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Friday, 3 July 2026

#250 This is not a popularity contest

This time...Vote for Peter Karwacki for Rideau Rockcliffe


Rideau-Rockcliffe doesn't need a councillor who's good at events. It needs a councillor who's good at oversight.

Those are not the same skill. One gets you a warm reception at a community barbecue. The other gets you asking the right question before council signs off on a $95 million landfill purchase that was appraised at $23 million. Ottawa is a $5 billion-a-year operation. That is not a figure of speech — it is the size of the organization our ward's one vote at the council table is supposed to help steer. You don't steer that by showing up.

Attendance is not accountability.

I've been to the same events. I know the buffet circuit — the ribbon cuttings, the community association AGMs, the seasonal socials. They matter. They're where you meet your neighbours and hear what's actually breaking in their lives. But they are not where a $5 billion budget gets examined, and they are not where oversight failures get caught. A councillor who treats the circuit as the job has confused being liked with doing the work.

municipal legislators must always exercise significant and vigilant due diligence, particularly on big projects that the public cannot be expected to follow in detail.
Although the LRT project was approved in 2013, before I arrived on council, in hindsight, I wish I had asked more detailed questions and requested clearer answers earlier than I did. I acknowledge this shortcoming in part because I believe we need to build a greater culture of accountability at city hall. 


Look at what happens when oversight is optional:

  • An independent police workplace investigations office — created in 2022 specifically to fix a documented pattern of harassment and misconduct failures — was quietly shut down in 2023. The Police Services Board wasn't consulted. Members found out the day of their regular meeting.
  • In May 2026, the city's own auditor general found OPS reporting to the board contained flat-out inaccuracies, including outdated figures on the body-camera program. The auditor's word for it was "vague." An oversight board can only oversee what it's accurately told.
  • Council approved a $95 million purchase of a landfill site assembled for roughly $8 million, negotiated behind closed doors under an NDA, on a 20–5 vote.
  • OC Transpo has racked up years of missed performance targets against a backdrop of newsletters listing votes, motions, and commitments — activity without a matching improvement in service.

None of that gets fixed by attending more things. It gets fixed by a councillor who reads the reports, asks who verified the numbers, and is willing to be the one dissenting vote when the room wants to move on.

Popularity and governance pull in different directions.

A popularity contest rewards the councillor who never makes anyone uncomfortable. Serious governance sometimes requires exactly that — asking the question nobody at the head table wants asked, holding up a vote that everyone else is ready to wave through, telling a community association its process advantages incumbents even when that's an unwelcome thing to say to the room that just fed you dinner.



I'm not running to be liked by everyone in Rideau-Rockcliffe. I'm running because this ward, and this city, has real problems that don't get solved by charm: flooding basements with no coordinated protocol, a transit system that's been "improving" on paper for years while riders wait longer, a police oversight structure that keeps discovering after the fact what it should have known in advance, and a ward boundary that keeps producing outcomes nobody voted for.

What I'm asking of Rideau-Rockcliffe

Vote for the person who will read the budget line by line, not the person who remembers your name at the potluck. Those aren't mutually exclusive in theory — but when a ward has to choose, and it does, choose the one who takes the $5 billion seriously. That's the job. Everything else is garnish.

I know this is a harder case to make than it should be. It has been easier for Councillor King to keep this ward comfortable than it has been for me to convince residents they've been made comfortable on purpose. Trust, once given, doesn't ask to be re-examined — it just sits there, quietly renewed every October. Asking you to look again at a vote you've already cast three times is a bigger ask than "trust me" ever is. I'm making it anyway, because the budget and the oversight failures don't get smaller while we wait for that to feel easy.

I know that few people even watched the debate between the King and I.  Bottom Line...

I will not quit, but King did.

One more time...what would you do differently?

 


This time around, inform yourselves, vote differently, vote wisely. Vote for Peter Karwacki for Rideau Rockcliffe.




Twitter
https://x.com/peter_karwacki

Peer Metrics
http://peermetrics.ca/

YouTube
https://youtube.com/@Iamkayaky

TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@peterkarwacki

Unpublished Opinions

https://unpublished.ca/opinion/police-services-board-why-does-it-exist-why-would-a-councillor-resign-from-the-ops


References:

1. Police workplace investigations office shut down (2023)2. Auditor General findings on inaccurate reporting to the Police Services Board (May 2026)3. $95 million landfill purchase
Posted by at 2 comments:

#249 Give Credit Where Credit is Due..NCC Innovation


A Rockcliffe former councillor,  Nussbaum at the NCC, said 

the image of “the capital that fun forgot” no longer rings [not entirely anyway] true

He said this while citing the commission’s work to animate the region’s shorelines, paths and parkways, alongside the work of other organizations in the city.

If Toby was still our councillor I probably would not be running against him.

The changes and innovation at the NCC have been very good in my opinion.


Cities lack the kind of independent officers who act as checks on the executive branch in other levels of government. So, while federal legislators can turn to a Parliamentary Budget Office or the extensive assets of the Library of Parliament for independent policy analysis and research, municipal legislators have no such resources.
This has two implications.
The first is that the municipal public service must scrupulously carry out its statutory obligation to “undertake research and provide advice to council on the policies and programs of the municipality” without fear or favour. This is admittedly easier said than done. One can imagine that providing advice to council that contradicts the public statements or positions of the mayor (such as “on time, on budget”) would make for awkward moments.
Yet this is the obligation that the Ontario Municipal Act has imposed on city managers and their senior officials.
The second implication is that municipal legislators must always exercise significant and vigilant due diligence, particularly on big projects that the public cannot be expected to follow in detail.
Although the LRT project was approved in 2013, before I arrived on council, in hindsight, I wish I had asked more detailed questions and requested clearer answers earlier than I did. I acknowledge this shortcoming in part because I believe we need to build a greater culture of accountability at city hall. 
We are extremely fortunate in the City of Ottawa to have a workforce of dedicated and conscientious staff who serve the residents of our city with professionalism. The public expects neither municipal employees nor their elected officials to be perfect. The public does expect, however, that when mistakes of consequence or misleading statements are made, those in positions of responsibility account for them.
Protecting and promoting the public interest is what binds the executive and legislative branches of government together. For that shared objective to be achieved, we need to constantly be guided by shared principles of transparency and accountability along with a strong dose of courage and humility.
Nothing short of public trust in the democratic process is at stake.


More Summer Fun on the Rideau

By inflating a man made weir/ u, communities can transform shallow, rocky rivers like the Rideau into deep ponds suitable for swimming, rowing, and fishing during dry summer months.


Inflatable weirs (also known as rubber dams) are flexible, air- or water-filled membranes anchored to riverbeds to raise water levels for recreation. They are widely used in urban and natural environments to create deep flat-water reservoirs for swimming and boating, or to power adjustable rapids for whitewater kayaking and surfing.


Unlike fixed concrete weirs, inflatable dams can be completely deflated during heavy rain to allow floodwaters and debris to pass safely. They also allow easier sediment management and can be lowered to safely pass migratory fish.


The Pumphouse: Just around the corner from the Canadian War Museum in downtown Ottawa, is highly utilized by the
Ottawa River Runners for slalom and whitewater kayaking. They worked countless volunteer hours to make this a reality against a backdrop of institutional inertia.


• Flat-Water Pools: By inflating the dam, communities can transform shallow, rocky rivers into deep ponds suitable for swimming, rowing, and fishing during dry summer months.
• Adjustable Whitewater: Specially engineered inflatable spillway gates allow engineers to adjust the height of the weir in minutes, altering river flows to create standing waves for surfers and play-features for whitewater kayakers.
• Environmental & Flood Safety: Unlike fixed concrete weirs, inflatable dams can be completely deflated during heavy rain to allow floodwaters and debris to pass safely. They also allow easier sediment management and can be lowered to safely pass migratory fish.
For those located in the Ottawa region, while large-scale inflatable weirs are primarily municipal, you can experience natural and dam-regulated whitewater and floating recreation nearby:
• The Pumphouse
• Madawaska River & Ottawa River: Located just west of Ottawa/Gatineau, resorts like Wilderness Tours (located in Foresters Falls) and the Madawaska Kanu Centre offer extensive commercial inflatable water parks, guided white-water rafting, and kayak training.
Implementing an inflatable weir or recreation project on the Rideau River along the Overbrook shoreline presents a unique mix of high community potential and strict seasonal, environmental, and structural constraints.

Because this specific stretch of the Rideau river runs past Riverain Park, the Rideau Sports Centre, and dense residential pockets, any transformation must balance park use with intense spring environmental factors.

The Overbrook Rideau River Footprint
The primary zone for potential recreation spans from the Hurdman/417 bridge area down past the Adàwe Crossing to Beechwood Avenue.

1. Inflatable Weir Feasibility: Challenges & Opportunities


 Installing a municipal inflatable weir in this specific section is theoretically possible but complicated due to the following factors:
• The Summer Shallows (The Opportunity): Local paddlers note that the river near the 417 bridge and the Rideau Sports Centre gets incredibly shallow and rocky during July and August. A temporary summer inflation could raise the water level by 1 to 1.5 metres, creating a reliable, deep urban flat-water loop perfect for stand-up paddleboarding, canoeing, and recreational kayaking between Hurdman and New Edinburgh.


 • The Spring Ice Blasting Conflict (The Massive Challenge): Every late February, the City of Ottawa conducts aggressive annual ice-breaking and dynamite blasting operations starting from the Rideau Falls Dam Complex up through Overbrook to Billings Bridge. This prevents catastrophic spring flooding in Overbrook and New Edinburgh.
• Any rubber weir bladder anchored to the riverbed would risk severe structural damage from the shifting ice sheets, amphibious excavators, and explosive charges unless it was thoroughly deflated and armored flat against the riverbed before winter freeze-up.


 2. Immediate, Non-Structural Recreation Possibilities

Without installing heavy permanent or semi-permanent infrastructure like dams, several high-impact recreational activations are highly possible and frequently discussed for Overbrook's waterfront:
• Expanded Public Launch Infrastructure: While the Rideau Sports Centre offers private access and rentals, constructing a dedicated, accessible public dock or beach-style launch at Riverain Park would dramatically open up the river for local paddlers.
• Seasonal Inflatable Water Parks: Instead of a structural weir in the riverbed, the city or a private partner could anchor a seasonal, floating inflatable playground (similar to the commercial park at Wilderness Tours) right off the shores of Riverain Park during low-flow summer months.
• Eco-Tourism & Heritage Trails: The shorelines of Overbrook feature rich natural environments and historical paths (celebrated locally by initiatives like the Poets' Pathway).
Enhancing the shoreline paths with viewing decks, urban fishing platforms (targeting the river's native sportfish), and educational signage regarding the Rideau Waterway UNESCO World Heritage Site status is easily achievable.

When I first ran for office in 2019, it was Nussbaum, not King, that set the standard to which I aspire. 

I am asking Rideau Rockcliffe to imagine what is possible as well as what is necessary and what is needed.


I will not quit.

This time around, inform yourselves, vote differently, vote wisely.  Vote for Peter Karwacki for Rideau Rockcliffe



Posted by at 1 comment:

Thursday, 2 July 2026

#248 Emergency Preparedness in Rideau Rockcliffe

What does emergency preparedness look like in Rideau Rockcliffe?  You need a buffer of supplies and know how.

1. Back up water supplies

2. Back up food supplies

3. Emergency power backup

4. Emergency cash... atm's out of order

5. Working bicycle or ebike

6. Physical conditioning

7. Access to power tools like chainsaws, sump pumps , and the knowledge how to use them.

With flooding more prevalent the protocols need to  be commonly understood

Flooded basement Protocol

  •  Move out contents, rip out flooring, rip out bottom 18" of dry wall...or more, remove wet insulation, all to prevent or minimize black mould
  •  Then dry it all out with fans, and commercial grade dehumidifiers.
  • Apply a mould inhibiter 
  • You'll need a dumpster for the torn out materials  damp and damaged linens, furniture and anything adversely affected. DRY Things out ASAP.
  • Level and Seal the slab after it dries out
  • Reinstall insulation, pull down original vapor barrier and secure to dried out stud and plate
  • install drywall and plaster, sand
  • Prime and paint drywall
  • Install dimpled PET floor cover
  • ReInstall vapor seal
  • Install flooring

8. Communications backup.. more than one cell account

9. Flashlights and batteries, solar backups

10. Sufficient medications and first aide supplies

11. Know your neighbors, help them out, they'll help you too. Figure out how to deal with the stress. Remember to eat, drink water, sleep.

12. Your own emergency plan including a ready bag, contact numbers, cash, a buddy, meetup points, a plan of action when things go pear shaped.

There is much to consider...when there is no emergency.  Try and practice. Pretend there is an emergency.

The need to think the unthinkable and imagine the unimaginable...

The tragedy in LAHAINA, Hawaii is instructive concerning the need for wards of municipalities to be prepared. Here's a list of the crazy things that happened during the Lahaina wildfire: 

1. Police turned cars back towards the wildfire fearing downed power lines;

2. They fought over water supply to fire trucks;

3. They did not sound alarms;

4. Because power lines were not buried, they collapsed in the fire;

5. Combustibles abounded all around;

6. Lack of organization and planning delayed the evacuation;

What about Rideau- Rockcliffe?

The question now arises--what hazards and proclivities pose the greatest risk to our ward?

Here is a short list: 

1. Nuclear detonation

  • Owing to adversarial Putin and Canada's NATO alliance...things could escalate.
  • Hiroshima has informed us.

2. Contamination of water supply--the Ottawa River

  • The Ottawa River is soon to be down-stream from a nuclear waste dump in Deep River; prevention is the answer here.

3. A great conflagration in Gatineau park

  • Climate change, drought and pine beetles have wreaked havoc all around us. The national capital is not immune to wildfires. Clear combustibles from around your home. Consider a metal roof to resist hot flying embers from the flames.

4. Multiple tornados striking the ward

  • The band of tornados seems to be moving north. We have been lucky but a highway seven event is possible. You need emergency backup power.

5. Natural Disaster

  • Massive heat wave...or ice storm, climate change is palpable now...but could get worse...the changes may not be linear or manageable. You need cooling systems and fans.

6. Aliens land 

  • The Americans admit that UAP are not proven to be extra terrestrial..."but we do not know what they are!"
  • ;o)  just kidding, they are ours.

7. Racial, gang or worker strife... including trucker convoy styled protest or general strike

  • The trucker convoy was proven effective as a protest. It could happen again. In fact protests could become more common.
  • Roaming gangs of thugs protocols
Probably not much you can do unless you have Surrey neighbors with baseball bats to discourage ner's do wells.

8. Hazardous materials incident

  • 417 Traffic on the Queensway often grinds to a halt backing up traffic in the nation's capital. A hazardous waste incident during a traffic tie up could have disastrous consequences.
9. Overland inundation

  • On July 1st, 2026 Otawa received about 200 mm of rain over four hours. Things go sidewalks when you get that much water. The drains just cannot handle it. Basements flood, personal property damage escalates. People get stressed out. Implement flooded basement protocol as per above.

One of the problems in Lahaina was that they did not practice and they did not imagine the worst case. Can we learn from Lahaina and not just think the unthinkable but be proactive as a community to mitigate those risks?

Even if the City and ward refuse to practice, you and your family and neighbors can and should practice

 Expect the unexpected. Imagine the unimaginable.

Again, these are a few of the possibilities. There are others of course, including air crashes, plagues, etc.

Rideau Rockcliffe does have an emergency planning process but have stopped short of trying to predict the future... It is focused on city assets and process:

https://ottawa.ca/en/health-and-public-safety/emergency-preparedness#section-0116fca7-414f-4d72-954d-7097cd1f1be3


Consider who you want to plan for the future emergencies. Choose somebody who can think clearly under pressure and will not quit.

This time around, inform yourselves, vote differently, vote wisely.  Vote for Peter Karwacki for Rideau Rockcliffe


Posted by at 1 comment:

#247 Campaign Web Page


 

https://peterkarwacki.blogspot.com/p/peter-karwacki-for-rideau-rockcliffe.html?m=1#


Optimized for your phone

This time around, inform yourselves, vote differently, vote wisely. Vote for Peter Karwacki for Rideau Rockcliffe.

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Wednesday, 1 July 2026

#246 OOPS - oversight, no oversight


In February 2022, as the trucker convoy occupation dragged into its third week, city council voted to overhaul the Ottawa Police Services Board. 

The trigger was the board's sole-source hiring of Matt Torigian to replace outgoing chief Peter Sloly, done without consulting council — chair Diane Deans maintained the board alone had legal authority over that hiring under provincial legislation. Fallout was immediate: Torigian himself terminated his two-day-old contract rather than come to Ottawa, Deans was removed as chair, and councillors Rawlson King and Carol Anne Meehan, plus citizen board member Sandy Smallwood, all resigned in the same meeting. Eli El-Chantiry took over as chair the next day, uncontested.

King didn't go quietly. In his official resignation statement, he called the mayor's claim that the board hadn't been effective in its oversight function "highly disingenuous and insulting" to colleagues who, he said, had been working tirelessly within their scope of responsibility. He argued the board had exercised oversight in the strongest way available to it — public and in-camera meetings, pressing the chief to use every resource at his disposal.

That was King's claim: this board, as constituted, was doing its job.

Four years later, it's a claim worth testing against what actually happened to oversight at the Ottawa Police Service between then and now.

What the board didn't know

In 2022, OPS and its board jointly created an independent workplace investigations office — set up specifically to handle harassment and misconduct complaints outside the normal chain of command, a direct response to years of documented failures on gender-based misconduct. In 2023, that office was shut down. The board wasn't consulted. Members found out the day of their regular October meeting.

That gap shouldn't happen to a functional oversight body. A structural safeguard was quietly removed, and the body responsible for oversight learned about it after the fact.

What the audit found

In May 2026, the city's auditor general released findings on OPS project management: projects sometimes proceeding without proper budgets, and reporting to the board that in places contained flat-out inaccuracies — including outdated figures on the body-camera program in a December 2025 report. The auditor's word for the information reaching board members and OPS leadership was "vague," with risk not properly flagged.

An oversight board can only oversee what it's accurately told. This audit says, on the record, that it often wasn't.

We can only guess what might have happened had King and his colleagues chosen to stick things out rather than bail.

I will not quit.

This time around, inform yourselves, vote differently, vote wisely.  Vote for Peter Karwacki for Rideau Rockcliffe



Posted by at No comments:

#245 Canada Day 2026

 


This year is an election year in Ottawa. Will you actually vote?

Will you hold your currently elected officials to account?

You may think they are friends, fine people, good community members - that's fine but they must be held accountable for their decisions in a functioning democracy.

It's not personal, it is necessary.

Hold the whole lot of them to account if you cannot pick just one but things must change!





This time around, inform yourselves, vote differently, vote wisely.  Vote for Peter Karwacki for Rideau Rockcliffe



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