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Update on Newcomer Reception Centres - November 15

Dear residents,

It has now been just over a week since we all first heard the news that the lands around the Nepean Sportsplex had been selected as a preferred site for the city’s Newcomers Reception Centre. I think it’s fair to say, that announcement took us all by surprise. In the days since, I have been fully engaged with the issue, responding to resident emails and phone calls, meeting with Ward 9 community leaders and impacted organizations, talking on multiple occasions with city staff, working with all stakeholders in order to get clarity on what led us to this point, to hear everyone’s concerns, and to ensure those concerns get addressed as this project moves forward.

Earlier this week, I let you know that I had questions and concerns about the proposal—not about the objective, generally, which I support—but about how and why this site was selected, and about the potential impacts it would have on communities. I have since had lengthy meetings with program staff, and many of my concerns have been addressed. 

One of the key issues was the lack of transparency in the selection process. The criteria were not clear and the process for considering and evaluating potential sites was not well-described or explained in the material that was provided at the time of the announcement. We are making progress on getting some of those answers and will continue to share information as we learn more.

As it stands now, I believe that the site at 1645 Woodroffe is a suitable location for a Newcomer Reception Centre, as are a number of other sites on the shortlist. For the site at 1645 Woodroffe, I am still waiting for certain conditions to be met, which I’ll describe below.

Based on the last week of discussions, here are the primary things that we are focused on:

  • Public Information Session: Communicating transparently with residents and stakeholders – and that’s got to be two-way communication - remains a key priority. The initial announcement failed my expectations of good communications, as it did not provide clear information to help residents understand the need, the process, or the decision. My office, working with staff, is organizing a Public Information Session to walk people through all of the information and to give residents an opportunity to ask questions and connect with city staff and subject matter experts. It’s important that we have the opportunity to properly understand what is being proposed, so that we can assess it properly. As it is currently a very busy time at City Hall because of ongoing 2025 budget deliberations, we are looking to schedule this meeting within the next three weeks.

 

  • Use of the affected sports fields: The impact of this site selection on Myers Riders Football Club has been one of my biggest concerns over the past week. As residents know, the staff recommendation is to put the new structure on the football field known as “Confed field”. Based on what I have now learned, it was entirely unfair and inappropriate for the staff report to refer to this site as an “underutilized football field”. I have met with the league’s leaders and have spoken to staff about the need to come up with a solution to how this project is impacting this football club. Staff have been very supportive in discussing potential solutions. I am optimistic that we can address this challenge and ensure the league has what it needs to continue operating.

 

  • Site selection: The site was a surprise to most of us because it was not included in the initial list of properties considered for this project. Staff have taken time to explain their process and the various phases of their assessment, and how each assessment took different considerations into account. The initial assessment was done without the participation of some key property management expertise and only focused on sites owned by the city. Once those experts were involved, more potential sites were identified, including sites owned by the NCC. That is how 1645 Woodroffe came to be considered, later in the process. A number of questions remain but my confidence in the choice of the site has been improved through discussions with staff, especially as it pertains to appropriateness of location, ease of construction, suitability for the intended users, and impact on community. There remains a lot of planning to address impact on community, safety, and shared use of public space. Those discussions will continue and I will share more information as it becomes available..

 

  • Cost: This sprung structure facility will be far less expensive (and more flexible) than any permanent facility would be, but it will still take substantial capital funding to build and operate. The city is in the midst of securing that funding from the federal government through an existing program with Immigration, Refugee, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). As those details become available, we will ensure they are shared with the city taxpayers. But it’s important to know that the costs for this project are to be covered by federal funding, not municipal.

We are looking forward to hosting residents at the Public Information Session in the next few weeks. Until then, don’t hesitate to reach out to my office or to visit the dedicated page on this project at Engage Ottawa. Your feedback, questions, and suggestions are always welcome, even if you do not support this. But if you do wish to show your support for this city-wide program and help show a welcoming side of our city, there is an opportunity to do that this Sunday at the Rally for Refugees. This event is being hosted by Refugee 613, and all are welcome to attend. The rally takes place Sunday November 17th at 3:00pm at Ben Franklin Place Plaza, located at 101 Centrepointe. The rally will be well-supported by members of Ottawa City Council, including Mayor Mark Sutcliffe. I look forward to seeing you there.

Thanks,

Sean Devine

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New Ways to Bus: Ward 9 Information Page

New Ways to Bus: Ward 9 Information Page

Thanks for visiting the Ward 9 information page on OC Transpo's New Ways to Bus (NWTB). This page is designed to provide you with some essential details on how the service changes may impact transit riders in Ward 9, including route adjustments, the rationale behind the changes, and how we have advocated for our residents.

We fully understand that many residents are legitimately frustrated with these changes. Many riders see these adjustments as another cost-cutting measure from OC Transpo, as they continue to face significant financial challenges. 

OC Transpo's New Ways to Bus revised route network will focus on frequency, local service in your neighbourhood, and connections to key destinations. Through these many adjustments, OC Transpo's aim is to increase the reliability of our bus route system. Riders will see a shift in the number of downtown-focused bus routes, to routes that improve connections to community hubs and key destinations. Some customers may have to go further to the bus stop, or require additional transfers to buses or trains, or will have longer overall travel times. In addition to fewer Connexion routes, some routes will be retired due to low ridership and to improve connections to new routes and the O-Train. Retired routes will be replaced with alternative service nearby.

For now, the position that Councillor Devine and his team are taking is that we are very sympathetic to those concerns, but that we need to help residents prepare, because these changes are coming soon. New Ways to Bus comes into effect April 27th. What our office is focused on is trying to ensure that our residents are prepared for the change, and monitoring how the new system performs in its initial weeks and months.

 

New Ways to Bus website

For the most comprehensive information available, OC Transpo has created a dedicated New Ways to Bus website, complete with many useful items, including: 

  • a New Ways to Bus network map
  • information on new signage
  • a detailed list of routes that will not change, and routes that will change

 

New Ways to Bus - Travel Planner

The OC Transpo Travel Planner has now been updated to include the New Ways to Bus routes that take effect April 27th. Try it out! Enter your trip information for a trip that you might take now and then enter the same trip information for a date after April 27th and see what kind of changes there will be. 

 

New Ways to Bus - Ward 9 Bus Routes 

You can find specific information on each route in the entire New Ways to Bus network on their new website. Our office has also compiled a series of PDF route maps for all of the Ward 9 bus routes. 

 

Public Information Sessions 

OC Transpo has organized a series of community events for residents to meet with OC Transpo staff to ask questions about changes in the New Ways to Bus system. The event that was held on April 4th at the Nepean Sportsplex was poorly attended because OC Transpo did no provide clear information about where the event was taking place. Residents are encouraged to attend other sessions.  

 

Councillor Devine's advocacy for Ward 9

Ever since the first draft of the New Ways to Bus network was rolled out well over a year ago, our office has been engaged with OC Transpo in trying to stop some of proposed changes. It wasn't altogether easy to get concessions, since Council has no authority over OC Transpo's operations. But we managed be successful in some of our attempts, though we were less successful in others. For the sake of transparency, we wanted to provide residents with a summary of our efforts over the last year. 

Routes 282/82 

  • What we won: It's shocking to believe, but in the original draft of the New Ways to Bus network, Route 82 would have seen its service frequency cut down to peak hours only. This would've been devasting to the western part of Ward 9, who are already seeing other decreases in service. After strong advocacy from our office, Route 82 will maintain full-day, seven-days-a-week service. During peak hours, it will connect to Tunney’s Pasture, offering a viable replacement for the discontinued 282 express route.
  • What we lost: Unfortunately, Route 282 was removed. While we fought to maintain express service, this decision reflects several lost express routes, due city-wide budget constraints. However, once the LRT Line 1 West extension is complete, riders will be able to take the 82 to Pinecrest Station, for a quicker ride downtown.   

Route 173 

  • What we lost: Route 173 will no longer service Manordale, becoming a local route serving Barrhaven instead. We continue to object to the questionable rational for this decision, as Barrhaven has more than enough routes serving it. We are committed to monitoring the impact of his lost service, in the hopes of restoring something.

Routes 111/112/189

  • What we won: When the first draft of the New Ways to Bus network was rolled out, we quickly noticed that the proposed changes to the 111/112 routes meant that there was no longer any bus service on Chesterton Drive, meaning that two schools, an apartment tower, and a large lower-income housing complex would see no service at all. Even worse, Chesterton Drive is on an incline! We pushed hard against this change, which resulted in Route 189 being re-directed to run along the entire length of Chesterton Drive. While this means riders will need to make an additional transfer, it would have been much worse if there was no route there at all.   

Routes 89/86

  • What we lost: Despite our advocacy, Routes 89 and 86 will see reductions and decreased frequency. We will continue to push for adjustments if transit reliability issues arise. 

There are several other changes to service routes in Ward 9, some of which will result in an increased level of service. We'll try to post more information on these changes shortly. 

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