We’ll also need to secure significant investments to enhance pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, provide better-quality transit service, upgrade and replace park infrastructure, improve snow removal, and resurface our aging roads and pathways.
If you re-elect me as your city councillor, I’ll advance those goals, while building upon my successes in the last council term which included securing:
- a new poverty reduction strategy,
- a food security policy, and
- establishing an anti-racism strategy for the entire city.
Successes over the last council term also included over $280 million invested in area roads, water, and sewers, nearly $9 million in our parks, and over $38 million to secure over 350 units of new affordable housing in the ward, as well as more social supports for seniors and residents during the pandemic.
I responded to the climate challenge by successfully introducing legislation to phase out the use of city-owned gas-powered lawn equipment, along with establishing a framework for the future naturalization and beautification of the city’s right-of-way through boulevard gardening.
But so much work still needs to be done! That’s why I’m asking for your support to send me back to city hall. As a strong believer in public service, over the past decade, I served as President of the Overbrook Community Association (2014-2019), a board member at the Rideau-Rockcliffe Community Resource Centre (2011-2019), inaugural co-chair of the Ottawa Police Service Community Equity Council (2018-2019) and currently volunteer as a founding board member of the Rideau Winter Trail, a non-profit, community-led initiative providing cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, walking and snow biking beside the Rideau River which has raised over $100,000 since its inception two years ago.
With many challenges confronting us, experience counts! Vote Rawlson King on October 24 so I can continue to represent our collective interests to make both Rideau-Rockcliffe Ward and the City of Ottawa the best place to live for ourselves and the next generation.
Support the campaign at www.rawlsonking.ca.
Peter Karwacki
(Peter Karwacki noted that he ran for Rideau-Rockliffe during the 2019 byelection and that he also applied for the appointment process in Kanata North in 2021.)
You will not see signs from me. If people vote based on signage, I do not want their vote.
We have to get city expenses in check. Council must work cooperatively but get out of the picayune as governing board. Most of all, the city needs to help its people.
By the time we deal with light rail transit (LRT), budget management and city operations, council will be punch-drunk. Add in the usual unknown unknowns and council will be a long way from its stated honourable objectives.
Somehow, we need to address rapid growth consequences. That will require active community consultations and a councillor that will stick to the knitting . . . and no more quitting.
All I can say is that my first goal is to get elected. My next task would be to align myself with two-thirds of council to achieve anything, otherwise I would be no different than the incumbent who voted with the block of eight or nine councillors who were always defeated.
That is no way to run a city.
I feel my blog, peterkarwacki.blogspot.com, touches on the main issues and my stances on them.
Clayton Fitzsimmons
It would be an honour to represent your ward. I will work tirelessly for you and get things done. “Common sense is not so common.” I take a common sense approach to get things done.
Born and raised in Ottawa and have lived in Ottawa my entire life. My 30 years’ experience includes managing all types of properties from residential single family homes to multi-unit high-rise buildings, both residential and commercial including warehouse.
Having earned the certified property manager designation and being a registered condominium manager, I have overseen the repairs and maintenance and replacement of buildings and related components including; landscaping, paving, parking garages, roofing, elevators, windows and doors, sewers, etc.
My broad knowledge and experience is an asset in ensuring our tax dollars are properly used to maintain our city’s infrastructure. Being a licenced real estate broker also gives me perspective on value and how change may affect outcome. The role of municipal government should be focussed on providing core essential services working in collaboration with other levels of government to achieve the best services for the best cost for the taxpayer. (Taxpayer = You and I.)
Health and public safety is a high priority. Police, fire and paramedic services are experiencing turbulence due to ever-changing times. The city will need to adjust to the problems currently faced. Going forward we will need to examine how these services are provided and adopt a better, more efficient way of providing them.
Emergency planning cannot be overlooked. Plans must be in place and be adaptable.
Many local businesses have had a very rough couple of years with COVID-19, which continues to affect us all. Aside from the illness due to COVID-19, staff shortages and supply chain issues continue. It doesn’t look like COVID-19 and its associated negative affects are going away anytime soon and adapting to it is proving to be a challenge.
The city can do its part in assisting business by working with business, not competing with business, and by reducing red tape and speeding up turnaround times for licences and permits and other services.
Taxes, safety, affordable housing, intensification, light rail transit (LRT) and public transportation, just to name a few important issues for city council to continue to address. Respectfully submitted. I look forward to working on your behalf!
Email: clayfitzsimmonsw13@gmail.com
Editor’s note: The other candidate running in the ward is Peter Zanette.