By looking into the locations of found syringes throughout Ottawa, the biggest question in my mind was the number of syringes found in ward 12, Rideau-Vanier. This area has generally been populated with low-income housing and subsidized housing. In focusing in on this region, I noticed that there were two main clusters of syringe-areas. In doing a little investigating and found that they are currently Business Improvement Areas. This made sense to me as the syringe study came from 2008 and around 2007-2008 there were numerous articles and reports of drug use in the ward.

The purple areas represent the Business Improvement Areas. It seems like these two areas are being heavily focused on for business improvement in the city. This is something I will be looking into further. The dramatic different from this ward to others is staggering and it was probably a wise city improvement plan to  set up Business Improvement Areas in these places.

Pitch: I would like to look into controversy into government investments in the area. Gentrification is when investment into a community by local government results in rapid economic development and other benefits to the community. However, some experts believe that gentrification can result in population migration whereby low-income residents are displaced by higher-income newcomers.

This will take a trip to city hall to request information: the 2012 syringe data, information on property sales from 2008-2012.

So I would like to talk to the current city counselor for Rideau-Vanier, Mathieu Fleury about his plans with these areas: business incentives, types of businesses they are hoping to attract, and employment opportunities for locals.

I would also like to talk to Susanne Valiquet, the executive director of the Business Improvement Areas in Rideau-Vanier. Syringes are more likely to be a causality of a bigger problem, so I would like to ask her what is the need exactly in this area that they are focusing on. On this, I would enquire about the financial plan.

Talking to residents in the area about the improvements being made throughout the past five years would be a worth while conversation. These are the people whose lives they are supposed to be improving after all.  Through talking to locals if they are noticing any shifts in the affluence of the neighbours, and whether the cost of living it is unsustainable.