COUNCILLOR’S MESSAGE
Support our Ward 9 food banks
Year after year, Ottawa’s food banks are finding it harder and harder to meet the growing demand caused by food insecurity. This year is no exception, as Ward 9’s own food banks are facing unprecedented demand. The Care Centre on Viewmount Drive, which is one of Ottawa’s five emergency food banks, has seen demand grow from 220 families before COVID, to over 2,000 families this year. FAMSAC, another food bank that serves Ward 9, is facing similar pressures.
Each year, Councillor’s get a budget to make donations to community associations, non-profits and charitable causes in our ward. As I’ve done in previous years, my office has made donations this year to FAMSAC as well as to The Care Centre. I’ve also made a personal donation to each organization. I hope that any resident in Ward 9 who can afford to donate to either of these vital organizations does so this Christmas.
Budget 2025: What’s coming to Ward 9
As most residents are aware, the City of Ottawa’s 2025 Operating & Capital Budgets passed at last week’s City Council meeting. I was one of only three councillors who voted against the budget, as well as one of several councillors who voted against the Transit budget. I’ll provide a rationale for my votes below.
Despite my overall misgivings, there is some good news for Ward 9 in the budget. And that’s how I’d like to start off, with a summary of what’s coming to our Ward from this budget, much of which came from my direct advocacy.
Roads
I was proud to have collaborated with Councillor Dudas to see the annual budget for local road renewals increase by $13.5 million. That’s significant, since we only spent $5 million on local roads in 2024. I also worked with Councillor Dudas to pass a motion at Transportation Committee to shift the focus of our investment away from arterials and collectors, and more towards local roads, since that class of roadway is showing an increasing state of disrepair.
During 2025 we’ll see $3 million invested in the following Ward 9 roads as part of the road renewal program:
- Merivale Road (from Viewmount Drive to Meadowlands Drive)
- Grant Carman Drive
- Auriga Drive
- Deakin Street
The following roads will also see planning work commence in 2025 for projects that will see construction in the next 2 to 3 years:
- Preliminary work will begin in 2025 for the planning of traffic safety projects on Viewmount Drive, Meadowlands Drive, and Knoxdale Road. And Viewmount Drive (from Fisher Avenue to Grant Carman) has also been selected for road renewal in the next 2 years, and so concept design work for that construction will also begin in 2025.
- Pre-engineering work will commence in 2025 on parts of Tennyson Street and Cordell Court, which have been targeted for resurfacing in 2027.
- Pre-engineering work should also commence in 2025 for Colonnade Road North.
- Siskin Court will see some preliminary design work in 2025 for a possible resurfacing in 2026, to possibly align with some culvert construction work.
Sidewalks and active transportation
During 2025, the city will invest $1.5 million on renewals of the multi-use pathway that runs along Greenbank Road between Fallowfield and West Hunt Club. Please see below for a more detailed update on the many challenges affecting this long-delayed project.
The city is investing $1.9 million in the design and construction of intersection improvements at Greenbank Road and West Hunt Club. However, I have already met with project staff to raise some questions about the timeline, rationale, and proposed draft design for this project. I hope to provide more information on this important project soon.
And during 2025 we are expecting to see sidewalk renewals on Medhurst Drive (south side), Woodfield Drive (south side), and on Viewmount Drive (south side, from Merivale Road to Overlake Drive).
Other civic infrastructure
Residents in Carleton Heights will be happy to hear that my advocacy has paid off when it comes to addressing the many sewer infrastructure issues affecting this neighbourhood. I managed to get Carleton Heights onto a list of areas that will be part of a city program that does investigations, data collecting, and engineering studies prior to long-term infrastructure improvements.
There will be $866,000 invested in culvert construction at Siskin Court, and $313,000 invested in a new bridge design for the Via Rail overpass on West Hunt Club.
Recreational amenities
One of the more exciting recreational improvements coming to Ward 9 is the new Medhurst Park Splashpad coming to Tanglewood. This project will be funded in part by up to $235,000 from the City of Ottawa, as well as a $200,000 contribution I secured from Hydro One
In addition to recent play structure renewals at Fisher Heights Park and Parthia Park, I’ll be looking forward to seeing the completion of the play structure renewal at Pineglen Park. And I’ll be proud to see the completion of the Trend Arlington Park Outdoor Pavilion in Spring 2025, which is a project I’ve been involved with since 2018.
Finally, the city will invest $106,000 for the design of artificial turf at the Nepean Sportsplex Lawn Bowling Field.
Economic development
Regular readers of this newsletter will know that the development of a Merivale Secondary Plan is one of my key goals for the 2022-2026 Term of Council, as this plan will help set the stage for the future of this vital area over the next several decades. I’m very proud to have spent the past two years advocating for the work that will finally commence in 2025. Over the next few months work will begin with data collection, mapping, establishing working groups, and the first public notifications. Starting in Spring 2025, there will be a public consultation event to introduce the secondary plan and gather feedback from residents and stakeholders. Then in Summer/Fall 2025, the City will hire consultants to begin work on a concept plan to establish the vision and future design of Merivale Road.
Budget 2025: Rationale for my vote
As mentioned above, I was one of three councillors who voted against the 2025 budget.
Two weeks ago, I was out on a drive in Ward 9 with someone from the city’s Infrastructure & Water Services Department, as we surveyed some of the roads in Ward 9 that will now get some work done in 2025. During our drive, I was told that a common rule of thumb in infrastructure asset management is that to properly maintain assets, cities should spend 2% of the value of those assets on maintenance each year.
Ottawa’s road assets are valued at $2 billion. 2% of that would be $40,000,000. We do not spend anywhere close to this annually. And the worse our roads fall into disrepair, the more expensive they are to maintain. And this is just one area where we are under-investing. Eventually, the costs to maintain, repair and replace our assets will become your children’s burden, if not their children.
Certainly, I’m glad to see that the 2025 budget found $54.2 million in savings, and that a total of $208 million has been found in savings between 2023 and 2025. I appreciate Mayor Sutcliffe’s focus on cost savings, as it’s essential that our tax dollars be spent as efficiently as possible. But even with those savings and efficiencies, the City of Ottawa has not been taking the necessary steps to ensure that we have sufficient revenues to do what’s required to keep up with expenses.
Believe me, when I talk about the need to increase taxes, I am addressing our critical infrastructure and public services: our roads, sidewalks, and sewers. Our snow clearing, and park maintenance. The reliability of our bus service.
After upholding his campaign promise to maintain the property tax increase to only 2.5% during 2023 and 2024, Mayor Sutcliffe was under no obligation to do the same in 2025. In fact, as the final year before an election year, 2025 could’ve been the year that Mayor Sutcliffe followed the path of municipalities across Ontario and set a tax rate more in line with our current needs. That could’ve set a new baseline, and he could’ve returned with a modest increase during the election year of 2026.
Politicians are supposed to make tough decisions that place the common good ahead of our popularity. Our job is to protect the city and its future. Our job isn’t to make it easy to get re-elected.
While taxes will remain artificially low for now, the bill will come due at some point.
---
As mentioned above, I was also one of several councillors who voted against the transit budget. While the budget that passed is not supportable, it’s also fair to say that there weren’t many viable alternatives on the table.
Readers of this newsletter may recall that I had a motion that sought to maintain the reduced youth fare (aged 13 – 19) for the approximately 1,060 youth who do not get their transit paid for by their school boards. That motion would’ve cost the average taxpayer $0.56 more for the year. I was told by colleagues that this motion would not pass, because there was no appetite to increase the transit levy further, even by half a dollar. And so, I withdrew my motion to support an “omnibus motion” that addressed fares for seniors and youth, but which didn’t affect the transit levy.
In the end, there’s so much wrong with the Transit Commission budget, and with OC Transpo’s general approach for how to fix transit in Ottawa. For starters, it hinges on getting $36 million in funding from the federal and provincial governments, at a time when the federal just announced a massive deficit, with a Fall Economic Statement that contained no reference to any new transit funding for Ottawa. Until proven otherwise, that money is a mirage.
By now many residents will have heard about Councillor Brockington’s alleged “personal attack” on OC Transpo GM Renee Amilcar’s job performance, but someone’s got to start demanding greater accountability. I look forward to working with colleagues like Councillor Brockington and Councillor David Hill, who are pushing for clear answers to some of the toughest questions plaguing OC Transpo.
The transit budget that passed puts too much additional pressure on fare increases, especially to seniors and youth. It projects ridership increases that may be overly optimistic. It relies on deferrals to maintenance and capital projects as a means of saving money. And it relies on $36 million in funding from the federal and provincial governments, without any evidence that such money is coming. In other words, it’s flimsy.
There are other solutions out there, but they will depend on much more forceful advocacy of federal and provincial governments to fund transit operations, and they will depend on being bolder with the revenue tools that are available to us.
Although I’m not a member of the Transit Working Group that’s responsible for the Transit Long-Range Financial Plan, I will be focused throughout 2025 to push for greater accountability and better solutions for the viability of our transit system.
Newcomer reception centre
Following the Public Information Session that took place on December 4th, I wanted to post a brief update on the issue of the newcomer reception centre that’s proposed for 1645 Woodroffe.
First, I’ve been in discussion with the Knoxdale-Merivale Council (an informal group consisting of the presidents of Ward 9 community associations) to organize small town hall meetings in early 2025 with each of the immediately adjacent communities. The intention is to have professionally facilitated meetings with City of Ottawa staff present, in an open, question-and-answer format, held specifically for the residents of each of these communities.
Second, I’ve been approached by the Federation of Community Associations (FCA), who are looking to form a working group to help identify and address concerns and expectations for communities impacted by the proposed newcomer reception centres. My office will gladly participate in this FCA-led process.
Finally, I continue to hold discussions with City of Ottawa program staff to get answers to ongoing questions pertaining to the newcomer reception centre. While I’m certain that more questions will arise over the coming months, here’s what I’m still looking to get clarity on:
- Finances & federal support: City of Ottawa staff have made clear that these newcomer reception centres cannot proceed without federal funding, but few details have been released about the status of this funding. And in recent weeks, there have been signals from the federal government about shifting policies on cross-border migration. As the primary support for this program must come from upper levels of government, I’m eager to get confirmation that financial support is in place.
- Future use of the facility: Residents across Ward 9 have asked legitimate questions about the City’s future intentions for what to do with this Sprung structure once it’s no longer needed as a newcomer reception centre. To help address this, I will be bringing a motion to City Council in January that aims to guide the facility’s future use.
- Use of Nepean Sportsplex: Many residents have expressed concern over how much of a role the Nepean Sportsplex will play in the newcomer reception centres. Residents should understand that the Sportsplex handles 1.6 million visitors per year and can easily absorb small increases in use. Nevertheless, I will be meeting with housing staff and recreational staff to get a clearer understanding of plans and intentions.
- Safety & Security: While I’ve been relieved by the communications I’ve had with Ottawa Police Services on the subject of these newcomer reception centres, there’s still a lot of uncertainty about the screening process for newcomers coming to Canada, even as the federal government is in the midst of tightening policies around border security.
- Water infrastructure: In its assessment of 1645 Woodroffe and the other shortlisted sites, the Stantec Report identified gaps in water infrastructure at this location that would need to be addressed to maintain required water capacity with the increased demand. City staff have assured me that these infrastructure improvements are part of the planned costs for site preparation, which I will seek to confirm when detailed plans become available.
- Soil and groundwater conditions: Finally, there remain questions about the underlying soil and groundwater conditions at 1645 Woodroffe, as the Stantec Report identified “significant residual hydrocarbons” in the soil adjacent to Confederation Education Centre. While the proposed project will require minimal excavation, and the Stantec Report states that these hydrocarbons “are not anticipated to present a concern with respect to the proposed temporary housing structure at the site”, this remains an issue that I need to get clarity over, especially since 1645 Woodroffe was on a Treasury Board list of federal contaminated sites. Expect an update on this in January.
End of year office closure and last newsletter of 2024
My entire office will be closed as of December 23rd, and our first day back in the office will be January 6th. While my team and I will be monitoring our emails and phone messages over the break, we will only be actively responding to emergencies and urgent requests.
We also wanted to let our readers know that this will be our last issue of 2024. The next issue of our newsletter will be published on January 14th, 2025. And so, we’d like to wish everyone a safe and joyous end to 2024, and a very Happy New Year for 2025. We’ll see you soon.
CITY WORKS
Trend Arlington outdoor pavilion and rink
Residents of Trend Arlington will be happy to see that the boards for the outdoor rink were finally installed last week, after weeks of discussions between our office, city staff, and the Trend Arlington Community Association. Our office has also learned from city staff that construction of the outdoor pavilion will proceed over the winter, with substantial completion of the structure and roof expected by March 1, and with electrical work to take place in Spring 2025.
OC Transpo service adjustments
O-Train Lines 2 and 4 are planned to open on Monday, January 6, initially operating only Monday to Friday. Saturday and Sunday service will be added in the following weeks. When Sunday service has been added and O-Train Lines 2 and 4 are running seven days a week, Route 99 will be revised to make an additional O-Train connection at Limebank Station.
The New Ways to Bus network, as developed through the 2023 Bus Route Review, will be implemented in April 2025 and more complete details of those changes will be provided in advance.
During the phased opening of O-Train Lines 2 and 4, bus routes will offer parallel service to assist customers in making the transition to the new train lines and to provide a backup in case of service disruptions.
For more info on these changes, as well as service changes due to the holidays, please refer to OC Transpo’s website.
Traffic safety updates
Throughout the course of the 2022-2026 Term of Council, our office continues to be focused on traffic safety as one of the key issues of concern expressed by residents. We’ll be using the second half of the term to re-focus our efforts in this area.
As mentioned in previous newsletters, our office is looking to improve safety concerns along some of our major east-west collector roads like Meadowlands Drive, Viewmount Drive, and Knoxdale Road. Projects for the re-design of each of these roads will commence in 2025, including adding both Viewmount Drive and Knoxdale Road to the city’s Neighborhood Traffic Calming program.
We also wish to let residents know that the Automated Speed Enforcement camera on Merivale Road near Brookdale Road has completed its testing and calibration phase and is now operational.
For 2025, each councillor’s Temporary Traffic Calming budget will increase to $87,500, up from $75,000 in 2024. While there continue to be areas of traffic safety concern across the ward, we are considering a different approach to spending our budget. Rather than spread our budget thinly across the ward with measures like flex-stakes and speed display boards, we might look to apply our budget more strategically to some key areas with permanent measures like speed humps, planters or concrete bulb-outs. Of course, this means that we’d not be able to address as many locations.
There are also three schools in Ward 9 that continue to pose concerns when it comes to traffic safety issues. These schools are St. Rita’s Catholic School, St. John XXIII Catholic School, and Manordale Public School. Our office will continue to meet with school principals and city staff to attempt improvements, but we need to acknowledge that some of these improvements will cause inconveniences either to residents or to students and parents attending these schools.
Speeding on Knoxdale Road
Residents of Ward 9 will soon be hearing about plans and concepts for the re-design of Knoxdale Road in Spring 2025, and we wanted to use this issue of the newsletter to explain some of the context for safety and speeding issues on this highly used road, based on speed and collision data that we obtained from city staff.
Automatic Traffic Recorder (ATR) data has been collected on Knoxdale Road on 10 separate occasions between 2017 – 2022. ATR data typically represents at least 24 hours of collection. One item that is measured is what’s called 85th percentile speed, which is the speed at or below which 85 percent of all vehicles are observed to travel.
The city’s data indicates although the posted speed limit on Knoxdale Road is 40 km/hr, the 85th percentile speed ranged from 52 km/hr to 63 km/hr, depending on location. And this excluded data taken during COVID, when speeds were even higher. Even factoring in moderate reductions that came with the introduction of temporary traffic calming measures in 2018, these speeds significantly exceed the posted speed limit and remain far above desired levels for a residential area.
We also collected collision data on Knoxdale Road (see the chart below), which indicates the number of collisions at specific locations between 2013-2022. The collision data show that the level of collisions is relatively low except at major intersections, which is also where there’s the greatest risk of impacts with pedestrians or cyclists.
Greenbank multi-use pathway
Over the last several months, Councillor Devine has been working closely with Barrhaven Councillors David Hill and Wilson Lo to advance the long-delayed renewal of the multi-use pathway that runs along Greenbank Road between Fallowfield and West Hunt Club. The following is the latest update on this project, re-printed directly from Councillor Lo’s website, as it’s the most detailed account currently available.
Last month, City staff provided an update and plan for the Greenbank pathway through the Greenbelt. The pathway is in a condition that’s no longer maintainable. A heavier investment must be made, but multiple unknowns have pushed the timeline into unknown territory.
One potential impact identified earlier was a future Hydro Ottawa project related to an as-yet-unscheduled expansion of the Canada Food Inspection Agency laboratories, although they have since agreed to bear the costs of remediation. The City pathway is also on federal Greenbelt land, so the NCC are the ultimate approval authority.
With those great unknowns, City staff proposed temporarily shelving full pathway reconstruction and upgrades in favour of a like-for-like resurfacing project in the interim.
That option extends the life of the pathway by at least 10 years while staff gain clarity with surrounding projects and works and their impacts with relevant parties.
Staff have already budgeted $1.5 million for the resurfacing, meaning it can proceed in 2025 if cost estimates are at or below that figure. Otherwise, it will proceed in 2026.
It may seem like a throwaway cost, considering there is an ultimate plan to reconstruct and upgrade the pathway, but given the timeline has so many unknowns and the pathway’s current state, staff have recommended resurfacing as the best option now in the interest of usability.
Over the next two months, staff will find a more definitive cost estimate, refine the overall idea, and begin a functional project design.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Getting Engaged in 2025
Since coming to office in 2022, Councillor Devine has been committed to engaging with the communities of Ward 9 and ensuring people are made aware of the changes that will affect them. This newsletter, for example, has played an important role in that effort, providing detailed information about developments at City Hall and Councillor Devine’s positions on the big issues of the day.
The pace of change is likely to only increase over the coming month—and so will our office’s efforts to ensure that residents remain informed and have the opportunity to make their views known.
To help in that effort and to ensure people have a variety of ways to get engaged, Councillor Devine will be adding a couple of new avenues for engagement opportunities while also reviving an old favourite.
First, the old favourite. Pop-up office hours will make a return in the New Year. Councillor Devine will pick a local cafe, set up shop there for a couple of hours and engage residents in conversations about the things that matter most to them. Watch for dates and times and sign-up links in the coming weeks.
Second, in 2025, Councillor Devine will reconnect with the Knoxdale-Merivale Council, an umbrella group of local community associations, to connect with community leaders and provide regular updates on developments at City Hall. The sessions will be a great opportunity for Councillor Devine to hear from community leadership and to give them a chance to ask the Councillor questions about city initiatives.
Third, there will be a series of town halls with local community associations to discuss ongoing and emerging issues. It’s important to provide good opportunities for local communities to engage in productive conversations about the things that matter most to them. Watch for those sessions over the coming months.
Baseline BRT Webinar – January 16, 2025
We’re excited to invite you to a special webinar led by City staff on the development of the Baseline Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor, a critical project designed to improve public transit across the city.
- When: January 16, 2025 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM EST
- Where: Online via TEAMS
This city-wide initiative aims to enhance transportation along Baseline Road, a key east-west corridor that serves a variety of land uses including shopping malls, hospitals, schools, parks, and residential areas. The BRT will connect major transit stations, such as Bayshore, Baseline, Confederation, and Billings Bridge, offering a fast and efficient travel alternative that bypasses downtown congestion.
The webinar will cover how this proposed BRT project will:
- Accommodate growing travel demand across the city
- Improve access to employment, commercial, and residential areas
- Expand the city's rapid transit network
- Support sustainable travel by providing infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists
Don’t miss out on learning more about this transformative public transit project. RSVP today!
PUBLIC HEALTH & SAFETY
Violent incident in Craig Henry
Last week our office was alerted to news about a stabbing incident that took place in the 200 block of Craig Henry Drive. We have been in regular contact with Ottawa Police Services about this incident, which involved a teenage male victim, who was brought to CHEO with serious injuries. OPS have not provided any info on who was responsible for this incident, nor have we heard of any arrests. Our office will re-connect with OPS to see if there are any developments in this investigation.
Respiratory Disease Update
We are now a week away from Christmas Eve and deep into the holiday gathering season. As no doubt most of you have noticed, a lot of people are nursing various ailments with the sounds of coughing and blowing noises everywhere. It’s a good idea during this season to do what you can to lessen the risk to you and your loved ones. Open windows, run air filters, test for potential COVID infections (which have been steadily elevated in Ottawa since the end of summer), and wear a mask when you are attending larger gatherings. All of these things can help keep you and everyone around you healthier through the holiday season.
From MOH to CEO, Vera Etches is moving on
Ottawa’s Medical Officer of Health (MOH), Vera Etches, has a new job. Etches has been Ottawa’s MOH since the spring of 2018 and with Ottawa public health in senior roles since 2009. Two weeks ago, it was announced that Etches has been selected as the new Chief Executive Officer of CHEO. Etches will assume her new role at the beginning of March 2025. Etches’s replacement as MOH has not yet been announced.
PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT
1545 Woodroffe Ave.
Residents of Ward 9 have been watching the site of the former Tim Horton’s at Woodroffe and Medhurst with concern over the last few years. The site was severely damaged during the tornado in 2018 and has been left boarded up and abandoned ever since. Residents will be happy to know that demolition of the site is finally underway. There are no immediate plans to replace the building, but the old structure will be removed and will no longer pose a potential health and safety hazard. It is hoped and expected the owner of the lot will redevelop it at some point in the near future. We will keep an eye on it and keep you posted.
COMMUNITY NEWS & EVENTS
Christmas Eve at Woodvale Pentecostal
Christmas services at Knox United
Fundraiser for Canadian Ringette Championship
Meri Squares modern square dancing
