"A place where magic is currently not happening is Wellington Street, which sits empty, cordoned off by concrete barriers and largely devoid of people."
Somerset Ward Coun. Ariel Troster said not only does Bill 23 do nothing to provide more affordable housing, it will also cost the city "hundreds of millions of dollars"
It is not necessary or cost-effective to continually dispatch armed police to deal with conflicts rooted in mental health distress, addiction or homelessness.
Many city services are in short supply in Ottawa's downtown. The bus that gets cancelled and never comes. The library that is closed on Sundays. The lack of public bathrooms. The shrivelling, tiny trees offering little shade on Bank Street. The absence of benches or any place to sit down.
The problem with telling people to avoid downtown Ottawa is that many of us live here — nearly 50,000, in fact. To the city of Ottawa and all levels of government: we beg you to facilitate the hasty exit of extremists from our streets and our neighbourhoods.