OTTAWA—Municipal council candidate Martin Canning knocked on his 20,000th door Sept. 1, fulfilling a campaign promise to connect with all constituents in Somerset Ward. Canning’s 20,000th door was downtown Ottawa’s Beaver Barracks, a liveable, affordable and sustainable housing complex that embodies the fundamental tenets of his campaign.
“I’m proud to be the first candidate in Somerset Ward to have knocked on all residential doors in the ward. Reaching 20,000 people has been an exciting and rewarding experience since I began canvassing after I registered as a candidate in January,” Canning says. “Having Beaver Barracks as the 20,000th door is significant because it is a prime example of the type of development needed in our changing city as a new Ottawa forms around us.”
Beaver Barracks, at 464 Metcalfe St., was one of the top 10 finalists for the World Habitat Award for its commitment to affordable and sustainable living. Owned and managed by the Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation (CCOC), Beaver Barracks was a former Second World War military barracks and mess hall. Today it includes 254 units in two mid-rise buildings, green roofs with community gardens, high performance windows and energy efficient appliances and secure indoor parking for bicycles—all of which is accessible and affordable.
“Before Beaver Barracks was built, the design team engaged all stakeholders from city planners, engineers, volunteers and surrounding neighbours in order to get the best possible building. What came out of it was a liveable, affordable and sustainable project,” Canning says. “It’s a process our campaign has prioritized and the results speak for themselves.”
Canning made the goal to knock on all 20,000 doors in Somerset Ward early in his campaign in an effort to develop a policy platform which came from the community he hopes to represent after the Oct. 27 City of Ottawa election. “After engaging with residents, community groups, businesses and all stakeholders in Somerset Ward since January through social media, emails, policy events and now meeting people on 20,000 doorsteps, our campaign platform has emerged as the most democratic and inclusive policy document a municipal campaign has ever seen,” Canning says. “This has never been done in local political history in downtown Ottawa. I couldn’t be happier with what our team has managed to accomplish.”
Canning’s campaign platform, The New Ottawa Plan, 2015-2018, will be released in the coming days at www.newottawa.ca.
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ABOUT NEWOTTAWA.CA
Ottawans no longer consider their city as the old, staid, and bureaucratic town it’s been known for. Ours is a city that’s vibrant, diverse and growing. We’re on the cusp of an exciting and major transformation, and we need new leadership and policy approaches to fully realize what our city can be—one that truly embraces citizen engagement, one that values collaboration with businesses for a sustainable future and one that doesn’t turn away from opportunity. This is what the New Ottawa campaign is about—inspiring and promoting the best solutions our city’s political process can create. It’s a platform for listening to voters and working with them to create the most sustainable city in the country, if not the world. It’s also Martin Canning’s platform for the 2014 municipal election campaign because he believes in Somerset Ward’s ability to lead this New Ottawa. Visit www.NewOttawa.ca to see how change is being created.
ABOUT MARTIN CANNING:
Martin Canning’s career has spanned public and non-profit sectors at national and international levels. His professional experiences are marked by a commitment to sustainability, performance- and strategy-based administration, and an enthusiasm for leading in demanding environments. In addition, Canning has extensive non-profit governance experience and has had the pleasure to serve as a director on numerous boards. He was appointed to the City of Ottawa’s Environmental Advisory Committee by the mayor in 2009, and retired as vice-chair in 2012. He has also served as a founding board member of the Ottawa Centre EcoDistrict: an innovative partnership, inspiring new heights of urban sustainability in the nation's capital. Canning considers Ottawa home and currently works as a consultant. He is a graduate of Memorial University.
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