Councillor’s Message
Other than the rain we’ve received over the past couple of days, it’s been a fantastic last couple of weeks of hot, summer weather! As previously mentioned, the spring/summer season means a switch in City operations to get parks, fields, and baseball diamonds open, and crews switching to grass cutting. I know I have provided updates when available and several of you have reached out with service requests for grass cutting and maintenance. Please know that my office is in constant communication with parks staff and meets regularly to discuss any issues that may arise. I know weather has played a role in grass cutting operations as they continue to get through the queue. I want to thank you for your patience and reaching out to get requests actioned as soon as possible.
As well, a reminder that in accordance with the Use and Care of Roads By-law, homeowners are responsible for maintaining the City-owned portion of right of way where it abuts their own property, by cutting the long grass or weeds to be consistent with surroundings. If you are not sure about where the right of way is on your property, you can review it at GeoOttawa.ca and click on the layer list for “Property Parcels.”
This week, I was in Toronto participating in the alPHa (Association of Local Public Health Agencies) Conference in my role as Chair of Ottawa Public Health. It was great to connect with public health agencies from across the province and to hear directly from Premier Ford and Minister of Health Sylvia Jones about their vision for moving the health of the province forward at a time when incredible challenges persist.
I also used my time in Toronto to meet with Michael Tibollo's office, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, to further our conversation about the impact the toxic drug crisis is having on our city. On Monday, I will continue that conversation at a special meeting of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario's Health Transformation Task Force to discuss its proposed opioids advocacy approach.
June is National Indigenous History Month, a time to honour and learn about the unique cultures, experiences and achievements of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples. From a local perspective, it is important to recognize that the Anishinabe Algonquin Host Nation has shaped this region since time immemorial and continues to make significant contributions to the betterment of this land.
June is also Pride month! A global celebration of the history, resilience, and achievements of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. This month, and every month, let us continue toward a future of greater inclusivity, diversity, respect, and equality.
I hope to see you at some of the many events taking place in the community this weekend including Orléans Craft Beer Festival at Centrum, the Cumberland Farmers' Market Saturday morning from 9 am to 1 pm (rain or shine!) and the Original Navan Market night market on the Navan Fairgrounds Saturday from 4-9 pm!
Allow me to preamble this section by saying I completely appreciate how frustrating this continual construction activity is, and the impact it has on your lives. While I understand that infrastructure improvements are necessary and that our construction season leaves a short window to complete many projects, it further underscores our need for additional transportation corridors -- especially in Orléans South. Know that I continue to fight for transportation solutions at every possible opportunity, and that I share in your frustration when it is difficult to move around our community.
Off-peak lane narrowing on Brian Coburn Boulevard & Navan Road for 2 to 4 days
Please be advised that there will be off-peak lane narrowing on Brian Coburn from the roundabout at Navan Road to Pagé Road, and again on Navan from Brian Coburn to Renaud Road from Monday, June 10 to Thursday, June 13. There is potential that this work wraps up early (fingers crossed!).
Lane narrowing, which will only happen OUTSIDE of peak travel times (7 am – 9 am) and (3:30 pm – 6 pm) will last 2 to 4 days, weather dependent. Normal traffic operations will take place on-peak.
Two way traffic will be maintained at all times throughout the duration of the work from start to finish.
While lane narrowing takes place, flaggers will be on site to direct traffic through those short stretches at certain times based on operational needs of trucks that go in and out.
Although lane narrowing is only for a maximum of up to four days, please expect delays if you’re traveling through this corridor.
I completely appreciate that both these roads are major arteries in our community, especially at the points where they meet at the roundabout. I also fully understand that this will cause a temporary disruption to your travels. Since learning of this traffic impact, I have been pushing for it to be as least disruptive as possible.
Highway 174 westbound full closure from Trim to Champlain
Stage 2 will be performing a full closure of westbound Highway 174 between Trim Road and Champlain Street starting tonight (Friday, June 7) at 7 pm until 5:30 am on Monday, June 10th.
Crews will be working on excavation, planting bed preparation, drainage work, electrical manhole work, and flatworks preparation.
Detour signage will be in place to assist motorists.
Full closure on Highway 174 between Trim Road and Cameron Street*
Stage 2 will be performing a full closure in both directions of Highway 174 between Trim Road and Cameron Street during the weekend of June 14-17 while crews perform ditch excavation, grading for flatworks, manhole adjustments, closed circuit television (CCTV) inspections, and ditch sloping.
The closure will be put in place at 7 pm on Friday, June 14th and will be lifted by 5:30 am on Monday, June 17th. Motorists will be detoured down Old Montreal Road.
Detour signage will be in place to assist motorists.
*Please continue to monitor the Stage 2 East extension website for any changes to the schedule
REMINDER: François Dupuis District Park expansion engagement open until Wednesday, June 12
A reminder to have your say on the future François Dupuis District Park expansion! A couple of weeks ago, I announced that the process had begun for the long-awaited consultation. Funding remained a hurdle but now that we have the necessary funds secured, I have reinitiated the consultation process on the preferred design for the expansion. This is a crucial moment to gather your input and ensure that the park reflects the amenities our community desires.
The 2018 plan (pictured above) was based on recreation needs at the time and included amenities like a skateboard park, BMX track and toboggan hill, among others. The City is now ready to update the plan based on current recreational needs. This consultation is the first of multiple consultations; it is aimed at providing an opportunity to provide updated comments on the types of amenities that are being proposed in the park and to collect suggestions for other potential amenities. Subsequent consultations will present updated layout concepts and then focus on the more specific details of the proposed park features.
Please have your say here: https://ow.ly/ZuAX50RRpYW. The survey is open until Wednesday, June 12.
New catholic elementary school to be built in Orléans South
Earlier today, the Ottawa Catholic School Board announced it has secured a funding from the Province of Ontario for three new schools, including one in Orléans South. $20.3 million is being invested in a kindergarten to Grade 6 elementary school and child-care centre in our East Urban Community, south of Renaud Road at the future extension of Ascender Avenue. 507 elementary student spaces will be created, with an additional 39 childcare spaces.
Details are very preliminary at this time, but I will keep you posted on timelines as they are confirmed.
Taking the ParaTranspo challenge in Orléans South—Navan
A huge thank you to accessibility and ParaTranspo advocate Kyle Humphrey who hung out with me last month to give me a sense of what riding ParaTranspo and OC Transpo looks like from his perspective.
This ride-along is part of the ParaTranspo Challenge, organized by the Ottawa Transit Riders group where councillors are invited to participate.
We took ParaTranspo from Kyle’s childhood home in Chapel Hill South to his former workplace on Innes Road and back. Then we did the trip all over again on OC Transpo. It was a great opportunity to hear directly from Kyle about some of the challenges he’s encountered with accessible transportation.
I'm a hands-on person and was grateful for the opportunity. Spending time with Kyle was fun, informative and allowed me to think about a lot of things from a fresh perspective that I will take with me as I continue to advocate for better, more reliable transit and accessibility in Ward 19.
Miracle League celebrates 10 years!
May 25 was a truly special day for Ottawa's Miracle League, which celebrated its 10th anniversary!
I feel so honored every time I get the chance to visit this incredible space right here in our community. At Miracle League, everyone is invited to have fun, and we need more places like this in Ottawa.
The success of the Miracle League would not be possible without the wonderful team of volunteers who help provide an accessible and inclusive space for members of our community. A special tip of the hat to the Desrochers family - this project would never have been possible without you, Bryce!
Congratulations on 10 wonderful years, and I wish you another 10 extraordinary ones!
Tree planting continues across the community
It was fantastic to join the enviro club students at École secondaire publique Gisèle-Lalonde for a tree planting event to expand the school's adopted forest. In 2022, I had the honor of helping the school officially adopt the forest behind Millennium Park, and last week, more than 50 enthusiastic volunteers from grades 7 to 12 planted 350 new trees! A big thank you to all these young people who are making a difference and to their intrepid leader, Ms. Bengal, for leading the charge.
I also had a great time planting trees with the Greater Avalon Community Association (GACA) and volunteers! As many of you may know, in 2022 we worked together to negotiate a land swap to save the Nantes Woods, which was slated for development. With the newly acquired land now owned by the city, we have a fantastic opportunity to expand the forest year after year. Over 60 volunteers came together to help plant 400 new saplings! Thanks to the Greater Avalon Community Association for organizing this extraordinary event and to all who participated!
These efforts highlight our community's commitment to preserving and expanding our green spaces.
Mantha Park is officially open!
It was so great to see so many of you last Sunday for the grand opening of Mantha Park alongside Mayor Sutcliffe and Councillor Luloff!
The development of this incredible park — featuring play structures, a splash pad, community pavillion, tennis and Pickleball courts, an outdoor rink / basketball courts — began under my purview before passing the baton to Matt when the ward boundaries changed. It’s amazing to continue to work with my awesome colleague to deliver for the community!
Special thanks to Louis Patry and the Société franco-ontarienne du patrimoine et de l'histoire d'Orléans for suggesting that the park be named after the Mantha family, who have contributed to our community for generations.
Cardinal Creek Village is a very special community and I hope you all enjoy the new park.
Ward 19 in-person public consultation on rural water rate review
The City is reviewing how it recovers costs to deliver water services, and they want to hear from you. Staff are consulting on the development of a rate structure that considers impervious space as the basis for calculating stormwater fees.
Along with the survey which you can take here, staff will be hosting public consultation events in rural wards to provide more information on the review and gather your input. Our in-person public consultation for Orléans South-Navan is on Tuesday, June 25, 2024, from 7-8:30 pm at Navan Arena (1295 Colonial Rd). I hope to see you there.
A reminder that no decision has been made on any potential change of fees. As your councillor, I continue to gather information myself and am in discussion with my fellow rural councillors about mutual concerns we have with what’s been put forward by staff.
Aquaview park pathways
As those familiar with Aquaview Park will know, last year an extensive pathway rehabilitation project was undertaken. Recently, a number of residents have reached out to inquire when the paths would be repaved, so I wanted to re-share some information that appeared in earlier newsletters.
The reason the conversion from asphalt to granular material was necessary is because the poor soil conditions in this area were causing pre-mature failure of the pathway. Residents may recall the state of the pathways pre-construction, where the asphalt had shifted, cracked and warped so significantly in some places that it had become unsafe for all users.
City staff undertook a deep dive to understand what the root cause of the failure was and what proper construction methods could be used for replacement. Unfortunately, it was determined that silty clay that is prone to shifting was found at depths of up to 9 metres. Because of this, the asphalt will not be replaced, as it would only have cracked again and continued to create an unsafe situation / need significant repairs over time.
You may have also noticed that certain sections of the path were deemed too much of a risk to reinstate, particularly the sections of pathway that went closest to the pond. There is considerable movement of the underlying silty clay at these locations, causing the pathway to gradually move toward the pond over time. As a consequence, it was unfortunately not feasible to remedy this problem at these locations and the pathway was actually moved with the decommissioned sections meant to be renaturalized.
I know some are disappointed, and I was too when I first learned of it. I know how beloved this amenity is in our community, but I assure you that this decision was not taken lightly. While certainly a change, the gravel surface should behave more or less like a hard surface and remains fully accessible, but will be easier to maintain on an ongoing basis.
Mayor's Annual Canada Day Celebration at Lansdowne
Calling all seniors looking to celebrate Canada Day at Lansdowne with the mayor!
Tickets are now available on a first-come, first serve basis. For more information, visit: https://bit.ly/3KMEJXD
Consultations begin over the first draft of City’s new Zoning By-law
The City has released the first draft of the new Zoning By-law, a set of regulations that sets rules on what can be built as of right, without having to seek specific permission. Residents are encouraged to review the draft by-law and provide feedback both online and in person at open-house events.
The complete draft, including maps, can be found on the City’s public engagement site, engage.ottawa.ca. You can review our Zoning By-law primer first, or dive straight into the review on engage.ottawa.ca.
The new Zoning By-law will implement the policies and directions in the City’s Official Plan, which outlines a comprehensive land-use policy framework to guide growth and development within the city to the year 2046. The new Zoning By-law will be critical to City efforts to address housing affordability in Ottawa by facilitating growth that aligns with intensification goals outlined in the Official Plan.
You can join a virtual open house to discuss the draft Zoning By-law on Thursday, June 20. Consultations will continue through the summer until the end of September. Visit engage.ottawa.ca for dates of more open houses throughout the consultation period.
Kicking off Senior’s Month at OPL with programs throughout the summer!
Ottawa Public Library (OPL), in collaboration with the Council on Aging, is pleased to present a series of engaging and informative programs, in French and in English, tailored to seniors that will kick off in June, Senior’s Month, and continue through July and August.
For a full breakdown of all the great programming available, please visit: https://ow.ly/iC9z50S7aa2
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