The Ottawa Citizen from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada • 11

All THE OTTAWA CITIZEN OTTAWACITIZEN.COMOPINION MONDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2010 ALOUR PICKS mi "FAIR PLAY AND DAYLIGHT" EDITORI ALTAVISTA BARRHAVEN Hollywood not ready for the spotlight No competition for Hume 4 JP i a mi- 11 anr mi imrii CHRIS MIKULA. THE OTTAWA CITIZEN Councillors Jan Harder and Steve Desroches unveil plans for Fire Station 47. Cultural critics love to denounce suburbia as a barren and soul-less place, but it's hard to square that assessment with Barrhaven mainly because so many people love living there. The ward leads the city in growth. Projects of all kinds police and fire stations, sports facilities, library expansions sprout like spring flowers.

Far from being sleepy and desolate, this is a high-octane community. If anything, the real challenge has been managing all the activity and investments. The rise of Barrhaven has happened under the watch of Jan Harder, the 59-year-old incumbent councillor. This is her fifth election. As Shakespeare might have said, Harder doth bestride Barrhaven like a Colossus.

Some folks even call the ward "Jan-haven." Her fans say that a pothole doesn't get filled in Barrhaven without Harder making sure it's done right No one can deny that Barrhaven is indebted to Hard-er's years of hard work. But is it really healthy for democracy to have, essentially, a coun-cillor-for-life? Harder says her plan is not to stay around forever, but for now she feels she has more to give. Though Harder didn't say so explicitly, part of the problem is the absence of anyone of similar stature to take her place. She has two challengers in this election. One is Rustin Hollywood, a federal public servant who once worked for Alta Vista ward in the southeast part of Ottawa is mostly a middle class and upper middle class community.

It's like the suburbs, only much closer to downtown and with older homes. The ward's parks and schools have traditionally been first-class, despite the poverty of some housing projects. By and large, Alta Vista is comfortable, with some of the biggest headaches being traffic-related. Those issues were supposed to have been at least partly solved by the now defunct north-south light-rail plan. One of the champions of that first rail plan was incumbent councillor Peter Hume.

Hume thought the project was good for Ottawa and also for Alta Vista. He fought hard against Larry O'Brien's effort to push the "reset button" on the project. O'Brien won. Hume lost. Hume didn't lose a lot of fights on council after that Hume is a pragmatist.

Despite losing that light-rail fight, he has championed the current tunnel and transit plan, even though it is O'Brien's baby. As chairman of the planning and environment committee, Hume understands the economic and green benefits of light rail Hume has benefited from the prosperity and stability of Alta Vista. There seems to be no screaming call for change. Hume has been the councillor for nearly two decades, in a ward that favours continuity. These are the same residents who for a couple of generations have been electing members of the McGuin-ty family.

Hume supposedly has Conservative leanings but he works just fine with the Liberal McGuintys. He can do business with anyone. He is a deal-maker and one of the moving forces on council To- The Citizen's Picks Jjlndustr iffl Ward 18 pS (aLTAVISTAX of many political wars, Hard- Harder should be re-elect-er knows that no one should ed, but during the next four ever expect voluntary co-op- years she should think about eration from government what she can do to help Bar-labour unions. rhaven find a successor. SOMERSET Experience wins out I Mr, ill "jp 1' .1 GARTH GULLEKSON, OTTAWA CITIZEN Councillor Diane Holmes both good and bad.

Is a younger councillor needed? We'd be tempted to say yes if there were a stronger field of candidates running against her. As it is, though, we have to endorse Holmes for the simple reason that experience will out over enthusiasm foisted on them, and resent what they see as the misuse of taxpayer dollars. He believes his task, if elected, is to "change the way the City of Ottawa government thinks." "We need to think 20, 25, 30 years down the road," says Aronec who wants the city to establish a project management office to oversee major projects. Not surprisingly, perhaps, Aronec is criticizing El-Chantiry for "doing a poor job" and for having "mishandled" issues "from sewers to coyotes." So, too, is Parsons. "Basically, I don't feel Mr.

El-Chantiry is doing anything for the constituents," he says. For Parsons, the most important issues in the campaign are holding the line on any increases to taxes or fees, fixing roads including the street where he lives protecting private property rights for waterfront homeowners and mamtaining services. "Ward 5 does not have any services that could be cut the city. He lacks Harder's charisma but is a serious policy wonk who understands how municipalities work. He and Harder are not far apart on many issues.

Both mourned the demise of the north-south light rail plan, which would have served Barrhaven nicely, but they both have come to support the current tunnel plan (so long as the costs are in line). They both want more affordable commercial space in the ward. They both recognize that speeding cars represent a major public safety issue in the area. Hollywood is a credible candidate, but he hasn't done enough to articulate an original vision His main beef with Harder is not that she hasn't done things for the ward but that she's claimed credit for things (new police and fire stations, for example) that would have happened regardless. The third candidate, Joe King, is an economist with Agriculture Canada who ran last time around.

He's an amiable fellow but not ready to sit at the council table. The choice is between Harder and Hollywood. While we long for new blood, Hollywood hasn't made a strong enough case to supplant Harder. His own inexperience showed when, during the campaign, he suggested that if the city were just to remind labour leaders that they are partners in community-building, then the unions wouldn't demand crippling wage increases. As a veteran wants to find ways to save money.

Interestingly, Holmes shares many of Fex's views. She, too, wants more parkland, more dedicated cycling lanes and more affordable housing. She'd like to see OC Transpo fares reduced. A 2.5-per-cent tax increase is a "good number to aim at," she says, adding that more cost-saving efficiencies are necessary, too. Holmes is, of course, a strong advocate of the tunnel and LRT.

She objected to cancellation of the north-south light-rail plan, and points out that if it had gone ahead it would already be built. The tunnel project will provide a huge opportunity for economic development in the Centretown area, helping to enhance the residential component of the ward, she says. What then separates Holmes and Fex? In many ways, it is a matter of experience and the knowledge gained from experience. Not surprisingly, Fex thinks it is time for Holmes to step aside. He says he was prompted to run because he felt Holmes was no longer representing the ward adequately.

Canvassing door-to-door, he says many residents have been telling him that Holmes has grown complacent and out of work with it, particularly in terms of improving services fixing roads, upgrading emergency services, improving transit access in the ward. They also support light rail and a downtown rail tunnel. Beyond that agreement, though, the two candidates go their separate ways. El-Chantiry says he's finding ward residents to be fairly "contented" as he canvasses for voter support. While he is asked about taxes, services and trash, among other issues, most people would be satisfied if the level of services, and the taxes to pay for those services, stayed the same.

"We don't ask for a lot in the rural area. I would like (if re-elected) to maintain what we have," he says, arguing that he's established a igriS tv GARTH GULLEKSON, OTTAWA CITIZEN Councillor Peter Hume gether with Councillor Rick Chiarelli, Hume helped to make the Lansdowne Park redevelopment happen. Hume has fought for the urban boundary, he's worked to stop sewage overflows and, for better or worse, he helped bring green bins to Ottawa. If Hume were more skilled in the art of self-promotion, he might have been mayor by now. Hume faces no serious challenger for his seat in this election.

Kevin Hogan, a carpenter, is appalled by rising taxes. Hogan would vote no against everything except retaining core services. That's not the way to build a city. Clinton Cowan, a labour relations professional, talks in platitudes preserve essential services, address neglected infrastructure, support "affordable" light rail. His campaign speaks to a fresh start, but after a televised debate, viewers could be forgiven if they didn't know what that fresh start would be.

Health and safety consultant Ernie Lauzon wants to fix OC Transpo, hold down taxes with no new money from taxpayers and wants "to get back to basics." Alta Vista is not much of a race. Voters should support Hume. It's not even close. for stepping in to the political ring, but he is simply too inexperienced. Try again in a few years.

El-Chantiry has proven himself to be an effective voice for West Carleton-March and deserves another term, although he should be careful about assuming his constituents' contentment Is Somerset Ward's veteran councillor, Diane Holmes, the real issue in this election for Ward 14 voters? Officially, there are three candidates challenging Holmes, who has held the ward since 1982 except for a three-year period between 2000 and 2003: Don Fex, a theatre director, bookstore manager and arts advocate; Barkley Pollock, a one-time drop-in centre cook; and Susan Miller, a drugstore employee. However, only Fex can be regarded as a serious candidate, but even then he's a long shot given Holmes' long tenure and name recognition. Fex is well-informed on issues, and thoughtful and articulate in expressing his views. He supports the downtown tunnel and light rail development. He endorses "relaxed guidelines" for intensification in the downtown area in order to provide more housing to those on low or fixed incomes and students.

He is gung-ho on segregated routes for cyclists. He argues that OC Transpo is "broken" More needs to be done to create green space in the ward, he says. Fex also advocates more social housing in the ward and he wants to see police officers walking beats. As for taxes, he's not opposed to increases, but says he also touch with the changing nature of the ward. "She says she's running on her record," says Fex.

"That's not good enough. She's not bringing anything new." Holmes, of course, shows no inclination of going on anybody's terms but her own. Ever the consummate professional, she rattles off things she has done crime, she says, is "vastly reduced" in the ward and things yet to do, from revitalizing commercial streets to developing more park space. Yet, the question lingers: Holmes is good, but is it time for her to make way for someone else? While 70 per cent of ward residents are renters, the area is changing with more and more condominium developments and ongoing gentrification. The LRT tunnel, should it be built, will have a huge impact on the ward and its residents, Over several weeks, Citizen editorial writers fanned out into the community, attending all-candidates meetings, researching backgrounds and platforms, and talking to candidates.

Beginning today we present our endorsements for city council. Tomorrow Ward 15: Kitchissippi Ward 7: Bay Ward 6: Stittsville WEST CARLETON-MARCH Learning to live with amalgamation LweSt CARtETON- fc The anti-amalgamation sentiment that characterized West Carleton-March in the 2006 municipal election has, by and large, retreated into the background as far as the 2010 election goes. Yet one candidate still seems to be focused on the issue. "I cannot come up with a single success that has come from the amalgamation of the City of Ottawa with West Car-leton," says James Parsons, a Lavergne Bay resident who owns a landscaping business. The two other candidates, Alex Aronec, a Carleton University political science student, and incumbent Eli El-Chantiry, while acknowledging some lingering hostility to amalgamation, recognize that the existing system is here to stay and they are willing to GARTH GULLEKSON, OTTAWA CITIZEN Councillor Eli El-Chantiry "great relationship" between the ward and city hall since amalgamation.

Aronec on the other hand, says many residents still feel a "sense of disconnection" from city haU. Rural residents, in particular, dislike having the green bin program back," he says. Parsons stands out from his competitors with his negative attitude toward amalgamation, but Ottawa is not going to be de-amalgamated any time soon, and a candidate who is out-and-out hostile toward amalgamation is playing in the wrong court Aronec is to be applauded.