We are so lucky to have such an engaged group of residents in the downtown core. When Councillor Jeff Leiper and I hosted People Powered Budget consultation at Plant Resreaction Centre in June, the room was packed, and the care and passion you all have for our city was evident.
We heard that Ottawa used to be better, and that you want us to return to that: for your bus to come on time; for people who are struggling with homelessness and addiction to be housed with proper supports; and, for basic city services such as snow clearing, parks maintenance and recreation infrastructure to treat urban neighbourhoods with the care and timely attention that we all deserve.
Overwhelmingly, you told us to vote against austerity – that years of budgets with the tiniest tax increases possible along with perpetuating the costs of sprawl are causing our city infrastructure to fall apart. You told us that we need community centres, parks and vibrant public spaces that truly serve our needs. And that many of you would rather pay a little more at tax time to ensure that transit fares and other user fees do not continue to climb. You can read the full As We Heard it presentation here.
The draft budget will be tabled at council next Wednesday. Councillor Leiper and I will be in touch about how you can get involved in pushing urban priorities forward.
We heard you loud and clear and now we are ready to get to work during the 2026 budget season. A better city is possible – but we need your help to build a city that works.
Warmly,
Ariel
Ariel at the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness conference last week, with Michelle Hurtubise from the Centretown Community Health Centre, Olivia O'Connor from Hamilton ACORN and Emily MacLean from Operation Come Home
Lansdowne 2.0 passes, despite 10 votes against
In a decision that was greatly frustrating to of many of us, the Lansdowne 2.0 plan was passed by Ottawa City Council today. I heard from so many residents with deep concerns about the financial risk this represents, the loss of 3,000 seats for women’s hockey fans (and potentially the loss of the Ottawa Charge), the cutting down of more than 100 trees, and the wasteful destruction of retail properties built only a decade ago.
The entire genesis of this project stemmed from the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group’s concern that Lansdowne 1.0 was not making them any money. And that’s the inherent flaw with a public-private partnership – the quest for profit at the expense of the public good. As I said in a recent video: there is no stadium emergency in Ottawa. I know that you want city council to solve the real crises we are facing in our city, including unreliable transit, a food security crisis, and an unmitigated homelessness disaster.
Taking on more than $400 million in city debt and directing tax revenues to pay for a new stadium means that our city will have less money to fund our real priorities. While I don’t doubt that the Lansdowne arena will eventually need to be replaced, I resent the false urgency that was placed on council to approve a project that I believe could have been much better for all residents.
I expect that Lansdowne 2.0 will be an election issue when residents go to the polls in 2026. I will continue to work with my colleagues, including Councillors Jeff Leiper, Jessica Bradley, Sean Devine, Laine Johnson and Shawn Menard, to demand accountability and transparency as this project progresses.
Elgin/Laurier reconstruction has finally begun
Six years after a cyclist was killed in a hit and run at Elgin and Laurier, the city is finally beginning the work to create a protected intersection that will help keep cyclists, pedestrians and drivers safe. I attended the vigil held in 2019 and joined the community in demanding Vision Zero for our city – the goal of eliminating all cyclist and pedestrian deaths due to road violence.
Like many of you, I was unimpressed when the same year, city council voted to enact a Road Safety Action Plan that had the unambitious goal of reducing tragic pedestrian and cyclist accidents by 20 percent per year. Every life ended due to bad road design is an unacceptable tragedy.
When I was first elected in 2022, I was told that the reconstruction of Elgin and Laurier was a priority – but it took two more years for the funding to be approved. And then the project was delayed again due to interjurisdictional wrangling with the province and the federal government.
Tragically, on the very same week that staff informed me that the project would finally go forward, another death occurred at the same intersection. Saloni Aitawadekar was hit by a pickup truck while crossing the street. We held a vigil for her at City Hall and her shoes now hang near the ghost bikes placed there in 2019. May her memory fuel our push for a city where everyone can get where they need to go and get home safely at the end of the day. Anything else is a failure.
Addressing safety concerns in Chinatown
You may have seen this recent piece from CBC, about the ongoing impact of the forced closure of the supervised consumption site and the proliferation of private addiction clinics in Chinatown.
I remain deeply committed to safety in Chinatown – something that has been very difficult to ensure, thanks to decisions made by the provincial government and its impact on city services. The closure of the supervised consumption site at Somerset West Community Health Centre has led to a dramatic uptick in overdoses, public drug use and general chaos. This has been compounded by an explosion of virtual addiction clinics that prescribe narcotics as alternatives to poisoned street drugs for people with serious addictions.
The most powerful allowable drug that can be used as safe supply in Ontario is Dilaudid. The experts tell us is not strong enough to fend off fentanyl addiction and people need to carry large quantities home to take multiple times a day. This leads to robberies and to diversion.
Both MPP Catherine McKenney and I have been begging the Ford government to listen to the experts and implement evidence-based solutions. That includes supervised consumption and injectable opioid agonist treatment. It breaks my heart to see how bad provincial decisions are impacting the community I love.
In the meantime, city outreach workers, the OPS and paramedics are a frequent presence in the neighbourhood. This updated Who to Call List produced by Somerset West Community Health Centre has a list of outreach and health care organizations you can call if you find neighbours in distress. And MPP McKenney and I will continue our advocacy with all levels of government to solve the systemic problems that are creating a crisis in Chinatown. Thank you to everyone who has written to me about this pressing issue.
Canadiana Block Sparks Street Project: call for artists
The City of Ottawa, in partnership with Downtown BIA, invites professional Canadian street artists or artist collectives to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to qualify for consideration to design and install temporary concrete pavement artwork on Sparks Street.
Deadline for Submission of Qualifications: December 8, 2025 at 12:00pm (noon) EST.
Commission Value: $65,000
Information: [email protected]
Learn more online here.
Free WalkSafe Presentations Delivered to Elementary Schools by the OSC
It’s time to make road safety a priority at your school.
The WalkSafe program, offered free of charge by the City of Ottawa and the OSC helps students learn how to stay safe around traffic, school buses, and large vehicles — before tragedy strikes. Recent incidents in our community have shown how quickly a moment can change everything. WalkSafe gives students the tools and awareness they need to make safer choices every day — walking to school, riding the bus, or crossing busy streets.
Each session is age-appropriate, engaging, and tailored for:
Our trained safety educators come directly to your school — no cost, no hassle — delivering interactive lessons that meet curriculum goals and save lives.
Book your free WalkSafe presentation today.
New Who to Call list available
The Somerset West Community Health Centre has put together a new “Who To Call” list for residents.
You can view the list and find a copy to print and share with neighbours online here.
Queer Christmas Craft Show
Explore a vibrant community of 2SLGBTQIA+ creators who are turning holiday cheer into one‑of‑a‑kind art, jewelry, home décor and sustainable gifts.
Saturday November 15 | 10am - 2pm | Good Companions (670 Albert Street)
People in Centretown are very generous. I know that so many of you donate your time or your money to worthy organizations in our community.
What we spend tells us who we are. That is always the mantra I take into every budget season, as I comb through spreadsheets to try and uncover how council’s decisions will impact the everyday lives of residents in Somerset Ward.