Bears Get Shot, Biting Dogs Go Home: MULVIHILL

Donna Mulvihill

A Blog About Vital Ottawa Issues

Donna Mulvihill is a community activist and former hospital coordinator.

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What’s the difference between a dog and a bear? Serious question.

Well, in our neck of the woods, bears are shot and dogs get to go home. Or so it seems with the most recent news of a pair of dogs attacking a woman out for a walk with her granddaughter in Constance Bay. The dogs in question, border-collie types, inflicted serious injury in an unprovoked attack. A neighbour heard screams and ran outside with a baseball bat to scare the dogs away. Thankfully, the baby was unharmed.

The dogs’ owner was fined and the dogs must be leashed and muzzled when not in a contained area. But why is this okay? Why didn’t the bylaw demand that the dogs be put down? Do all dogs that viciously attack get a pass? Why?

The little black bear who had the misfortune of roaming a Kanata South neighborhood was shot dead … and it took 11 bullets to do it. Why wasn’t this little guy tranquilized and moved to a safe location so he could live his natural life?

Very little has since been said as to why the bear was shot and there are many residents who would like answers.

May 9, 2023

Hubley’s Campaign Records … Interesting

There were no surprises in the release of election fundraising recently but maybe a few eyes have been opened.

Kanata South Councillor Allan Hubley raised $40,002 in donations coming from 47 people in amounts greater than $100. Donors of amounts larger than $100 must be disclosed. Hubley’s financial statement includes 26 donations of $1,000 or $1,200. These donations include executives in the cream of the development industry plus a slew of their relatives. Having faced criticism in the past for his fundraising as relates to large donors, Hubley advised that his campaign worked to find more individual donors in Kanata South and, while that may be true, it still remains that the bulk of donations for his campaign came from developers and their families.

According to Hubley, now in his 13th year on council, all the residents he represents know that his decisions are always based on what’s best for the community and anybody who donates to his campaign knows that. Really?

Perhaps those who believe Hubley has the community’s best interests at heart should think back to the final report by Justice William Hourigan on the Ottawa LRT Public Inquiry … deliberate malfeasance, egregious errors, deliberately misleading the public, violating fundamental obligations, egregious violation of public trust, withholding critical information from council, failure to collaborate, outright misrepresentation … not to mention the hundred of pages of secret WhatsApp chats between Hubley, former Mayor Jim Watson, former city manager Steve Kanellakos and former transit manager John Manconi that speak to the findings in this final report.

Hubley is no longer on the planning committee. Those donors who shelled out big bucks to support him must be disappointed. It is not likely any member of that committee would have much faith in anything Hubley would have to offer.

It is unfortunate that Justice Hourigan’s final report was released after the municipal election that saw Hubley retain his seat on council by a slim margin. Had this report been released prior to, the result could have been quite different.

Hubley has reached his best before date. In fact, he has exceeded it. 

May 3, 2023

Excuses Run Wild But Young Bear Still Dead

Eleven bullets fired in the dark of night …

Apparently, the little bear who made his way through backyards in Kanata South emptying bird-feeders and playing with the occasional stuffed toy had been in the neighborhood since the fall. He seemed harmless enough and there had been no reports of aggressive behaviour. He was just hungry and a bit curious.

In the ensuing months, the different levels of government couldn’t seem to get their act together and work in harmony to find the little guy and relocate him to a safer area.

A 911 call and reports of a “shift in behavior” resulted in police arriving on the scene and we all know what happened after that. The bear was on residential property but had been for several weeks so it’s difficult to understand how his behaviour changed. Did he rear up on his hind legs and roar? Did he charge at anyone? Perhaps he stole someone’s steak off the BBQ? This has yet to be explained.

According to Kanata South Councillor Allan Hubley a tranquilizer couldn’t be used because an errant dart could be found by a child resulting in deadly or serious injury. Also, because “tranquilizers could take a few minutes to take effect, the bear might have run into someone’s home.” Well, perhaps if someone held the door open with one hand while clutching a peanut butter-and-jam sandwich in the other …

Hubley added that the “police were making decisions in the moment.” So apparently the situation evolved from a cute little bear visiting backyards snacking on bird seed to one of a dire life-threatening situation that required police to unload 11 bullets to take down one little bear in a residential neighborhood. So 11 bullets fired into the dark night versus a tranquilizer dart …

There are many questions and very few answers. Perhaps time is needed to get the stories straight.

April 28, 2023

‘Those People’ Haunt Justin Trudeau

“Those people …”

When news broke that the Trudeau Foundation was falling apart at the seams, our illustrious globe-trotting, carbon-spewing, ethics-challenged prime minister, a somber-faced Justin Trudeau took to the stage in all of his dramatic glory … “It is a shame to see the level of toxicity and political polarization that is going on in our country these days.”

“Those people who are trying to get short-term political gain by increasing polarization and partisanship in this country, by launching completely unfounded and ungrounded attacks against charities or foundations, must not succeed.”

Well, if that’s what “those people” are doing, they are, in fact, succeeding. The foundation’s board and the CEO have all resigned but not because of “completely unfounded and ungrounded attacks.” The Trudeau Foundation Board had no choice but to resign because of its uncanny inability to conduct business with any semblance of legitimacy.

If the “political climate” has changed, there is but one person who can claim sole responsibility. Justin Trudeau.

As evidenced with the Aga Khan issue, SNC-Lavalin, WE Charity, plethora of vacations, and now with the Trudeau Foundation, what has been shown is a magnificent display of self-absorbed, self-dealing. And all compliments of Justin Trudeau.

April 27, 2023

Time To Return To BRT

Goulbourn-Stittsville Councillor Glen Gower voiced what many of us are thinking.

“… with rising construction costs and changing travel patterns post-pandemic, the cost of light rail is getting harder to justify — even with help from other levels of government. This is not in any way to suggest that the current light rail projects were a mistake. The O-Train will move tens of thousands of passengers through our city for decades to come. And rail may be needed in the future toward the south and west — just not now.”

FAILED OTTAWA: The Town That Fun Didn’t Forget

Given the latest estimate, extending Stage 3 LRT to Kanata and Stittsville is $2.5 billion, and another $4 billion to run it to Barrhaven. Even if construction started today, 10 years is not a stretch of the imagination for completion.

Former regional chairman Andy Haydon should hold onto his hat because, according to Gower, bus rapid transit might be the solution. Bus-only infrastructure would be a fraction of the cost of LRT and given the post-pandemic hybrid-work transit demand, BRT could very well be a more cost-efficient solution to the transit woes that currently exist.

According to Gower, “… extending light rail from Moodie Drive as far as Eagleson Road or Terry Fox Drive, then connecting to a bus-only transitway in two directions: north along March Road toward the technology park, and west towards Stittsville. In the south, a few improvements to bridges, priority traffic signals, etc., could segregate buses along Woodroffe Avenue, linking deep into Barrhaven via the existing transitway …”

This concept would still cost hundreds of millions but nowhere near the billions needed for Stage 3 LRT. The savings could move up the timeframe to build a transitway east to Orleans. Trip times and improved access to transit would be evident and kick-start efforts to reduce car dependency. A reduction in greenhouse gases and lower congestion would be an added bonus.

What is old is new again.

April 20, 2022

POOF: Magic Will Save The Budget

Budget woes continue …

The City of Ottawa had a transit deficit of $29.3 million for 2022 and the reserve fund is a bit short at OC Transpo for this year. Now remember Ottawa City Council passed the budget on March 1 based on receiving $39 million from the provincial and federal governments for operating costs.

Council received nothing from the provincial and federal governments. At the last finance and corporate services committee, some councillors raised concerns about how staff intend to deal with the latest financial juggling act at OC Transpo.

Staff explained that by the end of 2023, the transit reserve is forecast to have a balance of just $8.9 million so it’s clearly not sufficient to cover the shortfall.

Municipality Is Expert At Releasing Manure

Once the pandemic died down, residents returned to recreational programs and the increased revenue helped but not enough to offset costs incurred for the trucker convoy, derricho, transit inefficiencies, wastewater, etc.

Cyril Rogers, the city’s acting chief financial officer, seemed to think reviewing capital programs and being careful with hiring was sufficient to deal with this latest financial crisis. Rogers then assured councillors that “overall, the reserves were in a good balance ” and the city didn’t have to use as much from the tax stabilization reserve.

OC Transpo general manager Renée Amilcar thought the fix would be to increase marketing to attract customers and aim to improve bus reliability to keep existing ones. Seriously. 

Kinda gives you the warm fuzzies, doesn’t it?

April 10, 2023

Run David Johnston Run

Former Governor General to Canada, David Johnston, long-time family friend to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, has graciously accepted Trudeau’s invitation to serve as a “special rapporteur” regarding the Chinese regime’s interference in our elections.

In case anyone missed it, China’s interference in the 2019 and 2021 elections has been all over the news … well, maybe not CBC or CTV but certainly Global News has been carrying and updating this story as needed.

Since his election, Trudeau has managed to lose a governor general, a clerk of the privy council, a finance minister, attorney general, president of the Treasury Board, his own principal secretary as well as the commissioner of the RCMP. During the extended kidnapping of the two Michaels, he lost his ambassador to China.

Former minister Jody Wilson-Raybould’s memoir, Indian in the Closet, summed up her experience with Trudeau: “I wish that I had never met you,” she told him to his face, confessing to being upset with herself for ever thinking that Trudeau was an “honest and good person, when, in truth, he would so casually lie to the public and then think he could get away with it.”

It seems that some connected to Trudeau end up gutted and left for dead. Johnston would be wise to extend a late decline to Trudeau’s offer of special rapporteur, less his reputation be left in tatters especially after such a long and somewhat scandal-free career.

April 3, 2023

Who Or What Gets City Hall Axe?

There comes a time when we don’t get out ahead of our skis. The time has come.

In the recently released provincial budget, the City of Ottawa was hoping for help with the $39-million transit shortfall in this city’s budget. The pandemic caused lower ridership and the powers-that-be thought it only fair that the province help with the deficit. It didn’t happen. Perhaps drafting a budget minus the “anticipatory federal and provincial funding” would be a good start to realizing factual rather than imaginary funding.

So it’s back to square one. Or is it?

It will be very interesting to see if this budget is revisited in an attempt to find the missing and much-needed $39 million and where exactly the wheel of fortune will land. There are many with crossed fingers hoping that their little slice of the funding pie goes untouched.

March 28, 2023

Ottawa’s Residential New Look

Understated elegance combined with old world charm …

Wouldn’t it be interesting if the City of Ottawa could copy Vancouver’s approach to infill housing? A recent news item highlighted a beautiful multi-level single structure containing four large 1,500 sq. ft. suites on the footprint of a single detached home on an inner city 40×100 lot.

Now that would indeed be innovative planning.

March 26, 2023

Four storeys in Vancouver on a 400×100 residential lot.

More Of Same Old, Same Old LRT

Quelle surprise … or not.

The City of Ottawa has advised that the LRT Trillium Line will likely be late. Remember this is the same SNC-Lavalin company that twice failed the technical requirement of the RFP for the line so does this really come as a shock to anyone?

SNC-Lavalin, now using the corporate name TNext for the Trillium Line, is working to “accelerate critical works that would enable the handover to the city by August/September 2023.”

Residents have been through this acceleration nonsense before and look where it got them. The Confederation Line was rolled out well before it should have and has now been deemed as unsafe by the Transportation Safety Board. Will the Trillium Line be as unsafe as the Confederation Line?

Serious questions require serious answers and, thus far, none have been forthcoming other than transit general manager Renée Amilcar’s attempt to reassure transit users that the Confederation Line is perfectly safe and she would not hesitate to use it. Somehow this doesn’t quite resonate as reassuring.

March 21, 2023

Why Are Tewin Trees Cut At Night?

Clear-cutting … that’s what’s happening.

Recent drone footage of the Tewin lands appears to show a full logging operation being undertaken despite claims to the contrary by both the developer and city officials.

In a March 7, 2023 memo to council, City of Ottawa staff acknowledged that tree-cutting was occurring and advised that the ownership group developing this area was clearing the land for future farming activities. It seems that the creation of farmland is now being done in the middle of the night for some strange reason. At least that’s what the powers-that-be would like the public to believe because currently the area is zoned for agricultural use and an exemption exists under the tree-protection bylaw that allows for farming practices.

It is obvious this lame explanation is ridiculous but, apparently, City of Ottawa staff is satisfied the Algonquins of Ontario and partner Taggart Group are involved in farming practices so a permit was not necessary to cut down trees.

Exactly how stupid do city staff, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe and Ottawa City Council think residents are? Do they actually think that this pure, unadulterated bull is to be believed?

Night-time, tree-cutting is expected to continue … that must be one amazing farm they are creating.

March 11, 2023

City Spends $2 Million On LRT Scaffolding

Scaffolding for rent … a steal at only $2 million.

Since the LRT Confederation Line was launched in 2019, the city has spent close to $2 million to rent scaffolding to cover the bus platforms at Hurdman and Tunney’s Pasture stations. Anyone should know that Ottawa weather can be extremely difficult. Torrential rainfall and blizzards are occur. Why weren’t overhead protections at LRT stations part of the initial overall design?

Scaffolding. Seriously. Regardless of how one describes it, scaffolding is ugly. It is meant as a temporary cover for construction and building sites. It is not meant to be a permanent structure that is costing taxpayers $700,000 per year.

Why weren’t permanent overhead protections added when the city realized passengers were foul weather sitting ducks?

Would permanent overhead protections cost more than the $2 million spent this far? How much more will be spent renting this scaffolding before permanent overhead protection is constructed?

World-class system. Right.

March 7, 2023

Hubley Plays Politics With Speed Cameras

Kanata South Councillor Allan Hubley talks about fiscal restraint … sort of.

Hubley believes that, for some councillors, the installation of community speed cameras is as much about wanting the money raised spent on pet projects as they are about safety. According to Hubley, “I, like a whole lot of other people, (am) very concerned that there may be people around the council table that see this as a chance to grab a whole lot of money to fund whatever their special programs are that they want to fund.” He really said that.

City Reveals New Speed Camera Locations

By the way, who are these “whole lot of other people”? Parents? Caregivers? Teachers? Students? Grandparents? School-crossing guards? Cyclists? Pedestrians? Hubley doesn’t provide any details but it would be interesting to know who they are or if any of them are willing to come forward to support his half-baked synopsis about why speed cameras are used.

Hubley seems to understand the need for speed cameras in school zones but not so much on residential streets because, well, that would target speeders. Plus it would make the city a lot of money. Hmm … slower traffic in residential areas … a novel concept.

Some councillors disagree with Hubley’s assessment of speed cameras, believing instead that safer streets are the end goal.

Hubley had no trouble wasting billions of dollars on the city’s pathetic excuse for an unsafe LRT system. He is, however, concerned that making streets safer for pedestrians, cyclists and all forms of traffic by installing speed cameras is a cash grab. Right.

After everything Hubley has done in the previous term of council, how can councillors stomach sitting around the horseshoe with him? How do they work with him? Clearly he doesn’t have former mayor Jim Watson steering his ship and every time he opens his mouth, he proves just how much of a rudderless vessel he is.

March 5, 2023

Rouleau’s Report Sounds … Partisan

“Reasonable and informed people could reach a different conclusion than the one I arrived at.”

Justice Paul Rouleau

Justice Paul Rouleau, long-time Liberal supporter and appointee of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, released his much-anticipated final report on Trudeau’s use of The Emergencies Act to end the Freedom Convoy that ground downtown Ottawa to a halt one year ago.

The Freedom Convoy’s invasion and occupation of Ottawa caused untold businesses to shutter either temporarily or permanently; staff to be let go; roads blocked; residents trapped in their homes; anger, angst and animosity prevailed over the course of the three weeks it took to bring this invasion to an end.

CONVOY REPORT: City On Sidelines In Protest

While many leaders failed in their duties to not only prevent the convoy from overwhelming the city but to protect residents, it is interesting that Justice Rouleau pivots to Ontario Premier Doug Ford as having failed to act. All levels of government should be held responsible for what transpired.

So where were the powers that be?

Trudeau didn’t see the light of day until all was over. Then mayor Jim Watson provided absolutely zero leadership. Watson was nowhere to be found. Former police chief Peter Sloly was an epic failure in providing guidance and leadership to his troops. He allowed this convoy to overtake the downtown core rather than block access and divert the trucks elsewhere.

Given the length of time involved in the formal investigation into use of The Emergencies Act, it does seem odd that Justice Rouleau believes that “reasonable and informed people could reach a different conclusion …”

Conceding that “reasonable people” could come to a different conclusion that use of The Emergencies Act was not justified, is Justice Rouleau allowing for reasonable people to believe that he was given the ending of his report and he simply had to write it in such a way as to get there? One could reasonably assume that this is a partisan report that heavily favours one particular political party and its supporters.

Feb. 18, 2023

How’s Sutcliffe Doing? Meh

City of Ottawa residents voted for a new mayor and a mostly new council. Happy?

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe seems to have stumbled out of the gate more than anticipated. His lacklustre response to the most recent six-day LRT shutdown was disappointing. Sutcliffe thought this to be a minor issue. Transit riders would all agree it was much more than that and, more than a month later, are still waiting for a plausible explanation.

Settlement with Rideau Transit Group resembles waving the white flag. Concede quickly. Hope everyone forgets. Move on.

Under the guise of efficiencies, all signs are pointing to a drastic $47-million cut in transit services in the upcoming budget. How this will help fix what’s broken is anyone’s best guess.

Roads are a mess. Potholes reign supreme. Snow removal is questionable. Transit is disastrous. The list goes on. In fairness to Sutcliffe, he inherited this LRT disaster and while he didn’t create it, it is now his to fix.

Unfortunately for all those concerned, it appears that Sutcliffe has taken his cue from his predecessor, Jim Watson, with ribbon-cutting and glad-handing being de rigeur. The rest of city business? Meh.

Budget time now begins. Community meetings have been organized giving the public an opportunity to voice their concerns and plead their cases. Does anyone listen? Let’s wait and see.

Feb. 13, 2023

City Wants You To Fix Money Mess

Build it and they might come.

The first transit commission meeting of this new term of council proved interesting. According to OC Transpo general manager Renée Amilcar, OC Transpo ridership is anticipated to increase from 65 per cent to 75 per cent by Dec. 2023 with the average ridership estimated to be 70 per cent for 2023.

At present though, ridership has not yet returned to pre-pandemic 2019 levels and it is estimated that, given the low number of riders post-pandemic, the revenue shortfall will be $53 million for 2023. OC Transpo anticipates annual fare revenue of $210 million at 100 per cent pre-pandemic transit user levels. One hundred per cent? Who are they kidding?

The city hopes that the provincial government will kick in for the $53 million shortfall.

With respect to savings, reducing the bus fleet to 738 from 855 reflects actual post-pandemic service levels and will realize a savings of $4.4 million in 2023 and $8.7 million in 2024. Maybe.

Clearly, OC Transpo is counting on students and public servants returning to the office to bolster ridership and, in turn, increase revenues. Given the recent events with LRT combined with continued poor bus scheduling and service, one can only conclude that these estimates are wishful thinking.

It isn’t too difficult to understand why Mayor Mark Sutcliffe met with Treasury Board President Mona Fortier. His ask was for public servants to be ordered back to the office. Increased transit users bump up revenue. If only it were that simple.

The city desperately needs money and has put this debt directly on the backs of residents but, sadly, this sorry state of financial affairs is purely a reflection of poor management and poor planning.

The City of Ottawa created this mess and now expects taxpayers and transit users, both real and imagined, to clean it up. Perhaps it’s time to go back to the drawing board.

Feb 11, 2023

How Will Ottawa’s eBuses Run At -40?

The City of Ottawa has committed to spending about $1 billion for zero emission buses … $350 million in pocket change of borrowed money from the federal government and a small $75-million bank loan.

This vote came after OC Transpo General Manager Renée Amilcar assured councillors that the e-buses tested exceeded expectation. Forgive the laughter. One can’t help but chuckle given the utter nonsense transit riders have had to put up with for the last four years or so what with the ever-unreliable LRT proving to be a spectacular disappointment.

Councillors David Brown, George Darouze, Allan Hubley, Clarke Kelly, Wilson Lo and Matthew Luloff all voted against spending nearly $1 billion on e-Buses … but what gives with Hubley? He led the charge during former mayor Jim Watson’s tenure by wanting to jump right into the deep end and commit $1 billion for e-buses. That was until the city’s auditor general slapped his fingers and put a halt to his little spending spree.

The City of Toronto is still undecided after six years of testing e-buses. Toronto has a much milder climate than here. And batteries lose power in cold weather. Also bus heaters must work extra hard and in snow storms regenerative braking must be stopped for safety reasons.

It has been -40 with the wind chill in Ottawa this weekend.

Feb. 5, 2023

Taxpayers Covered Top-Knocks’ Testimony

The public inquiry into Ottawa’s light-rail transit system cost the Ottawa taxpayers approximately $4.8 million.

The final report from Commissioner Justice William Hourigan was released last November and while the Ontario government paid the cost of the commission’s work, the city had to spend money on legal fees plus database and file transfer services for documents.

In a report for the finance and economic development committee, acting city manager Wendy Stephanson says the city has spent approximately $3.6 million on legal fees and $913,000 for data and file transfer services.

Major Issues Continue To Mount At City Hall

An external legal firm was used to provide support to former city manager Steve Kanellakos and former mayor Jim Watson to help with their testimony. Let’s all remember that their testimony was mostly based on secret WhatsApp chats and most of the testimony was proven to be unreliable … they lied.

So taxpayers are on the hook for millions to pay for lawyers whose sole responsibility was to make the city higher-ups appear to be truthful in their testimony before Justice Hourigan. Watson, Kanellakos and former transit commission chairman Allan Hubley failed miserably and taxpayers are left holding the bag.

Feb. 3, 2023

When Do Criminal Probes Begin Into LRT Scandal?

Lord love a duck … here we go again.

The most recent LRT disruption left transit users in turmoil; replacement buses barely able to keep up; hours added to travel time; trains stuck on tracks; catenary lines dangling freely emitting sparks, flames and concerning noises. The cause of this shutdown seems to be freezing rain. Imagine freezing rain in our climate. You can’t make this stuff up.

Almost a week and no relief in sight.

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe finally appeared on local news shows looking all the worse for wear and incredibly defensive about the latest travesty. It doesn’t help that former transit general manager John Manconi’s name is back in the news. Regardless of whether or not Manconi is involved in providing guidance, it still leaves a sour taste in the taxpayer’s mouth.

Notably absent from view and comment is former mayor Jim Watson … guessing his legacy is a tad tarnished at this point.

Newly minted transit commission chairman Glen Gower is at a loss for words or words that actually mean anything. Gower did vote against a public inquiry into LRT Phase I.

At this point, there are no answers. There are, however, lots of questions with one important being when will a criminal investigation be initiated into the findings of the Ottawa Light Rail Transit Public Inquiry report?

January 10, 2023

Hubley Shares His Vision

Kanata South Councillor Allan Hubley has shared his vision. Really. He did.

In Hubley’s opening remarks at the inaugural meeting of the new term of council, he boasted about his passion to serve his community and shared his vision of working with council to protect taxpayers. Hubley also wants to build a better city. He actually said these things with a straight face.

Where was Hubley’s concern for the taxpayer when he was part of secret WhatsApp chats to hide valuable LRT information? Remember? Hubley, along with his merry band of misfits … former mayor Jim Watson, former city manager Steve Kanellakos and former transit general manager John Manconi, decided to withhold pertinent data from colleagues and taxpayers? Hubley’s actions may very well cost taxpayers millions of dollars.

Hubley is truly delusional if his thought process is that if he lays low and enough time passes, the community, taxpayers, colleagues, councillors and the new mayor will forget all about his actions and the role he played in everything that went wrong with the $2.2-billion Phase I LRT. Many people will have difficulty forgetting that.

In reality, who could possibly trust Hubley again?

Dec. 23, 2022

Who Will Be The LRT Mystery Riders?

Travelling along the Macdonald Parkway looking at the upheaval and mess created by the construction of Stage 2 light rail, one can only wonder where OC Transpo will get the throngs of riders.

It’s not like residents will be standing at stops along the way. There are no people living along the LRT line unless it’s those who must find an NCC gate or hop the fences that separate the parkway from houses and high-rises.

Dec. 19, 2022

Councillor Hubley Missing In Action

A long, motion-filled council meeting took a 15 minute lunch break at 1:15 p.m. on Wednesday. When the meeting reconvened about 20 minutes later, it didn’t go unnoticed that Kanata South Councillor Allan Hubley did not take his seat around the horseshoe. His chair remained empty.

Dec. 12, 2022

Councillor Hubley Just Doesn’t Get It

The new term of council has arrived and as each councillor takes their turn around the horseshoe introducing themselves and their community concerns, it will be interesting to see how they work together.

Councillors Luloff, Dudas, Curry, Gower, Hubley, Kitts, Darouze, Tierney … how will each of you collaborate with colleagues now that you aren’t part of Watson’s Club? How do you foster good will and trust?

Disgraced Kanata South Councillor Allan Hubley has a very long road to travel to redemption having been found to be an active participant in concealing vital information from colleagues as identified in the LRT provincial inquiry report. There is a petition afoot demanding his resignation as councillor. Meanwhile, his re-election came about as a result of splitting the vote and not because the majority of residents voted for him.

Listening to Hubley, he has opted to promote himself as deserving of the role because he has been a resident of Kanata South for 40 years and he has a vision of protecting taxpayers. Does the councillor not realize his actions will cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars to try to fix the mess he made of LRT Phase I?

Tone deaf.

Dec. 9, 2022

Transit Subcommittee: Transparency Or Not?

Governance is key.

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe seems to agree that it is vital for full transparency among council and staff of which there was little during the last term of council.

Approval of the nominating committee members will see the majority of those deciding who the committee chairs and members will be are from the former Watson’s Club. Let’s see how that unfolds.

A light-rail subcommittee of council for LRT Stage 1 and 2 and the Trillium Line will be established to oversee matters related to LRT. Clearly, Sutcliffe has taken the provincial LRT report very seriously. Given the harsh criticism in the report, the establishment of this subcommittee is warranted and will report to council. There can never be enough oversight especially given what has occurred during the last term of council.

Will there be a citizen representative appointed to the transit commission?

There are a few newly elected councillors who feel the need to have a citizen advocate to promote public engagement and restore faith in this commission. While an advisory committee is welcome, not having a member of the public on the commission reduces transparency. Given the comments from the usual suspects and a couple of surprise additions, there won’t be a public representative on the commission but rather an advisory committee reporting to the commission.

Transparency or something else? The creation of the light-rail subcommittee creates some transparency with the host of problems with LRT but who advocates for those who cannot speak for themselves insofar as transit issues are concerned?

Dec. 8, 2022

Hubley: You’ll Be Run Outta Town On A Rail

Let’s talk about tone deaf, shall we?

Allan Hubley, disgraced Kanata-South councillor heavily embroiled in the disastrous LRT inquiry fallout, told a local radio station he does not plan to be the chairman of the transit commission this term of council. 

Huh? He’s joking to think he would ever be considered … right? 

Hubley, who was the chairman during this $2.1-billion LRT debacle, was raked across the coals in a scathing report outlining secrecy, deception, lies, deliberate malfeasance, egregious violations of public trust – you name it – delivered by Justice William Hourigan. 

Clearly the oath of office Hubley took when last elected meant absolutely nothing to him. The jury is out as to whether he even understood what he was swearing to because his actions are far removed from anything he vowed to uphold.

How could Hubley possibly think that he has one iota of credibility left?  He might be lucky to be considered as nothing more than a blight. However, Hubley is thick enough to think that, given enough time, this too shall pass.

Had this report been released prior to the recent municipal elections, Hubley wouldn’t have had a snowball’s chance in hell of winning re-election. 

For the councillor to harbour a minuscule thought that anyone – residents, councillors, the mayor, city hall staff, community associations – would ever trust him again is truly delusional.  He is completely tone deaf to think he would be welcome back at city council, or anywhere else at on Laurier Avenue, with open arms. The trust is gone.

There is a petition circulating demanding Hubley’s resignation. He won’t resign because there are no policies to force his resignation. Too bad.

This is not going to blow over. The trust in Hubley is gone. None. Nada. Zilch.

The other guilty parties skipped town. It’s an idea that Hubley should strongly consider.

Dec. 4, 2022

Transit Chairman Hubley Must Resign

Confederation Line Has Some Leaks

At first blush one would think there is drywall on the walls of the Rideau Street LRT tunnel. Rest assured there is not. It is a heavy duty paint to cover the efflorescence coming out of the concrete.

Efflorescence is a salt coating on a surface that has been pushed there by water.

Our city, keen to promote accessibility via various modes of transportation including pedestrian, has once again opted to cordon off the steps downtown that lead up towards the Rideau Centre.

Why? The steps could easily be shovelled and salted in winter.

Nov. 19, 2022

We’re Gambling With Our Children’s Future

When did it become apropos to feature gambling on professional sports during prime time?

We are now bombarded with advertisements encouraging gambling during Ottawa Senators hockey games, CFL, NFL and soccer and one can only wonder why.

Do professional sports teams not realize that little kids watch games on television? These kids are going to grow up thinking that gambling and professional sports go hand-in-hand. Is this what parents want? By the time little kids are adults, they might very well believe that to enjoy a game on TV, one must also gamble on their favourite team. It might be ingrained in their thinking given the constant push to wager on the game or any game.  

Think about it. 

Having spent an evening with friends at Casino Lac Leamy, it was painful to watch some patrons clearly gambling their family’s rent or grocery money on the next chance to win the big one. Many just didn’t know when to call it quits and the despair on their faces when their chips were gone was so incredibly sad. Is this what we adults want our children and grandchildren to emulate?

The financial haul is so great that our governments continually promote this type of behaviour as normal when it isn’t. Will the necessary mental health supports be in place to help those who are unable to help themselves? Gambling is an illness. It destroys families and lives.

Let’s give our respective heads a good, hard shake .. shall we?

Nov. 16, 2022

Watson Itching To Get Out Of Dodge

Late 2026 … that’s the anticipated delivery of the Stage 2 western leg of the LRT now running a year-and-a-half behind schedule. Surprised?

At a projected cost of $4.6 billion there will be 44 kilometres of track and 24 new stations, the Stage 2 is the most expensive ever.

The western leg involves building 11 stations from Tunney’s Station west to Moodie Drive and to Algonquin College. Add to that a 2.8-kilometre cut-and-cover tunnel near the Ottawa River and along Byron Avenue. Apparently it’s the tunnel that has been the challenge. Who would have thought a tunnel would cause problems?

It is somewhat refreshing to know that the eastern portion is still on schedule with that leg of the project being only 36 days behind at this point but let’s not get too excited. The southern extension of the diesel Trillium Line to Riverside South and to the Ottawa International Airport was supposed to be done by now but, alas, it isn’t.

Of interest are all the different types of trains being used such as Alstom, Citadis Spirit and Stadler FLIRT diesel. Are they interchangeable? Likely not. Why diesel on one leg of the project?

In July, this outgoing city council approved an additional $60 million for the Stage 2 project because the contingency fund was running dry and hydro and gas lines are still to be relocated. More funds may be needed should any further issues arise. Again, surprised?

Tuesday was the final meeting of the finance and economic development committee with Mayor Jim Watson at the helm. Given the delays and funding increases involved thus far, Watson might be just itching to get out of Dodge as quickly as possible.

Nov. 3, 2022

Did Kanata Residents Just Vote Blind?

Did voters know anything about the councillors they voted for or was it simply name recognition?

This municipal election saw about 43 per cent of eligible voters cast a ballot. There were new councillors elected and, unfortunately, some of the same-old same-old who will make their way back to the Ottawa City Hall public trough.

No one particular re-elected councillor has proven to be more completely incapable of managing a municipal file as magnificently as Kanata South Councillor Allan Hubley. He chaired the transit commission that oversaw the $2.2-billion Phase-I LRT debacle; awarded a $1.6 billion contract to a company that twice failed the technical requirements for LRT Phase II; failed miserably to address OC Transpo routes and associated ongoing costs pre-COVID and beyond; held secret WhatsApp chats with Mayor Jim Watson and city manager Steve Kanellakos about critical LRT issues; withheld vital LRT information from councillors … to name just a few of his minor transgressions.

Bridlewood saw a widening of Stonehaven Drive to accommodate vehicles accessing the community that significantly increased traffic which, in turn, increased noise but nothing was done for residents to remedy it. Trucks continue to use Stonehaven Drive as a cut-through and despite many asks, nothing has been done. Noise attenuation for residents backing onto Eagleson Road has been denied despite increased commercial development and road-widening that has increased truck and car traffic and, in turn, increased noise. Recreation centre? Forget it. Outdoor pool? Forget it.

Katimavik residents were not consulted about the construction of a multi-storey apartment where a bungalow used to be. Nor were they consulted about another multi-storey unit approved for their community. Hubley just didn’t seem to care about residents’ thoughts or opinions so he made the decision to eliminate them from the equation. He opted to not attend the Katimavik Community Association meet-and-greet lest he be asked any questions.

Hubley was permitted to attend community association meetings to speak to residents but other candidates were not. Bridlewood Community Association held a Zoom meeting for candidates but no questions were permitted. Fair? Maybe not so much, but definitely worthy of sober second thoughts for community associations in Kanata South.

Residents got what they wanted. Nothing. Hubley has brought nothing of value to the table for Kanata South since his initial election win 12 years ago.

Of interest will be the provincial public inquiry report into the LRT file that was withheld until after this municipal election.

Hopefully mayor-elect Mark Sutclliffe is astute enough to recognize Allan Hubley’s obvious continued failures and sees fit to sit Hubley on the sidelines during the upcoming term of council. That’s what he deserves.

Oct. 28, 2022

Cycling? What cycling?

Watching the second mayoralty debate, it was quite noticeable that Somerset Councillor Catherine McKenney omitted the word “cycling” from her opening remarks. One must wonder what brought about this change. Is it possible that McKenney understands that the majority of Ottawans have a different set of priorities?

In terms of homelessness, everyone agrees there are people living in dire situations who need support and they especially need mental-health services to help them succeed in life. Simply moving the homeless into a home likely won’t help them in the long run without the necessary support systems firmly in place.

McKenney still doesn’t grasp the “how to” aspect of fixing transit and increasing the number of transit users. What is the plan to improve transit? How can one add money to transit if it isn’t fixed? That would be akin to throwing good money after bad.

Nour Kadri was composed and gave it his best shot. Kadri had some good ideas and would be an excellent community contact for the mayor as a few of his ideas do somewhat align with other candidates.

Former mayor and ex-provincial cabinet minister Bob Chiarelli fared better this go-round but, unfortunately, he still feels like a rehash of years gone by. Residents want positive change.

Broadcaster Mark Sutcliffe again portrayed himself as calm, cool and collected. Sutcluffe’s detailed  explanations of his platform took the wind out of a sail or two. His clear understanding of budgets and priorities was refreshing as was his adamant refusal to cut jobs and drain reserve funds.

The constant reference to hidden donor lists was tiresome and is a bad look for those who continue to beat this dead horse.

Election Day is just around the corner. May the best candidate succeed and work hard to fix what’s broken, improve what’s needed and implement sensible new ideas. Our city deserves nothing less.

Oct. 22, 2022

Highlights, Lowlights From Mayor’s Debate

It was an interesting and eye-opening mayoralty debate with some surprises and some disappointments.

Cycling, cycling, cycling … Somerset Councillor Catherine McKenney appeared to have a one-track mind and it is somewhat disconcerting. It didn’t go unnoticed that she eliminated that word from her closing remarks.

Ottawa covers a very large geographical area and it is paramount for candidates to understand this. It’s also important to understand that the cycling community is miniscule compared to those who use both private and public transit. Roads in Ottawa are in a dismal state of disrepair and need investment.

McKenney seemed to believe that over the last 20 years budgets have had a line-by-line review by council. In reality, it seems that over the last 12 years at least, staff prepared the budget based on the mayor’s discretion and those budgets were carried on omnibus motions. Skepticism runs rampant that council had any say in the annual budget.

Broadcaster and small businessman Mark Sutcliffe addressed accusations of service and program cuts citing finding funding efficiencies on travel, conferences, consultants and unnecessary spending. Sutcliffe promised a line-by-line budget review and this approach is long past due. He presented himself as well informed and might just have left enough of a favourable impression on those voters who were unsure of their selection for mayor.

It is evident this city is in financial hot water with a debt load of roughly $4 billion. That’s a lot of debt and an awful lot of interest paid annually on that debt.

Affordable housing is high on the list of priorities but seems to be a somewhat distant dream. By all means it’s past time to get the ball rolling on this most important issue but it does seem highly doubtful that this priority can be resolved in four years. Ten? Maybe.

Property taxes cannot be frozen because inflation cannot be frozen and this might not happen until all levels of governments come to some degree of understanding on what the top priorities are and work in unison on those issues.

Unfortunately, transit and OC Transpo were the hot topics and these departments will take a lot of work to fix. They are messy and it is highly improbable that the associated problems can be resolved in one year.

There were high hopes for McKenney but disappointment was the lingering feel. There must be a demonstrated level of respect towards opponents and this was missing.

Unfortunately, former mayor and ex-Ontario cabinet minister Bob Chiarelli presented himself as a good reminder that there’s a reason people retire and it’s really time that he hang up the skates and enjoy his golden years.

Sutcliffe was informed, articulate and responsive. He addressed all questions presented to him.

Does one need to be a seasoned politician to run this city? No, but one does need to recognize what taxpayers expect for their hard-earned money.

Oct. 14, 2022

Elections Can Be Just Plain Unfair

It’s all coming down to the wire.

Wanna-be councillors are hitting the pavement knocking on doors and spinning their best schtick. Not every door can be knocked on and candidates cannot meet and greet every voter. Community associations might have done a better job of inviting all candidates to a public meeting. Sitting councillors have the opportunity to speak to community associations but candidates don’t. That seems to be an unfair advantage but all candidates have the chance to prove themselves the better choice via door-knocking, mail-outs, Facebook and Twitter, just to name a few choices.

Mayoralty candidates seem to be focused on the core of the city as not many have been seen in the suburbs.

It’s difficult to discover who is and isn’t being honest and there is a lot of backstabbing going on with perhaps a few more visible than others. Candidates would be wise to realize that most voters are a little more savvy than they are given credit for.

There are those voters who greet candidates with a level of callousness usually reserved for the schoolyard.

Other candidates suggest to voters that if they aren’t going to throw votes their way, they should perhaps lean in a particular direction. Seriously.

All voters should do their due diligence and read all available material to make an educated choice. Existing councillors should have their voting records and actual accomplishments reviewed. There are those who can put a better spin on a situation to make it seem more favourable than what actually occurred. Sometimes a candidate has just been seated around the horseshoe for one too many terms and it’s time for a fresh face and new ideas.

They say politics is a dirty business … how true that is in this election.

Oct. 13, 2022

Another Knock On Hubley

It was a meet, greet and question your candidates evening in Kanata-South with the Katimavik Community Association holding court on Oct. 3.

This provided an opportunity for residents to hear what candidates had to say and ask the questions deemed most important prior to casting votes on Oct. 24. Unfortunately not all the candidates showed.

The current councillor, Allan Hubley, couldn’t be bothered to attend. Apparently he was not inclined to be questioned about the three squat apartment buildings replacing a single family home at 33 McCurdy Drive. Residents in the area were somewhat miffed that their concerns were completely cast aside.

It seems that many had legitimate questions about this development and those went unanswered by Hubley so he might have been somewhat reluctant to be called on the carpet for his dismissal of their concerns. Hubley decided it could only be in his best interest to stay away from the gathering lest he be made to look like the insensitive and uncaring character he has proven himself to be over the past three terms of council.

It is one thing to portray one’s self as a successful councillor on paper but it is a completely different feel when the incumbent councillor refuses to meet in person with residents in his ward and answer their legitimate questions.

So let’s just chalk this one up to yet another epic fail by Hubley.

Oct. 6, 2022

Positive Campaigns Produce Profits

Politics is a dirty business.

We are well into the 2022 municipal election and some candidates are feeling the pinch … community support is not as strong as initially thought.

Those candidates who are not doing as well as anticipated would be advised to promote themselves as the better choice rather than speak ill of their opponents. This approach almost always backfires.

Untruths can easily be dismantled and the candidate choosing to go this route looks bad. Really bad.

Those candidates canvassing door-to-door dissing their competition really isn’t a good look. The same goes for those choosing to tweet out disparaging comments. Both smack of desperation.

Oct. 1, 2022

Show Us The Money

The race is on.

Ottawa has some serious candidates for the mayor’s chair in October’s municipal election but they are providing few details on the cost of promises.

Cycling infrastructure in the first term of council; affordable housing; and tens of thousands of houses built, etc., but how much will these campaign promises cost taxpayers?

Between the federal, provincial and municipal governments with their collective hands out, we are all feeling the pinch these days. How much can taxpayers afford and what is actually affordable?

Here’s what Ottawa voters want … show me the money.

Instead of mayoralty candidates enticing voters by hyping them up with a litany of promises without the price tags attached, why not give voters all the information necessary to examine what is feasible and what isn’t. Is that too much to ask?

After all, it is our money they will spend so we should know well in advance of voting just how much our taxes will increase because, rest assured, property taxes will rise.

Sept. 18, 2022

Transit’s Terrible, Be Careful Voting

OC Transpo will show a deficit of $85 million this year. Meanwhile ridership has not returned to pre-pandemic levels.

Bus routes have seen hundreds of cancellations leaving riders stranded and late for work, appointments, school, and the like.

Year 3 of the pandemic and management doesn’t have a clue how to fix what is clearly broken. And to hear the chairman of the transit commission Allan Hubley speak, one would think everything is under control … there’s nothing to see here folks .. move along.

New faces, new ideas, fresh sets of eyes are needed. 

Never forget how cavalier some councillors were when it came to spending your hard-earned tax dollars.

Vote wisely.

Sept. 13, 2022

Hold Off On New Police Chief

Who should choose the next chief of the Ottawa Police Service?

We are now in full election mode. Jim Watson isn’t running again so there will be a new mayor, a number of new faces seated around the council horseshoe and new chairs of committees. Perhaps some or all existing councillors seeking another term will be replaced by an opponent in their respective wards.

Given the magnitude of impending changes, do the current officials have the public support to select the new chief of the Ottawa Police Service?

Sept. 5, 2022

Goodbye, So Long Allan Hubley

You are the weakest link .. goodbye.

According to the latest unscientific Bulldog poll, 38 per cent of respondents chose Kanata South Councillor Allan Hubley as the top dog that residents DO NOT want returned to council this year.

The municipal election is on Oct. 24 and folks have up until that date to decide who their ward councillor will be. Apparently in Kanata South, it won’t be Hubley.

Any resident would really have to be a bear for punishment to vote for this dismal failure of a councillor to serve another term.

Poor Allan has bungled just about every file he has touched and some of them are doozies. Remember him spending $2.2 billion for a LRT system? Or how about awarding a $1.6-billion contract to a company subsidiary that twice failed the technical requirements necessary to move on to the next level? How about $1 billion for electric buses? We are now in year three of empty double-decker and articulated buses roaming suburban streets. OC Transpo fares keep rising.

And the list goes on…

Sometimes it’s good to know when to hang up the skates.

Sept. 4, 2022

New Council Might Improve On Clowns

A lightning strike on overhead train wires caused another LRT meltdown and was another example of the pathetically poor system purchased by the City of Ottawa and Rideau Transit Group.

Is this the only LRT system in the world that experiences problem after problem or is Ottawa just that lucky?

If the city and RTG chose, oh say perhaps, a system that was designed to work in our climate on tracks that could actually support said trains, we may be of a different mindset. But, alas, we aren’t.

While the final report of the recent provincial judiciary inquiry won’t be released before November and too late for voters to use to narrow down those candidates deserving of a seat on council, the inquiry revealed a train load of evidence of gross incompetence, horrid mistakes, unbelievable secrecy and a whole lotta finger pointing between the city and RTG.

Undeniable though was the sheer lack of transparency between Mayor Jim Watson, his lapdog, transit chairman Allan Hubley and the rest of council who were kept in the dark about everything. City manager Steve Kanellakos can only hang his head in shame that he got caught up in the mess created by Watson and Hubley.

There was an obvious lack of accountability and certainly the taxpayer’s best interests were neglected. Let’s not forget that construction of the $1.6-billion Trillium Line is chugging along. The successful contractor, a SNC Lavalin subsidiary, twice failed the technical component of the bidding process. But, hey, what’s a few failed technicalities between friends?

It remains highly doubtful that there will have been any lessons learned from the Phase I fiasco. We can only hope that the new mayor and council and, in turn, the next chair of the transit commission, will take their responsibilities more seriously than the clowns who conducted this circus.

Aug. 24, 2022

Old, Bad Councillors Might Get The Boot

Silly season is now upon us.

All individuals in the running for municipal council have filed their nomination papers and campaigning will begin in gusto.

Council is considered to be lame duck as is the mayor … not really a stretch.

The results of the Oct. 24 vote will bring a council with many new faces around the horseshoe. Sadly, some seasoned councillors don’t know when to call it quits so perhaps this election will give them the reality shove they need to spend more time with the family.

Let the games begin.

Aug. 22, 2022

Would You Redo The Last 12 Years?

What if we could go down a rabbit hole and redo the last 12 years or so? Would you do it? Would you want to do it?

On the municipal front, we could have had a fully functioning LRT system that actually served the public; one that was built and tested ahead of purchase; one designed to work in our climate.

We could have had a mayor and councillors not compromised by big business and developers but elected to serve the residents.

We could have had councillors who were actually invested in their own community and our city as a whole and not a majority who served as the mayor’s henchmen.

We could have had an elected council who worked hard to ensure sufficient funding was available for affordable housing, transit, a greener city not overrun by potholes, weeds and garbage.

We could have had a mayor and councillors elected not solely by name recognition but by realistic platforms that actually benefit residents.

We could have had a financially responsible, transparent and accountable mayor and council.

Would you do it?

Aug. 17, 2022

How Can Allan Hubley Run Again?

How does one with such a dismal track record run for re-election?

Allan Hubley, councillor for Kanata South and chairman of the transit commission, has submitted his nomination papers for this year’s municipal election. It’s not that he did submit them but why did he submit them?

Initially Hubley promised that he would not exceed two terms on council. The councillor is now vying for his fourth seat in the chair. So a promise is a promise or not. It seems that he just can’t get enough of the limelight but that light is dimming quickly. In fact, that light is pretty well snuffed out and so it should be.

Anyone who paid any attention to the recent provincial LRT inquiry learned that the Phase I $2.2-billion LRT system purchased was not suitable to withstand the use as intended. Unproven, untested and seen only in a glossy brochure. Sold.

Hubley’s Phase II purchase is even better in that the company awarded the contract failed the technical requirements … twice. Sold.

OC Transpo, again Allan’s domain, is a mess. Year 3 of COVID still sees near empty articulated and double-decker buses roaming suburban streets burning fuel. No changes to bus sizes or schedules but fare increases seem to be the only option to shore up finances.

Hubley should do the right thing and withdraw his nomination for councillor for Kanata South as he has proven time and again that he is not the right person for the job. It’s time to retire Allan.

Aug. 5, 2022

Thank You To Storm Damage Crews

Hats off to City of Ottawa crews.

Their hard work and perseverance clearing the massive piles of trees and accompanying rubble from that devastating storm was considerable.

While there is still quite a bit of cleanup to be done in forested parks, their efforts are and continue to be very much appreciated.

Thank you.

July 30, 2022

OC Transpo Should Step Up And Manage

How much is too much?

Each year it seems the transit commission, chaired by councillor Allan Hubley, has a singular and simple answer for all that ails OC Transpo … raise fares. But aren’t fares about as high as they can possibly be for a service that is sub par?

It would seem that bus schedules are a thing of the past … maybe yes, maybe no, maybe the bus will show. For the most part, it seems to be hit-and-miss.

Transit ridership just might increase if management took seriously the concerns of the actual users of the system.

How about smaller but more frequent shuttle buses in communities to transport riders to park-and-ride lots where they could hop an express bus? This seems to make more sense and be a more economically viable option to those massive articulated and double-decker buses roaming the suburban streets.

As it stands now, taxpayers and transit users have little appetite for yet another fare increase as a means of fixing all that’s wrong with OC Transpo.

It’s time for management to step up and manage.

July 28, 2022

Hubley An Embarrassment At LRT Inquiry

What we saw during the provincial LRT inquiry was a classic game of pass the buck.

First up was transit chairman and Kanata South Councillor Allan Hubley who really must have a hard time tying his own shoes. Hubley knows nothing and sees nothing. The take-away was someone so dense and inept yet so incredibly arrogant, he was embarrassing. Hubley wasn’t clear on who was involved in anything and especially in the private WhatsApp chat group of which he was part. Hubley even had a hard time remembering what exactly his role was in all of this LRT Confederation Line nonsense. It was obvious that he had thrown his hands up in surrender long ago. All those untruths, Allan. Tsk. Tsk.

Then, of course, there’s Mayor Jim Watson. His testimony revealed why he bowed out of the mayoralty race this year. Despite his denials, he is a die-hard control freak. Watson is in this mess up to the obligatory chains of office he so graciously wears to secure his standing around the council horseshoe.

It was actually comical listening to him respond to questions. One would be left thinking he was the most dim-witted of the bunch. He made no determinations, was not aware of anything troublesome and he left every decision up to staff. Why one would think he was more inept than his lapdog Hubley except he isn’t and he chooses instead to cast the blame net far and wide. Who me? I know nothing. All those untruths, Jim. Tsk. Tsk.

What could one possibly say about city manager Steve Kanellakos? He chose to agree to lower the testing criteria and to not inform city council of the early and frequent failures during the Phase 1 trial runs in July and August 2019.

Apparently Kanellakos thought it best to wait until the testing was completed. Hmmm … except the testing was never really completed. He wrongly blamed the failure to launch on the approval of the independent certifier and the independent auditor. According to Kanellakos, if council wasn’t satisfied with his performance, well, they could have simply amended or rescinded his authority. That’s all well and good if council was aware. Unfortunately, council was kept in the dark about … well, just about everything.

So possibly all LRT related decisions were made by Jim Watson, Allan Hubley, Serge Arpin (Watson’s chief of staff) and former OC Transpo general manager John Manconi … or they weren’t. Kanellakos seemed to believe they were. Those mentioned, not so much. It’s kind of like following the bouncing ball. Who knew what and when did they know it? It’s a crap-shoot. What was made abundantly clear is that the rest of council and the public were either misinformed or were fed lie after lie after lie.

Whichever way this unfolds in the final report, none of these clowns deserve to hang their respective hats at city hall.

July 20, 2022

Watson Throws Top Staff Under The Bus

Mayor Jim Watson was on the hot seat at the provincial LRT inquiry Thursday and he is more than willing to throw anyone under the bus. Anyone that is except himself. Watson has portrayed himself as an innocent bystander who left the heavy lifting to staff including city manager Steve Kannelakos and former OC Transpo general manager John Manconi.

July 1, 2022

Commissioners Not Told Of LRT Woes

Former OC Transpo general manager John Manconi confirmed to the LRT provincial inquiry commission that Kanata South Councillor Allan Hubley, chairman of the transit commission, knew all along about the issues during testing but he never told the transit commission.

Mayor Jim Watson, Manconi, city manager Steve Kanellakos and transit commission chairman councillor Allan Hubley formed part of a private LRT WhatsApp group where they were made aware of LRT issues but that information was never shared with transit commission members or council.

So many secrets.

June 29, 2022

PR Photo-Up Meant Train Must Run

The provincial inquiry into Ottawa’s problem-plagued LRT system revealed that a longer testing period than used was necessary to fully identify, understand and fix the issues known.

If problems were evident, why did Mayor Jim Watson and his transit commission entourage, led by chairman Allan Hubley, push so hard to activate a system that wasn’t even close to being ready to roll?

Apparently that photo-op of Watson and his minions smiling broadly on the inaugural run in September 2019 was paramount to LRT Phase I being declared a success. Sadly, it was anything but a success as discovered a short time later.

So many issues were waived by the city as irrelevant. To the detriment of transit riders, this system was pushed through long before it was ready.

And so we wait for explanations, answers or excuses.

June 26, 2022

City Knew In 2012 It Needed New Train

The provincial inquiry into the disaster known as Ottawa LRT heard that train-maker Alstom created a vehicle that did not yet exist and the ask was “pushing the limits” of what a light-rail car can do.

According to Yves Declerq, light rail product director for Alstom, the City of Ottawa wanted to move 24,000 passengers an hour in each direction which was considered “exceptional”. This number of passengers was more in line with subways than light rail. He explained that subways are more “robust” and that the company replaced the tram engine with one it used on New York subways. He noted that this would explain some of the problems that were incurred later on.

Interestingly enough, the Alstom executive made it clear the city knew as early as the summer of 2012 that the light-rail train it was asking for didn’t exist.

Let … That … Sink … In.

June 22, 2022

The Light-Rail Train That Never Was

The train that wasn’t.

Alstom’s Yves Declercq was asked during the inquiry if it was clear to the city and everyone else involved that the train being proposed didn’t exist when the contract was awarded in 2012. “Yes,” he said.

This is a give-your-head-a-good-hard-shake moment. The City of Ottawa – mayor, councillors, staff bought an LRT train that didn’t exist. It wasn’t tested; had never run on a track before; it wasn’t even built.

Does anyone else feel like we were sold a bill of goods?

June 17, 2022

Let’s Get Those LRT Costs Out There

Design to budget. Remember that. It’s important.

The LRT provincial co-lead counsel, John Adair, questioned John Jensen, then director of rail implementation about the pressure brought on by Mayor Jim Watson and city councillors to bring the LRT project to early completion and within budget. The original budget made no allowance for inflation or other unexpected costs in construction. Although he tried, there wasn’t much Jensen could say to argue the points made except that the city hadn’t set “that hard a line” on costs.

The city’s policy of “design-to-budget” might have put pressure on the builder to cut costs. What were the cuts and where were these cuts made?

So was the mayor’s “on-time and on-budget” mantra a cheap pipe dream? Are the actual costs related to LRT Phase I not yet known or not publicly known.

June 16, 2022

LRT Inquiry Will Shock Ottawans

A mistake … just a mistake.

The Alstom Citadis train chosen for the Ottawa LRT system was rated to operate at temperatures of down to -25C … not the -38C as specified in the contract requirements.

Rideau Transit Group dismissed the rating as “a mistake” when questioned about this at the LRT inquiry. Unfortunately, the city seemed quite willing to accept RTG’s explanation and didn’t bother to look into the validity of this mistake.

Even more troubling than the city’s lackadaisical effort into understanding the RTG report is that Alstom considered the Ottawa LRT to be a “development project” to bring the company’s low-floor train technology to North America. Did RTG reveal this little tidbit to staff, council and the mayor?

Taxpayers should be sitting up a little straighter and paying more attention to this inquiry because the revelations are going to get much worse. This is only the beginning.

June 15, 2022

Watson Makes History, The Wrong Way

Mayor Jim Watson’s legacy has been tarnished beyond repair.

So Watson’s retweet of a release from months ago that was already released is, unfortunately, a genuine attempt to change the narrative. That’s because the LRT public inquiry just happens to start the day after the release had been republished. Furthermore, Watson said the missive had just been released. The inquiry will not go well.

Watson desperately craves a lasting legacy but that history is riddled with failures for which we all continue to pay: Lansdowne, LRT, new main library and OC Transpo are just a few that come to mind.

LRT has been an epic disaster as we will discover. Who knew what, when and how much did it cost? Pay attention as this inquiry unravels in the weeks to come.

How many of the councillors who voted against the judicial inquiry will seek re-election? Here’s the tally of supporters. Allan Hubley, Keith Egli, Glen Gower, Tim Tierney, Jean Cloutier, Jan Harder, Eli El Chantiry, Matthew Luloff, Scott Moffatt, George Darouze, Catherine Kitts, Laura Dudas and Watson.

Look for more rear-end covering and preemptive denials as the hearing progresses.

June 13, 2021

Let’s Improve The Great White Blob

Many wondered and now we know.  

The blinding monstrosity that detracts from the beauty of the Ottawa skyline eastbound towards Moodie Drive is a shed. It’s a massive, blinding, white shed for train cars and it can hold up to 60 of them.

Concerns have been voiced and complaints received regarding the true ugliness of the aluminum rectangle and how the city could disguise it. Sadly, graffiti artists aren’t welcome. Too bad.

Kanata North Councillor Cathy Curry advised there will be high fencing installed to keep graffiti artists, among others, from reaching the tempting canvas and, according to Curry, “I contacted the people in charge of art grants who fund murals. They suggested that there was no funding for a mural of that size right now, but they would keep it in mind if funding becomes available.” Gee, now that’s forward thinking.

How could this city possibly approve construction of something so visibly gross and no one thought that perhaps a few bucks could be set aside to pretty up or disguise this blot on the landscape?

Let’s have a competition, invite local artists and taggers to collaborate, let their imaginations soar and their artistic abilities come to life across this incredibly huge blank canvas for all of the public to enjoy.

June 10, 2021

Is That Lansdowne You’re Smelling?

Something stinks.

Rather than defer Lansdowne 2.0 to the next council, to be voted in Oct. 24, council dealt with some nasty business.

Gloucester South-Nepean Councillor Carol Anne Meehan would like the city’s auditor general to review the financial implications involved with Lansdowne 2.0 and rightly so. Taxpayers have every right to know the details with respect to how their property taxes will be affected because this is a tax supported debt. The proposal is not revenue neutral.

It seems there’s something slippery going on given the millions of dollars involved and apparently any decisions more than $50,000 should be deferred to the next council. This report authorizes $332.5-million debt authority which includes $8 million for staff to review the proposal and report back to council. Surely the city treasurer could find $8 million in the couch cushions rather than weakly voicing support for hundreds of millions.

Given there is a mere four months until the municipal election, does the current council have the authority (legal or ethical) to make decisions of this magnitude? However, Watson’s minions strike again approving the required $332.5 million. Who knows what the fine print says but, rest assured, it might not necessarily be in the best interests of taxpayers which leaves one to wonder … what’s the rush.

Public consultation is always a good thing … ignoring the public less so. The after-effects of this meeting may be deafening.

Where Was Your Councillor During Storm?

Wasn’t that a party?

A planned afternoon of enjoyment spent with the grandkids in our pool and, after a quick glance at the impending sky, everything ended.

The breeze picked up and ugly black clouds rushed in. Before we could lower the porch windows, rain and wind battered our humble abode.

We sat and watched as trees, shrubs and newly planted gardens rocked to and fro and hoped for the best that some could possibly be saved. Just as quickly our patio table and chairs did a hop, skip and jump into the pool. We were certain the table glass was toast as it slid across the patio and did a deep dive.

Standing on the porch all we could do was watch as the huge spruce tree on the berm behind us rocked back and forth before doing a slow-motion heave and toppled onto our hedged fence. It settled hanging over the deep end. A large maple cracked and fell on top of the spruce tree. Our power went out and stayed that way for three days. We were lucky that was the extent of the damage. Urbandale Corporation responded quickly to remove the damaged trees and ensure our fence was intact. We were very appreciative of their response time.

Other residents were not as fortunate as we were. A subsequent tour of neighbourhoods saw extensive damage from fallen trees that, today, remain waiting for chainsaws and chippers to do their thing. Streets have massive bundles of branches and tree stumps to be removed. It will take time to clean up the storm damage.

Hydro Ottawa crews were incredibly responsive working diligently to restore power as quickly as possible. Thank you for everything.

Some councillors were quick to react tweeting helpful suggestions for locations to recharge phones and laptops, grab a coffee or a slice of pizza and some extended the offer for showers in community centers where neighbours could gather and support each other. You know who you are and thank you.

Those councillors are what our city needs. What we don’t need are the ones who were MIA and chose to stay that way. You know who you are.

Remember where your councillor was during the storm and power failure of May 2022 and how they responded to the community’s needs. On Oct. 24 vote accordingly.

Pols To Kick Off City Council

Who would not be missed around the horseshoe at Ottawa City Hall? Well at first blush …

Mayor Jim Watson: Watson would not be missed. Anything and, it seems, everything Watson did was to cast his glow in an angelic aura fit for a saint. Sadly, LRT is considered a dismal failure .. behind schedule, over-budget, poorly managed, malfunctions, breakdowns … Lansdowne 1.0 and, hopefully not but possibly, 2.0 is a developer’s dream and a taxpayer’s nightmare. The “new and improved” main library is considerably over budget yet there is not a rein in sight to tame this wild beast. Any councillor seeking re-election would be wise to immediately distance themselves from the Watson’s Club of Minions.

Kanata South Councillor Allan Hubley: The sun sets in the west and so should Hubley in the western regions of Ottawa. He initially campaigned on the promise to serve no more than two terms and is now well into his third. So much for promises. Hubley’s leadership as chair of the transit commission and all things wrong with OC Transpo have been dismal failures. Who approves the purchase of 100 electric buses that have not been tested in our climate based on a federal loan that must be repaid? Who runs a full schedule of empty buses during our two-year pandemic? He possibly doesn’t know anything, couldn’t be bothered to learn or is simply too arrogant to care. The time has come to cast him adrift.

Barrhaven Councillor Jan Harder: Every player should know when it’s time to hang up the skates. Jan, it’s time.

West Carleton-March Councillor Eli El-Chantiry: El-Chantiry’s lack of respect for those councillors not welcomed into the Watson’s Club of Minions displays an astounding unawareness that some may have good ideas that are not only worth a glance but a second thought. Sometimes councillors are expected to have an original thought and El-Chantiry would do well to remember that. An easy solution to this problem is to put him in the same west-bound boat as Hubley.

College Councillor Rick Chiarelli: An embarrassment to himself, residents and every member of council who took their oath of office seriously … go. Please just go.

Cumberland Councillor Catherine Kitts: Perhaps Kitts’ tender age could be an excuse for her apparent ignorance and disrespect for those councillors who are not members of the Watson’s Club of Minions. While it was interesting to watch Zoom council meetings during our COVID lock-down, it was disturbing and somewhat disheartening to watch Kitts’ constant eye-rolling each time a fellow councillor voiced a thought or concern that wasn’t part of Watson’s script. Kitts simply isn’t mature enough for the role.

Osgoode Councillor George Darouze: Really what does one say or think about a councillor who blatantly disregards the law by conducting official city business in his car while driving? Darouze is clearly a man of many talents … texting, typing on an open laptop, participating in a Zoom council meeting all the while navigating the streets of our fair city. His punishment was a $750 fine and a promotion to deputy mayor. He is the weakest link … goodbye.

Kanata North Councillor Cathy Curry: As a replacement for the short-lived councillor Jenna Sudds (now an MP), there was hope but Curry took little time in joining Watson’s Club of Minions. She may have wanted to get her feet wet a bit and make nice with all councillors before she buried her tender tootsies in minion concrete. An apt reward should be a short-lived term on council.

Residents would do well to look upon this upcoming municipal election as an opportunity to help craft our city for we are not separate cities .. Ottawa, Nepean, Gloucester, Kanata, Orleans, etc. We are one … Ottawa. There are some very contentious and expensive items on the upcoming agenda that must be studied and considered in the most serious manner. Public participation is key in the development of our city’s future. Read, review, question and question again your candidates’ platform. Your taxes depend on it.

May 22, 2022

Here’s A Name In Kanata South

Dr. Rouba Fattal … remember that name. 

Dr. Fattal holds a PhD in political science, is a full-time public servant and a part-time professor at the University of Ottawa and Carleton University. She is a devoted wife, mother and author of several children’s books, a community leader and volunteer.

Fattal founded the Kanata-Carleton Small Business Network in 2015, a non-profit organization that helps connect and empower small businesses with the essential tools, workshops and inspiration to create jobs in the community. Recent efforts have been focused on poverty and homelessness. She is a board director at  the Western Ottawa Community Resource Center which runs Chrysalis House (a women’s shelter in Ottawa) and chairs its development committee advocating for affordable housing.

A common thread in all her work is promoting inclusiveness, diversity and empowerment.

Kanata South needs intelligent, strong, decisive, fair, responsive representation from a councillor who puts residents and the community first.

What the community doesn’t need is a councillor who freely chooses to be the mayor’s support beam for whatever development or legacy whims said mayor desires.

Dr. Rouba Fattal is registered as a candidate for Councillor, Ward 23, Kanata South.

It’s going to be an interesting journey to the Oct. 24.

May 19, 2022

Let’s Get Lansdowne Correct Now

Perhaps the time has come to rethink Lansdowne Park as a “destination”.

The first go-round didn’t work out so well and public perception for the upgrade isn’t exactly positive. There is no ringing endorsement coming from those whose voices should matter the most … taxpayers.

The rethink would require outgoing Mayor Jim Watson to rein in his wild horses, aka his council minions, and hit the pause button on Lansdowne 2.0.

Now would be a golden opportunity for Watson to sit down with the LeBreton Flats development group and have a serious conversation about integrating a smaller arena and football field into their plans to compliment the NHL scale arena with the area then having both large and small venues for hockey, football, soccer, concerts, trade shows, etc.

LRT would then be used to its fullest capacity shuttling the throngs of fans to and from the entertainment of their choice be it games, events, concerts and the like. For anyone choosing to drive, there would be ample on-site parking.

Those who reside in the Glebe could once again enjoy the quality of life they so desperately crave.

Lansdowne Park should have been, and could still be, a beautiful central park siding on the Rideau Canal with seasonal vendors, cafés and bistros sprinkled throughout; playgrounds and picnic areas for families to enjoy. It could be stunningly beautiful. Instead it is a concrete wasteland and nothing the movers and shakers do will ever change that.

Given the state of disrepair and cost involved to rebuild the arena and stands, perhaps the time has come to bulldoze the whole area. Leave the restaurants and shops but rip up the concrete and turn it green. Plant dozens of trees and shrubs to compliment winding walking and bike paths. That $330 million would go a long way to create a wonderful tourist hub.

So what exactly is the rush to push Lansdowne 2.0 through?

Perhaps Watson could put aside his pride this one time. Clearly he would like to leave a lasting legacy. Lansdowne 1.0 wasn’t it and 2.0 isn’t it either. Thus far, LRT doesn’t even qualify and won’t until completion whenever that may be. Still it will soon venture to LeBreton Flats and this area will one day become the premiere destination for the City of Ottawa.

Think about that.

It’s not too late to join forces to get it right.

May 15, 2022

Council Needs A Plan For OC Transpo

We are now into Year 3 of a COVID lifestyle and OC Transpo is well into the red in terms of monetary losses. Thus far this year, the transit system is running an $18-million deficit. Thus far and it’s only May.

Transit commission chairman Allan Hubley is calling for a major rethink to bus service in the downtown core unless ridership returns to normal levels. More than two years into a pandemic that created barren streets and near empty office buildings and he is just now thinking of a rethink. The wheel spins slowly.

How about a city-wide rethink because, news flash to Hubley, ridership is not likely to ever return to normal levels. The majority of transit users are government employees and they have found a much more efficient means of doing their job. Ridership will remain low as long as employees continue to work from home. By all accounts, this doesn’t seem to be changing in the near or distant future.

The recent fare increase isn’t helping the situation either. Twitter is alive with complaints of expensive fares, bus no-shows, late buses, lengthy travel times, to name a few issues. Perhaps cutting fares in half might encourage those who drive to work to take public transit and might help increase numbers but certainly not raise them at a time when people are struggling to make ends meet. A fare increase lands square on the backs of those who can least afford it.

Ottawa currently stands as one of the most expensive public transit systems in the country.

Rather than continuing to be reactive, this city council should be proactive but that might be a stretch. It seems the powers-that-be have run out of ideas or didn’t have any to begin with because raising fares is the only thing they seem to know. Have they not yet realized that the paying customer expects reliable, efficient service?

It is said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over hoping for a different result.  well …

May 12, 2022

Leave Lansdowne Plans To New Council

So … a proposal submitted to the city by Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group apparently speaks to all that ails the Lansdowne Park site. It is well known that the existing north-side stands are in a sad state of disrepair and the arena isn’t much better.

Lansdowne Park 2.0, a $330-million proposal, will include a replacement arena, new north-side stands and 1,200 additional residential units.

Apparently this development will be done on a self-financing basis to protect taxpayers and ensure the site’s financial viability. Seriously.

The first step in the approval process is through the finance and economic development committee on May 6 and then on to council for final approval.

Given the financial disaster the Lansdowne project has been thus far, it’s a bit of a stretch to think this new and improved rebuild will actually protect taxpayers.

This is an election year. There is potentially more than one member of FEDCO not seeking re-election. By approving this proposal, are our elected officials again taking another trip down that lasting legacy road?

Perhaps this is a decision best left to the next council.

April 28, 2022

Be Open About Hospital Funding

Taxpayer, taxpayer, where art thou?

The Ottawa Hospital has requested up to $150 million from the city for construction of the new Civic Campus.

TOH chief financial officer Nathalie Cadieux said there had been discussions with the city on many fronts but a property-tax contribution had not been part of recent talks. However, a report by City of Ottawa chief financial officer Wendy Stephenson submitted little more than a week later confirmed the $150-million request from TOH.

Apparently the hospital did ask for the money so why not be upfront about it? Let’s not play cloak-and-dagger so early in the game.

The report identifies different scenarios for municipal funding options and that those options should have “a minimal to no financial burden” to taxpayers so a special property-tax levy is perhaps not the best strategy. Let’s see what transpires at the next finance and economic development committee meeting.

Stay tuned folks.

April 27, 2022

Free Transit Is Just An Election Ploy

Free transit isn’t exactly free. The money has to come from somewhere.

Kanata South councillor and transit commission chairman Allan Hubley recently advised that discussions had commenced regarding free transit in Ottawa. While the bottom line won’t be known for several months, more definitive cost projections should be made public in June.

Hubley noted that taxpayers could see their annual tax bill increase from $500 to $1,000 over and above annual property-tax increases to cover this cost. The more expensive your home, the more you would pay.

Let’s face it, little to no regard had been given to taxpayers for the last two years during the COVID-19 when government and businesses were shuttered. Millions of dollars were wasted sending empty buses out on regular schedules and routes. Think how far those savings would have gone to reducing transit fares rather than implement the upcoming fare increase May 1.

Free transit actually does cost taxpayers a lot of money so let’s not be duped by how “free” we’re led to believe it is. It’s not.

Why is this conversation coming up now? Desperate means call for desperate measures. Free transit is an election ploy. Plain and simple.

April 24, 2022

Empty Offices Create Housing Opportunity

So now what do they do? ‘They’ being the powers-that-be at the City of Ottawa and, specifically, the transit commission.

Transit chairman Allan Hubley recently advised that the transit system was built to address the number of public servants and students in Ottawa. He wanted the federal government to send workers back to the office but that will not happen. 

Mayor Jim Watson has already pleaded with his federal Liberal counterparts to hurry up and order workers back downtown to help ensure businesses rebound after the COVID shutdown of nearly two years.

According to Treasury Board president Mona Fortier: “hybrid work is here to stay”. Fortier then added that: “We have to look at how we’re going to strengthen our downtown core, and making sure that we don’t keep these offices empty”.

The federal government is now looking at converting some downtown Ottawa office buildings into housing because thousands of public servants are working from home and will continue to do so. There is no end date in sight. There is no end date period.

Empty buildings are wasted space and lost money. To some, this should naturally lead to addressing the housing crisis. Fortier’s comments could not have come at a better time.

Initially, COVID created a catastrophe but it has now created an opportunity for the federal and municipal governments, vacant office buildings and those in desperate need of a place to live. Hopefully they can all work together to create a infusion of residents in the downtown core to support and help grow businesses.

Gone are the days of buses packed full of public servants heading downtown. LRT remains questionable and currently not reliable enough to stand on its own. A cost/benefit analysis must now be done to determine whether Phase II remains feasible. Certainly Phase III to Kanata is up for debate or so it should be.

Transit ridership is less than half of what it used to be. We still have empty buses roaming our streets looking for the odd passenger to hop on board. Something should have already been done about this but, once again, the transit commission, led by Hubley, is too late to the table. Millions of dollars have been wasted. Leadership is desperately needed.

In reality, the city is in a delicate spot. Does it fish or cut bait? It’s scary to think there are few at Ottawa City Hall capable of making the right decision.

Sadly, it appears the cavalry isn’t riding to the taxpayer’s rescue anytime soon.

April 13, 2022

Sell Your Homes, Westboro Residents

Welcome to 370 Princeton Avenue in Westboro, currently on the market for $1.649 million.

According to the listing agent the house is quite liveable but is priced for land-value only. Why? well, apparently the property has been rezoned from R3 to R4-U which means the City of Ottawa has given verbal approval for construction of two eight-unit buildings … 16 condominiums or apartments … on Princeton Avenue … in Westboro.

No doubt two big, square, nondescript structures with massive windows and zero personality will soon grace the tree-lined streets in the cozy family community known as Westboro.

It would seem that long-term residents are sitting on gold mines so perhaps the time has come to cash in .. just saying.

April 11, 2022

Save The Historic Alexandra Bridge

Under the guidance of the National Capital Commission, the Royal Alexandra Interprovincial Bridge is scheduled to be replaced after having reached the end of its service life … a life that has spanned more than 120 years.

Thousands of cyclists, pedestrians and motorists currently use this bridge to travel from Ottawa to Gatineau and back again.

A national landmark, the Alexandra Bridge is recognized for its ionic beauty and fine workmanship. Does the bridge really need to be replaced? Can it not be revamped, renewed, renovated or restored to its former glory?

In our world of tear-downs and rebuilds, it would be wonderful if history played a role in the thought process of aging infrastructure and how to retain its stature and beauty taking into account all aspects of safety.

April 8, 2022

Guess Who Already Gets Free Ottawa Transit

Free for thee but not for me …

Kitchissippi’s rep Jeff Leiper recently tweeted that all councillors receive free bus and LRT passes as part of their perks. He then gushed that he was going to ride one of those newly purchased electric buses to the office.

Mainly because of the high cost, Leiper might want to consider that many Ottawans cannot afford to take the bus and the impending fee hike doesn’t help the situation. That he pays nothing only adds insult to injury.

April 4, 2022

Why Can’t Our Transit Pols Think?

One can only laugh at the latest plea from the City of Ottawa transit commission to the federal government seeking reimbursement of money lost due to COVID. 

The downtown core was shut down for about two years yet transit commission members saw no problem running empty buses as far as the routes took them.

We watched empty articulated and double-decker buses sail past on their regular schedules. It’s so hard to fathom that no one on this committee saw fit to suggest or examine a better way by perhaps reducing the schedule or maybe cutting some routes altogether.

The first clue for the need to reduce buses were the empty park-and-ride lots peppered across the city. They’ve been nearly empty for two years now but the buses keep rolling along.

Think of the money wasted gassing up these beasts. Think of the money wasted paying drivers to chauffeur no one around town. Think of the wear-and-tear on buses and infrastructure. Is it too much to ask that those who are supposed to safe-guard taxpayer dollars think?

Apparently not a single soul at Ottawa City Hall or any member of this committee has the capability to think especially Mayor Jim Watson and Alan Hubley, chair of the transit commission.

April 2, 2022

We Loved You Old Civic Hospital

“They took all the trees and put them in a tree museum .. charged the people a
dollar and a half just to see them …”

Thank you, Joni Mitchell.

It appears work has now begun on the new site for The Ottawa Hospital, Civic Campus with today’s announcement of the removal of 159 trees, most of them deemed to be invasive.

Perhaps the time has come to wave the white flag, concede defeat and erase any hope that the powers-that-be would, last minute, opt for a less controversial location.

This hospital will be massive and will certainly move the Civic Campus well into the 21st century so it’s kind of bittersweet that gone will be the hushed tones, shiny old linoleum floors, architecturally beautiful arches and trim, doors resplendent of a bygone era soon to be replaced with new and improved.

Call me old fashioned but walking through the main mall in the old Civic Campus gave me the warm fuzzies. I love the feel, the ambience, the charm. Unfortunately nothing lasts forever.

March 31, 2022

$36 Million Just Wasted By City

Yet another legacy for Mayor Jim Watson.

The cost of the three-week-long truck convoy protest is pegged at $36.3
million and the bulk of that amount, $35 million, is attributed to
policing the convoy.

So a truck protest that didn’t have to happen and had the powers-that-be
simply block access points into our city, ended up costing taxpayers
$36.3 million.

That impending municipal election can’t come soon enough.

March 22, 2022

Please Councillors, Don’t Run Again

We wait with anticipation for the results of the provincial inquiry into our infamous light-rail project.

Apparently the report will drop in August 2022. Speculation has it that the report will land with an incredibly loud thud. The municipal election is October 24, 2022 … plenty of time to read who knew what and when.

Perhaps once the contents are made public we will understand why Mayor Jim Watson decided to not throw his hat into the ring.  Let’s face it. These findings would be one of the few reasons he is riding out of Dodge.

Kanata South Councillor Allan Hubley, after vehemently promising to only seek two terms,  is completing his third term as councillor. Surely a fourth is too much.

Hubley’s failed legacy as transit commission chairman is our infamous troubled LRT.

One wonders if Hubley knew SNC Lavalin twice failed the technical component of the Trillium Line bidding process. His good buddy Watson said nothing. Hubley must have known given his position yet chose instead to follow his leader and also say nothing. If Hubley honestly didn’t know, he should have.

Add to that mess, Hubley admitted to being prepared to gamble $1 billion of taxpayer money on untested electric buses that might or might not work in our climate. Sound familiar? Thank goodness the new city auditor general, Nathalie Gougeon, jumped in front of that run away bus.

And so silly season will soon be upon us. We can only pray the majority of sitting councillors, otherwise known as the Watson Club, decide to salvage what little, if any, pride remains intact and set their sights on other careers.

Our great grandchildren will be repaying the debt load they created.

March 7, 2022

Let’s Get Council Back At City Hall

Isn’t it time that our elected city representatives return to Chambers for council meetings?

If Mayor Jim Watson can conduct meetings from his raised pulpit, then councillors can sit around the table and join him.

Feb. 24, 2022

Who Will Pay For Downtown Relief?

Who will pay for the motions soon before Ottawa City Council as moved and seconded by Mayor Jim Watson’s minions?

Namely in a nutshell:
• targeted property-tax deferral program for eligible businesses (Harder/King);
• funding to help most impacted businesses (El-Chantiry/Fleury):
• offering local music programs to affected areas (Dudas/Leiper);
• expansion of no-fare transit (Hubley/McKenney);
• no charge parking for a month (Tierney/Gower).

Where were these councillors, save for Somerset’s Catherine McKenney, during the recent nearly month-long insurrection in our downtown core? Vacation?

were these motions costed out? If so, what is the total cost? If not, perhaps it is irresponsible to move motions without knowing the true cost to … whom?

Watson looked quite desperate in his ploy to oust Diane Deans as chairwoman of the Police Services Board. It was pathetic but even worse was his photo-op with newly minted chairman Eli El-Chantiry and a handful of police officers.  Really?

This city was torn apart. It’s difficult to describe the turmoil that erupted and took control of our streets. Businesses were again hit with massive financial losses. Residents suffered mentally, emotionally, financially. It was all just too much.

Embarrassed, disgusted, appalled … just a few words to describe this council’s recent public behavior as its members fought over Watson tightening his control.  He and his minions together again.

Feb. 22, 2022

So What’s The Plan To Take Back The Core?

The blind leading the blind …

Feb. 17, 2022

Watson Puts Deans, Meehan On Chopping Block

What is going on at Ottawa City Hall?

Convoy Crisis: We Need New City Pols

What exactly is the answer to this truck blockade?

Ottawa life has been badly disrupted and the truckers initial message has been somewhat twisted.

So much negative has happened to our city and the recent attempt at arson is outrageous. We’ve had enough of engines rumbling, horns honking, fireworks, yells and cat-calls. The sexist remarks and racist comments are inexcusable.

Most council members have been non-existent. Our mayor has proven himself to be an embarrassment. A recent emergency meeting of our elected officials produced a dismal display of understanding and a clear inability to work together for the better of our city.

Enough. We elect our leaders to lead. Thus far we have seen precious little in that department.

This year’s municipal election should produce a new slate of fresh faces at Ottawa City Hall and it can’t happen soon enough.

Where Is The Mayor In This Crisis?

The trucker protest rolled into town on Jan. 28, horns honking and diesel fumes spewing black as trucks made their way through the downtown core.

Do the truckers even have a permit to protest? Let’s face it, this is no longer a protest. This is an occupation. Our city has now become hostage to those who feel they know better than scientists and medical professionals to whom these folks would otherwise entrust their lives.

We have law-abiding residents afraid to leave their homes and some who cannot because of accessibility issues. Medical appointments have been delayed or cancelled. Groceries are hit-and-miss for some. Fear is a daily occurrence. Sleep is non-existent. Noise, harassment, intimidation, verbal abuse and physical taunts have become staples daily.

Our mayor, Jim Watson, remains holed up in his west-end abode and, save for the odd, brief Zoom interview, one would think he packed his bags and hit the high road long ago. In our city, it’s every man, woman, they/them, child and family pet for themselves.

Who ever said the captain goes down with the ship? Not in our Ottawa.

If ever a mayor could be referred to as “lame-duck,” Watson’s got it down in spades. He might as well just hand in his keys to the office now.

And what about the Ottawa Police Service led by Chief Peter Sloly? According to him, their hands are pretty well tied with the most done being a couple of arrests for misdemeanors.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, safely tucked away in his cottage, says he won’t negotiate and sending in the military to clear away this scourge isn’t on the table.

If ever the leader of a minority government deserved to get the boot …

Meanwhile, a week in, these trucking freedom pillars of our society have erected a wooden shack on National Capital Commission land and are amassing a healthy collection of propane tanks and cans of gasoline.

Nothing to see here folks. Move along.

Feb. 6, 2022

LRT: Who Knew What, When?

Feb. 2, 2022

This Is The New Lansdowne?

Jan. 27, 2022

LRT: Ottawa Gets Winter, Really?

So whoever approved this questionable LRT knew that Ottawa has winter every year? Right?

You know, frigid temperatures, abnormal amounts of snow, freezing rain all within a 24-hour period.

City Launched LRT On Expert Advice

The city’s auditor general Nathalie Gougeon has paused her LRT investigation because the province has launched its own.

However, city manager Steve Kanellakos tried a different approach when explaining why the LRT launched (and failed) when it did.

“I didn’t launch the trains just on my own gut feeling or my own intuition as a non-expert on trains.”

well, thank goodness for that.

Dec. 24, 2021

City Careless On Bus Station Safety

It’s hard to believe the Westboro transitway station steel overhang remains in place.That awning sliced through a double-decker bus in Jan. 2019, killing three and injuring 23 other riders.

How difficult is it to admit to being wrong and then do the right thing?

The City of Ottawa believes a splash of yellow will stop a bus. It won’t. Cement bollards might, but they aren’t mentioned in the memo.

The city can hire as many experts as it wants and continue to throw good money after bad for reports that highlight the need for some road markings and speed reductions. In other words, these reports say exactly what the powers-that-be want them to say.

The only fix for this problem is to remove the steel overhangs because none of the mentioned recommendations in the reports will stop a heavy bus in full slide on an icy road.

Dec. 21, 2021 

It’s Time For Councillors To Leave

So Mayor Jim Watson will not seek re-election in the next municipal election. Perhaps he sees the writing on the wall?

There a few other councillors who need to read the same writing …

Dec. 10, 2021

Open Mic Catches Rude Harder

Oh no, open mic.

To those of us who were paying attention and whose ears work just fine, it was very clear. Barrhaven Councillor Jan Harder told River Councillor Riley Brockington to “shut up, Riley” during Wednesday’s council meeting.

Harder owes Brockington a very heart-felt apology. If she has not yet done so, sooner rather than later would be a good idea.

Apparently, Mayor Jim Watson and his merry band of minions were either absent, not paying attention or are in bad need of hearing aids.

Council meetings are now akin to a rudderless ship. There is no captain, no leadership, no charted course. It’s every person for themselves. May the heartiest of the bunch survive.

Dec. 8, 2021

Westboro Bus-Crash Site Still Unsafe

Why are the steel overhangs attached to the transitway bus shelters still there?

In January 2019 three passengers died and another 23 were severely injured when a steel overhang sliced through their OC Transpo double-decker bus. The driver was cleared of all charges.

Mayor Jim Watson made his disappointment with the court’s ruling well-known, most likely because it shifts the blame onto the city

So what has the city done since then? The steel overhangs remain. Where is the ask for a probe into this horrific accident? A inquiry? Anything? Other than a bit of reflective paint and lip service, absolutely nothing has been done to prevent this horror from happening again.

Icy, snow covered roads go hand in hand with winter and another winter is here.

What is this municipality’s plan to protect the lives, health and well-being of transit riders?

Dec. 7, 2021

Taxpayers were Blindsided By LRT

Alstom Citadis Spirit LRT … remember that name.

With a Nov. 12 restart date, after being out of order for 54 days following the Sept. 19 train derailment near Tremblay Station, our multi-billion dollar LRT suffered yet another malfunction.

The recent unexpected stop due to a tripped voltage breaker was the latest of three issues since the big relaunch 13 days ago.

Clearly, problems with this train go far beyond what the public knows or what city management wants known.

There are always some quirks that happen when a new massive project comes to fruition but let’s face it, this is bordering on the ridiculous.

The provincial inquiry should provide residents with the facts and information that thus far been buried from the public.

It wasn’t Mayor Jim Watson who was blindsided. It was taxpayers and we deserve to know who knew what, when … and why we were saddled with this mess.

Nov. 25, 2021

Put A Cork In It, Councillor Hubley

“What I hope comes out of this is the province wants to work with us.”

Transit commission chairman Allan Hubley actually said that about the provincial inquiry into the LRT debacle. Why on earth would the province want to work with the City of Ottawa?

The city created this mess and continues to bob-and-weave throughout the many shutdowns and a couple of derailments. Say little and do less.

It gets better.

Hubley recently commented on a recent brake issue that in “the scheme of things it wasn’t that major … it was a simple brake default.”

Perhaps the 50 passengers stranded for 55 minutes felt differently?

Hubley should really stop talking.

Nov. 24, 2021

Welcome To The Blindsided, Your Worship

LRT INQUIRY: City Officials must be Worried

Let the games begin.

Ontario Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney has announced a public inquiry into the Ottawa light-rail mess. There are many questions that need to be answered especially after now learning that former transit boss John Manconi’s letters of concern to Rideau Transit Group in August 2019 were blocked from council. Why?

Rest assured we may see a few sudden, early retirements and one or two resignations throughout this process. The Ontario government wants to get the inquiry started as soon as possible.

It’s going to be very interesting. There are councillors who will be overjoyed that the provincial government has now stepped in and there are some council members who may be shaking in their boots.

Nov. 17, 2021

LRT: Still Crappy After All These Weeks

“The reliability of the fleet is not where it needs to be to provide dependable service.”

Truer words were never spoken.

It seems that now-retired (and a timely retirement at that) John Manconi, former head of transportation with the City of Ottawa, had concerns about the LRT system way back on Aug. 8, 2019. He expressed those concerns in an email to project leaders, including to Rideau Transit Group.

Manconi highlighted the vehicles’ need for too-frequent repairs.

These were significant concerns, yet Mayor Jim Watson accepted delivery of the Confederation Line a scant two weeks later with the official launch date being Sept. 14, 2019.

Move forward to now. It didn’t take long, mere days into the rebirth of the newly repaired fleet after a  second derailment, before a train stopped on the tracks.

So Manconi’s concerns remain. Nothing has changed, reliability is questionable and our $2.1-billion lemon continues to leave a bitter taste in our mouths.

Watson and transit commission chairman Allan Hubley don’t feel the need for a judicial inquiry.

Kinda makes you wonder, doesn’t it?

Nov. 17, 2021

What? What? What? We’ve Got A Train?

Nov. 10, 2021

To see an archive of Donna Mulvihill’s previous posts, click here.