ARAC Meets on Monday, Road Work, Santa Claus Parades and More!

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Here's a cool video residents may enjoy of the deck and girder removal of the McBean Street Bridge taken in August, during the full bridge closure. Click image to watch.

In recent weeks, there has been a number of construction projects throughout Rideau-Goulbourn, including the resurfacing of Rideau Valley Drive South and South Island Park Drive. Many culverts have been replaced over the same time. Unfortunately, there are certain projects that were scheduled that have been delayed. Planned road resurfacing work at the following locations will be deferred to 2019 since forecasted weather is not favorable to pavement work:

  • Intersection of McBean Street and Goodstown Road

  • Intersection of Owlshead Road and Munster Road

  • Third Line Road from 40m south of Prince of Wales Drive to 55m south of Prince of Wales Drive

  • Third Line Road from 30m south of Stratton Drive to 60m south of Stratton Drive

  • Dobson Lane from 55m west of McCordick Road to McCordick Road

  • McCordick Road from Mackey Road to 135m north of Mackey Road

  • McCordick Road from 215 north of Lockhead Road to 245m north of Lockhead Road (south bound lane only)

  • McCordick Road from Lockhead Road to 230m south of Lockhead Road

Work needs to be completed under temperatures that allow for proper compaction of materials and/or paving work. The forecasted weather will not allow us to achieve the desire product quality for our roads.

The contract is not cancelled and funding remains in place. The Contractor also remains engaged to complete the work. Work will resume in the spring of 2019, which is typically once asphalt plants re-open and when half-load restrictions are lifted. In the meantime, the contractor will be back to remove the construction signage and cones. I will post an update on these projects in the spring.

Get Involved With Your City!

The City of Ottawa is currently recruiting for citizen members to serve on various Committees and Boards. These include membership on the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, Built Heritage Sub-Committee, Transit Commission and many more. The City benefits greatly from the expertise and knowledge of its citizens in this capacity and in return, those who join gain insight and knowledge of how the City works.

To be eligible, you must be a resident of the City of Ottawa and must be 18 years of age or older in order to be eligible for appointment.  Participants may be eligible for re-imbursement of some out-of-pocket expenses. Employees of the City of Ottawa are not eligible for positions as citizen members on committees, conservation authorities, boards, sub-committee or commission.

For more information, please visit ottawa.ca/committees or contact Carole Legault at 613-580-2424, ext. 28934 or by email at [email protected]. 

Free Well Water Testing

Ottawa Public Health recommends that residents on well water test their water supply three times a year (or after major plumbing work). You can test your water for free by dropping off samples at many locations across the City (visit www.ottawapublichealth.ca for locations).

The newest location for pickup of bottles or dropping off samples is at The General Store Marketplace in Ashton during regular business hours, which you can find on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/thegeneralstoremarketplace/. Residents can pick up bottles any day during regular business hours and can drop off samples every Thursday (the courier will pick up samples every Friday at 8 am). 

Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind Holiday Bake Sale

Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind will host its 9th annual Holiday Bake Sale on Saturday, December 1 from 9:00am until Noon. Stop by to purchase some homemade baked treats and other unique items.  Indulge on the day or stock up on baked goods to serve guests over the holidays. Other items include Christmas cards, TY Beanie Babies, doggy bone Christmas wreaths, dog toys, and exclusive Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind merchandise. 100% of the sales proceeds support Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind. 

Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind is located at 4120 Rideau Valley Drive North. For further information about the Holiday Bake Sale, please contact (613) 692-7777 or email [email protected].  Please note there will be no outside vendors at the event.

Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind was established as a registered charity in 1984.  Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind has provided more than 850 professionally trained guide dogs to Canadians who are visually impaired from coast to coast.  Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind also has an Assistance Dogs Division, which trains assistance dogs for individuals in the Ottawa area with mobility-related disabilities.

West Ottawa Ladies Chorus’ Christmas Concert

The West Ottawa Ladies chorus is delighted to present its annual Christmas concert, this year entitled Sing with Festive Cheer!  It will take place on Friday evening, December 7th at 7:00pm and again on Saturday afternoon, December 8th at 2:30pm.  The venue is St. Paul's Anglican Church in Kanata.

The 40-voice choir is directed by Robert Dueck and accompanied by well-known jazz pianist Peter Brown.  Guests this year will be oboist Robin Tropper and flautist Kathryn Adeney.  There will be a selection of beautiful carols and some sing-along numbers.  Tickets are $15 advance with retail outlets listed on the website and $20 at the door.  You can also buy online for $18 through the website at www.westottawaladieschorus.ca

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If you have any comments, questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at [email protected] or contact me by phone at 613-580-2491. For information on Rideau-Goulbourn issues, please visit RideauGoulbourn.ca.

ARAC Agenda, Presto Pass Availability, Manotick Miler Road Closures & More

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The next meeting of Agriculture & Rural Affairs is being held on Thursday, May 3rd at Ben Franklin Place. As usual, our meetings begin at 10:00am in the old Nepean Council Chambers. Agenda items include:

  • South Nation Conservation Authority Board Appointment
  • Zoning By-Law Amendment: 4837 Albion Road
  • Zoning Amendment: Storefront Industry
  • Zoning Amendment: Live Music & Performance Venues
  • Omnibus Zoning Amendments
  • Site Alternation By-Law Follow-Up

The main item on this agenda is the zoning amendment for 4837 Albion Road. This application is several years in the making as it pertains to the Rideau Carleton Raceway site paving the way for the addition of a nine-storey hotel on the site of the soon to be Hard Rock Casino Ottawa. The application also permits an increase to 55 gaming tables from the currently allowed 35. The overall development project will see an investment of over $300M into the rural south site including a live theatre.

The storefront industry amendment is something that I spoke of in this column previously. The intent is to support small-scale businesses that would include micro-brewers/distillers, food processors and craft makers. These permissions would be added to commercial and mixed-use zones. The Omnibus amendment features some minor changes to properties across the City. In Rideau-Goulbourn, this report will see a minor zoning change to 5970 Dwyer Hill Road and add “medical facility” as a permitted use in the VM2 zone in the core of Manotick.

The Site Alteration By-Law item is a revisiting of the item approved by ARAC last month. Staff were directed to make some changes to how Section 10 of the by-law is applied in the rural area and to clarify the agricultural exemption.

For more information on this agenda, please visit Ottawa.ca or subscribe to our e-Newsletter.

Rideau Valley Wildlife Sanctuary

The Rideau Valley Wildlife Sanctuary is now accepting applications for summer student positions. Please note that these jobs are still pending approval, expected in mid to late April, under the Canada Summer Jobs program.

To be eligible under the program, students must:

  • be between 15 and 30 years of age (inclusive) at the start of employment;
  • have been registered as a full-time student during the preceding academic year;
  • intend to return to school on a full-time basis during the next academic year;
  • be a student in a secondary, post-secondary, CEGEP (Quebec only), vocational or technical program;
  • be a Canadian Citizen, permanent resident, or person on whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act* and;
  • be legally entitled to work according to the relevant provincial / territorial legislation and regulations

The positions are:

To apply, send your resume; covering letter, including your availability and eligibility under the Canada Summer Jobs program; and two references by email to [email protected]. Only complete applications will be accepted. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Presto Pass Availability

Presto card services will be rolling out to retailers across Ottawa. Transit customers will be able to purchase monthly passes, load funds, check their balance, and set age-based discounts at 66 Shoppers Drug Mart, Loblaws and Real Canadian Superstore locations in Ottawa. The new retail locations are currently being rolled out in a phased approach, with all stores expected to have Presto services available by the end of May. For an up-to-date listing of locations, visit octranspo.com or prestocard.ca.

The addition of 66 new outlets will make it easier for transit riders to make Presto transactions. They include 51 Shoppers Drug Mart, 12 Loblaws and three Real Canadian Superstore locations. When customers put funds on their Presto card at one of the retailer locations, the balance will be available immediately.

First-time Community Pass and EquiPass customers must have their discounts set at one of the four OC Transpo Customer Service Centres. Once set, these customers can then load a monthly pass or funds at any of the locations across Ottawa or online.

Transit customers will continue to be able to use the four OC Transpo Customer Service Centres, three ServiceOttawa Client Service Centres, and ticket machines at Carling, Carleton, Mooney’s Bay, and Greenboro stations to purchase their Presto products. Presto cardholders are also able to load funds and check their balance online at prestocard.ca.

Presto cards purchased at Shoppers, Loblaws and Superstore locations will have a new black design. However, whether cards are black or green, they will still function exactly the same way.

For more information, please visit octranspo.com or prestocard.ca.

Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence

The Premier's Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence program supports and recognizes the dedication, hard work and innovation of local agri-food businesses and individuals who are adding value to existing products, helping create jobs and contributing to economic growth.

Submit your application by 11:59 p.m. on May 25, 2018 to be eligible for a chance to win one of the following awards:

  • Premier's Award - one $75,000 award available
  • Minister's Award - one $50,000 award available
  • Leaders in Innovation Award - three $25,000 awards available
  • Provincial award - 45 $5,000 awards available

Program applications are reviewed by two independent panels consisting of agri-food industry representatives from across the province. Review the application checklist to ensure you have completed all steps correctly. For more information about the awards and the application process, please review the program guidebook.

If you have any questions or would like a hard copy of the application form, please contact the Agricultural Information Contact Centre at 1-877-424-1300 or [email protected].

Manotick Miler

Please note that the Manotick Miler is on again this weekend. There will be road closures throughout Sunday morning. These closures will affect Manotick Main Street, Century Road, First Line Road. Please plan your route accordingly should you be travelling anywhere on Sunday morning.

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If you have any comments, questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at [email protected] or contact me by phone at 613-580-2491. For information on Rideau-Goulbourn issues, please visit RideauGoulbourn.ca.

ARAC, Green Bin Contract Update & Cranberry Creek Municipal Drain Court of Revision

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From time to time, the publish date of the Messenger does not always align well with our Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee meeting schedule. As a result, I am not always able to provide advance notice of the meeting agenda through this forum. Our Thursday, April 5th meeting at Ben Franklin Place falls into that category. Agenda items for this meeting include:

  • Official Plan and Zoning By-Law Amendment for 6341 Perth Street
  • Official Plan and Zoning By-Law Amendment for 5471, 5575, 5613 Boundary Road
  •  Site Alteration By-Law

The Boundary Road item is to approve the zoning for a Provincially approved waste management site. This site would include facilities for recovery and recycling of waste as well as a landfill area. The applicant, Taggart/Miller Group, received Provincial approval for the facility in June 2017 from then Environment Minister Glenn Murray. Following Provincial approval, the applicant then must seek the proper zoning approvals from the host municipality.

The item for 6341 Perth Street is a recommendation to partially approve an Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-Law Amendment that would allow the previously stalled Hyde Park Development, now known as Samara Square, to move forward. The original plan called for the entire property to be served by a private water system. Under the current proposal, the property would be split into multiple parcels serviced by the one water system. Since that is not permitted under City policy, the applicant was required to seek an Official Plan Amendment. Due to the unique nature of this property and its stage of development, staff are recommending approval. Future phases to the north are still to be sorted out, as is the property ownership for the existing Hyde Park homes.

The Site Alteration By-Law is something that will have an impact across rural Ottawa. The intent of the by-law, aside from amalgamating several existing by-laws into one, is to prevent land manipulation such as tree clearing and soil stripping for the purposes of large scale development. This is something that could occur in and around the urban boundary so as to make land better suited for growth, rather than agricultural purposes. The by-law does include exemptions for agricultural uses and managed woodlots. However, some concerns still exist that the by-law is too open for interpretation and that property owners may not have a clear picture of what is and is not permitted. I expect a number of delegations on the matter at our meeting and a healthy discussion.

ARAC will also consider a one-time contribution in support of Farm and Food Care and their Breakfast on the Farm event, scheduled for September 8th in North Gower. For more information about Farm and Food Care, please visit farmfoodcareon.org.

Green Bin Contract Update

For as long as there has been a green bin program at the City of Ottawa there have been residents asking the City to make it easier for them to use the green bin. While many of us have inventive ways to keep the mess to a minimum or use the Bag to Earth paper bags, there are many more who will not use the bin because of the mess. Among other things, that is why the City has been working on a revised contract with Orgaworld Canada.

After several years of legal wrangling and being stuck in a lengthy arbitration process, staff have been able to have a good dialogue with Orgaworld and have come up with a solution; allowing residents to put their organic waste in plastic bags, which will be screened out at the Orgaworld plant. For those residents who want a green bin with less mess and odour, this will certainly help.

This change, however, does come with a cost. Adding plastic bags and dog feces to the green bin program will cost 15 cents a month per household. The green bin program is paid for out of the property tax base and not the separate garbage fee on your tax bill. As a result, this will not increase your collection fee. The City will build the additional cost into the annual budget.

While this change has been greeted with mixed reactions among residents, I see it as a positive step to increasing participation in the green bin program and ensuring that we can extend the life of our Trail Road landfill. Trail Road’s lifespan is currently set to expire in 2043. I am not interested to opening a new landfill and this change will help buy even more time. In the coming years, though, the City will need to get serious about our post-Trail Road plans. It has been three years since the Plasco saga ended and we cannot waste time in planning for the future.

Cranberry Creek Municipal Drain Court of Revision

For anyone assessed on the Cranberry Creek Municipal Drain, we have scheduled the Court of Revision meeting for Monday, April 23rd at the Alfred Taylor Recreation Centre in North Gower. The meeting will begin at 7:00pm. With the Engineer’s Report approved at Council last week, this is the meeting to consider appeals to the assessments in Schedule A of the report. Anyone subject to an assessment should receive notice of this meeting. Notices were mailed out on March 29th.

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If you have any comments, questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at [email protected] or contact me by phone at 613-580-2491. For information on Rideau-Goulbourn issues, please visit RideauGoulbourn.ca.

ARAC & Additional Infrastructure Improvements

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Photo from the ward: This photo was submitted to the MVCA's 'Going to the Dogs' photo contest. Dude, a 3 year old Bernese Mountain Dog, loves David Bartlett Park, especially in the winter!

Photo from the ward: This photo was submitted to the MVCA's 'Going to the Dogs' photo contest. Dude, a 3 year old Bernese Mountain Dog, loves David Bartlett Park, especially in the winter!

To begin this week, I would like to thank residents for taking the time to attend the open house last week for the proposed roundabout at the intersection of Barnsdale Road & Prince of Wales Drive. The feedback was quite positive to the rationale and design. Construction is tentatively scheduled to start in 2019 pending budget approval. Staff will now move to detailed design. For more information, please visit www.rideaugoulbourn.ca/barnsdaleroundabout. Any comments may be sent to Kunjan Ghimire via email at [email protected] or by phone at 613-580-2424, ext. 21685.

While at the open house, many residents also asked about the intersection of Prince of Wales and Bankfield Road. You may recall that I had been working on a plan for 2018 to implement turning lanes on Bankfield Road. Through further discussion and examination, staff have come back with a more comprehensive plan that also brings in the required upgrades to the First Line Road and Bankfield Road intersection. The plan is still being finalized and I will share that when it is available. What we are now looking at are new turning lanes in all directions at Prince of Wales and Bankfield in addition to signalization of the First Line Road intersection. Staff are currently working toward a spring 2019 timeline for construction.

Previously, the City approved plans for a roundabout at Prince of Wales and Bankfield as well as a realignment of First Line Road into a new roundabout 300m south of Bankfield on Prince of Wales. While still the plan for the future, it simply is not affordable in the short term. Through the next Development Charge By-Law review, staff will recommend these projects for inclusion in that by-law so that all future development in Manotick is paying into the plans for those improvements.

Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee

The March 1st meeting of the Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee has only two items on the agenda. Both affect Rideau-Goulbourn. The main item will be the Engineer’s Report on the Cranberry Creek Municipal Drain, in North Gower and Kars. The second item is an amendment to the Zoning By-Law for the Caivan development at 6350 Perth Street in Richmond. That report just fixes the various zoning boundaries within the development to align with the blocks and lots within Phase 1 of the subdivision.

The Cranberry Creek Municipal Drain item dates back to 2012 and beyond. After a very wet spring in 2012, landowners on this Municipal Drain (MD) raised concerns about the maintenance of it. As of approximately 1991, the MD actually lacked a pump and dyke system that allowed it to operate as per the approved Engineer’s Report. In essence, the MD has not been properly functioning since that time.

The drain itself was originally constructed in 1895 but the pump and dyke were installed following an updated Engineer’s Report in 1969. That system remained in place for over two decades but it was considered insufficient based on the volume of water it could handle. An updated report in 1991 recommended upgrades to the pump and dyke at that time but it was not accepted by Rideau Township and the landowners at that time. As mentioned above, the matter resurfaced nearly six years ago leading to our current report.

In September 2014, the City appointed Robinson Consultants to update the Engineer’s Report and bring forward a plan to have the MD function as was intended and also to clean it out to its original depths. This report brings that forward. Landowners assessed by this MD received the Engineer’s Report in recent weeks which outlines the proposed works as well as the assessment values. Being a significant watershed, there are many properties affected by these drainage works.

While the Cranberry Creek MD Engineer’s Report comes to our Committee for approval, it is actually the Drainage Act that outlines the process. I understand that the assessments can create undue burden on affected landowners and I have committed to doing what I can to find some financial assistance to lower those assessments. That work will likely continue right through into April when this matter returns for the Court of Revision process.

The purpose of the Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee meeting will be to discuss the Engineer’s Report. Andy Robinson, Drainage Engineer, will be presenting to the Committee. For those wishing to appeal assessments, that opportunity comes during the Court of Revision, which is scheduled for Monday, April 23rd at the Alfred Taylor Recreation Centre in North Gower.

The Thursday, March 1st meeting of ARAC takes place at 10:00am at Ben Franklin Place.

2018 Additional Infrastructure Improvements

During the 2018 Budget deliberations, City Council was made aware of a $10M surplus, which was then directed to infrastructure renewal. At the Finance & Economic Development Committee of February 5th, staff brought forward a report on how the $10M would be spent in 2018. I am pleased to report that nearly $2M of that amount will be spent in Rideau-Goulbourn.

Approved at the February 14th meeting of City Council, the report includes pavement preservation projects on Eagleson Road (Perth to Brophy), Old Richmond Road (Fallowfield to Hope Side Road) and Dwyer Hill Road (Fallowfield to Highway 7).  The report also includes the resurfacing of Potter Drive and the portion of Barnsdale Road, between Moodie Drive and Twin Elm Road. On that, I have asked staff to take a second look and determine whether it would be more beneficial to resurface a portion of Barnsdale Road east of Moodie Drive instead. They are currently looking into that.

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If you have any comments, questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at [email protected] or contact me by phone at 613-580-2491. For information on Rideau-Goulbourn issues, please visit RideauGoulbourn.ca.

ARAC Agenda: 2018 Budget & Other Items

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The upcoming Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee (ARAC) is taking place a couple weeks earlier than normal to review the budget. As a result, the next meeting is on Thursday, November 23rd, with the time and place unchanged (10:00am at Ben Franklin Place in Centrepointe). Agenda items include:

  • Zoning By-Law Amendment: 8089 & 8165 Franktown Road (Rideau-Goulbourn)
  • 2018 Draft Operating and Capital Budget
  • Zoning By-Law Amendment: 7771 Snake Island Road (Osgoode)
  • Zoning By-Law Amendment: Anomaly – 168 Baillie Avenue and part of 1640, 1641 Bontrey Place
  • Carp Airport Development: Area-Specific Infrastructure Recovery Charge
  • Regimbald, Simpson and Wilson-Johnston Municipal Drains: Appointment of Engineer (Cumberland)

The big item on the agenda is the 2018 Budget. We will consider the relevant portions of the draft 2018 Operating and Capital Budgets and forward our recommendations to Council for consideration at the December 13th Council meeting. The ARAC budget is relatively small as it merely deals with the rural section of the Planning Department as well as funding some minor portions of the Public Works budget.

For the budget presentation at Committee, I have asked that staff also touch on items that impact the rural area but are found in the budgets of other committees, such as Transportation Committee. The 2018 draft budget contains increases to infrastructure renewal across the City that will help begin to bridge the gap between how we are currently funding renewal and how we should be funding renewal. For Rideau-Goulbourn, the 2018 draft budget includes the resurfacing of Rideau Valley Drive South, south of Kars, and microsurfacing on a portion of Fourth Line Road. The portion of Gallagher Road that was upgraded last year will see the final surface added to it in 2018. If more funds become available following the tender of many renewal projects, roads such as Dwyer Hill Road, Old Richmond Road and Eagleson Road may see microsurfacing as well.

The agenda also includes the Carp Airport Development, which was previously listed on the last two ARAC agendas. Due to some minor issues, it was pulled and will now come next Thursday. That report deals with the funding component of extending servicing to this development. The Franktown Road application, which was deferred from the November 2nd ARAC meeting, is a new development in Goulbourn. It is a 19-lot development adjacent to the existing Heron Lake Estates community and the Riverbend Golf Course. The item on Bontrey Place, in Kars, updates the floodplain lines on those properties following a review of floodplain mapping by the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority.

For more information on this agenda, please visit Ottawa.ca or sign up for our e-Newsletter at RideauGoulbourn.ca.

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If you have any comments, questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at [email protected] or contact me by phone at 613-580-2491. For information on Rideau-Goulbourn issues, please visit RideauGoulbourn.ca.

November's ARAC Agenda

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To begin this week, I just want to give a heads up that we are currently scheduling two meetings in the coming weeks in Manotick. One has already been scheduled and will be held on Tuesday, November 28th at the RVCA building. That will be the public meeting for Minto’s development application for Phases 2-4 of their Mahogany community. The other meeting will occur earlier and will be an opportunity for the new owner of Orchard View on the Rideau to meet with the community and discuss their project for the Clapp property in Dickinson Square. Please stay tuned to our e-Newsletter for the date and time of that meeting. It will be held at Orchard View on the Rideau.

Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee

The November 2nd meeting of ARAC will be at our regular place and time, Thursday at 10:00am at Ben Franklin Place in Centrepointe. The agenda has more items than usual including a few carried over from last month’s meeting which were deferred. Agenda items include:

  • Zoning By-Law Amendment: 8089 & 8165 Franktown Road
  • Zoning By-Law & Official Plan Amendment: 1346 Bankfield Road
  • Zoning By-Law Amendment: 3315 Shea Road
  • Zoning By-Law Amendment: 2980 Colonial Road (Cumberland)
  • Carp Airport Development: Infrastructure Recovery Charge
  • O’Keefe Municipal Drain (Barrhaven)
  • Burnett Municipal Drain (Barrhaven)
  • Tasse-Regimbald Municipal Drain (Orleans)
  • Thomas Gamble Municipal Drain (Osgoode)
  • Kilroe Municipal Drain (Barrhaven)

The Bankfield Road rezoning follows a lot line adjustment that was approved by the Committee of Adjustment. The lot that includes Dan Murphy Ford has been expanded and this zoning application adjusts the zoning to meet the new lot configuration. The Franktown and Shea Roads applications are new developments in Goulbourn.

The municipal drains on the agenda are reports that will see a drainage engineer appointed to review the current status of these drains and prepare a report to review any proposed improvements. However, the report on the Burnett Municipal Drain is to abandon that drain. You may notice that some of these drains are location in urban wards. ARAC has full carriage of all municipal drains across the City of Ottawa so even ones located in the urban area come to our committee.

For more information on this agenda, please visit Ottawa.ca or sign up for our e-Newsletter.

Munster Drinking Water System

This fall/winter, City staff are planning to conduct a number of engineering tracer studies in three of the well systems operated by the City of Ottawa: Carp, Munster, and Vars.  These studies will provide important information about the flow patterns in the water storage reservoirs, and will be used to improve the disinfection treatment process in each system.  This testing is expected to begin in late October.

The duration of each study will be 3-5 days and will make use of a small amount of barium salt as the tracer.  Barium occurs naturally in the groundwater for these communities at a level of approximately 0.4 mg/L.  During the study, the barium concentration will increase to 0.7 mg/L for 3-5 days.  These levels are well within the safe drinking water standard of 1 mg/L established by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) and Health Canada. 

The MOECC, which regulates drinking water in Ontario, has provided approval for these tracer studies.  In addition, Ottawa Public Health have been consulted and have provided approval for this work.  Lastly, Water Services staff will be notifying both the local District Office of the MOECC and Ottawa Public Health before and after each study. 

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If you have any comments, questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at [email protected] or contact me by phone at 613-580-2491. For information on Rideau-Goulbourn issues, please visit RideauGoulbourn.ca.

RVCA Tree Planting Program & Other Updates

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The next Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee meeting is coming up on October 4th. The agenda for that meeting will not be available for another week but there are a few items that are tentatively set for that agenda. The items include a report on Coach Houses, a report on the City of Ottawa's Boundary Road Agreements with our neighbouring municipalities, and the zoning bylaw amendment for the Regional project at 5721, 5731, 5741 Manotick Main Street. Please visit our website to sign up for our e-Newsletter to receive more information on our upcoming ARAC meeting. The newsletter will include the full agenda and links to the reports.

RVCA Tree Planting Program

Money is available to landowners interested in planting trees. The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority offers private landowners tree planting programs that help them get technical advice, planting plans and funding for trees.

To be eligible, landowners need at least one acre of land and are willing to plant a minimum of 500 trees. If you have the space, RVCA can help get trees growing on your land for 15 cents a tree. Since 1983, RVCA has planted over 5.25 million trees on private property for landowners. For more information please visit the RVCA’s website.

Rideau River Floodplain Mapping Open House

The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA) has completed two hazard mapping studies for the Rideau River: Hogs Back to Kars and Kars to Burritt’s Rapids. These studies update existing mapping in some areas and new mapping in others. Both Rideau River studies look at identifying two main types of hazards along these stretches of the watercourse: flooding and slope stability.

The goal of this mapping is to help ensure that sound planning decisions are made – keeping people and property safe. Accurate engineered hazard mapping is the foundation of effective floodplain and resource management.

Members of the public are encouraged to attend the open house and/or provide comments on the mapping. Conservation Authority staff welcome historical records of past flood events, news clippings, photographs and even anecdotal stories to help confirm the reasonableness of calculations and resulting hazard mapping. For those unable to attend the open house, mapping can also be seen online at www.rvca.ca and comments sent to Ferdous Ahmed, RVCA Senior Water Resources Engineer at [email protected].

Public Open House
Wednesday, September 27, 2017
4:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Rideau Valley Conservation Centre
3889 Rideau Valley Drive
Manotick, Ontario

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If you have any comments, questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at [email protected] or contact me by phone at 613-580-2491. For information on Rideau-Goulbourn issues, please visit RideauGoulbourn.ca.

June's ARAC Meeting Agenda and Other Updates

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June is always a busy month in Rideau-Goubourn and across the City of Ottawa, with events such as Food Aid Day and the Mayor’s Rural Expo as well as Dickinson Days. Of course, there are Ottawa 2017 events and it all leads up to July 1st where Canada Day events will be taking place in North Gower and Munster.

To kick off the month, there is nothing more exciting than a rousing meeting of the Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee! Our upcoming June 1st meeting agenda includes the following items:

  • Surplus Farm Severance Zoning Amendments for:
    • 2638 Mackey Road
    • 4779 Carp Road
    • 6462 First Line Road
  • Report on Coach Houses in the Rural area on private services
  • Manotick Mahogany Harbour Dock Project
  • Rural Residential Land Survey: 2015-16 Update
  • Hobbs Municipal Drain
  • All-Way Stop Control at Van Vliet Road & South River Drive
  • 1229 Dwyer Hill Road Development Charge Report

The report on coach houses in the rural area is the response to a direction that had been given by ARAC in the fall. Staff were asked to look at ways of reducing costs and process on building a coach house on private services in the rural area. The proposal before ARAC on June 1st does that. However, I feel more could be done and Committee will explore those options at the meeting.

The report on the Mahogany Harbour Dock will provide an update on the status of this project and speak to the temporary Parks Canada facility being installed this season. It will also lay out the City’s role going forward from an ongoing maintenance perspective.

The report on 1229 Dwyer Hill Road relates to the Dwyer Hill RV Park and the potential sale of the property. This report looks at waiving a portion of the Development Charges owed to the City of Ottawa by the current park owners. The waiver is only available to a potential purchaser and not the current owner.

As usual, the monthly ARAC meeting is held at 10:00am at Ben Franklin Place in Centrepointe.

UPDATE: Munster Sewer Backup

On April 7th, 2017, amidst heavy rainfall and runoff occurring during the spring freshet, the City of Ottawa received eight calls from Munster residents who were experience sewage backups in their basement. Seven of these calls came from the southeast portion of Munster, on Middlewood Court and nearby Dogwood Drive homeowners. At that time, the pumping station became surcharged with stormwater and crews were quick to respond to alleviate the surcharge. Unfortunately, during this time, several homeowners closest to the pumping station saw backups.

After some investigation, it was determined that the pumping station reached capacity due to the existence of sump pumps connected to the system. Since the backup occurred in early April, bypass pumping into the overflow lagoon at the Munster pumping station was activated earlier during rainy periods in early May to reduce the risk of basement flooding. The connection of sump pumps to sanitary sewers also caused capacity issues in Richmond during that same time in April. As a result, I will be working with City staff on developing a program that will seek to encourage the disconnection of sump pumps from the sanitary system. In the meantime, the City will continue to initiate the bypass measures earlier than done previously.

As homeowners, there are options to protect your home against flooding as well. There is information on the City of Ottawa’s website regarding the Residential Protective Plumbing Program. If you did experience flooding as a result of the pumping station backup, you can also file a claim with the City of Ottawa. For more information on the protection program or on how to file a claim, please feel free to contact me at [email protected].

McLean Bridge Renewal

Beginning the week of the May 15, 2017th, the City of Ottawa commenced construction on the McLean Bridge Rehabilitation on Barnsdale Road. The City of Ottawa has retained the firm, RW Tomlinson Ltd., to complete the work. The McLean Bridge must undergo rehabilitation in order to extend its service life. Work will involve repairing the deck, widening the north sidewalk, removing and replacing the bridge railings, repairing the guard rails, concrete and steel repairs as well as some painting of steel members. The work is planned to begin in mid-May 2017 and continue until late October 2017.

There will be an impact to traffic on the McLean Bridge. Traffic will be reduced to one lane for the duration of construction. With the assistance of portable temporary traffic signals, motorists will be able to safely pass over the bridge during construction. One direction of traffic will proceed at a time. OC Transpo will be impacted by the rehabilitation to the McLean Bridge and will experience a minor delay to the route. Pedestrians will have access to the McLean Bridge at all times.

RW Tomlinson Ltd. will take every precaution to minimize interruptions to the normal life of your family, but as you can appreciate, there may be some inconvenience during the course of the operation of the work including noise and delays. We would like to thank you in advance for your patience and co-operation.

For any emergency outside normal working hours on weekdays and weekends, please call the City at

3-1-1. Should you have any inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact the Project Manager, Elizabeth Murphy at [email protected] or by phone at 613-580-2424 ext. 15397.

Dickinson Days & Gathering in the Square

Dickinson Days is happening in Manotick between Friday, June 2nd and Sunday, June 4th. The weekend events celebrate the birthday of Manotick's founder Moss Kent Dickinson with a parade, fireworks, street market, and so much more. You won’t want to miss the Gathering in the Square on Sunday, which be filled with live entertainment, horse drawn wagon rides, guided tours, a flour grinding demonstration, crafts for children, and lots of fun! The Dickinson House will also be open and will be doing a cake cutting and housewarming to celebrate the house being built 150 years ago. 

On Sunday the meal will be a ticketed mechoui barbeque with a choice of meat, salads, and fries. The cost of the meal is $12 for children 11 years old and under and $15 for adults aged 12 and over. We encourage people to reserve a table of 6 or 8. Tickets can be purchased by calling Watson's Mill at 613-692-6455. For a detailed schedule of events, visit watsonsmill.com.

At the same time, you are welcome to visit the good folks at Dickinson House, as they too celebrate Moss Kent Dickinson.  Not only are they honouring Dickinson and his achievements, but they are also part of Doors Open Ottawa.  June 4th will be extra special, not just because of the aforementioned Gathering in the Square, but also the 150th anniversary of the construction of Dickinson House.  To celebrate this milestone, special guests from the past will be in attendance.  Please come and join them for a re-enactment of the Dickinson House housewarming for a piece of birthday cake at 1:30pm.

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If you have any other comments, questions or concerns, please feel free to email me on those as well or contact me by phone at 613-580-2491. For information on Rideau-Goulbourn issues, please visit RideauGoulbourn.ca.

ARAC & Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence

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Our upcoming meeting of the Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee on Thursday, April 6th will be the first since February following the cancellation of the March meeting. The previously announced meeting in March was cancelled because there were only two items on the agenda. The two items that carry over from that light March agenda are the waiver of fees on the Cable Crescent closure off of Fairmile Road and the proposal to add two all-way stop controls to Osgoode Main Street. Additionally, the agenda includes:

  • Zoning By-Law Amendment for 3856, 3866, 3876 Navan Road to permit a Place of Worship
  • Status Update: Inquiries and Motions for the period ending March 30th, 2017

It is another relatively light agenda but the meeting is necessary due to the timelines surrounding the Navan Road zoning amendment. I will also be bringing forward a motion pertaining to the Mahogany Harbour dock project. This motion will allow the community to proceed to the next steps of this project including a temporary facility for the 2017 boating season.

As always, our ARAC meetings are held at Ben Franklin Place in the old Nepean Township Council Chambers. The meeting will begin at 10:00am. Full agenda information can be found at ottawa.ca.

2017 Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence

Applications for the 2017 Premier's Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence program will be accepted until April 28th, 2017.

The program recognizes innovators who contribute to the success of Ontario's agri-food sector. Eligible applicants could receive one of:

  • a Premier's Award ($75,000)
  • a Minister's Award ($50,000)
  • a Leaders in Innovation Award - three awards available ($25,000 each) 
  • provincial award - 45 awards available ($5,000 each)

Program applications are reviewed by two independent panels consisting of agri-food industry representatives from across Ontario. For more information about the awards and the application process, please review the program website at omafra.gov.on.ca.

2017 Construction Season

Construction contracts for 2017 are being awarded and, in next week’s column, I will provide an update on what you can expect to see this summer. As mentioned previously, Shea Road, Bleeks Road and William McEwen Drive, south of Brophy Drive, will be resurfaced this summer. I’ll have more details next week.

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If you have any comments, questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at [email protected] or contact me by phone at 613-580-2491. For information on Rideau-Goulbourn issues, please visit RideauGoulbourn.ca.

Rural Association Partnership Program, Clean Water Program & More News

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Prior to every Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee meeting, I post the agenda here giving plenty of notice. Unfortunately, due to the April 6th Committee date and the printing schedule of Manotick Messenger, I will only be able to provide that agenda in the April 5th edition of the Messenger. Having said that, we regularly post the agenda in our monthly e-Newsletter. You can register for that here: www.rideaugoulbourn.ca. The agenda will also be published in the Stittsville News. 

Rural Association Partnership Program – Apply Now for Funding

If you are an Ottawa organization operating a rural fair, a farmers’ market or a rural business organization such as Chamber of Commerce and Business Improvement Areas, you may be eligible for funding of up to $7,500 through the City of Ottawa’s Rural Association Partnership Program (RAPP).

The first round of RAPP funding is now available with applications being accepted until Friday, April 14th, 2017 at 4:00pm. The objectives of the RAPP are:

  • To provide project based funding that supports the main priorities for rural organizations.
  • To contribute to the City’s rural economic health by supporting projects that will assist Ottawa’s rural business organizations, fairs and farmers markets achieve sustainability and capitalize on the proximity to Ottawa’s large urban market.
  • To assist in promoting Ottawa’s rural identity to both residents and tourists.
  • To provide economic benefits to small and medium sized enterprises in Ottawa’s rural communities.
  • Assist rural communities to overcome the business development challenges associated with smaller local population base.
  • To increase the capacity for rural communities to provide a quality visitor experience.

More information, including guidelines and an application form, can be found on the Rural Association Partnership Program webpage.

Prospective RAPP applicants are encouraged to contact the Rural Affairs Office at [email protected] or 613-580-2424 ext. 27815 to discuss their proposal prior to submitting an application.

Ottawa Rural Clean Water Program

The Ottawa Rural Clean Water Program (ORCWP) provides funding for projects that protect surface water and groundwater quality. Landowners completing projects in 2017 may be eligible for grants of up to $15,000 depending on the project they are undertaking. The next application deadline is May 1, 2017.

New grants are available. Grants are available for 18 kinds of projects related to nutrient management, soil protection, water management, land stewardship, and education and innovation.

Farmers from rural and urban Ottawa along with landowners within rural Ottawa are eligible to apply. Approved applicants must complete a 3rd or 4th Edition Environmental Farm Plan (farm projects), or Healthy Home Guidebook (non-farm projects). Canadian Organic Certification is also accepted for some farm projects. Non-profit organizations can apply for education and innovation projects.

Applications will be accepted through the LandOwner Resource Centre, which works in partnership with the Mississippi Valley, Rideau Valley, and South Nation Conservation Authorities and the City of Ottawa. 

Contact the LandOwner Resource Centre at 613-692-3571 or toll free at 1-800-267-3504 ext. 1136. Visit www.ottawa.ca/cleanwater to see a full list of eligible projects and to download an application form.

2017 Cleaning the Capital Campaign

On the heels of Rideau-Goulbourn winning the Cleaning the Capital ward participation contest for 2016, registration is now upon us for the 2017 campaign. Early-bird registration begins March 15th, 2017.

Registration is quick and easy:

  1. Go to www.ottawa.ca/clean, or call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401) to register for the cleanup. The interactive map on our website will show you which locations have already been claimed, allow you to register your own project site and choose the cleanup supplies that you need.
  2. Select a location such as a park, ravine, shoreline, bus stop, pathway or any public area that requires litter pickup, graffiti removal or cleanup.

Volunteers who register their cleanup project by April 14th have a chance to win one of many early bird prizes donated by our generous sponsors. Volunteers who submit a final cleanup report by May 31st will be eligible for more prizes.

This is a great opportunity for families and friends to work together on community cleanup projects that help make Ottawa clean, green, graffiti-free and litter-free. Cleaning the Capital is also an excellent way for high school students to earn their community volunteer hours.

OC Transpo EquiPass

The application form for OC Transpo’s new EquiPass, an affordable monthly transit pass that provides a lower-priced transit option for those who live on low incomes, is now available.

The EquiPass is priced at $57 per month, a 50 per cent discount from the adult monthly pass, and will be available for use starting April 1st, 2017. It is available to individuals and families whose income is below the low-income threshold, which is set by the Government of Canada.

The EquiPass is not transferable and can only be used by the approved customer on the registered Presto card. For more information on EquiPass, please visit octranspo.com.

Kars on the Rideau Public School Used Book Sale

The annual used book sale is approaching fast. The sale starts for the general public on Saturday April 22nd and will be open from 10:00am to 1:00pm. Karin Rabuka will be there to serve up her freshly roasted and perfectly brewed NoGo Coffee.

Between now and then, however, they need books. The annual book sale relies on the generosity of others and the organizers are in need of donations of good used children and adult books, fiction or nonfiction, CDs, and DVD movies.  They are also accepting sheet music this year.  Please drop off your books in the school lobby.  The deadline for this collection is April 18th.

All money raised from this sale go to fund programs for the children in our school such as Science in the School, Mathletes, Stained Glass Workshop, dance and music programs, and to increase technology equipment in the school.

If you have any questions please email Diane at [email protected]

Jockvale Road Renaming

To close out this week, I wanted to give everyone a heads up that on April 10th, Jockvale Road will officially be renamed Longfields Drive. Since there are three disconnected sections of Jockvale, it was logical to rename the southern portion of the road that connects with Prince of Wales. Since the Longfields Drive extension opened, the road simply changed names mid-block. Therefore, it was decided that this section would become known as Longfields Drive all the way to Prince of Wales.

Similarly, the southern section of Cedarview Road was renamed William McEwen Drive last summer. In that case, there were also three different sections with the middle section being renamed Borrisokane Road. The existing William McEwen Drive intersected with Cedarview Road at Brophy Drive so that name was extended north with the support of the property owners along that stretch of Cedarview.

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If you have any comments, questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at [email protected] or contact me by phone at 613-580-2491. For information on Rideau-Goulbourn issues, please visit RideauGoulbourn.ca.

Bob Easy receives Mayor’s City Builder Award

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In last week’s column, I included information on the upcoming meeting of the Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee. Please note that, due to a small and non-urgent agenda, the meeting for March 2nd was cancelled and the two agenda items will be deferred to our April 6th meeting.

Bob Easy receives Mayor’s City Builder Award

At the City Council meeting of February 22nd, I had the pleasure of joining Mayor Jim Watson in presenting the Mayor’s City Builder Award to Munster’s Bob Easy.

Bob Easy has been involved in building and supporting youth in the communities of Munster and Richmond going back to the 1970s. The sense of community and of family he established among the teams he coached was sadly evident in 2012 when one of Bob's players, Tyler Kerr, died tragically during a game due to a heart condition. Bob took it upon himself as head coach to support the boy's family, his team and coaches, and the opposing team, by arranging grief counselling. He also organizes fundraising events to assist local players whose parents are unable to fully afford the cost of a hockey season; players who have been given the opportunity to play at a higher competitive level but whose parents are not able to pay the fees associated with that.

In 2001 Bob was presented with a plaque in recognition of his outstanding service to Minor Hockey under the Ottawa District Minor Hockey Association. In 2009-10 he was honoured as Coach of the Year by the Richmond Munster Minor Hockey Association for his special dedication to player development and team play. In 2014 Bob was presented with the Bill Kitchen Award for his devotion of time and effort to strengthening minor hockey in the community.

Bob was also involved in umpiring for fastball in Kanata for many years, and in slo-pitch in North Gower, Richmond and Munster in his later years. He is also involved in the Munster Co-operative Nursery School's annual ball tournament in June. There aren’t too many community events in which you don’t see the always recognizable Bob Easy involved in some way. Just recently, Bob and I both took a few pies in the face at the Munster Harvest Fest. Fortunately for me, I don’t have Bob’s beard so the clean-up was much easier.

Congratulations Bob! It is a well deserved honour.

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If you have any comments, questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at [email protected] or contact me by phone at 613-580-2491. For information on Rideau-Goulbourn issues, please visit RideauGoulbourn.ca.

ARAC is Cancelled, Chateau Laurier Expansion and Upcoming Events

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The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee (ARAC) meeting scheduled for Thursday, March 2nd has been cancelled due to a light agenda. The items will be moved to the next regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday, April 6 at 10 am in the Chambers, at Ben Franklin Place. 

North Gower Country Kickup

The North Gower Cooperative Nursery School is holding its annual fundraising event on Saturday, February 25th at the Alfred Taylor Recreation Centre. The North Gower Country Kickup will feature the musical stylings of Brea Lawrenson with the Jordy Jackson Band as the opening act. The event starts at 8 pm and runs until 1 am. Keep in mind that I live nearby so try to keep it down! Tickets and information can be found at www.countrykickup.com.

Shrove Tuesday

On February 28th, from 5 pm to 7:30 pm at the Alfred Taylor Recreation Centre, come and enjoy a hearty supper of pancakes and syrup, ham, sausages, baked beans, fruit salad and homemade pies, with coffee, tea, juice or water. Cost is just $10 per adult, $5 for children 6-12, and children 5 and under free. This supper is hosted by Holy Trinity Anglican Church, North Gower. For more info, call 613-489-2207.

Chateau Laurier Expansion

The City has received a Site Plan Control application for the development and that information is now publicly available at ottawa.ca/chateaulaurier. Members of the public have 28 days to review the project and submit feedback, including through an online form and via email at [email protected].

The proposal will be refined by City staff following their review and public feedback. Owing to the local and national importance of the Château Laurier, a special heritage working group, comprised of nationally respected heritage professionals and a representative from Heritage Ottawa, has been established to provide advice to the applicant, the City, and the National Capital Commission.

There will be additional opportunities to provide feedback before the project comes before Council, including when it considered by the Committee of Adjustment, Built Heritage Sub-Committee, which I sit on, and Planning Committee later this year. The City will also organize a community session for information and comments before these committees review the proposal.

I strongly encourage you to submit comments on this proposal. I have been very critical of the proposed expansion as I feel it completely detracts from the hotel. This is a building that has seen an expansion before and that was done tastefully. I see no reason why the same approach cannot be taken here. It will be interesting to see how this file moves forward and how impactful public input will be.

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If you have any comments, questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at [email protected] or contact me by phone at 613-580-2491. For information on Rideau-Goulbourn issues, please visit RideauGoulbourn.ca.

Proposed Development in Manotick, Kars Post Office Closure, ARAC Agenda

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I first want to begin my column this week by offering condolences to the Saunders family following the loss of Anne Saunders. Alongside her husband, Bill, Anne founded the happiest place in Rideau-Goulbourn; Saunders Farm. She also spent 33 years with the Carleton Board of Education teaching kindergarten. Whether during the daytime or on evenings and weekends, Anne touched the lives of countless youth. Her legacy and her memory will be remembered fondly by those in Munster and across the city.

As we embark on this new year in an ever changing media landscape, communication strategies will need to be tweaked in order for our office to stay connected with you. While you will still be able to find this column in the Stittsville News weekly and the Manotick Messenger every two weeks, there are many more ways to stay connected with our office and what’s happening around Rideau-Goulbourn. We actively post information on our website, via our monthly e-Newsletter and on social media as well.

Regional Development Proposal

On Thursday, January 19th, the City hosted a public meeting to discuss the proposed development at 5721, 5731 and 5741 Manotick Main Street. The main issue for those in attendance was density. The density matter, however, was determined prior to the application being submitted. During the Manotick Secondary Plan review, the community was heavily involved in looking at how Manotick should grow. This process took place over the course of two years and there was significant input from members of the community. During the review, it was determined that medium density would be the target for several properties in the village including the site in question. This is a debate that occurs throughout our growing communities. Do we intensify our communities or do we expand them? There is a fairly clear consensus in Manotick that village boundary expansion is not an option. Therefore, when we plan for the next 25-50 years, we need to consider where growth can occur and what housing options are desired.

Thursday’s meeting did bring forward a productive discussion on a variety of concerns regarding the proposed plan. In the coming weeks, residents still have the opportunity to submit comments to [email protected]. Please copy me on those comments so that I can work with staff on them going forward. I have already spoken with the applicant regarding many of those comments and we are working on addressing them. I cannot guarantee that the number of units will change but there were many other concerns that can be worked on.

One question that I feel was not adequately addressed at the meeting was around the zoning exception being requested by the applicant. This exception does not increase the density within the project. As stated above, those density figures were set through the Secondary Plan. The exception allows for a wider building footprint to accommodate the fact that this development consists entirely of bungalows. Without the exception, you would be more likely to see a more traditional suburban development of two or three storey towns which would not be in keeping with the community vision.

As part of the next steps, we will continue to work on the application based on the comments we have received and I will provide updates through this column. The Manotick Village & Community Association is also involved so they will provide updates on this as well. They send out a weekly e-Newsletter to members, which is another way to stay engaged within the community.

Kars Post Office Closure

Please note that as of February 1st, 2017, the Kars Post Office will no longer operate out of the Kars General Store. As they look for a new home in the village, temporary community mail boxes will be set up. They are currently working with the City on locating those boxes near the Kars Recreation Centre. They will work on this swiftly in order to avoid any disruption in service delivery. If a new location for the post office cannot be located, permanent community mail boxes will need to be installed throughout the community. Please contact me should you have any questions.

Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee

The first ARAC meeting of 2017 is scheduled for Thursday, February 2nd at 10:00am in The Chamber at Ben Franklin Place. This meeting has a relatively short agenda including the following items:

  • Zoning Amendments as a result of Surplus Farm Severances for 7110 Third Line Road, 3117 Roger Stevens Drive, 3285 Eagleson Road
  • Minor Rezoning of 5810 First Line Road reinstating certain storage uses
  • Commemorative Naming: David & Judy Makin Trail
  • Amendment to Richmond Secondary Plan
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Ottawa 2017’s Agri 150 presents Fire & Ice

The first Agri 150 event of the year has now been announced and tickets are currently on sale. The culinary adventure will take place on Saturday, February 11, just prior to Valentine’s Day, at the SunTech GreenHouses near Manotick Village.

Renowned chef Marc Lepine is creating the menu for this four-course gourmet experience, which highlights molecular cuisine. The evening begins at 6:00pm with a winter cocktail and outdoor fire and ice entertainment, followed by a small-plate fine dining meal inside the cozy ambiance of the tomato greenhouse.

Tickets for Fire & Ice are $100, or $125 with a wine pairings. A round-trip shuttle service, from one of three points of departure, can be added at cost of $12 per person. To purchase tickets, visit Ottawa2017.ca.

Announced in June, Agri 150 is an Ottawa 2017 program stewarded by Just Food to boost rural tourism during the celebrations of Canada’s 150th birthday in the nation’s capital and for years to come. More than 20 unique outdoor events will take place over the course of the year to allow people to discover Ottawa’s rural communities in all four seasons, and enhance their knowledge and appreciation of rural resources, while enjoying rejuvenating adventures.

It’s Time to Shiverfest!

Manotick’s aptly named Winter Carnival will build on the huge success of last year’s event. It will kick off on Friday night with a skating exhibition, magic show, family skate and bonfire with live music, hot chocolate and Timbits. Saturday morning will feature the Kiwanis pancake breakfast and a children's fun time, with sleigh rides and fire truck tours. The chili cook-off on Saturday afternoon is always a popular event, where you get to be the judge of both the professional and amateur entries!

Two events that had successful débuts in 2016 will be repeated in 2017: bingo, put on by ROSSS, and curling demonstrations at the Manotick Curling Centre.  A new event for 2017 is a dance on Saturday night to help fund the arena expansion.  As a result of adding that, the trivia contest at the Mill Tavern is moving back to its original time of 4:00 to 7:00pm on Sunday.

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If you have any comments, questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at [email protected] or contact me by phone at 613-580-2491. For information on Rideau-Goulbourn issues, please visit RideauGoulbourn.ca.

ARAC returns and Long Island Road

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September 3, 2015 - 10:00am in The Chamber at Ben Franklin Place

September 3, 2015 - 10:00am in The Chamber at Ben Franklin Place

After having no meeting in August, the Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee is back to work on Thursday, September 3rd.  As always, this meeting will take place at Ben Franklin Place in Nepean, beginning at 10:00am.

Agenda items include a presentation from the Carleton 4-H Club titled “The Real Dirt on Farming”; the commemorative naming of the Doug Thompson Pathway (Osgoode); the Ottawa Rural Clean Water Program Review and Renewal; a street closure application for 3128 Moodie Drive (Rideau-Goulbourn); Plan of Subdivision and Zoning By-Law Amendment applications for 1705 Old Prescott Road (Osgoode); as well as two housekeeping items. As per the norm, there will be an “Open Mic” session at the end of committee so if there is anything you’d like the committee to hear, feel free to come out and speak.

Long Island Road

As many of you are now aware, Long Island Road has been resurfaced this summer.  However, since I have recently become the recipient of a form email campaign, I thought I would provide some history on why Long Island was done the way it was and what we can expect going forward.

As far back as 2012, I became aware of two separate projects that impacted Long Island Road.  One was a simple resurfacing, which was scheduled for 2014 and the other was a watermain project scheduled for 2016, approximately.  Long Island Road was a potential route, at that time, for a future backup watermain which would provide a secondary supply to those in Manotick who are currently served by City water.  Not wanting to have Long Island Road torn up twice in less than three years, I worked with staff to twin these projects and potentially expand the scope to include a sidewalk between West Avenue and Bridge Street.

The immediate need for the watermain project was based on future growth in the new Mahogany development, therefore the costs were being front ended by Minto.  Unfortunately, slow growth has pushed back Mahogany Phase 2, thus pushing back the need for the backup watermain.  We became aware of this change in the fall and I immediately began to push for the resurfacing as Long Island Road just couldn’t wait any longer.  However, we were still left with the reality that the watermain would have to be installed at some point, just not in the next five years. 

In January 2015, the Infrastructure Services Department contacted me with their proposed plan for Long Island.  While the Planning & Growth Management Department has targeted Long Island for improved cycling and pedestrian facilities, not much could be accommodated within the 7m existing width.  The solution to that was to do a 5-10 year resurfacing job without fully reconstructing the road as that full reconstruction will occur with the watermain installation.  To obtain the necessary width now to install the proper pedestrian facility would require ditch filling, drainage accommodations, among other things.  These are all issues that will be addressed when the road is reconstructed with the watermain.  We will be able to install a sidewalk at that time.

In the meantime, staff have been able to widen the paved surface out to 7.5m by paving the previously existing gravel shoulder.  What I am working on right now is determining the lane width which is why you haven’t seen any painted lines yet.  The intent is to have white edge markings which should provide some paved surface on either side of the road for pedestrians and cyclists.  If we can narrow the travelled lane, we can create more width on the edges.  I am continuing to have this discussion with staff.  The current lane width guidelines are somewhat outdated so we are working through some ideas in order to come out with the best result in the end.

Obviously, and City staff will agree, the best result would have been sidewalks but the right circumstances didn’t come together at this time for that to happen.  What we’re focused on right now is to achieve the best compromise to get us from now until such time that a sidewalk is constructed.

Photo Credit: Mayor Jim Watson on Flickr

Photo Credit: Mayor Jim Watson on Flickr

Order of Ottawa and the Brian Kilrea Award

The deadline is quickly approaching to submit nominations for the 2015 Order of Ottawa and the Brian Kilrea Award for Excellence in Coaching. Nominations will be accepted until Friday, September 11 at 11:59pm.

The prestigious Order of Ottawa award is intended to recognize those who have made significant contributions through their professional endeavours, to life in the city in any of the following areas: arts and culture, business, philanthropy, health care, education, public service, labour, communications and media, science, sports and entertainment and other fields that benefit Ottawa.

The Brian Kilrea Award for Excellence in Coaching recognizes the contribution of an amateur coach who best exemplifies the qualities of leadership and commitment that have been the hallmarks of Brian Kilrea’s career.

Nominations for the Order of Ottawa or the Brian Kilrea Award for Excellence in Coaching may be completed online at ottawa.ca, or by filling out a nomination form available at your local community centre, public library, or any client service centre.

The awards will be presented at the Order of Ottawa awards ceremony in the fall of 2015.

5th Annual Manotick Soapbox Derby and BBQ Picnic in the Park
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Come out to Centennial Park in Manotick this Sunday, August 5th and celebrate the end-of-summer with a wonderful day for the entire family. There will be races, music, a craft table for children, face painting, balloon figures from Dr. Kaboom,  and of course, a BBQ lunch of hot dogs and hamburgers to purchase and fresh FREE corn on the cob. Bring a picnic blanket or chairs and spend some relaxing time in the park. It’s not just a day for racing, but also a day for families to come out and enjoy the festivities.

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If you have any comments, questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at [email protected] or contact me by phone at 613-580-2491.

Make the Right Call

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On Thursday, March 5th, the City of Ottawa’s Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee (ARAC) will host its first meeting at Ben Franklin Place at 10:00am in the former Nepean Council Chambers. Items on the agenda for this meeting will include:

  • 2015 Budget;
  • Phase 1B Zoning Amendment for the Minto Mahogany Development;
  • Modifications and improvements to the Monahan Creek Municipal Drain;
  • Minor zoning amendments to 3981 Farmview Road (West Carleton), 4045 Highway 17 (West Carleton) and 2227 Yorks Corners Road (Osgoode); as well as
  • The annual report on the Rural Association Partnership Program and the Rural Community-Building Grant Program.

As Chair of ARAC, I am very excited in our move to Ben Franklin Place as I believe this will make ARAC meetings more accessible to rural residents on an ongoing basis. If you’d like to receive the agenda regularly, I will be including it in my monthly email newsletter, which will be sent out each Friday before our ARAC meetings.  You can sign up for my the newsletter at www.rideaugoulbourn.ca. Ben Franklin Place is located at 101 Centrepointe Drive.

Make the Right Call

My office works in a very close partnership with Ottawa Police Service and I feel it is important to encourage you to “Make the Right Call”.

  • For any life-threatening emergency or crime in progress, call 911.
  • If you need to report a serious crime, break and enter or a suspicious incident /disturbance requiring the presence of a Police Officer, please call 613-230-6211.
  • If you would like to report a theft, loss or recovery of property, damage to property, missing person or stolen vehicle, please call 613-236-1222 Ext. 7300 and make a report.

Ottawa Police encourage you to call in when you witness speeding vehicles or poor driving habits with the appropriate information, such as location, time of day, vehicle particulars (if safely possible).  A Traffic Sgt. will review each report and allocate appropriate follow-up and enforcement by an Officer.

There is also the opportunity to file a report online at www.ottawapolice.ca  for the following:

  • Lost Vehicle Licence Plates
  • Theft (Under $5,000)
  • Lost Property (Under $5,000)
  • Mischief/Damage to Property (Under $5,000)
  • Theft from Vehicle (Under $5,000)
  • Traffic Complaints

We encourage you to “Make the Right Call”.

City of Ottawa March Break Camps

School will be out from March 16 to 20 for March Break, and the City is offering a week of fun-filled activities with more than 100 action-packed camps in sports, arts, swimming and more. Register now for March Break camps. Find your neighbourhood adventure online at ottawa.ca/recreation.

Take to the ice with hockey, skating and curling camps. Try aqua camps, indoor soccer or rock climbing.

Impress your family and friends with talents developed in computer, magic or movie camps. Star on stage in acting, singing and dance camps. Get messy with clay, paints and glue. Work on your leadership skills and make new friends.

Ottawa’s largest selection of camps comes with enthusiastic and trained leaders. Our programs offer top value and quality you can trust.

Registration can be done online, or visit a recreation facility or Client Service Centre where customer service staff can help with all your registration needs.

Interested in Heritage? Join the Goulbourn Museum Board

Combine a love of heritage with your personal skills and play a role in the success of the Goulbourn Museum. The Museum is governed by an elected Board of Directors which meets in the morning on the second Thursday of every month. The Board currently has two vacancies and is seeking members of the community who share a pride in Goulbourn’s heritage to join the Board, or to nominate someone else for candidacy.

A Call for Nominations explaining the application process and a copy of the Museum’s By-laws have been posted to the Museum’s website. The website also contains a list of current Board members. To apply, candidates are asked to provide a statement describing the skills, knowledge and experience they can offer the Goulbourn Museum. This should be addressed to the attention of the Nominating Committee and submitted to the museum by April 1, 2015. Elections will take place at the Annual General Meeting of the Museum on the evening of Thursday April 23, 2015.

If you would like more information or have any questions about joining the Goulbourn Museum Board of Directors, please feel free to contact Curator-Manager Kathryn Jamieson at 613-831-2393 or [email protected]. 

Last-Minute Ice Booking

You can now find and buy last-minute ice time online at your convenience. Last-minute ice is a rental period which you can buy one to seven days in advance at a discounted rate. Visit Ottawa.ca for more information.

Ottawa Valley Farm Show

The Ottawa Valley Farm Show (OVFS) will be held from March 10th to 12th at the Ernst & Young Centre. Sponsored by the Ottawa Valley Seed Growers Association, The OVFS is the largest annual exhibition of its kind held in Ontario east of Toronto. Of particular interest to farm families and other rural residents, the show features 350+ commercial exhibitors offering everything from machinery and equipment, to computer and financial services. For more information please visit the OVFS website.

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If you have any comments, questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at [email protected] or contact me by phone at 613-580-2491.

First ARAC meeting for this Term of Council

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This Thursday, February 5th is the date of the first Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee meeting of this term of Council.  It also marks my first meeting as Chair.  This meeting will be held at City Hall at 9:30am but one of the agenda items will likely mean that this will be the last ARAC meeting at City Hall.  Following the Governance Report that I discussed back in December, we will be discussing meeting locations for future meetings.  Essentially, we are looking at moving all meetings to Ben Franklin Place in Centrepointe.  This location is geographically central to all wards in the City, thus offering an accessible location for rural residents.  It also has ample free parking.  This change in location will come into effect in time for the March meeting of ARAC.

Also on the agenda for the February 5th ARAC meeting will be the approval of naming the North Gower Bowling Alley after Gerry Lines, commemorating a future Manotick park in memory of Lela Scharf, confirming appointments to the Manotick Business Improvement Area, the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority, the South Nation Conservation Authority and the rural panel of the Committee of Adjustment, as well as some minor reports on two municipal drains.

Manotick Secondary Plan: Heritage in the Core

In last week’s column, I focused on soliciting feedback on the vacant land use designations within Manotick’s Secondary Plan.  However, that was the only item of importance I touched on during the meeting I hosted on Thursday, January 22nd.  This week, I’d like to gauge your opinions on heritage designations within Manotick.  While we have several buildings designated, such as Dickinson House, Watson’s Mill, Miller’s Oven and about a half dozen other properties within the village core, there are just over 70 properties on the Heritage Reference List.

The City of Ottawa’s Heritage Reference List identifies potentially significant buildings that staff can refer to when development applications come forward in order to assess whether or not a building merits further investigation and possible protection or designation.  During the 1997 developing of the Manotick Secondary Plan, the 70 or so properties mentioned above were added to the list.  While the list might highlight the potential heritage value of a building, it doesn’t do a whole lot to protect a building.  Consider that if a demolition permit was sought for the old Manotick Tea Room building, or the building that houses Allure, the permit could be issued and the building torn down without the community having any real say whether it gets torn down, protected or otherwise.  That brings me to the Heritage Register.

The City of Ottawa’s Heritage Register provides a form of protection that the Reference List lacks.  If a property is listed on the Register and a demolition permit is sought, the City has 60 days to decide whether or not the building warrants designation.  Those 60 days gives the City time to do their due diligence on designation and for the community to be made aware and take part in the process.  It doesn’t mean that the property owner can’t renovate or make changes to the property; it just helps to ensure that the property won’t simply disappear in a matter of hours.  In Manotick, the house at the northwest corner of Bridge Street and Manotick Main Street was added to the Register last year.

While I don’t believe all 70+ buildings listed on the Heritage Reference List are worthy of protection, I do believe many of them should be at least given that 60-day reprieve so that we don’t lose our history through demolition.  My question to you is, would you support shifting some of the properties onto the Heritage Register so that due diligence can be given in the event that a demolition permit is sought?  Further, are there any specific properties that you would wish to see on the Heritage Register?

In addition to the Allure Spa building and the former Manotick Team Room, Reference List buildings include: 5545 Ann Street (formerly Lindsay & McCaffrey); 5544 Manotick Main Street (The Mill Tavern); 5549 Manotick Main Street (known as Sonny’s Garage); 1136 Tighe Street (My Toy Shop); 1136 Mill Street (Mill Street Florist).  For the full list, please refer to the Manotick Community Profile (Pages 17 & 18) at ottawa.ca/manotickplan. 

A common goal we all share is the protection of our historic communities.  Preserving our heritage is key to protecting our villages.  I want to thank you for the feedback so far from last week’s column and I look forward to further feedback on this topic.

Free Family Day Event at Goulbourn Museum

Family Day at Goulbourn Museum will feature an array of free activities for all ages. Families can pose for a fun keepsake in the photo booth, get creative at the craft station, play games, win prizes, and pretend to be pioneers in the Museum’s replica village shop.

If weather permits there will also be outdoor games and activities as well as roasting marshmallows around the fire pit.  The Family Day festivities take place Monday, February 16th from 10:00am to 3:00pm. All ages are welcome, admission is free and so are the hot chocolate and Tim Bits!

The Goulbourn Museum is located at 2064 Huntley Road, just south of Stittsville, at Stanley’s Corners. For more information, visit www.goulbournmuseum.ca or call 613-831-2393 or join Goulbourn Museum on Facebook for regular updates.

Summer Student Recruitment

Students interested in summer employment with the City of Ottawa are encouraged to apply for available positions through ottawa.ca. The 2015 Summer Student Employment Campaign will be open from February 2 to February 27, 2015.

This program offers students great opportunity to gain valuable work experience and insight into today’s workforce, discover a career path, showcase skills and enhance academic goals. For more information including eligibility criteria and other requirements, visit ottawa.ca.

My ServiceOttawa is improving residents’ online experience

Ottawa residents now have the ability to view, print and pay their property tax bill and water and sewer bill online at Ottawa.ca through My ServiceOttawa. By creating a My ServiceOttawa account, residents can securely access and customize online City services and information that matter most to them 24 hours a day, including:

  • Paying bills online or setting up preauthorized payments
  • Viewing account summaries, bill history and last payment information
  • Changing your mailing address
  • Viewing a personalized garbage and recycling calendar
  • Viewing the status of service requests

Once the account is created, all that is required to view, print and pay bills online is your water account number and balance on the last bill, or property tax roll number and access code. Set up an account today by going to ottawa.ca and selecting the My ServiceOttawa button at the top of the web page.

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If you have any comments, questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at [email protected] or contact me by phone at 613-580-2491.

All Terrain Vehicles on Municipal Roads in Osgoode

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As per the direction of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, the City of Ottawa Rural Affairs Office is developing regulations to allow all terrain vehicle (ATV) use on certain municipal roadways (both opened and unopened) in Osgoode Ward on a pilot project basis.

A map of the proposed trail network is available for review and comment on the Rural Connections website at ottawa.ca/rural.

The regulations are proposed to include elements such as:

  • Year-round access to the trails for ATVs, except during spring thaw;
  • ATVs would be permitted on trails 30 minutes before sunrise until 30 minutes after sunset;
  • Speed limits of no more than 50km/h, lower in areas where warranted;
  • Modified exhaust and/or two stroke ATV engines would be prohibited due to noise concerns;

For more information, and/or to provide feedback on the proposal, please contact the Rural Affairs Office at [email protected] or 613-580-2424 x23852.

All Terrain Vehicles on Municipal Roads in Osgoode Ward 20

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On October 4, 2012 the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee directed the Rural Affairs Office to develop a by-law to allow all terrain vehicle (ATV) use on certain municipal roadways (both opened and unopened) in Osgoode Ward on a pilot project basis. As part of the public consultation for this project, members of the public are invited to attend an information session to learn more and provide feedback:

Wednesday February 20, 2013
Osgoode Community Centre – Upper Hall
5660 Osgoode Main Street
7 pm to 9 pm

For more information, contact the City of Ottawa Rural Affairs Office at 613-580-2424 x28352 or [email protected].

What's going on at City Hall? Week of May 7

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The following meetings are scheduled during the week of May 7, 2012, at Ottawa City Hall, 110 Laurier Avenue West, unless otherwise noted.
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What's going on at City Hall? Week of April 16

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The following meetings are scheduled for the week of April 16, 2012 at Ottawa City Hall, 110 Laurier Avenue West, unless otherwise noted.
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