Author: andrasthehun

Public Engagement Goes Off the Rails, My Rant for the Day

April 23, 2022

Four City Councillors, four staff members, and two councillor staff held a zoom meeting last night where eight people hooked up to discuss the preparation of the City of Ottawa’s Solid Waste Master Plan for the next thirty years. I was one of the eight people. I am sure that all the Councillors informed their voters of the upcoming consultation in their recent newsletters; that is how I learned about the meeting.

We spent a couple of hours listening to a presentation by city staff followed by an open discussion, but only eight people were interested enough to hook up in a city of a million people! That is a shame.

One reason for the lack of interest may be that the city has a habit of consulting but not listening. That is what most people think. Public reviews for proposed high-rise buildings in settled residential neighborhoods often trigger huge local opposition by area residents, but they have very limited success with their objections. The developers usually get what they want in terms of height limits and other requirements beyond what the zoning code allows. People had gotten frustrated and lost faith in the city’s consultation process.

Another reason could be the subject. You know people get riled up and show up in huge numbers to oppose a highway going thru their neighborhood arguing that it will destroy their property values and the cohesiveness of the neighborhood. Perhaps planning for solid waste management is not a subject people are concerned about. So was this high-level zoom meeting with councillors necessary?

Was city staff aware of the scant interest the public has in preparing the Solid Waste Master Plan? They had organized half a dozen zoom meetings (and planned for special target group meetings as well) about various aspects of the plan, such as technology, changing behavior to reduce solid waste, and so on.

I had signed up for some of these zoom meetings and had found participation low, with only dozens of people attending. City officials had reported on the status of the plan at these sessions. The public attendees asked for clarifications and often the response was that “it is a good question” or “working on this and get back to you”.

In response to my question at one of these meetings, the program manager said that the cost per family for solid waste removal is $150 in Ottawa while in other Canadian municipalities, the cost ranges up to hundreds of dollars. But she did not explain how the delivery of the services compares to having such a wide divergence in cost.

One consultation subject was to make high-rise buildings separate organic from other waste; there is typically one chute for high-rise residents to dump waste. I asked how come the City Council just considered that exact policy for approval when we are supposed to be debating the subject? The answer was that some elements of the plan that enjoy wide consensus will be approved during this consultation process. I asked myself: why are we here then?

Then I signed up for one of the focus group sessions to which immigrants and BIPOC people (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) were invited. City officials planned two zoom sessions, one for immigrants and another one for BIPOC people, only to merge the two groups the day before the planned date. Obviously, they did not generate enough interest from those target groups to have two sessions. And, as it turned out, I was the only one who signed on.

The coordinator addressed me when the meeting started via the zoom audio channel, asking if I wanted to carry on alone since I had heard the standard presentation a few times. I was interested in listening to what other people had to say about the plan and with me as the only participant; I declined to carry on with the meeting.

Maybe it is the wrong time to engage people at this early stage of the planning process. At a more advanced stage, there may be issues that impact people directly. Such as the cost of acquiring new technology. Or buying land to expand the Trail Road dumpsite. Such initiatives could call for additional debt to the city that the city would pass on to the residents. That would hit people’s pockets books and they might show up to express their displeasure or support such additional expenditures.

I think some people are tired of consultations, some are complacent and some may not be interested in solid waste management. For now, though, I would recommend the City save money on their professional public engagement bureaucracy, pay overtime for night work, and fancy presentations and fix potholes on our major roads. Just my opinion.

Head-Scratchers, or How to Get a Balanced View of World News

April 20

What paper or journal do you read and watch to make sure you get a balanced view of what is going on in this world? A friend posed this question to me: he said he was trying to advise his son on what to read/watch. By balanced, he meant views not only on the right but also on the left – he looked for views and opinions describing facts and behavior from the far right to the left liberal woke community, and all others in between.

I told him I get my information on current events from many sources: newspapers, online and paid subscriptions, as well as the internet and television, and radio. I read many newspapers across the political spectrum and could not single out one that is the best or that would provide a balanced viewpoint. But subscription cost is a factor, and I gave up on many first-rate Canadian newspapers charging up to forty dollars a month.

But most newspapers give you ten free articles to read a month, such as the Guardian or the Toronto Star. By accident I noticed an ad for the Washington Post, a liberal newspaper, for an annual subscription for nineteen dollars US and subscribed, not believing that it was a genuine offer. But it was, and I have been receiving the digital copy of the paper ever since at the originally advertised price. In contrast, reading the New York-based “Epoch Times” provides a conservative angle.

The internet and television are other excellent sources of news. Fox News has the reputation of being a right-wing propaganda channel, while CNN has more of a left-wing bias. So between the two, you may get a “balanced” view.

An overarching theme over the past several years has been “climate change”. Whether you believe IPCC reports or follow Steve Koonan’s contrary arguments, it is your choice. Koonin’s name to fame is that he was a scientific advisor to Obama (his book published in 2021, entitled “Unsettled” explains his views). But many people follow their prejudices and if they believe that climate change is a hoax, then Koonin provides support for their beliefs. There are volumes written on this subject and you can read up on both sides of the story, although the bulk of evidence in my readings supports that ‘climate change” is real.

The other major story over the last two years, of course, has been the pandemic. One source of disagreement focused on whether the virus came from China: several studies concluded it did, while others did not. Another controversial subject was whether the World Health Organization announced the pandemic in time or was late, with dire consequences. President Trump’s approach to downplay the virus, in the beginning, was also a source of controversy. And then his continuing approach to downplay the virus-caused catastrophe was further debated. You could listen to Fox News or CNN, to hear conflicting arguments.

And now the major news item is the war in Ukraine. Depending on which newspapers you read or TV channels you listen to, you get various arguments on whether the US is doing the right things. Although most news stories characterize the war as “unprovoked”, the New York Times’s Thomas Friedman quoted George Kennan (expert on Russia in the US) who commented that the expansion of NATO was a mistake when Russia was not a threat and that it triggered Putin’s war in Ukraine. So, who or what do you believe?

I told my friend that besides listening to all the different news sources, my interest is in “head-scratchers”: stories that make you scratch your head and ponder if the news makes sense based on the information provided and my built-up knowledge.

For example, to defend the Odessa region in Ukraine, a consortium of Canadian industry executives wrote to the Canadian Defense Minister that Canada send twenty-four anti-ship Harpoon missile systems to Ukraine: The Royal Canadian Navy has two hundred of them in storage. This recommendation follows Canada’s promise to Ukraine to send lethal weapons. But the Defense Department has yet to respond. What is the holdup? Are Harpoons not functional? Would Canada ever need these weapons to defend its coasts? If there are legitimate reasons for not sending these weapons, then some explanations would be in order. So, I scratch my head.

Another example. While the US, major European countries, and the EU expelled Russian diplomats as a symbol of outrage against the unprovoked war in Ukraine, Canada refused to do so. The Prime Minister said such diplomatic expulsions would lead to retaliation by the Russians that would lead to Canada losing its “eyes and ears” in Moscow. Is that true? Do the other countries not lose their “eyes and ears” as well, but do not consider it important? But is intelligence gathered only by people on the ground? Do we not have cyber intelligence? And why do we think that while all the other major countries of the Western alliance can do without people on the ground in Moscow, Canada cannot? The scenario makes little sense to me. So, I scratch my head.

What is also incomprehensible to me is that the Deputy Prime Minister and who is also the Finance Minister of Canada has Ukrainian ancestry and has been vocal about assisting the Ukrainians. Words have been flowing freely about supporting fully the Ukrainians, and the recent budget had money allocated to helping Ukraine. But instead of words, action is required now and not in a few months that budgetary processes take. In a few months, the war may be over. Another headscratcher.

As our Prime Minister Trudeau said in the 2015 election victory, “Canada is back”. According to John Ivison in a recent column in the National Post, Canada is more “at the back” of the countries providing meaningful and timely help to Ukraine. Canada is the ninth of twelve countries, providing financial and military aid to Ukraine, after Estonia. Are we experiencing bureaucratic malaise? We do not want to antagonize Russia by sending powerful weaponry to Ukraine? And if so, why not? Does that make sense?

My advice to the friend’s son would be to listen and read widely and try to understand events from all points of view. And the understanding will deepen with events that do not seem to make sense.

Rambling and Random Thoughts on Covid and Cannabis

April 14, 2022

The two-year pandemic took its toll on people. There were lockdowns. The Canada/US border was closed. Even the Ontario and Quebec border was closed for a while. My community center where I play cards and my gym was closed on and off. People got cabin fever. When our border opened and Covid mandates lifted, people felt like they gained the freedom to get back to life. And jumped for joy.

Joy for Kathy and me comprised taking a quick trip to see grandchildren in Durham, NC. Crossing the border into the US was a pleasure; as in the old days, the US border guard asked where we were going and for how long. That was it. There was no masking required and nobody asked for a vaccine passport.

And Durham was great with the grandson going to a UNC and Virginia Tech ball game where masks were scarce. And they sold beer and popcorn. Refreshing. In the grocery stores, many people wore masks, and nobody paid attention to unmasked people. It was up to you if you wanted to be more cautious and wear a mask.

When talking with people, I found the American attitude towards the virus relaxed. In contrast, my friends at home drop comments about having to be careful: “the current sixth wave is serious”. In the US, people believe they have to live with the virus and take responsibility for their actions.

Coming from Ottawa, the lack of cannabis stores in Durham was a total surprise. It is illegal to sell cannabis in NC. By the last count, there were one hundred and eight cannabis stores in Ottawa, with another forty being considered for licensing by the Ontario authorities. Along the “green mile” on Wellington Street in Ottawa, I heard there are nine cannabis stores. (We should compare this number to the thirty-six liquor stores in Ottawa).

Do we have too many cannabis stores in Ottawa? Will there be an amalgamation of ownership of these stores? I do not know. Are there disadvantages to having so many stores? Some of the BIAs claim cannabis stores on the street can negatively affect other stores coming to the area.

I have not visited cannabis stores, but perhaps, will. For now, I find their storefronts and fancy names outlandish, garish, and suggestive, like: “Dutch Love” and “Spiritleaf”. But obviously, there is a growing market for them.

Coming back to Canada reminded us that Canada still considers the virus a threat: we had to fill out an “arrivecan” form. My Samsung phone stored my data from previous returns to Canada and it took me literally two minutes to fill out the form. Kathy used her iPhone that brought up an outdated “arrivecan” form that demanded proof of an antigen test. She tried to get the most up-to-date form with no success. Do you think the government could get its IT group organized? After a while, I filled out the form for her on my Samsung phone that worked. At the border, the Canadian border official was pleasant, and we crossed the border in a couple of minutes, having our “arrivecan” approved in advance.

On the second day at home, I received an email from Public Health Canada reminding us to quarantine:

“IF YOU:

Were NOT randomly selected to complete COVID-19 molecular testing

THEN, YOU MUST:

for the 14 days after you entered Canada, monitor yourself for symptoms of COVID-19; and maintain a list of the names and contact information of every person you have come into close contact with during the 14 days AND all of the places you have been”.

It was not clear why this requirement exists: I thought with our three vaccinations we were safe, and quarantining was unnecessary. The email explained that people arriving from outside Canada need to quarantine, but it was blurry if coming back is from the US or elsewhere. I wish the government people could write clearly.

Solid Waste Plan Focus Groups. Ottawa

Woke focus groups

April 1, 2022

Have you heard of the solid waste planning process in Ottawa? Probably not. But it is an extensive and expensive project to serve Ottawa for the next thirty years. It may cost upwards of a hundred million dollars and it will affect your daily activities. 

As a typical person, you want to get rid of your garbage at the least cost in an environmentally suitable manner (for example, do not throw your garbage onto the street).

Do you really care what technology the City uses? Is it aerobic or anaerobic? Do you know the difference?

Garbage collection and disposal are not like movies where you may like romantic, warlike, adventure, or science fiction movies. Your choices with garbage disposal shrink primarily to cost and the environment.

And the cost is a small part of your total living costs that includes property taxes, electricity, and utilities. I never thought much about garbage collection and disposal in my spare time. 

But the City is developing a long-range plan that will take three years to finish. A consultant did background work in identifying quantities of garbage the city accumulates annually by type: recyclable, organic, bulk garbage (construction materials), etc, and projected trends for thirty years.

To provide input for the plan, the city started a series of public consultations to find out what people think about the way garbage is collected and disposed of.

I took part in a zoom meeting organized by the city to discuss options for garbage reuse. There were thirty people in attendance, with five people from the city. If you broke the meeting down by time, city officials provided information most of the time, leaving precious little time for public input that was scant and needed prodding from the city officials. 

The city researched and developed the proposals, but the consultation process is difficult: if it is a highrise going up behind your house, it has a direct impact on you and you express your views strongly. Here, the consultation relates to something decades in the future, and people’s interest wanes. 

After the options were presented, they asked the audience to prioritize the various proposals. In one chart, “repair cafes”; “sharing libraries”; “community events” and “community strategies” were the options. These options propose venues exchanging or using goods surplus to you but usable to others.

Although the audience expressed their priorities in the ensuing discussion; I wondered if they had experience with them. I had never heard of “repair cafes” and “sharing libraries”. My surplus stuff that is still useful, ends up with charities or is sold. 

 I understood that the previous two zoom meetings had about fifteen people each in attendance. The population of the city is a million people. A few dozen people per consultation do not give you confidence that public opinion is fully collected.

The city arranged for seven zoom meetings on various aspects of the solid waste plan, and five focus groups for specific target populations. 

The focus groups are:

older people (not defined for age), young people (not defined for age), immigrants, BIPOC, and 2SLGBTQQIA+; do you know what the last two terms mean? I did not. I had to look them up on the internet.

Do young and old people have different ideas from middle-aged people regarding garbage? And immigrants? Could these people not join the other zoom meetings? By having focus groups concentrating on these people, do we assume their views on garbage collection and disposal differ from the rest of us? Is that likely? I have a sense of wokeness arranging these focus groups. 

I admire the amount of effort the city puts into the consultation process versus the payoff; the city’s intention to get public feedback and, ultimately, acceptance of its solid waste management plan is desirable. But the consultation should be more specific. For example, do not just ask if you would use the city depots for hazardous waste disposal but ask how far would you drive to drop off your paint cans. And do not separate special groups for the consultations. Just my opinion.

Ottawa City Builder Award

March 25, 2022

Do you remember the truck convoy occupying downtown Ottawa for a few weeks from the end of January 2022? The convoy that gained international attention and inspired copycats? Me neither. But it was a big deal, according to the papers. The papers said the convoy “tortured” the community with their constant honking, boisterous behavior, and the diesel fumes spewed by the trucks. They said Ottawa was under “siege”. The convoy triggered invocations of a “state of emergency” by the City of Ottawa, the Province of Ontario, and last, by the federal government. And a class-action lawsuit started against the organizers of the convoy.

From my perspective, life went on as usual. Like most in the City of Ottawa, I did not experience any inconvenience. I saw the activities taking place on TV; all limited to the small Parliamentary Precinct, downtown Ottawa. There were no break-ins, no damage to property. And the police peacefully moved the convoy out of the area on the weekend of February 18. A couple of people who complained about police brutality are being investigated (out of the 5 to 10,000 people who showed up on the weekends).

I had trouble hearing expressions like the city was under “siege” and the noise “tortured” people. If they referred to Ukraine or Syria, I would have understood. But in Ottawa? Surely those were flights of imagination.

The convoy started in Vancouver and gathered hundreds of followers along the way to Ottawa. The original purpose of the organizers was to demonstrate against covid mandates; spawned by federal regulations to have all truckers vaccinated when coming into Canada from the United States. By the time the convoy reached Ottawa, however, the purpose of the convoy was hijacked by right-wing activists who morphed the original purpose into much bigger unreasonable demands. My view is that the entire episode could have been avoided by the federal government talking with the convoy organizers before it grew into a kind of vaporous monster. But it did not happen.

Because of the lack of action by all levels of government to deal with the convoy, a young woman, Zexi Li, twenty-one years old, fed up with the noise in her downtown neighborhood, called residents in her building together with a community police officer to discuss the situation and ask the police to do something about it. At the meeting, she discovered that lawyer Paul Champ was preparing a class action suit against the convoy organizers and was looking for a lead plaintiff. She volunteered to become the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit. The first action of the lawsuit was a successful injunction to stop the honking. The rest of the class-action suit is ongoing.

Being the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit made her suddenly newsworthy in Ottawa and, for her initiative and determination to reduce the bothersome activities of convoy members in her community, she received the Mayor’s City Builder Award this week.

Did the Mayor choose wisely? I looked up previous recipients of the award and what I found striking was that all of them have worked on worthy causes for years, many for decades, raising thousands of dollars for good causes; providing educational and other services over long periods.

This is what the Mayor’s award is:

“The Mayor’s City Builder Award is a civic honor created to recognize an individual, group, or organization that has, through their outstanding volunteerism or exemplary action, demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to making our city a better place today and for the future. This may include lifelong service, outstanding acts of kindness, inspiring charitable work, community building, or any other exemplary achievements.”

I congratulate Ms. Li for her leadership, initiative, and guts. She assumed responsibility when others did not. But her leadership had one concrete event resolved: she triggered an injunction to stop honking. A one-time affair, not a sustaining multi-year effort, making the community a better place for the future. She brought back the community to its normal quiet existence, having been inconvenienced for a few weeks. There is no sustained effort required to keep the current status quo. The “event” is over. Her determination certainly deserved recognition by our city government. Perhaps a formal thank you? But, a City Builder Award? The class-action suit is ongoing. But I wonder if she did not rise to the occasion, someone else would have volunteered to become a “lead plaintiff”. Just my opinion.