Hi neighbour,
It was another busy week in Bay Ward and City Hall!
Thanks to everyone who came out to our Bay Ward Fall Open House on Tuesday night. It was great to see more than a hundred people from across Bay Ward, interested in discussing issues with city staff and meeting volunteer-led organizations from across our community. Being in a room full of so many community-minded people was inspiring, and it was a great reminder of what makes our ward so special.
Environment and Climate Change Committee
At Environment and Climate Change Committee this week, we heard from staff with the first annual progress update on the Solid Waste Master Plan. I was encouraged to see the progress the city has made with the newly implemented 3-bag limit, which has resulted in a reduction of almost 16 tonnes in garbage collected this year as compared to the same time last year. The report also highlighted some opportunities for improvement, including the amount of organic waste that could be diverted to green bins that’s currently being tossed out as garbage. I’m looking forward to supporting the city’s efforts to promote green bin use and reduce the amount of waste that goes to the landfill. Looking for ways to reduce food waste? I was impressed with the website Love Food, Hate Waste that gives lots of tips on using the food more effectively to avoid throwing out edibles. The efforts that we make in our homes to prevent waste really add up and save money.
Staff also presented the Climate Ready Ottawa Strategy, an overarching plan to build a climate-resilient Ottawa by 2050. I was happy to support my Colleague Councillor Carr’s motion to improve access to air conditioning in residential units for moderate to low-income households across our city, and am happy to see the coordinated approach the city is taking to prevent and mitigate the effects of extreme weather and climate change in the coming years.
Automated Speed Enforcement Cameras
At Council this week, I was happy to support the motion brought forward by my colleague Councillor Tierney Advocating for the Retention and Refinement of Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) in School Zones . The data is clear- speed cameras work and are a critical tool in keeping our roads safe for some of our most vulnerable pedestrians; children walking to school. In my remarks at Council, I challenged Premier Ford to attend a School Council meeting at any of the schools in Bay Ward, to explain to parents and guardians why he thinks motorists’ right to speed outweighs children’s right to walk to school safely.
This memo from the City’s Public Works department shares some great information on the efficacy of speed cameras, and what road safety initiatives are funded by the revenue from fines and penalties.
I was happy to see the motion pass with unanimous support from Council, and am hoping common sense prevails, and we can retain automated speed enforcement cameras in school and other community-safety zones moving forward.
Read the full newsletter for my statement on Lansdowne 2.0, and more news and events across Bay Ward.
PS: Go Jays Go!⚾
