COUNCILLOR’S MESSAGE
Update on Budget 2025
Ever since the draft 2025 budget came out on November 13th, Councilllors have been involved in debating and approving each of the separate departmental budgets that fall within our respective committees. We have also been hard at work with colleagues, the Mayor’s office and city staff on proposed changes and improvements, as we work towards the December 11th Council meeting where we debate and vote on the final budget.
It’s been a busy November for my entire team, especially considering the ongoing issue of the Newcomer Reception Centre, along with all the regular business that keeps our office busy.
As mentioned in my last newsletter, there are several elements of the budget that will be good news for Ward 9 residents. I’ve secured improvements that made their way to the original draft budget. I have also been working in Committee and behind the scenes on additional improvements, primarily in the areas of transit, local roads, stormwater infrastructure, and new recreational assets. For our next newsletter on December 17th, I’ll provide a detailed list of how Budget 2025 will benefit Ward 9 residents.
Today I’d like to address my ongoing concerns about the city-wide implications of the 2025 budget. Because at the end of the day, I must vote on that budget.
To be more specific, I will have to vote on two budgets. Council will be voting on the overall budget, and within the overall budget Councillors can support/not support departmental budgets. But Council will be voting separately on the Transit Commission budget.
For the overall budget, I’m already on record as having said that I’m not happy with it, because the approved budget direction to limit the property tax increase to 2.9% means that there’s not a lot of room in the budget. My major concern is that the city has massive costs ahead of us when it comes to maintaining and eventually replacing much of our infrastructure. Yes, we’re making little improvements to turn the ship in the right direction but as I said at this week’s Transportation Committee, we’re not turning the ship fast enough to avoid crashing into the iceberg that waits on the not-too-distant horizon.
It’s the Transit Commission budget that has many of us worried. Based on what was recommended and approved this past week, the Transit Commission budget contains a significant amount of risk, as well as elements that I believe are simply unfair. Here’s what I mean:
- RISK: The budget includes a placeholder contribution of $36 million from the federal and provincial governments as part of Mayor Sutcliffe’s “Fair Deal for Ottawa” campaign, but Council has not yet been provided any clear sign that any money from these upper levels of government is forthcoming.
- RISK: The budget assumes that ridership will increase to 80% of pre-COVID levels but doesn’t lay out a clear plan for how we will attain those levels.
- UNFAIR: The original budget included a 120% increase to the cost of monthly passes for seniors but, thanks to some recent motions, that increase will likely be reduced to something closer to 20%.
- UNFAIR: The budget that was approved by Transit Commission includes the elimination of the youth pass (ages 13 – 19), which would result in a 36% increase in cost for teenagers who currently buy that pass.
It’s that last item, the elimination of the youth pass (ages 13 – 19) that I’m currently focused on. Let me explain here, and it’s complicated.
At last week’s Transit Commission, I brought a motion to address this concern, but the motion has been referred to Council on December 11th on procedural grounds. This is good, because it now gives me time to better address this concern, and to hopefully build support around Council. However, it’s a complex matter that has some cross-jurisdictional issues.
The majority of youth aged 13 – 19 have their transit passes paid for by the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority (OSTA), from funding provided by the provincial Ministry of Education. Basically, OSTA is mandated to provide free transportation to eligible students, based on distance between students’ homes and their school, or other factors. OSTA provides transportation either through yellow school buses, or by purchasing youth passes from OC Transpo.
Currently, OSTA purchases about 17,000 youth passes from OC Transpo during each month of the school year. Last week OSTA sent a letter to City Council letting them know that an elimination of the youth pass would cost OSTA an additional $4.6 million for their 2024/25 budget. But, and here is the critical piece, not all local youth who require transit qualify for OSTA’s free transportation.
In Ottawa, approximately 1,060 students and their families pay for their transit, often because they live just outside the boundary to qualify for free transportation, even if that difference is just one city clock. With the elimination of the youth pass, those students and families who don’t qualify for free transportation under OSTA will end up paying an additional $429 per year. To me, that is simply not fair.
Over the past week, I’ve been working with Mayor Sutcliffe, my Council colleagues, and OC Transpo senior leadership on a motion to address the proposed elimination of the youth fare. While other colleagues have been focused on seniors, or university students, my focus is on the high school students and youth aged 13 – 19 who would be unfairly penalized in this current budget.
The good news is that I’ve still got time. Over the past week, and right up until December 11th I’ll be working with the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Transit Commission, with OC Transpo’s senior leadership, and with the Mayor’s office to come up with a viable solution.
Like I said, it’s complicated. Stay tuned.
Public Information Session on Newcomer Reception Centre
I want to assure residents that I am continuing to raise questions with staff about the newcomer reception centre, especially when it comes to ensuring that the proper plan is in place to make sure that the needs and concerns of local residents are addressed. For example, I’m very pleased to have been able to move the location of the proposed sprung structure away from the football field, so that Myers Riders Football Club won’t lose access to their field. Recently, my concerns and questions have been in regard to ensuring that there is sufficient underlying infrastructure (water, wastewater, stormwater). For every question that I ask, I’m getting the answers that I need.
Tomorrow night, I will be participating in the Public Information Session about the newcomer reception centre proposed for Ward 9. There has been a lot of discussion and a lot of questions over the last three weeks since the site was announced—and given the limited information that was available initially, those questions are understandable. It’s important that residents have the information they need about what is planned for the site and what the next steps in the process will be. So, to help get that information out to the community, we have organized an information session that will give you information straight from the source. We will have presentations from:
- City staff on the policy choice to create the centres, as well as the site selection process
- Stantec on the technical and engineering considerations
- Local settlement service delivery partners who will speak to the need these centres will meet and the types of services and supports that will be provided to the refugee claimants who will be supported at the centre.
After the initial presentations, residents will have the opportunity to visit information stations, have conversations, and ask questions of the various subject matter experts. As most of you know, I have been asking questions and communicating regularly since the news broke that the NCC behind Sportsplex had been selected. If you missed some of that, you can find lots of information on our “News & Updates” page, including a comprehensive Q&A that addresses many of the initial questions residents have been voicing. You can also visit the city’s Engage Ottawa page for additional information, including a new “Feature Story” about the project. There is still lots to learn before this project moves forward. Come and join us tomorrow night—from 6:00pm to 8:00pm in Halls A&B at the Nepean Sportsplex—and join in the conversation.
CITY WORKS
Medhurst Park Splashpad
Our office is very pleased to announce that the Tanglewood-Hillsdale Community Association is the successful recipient of a City of Ottawa Community Partnership Major Capital Program grant of up to $235,000 for their proposed Medhurst Park Splashpad.
This project started when Councillor Devine secured a very generous contribution of $200,000 from project partner Hydro One to the residents of Tanglewood-Hillsdale, who are living with the long-term construction work of Hydro One’s ongoing Merivale Transformer Station upgrade project. With the funding from Hydro One secured, the Tanglewood-Hillsdale Community Association determined that a new splashpad had the greatest potential as a new public asset for their community. From there, the Councillor supported the community association in submitting its grant application to the City of Ottawa. All partners are extremely pleased to see the fruits of this collaboration.
Here’s a comment from Graeme Roderick, president of the Tanglewood-Hillsdale Community Association:
“This is indeed exceptional news. In the 35-year history of the Tanglewood-Hillsdale Community Associations’ quest for infrastructure, second only to the Community Centre itself, this is the largest investment in the neighbourhood – made possible by the work that Councillor Devine did with Hydro One and the City. On behalf of the leadership of our neighbourhood, we thank the Councillor for his continuing interest in seeing this initiative move forward. It will make a difference.“
Councillor Devine will now be working closely with all stakeholders to begin advancing the project in a timely manner. Congratulations to the community and residents of Tanglewood-Hillsdale, and my gratitude to Hydro One, to the City of Ottawa, and to the Tanglewood-Hillsdale Community Assocation.
Planned Power Outage – Fair Oaks Crescent
On December 5th between 9:00am – 4:00pm, Hydro Ottawa will be replacing electrical equipment that will impact residents on Fair Oaks Crescent. To undertake this work safely, a planned power interruption will be required. All impacted customers are contacted by phone, text or email - depending on the communication preferences indicated on their account. In the case of circumstances beyond Hydro Ottawa’s control, the outage may be rescheduled.
Winter operations update
Though it may have started late this year, winter conditions are on their way. Our city’s Winter Operations crews are already hard at work getting ready to clear and maintain our roads, sidewalks and pathways. The City of Ottawa is also looking to ensure that our communications with residents remain strong, including notifications of Significant Weather Events and Winter Weather Parking Bans.
Need help clearing your driveway and/or walkway during the winter? For information on City’s Snow Go and Snow Go Assist Programs visit Help around the home on the city’s website.
And lastly, if you are able, please clear your local catch basin from leaves and debris before the snow comes to allow as much water as possible to drain from the road.
Craig Henry Drive sidewalk
We’re pleased to report that the sidewalk replacement project for the south side of Craig Henry Drive (Greenbank Road to Elvaston Avenue) is now almost complete, with some landscaping work remaining to be done this week. The photos below include a map of the scope of the project, as well as some as “before-and-after" images of the sidewalk. Enjoy your much safer sidewalk, Craig Henry!
Exciting News: New Play Equipment at Fisher Heights Park Now Open!
We’re thrilled to announce that the new play equipment at Fisher Heights Park is officially open to the public! After much anticipation, the park is ready to welcome families and children to enjoy the new features designed for fun and adventure.
Please take a moment to check out the photo below – it was taken a couple of weeks ago, so you’ll still see the construction fencing up. However, we’re happy to report that the fencing has since been removed, and the play area is fully accessible.
Automated speed enforcement cameras in Ward 9
The City of Ottawa, through its Road Safety Action Plan (RSAP), has proposed several new automated speed enforcement (ASE) camera locations for 2025. Of the sites selected, two are in Ward 9. These locations were chosen based on road safety priorities, including high traffic volumes, proximity to schools, and areas with known speeding concerns. Some of the proposed locations still require Hydro Ottawa's review for feasibility, while others have already met the necessary technical requirements.
For Ward 9, the proposed ASE locations are:
- Meadowlands Drive East from Chesterton Drive to Tiverton Drive
- Proximity to: Sir Winston Churchill Public School
- Status: Pending Hydro Ottawa review.
- Fisher Avenue from Meadowlands Drive to Urbisci Private
- Proximity to: St. Rita School
- Status: Fully reviewed, meets technical requirements, and proposed for 2025.
Greenbank Multi-Use Pathway
City staff provided an update on the Greenbank pathway concluding that it is in poor condition and no longer maintainable without major investment. Full reconstruction is delayed due to uncertainties, including a potential Hydro Ottawa project, the expansion of Canada Food Inspection Agency labs, and federal approval since the pathway is on NCC land.
To ensure the pathway remains usable, staff recommend a temporary resurfacing project. This would extend its life by at least 10 years while giving time to clarify future impacts and finalize long-term plans. The project is budgeted at $1.5 million and would begin in 2025 if costs stay within this estimate; otherwise, it will likely begin in 2026.
Staff will refine cost estimates, develop a more detailed design, and provide another update in January.
Better Homes Ottawa Loan Program
The City of Ottawa offers a Better Homes Ottawa Loan Program that can help homeowners with energy-saving and climate adaptation home improvement projects. Through this program, Ottawa property owners can access a 20-year, low-interest loan to cover the cost of a wide range of projects. Our office will aim to host an information seminar on this program in the New Year, but in the meantime, residents can participate in a city-hosted online information session on December 12.
Curbside waste policy
The final phase of the graduated approach to the three-item garbage limit began on Monday, December 2. This means, any garbage above the three-item garbage limit now must be placed in a City of Ottawa yellow bag. Items above the limit that are not in a yellow bag will be left behind with a courtesy tag indicating the limit.
More than half of waste set out on garbage day can be recycled, composted or even reused. Reduce your garbage items:
- Donate gently-used items to local charities, community organizations or your neighbours through your local Buy Nothing groups.
- Maximize your recycling and composting. There is no limit to the number of blue, black or green bins and leaf and yard waste.
- Get broken items repaired at an upcoming Repair Café.
Not sure where something goes? Use the Waste Explorer to find out.
Garbage container requirements
Garbage container requirements are in place to keep our collection operators safe and prevent injuries. Each operator lifts seven to 10 tonnes of waste and walks almost half a marathon every single day!
If you have a bin larger than 140 litres, you can continue to use it until May 2, 2025. However, your total garbage cannot exceed the total three-item garbage limit of 420 litres. The contents of the bin must not be too heavy for operators to lift safely into the truck. During this time, operators will leave a courtesy tag to indicate that the bin is oversized.
Garbage containers must meet the following requirements:
- Up to a maximum of 140 litres capacity
- At least one handle
- Weighs no more than 15 kilograms / 33 pounds when full. The weight includes the container and the contents.
- Removeable watertight lid. Containers must not have hinged lids as these can swing back, possibly hitting and injuring our operators when being emptied.
- Be plastic or metal
Find out more about the three-item garbage limit and the yellow bag program at ottawa.ca/garbage.
Noise By-Law issue at 1695 Merivale Road
Our office has received multiple complaints from residents on Grant Carman Drive about noise concerns arising from the new Green Fresh Grocery at 1695 Merivale. This the commercial building on Merivale that most recently was furniture and electronics store but converted to a grocery. As a result of this conversion, they likely changed the heating and cooling equipment on their rooftop. But over the past several weeks, we’ve received consistent reports from residents about loud noise coming directly from this rooftop, especially at night when there’s less ambient noise.
Our office got By-Law to investigate the situation, and By-Law concluded that the noise being produced from this property exceeds the limits of Ottawa’s Noise By-Law. The property owners have been issued a notice requesting that they attend to this matter promptly, and our office will follow up with By-Law to make sure that the site is brought back into compliance.
Hydro One tree and vegetation maintenance
Starting in 2025, Hydro One will commence necessary tree and vegetation maintenance along one of their transmission corridors that runs through Ward 9, as indicated by the purple dotted line on the map below. This work is different than the work they did last month, which was to install a new grounding line on the top of their towers. Tree and vegetation maintenance consists of the regular and necessary done to ensure that vulnerable power lines and towers are not interfered with or otherwise made inaccessible by trees, bushes, and other vegetation. We understand that it can be concerning to see Hydro One crews cutting down trees and bushes in this beloved greenspace, but it’s important work to make sure that our power distribution doesn’t get compromised. Councillor Devine has a long and productive history with Hydro One (stemming from the 2018 tornado) and will be in close dialogue with Hydro One to ensure that this work is done responsibly and that they communicate openly with residents. For more information and details, please refer to Hydro One’s Public Notice on Tree & Vegetation Maintenance that we’ve posted on our Google Drive.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Reception Centres public information session
As described in the Councillor’s Message, we are hosting a public session with city staff and subject matter experts to provide information about the proposed reception centre on NCC land behind Nepean Sportsplex. All are welcome to attend and learn about the proposal and next steps.
Date: Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Time: 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Location: Nepean Sportsplex, Conference rooms A&B
Public Consultation: Lexington Park Tennis Courts Lifecycle Replacement
The City of Ottawa is seeking public feedback on the proposed concept plans for the lifecycle replacement of the tennis courts at Lexington Park. This project is part of the ongoing commitment to maintaining community assets and ensuring their sustainability.
In line with the 2017 Strategic Asset Management Plan, the Ageing Assets Strategy emphasizes that not all assets should be replaced before reaching the end of their expected service life. As such, this project focuses on the rebuild of the two existing asphalt tennis courts to ensure continued service.
Key Features of the Project:
- Two full tennis courts will be maintained
- The layout will include both tennis and pickleball lines
- A new accessible route, fencing, gates, and seating will be added
A concept plan of the proposed layout is available in the Document Library on Engage Ottawa page. Residents are encouraged to review the plans and provide feedback through the survey provided.
Construction is scheduled to begin in 2025, pending budget approval.
Update on Special Event Regulations: Your Input Needed
The City of Ottawa is exploring potential updates to how outdoor special events are regulated and supported. This review includes the Special Events on City Streets By-law (No. 2001-260) and the Special Events on Private and Public Property By-law (No. 2013-232), which currently govern outdoor events with expected attendance of 500 or more people or those held on City roadways. These by-laws do not apply to indoor special events.
Over the past few months, the City has met with various stakeholders, including event organizers, community associations, the business community, and federal and provincial agencies, to gather input. Additionally, five public surveys have been conducted to explore key topics:
- General public input
- Creating accessible, safe, and inclusive events
- Waste reduction and environmental sustainability
- Events on City Streets
- Demonstrations
Based on the feedback gathered, the City is now seeking your comments on several specific recommendations under consideration. Your feedback will help shape the final proposals presented to Council for approval.
The survey will take 5-10 minutes to complete, and your responses will guide decisions on which recommendations should move forward.
Proposed Changes to Special Event Permits:
One of the key recommendations is to consolidate the two separate systems for special event permits (one for events on City streets and another for events on other properties) into a single by-law and permit system. This change would simplify the process for event organizers and reduce costs to taxpayers. Under this new system, all outdoor special event applications (excluding demonstrations) would be processed through Event Central and the Special Events Advisory Team.
Currently, there is no cost for a special event permit, even though the City’s costs to process and approve events can range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. The City is considering whether to introduce fees to help offset these costs, but understands this could make it more difficult for community groups and entrepreneurs to organize free or new events. Your thoughts on this issue are crucial. ,
PUBLIC HEALTH & SAFETY
Respiratory Disease Update
We are late in the fall and headed into the busy holiday season. After higher-than-normal levels of respiratory illness—particularly COVID-19—in the early fall, things have settled down somewhat. It is still important to take some precautions for you and your loved ones, given the number of gatherings that we’ll all be part of in the coming weeks. Open windows when you can, run air filters, and wear a good-quality mask when you find yourself indoors with a lot of people. Enjoy the season but take good care!
Rising rate of pneumonia in children
If you are out and about or have children at home, you’ll hear a lot of congestion and coughing these days. Sometimes those symptoms are just the usual symptoms of a respiratory infection. But sometimes it isn’t. Ottawa Public Health is reporting much higher-than-usual rates of pneumonia among children these days—a phenomenon that has been noticed around the world in recent months. So be sure to pay close attention and if those symptoms (fever, headache, or a slowly worsening cough) appear to be lingering or your child is having respiratory issues, be sure to get them checked out by a doctor.
Extreme cold preparations
The cold weather is finally settling in and the next few months will bring the usual plunges in temperature that come with winter weather in the nation’s capital. It’s important to be prepared for the deep plunges in the mercury and know how to help when help is needed. A lot of people in our community do not have adequate housing or sufficient clothing to stay warm. If you want to better-understand what resources are available to help, you can check out Ottawa Public Health’s cold weather web page and check on which places are available to provide warm shelter to people caught out in the cold.
PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT
780 Baseline
As construction for the first tower at 780 Baseline is tentatively scheduled to begin in Spring 2025, we want to remind residents in the Fisher Heights area that our office will be organizing a public meeting in January 2025 with the developer and his project team to discuss concerns and mitigations related to construction. We’ll provide an update on the details of this meeting as soon as we can.
1545 Woodroffe
Residents in the Tanglewood-Hillsdale community have been very patient awaiting demolition of the long-abandoned Tim Horton’s at 1545 Woodroffe. The property owners (Circle K) had planned to have the demolition completed by now, but there were delays in getting the requisite permissions from Hydro Ottawa. At the time that we are writing this newsletter, we have been informed by Circle K that the demolition will begin on Monday, December 2. From our conversations with Circle K and the local community association, it appears that Circle K is still planning to do upgrades and renovations to their store and the property, but those plans remain unofficial.
Once the demolition is complete, there remains the matter about concerns related to significant debris and property standards issues surrounding the property. Our office is working with city officials, Circle K and the local community association to determine scope of responsibility and next steps.
COMMUNITY NEWS & EVENTS
Tanglewood Hillsdale Holiday Party & Craft Fair
WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 7th, 2024
WHERE: Tanglewood Community Center
TIME: 9:00am to 1:00pm Vendors in big room & 11:00am to 1:00pm Holiday party in the small room
Happy Holidays!! Come have fun with Santa and neighbors. Children can share their wish lists with Santa and take photos, create holiday crafts for all the holidays of the season, and decorate cookies!
Adults can shop for that special gift and meet with neighbors! Hot chocolate and coffee will be provided courtesy of Tim Hortons.
Donations to the food bank are welcome.
Free entry and free parking. If you want more info contact [email protected]
Mayor’s 22nd Annual Christmas Celebration
Gender Based Violence Art Show
Norwich Christmas Market
