Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson’s 2016 “State of the City” speech brimmed with new developments and ideas related to Centretown, including a proposed Tourism Summit, the O’Connor Street cycling improvements, the LeBreton Flats redevelopments and planned central library.
Calling 2016 the “year of collaboration,” Watson also announced a project aimed at planting groups of 150 Canadian Native Maple trees in special groves in each of the City of Ottawa’s 23 wards.
Somerset Ward will soon see its own collection of maples to be planted in a location that has yet to be chosen, in commemoration of Canada’s 150th birthday in 2017. The planting of the trees is part of the Canada 150 Groves Program, one of the city’s strategic initiatives, according to Watson.
“As we celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday, there will be different ways we will leave a legacy for future generations,” Watson stated in his annual address, given this year on Jan. 27. “It is my hope that we will collaborate with community associations, schools and other interested groups…as we pass along this gift to our community during Canada’s 150th.”
In addition, a tourism summit is set to take place in the spring. The purpose of the summit, according to Watson, will be to focus on long-term growth strategies for Ottawa’s third largest industry. The city will collaborate with its key partners such as Ottawa Tourism, major facility owners, sports franchises, and arts and festival groups.
Dick Brown, president of Ottawa Tourism, said the summit will provide an opportunity for the industry and others to come together to talk about what they should be doing to improve tourist amenities and attract more visitors to the capital.
“There’s one long term goal and that should be to increase visitation to the city and to make sure visitors who come here have a great experience,” Brown said.
Brown referenced the new LeBreton Flats redevelopments as one way of achieving that goal.
“That will enhance the city from a tourism point of view in a very profound way,” he said.
Some of the proposals for LeBreton Flats include an 18,500-seat entertainment centre, capable of hosting an NHL team, as well as an aquarium and planetarium.
“People fail to realize that the hockey arena is used probably about 50 nights a year for hockey,” said Brown. “There’s another 150 nights a year where it’s used for other forms of entertainment: large conferences, the large concerts and performances and so on.
“So it really is more of an entertainment centre than a ‘hockey rink’.”
Brown also pointed to the new LRT system, scheduled to be ready by 2018, as another great improvement for tourism in Ottawa.
In his speech, Watson emphasized the importance of the LRT for future generations.
“(The) LRT is the single most important step we can take as a community to enhance our quality of life for generations to come,” he said.
Further, Watson discussed the planned construction of a new central library branch.
“It is my expectation that the new main library will be a truly regional facility enjoyed by residents from all parts of our city,” Watson said.
Watson said he hopes to break ground on this project by the end of 2018.
The design and location have not yet been settled, but some recent possibilities have been reported, such as a central library in LeBreton Flats development, and partnering with Library and Archives Canada.
Elaine Condos, division manager of the Central Library Project, said a new central library branch would serve an important purpose in the city.
“We would see the development of a new central library as a civic landmark and it would be a destination for people to go to in Ottawa.”
Watson also highlighted a much-anticipated project to build bike lanes on O’Connor Street that is to be started this year.
“This will serve as a north-south complement to the highly successful Laurier Bike Lanes – over 1.7 million trips and counting,” he said.
As the mayor wrapped up his speech, he urged everyone to take a positive track as Ottawa prepares to “host the world” in 2017 for Canada’s 150th birthday, taking the path to “building the best city in the most blessed country in the world.”