Latest from Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa Citizen
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Ottawa Citizen
Today's letters: Ottawa City Hall really doesn't need more security
Article content City Coun. Laura Dudas makes the case for the new security measures at city hall based on ensuring a safe workplace for city employees and politicians. In principle, one can hardly argue against that, but it is possible to ensure that suitable protection is in place and still maintain access to a public facility taxpayers paid for. Article content Article content The current city hall was opened in 1990 as regional government headquarters, designed by noted architect Raymond Moriyama. I was one of the first regional councillors to have an office there, in 1991. The building was designed to accommodate offices in two separate office blocks, a magnificent council chamber, and a public passageway extending Cartier Street through the building from Lisgar Street to Laurier Avenue. Article content Security was incorporated into the design. While frisk wands and gates to the entrances to the council chamber are a recent innovation, access to the office blocks was restricted to those with city hall ID cards, used to unlock doors. What is at issue here is the public passageway through the centre of the building. Article content Here can be found two art galleries (City Hall Art Gallery and the Karsh-Masson Art Gallery); an exhibit honouring famed skater Barbara-Ann Scott; a piano for public playing; and three government service centres (municipal, provincial and federal); plus public art and plaques honouring Ottawa citizens who have contributed to our community. Article content Article content In effect, current security measures already protect city hall employees and politicians in their workplace. There have been no incidents of disturbances at city hall to warrant closing off public access from Lisgar Street to Laurier Avenue. These new security measures denying public access to this passageway are unreasonable and should be rescinded. Article content Article content As a recently retired Canadian, I qualified for the new federal Canadian Dental Care Plan in 2024. I received my dental card soon after. Fast-forward to June 5, 2025: I received note from the CDCP advising me that my wife and I are no longer eligible for the plan because our net income was above the arbitrary threshold, and to reapply next year. Article content The difference in the two years was that I needed to withdraw funds from an RRSP for health issues not covered by OHIP. This was income that I had put away for retirement after working 30 years-plus. Article content Article content
Ottawa Citizen
5 hours ago
- General
- Ottawa Citizen
Meness: Tewin development signals a return for Algonquin people
There is a troubling tendency in this city to speak of reconciliation as a principle to be applauded, but not lived. Too often, Indigenous ambition is mistaken for overreach, and Indigenous vision dismissed as inconvenience. The Tewin project — slated for land southeast of the urban core — has been drawn into this recurring pattern, and it's time to break the cycle. Article content Article content Let's be clear: Tewin is not a conventional development. It is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the Algonquin people to reclaim space, purpose and visibility in a capital that was built on our unceded territory — territory that includes the traditional lands of Grand Chief Pierre Louis Constant Pinesi. Article content Article content A respected leader in the early 19th century, Chief Pinesi allied with the British during the War of 1812, leading Algonquin warriors more than 500 kilometres to help defend what is now Canada. His family's traditional hunting grounds spanned what we now call Ottawa: roughly 1,800 sq. km. bordered by the Ottawa and Rideau Rivers and extending south to Kemptville. These were not just lands; they were lifeways, relationships, ecosystems and stories. Article content Before roads and farms, this was a living landscape: forested, biodiverse and travelled by birchbark canoe in summer and by snowshoe in winter. But waves of settlers soon transformed these lands, cutting forests, killing off game, building towns. Despite his loyalty and repeated petitions to the Crown, Chief Pinesi never saw recognition of Algonquin land rights. No treaty was signed. The land was taken: settled without consent, logged without compensation, governed without representation. Article content Article content Tewin is a response to that legacy. It is rooted in Algonquin values, designed around sustainability, and is a true partnership where Indigenous people have a seat at the table. It is not urban sprawl; it is a deliberate, planned community grounded in the internationally recognized One Planet Living framework. It will be compact, connected and climate-conscious, built with environmental sensitivity and long-term infrastructure planning. Article content Still, some residents and City of Ottawa councillors continue to cast doubt on the project's legitimacy, or on the Algonquins of Ontario (AOO) themselves, many of whom are direct descendants of Grand Chief Pinesi. That is not a policy critique; it is a microaggression. It echoes the long, tired refrain that not only must we justify ourselves, but now we must justify our presence in our own lands.
Ottawa Citizen
5 hours ago
- Business
- Ottawa Citizen
‘Worse than COVID': Businesses say they are suffering through Bank Street construction
Business owners located along Bank Street are expressing concerns about sustaining their businesses throughout the street's three-year construction project. Article content Phase one of the Bank Street renewal project started in June 2024 and is expected to end sometime in 2027. A full road construction between Riverside Drive and Ledbury Avenue is taking place, including protected intersections, cycle tracks in both directions and new street features, such as trees and street lights. Article content Article content Article content But for the businesses located in plazas along the street, construction has been difficult. Large trucks thunder down the street every so often, cones are littered everywhere and the solid pavement has been turned into gravel. Article content As the owner of Moul Hanout, a North African restaurant, Fatiha Boutbaa says she has a very specific clientele that often travel quite a distance for their food. Article content 'Our specialty is really rare in Ottawa,' she said. Article content Boutbaa says the lack of access in to the plaza and the constant wait times discourage customers from heading down Bank Street. She recalled an instance where an Uber driver wouldn't turn down their street because of the construction. Article content 'We can't pay all these bills,' she said. 'We can't pay rent and expenses, it's very expensive.' Article content Article content Boutbaa says she worries about how she's going to pay her monthly rent to the landlord. In the beginning, she said she was excited about the landscaping changes of the projects and believed it would help bring in more business. Article content Article content Now, Boutbaa says she is thinking about closing her business, which is the main source of income for her family. Article content Article content 'We are just small businesses,' she said. 'We work very hard to build loyal customers.' Article content Morgan Taylor, the manager of cannabis store High Lite, said he's seen a decrease in the number of customers that walk into the store and has seen that reflected in sales numbers. Article content 'Our mornings are probably down a good 10 per cent,' he said. Article content High Lite has been on Bank Street for three years and has built a 'loyal customer base' but Taylor says they've been focused on surviving rather than 'thriving.' Article content 'As far as interactions with customers, that's gone down drastically,' he said. 'We have to find ways to get people in.' Article content
Ottawa Citizen
5 hours ago
- Ottawa Citizen
Algonquin elder files lawsuit claiming she was bounced from OCDSB committee
An Algonquin elder has filed a $4.5 million-plus lawsuit against Ottawa's largest school board, alleging she was 'targeted' and subjected to an 'unconstitutional gag order' after she developed a policy to prevent fraudulent Indigenous identity claims. Article content According to a statement of claim filed June 3 in Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Monique Manatch was removed from her role as chair of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board's Indigenous Education Committee (IEC) after she developed the policy to 'ensure that resources designated for Indigenous persons would not be diverted by individuals fraudulently claiming Indigenous identity.' Article content Article content Article content The allegations have not been proven in court. The OCDSB filed a notice of intent to defend on June 17. Article content Article content Manatch was chair of the Indigenous Education Committee from 2016 until she was removed from the position in February, according to the statement of claim. She is a member of the Algonquins of Barriere Lake, has been an Indigenous education advocate for 20 years and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Anthropology at Carleton University. Article content The policy Manatch was developing was created through extensive consultation with local Indigenous communities, according to the statement of claim, and aligned with best practices, including a 2022 report on Indigenous identity fraud commissioned by the University of Saskatchewan. Article content On Dec. 8, 2024, OCDSB director of education, Pino Buffone phoned Manatch about a complaint made against her, but provided neither details nor the complainant's identity, the statement of claim said. On Jan. 27, she learned by email that she was being investigated for alleged breaches of a harassment prevention policy that had allegedly been raised by a parent. Article content Article content Manatch's statement said she requested particulars, but they were never provided. On Feb. 2, a third-party investigation firm said she was under investigation regarding concerns about the committee under the OCDSB's Respectful Workplace and Harassment Prevention policy. But there were still no particulars about the allegations and the OCDSB did not respond when her lawyer asked for details about the allegations and clarification about the investigation. Article content In a statement, OCDSB spokesperson Diane Pernari said the temporary removal of Manatch from her IEC chair role was a 'necessary decision followed multiple allegations of harassment over several months in which Ms. Manatch was implicated. Given our responsibilities as an employer to ensure a safe work environment, an external and impartial investigation was initiated.'
Ottawa Citizen
11 hours ago
- Business
- Ottawa Citizen
Canada won't pause digital services tax despite pressure from U.S., finance minister says
OTTAWA — Canada won't put a hold on the digital services tax on big tech companies set to take effect on June 30, the finance minister said Thursday. Article content Article content Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said Thursday the legislation was passed by Parliament and Canada is 'going ahead' with the tax. Article content Article content 'The (digital services tax) is in force and it's going to be applied,' he told reporters before a cabinet meeting on Parliament Hill. Article content Article content The digital services tax will hit companies like Amazon, Google, Meta, Uber and Airbnb with a three per cent tax on revenue from Canadian users. Article content It will apply retroactively, leaving U.S. companies with a $2 billion US bill due at the end of the month. A June 11 letter signed by 21 members of Congress said U.S. companies will pay 90 per cent of the revenue Canada will collect from the tax. Article content Canadian and U.S. business groups, organizations representing U.S. tech giants and American members of Congress have all signed letters in recent weeks calling for the tax to be eliminated or paused. Article content It's set to take effect just weeks before a deadline Canada and the U.S. have set for coming up with a new trade deal, following months of trade conflict between the two countries. Article content Article content Rick Tachuk, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Canada, said the plan to go ahead with the tax 'undercuts those talks and risks derailing the agreement.' Article content Article content 'A retroactive tax like the DST, weeks before a new deal is supposed to be done, isn't a bargaining chip. It would likely be viewed as a provocation,' he said in an emailed statement. Article content The Canadian Chamber of Commerce and other organizations have warned retaliatory measures in a U.S. spending and tax bill could hit Canadians' pension funds and investments. Article content David Pierce, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce's vice-president of government relations, said in an earlier interview his organization fears Canada could 'aggravate an already very tricky trade discussion with the Americans' if it goes ahead with the tax and the retroactive payment requirement.
