Councillor's Message
We've been so fortunate to enjoy a beautiful stretch of summer-like weather this past week, and while the days have been sunny and crisp, it’s full speed ahead at City Hall as I continue tackle key issues for our community.
Last Sunday was a special morning in Navan as we officially cut the ribbon on the Pavilion Project. I’m proud to support the Navan Community Association, led by Luc Picknell, and their efforts to better Navan and the surrounding community. The Pavilion will not only improve the outdoor hockey experience but will also become the centerpiece for events throughout the year, especially during the Navan Fair. This project is a testament to our incredible community, which rallied behind countless fundraising events, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity of sponsors and supporters. I’m thrilled that the City could contribute through our Major Capital and Rural Community Building grant programs, and I look forward to seeing the pavilion take shape as construction progresses.
I’d also like to congratulate the Ottawa Public Library’s Cumberland branch on celebrating 25 years in our community! For years, this library has and continues to be a cornerstone of our community, bringing us together through literacy, culture, and innovation. From bilingual family story time to the introduction of the music instrument library, the Cumberland Branch has continuously evolved to meet the needs of east-end residents. I have very fond memories attending this branch as a kid, so it was a touching full circle moment to join my colleague, Ottawa Public Library Board Chair Matt Luloff for the 25th celebration!
Shifting focus, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who participated in our rural 2025 budget consultation on Wednesday. While it may be “budget season” at City Hall, I believe these consultations are a year-round activity, and your input is essential in shaping our community’s future. As a reminder, our east-end budget consultation will take place tomorrow, Saturday, October 26, from 12:30 to 2:00 pm at Ray Friel in the Rendez-Vous Room. I continue to receive your valuable feedback, and I’m eager to hear more. I can’t wait to see you there in person.
Finally, I know many of you have been following the ongoing situation with Ashcroft's Eastboro development, and this week we learned that Ashcroft Homes has lost control of the Eastboro project, which has now been placed into receivership and will reportedly be marketed for sale. My heart goes out to the many families who have been left in limbo by the remarkable challenges surrounding this development.
Earlier this year, I communicated the City’s efforts to move the project forward by approving a front-ending agreement with Ashcroft Homes. That agreement was aimed at resolving the dispute over stormwater infrastructure and was a critical step toward restarting construction, with several stipulations to mitigate the impact on the surrounding community. While the settlement created a path forward at the request and urgency of the developer, I had not received an update on any progress until this week's news.
It is likely that the land will be sold to another developer and new agreements will need to be put in place. I remain committed to keeping you all informed on what the future holds for this parcel of land and any potential future closures on Navan Road as information becomes available. I will continue to advocate for our community and work closely with City staff on any potential next steps. There are still a lot of unknowns, but I look forward to updating you when I can.
Closure on Etienne Road coming to an end
A few residents have reached out regarding the Etienne Road closure and when it will end.
As you know, a cast-in-past culvert needed to be replaced to ensure the bridge was structurally sound. In order to facilitate those repairs, Etienne is closed from Vinette Road to Birchgrove Road.
This closure has always been scheduled to last three months from the beginning of July until the end of October so crews can work safely.
I’m happy to say that staff have told me that the closure will end on Thursday, October 31, 2024. I want to thank you for your patience and understanding during this time, as I know how these types of closures impact your daily life.
Highway 174 weekend closures - November 2-4, 9-11
As part of the Stage 2 O-Train LRT project, motorists travelling on Highway 174 at the Jeanne d’Arc Boulevard interchange can expect impacts to traffic over the first two weekends of November.
What:
Highway 174 at the Jeanne d’Arc Boulevard interchange will be fully closed in one direction for two consecutive weekends. Some Highway 174 on-ramps from Jeanne d’Arc Boulevard will also be closed. Motorists will exit the Highway and cross Jeanne d’Arc Boulevard to rejoin the Highway.
When:
Saturday, November 2 at 5:30 a.m. to Monday, November 4 at 5:30 a.m.:
Highway 174 westbound will be closed along with the westbound on-ramp from northbound Jeanne d’Arc Boulevard.
Saturday, November 9 at 5:30 a.m. to Monday, November 11 at 5:30 a.m.:
Highway 174 eastbound will be closed along with the eastbound on-ramp from southbound Jeanne d’Arc Boulevard.
Please note: it's not uncommon for Stage 2 to change their plans at the last minute. You can get up to date information about major traffic impacts here: ottawa.ca/en/parking-roads-and-travel/
I will also mention that your east end councillors voiced our concerns and frustration at this week's Transportation Committee about the frequency of closures and recent examples of very poor communication about them. We understand that critical work is taking place, but that these constant disruptions have had an impact on your plans and your lives. Know that we continue to advocate on your behalf both publicly and internally.
Removal of temporary traffic calming measures across the city has started
This spring and summer, our office worked to implement hundreds of new temporary traffic calming (TTC) measures throughout the ward. These measures are designed to improve safety, reduce speeding, and enhance the overall quality of life for residents. Every year, my team diligently tracks speeding concerns and traffic calming requests and works with the City's team of traffic calming professionals to invest in appropriate measures that will have the greatest impact.
Since most of these measures are temporary (installed from spring-fall), crews have begun removing measures like flexstakes for the winter months. You can be assured that these will be reinstated come the spring.
As always, my team will continue to track all requests for traffic calming that we receive throughout the year to review them for next year’s new TTC installation budget.
REMINDER – 2024 Rural Summit is next Saturday
If you haven’t already, please remember to register for the upcoming Rural Summit being held next Saturday, November 2 from 9 am – 1:15 pm at Sir Robert Borden High School (131 Greenbank Road).
This is your opportunity to work directly with me, my other rural council colleagues, city staff, and the Mayor to turn the feedback you’ve shared into real solutions for rural Ottawa.
To register, please visit: https://ow.ly/mmuT50TquVo
I'm looking forward to turning discussions into action to improve rural life. Your ideas will directly help shape the future of our community.
Securing provincial investment through the Building Faster Fund
I’m pleased to share an important update about a vacant piece of city-owned land adjacent to the future Vanguard Drive extension. Since being alerted to the existence of this parcel, and the City's intention to put it up for sale, I recognized this site held important opportunities for our community.
One of my early concerns was ensuring that funding was secured for the Vanguard Drive extension to support future development. Too often, I have seen transportation planning as an afterthought in the development of our rapidly growing community. The future Vanguard Drive extension will serve as an important east/west connector as new residential parcels are built along this corridor. Given that the City's intention was to include a 30% affordable housing requirement as part of the sale, I'm pleased to share that the province has chipped in $2.5 million through its Building Faster Fund as a contribution to the overall road project, so that the affordable housing component is financially viable.
This funding will be reserved to help construct a portion of the Vanguard extension from 2060 Lanthier Drive and will eventually become an east-west connection to Mer Bleue Road in the future, alleviating volume on both Innes and Brian Coburn.
In the coming months, the land will be re-zoned to reflect this positive progress and I look forward to working with the community and whomever the developer is on next steps once the surplus parcel is sold.
Installation work continues on Colonial Road Automated Speed Enforcement camera
Work is ongoing on Colonial Road in front of Heritage Public School for the installation of a new Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) camera. Crews are currently focused on installing the necessary electrical infrastructure on the south side of Colonial Road.
Please note, the testing phase of the project has experienced delays and once installation is complete, the camera will undergo a mandatory legislated testing period before enforcement begins.
TOMORROW - E-waste disposal event at Redeemer Alliance Church
Redeemer Alliance Church is hosting a Junk That Funk E-Waste Recycling Event tomorrow, from 10 am to 4 pm in their parking lot at 4825 Innes Road.
This is your chance to responsibly dispose of your old electronic devices while supporting the environment. You can drop off anything that plugs in or runs on batteries, including computers, small appliances, and broken AC units.
This is a great opportunity to clean out your home, reduce waste, and recycle responsibly.
Ward 19 featured in RogersTV Ottawa’s “In My Ward” francophone program
Last week I had the opportunity to bring along a couple of local community association members to join me to talk about their ongoing initiatives for a segment on French RogersTV Ottawa called “In My Ward.”
Special thanks to my guests Luc Picknell, President of the Navan Community Association, and Rachelle Lecours, Vice-President of the Greater Avalon Community Association.
It was great to hear the stories behind two successful projects championed by these hard-working groups. The Navan Pavilion project - an immense fundraising undertaking by the Navan Community Association & the role Greater Avalon Community Association played in saving the Nantes Woods from development.
It has already aired a few times now, but will air again on Sunday, October 27, 2024 at 1 pm on Rogers Cable 23. The YouTube version will be available online after Monday, October 28.
For more information, please visit www.tvrogers.com/ottawafrancais.
TOMORROW – Trick or Treat with the Mayor
Come Trick or Treat with Mayor Mark Sutcliffe and your favourite costumed characters in the “Weird and Wonderful” Heritage Building where you will be welcomed by the Enchanted Witches and Goblins of Elgin Street!
Collect special treats as you venture into the Ghost Chamber and down the Hall of Villains for more goodies and fun. See what’s brewing inside City Hall where you can meet your favourite, fun costumed characters in Jean Pigott Place and meet the Tooth Fairy!
The event is on tomorrow, Saturday, October 26 from 5:30 – 8:30 pm. For more information, please click here.
Halloween Safety: Tips to Keep You and Your Family Safe
Halloween is just around the corner, the Ottawa Police Service wants to remind everyone to stay safe, whether you're trick-or-treating, driving, or celebrating.
Here are some tips to ensure that this spooky holiday remains safe for all:
Be Seen: Make sure kids are visible. Give them flashlights, glow sticks, or reflective tape.
Use the Sidewalk: Always walk on sidewalks or paths. Cross streets at crosswalks or intersections, and don’t run between parked cars.
Stay in Groups: Young children should always be with an adult. Older kids should consider going with friends. Make sure they have a charged phone and a plan in case they get separated.
Never go inside a house to get treats.
Always have your treats checked by an adult before eating them.
Keep pets who may be easily spooked away from the door and trick-o-treaters
Plan Ahead: If you're going to a Halloween party, plan a safe ride home. Drive sober, or use a designated driver, ride share or public transportation. As always, if you see something suspicious, suspect an impaired driver or find yourself in an emergency, call 911.
We hope that everyone has a safe and fun Halloween!
The Votes Are In: Meet Ottawa's New Snow Plow Fleet!
I’m excited to share the results of this year’s snow plow naming contest! After hundreds of creative submissions and votes from residents, the top 24 names have been chosen, and they’re bound to bring some smiles to our snowy streets this winter.
Don’t forget to snap a picture when you spot one of these plows in action and tag #OttCityNameThePlow.
Here are the winning names:
❄️Sir Plows a Lot❄️Austin Plowers❄️Shiver Me Blizzards❄️Han Snowlo❄️Blizzard Wizard❄️Plowsaurus Rex❄️Edward Blizzardhands❄️Snow Big Deal❄️Jon Bon Snowvi❄️Snowbi Gon Kenobi❄️Sherlock Snowmes❄️Taylor Drift❄️You’re a Blizzard, Harry❄️Snowmageddon❄️Fast and Flurrious❄️Flurious George❄️You Don’t Snow Me❄️Plowy McPlow❄️SnowMore❄️Good Snowmens❄️Tim Snowtons❄️Pacman contre la neige❄️Croque-neige
These creative names will soon be hitting our streets, so keep an eye out and enjoy the names!
Before the snow, be in the know about contracted snow removal
Around this time of year, we all start thinking the same thing – when will the snow start? Then we shiver at the thought of shoveling.
If you’re tossing your snow shovel this year and hiring a snowplow contractor instead, please read up on some important details to know before you start looking by clicking here.
Ottawa Public Health recommends that high-risk residents protect themselves against RSV
Ottawa Public Health (OPH) is recommending that eligible residents at higher risk of severe illness protect themselves against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) this respiratory illness season. RSV is a respiratory virus that can be particularly severe in infants and older adults. Immunization against RSV can help prevent serious health outcomes, including hospitalization. Publicly funded immunization is available for infants, high-risk children, pregnant individuals, and eligible older adults.
For more information on RSV vaccine eligibility, as well as respiratory virus prevention strategies, please visit OttawaPublicHealth.ca/RSV.
Updated commemorative naming program launches with its first nomination period
Are you, your organization or group looking to commemorate the legacy of a person who contributed or made an impact to our community? The City is launching its revamped Commemorative Naming Program with the start of its first nomination period, which is open now.
The online submission form is now available at ottawa.ca/namingottawa. The deadline is Tuesday, November 12.
Like what you've read? Sign up to receive our newsletter directly to your email every two weeks!
Comments