Construction Season, New Parking Rules & More

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It was great having a little piece of home downtown at City Hall on June 1st at the Mayor's Annual Rural Expo. Thanks to all those who participated!  

It was great having a little piece of home downtown at City Hall on June 1st at the Mayor's Annual Rural Expo. Thanks to all those who participated!  

Over the next few weeks and months, several construction projects may affect your daily commute. Road resurfacing projects will be undertaken on Rideau Valley Drive South, Potter Drive, and Barnsdale Road, between Twin Elm Road and Moodie Drive. Microsurfacing projects will also be undertaken along certain parts of Fourth Line Road, Eagleson Road, Dwyer Hill Road and Old Richmond Road. These were approved in early 2018 with the allocation of an additional $10M for road projects. Rideau-Goulbourn is the recipient of $2M of those funds. Finally, Gallagher Road, between Mackey and Malakoff, will receive its final treatment as part of the rural road upgrade that commenced last summer.

The replacement of the McBean Street bridge will commence shortly. The project has been awarded to Aecon. This massive project is expected to be carried out over the next 18 months. There will be impacts to traffic, specifically for heavy vehicles and buses. I will be providing a more detailed update on this project in the Richmond Hub shortly.

The sewer works along Martin Street are ongoing. As a part of this project, a Road Close Authorization has been granted for Fortune Street from Martin Street to Royal York Street. The road is scheduled to be closed from Friday, June 22nd to Wednesday, August 15th. On behalf of Richmond Village Ltd. (Caivan), Ottawa Greenbelt Construction Co. Ltd. will be undertaking the replacement of a sanitary trunk sewer. Notification signs will be posted. There will be a signed detour. Local and emergency vehicle access will be maintained.

Additional construction projects scheduled for this summer include the following replacements/rehabilitations:

  • Ashton Station Road Bridge
  • Munster Road Bridge (south of Jock Trail)
  • Old Richmond Road Bridge (south of Fallowfield Road)
  • Various culverts along Dwyer Hill Road, Longfields Drive, Roger Stevens Drive, Joy’s Road, Donnelly Drive, Eagleson Road, Rideau Valley Drive North

If you have any questions about these projects, please let me know.

Need new garbage, recycling bins? It just got easier!

As of June 4th, 2018, residents of Ottawa who require a new blue, black, or green bin will no longer need to request a Canadian Tire coupon to receive new bins. A new delivery service is being implemented that will simplify the process for residents to obtain recycling containers. Recycling containers will be delivered directly to the resident’s home.

Residents can now request a new recycling container by:

  • Making an online request for new bins. Once a request has been received, the bins will be delivered to the resident’s home within five (5) business days.
  • Contacting 311 to make a request for new bins. Once a request has been received, the bins will be delivered to the resident’s home within five (5) business days.
  • Visiting a City Client Service Centre (CSC) and requesting the bins. The CSC will create a service request to have the bin delivered to the resident’s home within five (5) business days.

The new delivery system will address the issue where residents had concerns about transporting the bins due to size. The service will also address and meet the requirements for the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.

Residents who previously received coupons for the replacement of their bins must redeem their coupons on or before June 30th. After June 30th, the coupons will no longer be valid.

New, Relaxed Parking Rules in Effect

Following the approval of the Traffic and Parking By-law Update 2017 report by Council on September 13th, 2017, the Traffic and Parking By-law (No. 2017-301), and corresponding set fines approved by the Ontario Court of Justice are now in effect as of June 1st, 2018.

As part of the approved report, a significant change in the new by-law relates to the long-standing 3-Hour Parking Rule, as it applies to weekends and statutory holidays. Under the previous by-law, on weekends and statutory holidays, motorists would only be allowed to park for three consecutive hours (between 7:00am and 7:00pm), on streets where there are no parking limit signs. As of June 1st, 2018, on weekends and statutory holidays, motorists are now able to park for up to six consecutive hours (between 7:00am and 7:00pm) on streets where there are no parking limit signs.

KOTR Evening of Information

On June 20th, the Kars on the Rideau Public School Parent Council invites parents to an evening of information on supporting their children during the middle and tween years to maintain healthy lifestyles. This session is aimed at parents of children in grade 4 to 8.

This session is presented in collaboration with the City of Ottawa’s Public Health unit and Rideauwood Addiction and Family Services. Speakers will be present from both agencies discussing a number of issues, including the use of cannabis, vaping and opioids.

This session will take place at the school between 7:00 pm and 9:00 pm. Participants are encouraged to register as space is limited. You can do so at the following link: www.eventbrite.com/e/an-evening-of-information-tickets-46664058455.

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If you have any comments, questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at [email protected] or contact me by phone at 613-580-2491. For information on Rideau-Goulbourn issues, please visit RideauGoulbourn.ca.

City of Ottawa's 2018 Budget

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2018 Budget.jpg

On December 13th, City Council approved the 2018 budget. This budget maintains the predictability of the previous seven budgets in that it focuses on priorities that matter the most and carries a 2% property tax increase. You likely heard talk of a proposed 2.5% increase but that was withdrawn following the announcement that the City had a surplus for the second straight year and $10M of that surplus would be dedicated to infrastructure renewal.

In Parks & Recreation, planning and consultation will be undertaken for improvements to Beryl Gaffney Park using the master plan for that plan and the $560,000 identified in the budget. Blue Rock Park, in Kars, will see improvements, as will King’s Grant Park and Richmond Lions Park and Gordon & Ivy Scharf Park in Manotick. New parks will be created in the form of Lela Scharf Park, Mud Creek Park and the Spring Pond Parkette, all in Manotick. Also in Manotick, a new park is planned for construction in the new Riverwalk development. Sarah McCarthy Park will be constructed in Richmond. The total funding commitment for these parks, using 2017 and 2018 budget dollars, is $1.7M.

When it comes to traffic improvements, planning is slated for the intersections of Prince of Wales Drive & Bankfield Road, Prince of Wales Drive & Barnsdale Road, First Line Road & Bankfield Road and Rideau Valley Drive & Barnsdale Road. Previously budgeted works are also expected to be carried out this year at Moodie Drive and Fallowfield Road.

The biggest issue across the City, and in every other municipality for that matter, is infrastructure renewal. For 2018, Rideau-Goulbourn will see the resurfacing of Rideau Valley Drive South as well as a small portion of Fallowfield Road around Moodie Drive. Another major renewal project for 2018 is the McBean Street Bridge. There will also be many culvert replacements throughout the ward. In cases like Rideau Valley Drive North, these culvert replacements are the precursor to full resurfacing. The previously mentioned $10M injection into renewal will be discussed early in the new year as recommendations are presented to the Finance & Economic Development Committee on how to allocate those funds.

In other areas, the 2018 budget adds 25 new Ottawa Police officers, 14 new paramedics, $100,000 for rural transportation to be distributed through service agencies, including Rural Ottawa South Support Services. This budget also sees increases to social services spending and increased transit to suburban growth areas as OC Transpo continues to prepare for the opening of LRT in 2018.

If you have any questions about any of the items listed above or anything else on the budget, please do not hesitate to contact me.

North Gower Client Service Centre

Please note that the Client Service Centre in North Gower will be closed on Thursday, December 28th and Thursday, January 4th. Normal hours will resume on Thursday, January 11th. With that said, I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Onward and upward to 2018!

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If you have any comments, questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at [email protected] or contact me by phone at 613-580-2491. For information on Rideau-Goulbourn issues, please visit RideauGoulbourn.ca.

Looking back at 2016

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With 2017 and Canada’s 150th year-long birthday celebration merely days away, it’s time to look back at 2016 for a year in review. The past twelve months were busy with many issues directly impacting rural Ottawa. It was also a year for progress on several files and increased planning on many more.

2016 was a year of progress. More of Rideau-Goulbourn’s roads saw improvements with varying degrees of upgrades conducted on Bridge Street, Royal York Street, Ottawa Street, Moodie Drive, Mackey Road and Flewellyn Road. The village of Kars finally saw the end of construction on Rideau Valley Drive South and the end result was a main street that actually feels like a village main street. We reached a conclusion in our efforts to protect and promote Dickinson Square as a heritage district with the retention of the Carriage Shed and Dickinson House in City ownership. We also began construction on the new Remembrance Park on Dickinson Street, a beautiful addition to the Square. In North Gower, the Alfred Taylor Recreation Centre was the recipient of a new canteen building and new play equipment.

2016 was a year of controversy. City Council had many issues before it that were polarizing. In April, we brought forward a Vehicle-For-Hire By-Law creating a new policy in which ridesharing companies like Uber could legally operate within the City of Ottawa. At the same time, we loosened some of the regulations on the taxi industry recognizing the fact that, over the years, the industry had become over-regulated. In October, Council instituted a new Water, Sewer and Stormwater Rate Structure creating a system where the water and sewer rate budget can be managed in a more predictable manner with the aim of avoiding large rate hikes in the future. The new structure also balanced cost recovery of stormwater services across the City imposing a new fee on approximately 45,000 properties and lowering the fee on others. Earlier this month, Council approved an update to the Land Evaluation & Area Review which saw several changes to land designations, altering some from General Rural to Agricultural Resource Area and vice versa. Last, but not least this year, the City’s Public Library Board proposed a site for the future home of the Central Library. The new home is proposed to be at 557 Wellington Street, approximately 1.2 km west of the existing home at 120 Metcalfe.

2016 was also a year for community collaboration. The Remembrance Park became a reality thanks to the hard work of local residents and various community organizations, including the Manotick Legion. The preservation of Dickinson Square wouldn’t have been possible without Dickinson Square Heritage Management Inc., a group that represents over a dozen local organizations. The Manotick Arena Expansion is inching closer to construction thanks to groups like the Manotick Culture, Parks & Recreation Association. Community groups in Richmond have all come together to start planning the village’s bicentennial celebrations in 2018. Community organizations are what make our communities ever greater. My job would be impossible without them for which I am grateful. Whether it’s Burritt’s Rapids, Ashton, Fallowfield Village or any community in between, the countless local organizations work in partnership with my office, each other and the City to the benefit of all of us and that was never more obvious to me than in these past twelve months.

I hope that everyone had a pleasant Christmas and I wish you all a Happy New Year. See you in 2017!

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If you have any comments, questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at [email protected] or contact me by phone at 613-580-2491. For information on Rideau-Goulbourn issues, please visit RideauGoulbourn.ca.

Remembering Mac Storey

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To begin my column this week, I want to talk to you about the recent loss of one of Richmond’s leaders.  On August 2nd, 2014, Malcolm Storey, known to everyone as Mac, passed away at the age of 83.  Mac served as Councillor for Goulbourn Township from 1974 until 1978.  Prior to that, he served as a Councillor for the Village of Richmond from 1966-1969.  He spent the better part of five decades as a firefighter in Richmond as well but above all else, he was a resident of Richmond and he loved his village.

On the day of his funeral, the flags at the Goulbourn Town Hall flew at half mast in his memory.  He was a great man, a great leader and I was blessed to have known him.  The Richmond Fair and the suppers at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, where he served as an elder for over 40 years, won’t be the same without Mac.  I always enjoyed our chats as he boiled potatoes outside of the church, no matter how cold it was.  He will be missed and his memory cherished for years to come.

Weaver House Sale

Last week, I mentioned that I would be looking to host a meeting on the Weaver House sale to formally present the winning bid for the heritage building.  I, therefore, invite you to come out to the Manotick Arena on Monday, August 25th at 7:00pm.  I will provide a brief summary on Dickinson Square as a whole but the primary focus will be the Weaver House, which will be the new home to Peppermint Spa.

Wind Development Update

As promised recently to a North Gower resident asking me to provide an update on the wind development situation in this column, I’ll do my best to provide a brief summary of where we stand on the issue.  As many of you are aware, there has not been an opportunity for any company to apply for a wind project since 2010.  What this has merely done is left residents in limbo as there has never been any outright rejection of the original proposal and the threat of a new application is still present.

In my column on November 20th, 2013, I reported that City Council unanimously supported my motion asking the Province to make the necessary legislative and/or regulatory changes to provide municipalities with a substantive and meaningful role in siting wind power projects.  At this time, municipalities continue to have no control but my motion seeks to change that for every municipality in Ontario.  Municipal Government is closest to the people and we need the ability to have an equal place at the table on these issues.  The motion also referenced the 1228 signatures on North Gower’s petition and their declaration as “Not a Willing Host”.

Leading up to the passing of the motion, and afterwards, I met with the Minister of Energy, Bob Chiarelli, and also a representative from Prowind to further voice the concerns of local residents.  By Minister Chiarelli, I was informed that the role municipalities would be factored in to the updated procurement process for Large Scale Renewable Energy projects.  To that end, I attended the Ontario Power Authority’s community consultation meeting in Napanee on February 4th, 2014 and discussed the situation with OPA Vice President of Electricity Resources, JoAnne Butler.  While she heard an earful from the 200 Napanee residents, she did take the time to speak with me and listen to what I had to say about North Gower and the circumstances surrounding the wind development application.

The OPA is currently in the midst of their Large Renewable Procurement Request for Qualifications stage, but is still not accepting applications for large renewable projects.  It is believe that the Request for Proposals stage will come in early 2015 and applicants will need to meet certain criteria, including development experience, financial capability and community engagement.  The latter is where my Council approved motion comes in but the OPA has not yet nailed down what “community engagement” is.  One possible component could be an approved Council resolution supporting the project, which I can assure you, will not be happening.

These details should be clarified in the coming months, leading up to the RFP stage.  In the meantime, no approvals will be given and I’ll be staying on top of the issue and will provide a further update in November, upon return of my column.

Rideau Valley Drive South

In the coming weeks, the City of Ottawa will undertake a geotechnical investigation along Rideau Valley Drive South, through the village of Kars. This work is being done to determine existing underground soil conditions as the initial part of planned improvements to the storm sewers, road reconstruction, and proposed pathway or sidewalk along Rideau Valley Drive South to improve transportation and drainage infrastructure in the village.

The geotechnical investigation work will involve the drilling of boreholes and obtaining soil samples for testing and determining sewer construction requirements and the roadway/pathway structure materials and should take approximately one week. For further information about this project, please contact the City’s Project Manager, Garry Pearce by email at [email protected] or by phone at (613) 580-2424, Ext. 21514.

Mahogany Development Phase 1B

Last week, I mentioned an application by Minto on a change to their development.  The amendment would change some of the 60 foot lots to 47 foot lots and some of the 35 foot lots to 38 foot lots.  Ultimately, this results in an addition of 14 units.  However, the total number of units for the entire development remains at 1400.  What I failed to mention was the timing of the application.  I am working with staff to ensure that we include a public meeting on the application so that the community is offered an opportunity to ask questions.  This application may not appear before Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee until the new term of Council and as soon as we have a date for a public meeting, notice will be sent out.  More information on this amendment can be found at Ottawa.ca/devapps.

Taste of Manotick

For the 5th consecutive year, local businesses will line Manotick Main Street and the Manotick Mews showcasing all that our vibrant village has to offer, from fantastic specialty/gift stores, stylish clothing and many other services. There will be tasting, samples, draws, and demonstrations. The restaurants will be open to serve you a variety of menus as well as offer excellent service. Come out and enjoy live music, entertainment and food at its best! Musical entertainment will be provided by Tequila, The Dan Dunlop Band, Sticks’n Stones, The Full Nelson, and Without Boundaries.

As a special addition this year, and I feel obligated to mention it as the father of a 6 year old girl, Anna & Elsa from the movie Frozen will be at My Toy Shop from 4:30 until 6:30pm.  This is bigger than Justin Bieber and One Direction put together!  A Taste of Manotick is always a great time so I hope to see you there.

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If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please email me at [email protected] or contact me by phone at 613-580-2491.