Open Letter to the CBC Ottawa Newsroom and Arthur White-Crummey
October 12, 2026
To the CBC Ottawa newsroom and Arthur White-Crummey,
I am Peter Karwacki, the challenger for Ottawa City Council in Ward 13 (Rideau-Rockcliffe). We spoke briefly at candidate registration on May 1. With the municipal election on October 26, I am writing to request fair attention to this two-candidate race.
Incumbent Councillor Rawlson King and I disagree on several issues that affect residents directly. Voters therefore have a genuine choice, not an automatic return of the status quo. Those differences are documented, with sources, on a single summary page at https://peterkarwacki.blogspot.com/p/peter-karwacki-for-rideau-rockcliffe.html (with further posts and primary documents linked from there).
Key areas of difference include:
• Infrastructure and transportation: Support for the Eastern Bridge (with specific conditions to protect local neighbourhoods, including truck routing, noise/air standards, grade-separated connections, and transit/active-transportation elements on opening day), versus the incumbent’s opposition; the long-delayed Hemlock Road connection at Wateridge Village; and traffic-calming measures such as a traffic circle or equivalent at St-Laurent/Hemlock (and related Beechwood corridor concerns).
• Parks and recreation: The planned loss of the Bathgate Park basketball court (and associated naturalization) relative to amenities elsewhere in the ward, such as Riverain Park; programming and access questions at Jetform Park; and the future of 815 St-Laurent for soccer and other community use.
• Governance and access: Reducing Ottawa City Council from 24 wards to 12 to improve decision-making and reduce costs, and expanding public Wi-Fi hotspots in parks and community spaces.
Each item is on the record with supporting material. The Eastern Bridge in particular is a defining file for the ward and the region; the candidates’ approaches to leverage, conditions, and engagement differ sharply.
I am asking for three practical things so that coverage can inform voters rather than simply note that an incumbent faces a challenger: (1) reporting on where the Ward 13 candidates differ on the issues above; (2) an invitation to any candidate Q&A, debate segment, or voter-guide process CBC is running; and (3) a named contact to whom I can send documents or answers on short notice. I am available at any time to answer questions.
A two-person race with documented policy differences is the minimum condition for residents to exercise a real choice. I hope CBC Ottawa will help provide that information in the remaining days before October 26.
Sincerely,
Peter Karwacki
Candidate, Ward 13 (Rideau-Rockcliffe)
peterkarwacki.overbrook@gmail.com
613-304-5844
https://peterkarwacki.blogspot.com
arthur.white-crummey@cbc.ca
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