City of Ottawa asks Sandy Hill, Lowertown residents for feedback on quality of life

The City of Ottawa is inviting households in the ByWard Market, Lowertown and Sandy Hill to participate in a survey about public perceptions on safety and security. (Dave Charbonneau/CTV News Ottawa)

The City of Ottawa is asking residents of the ByWard Market, Sandy Hill and Lowertown to speak up about the quality of life in their neighbourhoods. A new survey is aimed at collecting opinions to help improve services where they live.

The survey was delivered to thousands of mailboxes in the three neighbourhoods in Ottawa's Rideau-Vanier ward.

It’s asking residents for feedback about everyday life issues in these neighbourhoods.

“I believe this is a good initiative. And I do think that people should fill it out,” said Jo-Ann Oosterman, a Sandy Hill resident.

Oosterman has lived in Sandy Hill for 20 years. Sandy Hill and Lowertown are popular areas to live but have also seen issues such as homelessness.

“I want there to be more affordable housing for, well, for everyone. But especially for the people who are homeless,” Oosterman said.

Sylvie Bigras, president of the Lowertown Community Association, said consulting with residents is a great idea.

"Housing is top of mind. The solution is clear. It’s transitional housing in all of the city of Ottawa. We're a massively huge city geographically. We could be a small European country, to be honest, and the fact that everything is crammed into one area attracts crime and hurts the residents," Bigras said.

The Lowertown Community Association points out there are 12 emergency shelters in the Rideau-Vanier ward.

The survey is part of a broader strategy to tackle issues like the opioid crisis, homelessness, and mental health around downtown Ottawa.

“It’s not a secret that these are probably the most affected areas by the opioid overdose, homelessness and housing crisis,” said Coun. Stephanie Plante, who represents the Rideau-Vanier ward. "You know, I say it all the time that we need to start thinking about solutions.

"And I'm really happy that the Solicitor General is listening to what people want, because we want to make sure that the feedback is from those people with lived experience.”

For Sandy Hill residents like Mary Tatty, the survey is a chance to help the more vulnerable population.

“You see people lying down. Driving around, it's hard to see them lying down or they're just sitting there, or how they act and stuff. Mental health is important to me,” said Tatty.

As for Oosterman, she says it’s important for the city to keep listening to residents.

"I have noticed recently that the city is reaching out more and more and trying to get our feedback. So, I think that's a really good thing,” she said.

The data collected from the survey will be sent to politicians at Queen’s Park for action.

The neighbourhood population survey was requested by the Solicitor General of Ontario to acquire feedback about public perceptions of safety and security. It's part of the $48 million in funding for Ottawa's Downtown Public Safety Plan.

The survey will close on Feb. 3.