News & Announcements

For several years, those of us with concerns about housing affordability have been anticipating the granting of power by Queen’s Park to municipalities to force developers to include a proportion of new housing developments as affordable housing. Dubbed “inclusionary zoning” by the sector, it’s a potentially important way to address the shortage of affordable housing in Ottawa, and to mitigate the effect of gentrification in our most popular neighbourhoods.

Kitchissippi is very much one of the city’s most popular neighbourhoods.

It has been a remarkable 2017 in Ottawa! It's a joy to think back on so many exciting moments like La Machine and the Juno awards, as well as the many smaller events here in the ward to which so many contributed. Even as we continued to grapple with the growth in the ward, Kitchissippi's volunteers and community leaders worked hard to build our capacity and a more equitable, inclusive, just and prosperous Ottawa.

Please join us on Saturday, December 16 at 4:00pm as we light up the tree at Roy Duncan Park!

Alongside the Westboro Beach Community Association and Van Lang Tenants Association, we will be serving some hot chocolate, roasting some marshmellows over a fire pit, and stringing some lights. All are welcome to join and participate, consider bringing your own mug for hot coco!

Ashcroft Homes is proposing an adaptive re-use of Les Soeurs de la Visitation Convent at their 114 Richmond Rd site, which would see the building partially demolished and encapsulated in glass, combining heritage and modern elements. The refreshed convent would see office tenants and mixed commercial. We invite you to come and learn more about this proposed development during a community open house:

There will be an open house on December 11 at Tom Brown arena (141 Bayview) from 6-8:30 to look at the proposed changes to Scott Street when the buses come off the detour. Unfortunately, City staff are still modifying the diagrams, but I'm told they will be up in time for the event.

We wanted to let you all know that a zoning study is underway which would allow amendments to the Zoning By-Law to permit small-scale, low-impact industrial uses, including mico-breweries, micro-distilleries, small-scale manufacturing and small-scale food processing associated with restaurants in commercial areas. 

River Street, which connects the Lemieux Island water purification plant with the Sir John A. Macdonald parkway will be officially named Onigam Street on November 20.

The name Onigam, Algonquin for “portage” was arrived at after collaboration between the Algonquins of Ontario, Kitchissippi Councillor Jeff Leiper and the City of Ottawa as part of the ongoing City process of re-naming duplicate streets.

I want to thank the 60 or so residents who took the time to attend the open house last Wednesday to explore the proposed re-zoning to allow some development in Rochester Field (pictured), a part of the "100-day solution" that allows the City to put LRT under the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway. I found it extremely useful in helping shape my own thinking on the subject, and there were some excellent perspectives and ideas shared.

Last night, Planning Committee voted 6-3 in favour of approving the re-located Salvation Army men’s shelter to 333 Montreal road. It was a three-day debate, with something like 140 speakers coming out, the vast majority to express their opposition. I was one of three dissenting voices, with Councillors Brockington and Nussbaum also voting no.

Beginning on Tuesday, November 14^th, City staff will be conducting Stage 3 archaeology work in Rochester Field in conjunction with LRT construction. The work will take approximately 10 days to complete, but as always at this time of year, start dates are weather dependent.