Weekly newsletter: February 5, 2025
Hi, everyone!
The last few days, I’ve found myself going down rabbit holes in the recent news cycle. Between the Ottawa Senators encouraging performance, relations with the United States, and other events, there’s been no shortage of content — all on top of the City stuff (which comes first for me, of course).
Before we start, just a friendly reminder that spring recreation activities are now available for browsing at register.ottawa.ca↗. Aquatics registration will open next Tuesday February 11 at 9:00 pm, while non-aquatics registration opens Thursday February 13 at 9:00 pm. Summer camps have also been posted.
Trillium Line – Sunday service
No Sunday service for now.
Although the Trillium Line has been quietly operating without major problems since its phased opening began last month, OC Transpo has decided to hold off on introducing Sunday service for the time being.
Following a recommendation of the LRT public inquiry, the Trillium Line’s opening was phased to weekday, Saturday, then Sunday service rather than full service upon opening. The approach gives staff and crews additional maintenance hours to address new and lingering issues.
Regular users of the line may have observed continued issues with the information screens at stations and on trains, which includes stop announcements and route information — particularly important for portions of the line where the station platform serves both directions.
Although it’s arguably not a major component of the train and track infrastructure, it is still important for customer service. The goal is to provide those extra maintenance hours for staff to find a solution or upgrades without interruption.
The additional time will also allow training activities to continue to increase the size of and stabilise the operator pool for the line, including additional certification hours for both types of trains used on the line (partly why one or two trips on weekdays have been operated by the older red Alstom LINT trains).
OC Transpo and TransitNext will also use the time to expand safety monitoring equipment, conduct regular maintenance to the line as required, and close out minor works from the construction phase.
Staff will be presenting a full update about the Trillium Line at the Transit Committee meeting on February 13.
Trillium Line – first departures and bus connections
Following some back-and-forth with OC Transpo staff, the departure time of the last 74 from Limebank Station on weekdays has been adjusted to 12:35 am to meet the last southbound Line 2 train. The change took effect yesterday (Monday) and is now reflected in the travel planner.
The first 74 to arrive at Limebank Station in the morning will not be adjusted and will continue connecting passengers with the second Line 2 train of the morning.
However, in the April service change, the first 74 will be adjusted to arrive at Limebank Station at 6:08 am on weekdays to meet the first Line 2 train at 6:13 am.
Staff will evaluate other connections in the bus network, including local routes, and make necessary adjustments for the April service change to ensure good connections with Line 2 trains at Limebank Station.
I have also asked staff to look closely at the first departures along the line to see if any improvements can be made. Staff have shared they are expecting to make some changes based on early operational and customer feedback but have yet to finalise them.
Lastly, there has been minor improvements to the signage around Limebank Station to provide better direction for motorists dropping off or picking up passengers. Early results show fewer cars have been entering the bus loop (although that could also be from people getting used to the arrangement). Either way, more will come.
Shelter permissions in the Zoning By-law
Motion introduces major change that will bypass a public consultation step for an impactful document.
At tomorrow’s Planning and Housing Committee, a motion to loosen emergency shelter permissions will be discussed and voted on.
The motion, moved by Councillor Leiper, seeks to remove all restrictions to permit emergency shelter use in all zones inside of the urban boundary, which includes suburban communities like Barrhaven. Exceptions would apply in environmental protection, mineral extraction, and heavy industrial zones.
I am not supportive of the motion.
The Official Plan, approved by Council in 2021, includes a policy permitting shelter uses in all zone types in the urban boundary.
The Zoning By-law, the document that actually dictates land use, is still being updated through an ongoing process and is not expected to be voted on for another few months.
Under the current Zoning By-law, emergency shelters are permitted in certain zones only, mostly areas zoned mixed use and institutional, with exceptions. To operate a shelter on a parcel zoned residential or commercial, the operator would need to apply for rezoning.
For context, the updated Zoning By-law is expected to update those permissions to match the Official Plan policy. It is currently in its first draft and will proceed to its second draft and a second round of public consultations around springtime.
Councillor Leiper’s motion seeks to accelerate the implementation of broad and wide-ranging permissions for emergency shelters. However, if the motion passes tomorrow at planning committee, the public consultation process for the Zoning By-law update will be bypassed for this arguably impactful part of the document.
Bypassing public consultation on such an important and impactful document is bad practice. With our recent experience with sprung structures, I also know the topic is something our community is particularly sensitive to.
The definition of a shelter is too broad, as it includes homeless shelters, shelters for people and families fleeing domestic violence, and transitional housing. (Temporary disaster shelters are generally covered by emergencies legislation, so they are not included.)
Small scale transitional housing and shelter for people fleeing domestic violence are appropriate and necessary in Barrhaven. Large scale shelter operations, homeless or otherwise, are not. The definition of “shelter” in the Zoning By-law is broad and includes both.
As a note, the physical limitations of a zone, such as the size and setback of the structure, accessory building permissions, and parking, still apply.
In fact, as I highlighted last year when discussing sprung structures, Barrhaven is already home to many small-scale supportive homes embedded throughout the community serving a variety of purposes. Interestingly, in the Zoning By-law, they are defined separately as group homes.
It is a proposed change with major community impacts that should not happen without public input and should not be accelerated to bypass a process.
Perhaps we need to tighten and/or separate out definitions for different types of emergency shelter. Perhaps the changes in permission should not be so broad. Whatever questions or discussions there may be, it must be part of the regular Zoning By-law process.
Our recent experience shows a lot of the controversy often isn’t in the topic itself, but with how it was approached and a lack of respect for residents.
The Zoning By-law update includes a thorough process with multiple drafts and rounds of public consultation — a process agreed to by Council, so why bypass it?
Provincial election signs
Election signs permitted on public and private property. Voting day is Thursday, February 27.
Residents will begin to see election signs installed in the community on both public and private property.
The City of Ottawa has two relevant by-laws regulating election signs, the Temporary Signs on Private Property By-law↗ and the Signs on City Roads By-law↗.
Unlike other temporary signage, permits are not required for election signs, but they are expected to be secure.
Generally, election signs cannot be placed:
Within 50 centimetres of a sidewalk or two metres of a roadway
On streetlight, sign, or utility posts
On a tree, shrub, or other plant
Immediately at a bus stop
In a median, centre of a roundabout, or on a sidewalk
Obstructing regulatory or other municipal signage
If it is retro-reflective or illuminated (includes video messaging)
In any manner that causes a hazard
Signs on public and private property must be removed 72 hours after voting day. This means election signs must be removed by 11:59 pm on Sunday, March 2.
Voting day is Thursday, February 27.
That’s all for this week! Looks like the weather will be fairly consistent over the next little while, so I hope you have a chance to go out and enjoy it.
-Wilson