Dalton McGuinty
YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
TOTAL EMC DISTRIBUTION 474,000
Ottawa South
MPP Ottawa South
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THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2012
www.EMCOttawaSouth.ca
1-877-503-3957
Footbridge a priority: councillor Eddie Rwema eddie.rwema@metroland.com
The Shearwater community is building up a Neighbourhood Watch program. – Page 6
NEWS
Riverside United Church is raising funds to raise a new roof. – Page 7
SPORTS
A mental health memorial has been supported by a local community association. – Page 11
EMC news – River Ward Coun. Maria McRae wants the Airport Parkway pedestrian bridge built as quickly as possible to provide residents with a safe passage to cross in the South Keys area. Construction crews began demolishing the incomplete pedestrian bridge after the work crew began experiencing problems with the concrete. Last month McRae sent an email to city councillors informing them that city staff and the contractor, Louis W. Bray Construction Ltd., agreed that the “most expedient solution” would be to tear down the existing main tower, which is a curved, A-frame support with a circle cut out to echo the city’s logo. McRae said the bridge delays have denied residents a piece of infrastructure that they should be using now. “It represents lack of a safe passage into a very busy transit hub, into a recreational area for walking and cycling and also denies people access to the shopping area,” said McRae. Though the city has not yet released an updated completion date for the project, McRae said the preliminary schedule presented by the contractor anticipates that rebuilding of the new main tower to its current stage will begin towards the end of May and take about 12 weeks. The Hunt Club Community Association said it has been left in the dark on the progress of the project since the city first announced it was going to tear down the main tower of the Airport Parkway pedestrian bridge last month. Association president, John Sankey said the association has been left guessing about the progress of the project. However, Coun. McRae said the city has been transparent about the contractor’s deficiencies with the bridge and has issued updates both to residents and the association.
0524.R0011415397
See TIMELINES on page 4
Photo by Eddie Rwema
One-of-a-kind artwork Local carver Nyoman Sumerta works on a carving depicting Lakshami, the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity. For the full story, see page 4.
Mayor looks to reduce seats at council City to consider changes to wards by end of this year Staff
EMC news – Reducing the number of city wards and creating a borough system will likely be on city council’s agenda later this year. Addressing his one outstanding campaign promise during an online live chat hosted by EMC reporter Laura Mueller on May 17, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson said he would like to see the size of council reduced before the next municipal election in 2014.
“For our city, compared to almost every other Canadian city, we have a higher number of elected officials. I would like to see tat [sic] reduced in time for the next election,” Watson wrote in the live chat that appears monthly on his website, jimwatsonottawa.ca. “I made a commitment to bring forward this term of council, and I hope to do that before the end of this year to seek public and council input,” he added. Watson proposed the borough system in August of 2010 during the municipal election campaign, saying it could help reduce the disconnect some Ottawans still feel more than a decade after amalgamation. While Watson has said he doesn’t think amalgamation was a bad idea, the process hasn’t been without challenges.
In 2010, he suggested reducing the number of councillors – and wards – from 23 to between 14 and 17. To boost representation, that was suggested to be supplemented by four boroughs with members that could have full jurisdiction over local matters for their area of the city. The idea would save money, Watson said during the election, and bring Ottawa’s elected representation in line with other cities. The issue will form part of the work of the governance renewal subcommittee, which so far has looked at a lobbyist registry for the city. A look into the number and structure of the city’s citizen advisory committees is also underway. See MAYOR on page 2
3 Million More Home Care Hours Last week, our government announced that we will be adding three million more hours of care by Personal Support Workers (PSWs) over the next three years, including an estimated one million more hours this year. This increase in support workers will help 90,000 more seniors get the care they need to live comfortably in their own homes. This investment is part of our 2012 Budget commitment to increase funding for home and community care.
Dalton McGuinty, MPP Ottawa South
1795 Kilborn Avenue Ottawa, ON K1H 6N1 T: 613-736-9573 | F: 613-736-7374 dmcguinty.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org