Suburbs Better Than Downtown: THE VOTER
If Premier Doug Ford does look at a GO train/bus system for the Ottawa area, it will be assigned to Metrolinx, not OC Transpo, to build and operate.
The last thing we need is to extend OC’s reach when it can’t deliver on local transit. That being said, we need to remember that Metrolinx is years behind on delivering some of its projects in the Toronto area so we would need to have safeguards to ensure that doesn’t happen here.
Such a system would immediately lead to more migration from the city to the surrounding communities which would alleviate our housing crisis but potentially transfer it to Ottawa’s neighbours.
I know people who choose to live in Oshawa or Hamilton and commute to work in Toronto. The extra transit cost is more than made up by the lower house prices even before you look at the better quality of life.
The choice between living in a 15th-floor apartment and being able to walk to work versus taking the GO train to work and walking to your backyard is really not hard to make at all. Then you add in parks, shopping, good schools with playgrounds and the suburbs easily come out on top.
The Voter is a respected community activist and long-time Bulldog commenter who prefers to keep her identity private.
For You:
Lipstick-Gate: Respect Lost: THE VOTER
This Is Not High School, It’s City Public Policy
You’re On Your Own Orleans: DAN STANKOVIC
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I used the word “suburbs” in the last line above when I was thinking of places like Carleton Place, Kemptville and Rockland. Someone has kindly explained to me that the suburbs are around the outer edge of the city while communities further out are more appropriately called “exurbs”.
Yes. And as people move away from Ottawa the municipal governments for these bedroom communities will grow. Hopefully town councils for these growing cities will study the errors Ottawa made during the Watson era to ensure history doesn’t repeat itself.