Ottawa, Gatineau mayors send ‘urgent message’ to federal leaders
The Mayors of Ottawa and Gatineau — Mark Sutcliffe and Maude Marquis-Bissonnette — have released a joint statement, calling on federal party leaders to promptly respond to the challenges facing residents in the National Capital Region.
In a letter to federal party leaders, the mayors note their shared priorities — including critically important, time-sensitive local issues, Mayor Sutcliffe noted on his website.
This is especially critical, as a historically important election for both Ottawa and Gatineau approaches later this month, wrote the City of Ottawa in a news release.
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“The federal government plays an enormous role in the capital region and we are calling on leaders to show their support for permanent, sustainable solutions to support the growth and prosperity of Ottawa and Gatineau, and the quality of life of local residents,” explained Sutcliffe.
According to the City of Ottawa, areas of focus and shared priorities noted by the mayors of Ottawa and Gatineau include:
- Revitalizing downtown areas: Partnering with the federal government to repurpose vacant federal office spaces and revitalize downtown neighbourhoods.
- Fair Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILTs): Requesting PILT payments on properties at market value to reduce pressure on City budgets and residents having to make up the difference.
- Support for public service worker transition: Retraining and reskilling programs to help workers affected by layoffs in the federal public service.
- Public transit funding: Securing long-term federal funding for public transit, including infrastructure funding for the tramway in Gatineau and Stage 3 LRT in Ottawa.
- Affordable housing and homelessness: Calling for increased funding to accelerate the construction of affordable housing and support homelessness prevention initiatives
- Strengthening regional governance: Increased representation on the National Capital Commission (NCC) to ensure better decision-making for residents.
- Infrastructure and climate resilience: Requesting federal investment in critical infrastructure and climate resilience projects.
The mayors noted that immediate action is required to address the issues listed — and change cannot occur without support from the federal government.
“They are committed to continuing to work closely with federal partners to ensure that Ottawa and Gatineau remain a vibrant, resilient and economically strong region,” wrote the city.
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