Upper level transit funding announcements could come in weeks, Sutcliffe tells Lookout

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Good Morning! 

It seems we were able to escape the freezing rain Tuesday but winter weather is on its way in the next few days. To get in the Christmas spirit, I am hoping to finally finish my decorating today.

Yesterday I had the chance to sit down with Mayor Mark Sutcliffe to talk about the city budget and the tough financial position Ottawa finds itself in. We only had 15 minutes and were only able to scratch the surface, but there is a deep divide at council — especially when it comes to transit. 

Let’s get straight to it!

— Charlie Senack, managing editor 

[email protected] 

X: @Charlie_Senack

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WEATHER

Wednesday: 5 🌡️ -2 | 🌧️🌨️

Thursday: 2 🌡️ -2 | 🌧️🌨️

Friday: 1 🌡️ -2 | 🌨️

CITY HALL

Sutcliffe still hopeful provincial and federal transit supports are coming — but are they really?

Possible progress: For months, the city has been on its knees, begging the provincial and federal governments to step up and better fund Ottawa’s struggling transit system, but no money has flowed — at least for now. The cash is needed desperately to help fill a $120 million gap in OC Transpo’s budget. 

In an interview with the Ottawa Lookout on Tuesday, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe hinted that movement could come in the next few weeks. 

• “The way it works is not that the Premier shows up in Ottawa and just makes a big announcement. We do a lot of work with the provincial government and the federal government through the people who work for the city and work for those governments,” said Sutcliffe. “I advocate directly to representatives of both levels and we have conversations about how we can move forward. We’ve been making progress, I’m optimistic that we will find some solutions and that there will be announcements in the weeks to come.”

The answer came in response to a question from the Lookout over whether it was wise to put a $36 million placeholder in the budget for the chance that the upper levels of government pull through. At least two councillors we spoke to say it’s not. 

• “If they didn't do it the first two times, I didn't know why they would the third time. I don’t feel it’s responsible and it’s problematic. It doesn’t seem like we actually have a plan to make transit sustainable,” said Barrhaven East Coun. Wilson Lo. “I don’t think it’s responsible. I generally don’t agree with it.”

Knoxdale-Merivale Coun. Sean Devine feels the same way. 

• “The Mayors ‘Fairness for Ottawa’ campaign has been going on since August and all we’ve heard is that conversations are ongoing. We are now less than a month away from signing a budget that’s as solid as the air between you and I talking right now. We can hope for sure but we don't know. That concerns me,” said Devine. 

The Mayor was surprised: Sutcliffe asked who the councillors were who felt the gap was irresponsible and, for the third time, tried to argue that the city was actually investing in transit.

The talking points: The transit budget is going up $90 million in 2025, which is an 11 per cent increase, highlighted Sutcliffe. He said that’s compared to other parts of the city budget, which are going up two to three percent. 

The negative impact to seniors and youth 

But riders will pay more: To close the transit gap, taxpayers will pay eight per cent for the transit levy and an extra five per cent for fares. Youth over the age of 13 will pay an even higher rate due to the elimination of the youth pass. Instead they will now need to purchase an adult pass. 

There was a lot of debate over increases to the seniors’ fare, which was going to climb 120 per cent, but after much pushback, that figure will now only go up 60 per cent. It could become even less if council puts up a fuss before passing the budget. 

Sutcliffe said the discounts Ottawa was offering students and seniors were significantly greater than those in other cities. 

• “For example, in Toronto they offer seniors an 18 per cent discount for the adult pass. In Ottawa we were offering a 62 per cent discount for seniors. I know it’s difficult for seniors and we need to make sure seniors who are on a fixed income or do not have great means have affordable options,” said Sutcliffe. 

Quebec does it right: The mayor said the Quebec government pays its municipalities significantly more, which has allowed cities like Montreal to offer free transit to seniors every day.

Ottawa has, up until now, offered free transit for seniors on Wednesdays and Sundays. Those were expected to be eliminated to help with costs, but it looks like Wednesdays might be salvaged.  

Furious councillors: At a transit committee meeting on Monday, councillors shared their anger over the hikes for seniors passes. Beacon Hill-Cyrville Coun. Tim Tierney said the original 120 per cent was ”a completely crazy number,” reported CBC. 

Gloucester-Southgate Coun. Jessica Bradley would like to see the seniors’ transit pass be even lower at $58.25 a month — the same as an EquiPass. She called the original hike “preposterous” and said even a 60 per cent jump was “outrageous.” Bradley proposed the difference could be paid with an 0.11 per cent hike to the transit levy on property taxes. That would cost the typical urban taxpayer only 94 cents for the year.

The motion put forward by River ward Coun. Riley Brockington was unable to be passed at the transit commission since only council can consider tax increases. It's expected to be tabled again in December. 

Fare increases aren’t the answer for increasing ridership: Former Bay ward Coun. Alex Cullen, who is the husband of the current ward councillor Theresa Kavanagh, said the city should look at other options to find the funds. 

• “The best route to bring riders back? Keep the fares down and improve service. That was my pitch to council today. If you raise the transit levy, you don't lose riders, but you make sure there's a good service and you encourage people to come back on to the system,” Cullen told CTV. 

Future light rail transit expansions still a solution to transit woes, says Sutcliffe 

Better bus network: There are many transit projects the city wants to build. For councillors, two of the biggest are the Baseline and Carling bus rapid transit routes. Despite still being considerably costly, they are much less expensive than light rail transit. 

Sutcliffe says that won’t happen without provincial and federal funds and said both projects are part of a long-range plan. 

Can’t move on: Perhaps surprisingly, though, is Sutcliffe’s ambition to still build Phase 3 light rail transit out to Kanata, Stittsville, and Barrhaven, despite council moving on from the plans. 

• “There isn’t a timetable right now but I think our first job is to get the Trillium line open, to get the eastern extension of Line 1 open, and then we can start looking at Phase 3 and decide what we want to do and when,” said Sutcliffe. “We’ve built a light rail system and we are going to continue to build and expand light rail going forward. I think the people of Kanata, Stittsville and Barrhaven want to see light rail in their communities. That’s what I heard from them when I was knocking on doors in the 2022 election campaign, that’s what I’ve heard when I’ve been out at community events or knocking on doors in those communities more recently.“

Council wants to axe the plan: Sutcliffe’s comments are a far cry from his council colleagues, who have moved on from light rail expansion plans almost a year ago. The Lookout surveyed over half of council and each representative said it was time to shelve Phase 3 and look at environmentally friendly bus options instead. 

The numbers don’t lie: During the technical briefing last fall, city staff did not make a supportive case for a Phase 3 project, saying it would cost an estimated $64 million per year to operate. It would bring only an estimated two per cent increase in ridership, increasing funds by $5 million annually, reported the Barrhaven Independent. OC Transpo GM René Amilcar also said she never saw it as a done deal. 

• “The sheer cost of building light rail probably doesn’t make sense right now in our finances,” Stittsville Coun. Glen Gower, who is also chair of the transit commission, told the Lookout. “I think every area of the city needs access to rapid transit. Stage 3, as it stands right now, would be light rail, but we need to look at bus rapid transit instead or maybe a combination of the two. Maybe light rail expands to Terry Fox.”

Barrhaven East Coun. Wilson Lo shared a similar view and said he’d like to see better use of Barrhaven’s existing transitway along Woodroffe. 

•  “I don’t think we have a choice but to shelve the Barrhaven plans for now. But personally, I think finishing the western extension to Kanata makes sense because Moodie as an ending point doesn’t make too much sense,” said Lo. “At the expense of my own community, I think what we can do for Barrhaven is better use the existing BRT infrastructure — whether it be expanding it or improving what we have. It’s always here. The most frequent route we have is every 15 minutes with the 75. That’s not using it to its full advantage.”

Sutcliffe has at least one supporter: Kanata North Coun. Cathy Curry previously told the Lookout she would like to see Stage 3 built — at least in some capacity. Curry noted other major cities around the world have rail and subway systems and wished Ottawa would have built it sooner. With over 250,000 new residents moving to the Capital in the next decade or so, she said it’s needed now. 

Before you go…

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OTTAWA BY THE NUMBERS

💊 244: The number of Ottawa residents who have died this year due to opioid overdoses. That is compared to 188 overdose deaths in 2023. [Ottawa Citizen]

🥪 9.8 million: The amount of meals Ontario will provide to school kids every year after a $108.5 million deal with the federal government [CBC]

📸 290,000: The number of tickets photo radar cameras have issued to Ottawa drivers so far in 2024. [CTV]

THE AGENDA

🚊 Ottawa's LRT southern extension has received 'substantial completion' designation. “The city is now focused on the process and remaining activities to achieve revenue service,” said OC Transpo general manager René Amilcar. “Lines 2 and 4 are federally regulated and require regulatory reviews and two certificates. This work has been ongoing, and the city is seeking a Certificate of Fitness from the Canadian Transportation Agency and confirmation of the notice of change in operations for the Railway Operating Certificate from Transport Canada. Both are required before the system can open to the public.” [Ottawa Citizen]

🏡 The Rockcliffe Park fight over a proposed new home is not over yet. The local Residents Association lost its latest bid to block the construction of a large Cloverdale Road home it considered “too big and too modern” for the heritage district. The group is now planning an appeal. [Ottawa Citizen]

🚜 Land near Dow's Lake is being cleared in advance of the new Civic Campus construction. The work around Maple Drive, including near the tennis courts in the area, includes the removal of trees. Construction on the hospital is expected to be completed in 2028. [CTV]

🏗️ Ottawa Council has approved the Lincoln Fields Secondary Plan despite community concerns. It includes rezoning to allow new development on the site of the shopping centre at 2525 Carling Ave. and two lots on Edgeworth Avenue. In addition, the plan proposes to put a traffic light at the intersection of Kichi Zībī Mikan parkway and Carling Avenue. The Woodpark Community Association said residents are “very disappointed” in the plan and are seeking “significant changes.” [Capital Current]

❄ Ottawa was not blanketed Tuesday morning with the freezing rain, which was in the forecast, but winter weather is expected to arrive in the next few days. A mix of rain, snow and flurries are all expected. [CTV]

🚎 Over the past two months, OC Transpo has handed out 1,899 fines to people who have boarded transportation without paying. The highest number of fines handed out at O-Train stations were issued at Rideau Station, where 364 infractions were issued. The fine is $260. [CTV]

🛂 Canada's Memorial to the Victims of Communism is facing delays amid revelations about Nazi affiliations on its commemorative list. The project's dedication date remains uncertain while under review by Canadian Heritage. [Capital Current]

🚔 An escort who spent time with Nikolas Ibey on the night he killed 22-year-old Savanna Pikuyak has testified at trial. Earlier in the case, the jury heard that Ibey was on his phone communicating with 30 sex workers the night of the killing. He visited 160 distinct sites 800 times, and carried on 53 conversations with 965 messages being exchanged, according to police. [CBC]

👮‍♂️ An Ottawa man accused of hate-motivated assaults in the city’s downtown core in Somerset and Centretown earlier this month is facing additional charges, including attempted murder and three counts of assault causing bodily harm. Kevin Belisle, 32, had previously been charged with two counts of assault, one count of aggravated mischief and one count of mischief. [CTV]

🚔 Ottawa Police say they are reporting lower rates of crime in the ByWard Market area after focused enforcement there and on Rideau Street. So far, they have seen a 17.9 per cent reduction in calls for service and a 4.62 per cent reduction in crime. But it’s not all good news. Rideau Street and Dalhousie Street saw a 25 per cent increase in reported crime and Rideau Street and Nelson Street saw a 24.24 per cent increase. [CTV]

HOME OF THE WEEK

Now this is a beauty.

It’s a five-bedroom brick home, right next to parkland, with a ton of space for the entire family. But what really stands out to me are two things — the beautiful wood patio for the summer and the sauna for the winter.

But all that patio space and backyard doesn’t come cheap…

MUSIC GIG LISTINGS

Primary Colours |  NAC, 1 Elgin St | Nov. 28 | Modern jazz with head-nodding grooves, soulful melodies, and improvisational flair. Tickets $30.

Julian Taylor | Red Bird, 1165 Bank St | Nov. 29 | Acclaimed troubadour with JUNO and Canadian Folk Music Awards known for his work with Staggered Crossing and as a solo artist.  Tickets $55. 

Snotty Nose Rez Kids | Bronson Centre, 211 Bronson Ave | Nov. 29 | Powerhouse duo matching hard-hitting trap beats with thought-provoking lyrics.  Tickets $25  

School House | Rainbow Bistro, 76 Murray St | Nov. 30 | Combining upbeat, catchy singalongs with nostalgic & emotive folk tunes. Tickets $25.

Metalian | House of Targ, 1077 Bank St | Nov. 30 | Classic 80’s heavy metal with triumphant duelling guitars, thundering drums, pounding bass, and true falsetto vocals. Tickets $15.

Listings for music shows are provided by OttawaGigs.ca, the best place to discover live music in Ottawa. Check out Ottawagigs.ca for full listings across the city.

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READER SURVEY

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• Stittsville Public School has opened four time capsules that were buried in 1986. [CBC] 

• Christmas markets are becoming popular across Ottawa. [CBC]

• The annual Toy Mountain Christmas campaign has officially kicked off. [CTV]

• Meet the gay Ottawa couple who found their surrogate over Facebook. [CBC]

• In-person gaming experiences are a growing trend in Ottawa. [Capital Current]

• The Papery in the Glebe is back in its original home after fire ravaged the building two years ago. [Capital Current]

• Katy Perry is coming to Ottawa next summer. [CTV]

• Want to have your announcement featured? Learn how here.

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