Another week has swiftly passed and it’s time for your weekly update from the Councillor. Welcome news was announced by the provincial minister of housing and is shared in detail below by Councillor Gower on the City of Ottawa Official Plan. Pickleball and outdoor tennis are gaining strides in popularity and the City wants to hear from you for a city-wide strategy. The Councillor provides updates on the new public high school; what’s happening this week at City Hall; call for volunteers to give a hand to the Stittsville District Lions Club; an upcoming meeting about traffic safety on Lloydalex Crescent; registration for recreation programs; and, an update on the LRT – Stage 2. Have a safe and spooky Halloween.
Province walks back changes to our Official Plan
Some surprising but welcome news last week from the provincial government: The Minister of Housing is reversing changes the province made to our Official Plan last fall.
Last year, I wrote about how those changes would work against Council’s goal to create more livable, healthy communities. They changed our policy language and added land to our urban boundary that would promote more sprawl. The land would be expensive to service with water and sewer, difficult to connect to transit, and costly to operate over the long term.
So I’m glad to see this change back to what City Council approved in 2021, after nearly three years of public engagement and consultation.
The main change for Stittsville is that the province has now taken out all the land from the urban boundary that they added, including a 65-hectare parcel west of Stittsville. The removal means it can’t be developed into new housing. (The orange land on the map above shows land that the Province added to our urban boundary in 2022.)
Read more about what the Province did last week, and what it means for Stittsville…
SURVEY: Outdoor Tennis and Pickleball Strategy
Pickleball is currently the fastest growing sport in North America. As such, demand for court space is steadily increasing across Ottawa, while tennis continues to be a well-loved sport in our community.
The City has identified the need for an outdoor tennis and pickleball strategy, which will ensure that communities across Ottawa have access to both sports. Complete the survey to tell us about your household’s use of the outdoor tennis and pickleball courts in Stittsville.
City Hall:
There’s lots going on at City Hall this week. On Monday will hold a technical briefing on Phase 3 of our Solid Waste Master. Wednesday, Planning & Housing Committee will be reviewing recommendations to streamline the approval of office-to-residential conversions, and Thursday we’ll be focusing on the Lansdowne redevelopment plan. I’ll share more info on my website throughout the week.
Public High School:
Trustee Lynn Scott says the high school is on track to open in September 2024. A principal will be appointed soon, and they will also establish a school naming committee and interim school council in early 2024. The school is located at the corner of Robert Grant and Cope.
Christmas lights at Village Square Park:
Volunteers are needed to help string up new Christmas lights on the trees at Village Square Park on Saturday, November 4 at 9:00am. The installation is organized by the Stittsville Lions. Please contact Lion Beth at bandblewis@xplornet.com for more info.
Traffic safety on Lloydalex:
We’re hosting an information meeting on November 22 to discuss temporary traffic calming measures on Lloydalex Crescent. More info…
Winter swim & recreation:
As of this week you can browse register.ottawa.ca and create a wish list of your favourite programs and activities for the winter session. Mark your calendars with these important registration dates: Swimming lessons on Tuesday, November 14 at 9 pm; and all other recreation, culture and virtual activities on Thursday, November 16 at 9 pm. More info…
Light Rail Stage 2 update:
The City’s Light Rail Sub-Committee received a progress update today on the O-Train extension project. All three extensions expanding the O-Train network farther south, east and west are advancing well. The City continues to target an opening in Spring 2024 for Lines 2 and 4 including service to Carleton University, the Airport, and Riverside South. Read more…
Get in touch! Écrivez-nous!
If we can help in any way, please email me at glen.gower@ottawa.ca or leave a voicemail at 613-580-2476. Please call 3-1-1 if you require immediate assistance. – Councillor Glen Gower