The Greenspace Alliance has conducted a survey of the candidates for City Council on their awareness of and commitment to address greenspace issues. The questionnaire deals with specific policies and issues that are on the City agenda and which the elected councillors will need to consider in the next term of Council.
There are 102 candidates vying for 23 councillor positions. Six had no email address, one withdrew from the race after nominations closed, 4 mail addresses bounced and one respondent opted out of the survey. Of the remaining 90 candidates, we received responses from 45, a response rate of 50%.
High level summary results
Eighty percent of the responding candidates considered greenspace issues to be extremely important in their wards, while development was reported almost unanimously as the main threat to greenspace. See our full press release here.
Ward level summaries
For six key greenspace issues, respondents were asked about their level of awareness of the issue, the importance they attached to it and the position they would likely take on it if elected. The issues were the Urban Forest Management Plan, the Site Alteration By-law, the Significant Woodland Policy, the Tree Conservation By-law, the Greenspace Master Plan and the Nuclear Waste Storage plans at Chalk River. Summary tables that illustrate their responses were compiled and are presented for each ward here.
Individual responses provided by candidates
In addition to yes/no and rank ordering type questions, there were a number of open ended questions that elicited quite thoughtful responses. You can find pdf versions of the completed questionnaires for each responding candidate, plus who the non-respondents were, here.
Additional analytical reports
Will the new Council hold the line on urban expansion?
Where do candidates stand on the Chalk River nuclear waste plans?
Elected candidates views on greenspace issues