By Liz Bernstein
Active transportation
Complete Streets are streets designed with users of all ages and abilities in mind: pedestrians, cyclists, skateboarders, wheelchair users as well as vehicles. One of the priorities of the Lowertown Community Association is safer streets, calmer streets, and improved infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists in the area bound by King Edward Avenue, Rideau and Sussex.
The LCA hosted a half-day meeting of the Community Associations Forum on Environmental Sustainability (CAFES) on August 29 at Jules Morin Fieldhouse. Representatives of 15 community associations and environmental organizations gathered with elected representatives from the City and Province, as well as three federal candidates, to discuss implementing the City’s Compete Streets Policy, adopted in 2013.
The Chair of the Transportation Committee, Councillor Keith Egli, gave an overview of the Transportation Committee’s recently adopted Term of Council priorities regarding active transportation and complete streets. Colin Simpson, City Transportation Branch presented the current Complete Streets Implementation Framework, which is to be discussed at the Transportation Committee meeting October 7.
Councillor Fleury shared active transportation priorities for Rideau Vanier, and noted the new LRT stations (two) in progress, the pedestrian bridge from Overbrook to Strathcona which is ahead of schedule, as well as numerous cycling links to the East-West bikeway in the works, including those on St. Patrick and Sussex.
Graham Saul of Ecology Ottawa presented an analysis of candidates’ responses to questions on transportation during the municipal election last year, noting that a majority of elected Councillors supported implementing the complete streets policy and accelerating funding of the Pedestrian and Cycling Plans from the current 15-year projection. Participants then shared priorities for complete streets and active transportation improvement projects in their communities. LCA noted safety on King Edward, and improving walking and cycling in and to the ByWard Market.
Hon. Madeleine Meilleur, Attorney General and MPP of Ottawa-Vanier spoke to the role of the province in expanding active transportation infrastructure in Ottawa. Participants urged the province to create a $200,000 fund of infrastructure funding for active transportation projects in Ontario municipalities and agreed to send a letter to City Council urging swift adoption of the Complete Streets Implementation Framework and accelerated spending on the Cycling and Pedestrian Plans.
What you can do: as a resident, you can attend the upcoming Ottawa Budget 2016 consultations and share this message. The budget consultation for our ward is scheduled for Wednesday, October 7, 6 to 8 p.m. at the St. Laurent Complex, 525 Coté Street. Councillors Mathieu Fleury (Rideau-Vanier Ward) and Tobi Nussbaum (Rideau-Rockliffe Ward) will be there.
You can also attend upcoming all candidates debates and ask candidates about the role of the federal government in increased support for active transportation options. You can participate in any of these meetings, and let your representatives know you walk, cycle, take transit and drive, and want investments in all modes, for a safer Lowertown and Ottawa.
If you would like to join a new committee to work on active transportation and environmental issues, please contact: info@lowertown-basseville.ca
Trees and gardens
After five ash trees were cut down in Cathcart Park due to devastation by the Emerald Ash Borer (see an artist’s tree memorial on page 8), residents participated in discussions with City staff regarding replanting trees. A design has been created and trees selected. Many Lowertown users of the park responded to a survey on ways to improve the park. Stay tuned for details on the results, and an announcement regarding a tree planting ceremony in November to welcome and care for our new trees.
Lowertown residents have joined Ottawans from across the city in calling for a new Forest Management Strategy in response to the devastation of our tree canopy by the Emerald Ash Borer. The City of Ottawa kicked off the consultation process for a new strategy with a launch event September 23rd at the Horticultural Building at Lansdowne Park. For more information visit: http://ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/public-consultations/environment/urban-forest-management-plan For the second year in a row, the Lowertown Community Association, in partnership with CHANCE Foundation, received a $1,000 grant from the Royal Bank of Canada’s Blue Water Fund to enhance the gardens in Bingham Park. A generous discount on perennials and gardening supplies from Ritchie Feed and Seed helped us to stretch our grant funds even further. The gardening season got off to a great start with a spring clean up at the end of May where residents and enthusiastic volunteers from the Royal Bank cleaned up the gardens and planted new perennials. Dedicated resident volunteers weeded, watered and fertilized the gardens all summer.
The Lowertown West Garden Committee continues to work in partnership with the Lowertown Community Resource Centre and to explore potential locations for additional community gardens. We hope to establish new gardens in 2016! If you are interested in having a community garden plot and would like to be part of the committee, please contact the Lowertown Community Association at info@lowertown-basseville.ca.
Proposed Energy East pipeline: Ontario Energy Board says risks outweigh the benefits
Just over two years ago, Lowertown residents and others across the City began voicing concerns over the proposed Energy East pipeline and associated risks to our watershed. Plans to pump Alberta bitumen across most of Canada, all of Ontario and within Ottawa city limits spurred huge numbers of people to raise questions regarding the safety of our communities.
The proposed pipeline would cross the Rideau River just upstream from Lowertown. The Province of Ontario heard from many citizens, and barely six months later felt compelled to act. In an unprecedented move, in November of 2013 the Ontario Energy Board was tasked with gathering information on the pipeline, and on people’s concerns about the pipeline. Ontario intended to provide a rigorous submission to the National Energy Board on its position on the project. Residents of Lowertown joined hundreds of Ottawans to attend the official sessions held in the City and submitted opinions in writing.
Last month, the Ontario Energy Board revealed its conclusion, agreeing with many Ontarians: the risks of the project outweigh the benefits. This is an important step forward. Read the full report here: http://www.ontarioenergyboard.ca/html/oebenergyeast/resources.cfm#minreport
Renewable energy
The Deputy Mayor of Vancouver, Andrea Reimer came to town Sept. 16 and wowed a 350 strong audience at City Hall with the why and how of becoming the greenest city on earth. Vancouver city council has worked over three elections on the plan to become the greenest city in the world by 2020, and now stands in 4th place. Techniques revealed included implementing as many environmental improvements as they could think of (84) even before they had an official greening plan; and engaging hundreds of thousands of citizens in pushing for green improvements.
Other ingredients included strong leadership and a clear action plan. Ottawa’s Chair of Environment Committee Councillor David Chernushenko said “there is no reason why we could not or should not be doing everything that Vancouver is doing.”