Meet the candidates in Ward 9 – Knoxdale Merivale

Knoxdale-Merivale

There are seven candidates running for councillor in the ward of Knoxdale-Merivale in this election. Incumbent Keith Egli is not seeking re-election. The ward includes the neighbourhoods of Woodvale, Craig Henry, Tanglewood, Merivale Gardens, Grenfell Glen and Pineglen.

• 2018 municipal election voter turnout: 40 per cent
• Projected 2022 population: 42,940
• Projected 2026 population: 43,303

CTV News Ottawa invited all registered candidates to answer a questionnaire and submit a video introducing themselves to voters. (Some candidates submittedthe requested 280 characters to describe their platform,while others submitted 280 words – CTVNewsOttawa.ca accepted both).

Joseph Ben-Ami

Political experience:

Professional experience:  I have almost 40 years of experience working in both the public and private sectors. My first job after finishing school was with the navy. After the Navy, I worked for an engineering company specializing in the design-build of institutional and industrial heating and energy systems. In 1998, I started a consulting business specializing public policy development, public relations and advocacy, and project management. I am presently a partner at Ditchley Public Affairs where we provide the same services.

How long have you lived in Ottawa?I was born in Ottawa and have lived here most of my adult life, including 30 years in Knoxdale-Merivale Ward.

Favourite Ottawa location/landmark?  I cannot say that I have a single favourite Ottawa landmark.

Describe your platform in 280 words or fewer:  

I’m running because I’m tired of the melodrama at city hall and the mismanagement of our city’s business.

As successive councils have spent billions on mega legacy projects, our roads have gone unrepaired, critical infrastructure has been allowed to deteriorate, and basic services have been ignored or cut back.

This election is about change, but it’s not enough to just change councillors or change the mayor. What we need at city hall is a fundamental change in attitude – a change in culture.

We need councillors with common sense, knowledge and the perspective that comes with age and experience; councillors with their priorities straight, who understand that their job first and foremost is to ensure the city provides core services, and that the money entrusted to them to provide these services isn’t theirs to throw around on mega legacy projects.

I’m not a career politician. I don’t aspire to higher office, nor do I need the job to bolster my other business interests. My only interest is in getting our city back on the right track.

I know the ups and downs of running a private business. But I also understand government and public finance, and how to get things done in both private and public sectors.

Finally, call me old fashioned, but I believe that the role of elected officials in a free and democratic society is to serve people, not rule over them.

All this is to say that I won’t be bought, bullied, or bamboozled by lobbyists, staff, the mayor, or anyone else. Instead, I will be a strong, steady, and independent voice for sensible policies and responsible spending on behalf of taxpayers.

James Dean

Political experience:  I have volunteered on the Board of Directors for the past 17 years at Quality Living Housing Cooperative. $1 million a year budget. We are debt free and have money in the bank. I have also managed different businesses over the years, a few of them where my own.

Professional experience:  Real Estate Agent, Property Management Business Owner, Other Businesses Management, Finance and High Tech office jobs.

How long have you lived in Ottawa? I have lived my entire life in this neighbourhood. Two branches of the family came to the Ottawa area in the early 1800’s.

Favourite Ottawa location/landmark? There are so many favourite places that I bring guests to when they are visiting from out of town but Andrew Haydon Park at Sunset is my all time favourite.

Describe your platform in 280 characters or fewer:  1. Bring Fiscal Responsibility and Responsible Management to city hall. Phase 3 of the LRT is being voted on in January. I vote to put phase 3 on hold until Phase 1 & 2 are complete. 2. Our debt in 2010 was 700 mill & now is 3 BIL. I vow to vote no to adding to our debt.

Sean Devine

Political experience: I’ve run as a federal candidate in the riding of Nepean in the 2015 and 2021 federal elections. I’ve also served for 4 years as the elected president of the Trend Arlington Community Association.

Professional experience:  Currently I’m a funding officer at the Canada Council for the Arts, where I manage funding for arts organizations across the country. For the past three decades, I’ve worked in the arts & culture sector, where I’ve managed several non-profit arts organizations, produced theatre productions and music festivals, and worked as an internationally produced, award-winning playwright.

How long have you lived in Ottawa? Since 2014.

Favourite Ottawa location/landmark?  My favourite location in Ottawa is the intersection of Wellington and Elgin, where I can see so many of Ottawa’s architectural, cultural and natural wonders: the War Memorial, the Chateau Laurier, the locks of the Rideau Canada, the National Arts Centre, and of course our beautiful Parliament buildings.

Describe your platform in 280 words or fewer:  My core issues are to address our housing crisis, to get public transit back on track, to make our streets safe from speeding cars, to have bold climate action, and to get value on public spending. I’m committed to greater collaboration from City Council. Finally, I promise to be a councillor that residents can count on.

Myles Egli

Political experience: No official political experience, however, I have been president of the Manordale-Woodvale Community Association for nine years and worked with the city on various projects.

Professional experience:  I was the production manager of an embroidery/screen printing company for the last twenty 20 years. On June 30^th, I retired so that I could concentrate on the longest job interview of my life!

How long have you lived in Ottawa? I have lived in Ottawa for 46 years.

Favourite Ottawa location/landmark?  I truly enjoy spending time at Dow's Lake. I find it truly peaceful.

Describe your platform in 280 words or fewer:  

My platform has 5 pillars: Affordable Housing, Public Transportation, Environment, Intensification and Emergency Preparedness. The first 4 pillars must work hand-in-hand in order to solve some of the key problems facing our ward and the city at-large. I feel strongly that the 5^th pillar, Emergency Preparedness, needs to be integrated with the other four as we move forward. It is part of our past that needs to be fixed. As a result of the severe weather events that have occurred in our city, I would recommend that all community buildings be equipped with generators. We need a hub where residents can go, if they are without power for long periods of time; to charge their phones, to have access to WiFi, to get bottled water and perhaps even to have access to a hot meal. We need to work with all of the stakeholders (community associations, churches, social agencies and you) to ensure we have a workable plan.

As for the other four pillars, when we are considering intensification projects, we must factor in the need for affordable housing, reliable, accessible and affordable public transportation, and the need to build responsibly to protect our environment. Only then will we be growing our city in a fashion that will allow us to pass it on to our children and grandchildren. We need to include rain gardens, green spaces, renewable energy, and recycled materials whenever possible. The environment will take care of us but only if we take care of it!

In closing, my platform has five pillars that will help us to create a ward and city that will take care of both its residents and the environment. 

Peter Anthony Weber

No contact information for the candidate

Peter Westaway

Political experience: I was elected to the Ottawa Taxi Advisory Board to represent Nepean/Kanata cab drivers shortly after amalgamation. 

Professional experience:  Nepean taxi driver for twenty years. Owner/operator of Bikemobile, a mobile bicycle service for the last forty years. 

How long have you lived in Ottawa?  I have lived in Ottawa for 57 of my 60 years. 

What's your favourite Ottawa landmark? Favourite spot in Ottawa is easy since I am a huge Ottawa RedBlacks fan. Lansdowne Park. Though I am not in favour of it becoming even more developed. I preferred the days of the Exhibition. 

Describe your platform in 280 words or fewer:

Ottawa has a major geographical flaw. I have spent many years now trying to convince the public and the government that we must correct it. Running for city council is just my latest and biggest effort to spread the good word.

The Ottawa Greenbelt was created to surround our growing metropolis just as all city greenbelts are meant to do and contain urban sprawl.  Our greenbelt is a failure as it was a much too small, short-sighted vision and has created vast unnecessary urban sprawl.

First plant more trees. Lots of trees. And the priority should be to first plant them to line Greenbank Road and other roads through the greenbelt that become treacherous when the snow is blowing off the huge barren fields. The NCC then should hold competitions to create ultra modern eco-cities, to replace the massive corn fields. Many people would love to live in such a state-of-the-art sensible condo community. The NCC would retain full control so they can make sure to have lots of affordable and senior housing built.

There was great excitement in our city a few short years ago when the NCC held a similar design competition for a small lot on Lebreton Flats. Just imagine the excitement that would be generated as we fill in some of the corn fields inside our city into these ultramodern eco-communities that would make us the envy of the world.  

If elected I would add some excitement and some vision to our new city council. I have strong opinions on most of the local issues and promise to treat everyone as an equal. No matter your colour, gender, or net worth.

Michael Wood

Political experience:

For the past two and half years, I have been the face and voice of small businesses all across Ottawa. I was volunteering in a government relations capacity giving all small business owners in Ottawa and the Federal, Provincial and Municipal levels of government by hosting round tables with elected officials. These meetings were joined by hundreds of small business owners and were held with Ministers, MPs, and MPPs across all political parties.

Professional experience: 

I am currently a professor at Algonquin College and owned a small business until October 2021. The business that I owned was decimated by COVID-19, which forced me into the world of advocacy and government relations to not only help save my small business but the small businesses of everyone in our city. As part of that advocacy, I arranged for mental health town halls with elected officials, Ottawa Public Health, The Royal Ottawa Hospital and elected officials so people in our community could obtain all the resources that were available to them.

How long have you lived in Ottawa?  I am 46 years old and was born at the (former) Grace Hospital. I have lived here my entire life.

What's your favourite Ottawa landmark? Like so many from Ottawa, my favourite location/landmark would have to be Dow’s Lake and the Rideau Canal

Describe your platform in 280 characters or fewer:

"Priorities over Politics" or "POP". City council must be unified and approach challenges in a balanced way. We must work together to create safe communities and address affordable housing. Our community needs stronger leadership to address concerns in a fair and non-partisan way.