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Ottawa Citizen

Deachman: Put Ottawa back on the map, prime minister

Article content If, as expected, the government decides to reduce the size of its workforce, it needs to do that responsibly and with compassion and consideration, not just for the workers who will be without a job and their families, but also for the overall health of the city that will, by these losses, sacrifice some of its vitality. The federal government needs to help make workers and Ottawa whole again. Article content It makes sense, then, that the president of the Treasury Board, responsible for managing the public service, should almost by default always be an area MP: someone who understands that the public service and the Ottawa area are inextricably enmeshed. By my count there have only been four locals to hold the position since it was created almost 60 years ago: Bob de Cotret, Marcel Massé, John Baird and Mona Fortier. It's time for another. Make it happen, Prime Minister. Article content Article content At the same time, the federal government has its thumbs in numerous other local pies. Notably, it oversees the National Capital Commission, where important decisions regarding the region's future are made or carried out. Consider, for example, the fates of 24 Sussex Drive and Wellington Street in front of the Parliament Buildings, or the development of LeBreton Flats and the building of a sixth bridge spanning the Ottawa River. Actions by the NCC on these projects aren't abstract. They significantly affect Ottawans' day-to-day lives. Yet there hasn't been an Ottawa-area MP responsible for overseeing the NCC since Stephen Harper gave the portfolio to John Baird. That also needs to change. Article content Additionally, while the mayors of Ottawa and Gatineau each have a seat at the NCC's board table, neither has a vote in the agency's edicts regarding Ottawa and Gatineau's urban planning. The NCC has made major strides in recent years to become less of a star chamber. Giving the region's mayors a greater say in its vision for the area would be a welcome change. Article content Article content It's too easy to get mired in Ottawa's symbolic significance as the nation's capital, proclaiming that it should reflect Canada's values and identity without saying what that means. But this city should reflect real, day-to-day principles of generosity and compassion. The number of homeless or impoverished people living in the shadow of the Peace Tower is unacceptable. The growing challenges the city faces in terms of housing, transit and infrastructure need federal assistance.