Lili  V.Weemen 

The Candidate

 

Lili is bilingual (English and French) and has both local and international experience, having owned a small business and worked at different levels of government in three countries.  She believes in bringing fresh ideas to city hall for a more vibrant city.

 

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

 

Past:

• She was a member of the transportation committee and a director of Centretown Citizens Community Association Board (CCCA).

• Member of the Nomination and Human Resources Committee and board director of the Ottawa Women’s Credit Union until the recent merger with Alterna Savings Credit Union.

• Director of the Friends of the Ottawa Hospital (General Campus) board.

 

Present:

• Director Community Legal Services Ottawa Centre (CLSOC) board.

• Member of the Centre town Citizens Ottawa Corporation (CCOC).

• Member of the Good Companions Senior Centre.

• Fundraised for prostate cancer for the past three years on Canada day.

• Adopted the intersection of Metcalfe and McLaren Streets under the capital clean up year round except during the winter.

 

 

BACK TO BASICS

 

We should have weekly garbage collection as before and more frequent street sweeping to keep our neighbourhood clean, more garbage bins and making sure the pot holes and puddles are fixed on time.  Better coordination to avoid major disruption and detours during road construction, affecting the public as well as the businesses.

 

HOMELESSNESS

 

It is about time we deal with this issue because it is not acceptable to have homeless people in the capital of one of the richest countries on earth.  Lili favours social housing as a concept as opposed to an address, through public and private partnership. Remortgaging existing public housing freeing up capital to build new units.  The option of buying social housing, instead of renting only.

 

ENVIRONMENT/SUSTAINABILITY

 

Converting Metcalfe street into a grand boulevard with trees on both sides of the street.  Leasing unused “eye sore” properties from owners, converting them into temporary parks to increase green space in centre town.  Moving some parking lots underground and using the surface as green space in the downtown core. Complete streets shared by everybody contribute to a safer and healthier environment.

 

CYCLING/PEDESTRIANS

 

We need a more comprehensive cycling network rather than only the east west bike lane along Laurier because most people do not travel only along Laurier street, but all over the place.  Laurier street is pretty busy and a more quiet street would be safer for cyclists.  Lots of small businesses and seniors living in these apartment buildings have been affected by the Laurier bike lane by eliminating parking spots.  All way cross at busy intersections is safer for pedestrians.

 

TRANSPORTATION

 

Free shuttle bus running up and down the streets of centre town, to avoid parking the cars in the inner city.  With an aging population, it is about time to start test driving driver assisted cars similar to google cars, to enable elderly and disabled who have a car to be independent and not rely heavily on para transpo.  Keep public transit users informed about route changes: OCtranspo should indicate at all bus stops, where the new stop is whenever the bus stop has been moved whether it be for an hour or a day and not let the users wait for ever.

 

BUSINESSES

 

Lower taxes and incentives to retain our businesses in the downtown core.  Over the years we lost many department stores due to various reasons such as lack of parking space, high rent etc.  We need a thriving business community in Somerset ward creating new jobs.