Good morning.

I want to wish all Members of Council a very Happy New Year. I hope you had a restful Christmas and holiday season.

Because – as you know – we have a very busy year ahead of us.

Much of that work will begin next week as we table our first draft budget of the term.

I want to thank all Members of Council for providing their input into this year’s budget process.

I have appreciated hearing first-hand the priorities you have for your ward, and your areas of interest as we work together over the next four years.

I also want to thank the public for providing their ideas, whether it is directly to their ward councillor or to my office through the consultation process.

My friends, 2015 will be a year of momentum.

By this, I mean that we will build on the momentum started in the last few years…

And we will continue to focus our energies towards building an even better city.

Let me give you a few examples by looking back at our most recent accomplishments.

City Council unanimously approved the Stage 2 LRT project and Transportation Master Plan.

We decided to move forward with Arts Court and the Bayview Innovation Centre.

And we continued work on key features of the Confederation Line… shaping the future of Ottawa’s transportation system.

Over that same time, we saw the opening of several significant investments in our city’s quality of life.

This includes big mobility improvements such as…

The Vimy Memorial Bridge in Councillor Qaqish’s ward…

And the Airport Parkway Bridge in Councillor Deans and Brockington’s wards…

We’ve added new community space in our fastest growing areas, including:

The Richcraft Sensplex East in Councillor Tierney’s ward…

The Francois Dupuis Pool in Councillors Blais’s ward…

The Richcraft Recreation Complex in Councillor Wilkinson’s ward…

The Minto Recreation Complex in Councillor Harder’s ward…

The new Greely library in Councillor Darouze’s ward…

And the expansion of the Goulbourn Recreation Centre in Councillor Qadri’s ward.

In Councillor Chernushenko’s ward, we can’t forget the beautiful new Lansdowne Park… a magnificent improvement being enjoyed by residents and visitors from all over.

Looking ahead… 2015 will have no shortage of cranes and bulldozers.

Signs of momentum are all around us.

I think you will be able to get a sense of this at our upcoming LRT showcase at Lansdowne Park, taking place in February and March.

Throughout our history, Lansdowne Park and the Aberdeen Pavilion were witness to significant moments in our country’s and our city’s history.

Many of these moments had to do with new products and innovations.

For example, in 1877, Ottawa’s Thomas Ahearn gave the first demonstration of a telephone at Lansdowne Park.

In 1892, he exhibited a series of new electrical equipment such as an early electric oven and electric water heaters.

Today, these are commonplace items.

But at the time, these were life-changing innovations that made the world a better place.

And tomorrow, another great innovation will be unveiled at the Aberdeen… the world-class Alstom Citadis Spirit train.

Ottawa residents have heard about this LRT project for more than a decade.

Only recently, they began to see progress at construction sites in several locations in the city.

Tomorrow, it becomes truly tangible.

You will be able to not only SEE the train, but FEEL the train.

You will be able to sit inside, look out the windows, and get your first experience of the Confederation Line.

This will be a turning point for LRT in Ottawa, as thousands of people visit the train over the coming weeks.

Residents and visitors will be able to visit the LRT showcase starting Friday, and it will be open every day from 8 am to 8 pm.

And I’m so excited that we will be able to share this experience with the public.

Our vision for light rail has much to do with momentum.

When we inaugurate the Confederation Line in 2018, we want to turn around and pick up the shovel to break ground on the Stage 2 LRT project.

As we continue with the Environmental Assessments for the project this year, we will continue to improve our plan to extend LRT farther east, west and south.

Working with our Transportation Chair, Councillor Egli, we are moving forward with this city-transforming project.

Ottawa deserves a world-class transportation system like this one, and I would argue that it is long overdue.

Think about it for a moment.

When you look at the world’s OTHER G7 capital cities…

Paris, Berlin, Rome, Toyko, London, and Washington…

Ottawa has the distinction of being the only one that has yet to build a significant rapid rail system for its commuters and visitors.

Even domestically, Ottawa is still catching up.

Over the last 10 years we have spent debating and refining the Confederation Line, Calgary and Vancouver opened a combined 42 kilometres of new rapid transit lines.

Now, Ottawa has momentum.

And together, we are delivering better transportation for the capital city of the greatest country in the world.

My friends…

When you look at what’s to come over the next 12 months, you get the sense that Ottawa is on the cusp of something special.

There has never been a more exciting time to be in the nation’s capital.

Together, we are building new institutions that will shape and define our city for generations to come.

This year, construction will move forward on two major facilities: the new Arts Court and Bayview Innovation Centre.

Located in the wards of Councillors Fleury and Leiper, these will be truly regional facilities that will be enjoyed by residents across the city.

With these, we will support and celebrate our city’s most talented creators.

They will be unique community gathering places where we can nurture Ottawa innovation.

On the canvass or on the drawing board… in the theatre or in the marketplace…

Our artists and entrepreneurs tell the story of Ottawa we all know and love.

A city that is dynamic, progressive and capable of great things.

We need to create places that are worthy of our city’s talent, ambition and potential.

In 2015, we will embark on a new project that will do many of the same things: A new central library.

With the right plan and the right partnership, I believe we can deliver a truly world-class facility for the nation’s capital.

This will be a complex project that we want to do right.

As a first step, Councillor Tim Tierney and I, along with the library board, will host a public engagement meeting in March of this year.

We will bring together the community, as a first step, to begin this important conversation.

What features does it need?

What opportunities can it bring?

How can it build on our strengths?

This will be one of several community engagement opportunities as we take these steps forward as a city.

I want this process to represent everything our new library should be: Open, collaborative and dynamic.

I’m pleased to also announce today that we will make the Mayor’s Rural Expo a permanent event.

Working with Councillor Moffatt, Chair of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, we will work to make this the best year yet.

We launched this event two years ago, which seeks to bridge the rural-urban divide by showcasing the outstanding people and products of our rural areas.

And we do so in conjunction with Food Aid Day, in support of the Ottawa Food Bank.

City Hall will also host a Tourism Summit in 2015.

The purpose of this summit will be to develop long-term growth strategies for our city’s third-largest industry.

We know 2017 will be a banner year.

But how do we avoid the “2017 hangover” in 2018 and beyond?

As the private sector builds more hotels… and our event organizers host larger events… how do we ensure our tourism industry can continue to attract large numbers?

In 2015, we’ll also continue to roll out our Ottawa 2017 brand across the city in order to build local momentum.

Under the leadership of our new 2017 Co-Chairs, Councillors Fleury and Cloutier, we will continue to raise awareness and excitement among our residents and visitors.

Ottawa 2017 has established a strong presence at the Ottawa Train Station in recent months, and you will see similar signage go up at the airport, city streets and local businesses.

This will also include an exciting expansion of our 417 underpass mural program.

This year, we’re seeking MTO approval to create murals at two new locations under the 417:

At Bank Street between Councillor McKenney and Councillor Chernushenko’s wards…

And at Carling, west of Kirkwood, between Councillor Leiper and Councillor Brockington’s wards.

As we saw from the first set of murals this past year, this program provides us with an easy way to brighten up our neighbourhoods.

We’ll build momentum towards building a more liveable city this year as well.

We will open a pedestrian and cycling bridge over the 417 near Coventry Road in just a few weeks.

This will connect Councillor Cloutier’s ward with Councillor Nussbaum’s ward.

Councillor Fleury will be happy to see construction continue on a much-needed bridge over the Rideau River to connect Somerset and Donald Streets.

It will open next year, providing an important east-west connection to existing active transportation infrastructure.

These two bridges I’ve mentioned will close gaps in our transportation network.

They’re also how we’ll make walking and cycling safer, more convenient options.

Families in West Carleton will see the Constance and Buckham’s Bay Community Centre expansion open later this year.

Councillor El-Chantiry and the community have worked hard on this project, which will see new library space, a multi-use room and a fitness room added.

We make community improvements like these… we will make environmental investments as well.

The City of Ottawa is proud to partner with Ecology Ottawa on its “Tree Ottawa” project over the coming years.

Together with the community, we will plant 1 million trees in time for 2017.

I think this will be a wonderful way for our community to work together… and pass along the gift of cleaner air and better tree cover to the next generation.

Whether it is on the environment or other on issues, we can do more when we work together.

A great example of this has been the strong collaboration we are seeing on addressing guns and gangs in our city.

The Ottawa Police Service has been working with Crime Prevention Ottawa and other community groups to take action.

I’d also like to thank Councillors Chiarelli and Taylor for bringing together residents in their wards to speak openly and honestly about the challenges we face as a city.

We all have a role to play, and the City will continue to show leadership on this file in the months ahead.

Also in 2015, I look forward to continuing our strong relationship with the City of Gatineau.

I have been working more closely with the Mayor of Gatineau, Maxime Pedneau-Jobin, than ever before.

We attended each other’s inauguration ceremonies and together placed a wreath at the War Memorial this past Remembrance Day.

In 2015, we’ll continue to collaborate on issues of mutual interest including transportation and transit between and within our two great cities.

I will be meeting with Mayor Pedneau-Jobin again in Gatineau in the first half of 2015 to continue strengthening our partnership.

2015 will be a big year for baseball and other sports.

Our CanAm baseball team will take the field at the Ottawa Baseball Stadium, thanks to the support of Members of Council such as Councillor Monette.

We look forward to cheering on our Ottawa Champions during the warmer weather in May.

The Miracle League of Ottawa’s fully accessible baseball field will also be completed this year in the ward of Councillor Mitic, our Sports Commissioner.

We’re very proud that Canada’s second fully accessible baseball facility will open for children and young adults with special needs.

Of course, Ottawa will host the Canadian Little League Championships this summer in Councillor Harder’s ward.

This will be yet another event to showcase our city to families from across the country.

On an even larger scale, we can’t forget the FIFA Women’s World Cup coming to Lansdowne in June.

This will give Ottawa a priceless international audience, as we host some of the best soccer players in the world.

This exposure is so important for our city’s reputation and the long-term growth of our economy.

We remain optimistic in on our outlook for economic growth for the coming year.

In December, the region’s unemployment rate was 6.1 percent, still below the national rate of 6.6 percent.

But we are reminded by the departure of retailers such as Target that no city is immune to bumps along the road.

We must also remember that our population is growing faster than the national average, and with it comes the added pressure of ensuring there are good jobs and a high quality of life.

I believe we are on the right track.

Invest Ottawa is continuing to do great work as it approaches its third anniversary.

Our entrepreneurs and startups are being given the support they need to prosper and grow.

Our Economic Development and Innovation department will renew its strategy in 2015.

It will begin to introduce new tools and programs, to ensure City Hall can be a true partner with the private sector in its mission to create jobs and grow our economy.

To reflect on two briefly…

We will soon create a way for local businesses to pilot their technologies or products in municipal operations.

This program was inspired from an inquiry raised by Councillor Hubley during the last term of Council and I think it is a great one.

Soon our Economic Development department will act as the point of contact for any local startup business that wishes to pilot new technologies.

From there, they will choose a select number of innovations annually.

If we can help a business refine a technology before it moves into mass production, by acting as a test case, I think we should carefully consider it.

The benefit to the City can include reduced costs and an innovative way of delivering services.

The benefit to our local entrepreneurs could include the ability to test and refine a technology before it goes to market.

I think this will be a win-win.

A second new economic initiative will have to do with taking a serious approach to attracting and retaining talent.

In 2015, we will begin to do this by developing a strategy and talent attraction toolkit

This will allow us to market our city more clearly as a great place to live and do business.

We need to remember that we’re competing against other cities for the best and the brightest.

Why should a family choose to come to Ottawa instead of Toronto, Montreal or Calgary?

How do we appeal to the interests of the most highly coveted, highly educated worker, as well as their spouse and children?

Ottawa is very good at tourism marketing – the kind of messaging that will attract someone for a long weekend.

But THIS kind of message will be focused on attracting people for a lifetime.

Ottawa has a great story to tell, but I think we need to do a better job of telling that story.

I want to close my remarks by sharing two significant civic projects coming up in 2015.

The first has to do with the terrible bus-train crash of 2013.

In partnership with Councillor Harder, we will begin the process of creating an appropriate memorial for the six neighbours we lost on that fateful September day.

We will approach this project carefully and respectfully, as we understand that emotions are still very raw.

The second civic recognition has to do with Daniel Alfredsson, former Captain of our Ottawa Senators.

As you know, Daniel retired last month after 18 years in the NHL.

On the ice, he was our captain.

In the community, he was a leader.

From the Ottawa Senators Foundations, to the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre, he devoted his time and his energy to making our city a better place.

He embraced Ottawa the same way that we embraced him.

And for that…

Today, I’m pleased to announce that Daniel has accepted my offer to receive the Key to the City in a ceremony in March.

This is our city’s highest civic honour, and one that he has earned for everything he has done for Ottawa.

Colleagues…

2015 will bring us challenges and projects both big and small…

The effects of which will define our city for generations to come.

I look forward to collaborating closely with you on these important steps over the year to come.

And together, we will build momentum towards a more livable, caring, vibrant and prosperous city.

Thank you.

Thank you, Nicole.

Good afternoon everyone.

On behalf of the City of Ottawa and my colleagues on City Council, it is my pleasure to join you today for the Council on Aging of Ottawa’s annual spring luncheon.

I extend my thanks to Cal Martell, President of the Council on Aging of Ottawa, for having me here today.

Also recognize:

– Councillor Mark Taylor;

– Councillor Rick Chiarelli;

– Councillor David Chernushenko.

Canadians have known for some time that, as a population, we are getting older.

Seniors currently make up the fastest growing age group in Ottawa, and that number is expected to double in size over the next 20 years.

In fact, by 2031, there will be more seniors than children under the age of 15 for the first time in Ottawa’s history.

As a City, we recognize that we need to make Ottawa a more age-friendly city.

And we are proud of what we have been able to accomplish so far.

In October 2011, I hosted the Mayor’s Seniors Summit at City Hall.

It was a pivotal moment for our City as we moved toward a new way of providing services and adapting our infrastructure to meet the evolving needs of our aging demographic.

Based on feedback gathered during the Seniors Summit and at consultations, the City has developed the Older Adult Plan.

The plan introduces a long-term vision of a community that values, empowers and supports older residents and their quality of life both now and in the future.

It will also enhance the quality of life of older adults in our community by improving access to essential supports, programs and services.

City Council has demonstrated its commitment to older adults by declaring the Older Adult Plan a Term of Council Priority initiative, and approving funding in the amount of $500,000 per year for the implementation of OAP initiatives.

City Council approved the OAP in 2012, and work is now underway to implement the Plan by 12 different lead City departments.

In 2012-2013, the City was pleased to have achieved a number of accomplishments, including:

– More than 400 low income older adults with urgent dental needs received free dental screening and/or free access to dental treatments;

– New pedestrian signal technology was installed at six signalized intersections, in areas of the city with high concentrations of seniors;

– Two editions of an older adult guide of social, recreational, and cultural programs (spring/summer and fall/winter) were printed and distributed;

– An older adult web portal on ottawa-dot-c-a was created as a central point of information on programs and services of interest to older adults – the web site also features new and improved search functions for recreation programs and volunteer opportunities;

– Several automatic power doors and washroom grab bars were installed in various City buildings highly frequented by older adults;

– Twenty-one benches were installed on sidewalks, in areas of the city with large numbers of senior residents;

• And more

And we’re not stopping there.

The City is working to implement a number of actions this year, such as:

– Developing an age-friendly parks, pathways and public spaces checklist for use by park planners;

– Installing public access computers at City-operated seniors centres;

– Providing specialized older adult fitness certification for Parks and Recreation staff.

The work the Council on Aging has done on the Age Friendly Ottawa Community Framework complements the Older Adult Plan well and is to be commended.

We need to continue to work collaboratively in order to achieve the success we want.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Council on Aging for its commitment to helping us build this caring community.

The World Health Organization recognized the efforts of the City and the Council on Aging to enhance Ottawa’s age-friendly attributes by granting the City membership to its Global Network of Age-friendly Cities and Communities.

And we hope that this productive partnership continues into the future, as we work together to improve the quality of life of older adults here in Ottawa.

I am confident that as a city, and as a community, we will make Ottawa a place that is accessible, inclusive and respectful of our older residents.

Thank you.

***CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY***

I want to thank the Economic Club of Canada for the invitation.

About two years ago, the City of Ottawa sought to get ahead of the curve in preparation for Canada’s 150th birthday.

As a first step, we assembled a 2017 Task Force…

…a group of Ottawa’s best business and community leaders, who would work together and develop a strategy for success.

I want to recognize the Task Force members – most of whom are with us today… for their dedication and commitment to our country.

• Councillor Rainer Bloess, Co-Chair
• Councillor Katherine Hobbs, Co-Chair
• Noel Buckley, Ottawa Tourism
• John Brooman, Ottawa Festivals
• Dick Brown, Ottawa Gatineau Hotel Association
• Cyril Leeder, Ottawa Senators
• Jeff Hunt, Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group
• Joanne Lefebvre, Regroupement des gens d’affaires de la Capitale nationale
• Pat Kelly, Ottawa Convention Centre
• Ian Faris, Ottawa Chamber of Commerce
• Erin Kelly, Bulzi Media Canada
• Kevin McCrann, EY Centre
• Dave Donaldson, Algonquin College
• Mark Laroche, Ottawa International Airport
• Sean McKenny, Ottawa and District Labour Council
• Guy Laflamme, Canadian Heritage
• Delores MacAdam, City of Ottawa special events
• Isabel Metcalfe, community member

You likely recognize most or all of the names of the people on our 2017 Task Force.

That’s because this task force is based on a best practice we’ve seen in other cities: appoint high-ranking officials… with deep roots in the community… to work together on a common goal.

It shows that we’re very serious about this.

Through our discussions, I have been very impressed with how quickly we have found natural synergies between industries and projects.

Today, I want to share what we’ve been working on.

And tell you how the City of Ottawa is positioning its people, its businesses and its communities… for success in 2017.

But let’s start with an important question first.

What does it mean to celebrate an anniversary such as this?

Sure, we celebrate Canada Day every year.

And Ottawa does it better than anywhere else in Canada.

But 150 is the kind of milestone that we haven’t really celebrated since Canada turned 100.

Back in 1967.

Canada’s Centennial year.

I want to take you back to 1967 for a moment.

I was six years old, growing up in Lachute, Quebec…

…and I watched on my parents’ television as the world gathered in Montreal as our country hosted Expo ’67.

The “Man and His World” exhibit showed that we were a country – and a planet – of big dreams for the future.

It celebrated our nature, our spirit, our environment, our accomplishments and our aspirations.

Of course, Ottawa had its share of excitement as the nation’s capital.

Sparks Street Pedestrian Mall opened that year, and the National Arts Centre began to take shape, perched on the side of the Rideau Canal.

The Centennial Flame became a fixture on Parliament Hill and Dominion Day was informally called “Canada Day” for the first time.

The first members of the Order of Canada were inducted that year, celebrating outstanding Canadians who exemplified the motto “they desire a better country.”

Canada’s Centennial was an opportunity to celebrate who we were and how far we’d come.

To paraphrase what journalist and historian Bruce Hutchison wrote in the Ottawa Journal in June 1967:

“No Nation Has Better Reason to Celebrate…

If Canada is to endure… it must recapture the unwritten spirit of 1867 as well as the written contract.

If the Centennial of 1967 fails to carry this simple message… it fails in everything.

It must remind us how much labour, risk, and intelligence have gone into the making of our nation, and prepare us for an equal or harder task ahead.”

Simply put, these milestones should pay tribute to the foundation set by the Fathers of Confederation, shaped by our grandparents and parents, and continued by our work today.

Because the country we share today has been strengthened by the bold decisions and hard work of Canadians who have come before us.

And that is absolutely worth celebrating.

One of my predecessors, Ottawa Mayor Don Reid, stated in his inaugural address in January 1967:

“We must do our part in encouraging every man, woman and child to participate in what is their birthday party in our proud nation.

I am sure the proudest place will be our own City of Ottawa”

THE proudest place.

It is my hope that we can step up and reignite that passion.

Together, we can make Ottawa the proudest place once again in 2017.

We have so much to celebrate as a country… in just 1,000 days time, from today.

This will be our moment to recognize all that Canada has accomplished.

This is all while other countries are struggling with decades-old debates that we have long since left behind.

The freedom to speak…

The freedom to vote…

The freedom to love.

Canada stands as an example to the world of what humanity is capable of when we think the best of one another.

When a country doesn’t talk about “us and them” – but it talks about “we”.

Whether you’re born here, or you move here…

You will have more than just a faint hope to succeed.

You will have a seat at the table…

And you will have a community around you…

To cheer you on and lift you up…

To give you the best possible shot at reaching your full potential.

That’s Canada.

THAT is what we’re celebrating in 2017.

But let me be clear… celebrations like our Sesquicentennial bring more benefits than just parades, fireworks and goosebumps.

It is a once-in-a-generation economic opportunity for businesses and communities.

Simply put, these celebrations can bring in tens of thousands of new visitors and hundreds of millions of dollars.

A most recent example, Quebec City’s 400th anniversary in 2008, generated over $400 million in local economic spin-offs.

That would be the equivalent of having not one, but two, NHL hockey teams for a year.

It’s important to recognize that milestones such as these can be leveraged to generate significant local economic benefits.

But which city and its economy will benefit the most from 2017?

Well… that’s up for us to decide.

I argue that Ottawa is ideally positioned to host these celebrations.

Even if we weren’t the capital city, Ottawa would still have a lot going for it.

We host about 100 festivals annually, attracting more and more spectators every year.

Whether it’s music, culture, or food…. there’s something to do every weekend in Ottawa.

Ottawa City Council is trying to do what we can to build on this, by opening up City Hall as a people place.

Last year, we doubled the number of events at our City Hall.

Across the city, we have existing and new hotels… meeting facilities… the Canadian Tire Centre, the EY Centre, the Ottawa Convention Centre… and this summer, a revitalized Lansdowne Park.

We’ve received international recognition as a world-class host.

That’s because we’re a dynamic G8 capital city… and we’re on the rise.

Ottawa consistently ranks among the top in the world for sustainability, tolerance and quality of life.

Last month, the annual Mercer Institute survey ranked Ottawa 14th globally, and 2nd in North America, for quality of life.

2nd in North America… because of our outstanding economic and social record.

The only reason why we came in 2nd?

Here’s some news for you:

It turns out that… Ottawa is colder than Vancouver.

…You know what? I wouldn’t give up our winters for the top spot… not in a heartbeat.

Okay… well… maybe this past winter… but not a normal Ottawa winter.

Ottawa represents the very best of what Canada has to offer.

And it’s not just geography…

It is our outstanding residents, businesses and quality of life that make the difference.

And that’s what we can showcase in 2017.

We will showcase Jean Pigott’s vision of Ottawa as every Canadian’s second home town.

So… this is the opportunity we have in front of us.

Let’s talk about how we’re going to seize it.

After reviewing best practices, the 2017 Task Force established four pillars to guide our work for the coming three years.

1. Marketing
2. Events
3. Engagement
4. Legacy

I want to speak about each of them.

And while I review them, I hope you will think about where you or your organization might fit in.

Because that’s what I’m hoping you take away from my talk today.

The City of Ottawa, as a municipal government, can’t do this alone.

To be successful, we need to have a broad, community-based effort.

We will require your help… your expertise… and yes, your money… to help put Ottawa on the map.

First… marketing.

Our Task Force set out with a very clear goal in mind.

We needed to rally our community around a symbol, a brand, that would identify the national capital as the place to be in 2017.

Beginning about two years ago, we engaged with local groups, federal partners as well as the City of Gatineau, and worked together… quickly and carefully… to come up with a brand.

The final design can be summed up in three words:
Collaborative.

Iconic.

Canadian.

It’s collaborative… because its colours were taken from the logos of all of our partners.

It’s iconic… because it’s a re-imagining of 1967 centennial logo that many of us remember.

And it’s Canadian… because it has 13 triangles… representing the provinces and territories that make up our great country.

So… where do we start?

Well, we start at home.

And we start with you.

Our brand is already front-and-centre at City Hall, the Ottawa Airport, and hotel and event venues across the city.

But you will begin to see this logo even more in the coming months.

You’ll see it on ice rinks

You’ll see it on city vehicles.

You’ll see it in storefront windows.

It is my hope, in the long-term, you may even see the Ottawa 2017 logo at more events than you see me at!

…just maybe!

We will start by generating awareness at home, and then broaden our reach to Canada and the world.

Ottawa Tourism and the Ottawa Convention Centre are already spreading the word to the international community about this milestone year.

We will continue to work closely with our partners to build awareness of this brand as we make our case that Ottawa is the place to be in 2017.

But this isn’t a quiet, small project of one individual or organization.

It’s a city-wide challenge… that needs a city-wide effort.

I will use the example of Quebec City’s 400th anniversary once again.

Their brand was everywhere – from every dépanneur to every discotheque.

I ask for your help to add the Ottawa 2017 brand to your public face… your storefront or office.

Be an ambassador for our city.

Let’s show that we’re united in this common effort.

Second… events.

Events are a big part of our hospitality and tourism industry.

While they’ve always been significant… if you look closely… you’ll notice something new is happening.

Ottawa has recently been promoted to an entirely new league of event hosting.

The events we have hosted and will host soon are much more prestigious… much more important… than anything else in the last 50 years.

Outstanding facilities like the Ottawa Convention Centre and the EY Centre are helping us make that case.

Ottawa is quickly developing a reputation as a world-class event host.

Because, looking ahead to 2017, we know that you can’t build this kind of momentum overnight.

The City of Ottawa has been ready to take on this challenge for quite some time.

In the 2012 Budget, we created a major events office called Events Ottawa, in partnership with Ottawa Tourism.

With this investment, we dedicated a staff person and other City resources to bidding on and attracting events.

In the 2014 Budget, we increased our financial commitment to this bid office to $900,000.

And you’ve likely heard me say it many times.

Our strategy is simple: bid more, win more, host more.

And that strategy is already paying off.

Our success in attracting these major sporting events won a national award last year.

These events do wonders for a City’s reputation.

When the NHL All Star Game came to Ottawa, our city was profiled to millions of viewers around the world.

The same was true for last year’s Women’s World Hockey Championships – which was just named the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance’s International Event of the Year.

When we hosted the Canadian Figure Skating Championships this past January, the entire country watched and cheered as our Olympic athletes were selected right here in Ottawa.

Keep in mind that we’ve also attracted major non-sporting events as well.

Let’s not forget that while a major conference may not attract significant media exposure, it does attract a significant number of participants – often in the thousands.

We know those can be particularly good for our restaurant and hotel industries, as these tourists come with meetings to book and per diems to spend.

I have great confidence… that between today and the end of 2017, our possible and confirmed events have the potential to generate hundreds of millions for our local economy.

But what is even more priceless is what it will do to strengthen our reputation both as an event host and a place to do business.

This includes events like next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup at TD Place next summer, and the federal and provincial gatherings of municipal leaders in 2017.

In total, we project that events like these will attract thousands of tourists in addition to what we typically see in an average year.

Again, these thousands of tourists will mean tens of millions of dollars for our local economy.

And I’m talking right now about just our confirmed events.

We have lots of strong prospects in the pipeline as well.

Allow me for a moment to speak about possible events that we haven’t yet confirmed… but would be possible with a strong, united effort.

Picture a possible event calendar for 2017…

We could start the year with a major New Year’s Eve party downtown on Sparks Street or on the Hill, complete with fireworks and entertainment from Canadian artists.

And we don’t leave this to one group to coordinate all on its own – we work together to throw a huge celebration.

The next month, we have Winterlude on both sides of the river, working with Canadian Heritage to leverage the new Lansdowne Park to make it even bigger than ever before.

In April: we hope that the Juno Awards would come back to the Canadian Tire Centre.

Maybe that week we can have free public concerts throughout the city to celebrate our most treasured Canadian talent.

Hopefully artists like Alanis Morrisette and Bryan Adams – two recipients of Ottawa’s Key to the City – will come back home.

In May – we gather to celebrate Ottawa’s official flower – the tulip – and our country’s special relationship with the Netherlands.

In July, we can turn Canada Day into Canada Week…

Not just one day of celebrations, but an entire week of concerts and performances to celebrate every region and culture that make up our great country.

After that, hopefully we host the Canadian Athletics Championships or another large multi-sport event to welcome Canada’s best summer athletes.

In November: maybe we can host the 105th Grey Cup game.

We can bring in extra seating to Lansdowne Park to expand its capacity to 40,000.

As the Ottawa REDBLACKS will be in their fourth season in the CFL, maybe we might even be able to cheer them on as they win the cup!

And finally, in December:

Maybe the Ottawa Senators could host an NHL Outdoor Classic at Lansdowne Park… taking on the Montreal Canadiens.

It would be a perfect way to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first NHL game between those two teams, and to close off Canada’s 150th year.

Now THAT would be a year to remember.

And one of the most profitable ever for our local economy.

But keep in mind that new events are just one piece of the strategy.

Of course, we need not start from scratch for something we already do very, very well.

In 2017, we can also build on our already world-class events and festival industry.

And we really are world-class.

Our festival and annual event industries already generate hundreds of millions for our local economy every year.

We’re blessed with outstanding community organizers and passionate volunteers who consistently organize amazing events on an annual basis.

And in 2017, the already impressive schedule of planned events will continue in the nation’s capital.

But we want to see what we can do to “supersize” and “Canadianize” them to attract more tourists and more dollars.

What if Bluesfest and the Jazz Festival added an extra day each to celebrate our most treasured Canadian artists?

Or Ottawa Race Weekend – already the largest marathon in Canada – develops a route or a theme that commemorates the Canadian identity in a special way.

When you think about it – there are lots of ways to make 2017 very special.

I am very confident that we’re on the right track to realize this vision.

Working with our colleagues at Ottawa Tourism, as well as the great community leaders on our 2017 Task Force, I want to set a common goal for the number of visitors we will attract that year.

A 2017 tourism target.

The average number of visitors over the last three years is about 6.25 million visitors.

But for 2017… we want to reach even higher.

Our 2017 tourism target will be eight million visitors.

This will be about 20% more than what Ottawa’s tourism industry sees in an average year.

We will showcase our beautiful city to even more people that year… while at the same time bolstering our local economy.

But remember, that you can play a key role in this.

You need to play a key role in this.

Maybe you’re a member of a national professional association such as ones for engineers, accountants or lawyers… or you’re the Ottawa office of a larger national or international organization.

Make 2017 the year that you host the big annual conference or gathering.

If you need Ottawa Tourism or any member of our Task Force, me included, to support you in putting a bid together, you can count on us.

My commitment to you…if you have a solid business case… we’ll go to bat for you.

Or maybe… for example… you’re already in the business of supporting large events like the ones I’ve mentioned.

Whether through naming rights, advertising or in-kind donations, maybe 2017 is the year to dig a little deeper.

In a budgeting sense, 2017 won’t be your average year.

It’s my sincere hope that it will be extraordinary.

It will be your chance to reach a larger, more diverse audience and… of course… to be part of an important 2017 legacy.

Third… engagement.

I often say that the best ideas aren’t always found at City Hall.

The 2017 Task Force is in line with this thinking.

But so has been reaching out to the broader community.

Through launching our website Ottawa2017.ca last year, we’ve received lots of suggestions and ideas of how we can make the most of 2017.

We’re going to continue our efforts this year by hosting a 2017 Ideas Town Hall at City Hall in June.

We want to engage with festival organizers, community groups and residents about what their ideas are for Canada’s big year.

We will also launch an online component called “150 Reasons to Visit Ottawa”.

No one knows Ottawa better than our residents.

We want to generate 150 reasons why a tourist would want to visit Ottawa in 2017.

Maybe it’s to skate on the Canal or a visit to the Diefenbunker.

Or visiting Watson’s Mill or the sugar shack in Vanier.

Or taking in special performances at the National Arts Centre or the Great Canadian Theatre Company, with a new Canadian work commissioned.

Or discover Ottawa’s thriving culinary scene, with restaurants offering special pan-Canadian, locally grown and raised menus.

We want to start to generate ideas and pride leading up to 2017, and this will be a way to do that.

Fourth… legacy projects.

As I mentioned earlier, Canada’s 100th birthday in 1967 was also marked by many Centennial infrastructure projects such as new recreation centres, arenas and other community facilities.

This time will be a bit different.

Fifty years later, now that our cities are much more established, there’s simply too much already built that we need to take care of.

Many of those, almost ironically, are Centennial projects that 50 years later are starting to show their age.

From a municipal perspective, we will of course look at what we can do to make modest investments in projects to mark 2017.

But even if a project did not begin as a Sesquicentennial legacy project, it doesn’t mean it cannot be leveraged to make a statement.

After all, there are several local projects that are already on the books that would fit in well with the spirit of Canada’s 150th.

These projects are already planned or underway to be ready around 2017.

On the occasion of the 150^th anniversary of Confederation, I believe four projects in particular will clearly demonstrate the kind of country we want to be in the next 150 years.

The first project is the Confederation Line LRT.

With the support of our federal and provincial partners, this city-transforming project is now under construction.

It’s very exciting… a 13 kilometre line, from Tunney’s Pasture in the west to Blair Road in the east.

You know, light rail transit in the nation’s capital is something that many people thought would never happen.

But today, the downtown tunnel is approaching the 20% completion mark.

And the project remains on time and on budget

We have special agreements with the private-sector consortium building the system, relating to Canada’s 150th birthday.

On July 1, 2017, residents and tourists will be able to tour the downtown stations.

There will also be short test runs of the line between some stations so you can get a feel for the system.

It will be a great way to showcase this investment ahead of full service in 2018.

The second project is the Ottawa River Action Plan.

This year, the City of Ottawa will continue to make its case to the provincial and federal governments to fund the final phase of the Ottawa River Action Plan.

This project would finally stop raw sewage from flowing into the Ottawa River.

It is troubling, in the 21st century, that we still have overflows going into a treasured waterway… flowing right behind the House of Commons nonetheless.

So far, we’ve reduced pollution by 80%.

But we need federal and provincial funds to finish the job.

If we can secure these funds swiftly, we can get the majority of the downtown work done by 2017.

A clean Ottawa River would be a major Sesquicentennial achievement, and a priceless gift for future generations.

The third project is the revitalized Arts Court on Daly Avenue.

This past November, City Council unanimously approved a plan for a revitalized Arts Court and expanded Ottawa Art Gallery on Nicholas Street.

It will be a world-class facility that nurtures artistic talent, tells our stories, and inspires the world.

It will be a way for our artists to show just what that they’re capable of.

How fitting… that with the new Arts Court, we will be able to showcase much more of our Group of Seven collection to Ottawa, the country and the world.

For this beautiful new building, we will break ground within the next eight months and have it open in time for the 2017 celebrations.

The fourth project, of particular interest to the business community, is our future Innovation Centre at Bayview Yards.

Think of it as Ottawa’s version of Kitchener’s Communitech or Toronto’s MaRS Discovery District.

It will be a place for entrepreneurs to come together, build, innovate and succeed.

I could not think of a more perfect location for this new facility – where the Confederation Line and O-Train intersect.

Eventually, almost all of our major post-secondary institutions would be connected to this facility by our rail system.

The Confederation Line, the Ottawa River Action Plan, Arts Court and the Innovation Centre.

These four legacy projects represent the Canada we dream of in the next 150 years.

Canada will be connected… symbolized by the Confederation Line.

Canada will be sustainable… symbolized by the Ottawa River Action Plan.

Canada will be creative… symbolized by Arts Court.

And Canada will be innovative… symbolized by the Bayview Innovation Centre.

These will be part of Ottawa’s 2017 legacy.

Because a milestone such as this really is about leaving a legacy for the next generation.

And at the same time, positioning our city so it makes the most of Canada’s big moment.

If you take anything from my speech today, it’s this.

Don’t let the next 1,000 days go by without doing something to take part.

Get engaged…

Be proud of our community…

And remember that we are every Canadian’s second home town…

Let’s not miss our moment.

Good morning and Happy New Year.

This morning, I want to speak about where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re going as a city.

Because what takes place at City Hall this year will be a direct result of the actions we’ve taken around this table over the last three years.

And when you look back, those actions have been substantial.

Each and every day, this Council is showing that we’re focused on more than just talk.

We’re focused on action.

And in Ottawa, we have acted decisively.

Four years ago, our residents didn’t see themselves in City Hall.

When they looked at City Hall, it was a building that you only visited when you had to pay a parking ticket.

So, we changed that.

We added the Barbara Ann Scott Gallery and the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame.

We have the Rink of Dreams, which was a great community gift from the Ottawa Senators Foundation.

Last month, we opened the beautiful new Karsh Masson Gallery and worked even harder to make City Hall more of a people place.

I’m pleased to report that in 2013, compared to 2012, the number of festivals and activities at City Hall more than doubled – from 77 to 179.

We’ve also opened up City Hall to the public eye as well.

We didn’t wait for a scandal to put in place the most comprehensive integrity package in all of Ontario.

We were proactive and put our expenses online, launched a lobbyist registry and a gift registry, and hired an Integrity Commissioner.

We opened up citizen representation on the public health board, the Transit Commission, and the Built Heritage Sub-Committee.

We also took action where there has been inaction in the past.

Three years ago, when residents looked at major city-building projects like LRT and Lansdowne, they didn’t have the confidence that they’d ever see them built in their lifetime.

We changed that too.

We made progress on these fronts, and so many others, because residents expected more from their City Council.

They expected us to put together a clear agenda…

And to work together in finding common ground.

So we did.

And we delivered.

…

2013 was a year of action.

And 2014 will be a year of progress.

Our city is in a period of unprecedented change.

This year, it will take focus, steady hands, and hard work to ensure we continue making progress.

There will be much debate and discussion outside the walls of this place, as there should be.

Our city and our democracy are made stronger by healthy conversations over the direction we should take together.

But inside these walls, it is now more important than ever that we continue with the same stability and certainty that residents have come to expect from us.

And that means delivering on our commitments for the 312 days remaining in our mandate.

One of those commitments comes from the very successful Planning Summit we hosted less than two years ago.

At that event, I committed to putting before City Council an official plan that promoted certainty and predictability for both communities and the development industry.

The Planning Committee, under the leadership of Councillor Peter Hume, did just that.

Our newly minted Official Plan – all of its words, schedules and appendices – embody certainty and predictability.

These central themes were unanimously approved by City Council.

This year, we will now move forward to implement it with a zoning bylaw that puts the words of the Official Plan into action.

It is what the community has asked us to do and we will deliver.

Certainty has by no means been accepted by all.

There will always be those developers who seek to push the envelope.

They will ask for more.

They will always have reasons, such as a bad location or poor soil.

If we open that door and let just one of those go…

If we give a little more because it is easier than saying no…

Then we will just hear more requests.

We have an Official Plan – it is a good plan – a plan to make Ottawa better, more liveable and sustainable – we need to stick to it.

And we need to look to the future of planning in this city.

We are clearly in a new era of city building in Ottawa, with taller buildings both inside and outside the Greenbelt, intensifying main streets, and more cohesive suburban development.

The scale and complexity of the current planning environment requires well-considered choices, but it provides for great potential in design.

One just has to look at some of the blank walls – some 27 stories high – that dot our skyline to see the potential for doing better.

For 2014, we will continue to provide leadership and seek excellence in architecture and built form.

Stable neighbourhoods are paramount.

But where new development and change will occur, a consistent priority for us should be attractive buildings, and high quality places and spaces.

And we will lead by example in this regard…

Later this year, we will award the contracts for two major developments that we approved unanimously last year.

The first is a revitalized Arts Court and expanded Ottawa Art Gallery.

This world-class facility will be a place where our city’s talents are celebrated… and new ones are discovered.

It will be a true gem in the downtown, bolstered by a revitalized Rideau Street, an expanded Rideau Centre and connected to the rest of the city by the new Rideau LRT station just a few steps away.

We will also move forward with the first phase of a new innovation complex at Bayview Yards.

It will be a place where our small and medium sized businesses – the lifeblood of Ottawa’s new economy – get the tools and resources they need to grow, compete and succeed.

And it’s where Invest Ottawa – which turns 2 next month – will continue its already impressive work in supporting private sector job growth.

These two projects show the principles of balance and fairness that have characterized our Council.

That’s because we understand that investing in business and investing in the arts should never be mutually exclusive.

Culture and economic development are part of the same dynamic that brings high quality of life to residents.

We will also see a number of important recreation projects completed this year.

Richcraft Sensplex East is on track to open later this fall in Councillor Tierney’s ward.

This will bring much-needed ice time to residents of all ages.

This project was approved and will be completed within a span of less than two years – even more evidence of how quickly and decisively we’ve worked together.

Last month, we opened the Richcraft Recreation Centre in Kanata in Councillor Wilkinson’s ward.

It’s a beautiful facility that is being enjoyed by residents from the wards of Councillor Hubley, El-Chantiry and Qadri as well.

We will continue this momentum in 2014 by opening the Minto Recreation Complex in Councillor Harder’s ward in Barrhaven.

Residents in one of our fastest growing areas – including residents from the wards of Councillors Desroches and Moffatt – will enjoy two NHL-sized ice rinks and a six-lane pool in this beautiful new facility.

We also opened our first new indoor pool since amalgamation at the Francois Dupuis Recreation Center in Councillor Blais’ ward.

In total, in this term of Council, we will have expanded or built about half a million square feet of new recreational and community space.

That’s enough room to fit every single child in our city – plus one parent each!

And we’ve made accessibility improvements to many others facilities through stimulus partnerships with other levels of government and our own Older Adult Action Plan, under the guidance of Councillor Taylor.

We’ve managed this, while freezing recreation fees for four years.

And that’s just talking about our indoor facilities.

On the weekend I was at Jules Morin Park and saw a beautiful new field house that’s almost ready to use.

It’s next to the magnificent new Sens community rink, which is yet another great community partnership with the Ottawa Senators.

In this term of Council, we will complete a total of 230 park upgrade projects.

In 2014, that will bring the total investment to $22.7 million.

These are key investments in quality of life.

And these are key investments in families.

We’re providing outstanding facilities and services at prices that are fair for participants and taxpayers alike.

That’s because we are a healthy and compassionate city.

Supported by our Board of Health, under the leadership of Councillor Holmes… health perspectives have been built into all of our blueprints…. including the Official Plan, the Transportation Master Plan and the pedestrian and cycling plans.

The task of bringing these plans together is key to building a more sustainable, dynamic city.

This is smart planning.

At the same time, we’re being smarter with our customers.

We’re putting more services online to serve them even better.

We’re recognizing high-potential job-creators through our Capital Investment Track initiative – a concierge service for projects that will bring new employment opportunities to our city.

Our new Business Ambassador Service for restaurants assisted over 80 new entrepreneurs over six months last year and was just last week nominated for a “Cutting Red Tape” award from the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses.

Our Guaranteed Application Timeline Initiative is also changing the way we do business.

Since its initiation, we have a tremendous success rate, and… still… only three applications have missed their deadlines.

In fact, in the last quarter, we didn’t miss any deadlines.

And the list goes on.

As you’ve heard me say countless times – we’re making progress.

One of the most stunning examples is the new Lansdowne Park.

The massive project continues to be on track, thanks to the tremendous efforts of about 900 workers every day on the site.

Our thanks again to Councillor Chernushenko for his constructive input on the project, and to residents in his ward for their patience during this time of change.

The new urban park will continue to take shape in the first quarter of this year with the skating rink and children’s play area beginning construction.

Once the site is completed, there will be 20 different event spaces where people can come together and celebrate.

And, of course, TD Place will open this summer.

You can’t help but smile when you think about the fact that our Ottawa REDBLACKS and Ottawa Fury FC will take the field in just six short months.

It’s been a long time coming, but it’s finally happening.

I also approach 2014 with much optimism on another file…

It will be an important year for the Ottawa River Action Plan.

As you know, we’ve already reduced the amounts of sewage going into the Ottawa River by an impressive 70%.

In the summer, our beaches are closed far less often.

In fact, in 2013, Ottawa beaches raised green flags 90 per cent of the days, which is up from 60 per cent just two years earlier.

But there is more work to do.

It is my hope that our federal and provincial partners will agree to continue our partnership and commit to funding the final portion of the plan.

I will also discuss this with the new Mayor of Gatineau at our first formal meeting next Wednesday.

I’ve briefed elected officials from both levels of government on the details.

It’s now up to them.

This will be the year that they will decide whether or not to fund the final phase of the plan.

If they do… and I hope they do… we can be on track to have the project started and complete by 2017.

We’re ambitious, certainly.

But it would be an outstanding gift to our residents.

It would be a gift for our entire country and the next generation…

One that could be ready in time for Canada’s 150th in 2017.

We will also continue the steady march of progress on the Confederation Line this year – a contract we signed less than a year ago.

Two of our tunnel excavation machines – Jawbreaker and Crocodile Rouge – have together completed 190 metres of the tunnel.

Very soon, our third machine – Chewrocka – will join them in carving out our city’s transportation future.

Within just a few weeks, we will reach the 10% completion mark for the tunnel.

It’s amazing to think…

Just three years ago, the future and the budget of the project was uncertain… now, the tunnel is almost 10% complete.

But we’re not stopping there.

We’ll continue to move forward with our Stage 2 LRT plan this year as well – with the environmental assessment process.

This system would spread the benefits of rail to the east, west and south with 19 new stations and 35 kilometres of new rail.

Following the hard work of Councillors Egli and Deans… our balanced, affordable plan was approved unanimously by our Council last year.

And our plan is a clear signal to other levels of government that we have our act together.

Because we’re no longer talking about the merits of light rail.

We’re building it.

And we’re expanding it.

Together.

A key part of this strategy will be the $59-million O-Train expansion project that will open later this year.

Riders will benefit from more frequent service, in more comfortable trains.

We’ll also begin studying the feasibility of a downtown truck tunnel this year.

This will be welcome news to residents in the neighbourhoods of Sandy Hill and Lowertown in Councillor Fleury’s ward.

Much like our improvements to the original LRT proposal, we’re taking a fresh set of eyes to this challenge.

We’ve partnered with the Province of Ontario for the study and I look forward to finding a solution.

Speaking of transportation, 2014 will see the third year of Ottawa on the Move, our made-in-Ottawa infrastructure renewal program.

This year will feature 150 projects in all areas of the city, including roadwork on Rideau Street, First Avenue, the Prince of Wales Overpass, Princeton Avenue, Sussex Drive, Gladstone Avenue, Baseline Road and many rural roads throughout Ottawa.

We’ll also improve pedestrian facilities on Meadowlands Drive, Bronson Avenue, Jeanne D’Arc Boulevard and Katimavik Road.

Over the course of the program, we have leveraged $340 million into half a billion dollars worth of projects.

This is money well spent to ensure our people, goods and economy keep moving in the decades ahead.

And it will go a long way to help us avoid the kind of gridlock that is strangling productivity in cities like Toronto.

Of course, these road, path, sewer and sidewalk improvements are in addition to an already impressive record on cycling.

We have invested more in cycling than any other Council in the history of this city.

Ottawa on the Move has contributed to 156 km of paved shoulders for cycling, roughly the distance between North Gower and Kingston.

Last year, we made the Laurier Segregated Bike Lanes permanent – the first of their kind in our province.

This year, we will strengthen that commitment even further as we break ground on the Donald-Somerset Bridge, linking Councillor Clark’s ward with Councillor Fleury’s.

We will also make further improvements to the East-West bikeway from Vanier to Westboro.

That’s because we know that investing in safer options for cyclists makes good economic sense.

So does getting more people on transit.

We’ll also break ground on the west Transitway extension from Bayshore to Moodie Drive.

You’ll recall that we made the bold decision to press on with this $76-million project without federal or provincial dollars.

This is another example of taking action.

Because we want to move forward with with better transit now, not later.

In 2014, work will continue on the 417 expansion, improving circulation to and from Orleans, and all points east.

This is great news for residents in Councillors Blais, Monette and Bloess’ wards, who have been waiting years for these improvements.

As always, in all areas of the city, we thank residents for their patience when it comes to construction.

I’m sure everyone can understand and appreciate that this is short-term pain, for long-term gain.

We’re growing…

And changing…

For the better.

And while major city-building projects like these are important and historic, sometimes it is the smaller victories that are noticed more quickly at the neighbourhood level.

And it is often because they are projects that had not seen progress for years.

Maybe it was finally getting a traffic light on Baseline Road at Villa Marconi, thanks to the leadership of Councillors Egli, McRae, and Chiarelli.

Maybe it was finally getting the parking lot paved at the Hornets’ Nest, in Councillor Bloess’ ward.

Maybe it was one of the many parks that finally have been upgraded, like Fisher Park in Councillor Hobbs’ ward.

Or maybe it was an old run-down building that for years was rotting away, which finally has gotten cleaned up, thanks to Councillors Taylor, Hume and Fleury who joined me in taking action on derelict buildings.

Little by little, neighbourhood by neighbourhood, we are changing the face of our city.

I’m also pleased to announce this morning that we’ve signed a lease agreement with the CanAm League that will see baseball return to Ottawa next year.

We look forward to helping raise awareness and excitement in the months ahead, to ensure the team’s long-term success in our city.

…

As I said from the outset, this will be a very busy year.

We’ve accomplished a lot, but there’s still so much more to do.

There are a few new initiatives that I think fit in well with what we’re already doing.

They are small in cost, but demonstrate the kind of city I think we all want to live in.

They all have to do with civic pride.

In last year’s State of the City, I announced that we would introduce a pilot project on Elgin Street to improve recycling options and reduce the amount of garbage on the street.

This was to replace the mish-mash of different containers that were not being used.

Councillor McRae and I launched that program a few months later.

And since then, we have seen much higher recycling capture rates.

For glass, metal and plastic, we’ve gone from 62% to 92%.

This has been a successful effort.

In 2014, we will expand this pilot to include Laurier Street East, between Nicholas and Charlotte.

Because we are constantly looking for ways to spruce up the appearance of our community.

And of course, we also want to put our best foot forward for people when arriving in the city.

For this reason, I think it is time to build on a great example that we have over in Little Italy.

The 417 overpass that crosses Preston Street is the location for some great street art, as we have all surely seen.

It presents a wonderful “streetscape” image that really brightens the usually dark and dingy overpass.

A little paint and a lot of creativity can go a long way.

There are a number of overpasses and exits from the 417 that could benefit from the same “streetscaping” – more beautiful murals that brighten up our streets.

I’m thinking of Parkdale, Metcalfe, Bank and Kent Streets… to name a few.

So I asked the Province for permission to do this with their property and just a few days ago I heard back from the Minister of Transportation, Glen Murray.

He agrees that the success on Preston Street should be repeated wherever possible.

This year, we will work with MTO staff, the BIAs, Ward Councillors, youth groups and our arts community to develop a program that will be ready to begin implementing this coming summer.

And, I want to challenge our corporate community to step right up and help us with this beautification project – help us buy the paint and supplies needed to make Ottawa even more vibrant.

I want to thank MPP Yasir Naqvi for his active support to get swift approval for this mural program.

Next month, the City will expand its very successful Snow Go program.

The new component will be called “Snow Angels”.

This will be a new recognition component that will celebrate residents who assist older adults and neighbours with disabilities with snow removal at their residence.

This new initiative has been developed through input received from our Older Adult Plan.

When someone takes time to care for another person, it’s something certainly worth recognizing.

In 2014, we’ll continue to make City Hall even more of a people place.

And by people place, I mean that City Hall should reflect the spirit and character of the kind of Ottawa we want to build.

The kind of world we want to build.

Open…

Compassionate…

Inclusive.

Last year, the world lost one of its greatest lights.

An icon for justice, perseverance and human dignity.

Nelson Mandela.

I will be bringing forward a proposal to name the recently reconstructed walkway and lawn space that surrounds the Heritage Building at Elgin and Lisgar Streets:

Nelson Mandela Square

In 1998, Nelson Mandela visited the Human Rights Monument located on that very corner.

Located along one of Ottawa’s most historic avenues, the naming of Nelson Mandela Square would be a small – but meaningful – way to commemorate the man that inspired people the world-over.

This will be yet another reason to visit City Hall in 2014.

This is in addition to the dozens of community events hosted here that are certain to fill the calendar in the months ahead.

I want to talk about three in particular that we will host ourselves.

You’ll recall that last year we held a very successful Mayor’s Rural Expo at City Hall.

Building on the always-successful Food Aid Day, we promoted rural fairs, farms and products to Ottawa’s downtown population.

And we did so while the community raised $160,000 for the Ottawa Food Bank.

I’m pleased to announce today that we will hold the Rural Expo again this year, making it an annual event.

Raising awareness of our amazing rural villages is something we need to continue to do each and every year.

I want to thank our rural Councillors – Thompson, El-Chantiry, Moffatt and Blais – for helping make this event such a success.

As for our second event, it will have a focus on small businesses and entrepreneurs.

Last year, I attended the annual YMCA Biz Expo and was very impressed by the skill, talent and passion of dozens of budding entrepreneurs.

I want to help make this event bigger and better – while allowing past graduates at the program to come back to share their stories.

So, in June, we will host the annual Y Biz Expo in Jean Pigott Place at City Hall.

This event was previously held at the Argyle St. YMCA-YWCA but this year we will make it a bigger event with a larger profile right here at City Hall to champion Ottawa’s incredible entrepreneurs.

It is a true celebration of innovation, ambition and entrepreneurship – the very values we are knitting into the fabric of our community.

Our third event will be a chance to promote City of Ottawa services during Doors Open Ottawa.

Residents feed their curiosity during Doors Open Ottawa, as City facilities join the dozens of embassies, offices and heritage properties across the city in participating in this exciting weekend.

It’s an incredible opportunity to learn about our city’s past and present.

In 2014, let’s show them even more.

I’m pleased to announce that we will host a City of Ottawa Services Exhibition, indoors and outdoors, at City Hall.

As residents are passing through downtown during Doors Open Ottawa, they will be able to learn about all of the great work our staff do on a day-to-day basis.

Whether it’s police, fire, paramedics, OC Transpo, Public Health, Public Works… we have so many stories to tell.

Because the stories we tell as a municipal government complement all of the unique things Ottawa’s communities have to offer.

Let me give you a few examples.

We have the largest dragon boat festival in Canada, something Councillor Hubley knows all about.

We host the largest minor hockey tournament in North America, with the Bell Capital Cup.

We have a massive sand dune in Nepean and a working cranberry farm in Osgoode.

We have one of the only urban sugar shacks in North America, located in Vanier.

We have a karst – an amazing ecological feature – in Cardinal Creek.

And we have a working flour mill in Manotick.

Sometimes we need to remind ourselves, and the rest of the world, that we’re more than a government town.

Every corner of our community has something special to offer.

We should be fiercely proud of everything we have going for us.

A healthy amount of pride will go a long way in showing the country and the world that we have the spirit and the energy to be outstanding hosts in 2017.

We’re less than three years away from Canada’s 150th year.

Our 2017 Taskforce, chaired by Councillors Bloess and Hobbs, is meeting regularly, and we’re ahead of the curve.

We’ve already secured the 2017 national and provincial conferences of municipal leaders.

There is much public interest in a Grey Cup and a Winter Classic NHL game at Lansdowne that same year.

But a success like this one cannot happen overnight… you need to build momentum.

In 2014, we will ramp up our efforts and engage our citizens in the process.

I will host a “2017 Ideas Town Hall” this year, in order to brainstorm with community leaders, festival organizers, artists, entrepreneurs, volunteers… anyone and everyone… to find out how we can make the most of this opportunity.

We will also reach out to young people to get them excited about the big year.

It is my hope that our residents will rise to the challenge of making our mark on this important year in our history.

We are a dynamic, creative, vibrant city – and we are starting to get noticed.

In the last year alone…

Corporate Knights Magazine called Ottawa the most sustainable city in Canada…

The Martin Prosperity Institute placed us first in the world on its economic development scorecard because of our outstanding technology, talent and tolerance.

We received the highest designation awarded so far by Walk Friendly Ontario, as a walk-friendly city…

….Ontario’s first ever gold Bicycle Friendly Community Award from the Share the Road Cycling Coalition…

And the International Festival and Events Association recognized us as a world-class destination, our second such award from the organization, due to the tremendous work of our Events Central office.

In 2013, we saw even more votes of confidence in our economic potential and in our people.

Let’s talk about retail developments.

The Rideau Centre expansion… $360 million.

The Bayshore Shopping expansion… $200 million

The new Tanger Outlet Mall in Kanata with a Bass Pro Shop… $120 million.

This is in addition to the $450-million Lansdowne Park redevelopment that has a significant private-sector component.

We are experiencing an economic development boom that Ottawa hasn’t seen for decades.

These are clear signs that the private sector has confidence in our economic future.

The private sector is showing that Ottawa, with its excellent quality of life, is well worth the investment.

Let me give you another example.

Last fall, Cisco announced that it will add 1,700 high tech jobs in Ontario over the next few years, the bulk of those being in Ottawa.

With success, the Kanata job numbers could grow even larger in the years ahead.

And let’s not forget that local success story Shopify raised an impressive $100 million in venture capital funding just last year.

As Tobi, Harley and their team move across the street to Shopify’s new headquarters later this year, we will be reminded of Ottawa’s limitless potential.

Potential that grows even stronger with every new entrepreneur who decides to go out on their own.

Every new inventor who turns their idea into a prototype.

And every new investor who shows that Ottawa is on the upswing.

I want to tell you about one of my favourite recent examples.

A few years back, Kanata resident and ex-Nortel employee Jeri Rodrigs had an idea.

He wanted to create Canada’s first green room humidifier – Rumidifer  – which works without any electricity.

He walked into Invest Ottawa to get the support and resources he needed to get from the drawing board to the marketplace.

And in doing so, he tapped into our city’s outstanding ecosystem of talent.

He found his product designer in Westboro…

He found his manufacturer in Stittsville…

And earned his first of many sales of the product at Terra20 in Nepean.

Today, you can now buy the product at home and hardware stores across the country.

And with Jeri coming to Canada only 12 years ago…

I’d say that he’s off to a pretty great start.

Big and small, I know we will hear more stories like Jeri’s in the years to come.

As more talent is attracted to and nurtured in our city…

And as the best and the brightest choose to start and grow their businesses in this dynamic G8 capital city.

Before I finish, I want to share two anecdotes with you.

They’re both related to the $14-million housing and homelessness plan we put in place just three years ago.

Last month, while serving Christmas dinner at the Union Mission, I was stopped by an older gentleman.

He said he knew about our plan to increase housing opportunities.

And he thanked me.

He told me that after years of struggling, he now has a nice apartment where he can get his life in order and try to find work.

He has a home.

And I got that feeling.

It was the same feeling I had when I visited the new Ottawa Community Housing development on Carson’s Road in Councillor Clark’s ward.

We met a young mother, with her one year old son, who proudly showed off her new home.

She told me how proud she was to finally have a “safe and beautiful home with great neighbours”.

You know, it’s really these stories, these individuals who are directly affected… that tells me we’re moving in the right direction.

It’s that feeling.

That feeling that reminds me that we are a caring, compassionate community where we look out for one another.

As I said last year, it’s the little things that make a difference.

It’s skating on the Rink of Dreams or biking along the Ottawa River.

It’s attending a major cultural celebration downtown, then checking out a rural farmers market in the same afternoon.

It’s the thousands of volunteers who roll up their sleeves and make their corner of the community just a little bit brighter.

Ottawa should continue to represent the very best our country has to offer.

We have that special obligation as our country’s capital..

It is that special honour of knowing that only one city is referenced in our Constitution – the British North America Act.

And that city is Ottawa.

I’m proud of the progress we’ve made together.

And I look forward to another productive year.

I want to wish you, your families, and all residents a safe and happy 2014.

“A Year of Action”

[CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY]

I want to welcome you to the first Council meeting of our third year together.

The State of the City is a chance for us to reflect on where we have been and where we are going.

And on this front – we have much to be proud of – and much to look forward to.

I want to thank you all for your tireless work on behalf of our residents.

On behalf of all of us, I also want to thank our City staff for their continued service.

Under the leadership of City Manager Kent Kirkpatrick, and Deputy City Managers Steve Kanellakos and Nancy Schepers, there is a real sense of enthusiasm amongst our employees.

Let’s reflect on some of our accomplishments from 2012.

It was a very exciting, very successful year, for the City of Ottawa.

J’aimerais souligner quelques-unes de nos réalisations de l’année 2012.

Ce fut pour la Ville d’Ottawa, une année des plus réussies.

Our city was ranked as the best place to live by MoneySense Magazine

Ottawa also made the list of the most dynamic cities in Canada compiled by CIBC, and ranked ahead of other Canadian cities such as Toronto, Montreal and Calgary in the Mercer Quality of Living Survey.

We welcomed the country and the world for such outstanding events as the JUNO Awards and the NHL All Star Game.

With these came tens of millions of dollars of economic activity and the priceless imprint of Ottawa on the minds of audiences around the world.

We also learned that we will host the 2014 Canadian Figure Skating Championships and the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Every new major event gives us another chance to showcase our beautiful city and bolster our tourism sector.

Chaque nouvel événement majeur nous permet de mettre en valeur notre magnifique ville et de renforcer le tourisme à Ottawa.

We hosted a Planning Summit where we brought together all elements of our community to begin the process of reviewing our Official Plan and Transportation Master Plan.

Shortly after, we put into action new initiatives like Guaranteed Application Timelines, the Zoning Consistency Team, and the Better Neighbourhoods Program.

We hosted a Youth Summit and I can tell you that you could feel the energy in City Hall that day!

Over 200 young people came to tell us about their ideas – and dreams – for their city and their futures.

Those ideas will help form an action plan – just like the Seniors Summit led to a Seniors Action Plan – and will be tabled at committee later this year.

While we are building spirit in the community through this kind of engagement – we are also building our city.

The new Ernst and Young Centre opened last year.

And since then it has been attracting a steady stream of special events and trade shows.

This has helped – along with our spectacular Convention Centre – make Ottawa a destination of choice for event organizers.

Last year, we continued to take decisive action on the economic development file to help Ottawa face some economic challenges associated with government downsizing.

It’s hard to believe it was only last February when Invest Ottawa opened its doors.

In this short time it has become a one-stop shop for small business owners and budding entrepreneurs.

More than 60 start-up companies are in the Aberdeen Street facilities.

Through the good work of Code Cubbit and Mistral Venture Partners, the new venture capital fund has exceeded $10 million – ahead of schedule – and continues to grow.

All this and more in less than a year – and more to come as Bruce Lazenby and his team help our city prepare for the future.

The biggest news of the year was that this Council finally got started on two of the biggest projects in our city’s history – Lansdowne Park and the LRT Confederation Line.

Lansdowne is absolutely bustling – and changing right before our eyes.

And with the LRT project – it was hard not to feel the excitement in the air when we cast a unanimous vote on December 19.

I am so pleased that our Council has been able to work so well together, and get so much accomplished, in the first half of our mandate.

2012 was a year of making decisions.

2013 will be a year of action.

2012 aura été une année de grandes décisions.

2013 sera celle où nous passerons à l’action.

We will achieve our goals as we continue our collaborative approach during the coming year and for the rest of our term.

This year – together – we have provided residents the lowest tax rate in six years at 2.09 per cent.

This is one of the lowest among major Canadian cities, including Montreal, Mississauga, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton.

Our fiscal framework is affordable, fair, predictable, and gives peace of mind to residents.

Our priorities – and our direction – are in step with what residents expect of us.

2013 will see the second full year of Ottawa on the Move – our made-in-Ottawa $340-million program to improve our roads, sidewalks, sewers and other critical infrastructure.

All areas of the city – east, west, south and the core – will see many much-needed projects started, continued and completed.

Families will also enjoy new recreation options this year, right in their communities.

We will soon open a new indoor pool in Orléans – the first indoor pool built since amalgamation.

This year we will also open a new recreation complex in Kanata North – providing a cornerstone to that part of our community.

This is in addition to breaking ground this year for a spectacular new recreation complex in Barrhaven.

We will also turn the sod for Sensplex East in Beacon Hill – an exciting new private-public partnership for our city.

And we will see the Strandherd-Armstrong Bridge completed later this year – connecting Barrhaven and Riverside South.

These are just a few examples of how we will continue to build our city in 2013.

But there is more to do.

Just a few months ago, in Jean Pigott Place, I stood with Mayors of other large Canadian cities to call on the federal and provincial governments for a long-term infrastructure plan.

In all corners of the country, the story is the same.

Gridlock in vital corridors.

And roads and sidewalks that don’t meet the public’s needs.

We saw this with the 174 – and other cities are seeing it with their own infrastructure failures.

In Ottawa, under this Council’s leadership, we put together our first-ever comprehensive report on the state of the City’s physical assets.

And we have weighed those realities against our long-term financial plan.

In 2013, we will continue to push our provincial and federal counterparts to come to the table with funds to help us continue to improve our infrastructure.

En 2013, nous continuerons d’inciter nos gouvernements provincial et fédéral à apporter une aide financière pour améliorer nos infrastructures.

Nous espérons obtenir un financement annuel prévisible, destiné à l’amélioration de nos routes, de nos trottoirs, de nos égouts, et des autres infrastructures essentielles.

The Ottawa River Action Plan remains a key environmental priority for all of us.

The Ottawa River is not only a local landmark, but a national treasure.

We need to protect it.

Both Ministers Baird and Chiarelli have stated publicly their support for this important initiative.

When the next round of infrastructure funding becomes available, I am hopeful that we will be able to secure funding from our federal and provincial partners and so that we can move forward with this key project.

In April, we will make a final decision on the PRESTO smart card system for OC Transpo.

Our goal is to provide a secure, convenient, reliable system for our passengers.

We need to be confident in the system… if we expect our riders to have confidence.

To accomplish this, we have secured a money-back guarantee from Metrolinx.

And if it doesn’t work properly – we will have no fear as a team to say “No” and move on – so that Ottawa taxpayers are protected.

I look forward to seeing the results of the next phase of the pilot and making a final decision in the spring.

Nous mettrons en place les dernières pièces de notre programme en matière d’intégrité.

Cela comprend l’adoption d’une politique sur les dépenses, un code de conduite du Conseil municipal et un registre des cadeaux.

With the assistance of our new Integrity Commissioner, Robert Marleau, our Council continues to stay ahead of the curve on these issues.

It is important to remember that these integrity measures are not just for those of us who are sitting around the table here today – but also future Councils and staff.

When you look at some of the issues faced in other municipalities – these actions show that we are ahead of the pack – and ahead of any potential problems.

We are setting important benchmarks.

You can be certain that other municipalities will look to our example – our leadership – in the months and years ahead.

2013 will be another big sports year for Ottawa.

We are in the final stages of negotiations that will determine whether we have been successful in securing a Double A baseball team for Ottawa in 2014.

In March, we will welcome the CIS Men’s Basketball Championships – with the top eight university teams from across the country – including our defending champion Carleton Ravens.

In April, the IIHF Women’s World Hockey Championships will come to Scotiabank Place and the Nepean Sportsplex.

We will watch our national women’s hockey team inspire our country – especially the girls and boys of Ottawa – as they go for the gold.

And for the first time in more than 120 years, the University of Ottawa Gee Gees football team will finally be able to make its home on campus – at its new field on Lees Avenue – a partnership with the City of Ottawa.

In addition, after a 15-year absence, the Carleton Ravens football team will return to the field.

In May, we will host the Canadian Gymnastics Championships.

Our country’s best – including some local athletes – will compete in a number of events such as artistic, trampoline and tumbling, at the Ernst Young Centre and other venues.

In August, the ITU Duathlon will come to Ottawa.

And in October, we will welcome a National Basketball League of Canada team – professional basketball – to Scotiabank Place for its first season.

All of these events will be great for spectators and participants, and they will provide a boost for our local economy.

Events like this are also great for our brand as a city.

Our 2017 Task Force has been working hard with our tourism partners to ensure we have a co‑ordinated strategy for Canada’s 150th birthday celebration.

We are focusing on leveraging existing events, attracting new ones, finding private sector funding, and exploring possible legacy projects.

Notre Groupe de travail sur les célébrations de 2017 a travaillé fort avec nos partenaires du secteur touristique.

Ensemble, nous allons mettre en place une stratégie pour les célébrations entourant le 150e anniversaire du Canada ici, à Ottawa.

Nous allons également marquer le quatre-centième anniversaire de l’arrivée de Samuel de Champlain dans notre région.

2013 will see the launch of a brand for Ottawa as the destination of choice as we celebrate our great country’s 150th anniversary – just four years from now.

And as I mentioned from the outset – 2013 will be an even more exciting year for Lansdowne and the Confederation Line.

I am more confident than ever that we can deliver these – on time and on budget.

For Lansdowne, anticipation will build throughout 2013 as key parts of the project get started –including the urban park, and retail and residential buildings.

We will also begin to build the brand new outdoor ice rink that will be sure to be a great attraction.

Our staff and contractors are working hard to ensure the new stadium construction is ready for the return of CFL football and the introduction of professional soccer in 2014.

And I will be the first to say that it will be almost surreal to finally get to work on the LRT project.

Speaking with residents at community events, a lot of them take after the Missouri state nickname – the “Show Me” state.

With so much back and forth over the years, sometimes you really do need to see to believe.
Well, we are showing them with Lansdowne, and we will show them with the Confederation Line.

Work will start early this spring to widen the Queensway and fix the Split, adding an additional lane in each direction.

Later this spring, residents will have the opportunity to provide input on the design of the LRT vehicles.

The Alstom LRT vehicles can be customized for each city, and I am very excited to see what symbols and themes residents want to see reflected in the trains that will be assembled right here in Ottawa.

It will also be an exciting time for businesses, as Rideau Transit Group secures the local suppliers, skilled tradespeople and labourers that will be required to build the Confederation Line.

Among the many benefits of LRT, its construction will provide a five-year-long boost to the Ottawa economy.

In 2013, we will undertake several major planning and development initiatives.

This includes the Official Plan, the Transportation Master Plan, the Infrastructure Master Plan, the cycling plan and the pedestrian plan.

These will be focused discussions about how to implement the goal of creating a city that is environmentally, financially and socially sustainable.

And we will have these discussions with the new certainty and confidence that our city will finally get a world-class light rail transit system.

2013 will be a good year for arts and culture in Ottawa.

Because we are a city of artists and innovators.

Of spectators and celebrations.

In addition to the funding that we as a Council are providing the arts community, sometimes you just need someone to step up and facilitate – support – and bring creative people together.

Parce que nous sommes une ville remplie d’artistes et d’innovateurs.

De spectateurs et de célébrations.

En plus du financement que nous fournissons à la communauté artistique, nous pouvons aussi faire notre part pour encourager le rassemblement de gens créatifs.

In the fall, I will invite local artists and enthusiasts for a one day and night Mayor’s Arts Fair at City Hall.

It will be a chance to promote upcoming theatre and concert seasons, sell subscriptions and tickets, as well as learn more about what our arts community has to offer.

I will also lend my name to the first-ever Mayor’s Gala for Arts Court in November.

We will raise funds, as well as excitement, for the future arts and neighbourhood hub on Daly Avenue.

I am delighted to have accepted the invitation from Peter Honeywell from the Council for the Arts in Ottawa, and Alexandra Badzak from the Ottawa Art Gallery to put together an evening to remember.

I hope you will join me in supporting Ottawa’s arts and culture scene.

In the coming year we will also hold our first-ever Rural Expo.

It will be a showcase to allow our rural residents to promote fairs, museums, agriculture and crafts to our urban population.

After all, we are Canada’s largest rural community.

There is much to be proud of and celebrate in great places like Munster, Fitzroy Harbour, Carp, Navan, North Gower and Vars – just to name a few.

The Expo will be held at City Hall within the next year and act as a way for our rural community to boast and show off their talents and products to a larger urban audience.

In October, we hosted our first annual “State of the Economy” event in partnership with the Ottawa Business Journal and the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce.

At that event, I announced the new Capital Investment Track, a City program that will shepherd selected investments through City processes to ensure timely and customer-sensitive service.

We’ve already received much industry interest in this initiative, including a future hotel development being led by a local developer in the ByWard Market.

This new project is expected to create more than 100 jobs, and will enhance Ottawa’s tourism offering.

In 2013 – through this program and others – we can anticipate more good news like this.

At the same time, we must constantly be working to provide our residents with better service.

Service Ottawa will help us do this while providing an estimated $8.8 Million of savings in 2013 alone.

Since the Service Ottawa online portal launched less than a year ago, our website has processed over 33,000 service requests.

Service is now more timely and convenient for our residents

And it means fewer calls to 3-1-1, and shorter line-ups at Client Service Centres.

2013 will see new online service requests including various permits and pet licensing.

Up to 10 business licenses, permits and renewals will go online such as food premises.

We will also add a new “My Ottawa Account” feature for residents and “My Business Account” feature for business.

This will make it easier to do business with the City – all in one place – 24/7.

Also new for 2013, this year the Ottawa Police Service will introduce online reporting of property related crimes.

This will increase the efficiency of the Call Reporting Centre which currently processes approximately 30,000 reports per year.

Ottawa Police Services will also be opening Collision Reporting Centres this year.

These are just some of the ways we are offering new, innovative service options to make life easier for residents.

With hosting so many events in the coming years – the impression we make on our visitors is an important one.

We want to be good hosts.

While it is important that they enjoy themselves at a sporting event, at the Convention Centre, or one of our great hotels, it is often the little things that make an impression.

When you visit a city, regardless of how much fun you had, people will also always notice how clean a city is.

Far too often our streets and sidewalks are strewn with litter.

There are too many pop cans and too much paper on the ground, too many cigarette butts in the streets, and not enough places to put empty cans and bottles.

Il y a beaucoup trop de cannettes vides et de papier sur le sol, beaucoup trop de cigarettes sur les trottoirs, et pas assez d’endroits où les gens peuvent déposer leurs déchets.

In my travels around the city, and what I hear from residents, is that we can do much better.

In 2013, I want to do two things.

First, I will be working with the Environment Committee and staff to ensure we substantially increase recycling options on all major streets throughout the city.

My view is – if we put out garbage cans – we should be equally vigilant in ensuring they stand beside recycling receptacles.

It is a shame and wasteful to see so many recyclables thrown into garbage cans simply because recycling is not widely available on public streets.

Second, we need to find a way to build on such successful programs as Cleaning the Capital – through a new public awareness effort.

Let’s get more people involved in keeping our city green – and let’s make it happen all year around.

Because the City cannot and should not do it alone.

Through renewed efforts, it is my hope that we will see cleaner streets and a renewed sense of civic pride amongst residents.

Over the holidays, I came across a wonderful and appropriate quote from William Shakespeare, when he wrote:

“What is the city but the people?

True, the people are the city.”

Working with Council and staff over the past two years, I have tried to make City Hall more of a people place.

First we added the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame – a tribute to the athletes, coaches and builders throughout our rich sports history.

Then, in partnership with the Ottawa Senators Foundation, we added the Rink of Dreams.

In just its first year of operation, it has seen over 25,500 skaters visit.

Then, we opened the Barbara Ann Scott Gallery.

In its first few months, it has had almost 10,000 visitors.

Most recently, City Hall was the venue for a New Year’s Eve Hogmanay celebration with the Ottawa Scottish Society, and about 5,000 people gathered to ring in the New Year.

Next month, we will be an official host site to launch the 2013 Winterlude.

We also located the Centretown community police centre here.

And we’ve added dozens of pieces of art from our extensive collection to City Hall.

I’ve challenged our art branch to fill every nook and cranny in this building to celebrate our artists and enrich City Hall, with our existing art collection.

Later this year, we will welcome the Karsh Masson Gallery to a permanent home on the first floor.

Grâce au Temple de la renommée des sports d’Ottawa, à la Patinoire des rêves et aux oeuvres d’arts locales qui y sont affichées, l’hôtel de ville est un endroit plus invitant pour les citoyennes et les citoyens.

Last year, staff tells me that more than 115,000 people came to City Hall for various events.

But in a city of 900,000, I think we can do better.

I want residents and visitors to feel at home at City Hall.

I want them to come and visit not just to pay their taxes or get a permit, but to admire art, or skate, or attend a lecture, or join a multicultural pot luck.

In an effort to open the doors even wider, starting this year, each Member of Council will be able to book Jean Pigott Place once a year at no charge for use by a not-for-profit or community group in their ward.

Whether it’s for veterans – a community association – artists – or a cultural group…

I hope that this small gesture will allow even more residents to come and explore their City Hall.

I want to close with a story that a resident shared with me in a letter last year – her name is Lina Gerebizza.

Her father – Mario – came to Canada via Pier 21 from Italy in the mid-20th century, eventually finding his way to start a family in our city.

He took up a job with the City of Ottawa.

Lina wrote, in part:

“Daddy would get all puffed up when relatives visited from out of town or abroad because he would regale them with stories of working for the City of Ottawa.

Over the years, he held a number of positions: landscaper, street cleaner, and road worker… doing repairs in the summer and snow removal in the winter.

All of these jobs he carried out with enthusiasm and dignity each day.

This is the sort of enthusiasm I hope we can continue to bring to our work while we continue to build our city together.

It is always the little things that make the difference.

As Shakespeare wrote: “True, the people are the city.”

And our employees day in and day out help us make our city the special place it is.

It’s the 26 Hydro Ottawa workers who went to the U.S. to provide relief after the devastation of Hurricane Sandy.

Or the two police officers who used a defibrillator to save the life of a resident who suffered a heart attack.

Or the OC Transpo drivers who helped raise money for a 14-year-old who had his cell phone stolen.

The people – our residents and employees – are the city.

Through our actions – big and small – we will continue to be fiercely proud of our city.

And unwavering in our commitment to make it better.

2012 put a lot of important projects in motion.

2013 will see us follow through, stay focused, and continue to get the job done.

En 2012, nous avons commencé une foule de projets importants.

En 2013, nous continuerons avec cette même énergie. Nous resterons concentrés sur nos objectifs et nous continuerons notre bon travail.

Because residents don’t pay taxes to watch us talk in circles.

They want good value for their money, and they want us to work together.

And we’re doing that.

Sometimes just getting as far as passing a motion can seem like the hardest part.

And while that is always a milestone to celebrate, residents will be watching to see if we can actually deliver.

And we will.

2013 will be an exciting year.

And I look forward to many more successes together.

Thank you.

News Release: 2013 – “A Year of Action”

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.

I am very pleased to be here this morning to welcome you to this special event and officially proclaim today AccessAbility Day here in the City of Ottawa.

I want to recognize my Council colleagues and senior staff who are with us today:

·      Councillor Quadri;

·      Councillor El-Chantiry;

·      Councillor Chernushenko;

·      Councillor Deans; and,

·      Councillor Wilkinson.

Senior Staff include:

·      Kent Kirkpatrick

·      Nancy Schepers

·      Rick O’Connor

·      Donna Gray,

·      Rudy Lindia

I would also like to sincerely thank the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation for their participation in hosting this event.

I would also like to thank our Accessibility Advisory Committee for their ongoing support as this marks the ninth year of this event in recognition of the United Nation’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

In keeping with today’s theme of Building People Places by Designing Accessible Spaces…

Council and I are pleased to announce that two weeks ago we solidified our commitment with our approval of the City’s very first Accessibility Design Standards.

The goal of these new standards is to identify accessibility features and criteria in our built environment in order to remove barriers and improve inclusion for our residents.

The new standards will add to our previous four-year, eight-million dollar commitment to our Accessibility Retrofit Program which is the largest investment for accessibility in the history of the City of Ottawa.

Recently, the Comprehensive Asset Management report identified funding to remove barriers in city buildings, parks and public spaces.

Specifically, Council approved a plan to allocate almost $7 million annually for barrier removal.  this is in addition to the funding that is part of the building renewal and retrofit program.

Although the City is committed to removing barriers in our built environment – I want to be realistic about the magnitude of the challenge.

It is currently estimated that the cost to remove all barriers at City buildings and parks is in the order of 150-million dollars.

Everyone in the design and construction industry knows that the cost of retroactively introducing accessibility standards to projects is more expensive than the cost of introducing the standards in the design and planning stages.

This is why the City’s Accessibility Design Standards have been designed to reflect a reasonable and responsible approach based on existing best practices for considering accessibility early in the planning and design phase.

This will help improve consistency across the city and is the most prudent and cost effective approach to improving accessibility in our built environment.

In the New Year, the City will also begin our consultations on our City’s Official Plan and Transportation Master Plan.

We want everyone in our community to tell us how the City can make their neighbourhoods more vibrant and accessible place to live, work, and play.

By making our city more accessible we will be making neighbourhoods move vibrant and open to everyone.

We want to make Ottawa the most accessible capital city in the world.

Designing and planning a community effectively requires community involvement and we are lucky to have talented people like Betty Dion, Gordon Lorimer, Deputy City Manager Nancy Schepers, and Dr. Mariam Lankoande from CMHC who are joining us today.

These individuals have different expertise, but they all share a commitment to creating universal designs.

Betty Dion has received acclaim for her accessible design work with the Ottawa Airport–which has been rated as one of the best airports in North America—and is currently working as part of our Lansdowne team.

Arlene Grégoire, who is our Chief Building Official and Director of Building Code Services will speak to the importance of the Ontario Building Code in our designs.

Nancy Schepers is the Deputy City Manager of Planning and Infrastructure for the City of Ottawa.

Nancy develops and oversees the implementation of management and growth accommodation strategies for the City’s municipal infrastructure assets, including roads, bridges and transit systems.

Nancy is responsible for the development and implementation of the Ottawa Light Rail Transit Project, and oversees all City of Ottawa Real Estate matters.

Nancy will provide an overview of what is in the City’s new standards and how they will be implemented.

Gordon Lorimer, this is an opportunity to share your considerable expertise and to speak about some of the many projects your firm has undertaken with the City.

For example, you firm’s work on Beaver Barracks Redevelopment, or accessibility issues you considered in the recent work on the Glebe Community Centre Redevelopment.

Last, but certainly not least, you will hear from Dr. Mariam Lankoande, who is a Senior Researcher in the Policy and Research Division of Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).

She will speak to the planning required in removing barriers and improving inclusion in housing.

Removing barriers and creating inclusive designs is beneficial to our quality of life and economic strength – creating accessible assets and infrastructure to draw new businesses and tourists.

So, today’s event and discussion are important to get our community engaged and working together to create an accessible city.

It is a community issue that requires a community solution.

Because it is going to take a community solution I am especially pleased that we have been able to partner with CMHC to bring you this event today.

Vivian Chih is joining us today from CMHC.

Vivian is a corporate representative for Eastern Ontario and has been instrumental in fostering partners across the region to create accessible and affordable housing.

I would like to invite Vivian to join me and receive the official proclamation.

Could my Council Colleagues please come forward to assist me.

(Mayor Watson reads proclamation.)

Thank you, and I hope today is informative and sparks creativity.