Accelerating housing should mean delivering infrastructure faster too

As Orléans South continues to grow at a rapid pace, residents are feeling the pressure every day through congestion, longer commute times, transit challenges, missing cycling and pedes-trian infrastructure and a transportation network that struggles to keep up with demand.

I have worked aggressively to highlight the funding imbalance that saw the east end receive significantly less investment in new road infrastructure compared to other parts of the city. I fought hard during the Transportation Master Plan update to move critical projects in our community higher on the priority list. Those efforts helped secure major wins for Orléans South–Navan, but approving projects is only part of the challenge.

While important progress has been made, I believe we need to fundamentally change how we deliver roads, intersections, and services that support new housing. The City has been moving quickly to accelerate housing approvals and reduce barriers to building. That work is important; but housing growth is advancing faster than the infrastructure needed to support it. That gap has real consequences.

We must fast-track how transportation projects move from planning to actual construction.

Recently, I brought for-ward a motion aimed at doing exactly that.

Staff will now be reviewing how infra-structure projects move from planning to construction and identify ways to speed up delivery. This includes reducing duplication/red tape, improving procurement practices, running processes concurrently where possible, and prioritizing infrastructure that directly supports housing growth.

Ultimately, this is about building complete communities, not simply approving growth on paper. As Orléans South–Navan continues to develop, I will continue pushing for practical solutions that ensure infrastructure keeps pace with the people who call our community home.

 

Community food service a true godsend for area families in need

One of the greatest barriers to addressing food insecurity is not always the lack of available help. Sometimes, the barrier is shame.

Many people in our community are strugg-ling quietly: seniors on fixed incomes, families facing rising grocery bills, newcomers getting settled, students, workers, or neighbours who have fallen on difficult times. Food insecurity does not always look the way people expect it to look, and even when services are available, asking for help can be incredibly difficult.

Recently, I had the opportunity to meet with Ali from Foodeliver, a local not-for-profit initiative working to support people experiencing food insecurity. I left feeling genuinely inspired.

Foodeliver is built around a simple but powerful idea: rescuing surplus food from restaurants, grocers, farmers, cafés, and other local partners, and helping get that food to people who need it in a discreet and dignified way. That approach matters.

Perfectly good food is too often thrown away while families in our own community struggle to put meals on the table. Connecting surplus food with those who need it is practical, compassionate, and necessary.

What stood out most was not just the logistics of moving food from one place to another. It was the focus on dignity.

I talk a lot about the inherent human dignity in every person. No one should have to sacrifice their privacy or sense of self-worth to access food. No one should be made to feel small because they are going through a difficult time.

Ali and his team understand that. They are working to remove barriers, not create new ones.

If you are a restaurant, grocer, farmer, café, or local business with food items to contribute, I encourage you to reach out to Foodeliver. Residents can also visit their website to learn more or make a monetary contribution.

Food is more than nutrition. It is security. It is comfort. It is dignity. Through this beautiful initiative, Foodeliver is helping deliver all of it.

 

Ward 2 road resurfacing the result of a concerted effort

In the coming weeks, crews will begin resurfacing a significant number of residential roads across our community.

As many of you know from my newsletters and updates, this year marks the single largest investment in residential road repaving that Orléans West-Innes has seen in at least a decade. Some of these streets have not been resurfaced since they were first built many decades ago, making this work both welcome and long overdue.

These improvements did not come easily. While City staff understandably prioritize arterial roads due to higher traffic volumes, this often leaves our quieter residential streets to deteriorate. Every year, when I enter budget discussions with the Mayor, my top priority is securing additional funding specifically tied to local roads in our community.

To strengthen that case, I brought Ottawa’s city manager, departmental general managers, and the Mayor on walks through our neighbourhoods to see conditions firsthand. Moving these issues from reports to the street helped underscore the urgency and reinforced why road renewal must remain a top priority.

As a result of this advocacy, instead of the usual four or five streets, more than a dozen will move forward with resurfacing this year.

Some projects have been years in the making, while others are newer additions, but every area of the ward will see work begin. Many residents have already received notices for upcoming resurfacing on Loire, Tour, Gaultois, Bédéque, Superior, Fortune, Innes Road in Blackburn Hamlet, Northpark, Richer, Frank Bender, Cholette, and Dussere. In the meantime, I will continue working with staff to advance as many additional road and pathway projects as possible.

Residents deserve roads that reflect the pride we take in our community. That means continuing to listen, push, and invest until road renewal is not the exception, but the standard. This commitment remains central to my work and to the long term livability of our neighbourhoods.

 

A winter that left its mark, and the work to fix it

It’s been that kind of winter in Ottawa – the kind where the weather can’t quite make up its mind and our roads pay the price.

Freeze, thaw, repeat. Over and over again. It might feel like a minor inconvenience day to day, but those swings are exactly what create potholes. Water seeps into small cracks, freezes, expands, and then leaves gaps behind when it melts. Add traffic on top of that, and suddenly you’ve got a pothole where there wasn’t one the day before.

This year, we’ve seen more than most. Tens of thousands of potholes have already been filled across the city, with crews working nonstop between winter storms to keep up. If it feels like they’re everywhere right now, you’re not wrong.

The good news is we’re ramping up.

Additional crews are being deployed, along with new equipment like our “Python Pothole Patchers.” These machines can fill a pothole in under two minutes, allowing operators to work safely from inside the vehicle. It’s faster, safer, and helps us cover more ground.

You’ll start to see them moving through neighbourhoods, working long shifts, day and night. If you come across one on the road, don’t pass it – they’ll be done quickly.

Behind the scenes, it’s the same Roads and Parking Services teams doing the work. The crews that were out salting roads during a storm are now filling potholes, clearing catch basins, and managing the spring melt – constantly adapting to changing conditions.

This time of year isn’t ideal for permanent fixes. Cold temperatures and moisture mean some repairs are temporary, and certain spots may need more than one pass before things fully stabilize.

We’re not slowing down – if anything, this is when the work really picks up. If you come across a pothole that needs attention, don’t hesitate to report it. We’ve got the crews, the equipment, and we’re getting after it.