Rideau-Vanier: #CBCStreetTalk in Ward 12

From Sept. 22 to Oct. 23, CBC Ottawa will visit the 23 electoral wards in the city of Ottawa to get the inside track on the issues people are talking about on the eve of the upcoming municipal election.

• Ottawa Votes 2014: #CBCStreetTalk

On Tuesday, September 30th the CBC Street Talk team, along with CBC Ottawa hostLucy vanOldenbarneveld,was in theRideau-Vanier ward at the McDonald Gardens Park. We asked voters - what issues matter most to you in this election campaign?

Rideau-Vanier is an urban ward that includes the ByWard Market, Lowertown, Sandy Hill and Vanier.

In the 2010 municipal election 39per cent of eligible voters turned out to vote- the lowest rate in the city and below the average of 44 per cent.

The ward has a unique set of challenges - including traffic. There are six lanes along the King Edward leading into Gatineau, and there isa long-standing debate about what to do with the thousands of trucks that go through this ward day in and day out.

The ward has a higher crime rate compared to other neighbourhoods in the city. It's also home to three of the city's largest homeless shelters - The Shepherds of Good Hope, the Ottawa Mission and the Salvation Army. When the issue of a possible safe injection site is floated, Rideau-Vanier is often cited as a potential location.

Mathieu Fleury, the incumbent, is running again after narrowly unseatingGeorges Bdard in the 2010 municipal election.

CBC Ottawa asked all the candidates running for city council to record a 1-minute pitch and tell voters why they think they're the best candidate for their ward. The pitches below are from those who participated in this project.