This is Ottawa

Mayoral candidates have referred to Ottawa’s transit as a ‘dumpster fire’. But will more money extinguish its problems? And should commuters have to pay higher fares or higher taxes to help fix things? For the finale of our ‘blind date’ series, we go for coffee with an outgoing city councillor and a transit advocate.

There are about nine thousand students living in college and university residences in Ottawa. So what’s dorm life like? And how much has changed in nearly three decades since host Robyn Bresnahan lived in residence at Carleton University? In this encore episode, she knocks on her former dorm room door to find out.

The historic heart of Ottawa has a problem. Many voters have told us they feel the Byward Market has become less safe. There are fears about open drug use, crime and homelessness. So what can be done? In part two of our “blind date” municipal series, we set up a conversation between a police officer and a former drug addict turned outreach worker.

In late August, police issued a warning about high-risk violent sexual offender Aaron Gilpin now living in the Ottawa area. The release included a photo of a man with facial tattoos whose criminal history included a brutal child-related sexual assault. It has caused a frenzy on social media, causing some to worry about the line between being vigilant versus a vigilante.

In part one of our “blind date” municipal series, we pair up a home builder with a green space advocate to talk about urban sprawl. Because if provincial projections are correct, Ottawa’s population will reach 1.68 million by 2051. So where is everyone going to live? And is it best to grow outward – or intensify upward?