Vicky Smallman
Shaping Kitchissippi With You
2006 Ottawa Municipal Election
Ottawa Council • Ward 15
Vicky Smallman - Shaping Kitchissippi the Smart Way
Kitchissippi is growing and changing, making this is an exciting
time for our community. We know the pleasures of living in one of
the city's most established and charming communities, and others
are "discovering" our neighbourhoods too. Growth and change are
both natural and encouraging, but development decisions must
reflect the character and needs of our neighbourhoods. That's why
I believe in a smart approach - for our ward and its communities,
and also for our city as a whole.
Smart development means careful planning, a commitment to good
design, sustainability, and public space. It's friendly to
pedestrians, encourages small business and builds a strong sense
of community.
Smart Kitchissippi
Kitchissippi has plenty of smart resources. Distinct
neighbourhoods, character architecture, access to parks and public
transportation, an open-air market, and an increasingly bustling
mainstreet atmosphere are just a few examples. We need to make
sure that development builds on these assets, not detract from
them. This means more parks and transit options, not fewer. More
sustainability, traffic management, and diversity in housing, not
less. And more community-based arts events and social services,
not less. We pay for development through our tax dollars; it's
time we made sure we are paying for the smart choices that will
create the Kitchissippi we want.
Smart Communities
Communities know best the kinds of support - from housing to arts
festivals to parks and recreation opportunities - that help foster
active, urban, sustainable living. I know this from working with
Community Associations and local business associations in our
ward. They know what kinds of things they want to see happen and
what kinds of proposals won't fit. That's why Community Design
Plans, like the one currently underway in Westboro are so
important. Other Community Design Plans are in the works, but a
truly smart approach requires that these plans be better
coordinated so that they don't work at cross purposes and so that
residents don't get lost in a sea of competing processes. As your
representative, I commit to working with you in order to tap your
expertise and insights, and to champion the smart plans that are
being developed locally. I will also work to ensure that the
community planning process is more coherent across the ward and
that public participation can happen.
Smart City
I support Ottawa's smart growth strategy and will speak out for
it on council. I will also support and promote plans at Council
which will enrich modern, sustainable development in Ottawa.
Projects like the O-Train, and the negotiation of a stable
municipal funding framework with the Province and the federal
government, need diligent support from Councillorsas well as the
Mayor. Of course, the yearly budgetexercise for the City has a
major impact on the ability of Ottawa to become a smart city of
the future. Through pre-Budget consultations and deliberations at
City Hall, I will work to ensure that Kitchissippi residents get
value for money and quality services, and that the concerns of
small business and property owners are being heard through a
responsible budgeting process.