Members of the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association (GOHBA) scored quality time Thursday morning with Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, who’s sticking to his promise to speak at the association’s first breakfast every January throughout his term in office.
“Only two more years to go,” Sutcliffe quipped to a sold-out crowd of 180 attendees at the Infinity Convention Centre.
The mayor took his commitment seriously, talking for nearly 30 minutes about issues relating to the homebuilder industry and broader community. On hand to introduce him was Jason Burggraaf, executive director of GOHBA.
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Sutcliffe listed the ways the city is trying to alleviate the current housing shortage crisis. He also spoke of how it’s doubling its investment, from $15 million to $30 million, in affordable housing. As well, the city is hiring more emergency personnel, fixing roads and sidewalks, building new recreation centres and parks, and keeping taxes as low as possible, said Sutcliffe as he compared Ottawa’s property tax increase of 2.5 per cent to the lofty 10.5 per cent tax hike Toronto is considering.
Speakers also included Joanne Read, executive vice-president and chief planning and development officer for The Ottawa Hospital. She provided an overview of the new $2.8-billion, state-of-the-art hospital campus that’s to be completed over the next four to five years at the corner of Carling Avenue, Preston Street and Prince of Wales Drive, not far from the hospital’s century-old Civic campus. She took to the podium in place of the hospital’s president and CEO, Cameron Love, who was ill that day.
The hospital’s $500-million fundraising campaign for the new campus has passed the $310 million mark, with well-known businessman Roger Greenberg dedicating tremendous amounts of time and effort in support of the cause. The award-winning volunteer fundraiser was joined at the breakfast by Tim Kluke, president and CEO of The Ottawa Hospital Foundation.
Greenberg is also executive board chairman at Minto Group. Its rental operations and management division announced plans this week to sell 311 of its housing units in Nepean to Ottawa Community Housing, the largest affordable housing provider in Ottawa. Ottawa Community Housing CEO Stéphane Giguère attended the breakfast.
The mayor commended Greenberg on the job he’s been doing as chair of the hospital’s campaign. “I know this because he hit me up,” joked Sutcliffe, who, along with his wife, Ginny, made an earlier financial contribution. “If you haven’t already, please consider making this a priority in your philanthropy because it is so hugely important to our city,” the mayor told the room. “It’s going to be a game-changer.”
World-class health care helps to boost the local economy by attracting the best talent to live and work in Ottawa, beyond the top doctors and researchers, the mayor pointed out.
Sutcliffe, 55, was born and raised in Ottawa. He’s spent his entire life as a proud resident. He grew his small businesses, built his journalism career, volunteered extensively in the community and started his family here.
The mayor told everyone how much he’s enjoying his job, how focused and motivated he feels every day to build a better city, one that’s safer, more reliable and more affordable for everyone. He acknowledged many of the problems the community is facing, from chronic homelessness to the ongoing opioid crisis to overcrowded shelters to public transit woes.
“A lot of people have asked me if I have changed my mind about wanting to be the mayor of Ottawa,” said Sutcliffe, who was sworn in 14 months ago. “The answer is: ‘No, absolutely not’. I love my job.”
He reflected on how much his hometown has changed since he was the age of his 14-year-old son, Jack. The Rideau Centre, Canadian Tire Centre and Shaw Centre didn’t exist back then. Neither did the National Gallery of Canada nor the Canadian War Museum.
“There wasn’t all the housing that your industry has built in the last 40 years in places like Barrhaven, Kanata, Stittsville, Manotick and Orléans,” he told his audience.
Forty years ago, LeBreton flats was just a vast, empty field. “Okay, so some things haven’t changed in the last 40 years,” he joked while noting that the Toronto Maple Leafs have also failed to secure the Stanley Cup during this same span.
Sutcliffe looked to Ottawa’s future, too. “We’re heading into a period of extraordinary growth,” he said of a one million-plus population that could grow by 40 to 50 per cent over the next quarter century.
Many people — particularly new Canadians — are choosing to make Ottawa their home for good reason, said Sutcliffe.
“As you all know, it puts extraordinary pressure on the housing market and, right now, we’re in a housing crisis, like many other cities. We need to make the right decisions very soon, the right decisions in the next few months to make sure that we preserve that quality of life and that we preserve that affordability that we have in the City of Ottawa.”
One of his main concerns is Ottawa’s downtown. The federal government is shrinking its footprint. More public servants regularly work from home now.
“That represents one of the biggest challenges, one of the biggest threats to the downtown core in our city’s history,” said Sutcliffe. “I don’t think I’m overstating when I say that.”
The glass-half-full mayor said the challenge does give rise to opportunity.
“If we’re not going to have as many people working in downtown Ottawa, then maybe we can have a lot more people living in downtown Ottawa. Maybe we can have a lot more space used for attractions and events. We can make downtown Ottawa a destination for everyone.”
It so happens the Ottawa Senators are looking for a new site for their arena. While the much-discussed LeBreton Flats option is popular, “I think we should also consider a site right downtown. Maybe it won’t work, but I think it’s worth a shot,” he said of an idea he’s mentioned before.
Five years ago, putting an arena in the heart of the city wasn’t necessary, he said. “Today, I think we need a powerful draw to bring more people to the core, and a new arena might just be the thing.”
He spoke supportively of plans to improve Lansdowne by revamping its aging sports facilities and adding more residential units and commercial space. Other major urban developments include the current building of a new main public library.
In his remarks, Sutcliffe came to the defence of the nation’s capital, saying it’s not fair to size it up with other major capital cities, and dwell on how it might fall short.
“Ottawa is not Paris or London or Tokyo or Rome; I don’t think it ever will be, but comparing Ottawa to cities that are a thousand years old and have 10 times our population is completely missing the point. Spending time talking about what Ottawa isn’t means that we are not talking about what Ottawa is, and what Ottawa can be.
“Ottawa has so much potential, but it’s not about becoming London or Paris. It’s about being the best city that Ottawa can be.”
The mayor’s pledge to speak each January stems from an encounter he had with GOHBA’s director of business development and membership, Soula Burrell. She caught up with him outside a major retail store in Kanata on Municipal Election Day 2022 and had him promise to speak at their GOHBA breakfast each January, should he win.
“There’s no better day than election day to ask for a promise from somebody who’s running for office, so of course I said ‘Yes’.”
caroline@obj.ca
