COUNCILLOR’S MESSAGE
Building a Better City
Last week I was at the annual general meeting of one of the community associations of Ward 9. During the segment where residents got to ask me questions, I got the same kind of question that is typical of neighbourhoods across the ward: “Can we get more sidewalks?” “When will the roads in our community get re-paved?” “Why can’t I get a streetlight on my corner?” “Can the city put more garbage cans in the parks?” “Can we get our pathways snowplowed in the winter?” “How long does it take for By-Law to show up?” “Why don’t the buses come on time?”
These are not outlandish demands. These are not partisan questions. These are the increasingly common frustrations from residents who expect a basic level of services from their city.
As I’ve said many times in this newsletter, there are many reasons why Ottawa is not able to meet these expectations. In last issue’s Councillor’s Message, I talked about the phenomenon of “compounding decline” that comes from failing to properly invest in municipal infrastructure. And you’ve certainly heard my position on the inadequacy of our city’s approach to property taxes.
There are other key factors to our current fiscal challenges. One such issue is the imbalance in revenues versus expenses when it comes to how spread out our city is geographically. More than 50% of Ottawa’s population lives inside the Greenbelt, occupying 13% of the land, yet generating almost 60% of the city’s property tax revenue.
It helps to have clarity on the weaknesses of our city’s fiscal policy, since that makes it easier to start pushing for change in another direction. But there are good things coming, just over the horizon.
With all the development coming to Ward 9 over the next few years, there will be significant infrastructure upgrades paid for with development charges, community benefit charges, and cash-in-lieu of parkland contributions. Here’s one example of this: the new towers at 780 Baseline will lead to a new city park at Fisher Avenue and Malibu Terrace, and Ward 9 will likely receive a minimum of $600,000 in community benefit charges from this project, which I can use for improvements like new streetlights, new sidewalks, new crosswalks, etc.
This week testing began on the long-overdue LRT Stage 2 Trillium Line. While we should mix a fair amount of caution into our optimism, the successful launch of our new rail line will undoubtably have a positive impact on the flow of residents around the city.
Finally, I’m excited by some recent initiatives I’ve been leading that focus on significant improvements to road infrastructure in Ward 9, and across the entire city. These include my Resident Working Group to focus on local water infrastructure in the older parts of the ward, collaborating with a Council colleague on a budget motion that will aim to get more local roads re-paved in 2025, and trying to get our city’s senior leadership to consider some exciting innovations in pavement technology. I’ll look to talk about these ideas in more detail in future issues.
Building a better city will take time, and it will take a willingness to change the way we do things. It will absolutely take accepting greater responsibility for our role in building a better future. I look forward to continuing to have that conversation with you over the coming years as we work together to build a better Ottawa.
CITY WORKS
The new curbside collection policy is now in effect
On Monday, September 30, the City of Ottawa implemented a new curbside garbage collection limit, allowing residents to set out a maximum of three items on collection day. This includes any combination of garbage bags, containers up to 140 litres, or bulky items like unusable furniture. Households can consolidate smaller bags into one container to count as a single item. Importantly, there will be no limits on curbside recycling, green bin, or leaf and yard waste collections. This change specifically affects residents who receive curbside garbage collection; to confirm if it applies to you, visit Ottawa.ca/garbage and enter your address for more information.
The three-item garbage limit is designed to help the City of Ottawa extend the life of the Trail Waste Facility Landfill, providing crucial time to explore more sustainable waste disposal options. By aligning with the practices of neighboring municipalities, this change also promotes consistency in garbage collection across the region. Currently, over half of the items we throw away could be diverted into blue, black, or green bins for recycling or composting. Notably, around 85 percent of households already set out three or fewer garbage items on collection day, indicating a strong foundation to build upon. This new limit will encourage residents to rethink their waste disposal habits, fostering greater use of recycling programs, neighborhood “buy-nothing” groups, donations, and returns to retailers, ultimately leading to a more sustainable community.
If you’re unsure about which bin to use for a particular item, the Waste Explorer tool makes it simple to find the correct disposal method—just search for any item and get instant guidance. To stay organized, consider downloading the Ottawa Collection Calendar app, which offers collection reminders, waste reduction tips, and more. For further information on reducing the amount of waste sent to the landfill, visit Ottawa.ca/garbage. If you’re new to Ottawa or need a new blue, green, or black bin, you can request one online; the City provides one of each for free and will deliver it right to your home. Remember, recycling and composting are easy ways to help the environment. Additionally, any usable items you no longer need can find new homes through local “buy-nothing” groups or by donating to local charities, making a positive impact in your community
Ward 9 Infrastructure Resident Working Group
As mentioned in previous issues of this newsletter, Councillor Devine has organized a small group of residents from the Fisher Heights and Carleton Heights neighbourhoods, to continue the process of identifying root causes for some of the historic and severe challenges with water infrastructure in this area. Our Resident Working Group consists of individuals with long-term insight into the area’s deficiencies, as well as relevant professional expertise in infrastructure. Councillor Devine begins meeting with the group in October and will then be integrating municipal staff into the process to start identifying solutions.
Updates on Greenbank Road
As there are several updates and changes coming to Greenbank Road over the next few years, we wanted to provide you with a brief overview of what’s planned, even if some of them are for matters outside of Ward 9. Here’s a summary:
- As an early part of the multi-phase Baseline Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, the intersection of Greenbank / Baseline will undergo a significant renovation in the next few years. The project involves reconstruction of the intersection with dedicated bus priority lanes, new concrete sidewalks and curbs, raised asphalt cycle tracks, and reconfigured traffic lanes. Construction is planned to start in spring 2025 and be completed by fall 2026. There will be a Public Information Session on Wednesday, October 30th from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm at Ben Franklin Place.
- There will also be a major renovation to the Greenbank / West Hunt Club intersection, with construction tentatively scheduled for August 2025 – February 2026. The objective is to construct additional eastbound and westbound through lanes on West Hunt Club, as well as to add a protected intersection, as well as safety enhancements to the cycling lanes. We ar enot currently aware of any public information sessions.
- Our office has been working closely with Barrhaven councillors David Hill and Wilson Lo to help advance the long-delayed Greenbank Multi-Use Pathway project. Cyclists and pedestrians who use this pathway that runs alongside Greenbank between West Hunt Club and Fallowfield are well aware of the pathway’s state of disrepair. A consultant has recently been hired and the design phase of this project will begin during the rest of 2024. We do not have any update on construction plans at this moment.
- Finally, as part of Hydro Ottawa’s long-term plans to build at least 6 new substations across Ottawa to meet our growing city’s power needs, there will be a proposed “south end station” near Greenbank and West Hunt Club, likely in the federal lands off the southwest corner. It is expected that public notices and community information sessions will be held in early 2025, with construction not planned to start until 2028.
Trend-Arlington outdoor rink update
As most residents of Trend-Arlington are aware, construction is underway for the new Outdoor Pavilion at Trend-Arlington Park. As this project includes the re-location and renovation of an existing soccer field, there is a large fenced-in area which encompasses the location where the outdoor rink would normally be situated. Because the project includes the re-seeding of the soccer field, the City of Ottawa has let Councillor Devine, and the Trend-Arlington Community Association (TACA) know that the outdoor rink may not be available for the 2024/25 season.
Both the Councillor and TACA are fully aware of just how significant a loss this would be to the community, even just for one winter. Both TACA and the Councillor are actively trying to work with city project staff on modifications to the existing project or temporary alternate locations for the outdoor rink, to ensure that the community has this valuable service available to them this winter.
Student safety at Manordale Public School
After last month’s installation of new traffic control signage on Carola Street in front of Manordale Public School, Councillor Devine and his team have been to the school on three occasions to observe whether drivers are complying with the new “no stopping” and “no u-turn" signs. While there appears to be some level of improvement, we still observed many, many drivers willfully ignoring the signs, and doing dangerous manoeuvres with young students nearby. We will consult with the school principal in early November to ask for their two-month assessment, and we remain prepared to make more restrictive traffic changes.
Three steps to home flood protection
Protect your home from rain! The City has three programs to help mitigate flooding or aid homeowners affected by rainfall events. They include:
And be sure to check out the city’s Three Steps to Cost-Effective Home Flood Protection guide. Every little bit helps to protect your home!
Canada Carbon Rebate for small businesses
Last week we received a notice from Nepean Member of Parliament Chandra Arya that the federal government has announced a new support small and medium-size business owners. Under the new Canada Carbon Rebate, eligible businesses who submit their 2023 taxes before the end of the years will receive the following rebates, depending on the size of the business:
- Business with up to 10 employees: $4,010
- Business with up to 25 employees: $10,025
- Business with up to 50 employees: $20,050
- Business with up to 100 employees: $40,100
- Business with up to 499 employees: $200,099
Are you a nightlife guru?
If you are, you might want to consider putting your name forward for the city’s new Nightlife Council. The city’s newly appointed Nightlife Commissioner is going to be supported by a volunteer council of up to 18 city residents. To goal is to recruit a wide range of Ottawa residents with ties to the city’s nightlife economy. Six of the positions will be filled by organizations that already have a strong presence in the nightlife space, like the Ottawa Music Industry Coalition and Ottawa Tourism. But the rest of the positions will be filled by residents at large. If joining the council seems like a good fit for you, you should consider applying. The deadline for applications is October 11.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Older Adult Summit – Thank you!
We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who joined us at the Older Adult Summit on October 1, 2024, at the Nepean Sportsplex! This event aimed to empower older adults in the City of Ottawa, particularly from Ward 9, by providing valuable resources and fostering connections with local representatives. Your participation made this event a success, and we hope you found the information and resources shared to be beneficial.
As we strive to improve our future events, we encourage all attendees to fill out the post-event survey. Your feedback is invaluable in helping us shape future initiatives and ensure our offerings are accessible and inclusive for everyone. Thank you once again for being part of this important conversation, and we look forward to seeing you at our future gatherings!
Tanglewood community safety meeting
To address ongoing concerns regarding a series of public safety incidents in Tanglewood-Hillsdale, Councillor Devine will be hosting a Community Safety Meeting on October 21st at 6:30 pm, at the Tanglewood-Hillsdale Community Centre, located at 30 Woodfield Drive. Representatives from Ottawa Police Services, NROCRC and the local community association will be on hand to update residents on recent investigations and to answer any questions.
Public Consult on Residential Protective Plumbing Program
PUBLIC HEALTH & SAFETY
Respiratory Virus Update
We have a piece of good news this week about the city’s wastewater surveillance program. Despite the province deciding to end funding to the program in cities across Ontario, Ottawa Public Health has joined up with CHEO, the CHEO Research Institute, and the University of Ottawa to ensure wastewater monitoring continues at least until September of 2025. That means we will be able to continue providing you with the data you need to understand the current level of risk in the community.
And it’s a good thing that the monitoring program has continued. Ottawa has been in a sustained period of COVID transmission since mid-summer. And that trend is continuing into the fall. Levels in Ottawa are currently very high with large numbers of people continuing to contract the virus. It is wise to continue taking precautions when you are sharing the air with a number of people: meet outside when you can, open the windows, run air filters and wear well-fitting masks. In combination, doing those things can go a long way to reducing the spread.
Speed racing enforcement
This week Councillor Devine held a meeting with Ottawa Police, where he met with senior OPS leadership involved in addressing the ongoing issue of speed racing that is plaguing many areas across the city, including Ward 9. From the discussion that was had, and from the ongoing accounts our office is getting from residents across the ward, the problem of speed racing is far larger than OPS’ current ability to keep the matter contained. And we say this with full recognition that OPS’ efforts at targeted enforcement of speed racing in the last few months have been very effective.
Frankly, OPS’ request for additional officers is not realistic. Based on the most recent information, OPS is requesting to grow their forces by at least 500 new officers over the next 2 – 3 years. When it comes to enforcement of speed racing, there simply needs to be far stricter punitive measures. It is simply not enough for someone charged with speed racing to only face a one-month license suspension, or a 14-day impound of their vehicle.
Councillor Devine will be working with Councillor David Hill and some other colleagues to start lobbying for the City of Ottawa to provide new enforcement by-laws, and for the Province of Ontario to enact far stricter punishments. But there is not going to be a quick solution to this problem, unfortunately.
Road Safety Action Plan
This October, the City is focusing on Pedestrian Safety, as part of Ottawa’s Road Safety Action Plan.
From 2017-2021, 25% of fatal or major injury collisions involved pedestrians. Notably, 23% of these incidents involved a pedestrian having the right-of-way being struck by a left-turning vehicle.
Between 2017 and 2021, 57% of fatal and major injury collisions occurred at or were related to intersections. More than half of all serious collisions each year take place at intersections. To begin to address these risks, the City is implementing protected left-turn signals and funding new Traffic Control Signals to improve intersection safety.
When cycling beside a heavy truck at an intersection, you may be in a blind spot where the driver cannot see you in their mirrors. If the truck turns right, it could veer into your path. Cyclist Safety Requirements: Under the Highway Traffic Act, cyclists are required to have lights and reflectors, particularly important during low-light times like dawn and dusk. This includes:
- A white front light
- A red rear light or reflector
- Two strips of white reflective tape on the front forks
COMMUNITY NEWS & EVENTS
Empowering BIPOC Girls and Women: Montclare Youth Innovation Lab!
Montclare is a transformative learning experience designed specifically for BIPOC girls and women aged 12 to 18. With generous support from the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG) Foundation Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Grant, this 8-week series will offer a dynamic blend of workshops and events, including an exciting group outing and a design sprint. Additionally, they are excited to incorporate the Junior Achievement (JA) Company Program’s Social Impact Challenge into the Montclare Lab! Sign up available for both on their website.
Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to learn, connect, and grow!
EnviroCentre - International Walk to School Month
EnviroCentre is hosting their iWalk Month event during the month of October. IWalk Month is an event that encourages students to arrive at school by walking and wheeling their way to school in the brisk fall air. Active transportation can help students concentrate in school, build communities around your neighbourhood or school, and keep the school zone safe!
Enjoy the quality time you get to spend with your family as you travel to school together! Check out this poster for activity ideas to celebrate iWalk Month.
Empowering BIPOC Girls and Women: Montclare Youth Innovation Lab!
Montclare is a transformative learning experience designed specifically for BIPOC girls and women aged 12 to 18. With generous support from the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG) Foundation Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Grant, this 8-week series will offer a dynamic blend of workshops and events, including an exciting group outing and a design sprint. Additionally, they are excited to incorporate the Junior Achievement (JA) Company Program’s Social Impact Challenge into the Montclare Lab! Sign up available for both on their website.
Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to learn, connect, and grow!
EnviroCentre - International Walk to School Month
EnviroCentre is hosting their iWalk Month event during the month of October. IWalk Month is an event that encourages students to arrive at school by walking and wheeling their way to school in the brisk fall air. Active transportation can help students concentrate in school, build communities around your neighbourhood or school, and keep the school zone safe!
Enjoy the quality time you get to spend with your family as you travel to school together! Check out this poster for activity ideas to celebrate iWalk Month.
Knox United Fish Fry
Join Knox United for a delicious Fish & Chips Takeout Dinner at Knox United Church on Saturday, October 19th! Our Fish Fry Fundraiser will feature a drive-thru pickup from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., offering a convenient way to enjoy a classic meal while supporting our community.
Menu and Pricing:
- Adults: $20 (Includes 2 pieces of fish, french fries, coleslaw, and cookies)
- Children: $12 (Includes 1 piece of fish, french fries, coleslaw, and cookies)
Important Details:
-
This event is pre-order only—no drop-ins will be accepted.
To place your order, please call 613-820-3936. - The deadline to order is Saturday, October 19th at 10 a.m.
Come pick up your meal at Knox United Church, located at 25 Gibbard Avenue (off Greenbank near the soccer dome at Hunt Club). We look forward to serving you a tasty dinner while raising funds for a great cause! Thank you for your support!
Unrigged series screening
Interested in civic engagement? Don’t miss the Ottawa screening of the Unrigged series, based on Dave Meslin’s book Teardown. At the event you’ll hear author Dave Meslin in conversation and get a chance to catch the first two episodes of the series on the big screen followed by a reception sponsored by Unlock Democracy Canada. Brought to you by Synapcity and Unlock Democracy Canada in partnership with Moi&Dave and TV Ontario. Don’t miss this special evening on Thursday October 17th.
Cityview Craft Fair
Into the Night Garden
