Today, a coalition of unions and community organizations representing tens of thousands of National Capital Region residents launched the ‘Cities Reimagined: Remote Work Transformation Pledge’ . The coalition calls on all community stakeholders and Ottawa residents to sign a pledge to demand real solutions for boosting the local economy and addressing the housing and transit crises, recognizing the strategic value of remote work as part of urban transformation and citizens’ urban experience.
The pledge focuses on five specific areas where increased access to remote work provides opportunities for developments that benefit entire populations, including reducing traffic congestion, improving public transportation, revitalizing urban spaces, boosting local economies and fostering sustainability.
The coalition demands more discussion around the positive impacts of remote work and the potential to transform cities and urban areas to make them more accessible, sustainable and livable for all residents.
Remote work offers a myriad of benefits for all city residents. A recent study from Carleton University and commissioned by the Treasury Board, found fulltime telework was directly associated with significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, and office space divestments could further reduce emissions and provide significant environmental benefits within the NCR. Fewer federal offices mean more availability for housing, as leading architects have found that 45 per cent of government office buildings in Ottawa are suitable for apartment conversions.
A panel discussion will be held October 29 at 6:30 pm at the Ottawa Art Gallery for members of the public to learn more about how remote work can help transform Ottawa’s downtown and put unnecessary office space to better use, followed by a community celebration.
Quotes
“Over the last four years, with so many of us working from home, we really saw the benefits of remote work – not just for workers but for the cities we live in,” said Nathan Prier, president of the Canadian Association of Professional Employees. “Remote work offers a direct path to transforming Ottawa into a city that is truly sustainable and actually liveable – and our downtown is not solely dependent on nine-to-five workers. That’s the city we need to build, and we are calling on everyone in Ottawa to join us to demand it.”
"We know that remote work has fundamentally changed how we think about where and how we work,” explains Jenn Carr, president of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada. “But this isn't just about our members – we have an opportunity to leverage this change to build a better city for everyone. Converting empty office towers into housing and community spaces isn't just smart policy, it's transformative urban planning that addresses our housing crisis, cuts emissions, and creates more vibrant neighborhoods. Our members have proven that remote work delivers results. Now it's time to harness those benefits to create lasting positive change in our communities."
“The benefits of remote work are an opportunity for communities beyond Ottawa to thrive as well. By letting people choose where they work, we contribute to healthy local economies across Canada," said Ruth Lau MacDonald, PSAC Regional executive vice president for the National Capital Region. ''Counting on workers to commute to maintain Ottawa's downtown is not a sustainable solution and harms smaller communities around the nation's capital.”
“Instead of mandating unnecessary in-office presence, we should be seizing the opportunity to invest taxpayer savings from remote work into solutions that benefit all Canadians,” said Dany Richard, president of the Association of Canadian Financial Officers (ACFO). “From greater productivity to protecting the environment, remote work has proven its value, and we need a better path forward—it’s what our community deserves."
"Forcing workers back to the office is not an adequate way to deal with the housing crisis or transit crisis and it will not revitalize our downtown. The only way to do that is to actually invest in our public infrastructure as a city and as a federal and provincial government," said Sam Hersh, coordinator with Horizon Ottawa.
###
Media contact:
Canadian Association of Professional Employees (CAPE)
Laura Gauthier
613-261-6526
lgauthier@acep-cape.ca
