Ahead of the municipal election, the Lowertown Community Association, Action Sandy Hill and the Vanier Community Association reached out to candidates with six questions to learn more about their views on conserving Ottawa’s built heritage (Eric Smith was not e-mailed as he didn't leave contact information with the city).
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1) Will you champion the retention and repair of heritage buildings to ensure they can remain viable or be adapted to new uses?
Yes, particularly exploring adaptation as time goes on.
Michael Karl Sewanaku
Yes. I will champion repair and continued use, including adapting buildings for housing, businesses and community uses while protecting their heritage features. When demolition is proposed, I want credible evidence about the building’s condition and a serious examination of repair and reuse options before Council makes an irreversible decision.
Brian Pacquette
Absolutely. Our heritage buildings are part of Ottawa's identity. We need to protect them, maintain them and encourage practical new uses rather than allowing them to deteriorate.
Stéphanie Plante
Absolutely. Our heritage buildings are irreplaceable assets that contribute to Ottawa’s identity, neighbourhood character and economic vitality. I support retaining and repairing them, and finding viable new uses that ensure they remain occupied, maintained and part of community life.
Ottawa should also explore emerging conservation technologies. Research at ETH Zurich, for example, demonstrates how artificial intelligence, digital modelling and extended reality can help specialists assess deterioration and plan restoration work. I would welcome partnerships that bring appropriate tools and expertise to heritage conservation here in Ottawa.
2) Do you believe that Ottawa can help build the new homes our community needs while conserving the city's historic character which enriches our Ward and helps create vibrant neighbourhoods?
Julie Fiala Chartrand
Lyra Evans
Yes. Densification doesn't have to be at the expense of neighbourhood character.
Michael Karl Sewanaku
Yes. We need more homes, including affordable homes, and we can pursue that through conversions, compatible additions and well-designed infill alongside heritage conservation. I will support proposals that show how both goals can be achieved. Keeping existing homes in good repair also matters, particularly where they provide rental housing.
Brian Pacquette
Yes. Housing and heritage preservation can work together. Smart development respects our history while meeting the needs of a growing city. We don't have to sacrifice one for the other.
Stéphanie Plante
Yes. Heritage conservation and housing development can reinforce one another. Adaptive reuse, sensitive additions and well-designed infill can accommodate more residents while retaining the buildings, streetscapes and gathering places that give our neighbourhoods their identity.
3) Are you committed to enforcing the by-laws that protect historic resources in heritage conservation districts from inappropriate development?
Julie Fiala Chartrand
Lyra Evans
Yes.
Michael Karl Sewanaku
Yes. I support consistent enforcement of heritage protection by-laws and decisions that respect heritage conservation district plans. Residents should receive clear information about proposed changes, a meaningful opportunity to comment and an explanation of how their concerns were addressed. Protections need to carry weight when development applications are considered.
Brian Pacquette
Yes. Rules mean nothing without enforcement. Developers and property owners must be held accountable, and heritage protections must be respected.
Stéphanie Plante
Yes. Heritage protections must be supported by consistent enforcement, adequate staff resources and timely intervention. Residents and responsible property owners deserve confidence that the rules governing heritage conservation districts will be applied fairly and that unauthorized work will have consequences.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-manitoba-brandon-wheat-city-fix-derelict-buildings/
4) Do you support protecting our built heritage, through further designations under the Ontario Heritage Act?
Julie Fiala Chartrand
Lyra Evans
Yes, with the caveat being it should not be used nilly-willy. There should be a plan and a goal for designations under the Act.
Michael Karl Sewanaku
Yes. I support further designations under the Ontario Heritage Act where properties meet the applicable criteria. I would work with heritage staff and community associations to identify buildings at risk and pursue protection before a demolition proposal creates an emergency. That work should reflect the histories of the different communities that have shaped our ward.
Brian Pacquette
Yes, where justified. We need to identify and protect historically significant properties while ensuring the process is fair, transparent and practical.
Stéphanie Plante
Yes. I support further designations under the Ontario Heritage Act, informed by sound research, clear statements of cultural heritage value and engagement with property owners and the community. We should identify significant places proactively, before demolition or redevelopment pressures put their future in jeopardy.
https://ottawastart.com/photo-ottawa-road-signs-that-explain-who-the-streets-were-named-after/
5) Do you support City grant programs for owners who want to invest in the preservation of designated heritage properties, such as the new Heritage Façade Improvement Program and the Heritage Property Grant Program?
Julie Fiala Chartrand
Lyra Evans
Yes.
Michael Karl Sewanaku
Yes. I support the Heritage Façade Improvement Program and the Heritage Property Grant Program. Preserving buildings provides a public benefit, and grants can help owners undertake restoration that might otherwise be difficult to afford. I will advocate for reliable funding, accessible applications and transparent reporting on how the money is spent.
Brian Pacquette
Yes. Preservation is expensive, and responsible property owners deserve support. I favour targeted grants with clear accountability to ensure taxpayers are getting value for their investment.
Stéphanie Plante
Yes. I support both programs. If the City expects owners to preserve buildings that contribute to our collective heritage, it should help make that stewardship financially achievable.
Restoration can require specialized materials, skilled trades and work that is more complex than conventional repairs. Well-designed grants can help owners undertake that work before deterioration becomes more extensive and expensive.
I would advocate for predictable funding, clear eligibility criteria and an application process that is accessible to individual homeowners, small businesses and community organizations. Grants should support conservation work that protects identified heritage features, with appropriate oversight to ensure public funding delivers lasting results.
Financial assistance should also be paired with practical advice from City staff. Helping owners understand maintenance requirements and plan repairs can prevent avoidable damage and make heritage conservation more manageable over the long term.
6) Do you support stronger by-law enforcement against property owners who let their heritage properties deteriorate, including fines and city-initiated repairs?
Julie Fiala Chartrand
Lyra Evans
Yes, and I would go one further and support increasing property taxes on any derelict building to disincentivize land speculators from purchasing and holding with the only plan being flipping later for a profit.
Michael Karl Sewanaku
Yes. I support timely inspections, enforceable repair deadlines, fines and City-initiated repairs with costs recovered from owners where legally permitted. We need to intervene before neglect becomes a justification for demolition. Owners making a sincere effort to preserve their buildings should also have access to clear advice and available financial assistance.
Brian Pacquette
Absolutely. Neglect should never become a strategy for demolition. Owners must be held responsible. Stronger enforcement, meaningful fines and city intervention when necessary should all be on the table, with costs recovered where legally possible.
Stéphanie Plante
Yes. Allowing a heritage property to deteriorate until demolition is presented as the only option is an unacceptable outcome. Owners must meet their maintenance obligations, and the City must be prepared to act when those obligations are repeatedly ignored.
I put forward the problematic properties pilot and pushed for a more coordinated municipal response because residents should not have to spend years navigating separate departments while a neighbouring property deteriorates.
https://stephanieplante.ca/infill-and-encroachment-issues/
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