Anti-Lansdowne 2.0 Forces Expert At Lobbying

10/26/2023

The anti-Lansdowne 2.0 group ReImagine Ottawa is ridiculously well organized.

Just check out this missive they have sent out:

Dear RO supporters and friends,

It’s critical that we CALL as many councillors as possible before the November 2, 2023 joint meeting of the Finance and Corporate Services & Planning and Housing Committees to urge a NO vote on the concept plan, financial funding strategy, business case and budget for Lansdowne 2.1, as presented in the meeting agenda.

Lansdowne Live Chat Sets A Record 50K Page Views

See below the councillors who sit on the joint committees voting and making a recommendation to City Council on November 10, 2023.

Priority calls to ENCOURAGE a NO vote on Lansdowne 2.1

Ward 1 Orleans East Cumberland, Mathew Luloff 613 580 2471

Ward 5 West Carleton-March, Clarke Kelly 613 580 2475

Ward 14 Kitchissippi, Jeff Leiper 613 580 2485

Ward 16 River, Riley Brockington 613 580 2486

Ward 19 Orleans South-Navan, Catherine Kitts 613 580 2485

Priority calls to APPEAL to supporters of Lansdowne 2.0 to reconsider and vote NO

Ward 2 Orleans West-Innes, Laura Dudas 613 580 2472

Ward 4 Kanata North, Cathy Curry 613 580 2474

Ward 6 Stittsville, Glen Gower 613 580 2846

Ward 11 Beacon Hill-Cyrville, Tim Tierney 613 580 2481

Ward 20 Osgoode, George Darouze 613 580 2490

Mayor, Mark Sutcliffe 613 580 2496

Calls of THANKFUL RECOGNITION for a NO vote on Lansdowne 2.1

Ward 7 Bay, Theresa Kavanagh 631 580 2477

Ward 8 College, Laine Johnson 613 580 2478

Ward 13 Rideau-Rockcliffe, Rawlson King 613 580 2483

Ward 14 Somerset, Ariel Troster 613 580 2484

Ward 17 Capital, Shawn Menard 613 580 2487

Ward 24 Barrhaven East, Wilson Lo 613 580 2846

Identify your talking point(s) from the 10 reasons NOT to support Lansdowne 2.1 below, or use your own!

It’s ahuge costfor taxpayers: about $500M of City spending, and $331.3M of new city debt.
It is not affordable: property taxes will be diverted, and there is only $1.2M in reliable funding sources for the annual $17.4M in debt servicing.
It’s not a priority: what are the City’s real priorities for ½ a billion dollars of taxpayer money? And, isn’t it a luxury at a time when Ottawa has real needs?
Ottawa’s Auditor General is preparing an audit of Lansdowne with a conclusion in early 2024. Why rush the decision before results, especially given the high-level of uncertainty with the projections, both current and the unusually long future time span, until 2066?
There’s been a glaring lack of transparency and oversight—much like the LRT problems.
The financial model is risky: a huge amount of City debt repayment depends on a dramatic turnaround of Lansdowne financial performance.
The planning wasrushed, flawed, and didn’t look at real options.
There are no transportation solutionsto a very big city-wide transportation problem.
It is bad for the environment: reduces green space, not carbon neutral, disturbs toxic soil.

10.We don’t know what’s happening with the Lebreton arena, another big arena project in Ottawa. The Lansdowne arena and stadium are structurally sound and safe. Shouldn’t we preserve and repair the adequate facilities for now; take the time to get it right?

(Reasons above made available through a joint-effort of civic organizations.)

What’s the alternative? Vote NO on Lansdowne 2.1 and direct Council and staff to investigate fully and transparently other options.

III. Make the call leaving your message or requesting the office to relay the message to the councillor. Ask your friends and family to join.

Note: Why a call and not an email message? A two-minute call – that’s all it takes – is known to be more effective when registering your opinion on a matter when it involves your tax dollars! Emails get lost and are often not read by councillors and their staff.