River Ward City Councillor Maria McRae's Report to Hunt Club Community
Organization 6 June 2005
Community Association and Volunteers
As you wind down for the Summer, I would like to take this opportunity to express my
sincere appreciation to the Hunt Club Community Organization and community
volunteers who work very hard on behalf of our community. It is a pleasure to work with
Fred McLennan and the HCCO Executive in making Hunt Club a great place to call
home.
New 311 Service for City of Ottawa
The City of Ottawa is implementing a 3-1-1 telephone system to provide residents with
easier access to non-emergency municipal services. Beginning in Summer 2005, dialing
3-1-1 will connect residents to the City's "one-stop" call centre.
Already a leader in providing easy access to municipal services, the City's current
580-2400 number will be replaced with the easy-to-remember 3-1 -1. The advantages of
3-1 -1 will become more significant in June 2006 when Ottawa residents will be required
by Bell Canada to dial 10-digits to place a local call.
Additional benefits to adopting 3-1-1 include improved tracking of service requests
through to completion, better integrated Web site and call centre information, and a
reduction in the number of non-emergency calls to the 9-1-1 service.
Dialing 3-1-1 will connect residents to the City's "one-stop" call centre providing
information and non-emergency service 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and urgent service after hours.
The City of Ottawa is moving to 3-1-1 to make it easier and more convenient for
residents to access non-emergency municipal services. There is no need to search through
the City phone numbers listed in the phone book; call centre staff provide friendly,
efficient service in both official languages.
In fact, last year the City's call centre received over 900,000 calls and wait times
averaged only 20 to 49 seconds per call. Everything you need to know about your City is
at your fingertips and in about the same time it takes to find and open the phone book.
The 3-1-1 service is new in Canada but has been operating in the United States since
1997. Many Canadian cities are planning to adopt the 3-1-1 system including Calgary,
Windsor and Gatineau. Unlike many of these cities, Ottawa's move to a central contact
point in 2001 means that all systems are in place for the launch of 3-1-1. There will be no
additional charge on your phone bill for using this number. The City will retain the
580-2400 number and calls will be re-routed to 3-1-1.
2006 Budget Timetable
City Council recently approved the streamlined 2006 Budget timetable, including a
consultation process that meets the objectives of:
- ensuring sufficient time for councillor-led ward meetings after the draft budget is
tabled
- providing sufficient time after setting the directions to allow staff to develop the
draft
budget, and
- concluding the budget deliberations before the end of December.
The proposed dates and events are summarized in the following chart.
Budget Directions at CSEDC July 5
Budget Directions at Council July 13
Tabling of draft operating and capital budgets at Council November 9
Councillor-led public consultation meetings Nov 10 to Dec 2
Public delegations to Committee of the Whole Dec 5 to Dec 7
Budget deliberations in Committee of the Whole Dec 12 to Dec 15
Light Rail
As you may be aware, the Honourable John Godfrey, federal Minister of State
(Infrastructure and Communities), David McGuinty, Member of Parliament for Ottawa
South, the Honourable Madeleine Meilleur, Ontario Minister of Culture and Minister
Responsible for Francophone Affairs, Phil McNeely, Member of Provincial Parliament
for Ottawa-Orleans, and His Worship Bob Chiarelli, Mayor of Ottawa signed a
Memorandum of Understanding for the north-south corridor of the Ottawa Light Rail
Transit proj ect.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) reaffirms each partner's financial
commitments, outlines the policies and activities that Ottawa will undertake to support
the project, and provides the City's forecasted project schedule. The MOU also confirms
that the tendering process will be competitive, open and transparent.
The governments of Canada and Ontario will each contribute up to $200 million to this
project. The City of Ottawa will match this funding and invest the balance of the project's
estimated cost of $650 million to $700 million.
The MOU builds on the project that was proposed in May 2004, when federal and
provincial funding was first announced. The project is projected to run west from the
Rideau Centre through downtown Ottawa to LeBreton Flats, turning south to the area of
Leitrim Road, then west through the city's Riverside South Community and across the
Rideau River, to end at Woodroffe Avenue in the community of South Nepean. The
project also includes construction of the new Strandherd- Armstrong train/car bridge that
will connect communities on the east and west sides of the Rideau River. jcJ^
In accordance with federal and provincial requirements, the City of Ottawa must meet
applicable federal and provincial conditions, including environmental assessments, a
detailed ridership study, a business case and the negotiation of a formal contribution
agreement. The City is targeting construction on the north-south Light Rail Transit
corridor to start in summer 2006, with service beginning in the Fall of 2009.
In support of the New Deal for Cities and Communities, the Government of Canada
works with provinces, territories and municipal governments, as well as the private
sector, to meet strategic infrastructure needs throughout the country. The federal
contribution will come from the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund, which supports
large-scale strategic infrastructure projects that improve quality of life and further
sustainable growth.
Light Rail Open Houses
The City of Ottawa will be hosting its fourth set of public open houses for the
North-South Corridor Light Rail Transit (LRT) Project Environmental Assessment
Study. These open houses will allow the public to review information and comment on
the recommended plan along with a suggested staging plan for this project.
The open houses will take place at the following times and locations:
Monday, June 6, 2005 4:30 -8 p.m. Jean Pigott Hall - Ottawa City Hall, 110 Laurier
Avenue West
Tuesday, June 7, 2005 4:30 -8 p.m. Rideauview Community Centre, 4310 Shoreline
Drive
Wednesday, June 8, 2005 4:30 - 8 p.m. Walter Baker Sports Centre, Food Court,
2nd Floor, 100 Malvern Drive
Thursday, June 9, 2005 4:30 - 8 p.m. Ellwood Hall - Jim Durrell Sports Centre,
1265 Walkley Road
For more information on the North-South Corridor LRT Project, visit the City's Web site
at ottawa.ca/lrt.
City Park Curfew
With summer fast approaching, I want to remind all residents about By-Law No.
2004-76, known as the Parks and Facilities By-law. Specifically, hours of operation as
follows:
- No person shall remain or enter into any park between the hours of 11:00 o'clock in
the afternoon (p.m.) and 5:00 o'clock in the forenoon (a.m.) except as a participant or
spectator of a function approved by the Director;
- remain in the park upon completion of an activity as a participant or spectator of any
function between the hours of 11:00 o'clock in the afternoon (p.m.) and 5:00 o'clock in
the forenoon (a.m.).
- No person shall, in a park and without a permit issued by the Director: have in
his/her possession any alcoholic beverage.
I hope all residents will abide with this By-Law pertaining to curfew hours and permitted
uses in our City Parks. Infractions of this By-Law are subject to penalties and I have
asked Ottawa Police and City of Ottawa By-Law Staff to strictly enforce these and other
applicable rules.
Curfew for Youth Under 16 Years to be Enforced
Ottawa Police Service Officers will place more emphasis on enforcing the curfew
provisions of the Child and Family Services Act. Under this Act, no parent of a child less
than 16 years of age shall permit the child to loiter in a public place between midnight
and 6 a.m. Officers have been directed to issue warnings and charges to parents who
breach this section of the Act. It is punishable by up to a $1,000 fine.
CahillPark
I met last week with Superintendent Charles Bordeleau, Constables Mark Cartwright and
Claude Pepin of the Ottawa Police; City of Ottawa Bylaw Coordinator for the Central
District Paul Hutt, Luc Lavictoire, Area Manager for Parks and Recreation and Bob
Gauvreau, Manager of Corporate Security to discuss the ongoing drug use and other
assorted problems at Cahill Park.
The Neighbourhood Watch group has been updating my office and the Police Service in
regard to late hour activities at Cahill Park. The Police Service acknowledged that they
are receiving more information from the community and have increased their patrols.
They have been conducting surveillance with the Neighbourhood officers. They have
also re-educated their platoons about community concerns. The Police Service is
working with City Bylaw Officers on addressing the problems at Cahill Park.
Youth-on-the-Move, a program of the Ottawa Police is starting up again at the end of
this week, the Bike Patrols are out
The Police pointed out that Cahill Park is their #1 park in terms of surveillance and
enforcement.
I am happy to report that with repeated pressure on City of Ottawa Parks and Recreation
staff and on Hydro Ottawa, the lights at Cahill Park have now been energized.
The City of Ottawa will be placing signs at the forest entrance and at the Twyford
entrance of the park advising of the park curfew. Violators will be charged with
trespassing if they are in the park between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.
The Police Service will provide Bob Gauvreau with incident reports and he will work
with them to get letters of trespassing out to the violators. Other actions include uniform
enforcement, paired with bylaw officers.
Southern Corridor Lands
As you know, preserving as much greenspace as possible in the Southern Corridor has
been a priority of mine since I was elected in 2003. However, I do not favour using
taxpayer money for costly litigation to resolve this issue and I pledge to work with all
stakeholders and the community to reach a resolution that will protect all of McCarthy
Woods and additional Greenspace in the Southern Corridor. Below is information that
was presented at the May 24, 2005 Planning and Environment Committee (PEC) meeting
as it relates to the Southern Corridor lands.
- Greenspace Appeals
At the May 24, 2005 Planning & Environment Committee meeting, members of
committee considered a report tabled by City of Ottawa staff dealing with National
Capital Commission (NCC) appeals of greenspace. There were two specific
recommendations in the report that referenced land in the Southern Corridor, which
supported changing the Official Plan designation of the land from Major Open Space to
General Urban Area (which would allow housing and other development):
- Support the re-designation of a parcel of land (Site 2C) owned by the National
Capital Commission located adjacent to McCarthy Woods and fronting Riverside Drive,
from Major Open Space to General Urban Area;
- Support the re-designation of a parcel of land (Site 2D) owned by the National
Capital Commission and lying between McCarthy Road and the Airport Parkway, from
Major Open Space to General Urban Area;
Although I am not a member of the Planning & Environment Committee, I addressed the
committee to bring forward some concerns that I had. Given that some of the land
recommended as a General Urban Area was also being identified in a separate report (see
UNAEES below) as being environmentally significant, I believed that the staff report
supporting the appeal was premature. Furthermore, I firmly believe that a plan dealing
with the entire Southern Corridor area in River Ward, which includes input from all
stakeholders, is necessary. I also spoke to the fact that my discussions with the NCC and
other stakeholders were positive, ongoing and should continue.
Committee rejected the above-mentioned staff recommendations, which is now subject to
City Council approval. If approved by Council, this issue may proceed to a trial before
the Ontario Municipal Board. However, as I have stated many times, I am opposed to
letting an outside body determine the future of the Southern Corridor. I favour a local
solution for this local issue and I will continue to work towards a solution. Taxpayers
should not foot the bill for costly litigation if consensus can be reached before going to
trial.
- Urban Natural Areas Environmental Evaluation Study (UNAEES)
Also, at the PEC meeting, staff presented a report regarding the Urban Natural
Areas Environmental Evaluation Study (UNAEES). This study was undertaken to
identify and to assess the relative environmental value of natural areas across the entire
urban area, to establish priorities for protection and make recommendations for
management of these lands. A total of 187 urban natural areas such as woodlands,
wetlands, vegetated ravine systems were identified for study. A total of 114 sites were
assessed through the review of existing information and field visits. The 114 sites were
carried forward for evaluation applying the nine evaluation criteria developed for the
study. A total of 29 sites rated high, 41 sites rated moderate and 44 sites rated low for
environmental value. A total of seventy-three (73) sites were not evaluated either because
access to the sites was not granted by the landowner or due to time limitations imposed
by the summer/fall field season requirements. Fieldwork will be pursued this summer for
the remaining unevaluated sites.
Two sites in the Southern Corridor received ranking. Land east of McCarthy Road
received a moderate rating and a large piece of land east of Riverside Drive and west of
McCarthy Woods received the highest rating. Committee approved the findings of this
study but the results may be subject to appeal and further analysis by the NCC, who have
formally inquired about the study referencing the land ranked highest - west of McCarthy
Woods.
The implementation of the UNAEES study recommendations is a component of the
Greenspace Master Plan and the sites recommended for protection by designation change
will be included in the Official Plan Amendment. Public consultation will be undertaken
in early June in the form of six open houses accompanied by staff presentations. The
Draft Official Plan amendment will be finalized after consultation. Both the Greenspace
Master Plan and the Official Plan Amendment will then return to Committee and Council
in the Fall.
The City of Ottawa may be required to acquire many of the new Urban Natural Features
and staff will identify the financial implications of the recommendations, particularly the
recommended land acquisition budgets. However, if consensus can be reached between
the NCC and the City, buying the land may not be necessary. This is another reason why
I will continue to work towards finding a solution for the entire Southern Corridor.
The NCC did not bring any motions to the OMB pre-Hearing today. They could have
insisted on a Hearing date, but did not. We will continue to work together on this issue in
good faith.
Open Houses of Greenspace Master Plan
The City's Official Plan identified the need to undertake a Greenspace Master Plan to
confirm and/or refine the City's policies in respect to Greenspace. Like the
Transportation and the Infrastructure Master Plans, the Greenspace Master Plan will play
a role in implementing the City's Growth Strategy. The purpose of the Greenspace
Master Plan is to: 1) identify the lands that contribute to Ottawa's Greenspaces; 2)
develop strategies that will ensure that the residents of and visitors to Ottawa continue to
have universal access to a variety of attractive, high quality, interconnected and
sustainable natural and open space recreation areas; and 3) further the identification and
protection of natural features and areas that are critical for viable habitats and natural
processes in our new City.
The open houses will provide an opportunity for public review and comment on maps
showing the inventory of Ottawa's greenspaces and their roles, draft copies of the
proposed Greenspace Network for the City and the Draft Greenspace Strategic
Directions. A proposed greenspace amendment to the City's Official Plan will also be
available for review and comment.
Your feedback is an important part of the development of this Master Plan and
determining the City's direction for the protection and the provision of Greenspace now
and in the future. You are invited to attend one of the six Open Houses to view the
information, attend the presentation and ask questions of staff. If you cannot attend one
of these Open Houses, you can submit comments by regular mail, fax or email using the
contact information provided below. The deadline for receiving comments is August 26,
2005. If you have additional questions regarding this project, please contact:
Bruce Finlay, Planner
Planning and Growth Management Department
City of Ottawa
110 Laurier Avenue West, 4th Floor, Ottawa, ON Kl P 1J1
613-580-2424, ext. 21850
Fax: 613-580-2459
E-mail: bruce.finlay@ottawa.ca
- Monday, June 13, 2005
6 to 9 p.m. (staff presentation at 7 p.m.)
Kinburn Community Centre
3042 Kinburn Side Road, West Carleton
- Wednesday, June 15, 2005
6 to 9 p.m. (staff presentation at 7 p.m.)
John G. Mlacak Centre
Halls A-C
2500 Campeau Drive, Kanata
- Monday, June 20,2005
6 to 9 p.m. (staff presentation at 7 p.m.)
City Hall
Jean Pigott Place & Council
Chambers
110 Laurier Ave West, Ottawa
- Tuesday, June 14, 2005
6 to 9 p.m. (staff presentation at 7 p.m.)
Walter Baker Sports Centre (Food
Court)
100 Malvern Drive, Barrhaven
- Thursday, June 16, 2005
6 to 9 p.m. (staff presentation at 7 p.m.) Old Cumberland Town Hall Gallery and Theatre
255 Centrum Boulevard, Cumberland
- Tuesday, June 21, 2005
6 to 9 p.m. (staff presentation at 7 p.m.)
Greely Community Centre
HallB
1448 Meadow Drive, Greely