Share your vision
We are pleased to invite you to the Armstrong Street Study Public Consultation open house. You may recall we’ve been discussing this study for a few months now, and we are now ready for some constructive community feedback to integrate into the additional work being done by the study’s facilitators.
What is the Armstrong Street Study?
As many know, the City is currently undertaking a review of how it charges for water and stormwater. I sit on the Environment Committee, and am looking forward to hearing how staff will or won't recommend charging for water - which is currently billed strictly according to how much a household uses.
Reviewing how we charge for water and wastewater has become important since water usage is declining while expenditures are generally fixed and predictable.
Many will recall that last June, I launched a web site called IBikeIBuy.ca. The notion was to capture the economic activity generated by people using the Wellington Street West bike corral - one of three across the city. So how did it go, and what's next?
I've fielded a few questions now about where the environmental assessment (EA) for the western light rail route stands. While Council has approved the route, it's still subject to Provincial approval through the EA.
I posed the question to staff about where that stands, and wanted to share the reply below.
The environmental assessment process for transit projects is complex. The best resource is a guide published by the province of Ontario:
Ontario’s Transit Project Assessment Process, January 2014 It is on the web at:
This afternoon, Councillors Tobi Nussbaum, Catherine McKenney and I wrote to the Standing Committee on Social Policy at Queen's Park with our support for several provisions in Bill 73, Smart Growth for Our Communities Act.
We've received the following update on Scott Street construction progress. Some of the work has been advanced a bit.
Motorists are reminded that a section of Highway 417 will be closed in both directions starting on Friday, October 23 at 11 p.m. until 11 p.m. on Sunday, October 25. This closure is required by the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) to replace the Kent Street Bridges.
The public is advised to plan all trips well in advance as significant delays are expected during the closure.
The following detours will be in effect during the Highway 417 closure:
Eastbound detour:
My apologies for a late update - though it's fairly light. Here's the latest on the Scott Street widening and MUP construction, as of Tuesday:
Scott Street update
It was a privilege and honour this morning to participate in the ceremony remembering the events of last October. For those of us in Ottawa, it was particularly moving to remember the sacrifice of Cpl. Nathan Cirillo.
One week until Planning Committee on October 27, city planners are recommending that Council go back to the Ontario Municipal Board with a position that the re-designed Mizrahi building is "landmark". The report, attached to this post below, suggests that the building is "distinctive" and "picturesque" enough that it deserves the landmark sobriquet.