Our downtown has been taken over by drug use and homelessness. Ottawa’s LRT system has been plagued by service disruptions. These issues must be fixed.
The Citizen invited candidates in the Oct. 24 municipal election to share their thoughts:
My name is Tyler Cybulski. I am a husband, father and a proud member of One Arrow First Nation. For the last 11 years, I have had the pleasure of calling Rideau-Vanier my home. I believe that the future is bright and if you reside in Ward 12 you will understand my enthusiasm regarding our unrealized potential.
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We possess all of the elements of a great community. We are multicultural, hardworking, educated and family-oriented. Despite these positive attributes, our neighbourhoods are overwhelmed by issues, many of which have gone unchecked for far too long.
Affordable housing is in short supply and many rental units are in poor states of repair. There are currently 12,000+ households on a centralized waiting list for affordable housing, and the wait times can exceed 10 years or more. Adding to this crisis are the deteriorating conditions of our social housing, where residents live in conditions that are undignified and unhealthy.
Our downtown core has been taken over by drug use and homelessness. Safe injection sites have enabled rampant addiction and our lack of a housing strategy has left vulnerable people abandoned within our tourism district.
Ottawa’s LRT system has been plagued by service disruptions since its launch, resulting in prolonged shut-downs and the use of unreliable R1 buses. Due to driver shortages, many buses do not show up on time and, more recently, buses do not show up at all.
Our city is experiencing many crises. Since launching my campaign, my message has been clear: we need to get back to business and back to basics when it comes to managing Ottawa. I am not a candidate who is promising more bicycle lanes, tree-planting, or free public transit. I am deeply committed to the issues within our ward that need to be addressed during the next council term.
As your councillor, I will work with my colleagues to develop a comprehensive action plan for housing which would prioritize the speed at which projects progress through planning and approval. More importantly, I will ensure that our city develops a sustainable housing strategy, taking into consideration our limits as a municipality and the need to collaborate with the private sector to ensure that everyone has a place to call home.
With respect to downtown, I will explore alternative, proven forms of addictions treatment and a develop a housing-first model for sheltering the most vulnerable. Hotels are not a substitute for emergency shelters and emergency shelters are not a long-term solution to homelessness.
When considering our embarrassing transit system, we need to re-evaluate the entire product we are offering the public. The current operational framework of OC Transpo needs to be overhauled. As councillor, I will advocate for the city to employ capable transit and urban planning consultants to offer their insights into how we can make transit work.
On Oct. 24, I am asking for your support to improve our ward and our city! My website can platform can be found at tylercybulski.ca
Tyler Cybulski is running for Ottawa council in Rideau-Vanier, ward 12.
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Here are the candidates for the 2022 Ottawa municipal election
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How and where to vote in the 2022 Ottawa municipal election
