After referendum motion pulled, residents speak out on Lansdowne 2.0
Fifteen delegates voiced concerns about the city’s proposed Lansdowne 2.0 project as part of a June 23 “people’s committee” hosted by the community group Better Ottawa. Better Ottawa’s Neil Saravanamuttoo said he decided to organize the event after a motion by Capital Coun. Shawn Menard — which proposed a public referendum on Lansdowne 2.0 — was withdrawn during a June...
O-Train east extension on track for 2025 as final phase of work on stations begins
With the eastern expansion of the O-Train scheduled to open to the public by year’s end, the finishing touches of construction are currently underway at the stations that will soon see thousands of riders daily. The extension will add 12.5 kilometres of track east of the existing line, which ends at Blair Station. This includes five new stations, bringing LRT...
City proposes new open data dashboard for indicators of community well-being
Open data on the well-being and safety of Ottawa residents is about to get more accessible. Last week, staff attending the city’s community safety and well-being advisory committee presented plans to develop a new dashboard that would display data on city-wide population-based indicators. The committee, which met June 18, is made up largely of community volunteers and includes Rideau-Rockcliffe Coun....
Committee approves housing, school, addition to Plant Recreation Centre
The area connecting Chinatown and Hintonburg is expected to see a major revitalization in the next few years after a proposal to redevelop the area around the Plant Recreation Centre was approved by the city’s planning and housing Committee. The original redevelopment plan, put forward in December, led to numerous requests for amendments. The latest proposal includes four future residential...
OC Transpo spotlights Route 11 data to address service reliability issues
Facing widespread public dissatisfaction with the reliability of Ottawa’s transit system, OC Transpo officials gave city councillors an overview of its performance standards at a transit committee meeting on June 12. The review focused on data from Route 11, which runs from the west-end Bayshore Shopping Centre to Waller Street in the downtown core, a key stop for University of...
‘A big shift’: Centretown business owner hopeful as city proposes façade fund
Historic buildings in Centretown may soon be eligible to receive funding from the city for something that’s often relegated to the bottom of a business owner’s to-do list: Beautification. On Tuesday, Ottawa’s built heritage committee unveiled a $500,000 Centretown Heritage Façade Improvement Pilot Program. If approved by council, it could allow property owners of buildings along Bank and a small...
Schedule still ‘fluid,’ but city expects mid-2026 opening for Ādisōke library
Officials overseeing construction of the city’s new central library say it’s on track for completion by mid-2026, but added that the work schedule for the project remains “fluid” because of the structure’s massive scale and complexity. The latest update on Ādisōke, a $334-million collaboration between the Ottawa Public Library and Library and Archives Canada, was presented to the Ottawa Public...
Debate delayed on fossil fuel ad ban as city targets ‘greenwashing’ instead
Members of the city’s finance and corporate services committee have delayed debating a staff recommendation against banning fossil fuel advertising on municipal property. Instead, staff outlined a plan in a memo presented to the committee on June 3 to ensure ads on city property would comply with new provisions under the Federal Competition Act targeting misleading environmental claims, also known...
Algonquin elder still ‘frustrated’ by explorer Champlain’s prominence at renaturalized Kìwekì Point
The effort to preserve two 80-year-old elm trees in the recently rehabilitated Kìwekì Point reminded designers of one thing not reflected much in the national capital’s downtown landscape: that we are living in relationship to nature. “Those two trees are probably the main reason for how the pathway system for the park actually worked itself out,” said Garry Meus, a...
City begins grappling with projected $10.8-billion infrastructure gap by 2035
City councillors at a finance and corporate services committee on Tuesday debated how the city should close a projected $10.8-billion infrastructure gap over the next 10 years. As required under provincial legislation from 2017, the city presented asset management plans across 12 infrastructure areas, including drinking water, transportation and solid waste services, creating a “snapshot” of the projected deficit. “We...
Veterans lead ceremony marking 25 years of Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Canadian veterans led a May 28 ceremony at the National War Memorial to mark the 25th anniversary of the dedication of the country’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. On the day of the anniversary, Gov. Gen. Mary Simon, Canadian military officials, veterans representing the Royal Canadian Legion and hundreds of local residents gathered for a solemn ceremony honouring the unknown...
Groups call for 24-hour bus lanes along Bank to ease congestion, improve safety
When Ottawa Council recently approved plans to include surrounding streets in a major study of transportation options along Bank Street, advocates for public transit, cyclists and pedestrians dismissed the move as a waste of time. Instead, they argued, an obvious solution to the congestion and safety issues — 24-hour bus lanes — should be implemented urgently. The Bank Street Active...