Friends of McCarthy Woods & Corridor
Friends of McCarthy Woods & Corridor Initiative
In conjunction with other community groups, the HCCA led a campaign in late 2025 and early 2026 to prevent “Development Reserve” zoning for the unique urban greenspaces surrounding McCarthy Woods. City staff had proposed this zoning, at the request of the National Capital Commission, in Drafts 2 and 3 of the new comprehensive Zoning By-law. On December 17, 2025, Councillor Riley Brockington’s motion to reverse this zoning was approved at the Committee stage by a vote of 11-4. This decision was confirmed on January 28, 2026, when the full City Council approved the amended Zoning By-law unanimously. The HCCA’s campaign to reverse the Development Reserve zoning built on the work of the Hunt Club community in the late 1990s, during a previous attempt by the NCC to rezone these lands.
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Open Meeting with MP Yasir Naqvi’s Office
On June 23, Dave Coyle, the President of the Riverside Park Community Association, hosted an online meeting with Matthew Edgington, representing MP Yasir Naqvi (Ottawa Centre), to discuss key agenda items for an eventual meeting with the NCC. Some 50 participants contributed to this discussion.
Among other issues, participants in the meeting argued that the NCC should explain how the proposed development of the McCarthy Woods Corridor aligns with its environment stewardship role. They also questioned why the NCC proposed to use greenspace for development when other federal lands are available (see attached RPCA minutes).
Mr. Edgington confirmed that MP Naqvi’s office is working with MP David McGuinty (Ottawa South) to organize an information session with the NCC in the next few weeks, but that the details for this session have not been finalized.
NCC’s Public Meetings - Items of Interest
Board of Directors
The supporting documents for this meeting are now available on the NCC’s website. The CEO’s presentation, which has not been posted, included a brief description of the “Lands for Homes” initiative and highlighted the NCC’s plans for the “Southern Corridor” between Woodroffe and Merivale Road (see below). The next public Board of Directors meeting will be held in October, 2026.
Annual Public Meeting
The NCC received over 50 questions prior to the meeting and the CEO’s responses were organized into a number of themes. The key submissions addressed by Mr. Nussbaum begin at the 30-minute mark of the Youtube video, including questions on land use planning and development, the McCarthy Woods Corridor, the Poets’ Pathway, and 1100 Canal Woods Terrace.
Mr. Nussbaum noted that, as a result of the housing crisis, all federal agencies are now under pressure to contribute to the government’s affordable housing initiatives as a high priority. He reminded viewers that the Prime Minister’s announcement of the new “Build Canada Homes” program had taken place on the NCC’s “Southern Corridor” lands in late 2025.
With respect to the McCarthy Woods Corridor, Mr. Nussbaum focused on the lands between Riverside Drive and the Rideau River which the NCC describes as the “Rivergate Corridor” (see below). He noted that, as part of future development on this land, the NCC envisions a riverfront pathway that would provide improved public access to this section of the Rideau River.
What is the NCC’s “Rivergate Corridor"?
In spite of repeated requests, the Hunt Club Community Association has not been able to confirm the boundaries of this land. Based on Mr. Nussbaum’s comments at the Annual Public Meeting, it appears to consist of riverfront greenspace at 3530 and 3576 Old Riverside Drive.
Of the nearly 18 hectares in this sector, 13 hectares are located in the federal riding of Ottawa Centre and 5 hectares are located in Ottawa South (with the CNR railway as the dividing line). Elsewhere in the McCarthy Woods Corridor, most of the NCC’s lands fall within Ottawa South.
At the Annual Public Meeting, Mr. Nussbaum argued that these 18 hectares are far outweighed by the 100 hectares of land acquired by the NCC for conservation in recent years. It should be noted, however, that the NCC remains fully committed to the future development of some 103 hectares in the McCarthy Corridor (excluding the Woods).
Moreover, these lands are still designated as a “Regional Interest Land Mass” in the NCC’s Capital Urban Lands Plan, intended for stewardship and conservation, not development. Any future changes to this designation should be the subject of public engagement with community groups prior to a decision by the NCC’s Board of Directors.
NCC’s "Southern Corridor” Survey - Poets’ Pathway
The NCC has published a profile of its “Southern Corridor” properties between Woodroffe Avenue and Merivale Road. This profile promotes the benefits of residential development on these properties – but incorrectly refers to these lands as “Development Reserve” zones. (The final version of the new Zoning By-law retained “Institutional” zoning for this corridor).
Following an open house on the Baseline-Merivale Secondary Plan, the NCC is now seeking feedback on the future use of these properties, including a question about recognizing the Poets’ Pathway as “a formal part of the community’s green space”. For background information on the Poets’ Pathway, which passes through both the Southern Corridor and the McCarthy Woods Corridor, see the link below. The NCC’s survey will be open for submissions until July 15, 2026, and you are invited to express your support for the Poets’ Pathway by that date.
Poets’ Pathway: https://www.poetspathway.ca/
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Further Information
“Friends of McCarthy Woods & Corridor” is an initiative of the Hunt Club Community Association (HCCA).