October 30 Newsletter 2020

October 30, 2020 newsletter from Rawlson King, City Councillor for Rideau-Rockcliffe.

Happy HalloWISE Halloweekend everyone! Remember Ottawa Public Health is recommending to not go trick-or-treating this year. Instead you can:

Haunt your mind by sharing scary stories with friends on Facetime or Zoom.

Adapt your celebration by trick or treating inside with the people you live with or with your chosen social support person(s) if you live alone. Think an Easter Egg hunt but Halloween themed.

Limit your in-person celebration to those you live with or your chosen social support person(s) if you live alone.

Launch a virtual competition with your neighbors for the best outdoor Halloween decorations.

Organize a virtual costume party with your friends.

Watch scary or fun movies with the people you live with or your chosen social support person(s) if you live alone.

Inspire your costume around a mask… how can you create the most thematic 2020 costume?

Show kindness by sharing photos, or connecting virtually, instead of hugs with your loved ones who are more at risk.

Eat a fun and spooky meal you’ve made with those you live with or that chosen social support person(s) if you live alone.

New Official Plan Engagement Opportunity

The City started to develop the new Official Plan around the 5 Big Moves of: growth, mobility, urban design, resilience and economic development in 2019. Community engagement occurred across the city to discuss these key concepts. You may have seen our team at one of over 70 events across the City. This feedback was incorporated into the Preliminary Policy Directions presented to Council in December 2019.

Through the discussions so far, the City has had over 50,000 engagements with residents and will continue our equity and inclusion informed outreach into 2021.  This discussion is helping the city develop new ideas for the plan. One of the key cornerstones of the New Official Plan is the Transect approach, which means the City will plan by context. The Transect approach will focus on “form and function” by planning for the appropriate shape of new buildings, their relationship with public space, and how they function to be informed based on which Transect you live in.

Planning by Transect will allow the City of Ottawa to recognize the different contexts of the City’s varied geography and provide guidance as to how each area is to evolve. There will be 5 public presentations. These presentations will help residents learn what this new planning approach will propose for their neighbourhood.

To sign up for the presentation relevant to Ward 13, visit this link.  

Wateridge Village Update

Parc Kishkabika Park (Park#1 on Community Design Plan)

Canada Lands has been working with Fotenn Planning + Design to create a park plan for Park 1 (Parc Kishkabika Park), the largest park in Wateridge Village.

Designed to commemorate the Algonquins of Ontario, Kishkabika Park draft plans include a look-out plaza that celebrates the Algonquins’ connection to water along with designs on the belvedere that reinforces the Algonquin presence in the Ottawa Valley. Kishkabika Park will also include a gathering area with a ceremonial fire pit and Indigenous plant species that have significance to the Algonquin people. The splashpad and playgrounds will incorporate representation of animals significant to the Algonquin culture.

Public engagement will take place next year using a digital platform to gather input and feedback from the community on the park design. We look forward to sharing the draft plan with you.

Parc Eugene Martineau Park (Park #2 on Community Design Plan)

Unfortunately, COVID-19 has delayed the construction for Park 2 (Parc Eugene Martineau Park) until 2021. A further update on this project will be provided at a later date. Stay tuned!

William Barker Square (Park 8 in the Community Design Plan)

The planning for this memorial park continues. We’ll be reaching out to the community soon to present the preferred plan for this park. Look for a notice about the launch of our engagement platform where you will see the plan and be able to provide your thoughts.

Veterans’ Park (Park 7 in the Community Design Plan)

The City of Ottawa completed its consultation on this park plan, asking stakeholders their preferences for certain amenities. The park designer will complete the final design based on this feedback. You see the results of the city’s outreach through this link.

Uniform Urban Developments Ltd.

We would like to extend a warm welcome back to Uniform Urban Developments Ltd. with its recent purchase of lands in Phase 2 Wateridge Village. We are excited about our continued relationship and its excellent work in supporting the growth and development of our community. 

Commemoration Program

Commemoration work incorporating the military, francophones and the Algonquins of Ontario’s connection to Wateridge Village continues with ERA Architects with stories and opportunities to reminiscence and recall the past. This project will lead to the development of a guide that will inform future commemoration work in the community. Watch for further details on this virtual public engagement coming soon. 

Participation Agreement

As you may have seen from the Wateridge Village Facebook Page, Canada Lands Company and the Algonquins of Ontario celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the Participation Agreement on September 22^nd. We are extremely honoured to be working with the Algonquins of Ontario and we are very excited and proud to have reached this milestone. 

Over the past decade, there are many opportunities and successes that we’ve achieved with the Algonquins of Ontario:

• Three commemorative parks: Parc Kishkabika Park, which is Algonquin for “rock cliff.” Parc Mieshimin Park meaning “acorn of white oak” refers to the three mature Bur Oaks in the park. Parc Tanakiwin Park is Algonquin for “homeland.”
• Commemorative street naming throughout Wateridge Village highlights the Algonquin People’s connection to the site.
• Recognition of late Algonquin military veterans for their bravery, service and contributions to Canada through street dedications: Rue Moses Tennisco Street and Rue Michael Stoqua Street.
• The 2016 partnership between the Algonquins of Ontario and Tartan Homes for the development of a mix of semi-detached units and townhouse units.

Open Space Areas and Street Trees

Due to COVID-19, we are experiencing scheduling delays with our landscaper. We expect them to be onsite and to complete grass cutting, weeding and tree planting through October and into November. Rest assured if your street tree is not planted this year, it will be planted next spring.

We have also installed temporary fencing on Avro Circle to protect our plantings. Please remember that you should not use open space areas to access your property.

Clothing Donation Box By-law Review

As part of the Council approved 2019-2022 By-law Review Workplan, the City of Ottawa is conducting a review of its Clothing Donation Box By-law (By-law No. 2013-98).

This review will address issues identified by City Council in the By-law Review Strategy Report adopted in June 2015 and will also serve as an opportunity to revise and update the original by-law, which was enacted in 2013.

As part of this by-law review process, City staff are collecting feedback from the public through an online survey and comments.  A link to the survey is provided below:

Public Survey

Join the celebration! 2020 online Crime Prevention Ottawa Awards

Councillor Deans and I will be hosting the 12^th annual Crime Prevention Ottawa Awards to honour local heroes from all walks of life. For the first time ever, this free event will be held on YouTube Live, so you can join the celebration from the safety of your home.

Tune in on Monday, November 2, 2020 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. to hear this year’s winners announced and learn about their outstanding contributions to the safety of our community. You won’t want to miss it! 

Date: Monday, November 2, 2020 
Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM 

Location: online live event 

RSVP: Register on Eventbrite  

St. Bart’s 2020 Virtual Bazaar

The annual St. Bart's Bazaar will be held online this year! Check out this website to find out what will be available from November 12 to 14.

SHINE: Youth Arts Microgrants

Let your artistic talents shine bright this winter. Apply for a Crime Prevention Ottawa (CPO) youth arts microgrant to help bring your ideas to life. The call for proposals will be available on October 28, 2020. The art projects should be completed by April 30, 2021.
 
This grant is to support artists aged 12-25. Lead applicants must be 18 years old or older. Community agencies supporting youth artists are also welcome to apply.
 
For more information about funding, please visit crimepreventionottawa.ca   for the program guidelines and application form. 
 
Applications must be completed by Monday, November 30^th, 2020. 
 
Please join us for our virtual information session on Monday November 16^thfrom 6 to 7 p.m.
 
To confirm your attendance, please register

Traffic Impacts

Please find below a two-week update (October 26 to November 6) for the Montreal Road Revitalization project. Both this week and next will focus on work at the following locations.

• Montreal Road – North River Road to Vanier Parkway: Outstanding work along this section includes the sidewalk fronting Tim Hortons as well as in the northwest quadrant of the Vanier Parkway/Montreal Road intersection. Crews are also working on the west side of the Vanier Parkway installing hydro conduits connecting to the future Greensway multiuse path (MUP). A watermain connection at the Vanier Parkway/Montreal Road intersection is scheduled from Friday, October 30 to Sunday, November 1. The connection will require a closure of the southbound left turn lane on the Vanier Parkway for the duration of the work.  
• Montreal Road – Vanier Parkway to Marier Avenue: Crews are continuing to work between Olmstead Street and Marier Avenue. Construction of a new Bell maintenance hole is continuing into November on the south side of Montreal Road at Marier Avenue.
• Montreal Road – Marier Avenue to Cantin Street:  Transfers of all remaining temporary water services to underground services is continuing. This will require several water shut-offs this week as well as the first week of November. Impacts to businesses and residents is being communicated 48 hours in advance.
• McArthur Avenue: Modifications are being completed at several intersections along McArthur Ave to improve traffic flow during the 2021 and 2022 Montreal Road detour. During the detour, eastbound Montreal Road traffic between Vanier Parkway and St. Laurent Boulevard will be detoured via McArthur Avenue. The proposed intersection modifications are generally limited to curb and concrete island adjustments and lane markings at three intersections along McArthur Ave: North River Road, Vanier Parkway and St. Laurent Boulevard.
• Winter shut down preparation: Crews are continuing preparing Montreal Road for winter conditions which includes removal of all temporary water hoses, reinstating sidewalk cuts with temporary asphalt and addressing drainage and road surface conditions. The preparations will be ongoing in the month of October and into late November.
• Montreal Road bus detours: Starting in Expected in April 2021, several bus routes currently operating along Montreal Road will require detours as a result of the eastbound Montreal Road lane closure between Vanier Parkway and St. Laurent Boulevard.  Councillor Fleury’s office will be hosting a public meeting via Zoom where OC Transpo will present the proposed bus detours. The meeting details are as follows:

Date: Nov 17, 2020 7PM Eastern Time

Register in advance for this meeting:

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwscOivrT8rE9ejNDULe_MoVK2cYoE0IVUo

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Vanier Parkway southbound will be reduced to one lane between Queen Mary Street and Presland Road from Friday, October 30 until Sunday, November 1 for watermain and curb work. Pedestrian detours will be in place on the west sidewalk.