Three Ottawa mayoral candidates have pulled ahead of the pack in time for the Oct. 27 election.
Mike Maguire, incumbent Jim Watson, and Anwar Syed have answered questions at various debates on issues such as the environment, public transit and student employment.
Environmental concerns are a top issue for voters.
Local Ottawa citizens hung a banner over the Bank Street Canal Bridge Oct. 20 protesting the Energy East pipeline proposal.
All three candidates support expanded bike parking in the downtown core, but they disagree on the segregated bike lane on Laurier Avenue.
Mayoral candidate Mike Maguire said there should be a segregated bike lane on Gloucester Street instead.
“I’m not saying don’t have a segregated bike lane,” Maguire said. “Put it where there’s less cars. Put it on a one-way street that gets a fraction of the traffic on Laurier.”
All three candidates support the Ottawa River Action Plan, but challenger Anwar Syed said incumbent mayor Jim Watson has not been doing enough to keep the river clean.
Watson said while the plan has been funded, more action must be taken to combat run-off in the river.
In terms of public transit, Watson said he is in favour of light rail transit (LRT) construction, calling it an investment in Ottawa’s future.
“My view is that too many politicians think of the next election. They should be thinking of the next generation,” he said. “We have to start building for the future.”
Both Maguire and Syed oppose LRT construction.
Maguire said he supports extending O-Train routes to Kanata and Orleans and that he considers the O-Train to be light rail.
“This is a bulk commuter rail service to maximize the potential,” he said. “We have an opportunity to address a population base of well over 100,000 people.”
Watson said he disagrees with this position, saying “the O-Train is diesel, which produces greenhouse gases.”
In terms of student issues, Watson highlighted local start-up initiative Invest Ottawa’s role in creating jobs in the city, and said he believes students are an important part of Ottawa’s economy.
Maguire said he will focus on more than student issues. He said the high cost of energy is the main barrier to finding jobs in Ottawa.
“[The cost of energy] is going to be an unbearable burden for small businesses who might want to employ you,” he said. “We also have to look [at] how to attract new businesses, such that they might want to hire part-time students.”
Voting in the mayoral election opens on Monday, Oct. 27.
