A sprawling area on the edge of Centretown once used for the production of pulp and paper is soon to be transformed into a diverse community along the Ottawa River – and it won’t be any run-of-the-mill neighbourhood.
Ottawa’s Windmill Development Group, widely viewed as one of the greenest land developers of its kind in North America, signed and sealed a deal in December to acquire a 37-acre parcel of land – including the Albert and Chaudière islands in Ottawa and part of the Gatineau waterfront – from Domtar Corp.
The site has been defunct for nine years until the two companies struck an agreement.
While, “Les Isles” is still in the preliminary stages of development, big dreams will soon be set in motion.
“We are driving to be a leader in energy, water, health, transportation and food,” says Jonathan Westeinde, co-founder of the Windmill Development Group.
“Like all of our previous projects across Canada in places such as Victoria, Calgary and Toronto, we want to continue to raise the bar and integrate all of those elements in how we plan to design the community.”
To formalize the process, Windmill consulted with numerous groups including the City of Ottawa and Gatineau, Ecology Ottawa, the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg band of Algonquins, Algonquins of Ontario, the National Capital Commission, Heritage Canada Commission, the Ottawa Riverkeeper and Destination Gatineau
The “eco-neighbourhood” will implement carbon neutrality, on-site stormwater management, bicycling routes linking the entire community and an abundance of green space – 12 per cent of the total land. The “mixed-use community” will have an equal ratio of residences and businesses in close proximity to each other.
“Transportation is a huge contributor to carbon pollution,” says Trevor Haché, policy co-ordinator at Ecology Ottawa, “and if you can build, work and play all within the same area, that will limit the need to rely on public transit systems.”
Aside from cycling, Windmill is aiming for a 90-per-cent Walk Score. Walk Score is a company that gauges the “walkability” of communities in the U.S., Canada and Australia through mobile applications and its website.
To make neighbourhoods more walkable they plan on designing a pedestrian-friendly community, that prioritize pedestrians and cyclists over cars, says Haché.
The development will integrate the Quebec and Ontario communities on either side of the river, says Westeinde.
The development itself, which will be built on traditional Algonquin land, is consistent with environmental values exercised by indigenous people, says Robert Potts, principal negotiator and senior legal counsel for the Algonquins of Ontario.
“Among those lands are the falls, Chaudière and Victoria Island,” says Potts. “They are extremely sacred because they are at the confluence of the three rivers.” The three rivers include the Rideau, Gatineau and Ottawa rivers.
“Like all native people, they (Windmill) have a real commitment to the land and the preservation of resources,” says Potts. “What we have heard thus far tells us that they are sensitive to the environment and the aboriginal presence.”
Windmill is in the process of submitting their rezoning application for the entire property which could take until 2015. The industrial site has to be rezoned in order for the neighbourhood to be built without a hitch.