Weekly newsletter: July 18, 2023

Hi!

My update this week may seem a bit less coherent - we’ve got a lot to cover.

Tornado

I don’t think I need to describe the events of last Thursday again, but I feel I should share some thoughts about the way everything played out afterwards.

When news of the tornado reached the phones of Councillor Hill and I, we were both away from Barrhaven — I was downtown for a meeting and David was in Orléans for a Veterans Task Force event. Being a little closer, I was able to get back to Barrhaven before him and got briefed on the situation by the emergency services that had set up a command post.

Who got here first is not a competition, but I included that point, because it’s a great example of how Barrhaven is still one community despite being divided into two wards.

What a relief it was to learn of only one minor injury, despite the property damage.

Although the damage was limited to Barrhaven West, we pooled our resources to ensure residents affected by the storm had adequate access to information and knew we were present to help them where we can. I had a great time working so closely with Councillor Hill and his team.

The response — emergency services, forestry, building code, aid agencies — was incredible and deserve to be lauded. Unfortunately, the integrated and unified approach and how well it’s working is a testament to the increase in frequency of these emergencies.

It was a major learning experience for me in terms of how staff prepare for these situations before they happen as well as how the unified response works (plus some great networking).

Most importantly, the generosity and kindness shown by the Barrhaven community towards neighbours and friends, I believe, is unmatched. Within minutes, people were asking on social media, David’s office, and my office how they can help.

Barrhaven showed up for Barrhaven, and I am forever grateful.

LRT

I cannot understate how frustrating it is to face yet another LRT shutdown. Although I am grateful it was a safety precaution rather than the aftermath of a serious incident, it’s difficult accepting the latest issue follows a prolonged period of solid service and some optimism that came from the most recent Transit Commission meeting.

Especially disappointing was the fact this is the same issue as what caused the derailments in 2021.

We keep asking the public for their patience and understanding, but I feel it’s run out. Much of the decision making that brought us to this point was done by previous terms of Council, but the fact is the problem is now ours to address.

I don’t want to speculate what the fix is or what it will entail, because my expertise is limited, but at some point (I think soon), we as Council and OC Transpo will probably need to face the tough decision of a long-term solution that can potentially be costly and disruptive, instead of patching and bodging as we go.

Most people have strong opinions about the LRT, but for now, the focus is on inspecting every axle on every train to ensure they are safe to return to service. The best case scenario is the bearing issue was an anomaly limited to one vehicle during its inspection, but whatever comfort there is in that is probably overshadowed by yet another punch to public confidence in the service.

I don’t think it serves the public well to be pessimistic, so I’ll just say I’m hoping this is a minor setback towards the long-term recovery of transit in Ottawa.

Councillor Desroches and I had an interview with CFRA about the LRT earlier today, which can be heard by clicking here. More information will be available at a media availability this afternoon.

Earl Mulligan

Residents who regularly use Earl Mulligan may notice the roadway’s reconfiguration is taking shape. Overnight, lines were painted delineating the new layout.

The change was primarily done to improve sightlines for vehicles turning out of Woodgate, Shandon, and Long Gate. Traffic calming was the only budget available, so the change will also involve some flex stakes placed in the roadway over the next few days.

The shoulder on the north side of Earl Mulligan is not meant to be a bike lane, but rather as extra space for vehicles to pull into to see traffic approaching from the east clearly. This will be in place until the spring. At that point, staff and I will re-evaluate to see how we can further improve Earl Mulligan.

Please share any comments—positive or negative—with me (preferably after a few more weeks, but initial feedback is also welcome), as it will be important in that re-evaluation.

That’s all for now. Be safe and have a great week ahead!

-Wilson