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Covid-19 updates
It continues to be challenging to provide a one-stop look at vaccination booking with various cohorts either eligible to book a second shot or accelerate the appointment they've already booked through the Provincial web site. The only thing I'll say this morning is that if you have a second appointment already booked through the Provincial site, it's worth periodically re-visiting the site to see whether you're able to get an appointment sooner. Large batches of vaccine are arriving in the city and new spots opened up, and there are
constantly appointments that become free when those are cancelled by folks able to find earlier appointments. The Provincial vaccination site is here. If you have an appointment booked through the Provincial site and you find and book an earlier appointment also through the site, your original booking will be cancelled and made available to someone else.
If you are booked for an appointment through the Provincial portal and you get an earlier appointment through a pharmacy, for example, or decide for whatever other reason to cancel that appointment, please cancel that original appointment here. Again, if you're successful in finding an earlier appointment through the Provincial site, that will be done automatically for you.
I know people find the mapping products available to be useful and interesting, and will just note that the May neighbourhood mapping is now available here, and the wider ward-level mapping has been updated to June 14 here.
Find all the latest news about the pandemic, including special statements by Dr. Vera Etches and other officials here, and sign up for the vaccination newsletter offered by the City here.
Committee of Adjustment July 7
There is no agenda yet available for the July 7 meeting of the CoA.
Roosevelt bridge removal and next steps
A self-described "crane fan", Christo Kutrovsky, captured some awesome footage yesterday of the removal by crane of the Roosevelt pedestrian/cycling bridge. I've posted that here. On the same page, I've described the eventual bus detour that is the reason for the bridge removal along with a comprehensive overview of that discussion from 2017. In chatting with residents onsite yesterday while we were watching the action, I appreciated hearing that many residents may be unaware of that old discussion and
plan. In my mind, 2017 was a few weeks ago! It's well worth re-visiting for the sake of new neighbours.
Part-time office position
Emma is leaving my office. I can't replace her, but I can try! I've got details of a part-time office position here. Please don't send any material or questions to anyone but Lisa at the email address listed in the post. I'm trying out a "blind" hiring process. It's my first one, and will be imperfect, but I think it's important.
Ottawa Hospital open house June 29
The Ottawa Hospital is hosting an open house to look at their plans for the proposed new Civic campus. I've got more information about that here. Thanks to those who have copied my office on their feedback into the site plan thus far; please keep it coming. I share the community's pre-occupations and expect over the course of the summer that most of my continued engagement will be around mitigating the traffic impacts implied by the proposal. Keeping traffic on Carling and avoiding cut-through, shifting as much
of that traffic as possible to active modes and public transit, and re-visiting the use of Maple Drive as emergency access are top-of-mind. I've also expressed my concerns about the above-ground parking proposed for the site and the loss of intuitive and convenient cycling routes.
Embassy Row proposal re-jigged
The National Capital Commission has slightly adjusted its proposal for an "embassy row" in the green space north of Burnside to the parkway in Mechanicsville. They've slightly enlarged the proposed park space as well as reduced by one the number of embassies they propose would be allowed to be built. I've made the details of that available here. I'm not satisfied that this respects the community's and my opposition to paving over this space, and will ask residents to continue copying me on
submissions made to the City as it evaluates the zoning permissions.
979 Wellington re-submission
The 12-storey proposal for 979 Wellington that we previewed a while back is now available as an official re-submission online. We've posted the details of that here.
Clearview pedestrian crossing "started"
We've determined that the construction of the pedestrian crossing at Clearview and Island Park has "started", although "started" has a different meaning in the project world compared to what you and I might consider "started". While the project is now underway, actual visible work won't really start until locates begin on August 9. From there, we'll see traffic control installed on the 10th, and then we'l see the installation of the actual signal through September 3 when the project is closed.
Tunney's re-development residents' group formed
The community associations representing Wellington Village, Champlain Park, Hintonburg and Mechanicsville have formed Neighbours for Tunney's to focus on Tunney's Pasture redevelopment-related issues. A preliminary web page has been launched (www.neighboursfortunneys.ca) and a mailing list has been created so that everyone can stay apprised of updates and have continued input into the work your community associations are doing on your behalf. Even if you live outside of these four neighbourhoods,
you can still sign up. You can join the mailing list by sending a request to neighboursfortunneys@gmail.com.
I will be meeting soon with the feds to get a high-level overview of the Tunney's re-development week and expect to hear how they intend to approach public consultation on the eventual project.
Solid Waste Master Plan phase 2 report
The City will present its phase 2 report on the creation of a new solid waste master plan to the Environment Committee on June 29. The plan contains a long list of options to try to manage Ottawa's solid waste as we seek in the coming decades to avoid having to build a new solid waste facility to replace Trail Road. Read the report and get up to speed on engagment so far here.
Hip-hop, R&B and country dominate mid-2003 top 40 chart
Hip hop, R&B and country dominated the June 21, 2003 top 40 chart with barely a rocker to be found. Beyonce’s Crazy in Love was steadily climbing the charts, up to number 7 with Jay-Z and an explosive horn sample from the Chi-Lites that was a perfect match for Queen Bey’s Tsar Bomba debut. 50 Cent was a force with 21 Questions continuing a top-spot stand that would stretch to four weeks and his earthquake-causing In Da Club (18) was still charting after 9 weeks in top spot. Sean Paul’s dancehall smash
Get Busy was still bouncing near the top spot at number 2 in its 18th week on the chart. Toby Keith was the hattest of the hat acts that week with Beer For My Horses as a duet with Willie Nelson (25). Even Matchbox 20 turned in a country song with Unwell (5) that would fit in just peachy on the Opry stage today. Nashville acts like the Rascal Flatts (Love You Out Loud - 30) and versificator-driven Lonestar (My Front Porch Looking In - 23) also found spots. The “More Twang” pedal was popular, but if you hunted hard enough you could find some distortion. Evanescence’s Bring Me
to Life (6) and Christina Aguilera’s Fighter (24) were both guitar-heavy strings-and-ivory opera anthems. Justin Timberlake’s Rock Your Body (12) was also still on the charts: everybody loves Justin Freakin’ Timberlake. View the full chart here.
Join my Run For Women team!
Thank you so much to everyone who has generously donated to my Run For Women team! We've raised $675 for the Royal. Consider joining my 5k run/walk team, WalkABitRunABit, here or making a donation. As the run approaches, organizers are offering $5 off the registration fee for anyone who signs up and joins a team. Use the code RFWIMPACT for the next week. The proceeds will go directly to The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre's women's mental health program that is
doing such critical work across the city right here in our ward. The event, of course, is virtual and participants will take part any time between July 4-11. Thank you to everyone who has made generous donations to the effort so far!
At City Hall
City Council
City Council meets on Wednesday, June 23 with a meeting that will largely be routine with the exception of an item brought by the Integrity Commissioner finding that Councillor Jan Harder breached the Code of Conduct and should be sanctioned. It will be up to Council to determine whether the recommended sanctions should be applied. Both Ottawa Hydro and the Ottawa Markets will hold their annual general meetings at this Council meeting (the City is the sole shareholder in both). I also expect we will approve the acquisiton of a new electric bus fleet as approved
by the Transit Commission. Read the full Council agenda here.
Planning Committee
Planning Committee will meet on June 24 with a couple of items of interest to Kitchissippi ward residents. First, the development proposed for the north side of Richmond stretching between Churchill and Winona will be voted on (319, 325 and 327 Richmond Road, 381 Churchill Avenue, and 380 Winona Avenue). Staff have recommended approval of that development. I expect that I will vote in favour of it as a relatively sensitive addition at a prominent corner where a lot of thought has gone into the transition to the low-rise residential neighbourhood. There are also a series of omnibus zoning changes
proposed that I hope our community associations will take a close look at: I'll be doing the same. And, there is a general zoning by-law amendment on parking and secondary dwelling units that I expect planning watchers will want to peruse carefully. I've been outreached to with respect to some items in that report and welcome any feedback on red flags that you see. The full agenda is here.
Agriculture and Rural Affairs
The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee meets on Monday, June 28. Among a series of workaday agenda items, as well as separate consideration of the omnibus and parking/SDU amendments noted above, the Committee will be looking at permitting "on-farm diversified uses and agriculture-related uses in rural and agriculture and agricultural zones of the city". It looks meaty, although I'm not in a position to get up to speed for a bit. Likely to generate some headlines, there is also an item on the agenda to allow a cannabis production facility on the Carp Airport lands at 200 Russ Bradley Road. View these
and other agenda items here.
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