November editorial: Will Ottawa take care of low-income housing affected by new light-rail line?

A commission wants to have 40 people testify on service disruptions and derailments on Ottawa’s Confederation Line.

Christof Spieler

“OMG, they are pounding on my door. EXPLETIVE!”

The Facebook post came out of nowhere. Lines were being fired off from an ex-girlfriend. With campaign season over, the campaign worker had been out of work for a while. She was being evicted from her townhome. Well, they were trying, anyway. My ex sat in her closet, hoping they would not kick the door down. She had no idea what she was going to do. The feeling of hopelessness poured all over me as I read the play by play. I was holding my breath and praying the posts would not stop, because if they did I would take that as an eviction. The thought of someone I knew being homeless was now pounding on my brain.

Everything turned out in the end, but it is an experience I would like to put back in the closet.

Homelessness is a term coated with shame, and sprinkled on top is denial. Society does not want to account for those living in tents or makeshift shacks under a viaduct. They can all stay hidden from the reality as city officials turn the other way.

The city of Ottawa has been banging out light-rail projects over the last couple of years. The Confederation Line was recently opened, and extensions are already taking place. Plans are being thought out for a 10-kilometer Stage 3 LRT extension, one that will feature an elevated line from Baseline Station and Barrhaven Town Centre. The project, however, looks like it will take up the space now occupied by Manor Village. Shaping Manor Village are townhomes filled with 300 low-income tenants.

Of course, the city has assured that all the residents will have something to call home before construction digs in. However, Ottawa’s financially underprivileged are being pushed out. A rise in upper-income housing has been casting a shadow over the landscape for some time. Eventually, cities hit this point of maturity. Well-to-do couples flock in from the suburbs wanting a high taste of the urban life. They have the money, and developers want the money. It’s a perfect marriage that unfortunately divorces others from the evolution. Housing simply becomes unaffordable.

In January, Ottawa declared a housing and homelessness state of emergency caused by rising housing costs and an affordable housing wish list that continues to lengthen. Those behind the light-rail project are trying to assure that there will be housing, better housing, for everyone involved.

The great effect produced by public transportation, especially on the rail, is that it makes travel to work affordable. Public transportation was developed with lower-income people in mind, and every project should serve the top customer, whether we are talking on or off the tracks.

Ottawa’s effort at establishing a robust light-rail network has been taking a few hits over the last year or so. Its Confederation Line has established a consistent line of failure.

The residents of Manor Village are accusing the city of not communicating enough about the impacts of Stage 3, even though a group has been gathering public comments about the endeavor. In September, a new developer purchased Manor Village. Again, information is not being provided.

I would expect that to all change in the coming months. The city of Ottawa needs to turn a smear campaign into a smile campaign before the perception of light rail is dragged and buried under a bridge to be forgotten. Talk to the people and follow through on any promises. Those of Manor Village need new homes, not one that soon may have the door kicked in.

Read more articles on passenger rail.