Pellerin: In Ottawa, suddenly sewers are sexy – and rightly so - Ottawa Citizen

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Back in the 1990s, when I was trying to find out how infrastructure money was being spent and who was responsible for decisions, I never got a straight answer from anyone about anything. You’d call the feds and they’d send you to the province who, in turn, would say that’s a municipal issue, call city hall and no one there picked up the phone. It was such a circus that I ended up writing a book about it.

Back in those days, politicians took money meant to fix old crumbling sewers and bridges and spent it on shiny new suburban recreation centres instead because, in the memorable words of a long-time political operative, “nobody wants to go to the opening of a sewer.” In 2020, I am delighted to report, politicians practically trip over themselves to be photographed next to one. We not only had Mayor Jim Watson attend the opening of our new installation, but Ministers Catherine McKenna (federal) and Lisa MacLeod (provincial) as well.

I wouldn’t want to be unduly rosy. I’m sure if we looked closer into how this particular piece of equipment got built, we’d find things that don’t smell good — beyond the obvious, I mean. With a project this size, a few hiccups are inevitable. But we can take comfort knowing we won’t pollute our beloved namesake river as much and — better yet — that when it matters, politicians at all levels can show up, camera-ready, to boast about a sewage tank.

Brigitte Pellerin is an Ottawa writer.

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