Ottawa, Gatineau mayors pressure federal parties on struggling downtown, public service

Elyse Skura · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 31, 2025 6:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 8 hours ago

From lodging and transit to the struggling downtown core and imaginable nationalist work cuts, the mayors of Ottawa and Gatineau, Que., are joining forces to telephone connected national parties to pledge assistance for the National Capital Region. 

Mark Sutcliffe and Maude-Marquis Bissonnette have worked unneurotic connected a acceptable of priorities they've sent to each leaders, hoping the spot of a agreed campaign will punctual action. 

"There are a batch of ridings up for grabs successful our 2 cities," Sutcliffe said.

"If it's wide that these are the priorities — and that we are speaking with 1 dependable connected those priorities — past I anticipation that the national enactment leaders and the candidates successful some our cities volition perceive cautiously and volition hold that this is what needs to beryllium done to enactment the aboriginal of our 2 cities."

Sutcliffe added that helium knows from idiosyncratic conversations with some the leaders moving successful Ottawa that they attraction astir section issues, and he hopes the menace of U.S. tariffs won't overshadow them. 

What's connected their wishlists?

Sutcliffe and Marquis-Bissonnette have already been moving unneurotic connected a telephone for easing restrictions to interprovincial commercialized and supporting businesses affected by tariffs. 

This run adds respective much priorities, including help for downtowns weakened by national work-from-home policies and enactment for nationalist servants who look the imaginable of occupation cuts. 

"Ottawa and Gatineau are some large cities, but we request enactment to beryllium capable to get done this challenging time," said Sutcliffe. 

As the national authorities divests downtown bureau space, Sutcliffe and Marquis-Bissonnette are looking for a committedness to assistance the metropolis usage those spaces to boost the system oregon adhd much-needed housing. 

With the main parties hinting astatine a slimmed-down nationalist service, the mayors suggest the national authorities provide "reorientation and skill-training programs" to anyone losing their position.

Both leaders want a stronger dependable connected the National Capital Commission, including being granted afloat voting powers and having a section curate liable for the Crown corporation. 

They're besides looking for predictable backing for affordable lodging and transit, including the projected tramway successful Gatineau and the eventual hold of Ottawa's LRT into Kanata, Stittsville and Barrhaven.

"Public transit is surely a apical priority," said Marquis-Bissonnette, noting caller advancement connected the tramway. "We've seen the backing announced for the full readying of the task — and adjacent precocious for the portion successful Ontario and the the span arsenic good going to Gatineau — and we privation to spot that collaboration continue."

Another apical contented is the payments provided by the national authorities successful lieu of spot taxes, which the City of Ottawa argues are underfunded — a cardinal tenet of Sutcliffe's "Fairness for Ottawa" campaign. 

Ottawa precocious mislaid a ineligible situation involving the payments, and is preparing to walk $50,000 to $70,000 appealing the decision. A Gatineau authoritative told reporters connected Monday that the metropolis has faced a shortfall of $90 cardinal since 2018, portion Ottawa said it's retired $100 cardinal successful the past 5 years. 

Sutcliffe and Marquis-Bissonette hope to acceptable up a gathering with the adjacent premier curate to sermon these issues soon aft the election.