Weekly newsletter: November 5, 2024

Hi everyone!

I hope you took advantage of the extra hour of sleep afforded to us over the weekend. I certainly did.

Yesterday, I had to cross a threshold in our collective journey towards winter—I put on long underwear for the first time since last winter. In my defence, the dampness made it even colder and I was out for a few hours door knocking. Thanks for the conversations (and the offer of hot soup from one household)!

Oh, and I wore a toque too.

Remembrance Day

Barrhaven ceremony at 10:30 am at John McCrae Secondary School.

Monday, November 11, is Remembrance Day. Take some time to remember those who fought and sacrificed their lives for our country.

Until then, poppies are on sale at various locations across Barrhaven in support of the Royal Canadian Legion. The Legion now also has official poppy pins↗, which can be used to hold poppies in place.

Locally, the Barrhaven Remembrance Day ceremony will start at 10:30 am, at John McCrae Secondary School. Parking is available at the Walter Baker Sports Centre.

Did you know about the Canadian Virtual War Memorial↗? Developed with the help of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the Virtual War Memorial, is a registry of the graves and memorials of more than 118,000 Canadians and Newfoundlanders who gave their lives for their country.

The Virtual War Memorial, also honours those who fell in service on each calendar day in its honour roll↗.

As for City services, 3-1-1 will be open to take urgent calls only, but client service centres and most other City services will be closed.

Next week’s blue bin, green bin, and garbage collection day will remain unchanged.

OC and Para Transpo services will operate regular schedules, though bus routes near the War Memorial will be detoured. Additionally, veterans who wear their medals or uniforms and a companion can use transit for free in Ottawa and Gatineau, between now and Remembrance Day.

Recreation centres will be open as usual, but library branches will be closed.

Sprung structure shelter update nine

Previous updates here (under the sprung structure shelters tab). Public information virtual session this Thursday, November 7, at 7:00 pm. No registration required.

About 150 residents gathered↗ at Greenbank/Highbury Park on Saturday and on Sunday to voice their concerns and opposition against the City’s sprung structure shelter proposal. The turnout was encouraging, considering the weather and the organisers put it together on relatively short notice.

Residents who gathered were supported by passing vehicles (honking) and pedestrians, and the group only grew as the afternoons went on.

Although I did not organise the gatherings, I am grateful I was welcomed and had a chance to speak to residents there on both days. Thank you!

The same community group who organised the weekend gatherings have organised a larger rally at the Greenbank/Highbury Park site tonight, Tuesday, November 5, at 4:00 pm. I hope to see you there!

Let’s make ourselves heard, and fight the inappropriate, undignified proposal to use sprung structures to house people.

Councillor Hill and I are also hosting a public information virtual session on Thursday, November 7, at 7:00 pm, to provide a concise account of what the proposal is, what has happened so far, what we have done and will continue to do to oppose it, and what to expect next.

There will also be an opportunity for residents to ask questions and share their concerns and feedback about the proposal. If you’re unable to attend, the session will be recorded and posted online.

Additionally, related information should become available some time this week, including the detailed site evaluation and ranking by the engineering firm, and the accompanying staff memo. My freedom of information request is also due soon.

Barrhaven is a diverse, welcoming community, with people who have come here from so many different places across Canada and the world. We welcome newcomers into our communities as our own—and that does not include housing them in a big tent, even if it’s temporary!

(The City has a stated goal of 90 days in the sprung structure shelter, which will act as a reception centre while the asylum seekers await processing and have housing found for them. Thus far, they have not met that goal at the other facilities they are using.)

It is not the community versus asylum seekers. It is not us versus them. This is an argument against a problematic proposal to house asylum seekers in an inappropriate structure. Those structures are not appropriate for housing people in Barrhaven or anywhere in Ottawa.

We need the best outcome possible for the community and the asylum seekers.

From modular builds and underused/disused federal properties to existing (and successful) small-scale supports embedded in the community, there are many better, more cost-effective options that yield better results and can take taxpayer funds so much further.

Barrhaven deserves better, as do the asylum seekers. The community has made that clear to me, whether in speaking with residents in the community or at their doors. I am on your side and will continue fighting for the best outcome for everybody involved.

Fenced dog parks

Potential opportunities in Barrhaven East.

Early in October, I shared I was going to work with City staff to identify some locations that could support small local fenced dog parks, with a focus on underused spaces in existing parks and dry storm ponds.

As background, the City has size standards for fenced dog parks, for the benefit of operational and maintenance considerations.

Generally, parks staff prefer dog parks one acre (0.4 hectares), or larger. Dog parks smaller than one acre require substantial capital investment in changing the surface from grass to decomposed granite.

Decomposed granite is similar to stone dust, and is a surface that can withstand heavy use, allows for drainage, and has good sanitary properties. The main drawback is the capital cost of changing it to that surface.

Staff’s experience is due to heavy use concentrated in a smaller area, the grass gets worn down and soil becomes hard packed within a few years. That results in muddy and dusty conditions, which make maintenance difficult. Rehabilitation of the grass requires a three-to-four shut-down.

With that in mind, staff have identified two locations which are preferable for a fenced dog park which can be done at a reasonable cost, the parcel of vacant land at 3561 Woodroffe Avenue and the dry storm pond at Watershield Park.

Other locations evaluated were the open areas at Rosetta Park (0.25 acres), Harbour View Park (0.75 acres), Chapman Mills Park (0.65 acres), Palmadeo Park (0.65 acres), and Station Park (0.2 acres), but they were all too small.

The city-owned land parcel at 3561 Woodroffe Avenue, at the southern end of Woodroffe, can accommodate a fenced dog park up to 1.75 acres, with minimal impacts on surrounding residences, and will not take away from existing park space. Potentially, it can also decrease the number of off-leash dogs in the Hearts Desire Forest. We are now checking with City staff to determine if the property is available for such a use.

The dry storm pond at Watershield Park can accommodate a fenced dog park up to 1.2 acres. However, City staff in stormwater management would have the ultimate say in whether such a use will be permitted, as to not compromise the primary function of the dry storm pond (early conversations have been encouraging).

In both cases, public consultation will occur if either or both sites are ultimately chosen for a fenced dog park. Of course, links will be shared once we’re at that stage of the process!

A potential third site is also in the works, tied to an active development application↗ at 99 Bill Leathem Drive in the South Merivale Business Park. As part of that development, 1.7 acres (0.7 hectares) will be dedicated as public park land at the eastern end of the site, closer to Merivale/Leikin.

Due to its location, a fenced dog park is likely the best use for that space. It will be tied to the development process, but I believe it will be built only after the development is substantially complete. Details will be available at a future date.

Andy Haydon

Last Tuesday, I was saddened to learn of the passing of Andy Haydon, former Nepean reeve/mayor, former regional chair, and lifelong, dedicated public servant.

Andy was a bit of a political role model for me.

I first met him when I was in university researching the Transitway for a class project and had the chance to learn about his time in politics. I didn’t meet him again until the 2022 municipal campaign and then a few times after I became Councillor.

His mind was always very sharp, and I will forever be grateful for the bits of advice he shared with me.

My sympathies to Sherry, his family, friends, and the wider Nepean community who had the chance to cross paths with him in public and private life.

I hope that was an enjoyable and informative read! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions of the above. You can either write an email to Wilson.Lo@ottawa.ca or simply reply to the newsletter!

Until next week.

-Wilson