Daniel Rogers, 62, has lived in Ottawa’s Ward 17 (Capital Ward) for 48 of the last 50 years and is running for councillor to give electors more choice at the polls.
“Knowing the ward as well as I do, having grown up here, gives me a bit of an advantage,” he said.
Along with taking ownership of Glebe Central Pub three years ago, he’s worked as a lobbyist for banks and Canadian railway companies and as a federal advisor to various ministers.
“Some of the work that I’ve done federally, working for the government house leader as the chief of staff in a minority government, provided me with ample experience in how to reach out across the floor and work with people who have diverging views.”
He said Ward 17 needs to better serve its small-business community. Rogers hopes to see fewer taxes, more benefits for local businesses and more trees along main Capital Ward streets.
“Some of the work that I’ve done federally … provided me with ample experience in how to reach out across the floor and work with people who have diverging views.”
He said he prioritizes more student housing and an end to renovictions, and proposed an underground LRT line from Billings Bridge to Queen Street.
“I think it would be a really fantastic way to alleviate a lot of congestion that we see now all the way from downtown to Old Ottawa South on Bank Street.”
He would revisit the potentially permanent closure of Queen Elizabeth Driveway between Somerset Street and Fifth Avenue, noting the additional traffic backlog he has observed as a result.
“You got all these cars coming off of Pretoria Bridge [that] can’t get onto Queen Elizabeth. They come roaring down Pretoria and then they’re sort of spreading through the Glebe.”
Rogers won’t strive for universal free public transit but said “that doesn’t mean that we can’t figure out a way for providing cost-free transit to the people who need it the most.” He also emphasized the benefit of continuing the U-Pass, even for students who live near campus and don’t get as much use out of it.
“I’d love to see some real headway made into the situation of street people and figuring out ways that we can sort of get them off the street, into whatever programs [and] housing they need.”
He said Ottawa should enforce its no-idle policy and mirror climate change measures of “great cities” like Paris. He added that steps such as electrifying cars are worth every penny.
“Some of this stuff is going to cost money up front but, down the road, there are going to be true savings that are realized, whether [they are] financial or [for the betterment of the environment].”
He also noted he has observed a fractured OPS relationship with Ottawans after the Freedom Convoy occupied the city’s downtown core, and wants more police getting out of their cars to interact with locals and rebuild connections with their community.
Instead of defunding the police, Rogers wants to investigate OPS spending and see why it needs the money it gets. He acknowledged that residents must feel safe and have confidence in their emergency services but that police can also prove great at building business plans.
To address the needs of Anishinaabe Algonquin peoples, he would leave it to the federal government to take more action on land claims, reconciliation and the Indian Act’s future.
“I don’t honestly see a significant role for municipal governments in this, other than to support those people that are looking for justice and reconciliation.”
Rogers, who doesn’t have a campaign website, said he looks forward to a nice, civil race with his two opponents and appreciates everyone who’s put their name forward this municipal election.
“I don’t have the answers to all these things, but I’m ready to work with anybody who wants to try to find some solutions.”
Featured image provided by Daniel Rogers.
