(Posted 10:30 a.m., Feb. 28)
Team Ottawa-Orléans off and running
By Fred Sherwin
Orléans Online

Ottawa-Orléans MP Marc Godbout officially announces the launch of Team Ottawa-Orléans as MPP Phil McNeely and Ottawa Mayor Bob Chiarelli look on. Fred Sherwin/Photo

On your marks, get set, go. Team Ottawa-Orléans is now off and running after the community and business development initiative was officially launched on Friday.

The official launch was attended by all five local politicians including all four east end city councillors, Ottawa-Orléans MP Marc Godbout and MPP Phil McNeely as well as Ottawa Mayor Bob Chiarelli.

Sitting in the audience were several business and community leaders as well as the individuals who will be chairing one of 12 working groups, each of which will be working on a different initiative over the coming weeks and months.

A sample of some of areas of interest includes: agribusiness; an increased federal government presence in Ottawa-Orléans; hotel/tourism destination facilities; recreation facilities including the proposed Academic Athletic Complex to be built near Cairine Wilson Secondary School; cultural facilities including the new east end arts facility; Main Street business development along St. Joseph Blvd.; and a college, technical school or university campus.

According to Godbout and McNeely, who will be co-chairing the board of directors along with Innes Ward Coun. Rainer Bloess, the key reason behind forming Team Ottawa-Orléans is to facilitate community economic and social development projects by empowering the community to be actively involved in the decision-making process.

McNeely said Friday's official launch of Team Ottawa-Orléans represents the first time representatives from all three levels of government are committed to working in concert with community leaders and prominent business people to bring Ottawa-Orléans its just rewards.

"I'm very excited. It's the dawn of a new era of co-operation," says McNeely.

Godbout says he's already looking forward to the successes Team Ottawa-Orléans hope to achieve over the coming months and years.

"Team Ottawa-Orléans will work together to ensure the implementation of the initiatives announced and the creation of even more exciting developments in the future," says Godbout.

Chiarelli is equally enthused, promising that all three levels of government would work together with their community partners to find the quickest, most effective way to create better services for Ottawa-Orléans.

In looking to the potential successes Team Ottawa-Orléans is capable of achieving, the mayor rhymed off a list of recently completed projects and others that are in the works including: east-west light rail; the Mews Chevrolet Superdome; the Ray Friel Centre expansion; and the east end arts facility.

"The east end arts facility is going to happen. We're going to make it happen, but it won't happen unless all levels of government and the local community work together to make it happen," said Chiarelli. "We all have to be pulling together in the same direction."

Besides the local politicians the other members of the board of directors includes Orléans Chamber of Commerce president Craig Bater, Orléans Business Club president Jo-Anne Bazinet, Gloucester Chamber of Commerce president Tom McWilliam, Nicole Sauvé director general of Le Regroupement franco-ontarien de développement économique (RDEE), Caisse Populaire director general Denis Laframboise and Joanne Lefebrve, director general of Regroupement des gens d’affaires de la Capitale nationale.

The initial seed money for the initiative is being provided through a $15,000 grant from the RDEE. Future funding will secured through additional grants from the provincial and federal governments.

The key to the success of Team Ottawa-Orléans will be the working groups. While all 12 groups currently have chairs, they must still be populated by four to five other participants.

According to Team Ottawa-Orléans co-ordinator Francois Désormeaux, anyone interested in joining one of the working groups can contact their local politician or call him directly at 580-2424 ext. 29326. Each applicant will be reviewed by a selection committee made up of three elected officials and two business representatives.

McNeely said he's hopeful members of the community with a vested interest in a particular area will step forward to participate, regardless of what their politics may be.

"It doesn't matter whether they're Liberal, Conservative or have no particular political persuasion one way or the other. The main thing is that they're committed and have something to offer the team," said McNeely.

Désormeaux said his group is already working on a website which among other things, will keep residents abreast of the various initiatives as well as any successes that are achieved along the way.

Despite all the excitement and expectations in the room on Friday, McNeely says success in several of the areas may take some time, although things should get moving over the next three or four months.

"It's going to take a lot of work to get the energy out there focused in the right direction to accomplish what we want to do, but I think we should see some significant progress made within the first few months," said McNeely.

(This story was made possible thanks to the generous support of our local business partners.)

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