Capital Ward Bulletin: Airport Parkway Widening, Holiday Events and Bill 23

Lansdowne Tree Lighting

The Ottawa Christmas Market is back at Lansdowne, and we’ll be kicking things off tomorrow night, Friday November 25, at 6:00 pm with the lighting of the Lansdowne Christmas Tree. There will be music, crafts for kids and Santa will be making an appearance!

Deck the Firehall Event

You're Invited to "Deck the Firehall"! The Old Ottawa South Community Association is happy to announce that their Christmas Craft Fair themed ‘Deck the Firehall’ will be happening on Sunday December 11, from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm Save the date! This is a great chance for you to shop your local talent, indulge in delicious festive treats and take timeless photos with Santa! Please send an email to [email protected] if you have any questions about the event!

Stop Bill 23

The province is about to pass More Homes Built Faster Act (Bill 23) into law. This Bill has been introduced in the name of solving the housing affordability crisis. It will not succeed in that regard, and it will come at a great cost to residents. This Bill was introduced without consultation, and the post facto consultations planned do not include a hearing in Ottawa, the second largest city in Ontario. Bill 23, along with the broader slew of other recent regulatory changes imposed upon municipalities by the province, are a gift to the development industry. A gift that has negative implications for Ottawa ratepayers, for the provision of truly affordable housing, for the fight against climate change, and for democratic input into local planning decisions. Read the open letter opposing Bill 23 that Councillor Troster and myself submitted to the province.

Public Consultation on 15-17 Oblats Avenue December 5th

Our office will be holding a public meeting on the development at 15 Oblats Avenue on December 7 from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. The format will include a brief presentation on the application, with a discussion and question and answer period to follow. The application with associated plans is available on the Development Applications website. Please RSVP for the consultation on our website at:  https://www.shawnmenard.ca/15oblats_2.

Airport Parkway Widening (Phase 1)—Brookfield Road to Hunt Club Road

Ottawa City Council approved the Airport Parkway (Brookfield Road to Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport) and Lester Road Widening (Airport Parkway to Bank Street) Environmental Assessment (EA) Study in 2017. The city has now commenced the preliminary and detailed design process for Phase 1 of the overall project. The overall purpose of this project is to undertake public consultations and develop a final design leading to the construction the new roadway.

This is an incredibly troubling project being proposed by the city. If it goes forward, we will be spending tens or hundreds of millions of dollars on a project that will increase traffic, increase congestion, increase pollution and contribute to climate change, and undercut the effectiveness of LRT.

For the Glebe, the Glebe Annex, Dow’s Lake, Old Ottawa South and Carleton University, it will mean more traffic being funnelled onto Bronson Avenue—the exact opposite approach we should be taking if we want a functional, livable city.

The City of Ottawa invites you to review and provide comments on the new documents and illustrations by December 16, 2022:

• Public Open House #1 presentation – Project update (Airport Parkway Widening – Phase 1)
• Draft Preliminary Design - Airport Parkway Component
• Draft preliminary Design - Walkley Road and Roundabout Component

To submit comments on the project, please contact the City project manager:

Bin Wang, P. Eng., MScE.
Senior Engineer, Infrastructure Projects
Design and Construction – Municipal 
100 Constellation Drive, Ottawa, ON K2G 6J8
Tel: 613-580-2424, ext. 27595

Walkley Road Townhall Meeting—December 6

A meeting focusing on the Walkley Road components of this project and the overall vision for Walkley Road between Riverside Drive and Bank Street will be held on Zoom at 6:30pm on Tuesday, December 6, 2022.  

Please register if you wish to participate.

The presentation and a Frequently Asked Questions document will be posted on this webpage by December 6 and remain online for feedback until December 23, 2022.

Lycée and Frobisher Re-Paving Delayed

We were expecting Place Lycée and Frobisher Lane to be re-paved this summer. Unfortunately, due to a strike in the construction industry and supply chain issues, this project was one of many that the city has had to delay. This is unfortunate, and we apologize for the confusion and inconvenience this has caused.

The good news is that the funds are still committed for this project and we have been told by city staff that Lycée and Frobisher are on the workplan for the 2023 construction season. We expect the work to be completed fully next year.

Bank Street Soil Cells

Next year, the city will be implementing a new soil cell project on Bank Street to help improve the tree canopy along the street. The project is a stormwater management pilot project and will include construction of soil cells and planting of ten (10) new trees. The new soil cells will serve as both tree planters and stormwater filtration/infiltration systems.

Construction impacts will include:

• The east northbound lane of Bank Street will be temporary closed during construction.
• Temporary closure of east sidewalk of Bank Street between Exhibition Way and Wilton Crescent with detour via Frank Clair Lane.
• Temporary relocation of OC Transpo Bus Stop #3080 at Lansdowne TD Place.
• Construction is anticipated to involve removal and reinstatement of the existing bus shelter and pad.

Construction is anticipated for Summer 2023.

Successful Walkable Shopping Destinations Workshop

Walkable Ottawa and Ecology Ottawa are holding a workshop to discuss “What would make a successful Walkable Shopping Destination?” in a neighbourhood.

Already have an idea but think it could be better?  Don’t have one yet, but you’re looking to a walkable future?

RSVP to join in and share your ideas!

• Where could a Walkable Shopping Destination be located in your neighbourhood?
• What are the elements that need to be included/addressed to make a new Shopping Destination a success?
• Make an existing one even better?  
• What steps are needed to encourage a new Walkable Shopping Destination to take root in your neighbourhood?

Can’t join? Don’t worry! Tell them what you think a successful Walkable Shopping Destination could look like in your neighbourhood by completing a Visual Preference Survey!

Walk Roll Map

WalkRollMap.org is a crowdsourcing tool for mapping micro barriers to accessible walking and rolling. What is a micro barrier? Anything that makes it harder (or maybe even impossible) to walk or roll safely or comfortably in your community. It might be a missing bench, uneven payment, or unplowed snow. Whatever it is that is getting in your way, or missing (e.g. bench or washroom) we want to know what it is and where! Together, we can help make Ottawa’s walking and rolling environment safer and more accessible!

OC Transpo launches 38th Annual Food Drive!

Many families in our community continue to have difficulty making ends meet and struggle to have enough food to eat during this time of year, when demand is at its highest. The Ottawa Food Bank has already served more people in 2022 than any other year in its history.

Want to get involved? Here’s how to help:

Donate today

You can make a virtual donation through the Ottawa Food Bank’s website between November 14 and December 2. For every dollar you donate, the Ottawa Food Bank can purchase around $5 worth of food. Every dollar counts!

Make an in-person donation on Saturday, December 3

Donate non-perishable items or make a monetary donation at participating grocery stores on Saturday, December 3. Non-perishable donations can be placed in the Ottawa Food Bank donation bins at participating stores. Visit the Ottawa Food Bank’s website for a list of their most needed non-perishable items. Every donation, no matter the amount, helps support the most vulnerable people in our community.

Your Capital Ward

Photo by Caroline Warburton

If you have a photo you’d like to share in an upcoming bulletin, please send it to [email protected], with the subject line Your Capital Ward. Please give us your name for attribution…or tell us if you’d rather not have your name shared.

Winter Parking

Between November 15 and April 1, the city may declare a Winter Weather Parking Ban for inclement weather including freezing rain or when Environment Canada forecasts 7 cm or more of snow in the Ottawa area. This includes any forecast for a range of snow more than 7 cm, such as 5 to 10 cm. The Winter Weather Parking Ban will be called to support clearing operations and will continue until the City issues notice that it has been lifted.

When a winter weather parking ban is called, the City issues a special advisory to the local media and posts it on ottawa.ca. 

With the exception of significant weather events, our Roads and Parking Services team will be aiming to:

• Make the Winter Weather Parking Ban call by 9 am for an overnight parking ban – overnight parking bans will be from 7 pm to 7 am.
• Make the Winter Weather Parking Ban call by 3:30 pm for a daytime parking ban – daytime parking bans will be from 10 am to 7 pm.

Vehicles without a residential parking permit that are parked on the street during a parking ban may be ticketed and towed.

Impact on residential parking permit holders

If you have a residential parking permit, your vehicle is exempt from winter weather parking bans. Removing your vehicle from the street helps City crews clear the street faster.

Sign up for notifications

• Receive Winter Parking Alerts by email
• Follow the City of Ottawa on Twitter
• Download the City of Ottawa App for your Android or iPhone

Learn more about winter parking regulations at ottawa.ca/en/parking-roads-and-travel/parking/winter-parking#

Learn more about winter parking regulations at ottawa.ca/fr/stationnement-routes-et-deplacements/stationnement/stationnement-en-hiver#

Ottawa Public Health Update—Strong Masking Recommendation

Responding to the current increase in respiratory illnesses  

Ottawa Public Health (OPH) continues to respond to COVID-19, which includes publishing a weekly COVID-19 snapshot of the current situation. As mentioned in my most recent Special Statement, COVID-19, Influenza and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) are all circulating in our community and are impacting the pediatric health system’s capacity. Our colleagues at CHEO have also released a statement highlighting the early arrival of viral respiratory season.  

The Ottawa Board of Health approved a motion calling for the province to publicly release modeling data for this fall and winter respiratory illness season, and to intensify communications on vaccination, masking, and other measures for limiting the impact of respiratory illnesses. 

Dr. Kieran Moore, Chief Medical Officer of Health for Ontario, provided an update highlighting the growing burden of respiratory illnesses across the province, particularly in young children. He noted the pediatric health care system is taking extra-ordinary measures to meet the demand for critical care. Dr. Moore has urged Ontarians to use all layers of protection available to them to limit the spread of respiratory illnesses, including a Province-wide recommendation that masks be worn in indoor, public settings.  

Masks and other protective layers 

Wearing masks indoors and outdoors in crowded spaces, staying up to date on vaccines, staying home when sick and washing your hands are all behaviours that will help stop the spread of respiratory illnesses. While the Province is in the best position to implement a mask mandate, given the province-wide challenge and benefits of a consistent approach, OPH will continue to monitor the situation in Ottawa and assess all possible local options. 

For influenza information including expanded eligibility and clinic locations, please visit OttawaPublicHealth.ca/Flu. For COVID-19 information including booking your next dose, please visit OttawaPublicHealth.ca/COVID19Vaccine.

Mental Health Resources 

We know the last several years have been challenging and that there are many in our communities who are struggling. For more information and resources, please visit the Mental Health, Addictions and Substance Use Health Services and Resources webpage. 

Vacant Unit Tax Notice to Residential Property Owners

An important Vacant Unit Tax (VUT) notice will be arriving in homeowners’ mailbox or inbox over the next week for each property they own. It provides information such as the roll number and access code and identifies the next steps in the process to file the required occupancy status declaration for the 2022 calendar year.

Declarations must be filed between January and March 16, 2023. Property owners must provide some basic information on the occupancy of their property, including if it is their principal residence.

It will only take a few minutes to file the online declaration at www.ottawa.ca/vut. To access the declaration form, you must input your roll number and access code which will be mailed in the coming days or can be found on the latest tax bill. My ServiceOttawa account holders can sign into their account and complete the declaration without needing to insert their roll number or access code.

If you have a property that was vacant for 184 or more days in 2022, you may indicate whether any of the following exemptions apply:

• Death of a registered owner
• Property owner was in a hospital or long-term care facility
• Arm’s-length sale of the property
• Specific court orders prohibiting occupancy, sale or rental of the property
• Extended renovations or construction
• Was used as a cottage rental with a valid permit for at least 100 days

If the property was vacant and does not qualify for an exemption, it may be subject to a one per cent charge of the property's current assessed value on the final 2023 property tax bill. Declarations are subject to audit to confirm their authenticity.

Homeowners will be required to file a declaration every year, between January and mid-March.

The city has declaration options for those who require accessibility-related supports or for those who do not have computer or internet access. More information will be provided in January.

Vacant Unit Tax revenues will help fund affordable housing initiatives, in accordance with the city’s Ten-Year Affordable Housing and Homeless Plan, which commits capital funding for the construction of up to 500 new affordable units annually.

Visit www.ottawa.ca/vut for more information.