Gatineau councillors want more public influence in the next phase of the bridge study
As noted in the Ottawa Citizen (Feb. 28. Ottawa Citizen: Letter calls for public input on bridge study), five Gatineau councillors have asked the National Capital Commission to include members of the public on a committee that will study three possible sites for a new interprovincial bridge.
The worrying part of this, in my mind, is the response given my Kathryn Keyes, a spokesperson for the NCC:
“With Phase One we had a number of public consultations, so that is planned for the second part and there certainly will be opportunities for the public to provide their comments,” said Kathryn Keyes.
We all know the extent to which pubic comments were taken into account in Phase 1, where consultants went through the motions of public consultation processes, but where public feedback had little to no influence on the results.
Going forward, we need to have a stronger voice and more opportunity to influence the final results and recommendations. Residents of the National Capital Region, the primary stakeholders, deserve a prominent role in the analysis and decision-making process during the next phase of the study.
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