Ward 17 (Capital Ward) Councillor Shawn Menard, 40, grew up in Ottawa and studied public policy and administration at Carleton University.
Menard served as Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) and Rideau River Residence Association (RRRA) president, and a Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) council member. He has worked for the Department of Justice’s public service and had various roles with the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, Pedestrian and Transit Advisory Committee and Centretown Community Association.
“I’m really running [for re-election] because the status quo at city hall isn’t good enough anymore,” Menard said. “I’ve been pushing all term to build a more sustainable city that’s going to shift its priorities to finally take action on things like climate change, affordable housing and transforming our streets for better quality of life.”
He foresees projects in the ward such as a full renewal of Brewer Park, a redesign of Bronson Avenue’s residential areas and a more public-centered redevelopment of Lansdowne Park. He would stop roads from being built through green spaces in areas such as the Alta Vista Transportation Corridor.
“I’ve been pushing all term to build a more sustainable city that’s going to shift its priorities to finally take action on things like climate change, affordable housing and transforming our streets for better quality of life.”
Menard passed a motion in April 2019 to declare Ottawa’s climate change emergency, which subsequently affected the city’s New Official Plan and updated Transportation Master Plan. He proposed changes to public transit routes and stressed finishing the Stage 2 Light Rail Transit project for students’ sake.
“We pushed for a public inquiry into the handling of the LRT and did not shy away from really exposing developer influence on the city that’s existed for too long.”
He wants free public transit for those under 18 and, as the main architect of Ottawa’s U-Pass, lower transportation costs for post-secondary students. He flagged the new Rideau River pedestrian bridge by Carleton and the planned extension of the nearby Rideau Winter Trail as efforts to make the ward more walkable.
“It’s an amazing potential just for some active transportation in the winter and kind of cool thing for students and staff on campus.”
Menard encouraged up-front investments to limit carbon dioxide emissions and an end to urban sprawl to redirect funds to affordable housing. He called for cheap retrofits, divestment from fossil fuel holdings, net-zero requirements for new buildings and correct organic waste disposal.
“It not only fills up our landfill and could cost us $400 million for a new landfill, but it emits a lot of gases that are harmful to our environment.”
Wanting to densify Ottawa rather than continue the sprawl, Menard said building developers should have less influence in Ward 17 and the money spent on corporate subsidies should instead target purpose-built affordable housing. He added he would bring new affordable units to Carling Avenue and Elgin Street and start a Capital Ward housing fund.
He proposed matching provincial homelessness funds and using an inclusionary zoning policy that forces 10 per cent of new units to be immediately affordable.
“It saves you money to house your homeless,” he said, referencing incurred social service costs. “And, of course, it’s the right thing to do.”
He stressed there should be full-on mental-health response teams and a more reliable Ottawa Paramedic Service.
“There’s times where an ambulance is not available to people in Ottawa, and that just is unacceptable in this type of city.”
Menard wants a local land-back policy that benefits Algonquin Anishinaabe peoples and doesn’t just entail real estate deals. He called for mental-health outreach instead of policing for Indigenous peoples, who he noted get disproportionately profiled by police and incarcerated.
He pointed to proactive projects from his current term as councillor like the West Coast Video building demolition, investments in parks and transformation of streets.
“Our team at city hall has worked very, very hard for residents and students in this ward, and we want to continue that.”
To learn more about Menard, visit his campaign website.
In an earlier version of this article, Shawn Menard was misstated as saying that building developers should have more influence in Ward 17, rather than less, and that corporate subsidies should be given for purpose-built affordable housing, rather than not be given at all. The Charlatan regrets the errors.
Featured image provided by Ariela Kay Summit.
