Budget 2025 contains a number of projects for Orléans West-Innes

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you and your families had a wonderful, restful, and joyful holiday season and are just as ready as I am to plunge into 2025 with gusto!

This year, there is a lot to look forward to for Orléans West-Innes. Along with the launch of the LRT East Extension in 2025, and the winding down of so much of the construction that has impacted our community because of that project, there are many community improvements that are coming our way in the new year.

The 2025 Budget includes unprecedented investment in our community’s local roads with resurfacing work planned for Northpark Drive, Notre Dame Street, Gaultois Avenue, Loire Drive, Richer Drive, Cholette Circle and Dusserre Street. As well, design work for the 2026 resurfacing of Innes Road will begin in 2025.

Our aging recreation facilities will see much-needed updates, including an additional $1.8 million toward ongoing upgrades at the Bob MacQuarrie Recreation Complex – Orléans, with this year’s replacement of the ice pad.

The Bearbrook Outdoor Pool washroom will be updated for $26,000 and the Orléans Library washrooms will be made fully accessible with an investment of $175,000.

The Bearbrook, Barrington and Jeanne d’ Arc Park outdoor rink pads will all be resurfaced, with additional work at Jeanne d’Arc to replace the rink boards and the recent addition of a brand new, heated rink chalet for our community to enjoy.

As well, I am pleased to share that the play equipment at the south end of Father Richard Ward Park will also be updated and $60,000 has been approved for the replacement of the Bilberry Pathway culvert.

It’s going to be an exciting year for our community, with these, and many more investments and improvements planned. So, let us raise a glass to toast the year to come, filled with promise, hope, and happiness, for our community and for each and every one of you.

 

Budget 2025 advances Ward 19 transportation infrastructure

The City’s 2025 budget has been approved, and I’m pleased to report meaningful progress for Orléans South-Navan.

Last year, I was very critical of the transpor-tation budget, which fell short for the east end,
and I demanded better. This year’s budget reflects a noticeable improve-ment, with more growth-related transportation funding this year than in the past six budgets combined!

The 2025 budget reflects this shift, securing $4 million for the detailed design of the Brian Coburn Extension/Renaud Road Realignment
and $8.1 million in funding for High Occupancy Vehicle lanes on Innes Road.

Road safety is also a priority in this budget, with funding for a roundabout at Navan and Milton, new signals at Innes/Lamarche, and advancing design work for the Mer Bleue/Copperhead/Decoeur intersection.

These investments lay the groundwork for better infrastructure to support our rapidly growing community. However, I’m not letting my foot off the gas. Many of these projects are in the design phase, meaning extra capacity in our network is not immediate.

As someone who hears daily about the frustrations of navigating our growing ward,

I understand the urgency and I will continue to advocate for increased investments through the Transportation Master Plan.

Additionally, the list of road renewal projects in 2025 includes both Birch-grove and Sarsfield Roads.

Our parks and recreational facilities are also benefiting. The Navan pavilion project is advancing, supported by $236k from the City, while plans for the district park expansion at François Dupuis Recreation Centre and a cricket pitch at Millennium Park continue.

City-wide we are making important invest- ments in transit, policing, paramedics, afford-able housing and other essential services.

I’m grateful for the collaboration of Mayor Sutcliffe and my council colleagues, and for all of your valuable feedback that helped inform this budget.

Wishing you a very happy holiday and cheers to a New Year! Wishing you a very happy holiday and cheers to a New Year!

 

City councillors need to play a bigger role in shaping the budget

Now that the budget has passed, I want to speak up about a trend I am seeing in budget negotiations at all levels of government: using wedge issues and outrageous first proposals to manage expectations. I raised this issue at Council as well..

The practice of putting non-starter and dramatic changes in the draft budget in order to whip the public into a frenzy as a tactic to turn a comparatively moderate change into a political win is dishonest, disrespectful and unnecessary.

For example: Raising seniors bus pass process by 120 per cent and removing free ride days should have been a non-starter.

City staff know when something they are proposing is controversial. You only get one chance at a first impression, and in that sense, this budget was a flop. “Look how much worse it could have been,” is so disingenuous.

Councillors, in consultation with you, are here to help guide decisions. We should not merely be the last line of defence when bad ideas make their way into a public document. The drama is unnecessary and debases our offices while reducing what little confidence Ottawans still have in us. Policy on the fly is not a good way to govern and pretending to consult is disingenuous.

I often get asked: who runs this city? Sometimes I wonder this, too, and that’s not a great sign is it?

By the time staff present a budget or a report, the range of options have been narrowed to such a point that we argue at the margins. All of us around the city council table come from a broad variety of experience and expertise. Every single one of us has insight and ideas that can help shape policy and budgets before it hits the council table.

Council should not be used as a simple checkbox on the path to approving a budget that does not reflect what you have asked for. You chose us to make decisions and pays city staff to provide advice and implement decisions made by council.

You deserve better and I am pushing for it.

 

'Montfort’s strategic plan is a game- changer for east end residents

Attending the launch of Hôpital Montfort’s 2024-2028 Strategic Plan was an incredibly moving experience for me. It’s not every day you witness the beginning of something that has the potential to change the healthcare landscape in such a meaningful way, and that’s exactly what this plan is set to do.

As someone who deep-ly cares about the well-being of our com-munity, I couldn’t be more excited about the direction Montfort is taking.

One of the most exciting aspects of the plan is the new clinic at Carrefour santé Aline-Chrétien. This will be a game-changer for residents who are struggling to find a family doctor. I’ve seen the frustration in people’s faces when they can’t get timely appointments or find the right care. This clinic will make sure that no one falls through the cracks, providing much-needed primary care for those who need it most.

What resonates most with me, though, is Montfort’s commitment to personalized care. Too often, healthcare can feel impersonal or rushed. But Montfort’s plan is about building meaningful relationships between patients and healthcare providers. It’s about understanding the individual – what they need, what they’re going through – and treating them with the care and respect they deserve. I’ve always believed that when people feel truly heard, they not only feel better but often experience better outcomes. This approach will transform the way people experience care at Montfort.

Another part of the plan I find exciting is the hospital expansion. With our community growing, Montfort is stepping up to meet the increasing demand for services. The new spaces, technology, and expanded care will ensure the hospital is prepared for the future.

The Strategic Plan lan reflects a deep understanding of our community’s needs – whether it’s providing specialized services for seniors or ensuring culturally competent care for newcomers. This vision is one of hope, progress, and a stronger, healthier future for all of us.