On Thursday, Aug. 28, OBJ issued an open invitation to all candidates in the upcoming municipal election to answer one simple question: Why should the business community vote for you?
As the responses come in, one will be published online each day, and be included in our daily email newsletter. Send your response to editor@obj.ca.
Today’s response is from Edward Conway, Somerset
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Thank you for the opportunity to speak to the Ottawa business community. The business community needs to look to me because I have represented the business community in downtown Ottawa for 15 years. I am the only candidate who has done this. I am the only candidate who has any actual experience fixing business problems.
I will mention two names of hundreds that I could mention: Walter Lubiana, owner of Estra Flooring, and Robert Aldrich owner of Warmth Insulation.
Both of these individuals are long standing members of the Ottawa business community. They, along with many businesses I have represented over the years, strongly endorse my candidacy because I know the problems of small business. I know the problems of cash flow, city taxes and permit difficulties, the cost of industrial garbage collection and the inconvenience of road closures.
I know that success in business is about managing flows effectively. Where the city can help – with an experienced advocate who has been there for business for 15 years – the city will help. In the past, this never included being able to pick up the phone and call a councillor as you would call a lawyer. With me it will mean having an advocate who will do what is necessary for the particular business having city difficulties.
A councillor can’t solve every problem just like a lawyer can’t solve every problem. But as between the candidate who pretend to speak to the business community and the lawyer who has represented hundreds of small businesses, the choice for small business should be clear.
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Previously published:
Aug. 29 – Katherine Hobbs, incumbent, Kitchissippi
Sept. 2 – Jeff Leiper, Kitchissippi
Sept. 3 – Marc Aubin, Rideau-Vanier
Sept. 4 – Thomas McVeigh, Somerset
Sept. 5 – Cam Holmstrom, Rideau-Rockcliffe
Sept. 8 – Catherine McKenney, Somerset
Sept. 9 – Mathieu Fleury, incumbent, Rideau-Vanier
Sept. 11 – Jeff Morrison, Somerset
Sept. 23 – Marianne Wilkinson, incumbent, Kanata North
Sept. 24 – Jason Kelly, Gloucester-South Nepean
Oct. 6 – Susan Sherring, Gloucester-South Nepean
Oct. 7 – Tobi Nussbaum, Rideau-Rockcliffe
Oct. 8 – Meladul Haq Ahmadzai, Gloucester-Southgate
Oct. 10 – Catherine Fortin LeFaivre, Rideau-Vanier
Oct. 14 – Conor Meade, Somerset
Oct. 15 – Martin Canning, Somerset
