OTTAWA - The cost of housing, the state of OC Transpo, and accountability at city hall are the top 3 concerns for Ottawa voters as the city enters a municipal election, according to a recent poll commissioned by the Broadbent Institute and conducted by Viewpoints Research. 

The survey, which was intended to gauge their attitudes about the upcoming mayoral election, also shows that 84% of voters support disallowing mayoral and city council candidates from accepting donations from real estate developers.

“Ottawans have a lot on their minds when it comes to their municipal election ballots this fall, and not without reason,” says Clement Nocos, director of policy and stakeholder relations at the Broadbent Institute. “With the retirement of Mayor Jim Watson and several members of the current City Council, there are opportunities for a renewed vision and we were interested in testing the public opinion waters.”

What Ottawa voters want

• 75% support increasing protections for renters to reduce evictions and improve building maintenance.
• 73% support expanding OC Transpo service into suburban Ottawa.
• 68% support bringing LRT operations into City management and control.
• 54% think Ottawa should invest to improve services, even if it means a small tax increase.
• 54% think Ottawa should invest now to fight climate change and adapt infrastructure.
• 48% of voters think the City of Ottawa is headed in the wrong direction. Only 29% of voters agree that the City of Ottawa is headed in the right direction.

“Ottawans are looking for change. A bold progressive vision that prioritizes equality over tax cuts, investments over austerity, and collaborative leadership instead of favours for well-endowed interests could win the day,” says Nocos. “Electoral campaigns and social movements would do well to get together and fight for a better city that works for its residents.”

Further reading

Today is Labour Day.

It is the unofficial end of summer and a cherished long weekend for some - and for many others, a time to celebrate the hard-fought wins of the labour movement and steel ourselves for the work still yet to come.

This year we saw workers from all sorts of industries fight for their rights, for fair treatment, and for decent work. We saw Starbucks, Amazon, and gig workers stand up for themselves, and we saw education workers and health care workers lead the way in telling those in power what workers need and where they are falling short. In Ontario, where I live, we saw Bill 124 become a ballot box issue during the provincial election campaign. 

We have only to look at our struggling health care system to see the value of workers and the need for collective organizing. Although public health care is regularly talked about as a bedrock of Canadian society and untouchable politically, there are currently two fights simultaneously occurring that would undermine the system we boast of so proudly. 

In British Columbia, the Cambie case continues to make its way through the courts, extending the looming threat of giving preferential access to higher-paying individuals or private insurance. In Ontario, the Ford government continues to crack the door wider toward allowing for-profit health care. Thankfully, the labour movement continues to fight to protect and preserve our health care system.

We must stand with these workers and with the labour movement to fight for a better future for all. As we mark another Labour Day we are called to remember the great things we have achieved together. Let’s also remember that our ability to improve our country is limited only by our imagination.

In solidarity,

Ed Broadbent

Founder, the Broadbent Institute

PS - If you haven’t already, I encourage you to subscribe to Press Progress’ labour newsletter, Shift Work. This newsletter provides a weekly snapshot of Canada’s labour movement that you won’t find anywhere else.

This groundbreaking report maps out the strategies and practices that lie behind today’s most successful advocacy campaigns both in Canada and abroad. In the process, it demonstrates how and why they succeed in creating lasting change on the issues they address while so many others fail.

Based on a study by authors Jason Mogus and Tom Liacas that looked at mostly U.S.-based case studies, this report now presents similar innovations in Canada by reviewing in-depth case studies of eight breakthrough Canadian campaigns. The report’s goal is to transmit a model that can be learned and replicated by other campaigners for how to blend grassroots participation and organizing with disciplined central planning to win.

Download the report

Based on the Networked Change report that looked into the patterns behind some of the most dynamic Canadian advocacy campaigns, this speaker models how to blend grassroots participation and organizing with disciplined central planning to win.

This video features Sandy Hudson, a writer, political activist, and the co-founder of Black Lives Matter Toronto.