Students have raised concerns after being singled out by an advertisement for a South Keys Greenboro Community Association meeting as a source of noise and property problems in the neighbourhood.
The advertisement asked residents of the popular, off-campus neighbourhood to attend an Oct. 13 meeting if they were “having problems or were concerned about the influx of student housing” due to the neighbourhood’s location next to the O-Train and transitway.
Recent Carleton graduate Andrew Lawrence said he was surprised by the meeting.
“I, and many people I know, were surprised by the reaction in South Keys to students living there,” he said. “Most of us keep to ourselves and are quiet.”
Several members of the community, as well as representatives from the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) and Ottawa police attended the meeting, which was specifically billed on the association’s website as a discussion of “realistic strategies to deal with student housing.”
Carleton’s director of student affairs Ryan Flannagan was invited but cancelled last minute. No one from the Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) was in attendance.
Paige Galette, SFUO’s vice-president (communications), said she attended the meeting after having her inbox inundated with complaints from students living in the area.
“We could clearly see the intent of the flyer,” Galette said. “It did stipulate that students were the reason why the community was, to use fair words, pretty much rotting. So obviously in response to that we made sure there was at least one [member of SFUO] who could come.”
Rachel Killingbeck, a second-year art history and Greek and Roman studies Carleton student, said she agreed.
“I, and many others, felt offended by the phrasing of the ‘student housing issue,’” Killingbeck said.“It is not right to suggest that all students in the area are menacing because of a small group of individuals.”
Although a general apology was made in regards to the specific language used in the flyer describing students, members of the community seemed divided as to how to look at the problem.
During an address Lawrence made during the meeting, a resident interrupted him to say, “we want you out.” However, Lawrence said he felt the specific individual had slightly changed his stance towards the end of the meeting.
“The focus had moved from students to the problem of landlords who are irresponsible with their property,” he said.
The meeting was never intended to make it seem like there was a big problem with students, according to Diane Deans, city councillor for the Gloucester-Southgate ward.
Deans said the meeting appears to have exacerbated the issue when it was just intended to be a followup to a meeting held last year in regards to certain problem residents.
“I just want to emphasize, if you were in this room tonight, you might think that there was a grand problem. There really isn’t a big problem. There are a few,” she said. “It’s not a big problem, it’s a relatively controlled problem, and we just need to be diligent to address those issues on an ongoing basis.
— with files from Jessica Chin
