Category: Uncategorized

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.

What is Community Engagement in Ottawa

February 24

What is Community Engagement in Ottawa?

We called it “citizen participation” in the late sixties in Norfolk, Virginia, where I worked for the City of Norfolk as a city planner. Urban renewal was in vogue and I had to liaise with community groups in the inner cities where urban renewal took place. The program replaced dilapidated homes with public housing.

To help to identify what the residents of the inner city wanted in their neighborhood – in their homes and open space surrounding them–we played interactive games. We had paper cutout benches, models for housing types and asked for their preferences. We tried to develop a plan from their input. That was called “citizen participation”. To get federal program funding, we had to show and describe how we worked collaboratively with the inner-city people (mostly African Americans) in Norfolk, Virginia.

I have often wondered if and how the City of Ottawa would invite the public to comment on upcoming developments in our neighborhood. My curiosity increased with my discovery that over 3000 apartments units in highrise buildings have been proposed in our neighborhood in the last few years. Construction has already started on some of them.

 Where will all these people come from to fill these new units? And who will pay for the infrastructure required by the increased demand for roads and utilities? Who is the target market for all these units: families, singles, retirees? What effects would all these proposals bring to our traffic? To our water and wastewater systems, and electrical grid? Would our taxes go up to pay for the new infrastructure required or do developers pay for the increased demand for these services?

So it pleasantly surprised me when I saw an ad in my local community newsletter in Ottawa. The City of Ottawa, it said, was accepting applications for “community engagement” to review neighborhoods’ development proposals. What better way to understand plans for our neighborhood than to take part with the city in reviewing these proposals So, I jumped on the opportunity and applied.

The response to my application came a few days later, advising me: I have to belong to the local community association; sign a “non-disclosure” agreement, and that I’ll need some training provided by the City. Instead of providing training, I expected the City to find out what skills I would bring to these reviews. I sat back, awaiting info on my training.

When cleaning up my old emails yesterday, I came across my exchange with the City on the application I submitted ten weeks ago. Wow! I followed up and copied my local City Councillor on my response. That did the trick: I received an email from the city the day after explaining that their “priorities have changed” and that is why I have not heard from them. But someone will follow up this Spring. Does that mean that they have one training program in the Spring? Or that they do not need volunteers anymore?

More importantly, does the City want “community engagement” or just check boxes to reflect “political correctness”? I suspect the latter: the email I received from the City to my application ends with three expressions; “Thank you” “Mercy” and “Migwetch”! The first two words are standard in a bilingual city with English and French. But the last word got my interest. It is in a native language meaning “thank you”. OK. We are politically correct, the City occupies Algonquin lands and I suspect the native language word is an acknowledgment of that.

But only five percent of the Ottawa population is of native origin. The same percentage of the population is Chinese, Arabic, and Asian. Will we see “thank you” notes in City of Ottawa letters in Chinese and Arabic and Hindi as well to acknowledge other major ethnic groups? Just a question.

However, my more serious concern is the commitment of the City to “public engagement” – it has now been three months since I applied in response to a request by the City for “public engagement”. It looks like it will be another three months before there is a “training” session. The sluggishness and response to my inquiry lead me to believe that the City is more interested in checking boxes than receiving input from citizens on development proposals. Just my opinion.

Ottawa Under Siege?

February 18

The headline said “Ottawa under siege” and then “Ottawa under occupation”. I live in Ottawa and frankly, I did not understand what they were talking about. In our neighborhood, there was nothing different from yesterday or the week before. Or the month before. I did not see one single truck pulling through our streets. I went shopping, went for my walks, and continued with my usual activities, including going to the gym, etc. so where is this siege?

Ottawa’s population is one million people; the metro area, including the Quebec side (the City of Gatineau), is one and a half million people. One part of the downtown area is the Parliamentary Precinct that is one kilometer long along Wellington Street and is a narrow band of land housing the Center, East and West blocks plus the Supreme Court building and the Archives (Parliament meets in the Center Block). The northern boundary of the Parliamentary District is the Ottawa River. The Precinct is a narrow sliver of land.

The protesters jammed up Wellington Street and then expanded to occupy the next few streets in the downtown area. Most of the buildings in this area are office buildings but include some condo high-rises. Further out there are more low rise residential apartments. The protesters occupied a four-block area going south from Wellington Street. I do not know how many people live in the occupied zone, but I would hazard to say that there are no more than a thousand.

The diesel fumes, the honking, the dancing, and the parties plus the fires where the protesters drank and conducted themselves in a loud manner surely irritated the nearby residents. And there was taunting as well for people who wore masks. But there was no vandalism to speak of and what I heard was that it was a party type of atmosphere downtown. OK. So the occupation was downtown and covered the kilometer-long Wellington Street and a few parallel streets south of Wellington. So would that be half a square kilometer area: it is one kilometer long and half a kilometer wide? The area of the City of Ottawa is 2800 square kilometers, not including the Quebec side). So we are talking about much less than one percent of the area of Ottawa where the occupation is.

But, the occupied area is an important part of Ottawa, both economically and symbolically.  Many people, including government employees, work remotely, away from the downtown area. Their absence hurt downtown shops economically.

The Parliamentary Precinct is an important tourist destination as well, even in the winter. No question that the protesters create a nuisance for people living and working in the area. But to claim that the City is under siege is an overstatement. It is an exaggeration beyond reason. Outside of the small affected area, the city is carrying on normally as if there were nothing dramatic occurring.

I live nine kilometers from Parliament (by road) and if it were not for the newspapers and television, I would not have known that there was is an “occupation” downtown. For people with no interest in politics and no desire to go downtown, the protest is nothing more than an interesting episode on television. Please, do not exaggerate and sow panic! Just my opinion.

My gout story; Canadian healthcare

February 14

When I woke up one night with a pain in the first digit of the middle finger of my right hand, my first impression was that it had to be gout. I had some gout flareups before and it always started with sudden pain during the night. The weirdest thing is that once it happened in Dawson City after we hiked the Chilkoot Trail in Alaska and the other time it happened in Chennai, India when we did charity work. Perhaps it happens during unusual and maybe stressful times, although I remember it happened at home, in Ottawa years ago as well. The usual treatment has been some anti-inflammatory tablets for a week. But not this time.

I wanted to see my GP but met a doctor substituting for her, whose first comment was that my swelled digit was a powerful middle finger to show someone to bug off – said in jest and taken as such. Then he sent me for an x-ray and gave me a prescription for anti-inflammatory medicine. And come back in two weeks. So far, so good. When I returned, I was scheduled with another doctor. She said the x-ray did not show gout and said I was on the right track. Then she examined all my fingers and toes and noticed that I had a toe enlarged by an accident a few years ago that never healed properly and looked like gout with puss oozing out of it. So she prescribed anti-biotic medicine for me and another anti-inflammatory to speed up the healing. Again, come back in two weeks. This third visit, with yet another doctor at the clinic, told me I was improving and took pictures of my finger and toe. The next time a fourth and again, a different doctor said that I was on the right track but sent me to a rheumatologist to deal with my gout for the long term and also noticed that one of my toes is pink, indicating perhaps that blood circulation is lacking and therefore sent me for an ultrasound test for my vascular system. Aha. I saw four different doctors, all subbing for my GP,  sent me for tests, and prescribed medicine. Now you would consider that our medical system is great. And it is and was accessible for me; appointments secured quickly. But was I over-medicated? In previous bouts I have had with gout, a doctor gave me one prescription to reduce the swelling and decrease the pain and that was the end of the treatment.

I told the four doctors my history with gout; I had flareups once every five to ten years and in total not more than half a dozen times. And each time, they treated me with medicine that lasted a week. This time, the doctors treated me differently. Perhaps they intended to solve my recurring gout on a more permanent basis; if so, I did not understand why. I was wondering, though, about the cost to our medical system.

I was happy to get an appointment with a rheumatologist quickly but disappointed in having a remote consultation. I explained on the phone what my gout looked like but I would have preferred if the doctor saw me in flesh before prescribing a couple of medicines that I understood to be taken for life. This was another one of today’s health care practices: remote consultation. After the consultation, I read up on gout and found that diet has a major role and with an appropriate diet, one may reduce flareups. I would much prefer to use dieting to taking pills for life, and at least have the pros and cons of this more moderate approach explained to me.

The rheumatologist also sent me for a blood test to provide a base case for “uric” acid that triggers gout. The doctor probably assumed that my level of uric acid was high. Imagine my surprise when the results came back, showing that the level of uric acid in my blood was right in the mid-range of the acceptable level.  When I inquired why to take pills when my results followed recommended levels, the doctor told me she would like to see the uric acid level further decline in my blood. It made me think perhaps I should have had the blood test first, based on which to prescribe the type and amount of medicine.

Healthcare was accessible to me and practiced by well-educated professionals. But I had a feeling that I did not have one doctor who knew me and my history and advised me accordingly. So each doctor gave me his/her best opinion and prescriptions, but continuity was not there. I thought that perhaps the first doctor who saw me should have taken the pictures that subsequent doctors could use in examining my gout. And I was quite willing to see the rheumatologist in person instead of remote consultation. But I was not asked if I preferred it. Frankly, I am confused about how our medical system is delivered; whether it is cost-effective, and whether it is patient-centered.

I consider myself extremely lucky to have seen five doctors in six weeks, triggered by a gout attack in the first digit of the middle finger of my right hand. This is when people are searching for general practitioners with a short supply of doctors and when elective surgeries are postponed because of Covid. I was given five prescriptions, sent for a blood test, an x-ray, and an ultra-sound. I was overwhelmed.