People should have access to Ottawa’s rivers:
In early November, Ottawa Rowing Club’s Peter Thompson came to the Lowertown Community Association meeting to share and seek support for their vision of a waterfront Ottawa River Centre for downtown public access to the river.
The Ottawa Rowing Club (ORC) proposes that the city’s gateway to the water should be through the site they occupy between the MacDonald-Cartier and Alexandria Bridges. Their site is the sole property on the river owned by the city, and the under-serviced and outdated buildings on the property don’t do justice to the prime location.
The concept emerged in 2014, when citizens were invited to Ottawa city hall to contribute ideas on how the capital city could commemorate 2017 – Canada’s 150th birthday. The ‘Big Idea for 2017’ contributed by the ORC was to open up access to the waterfront of the Ottawa River right downtown, in sight of the parliament buildings. “Greater access,” says club President Lana Burpee, “will have more residents and tourists making the river their destination for sport, recreation and special events.”
A significant amount of shoreline land here is owned by City and NCC. The River Centre would see shoreline opened up and made accessible, and not just for rowers.
“When your family is out on bikes along Sussex Drive to visit the Prime Minister’s residence or Rideau Hall, wouldn’t it be lovely to have a spot to stop for ice cream – or even a public washroom? Why not enjoy a meal, a drink or entertainment on the water’s edge? Shouldn’t we be swimming and fishing in our river?” says Lana Burpee.
The ORC has developed a building plan for the site which would include public access, cafés, meeting spaces, fitness and recreation rooms – as well as housing the rowing club. Their proposal is to grow the centre and expand programming to be a River Centre.
The redevelopment proposes an airy elevation with three fully accessible storeys. The area is zoned for a marina facility; the lowest level would be floodable and would hold boats. The second story would have a gym, showers and classrooms. The third level would be a meeting space for 150, and the upper level would have finished decks for viewing river events. Available for use year-round, the venue would accommodate community and rowing events.
When asked about provisions for accessibility by pedestrians (given that Sussex is so busy), Thompson answered that the River Centre would be more accessible by cyclists, through the creation of new cycling lanes on Sussex. The proposal is not looking to add to the existing 130 parking spaces.
The venue would accommodate community and rowing events.
“The city has been very successful in recent years in its efforts to have developers and families appreciate the benefits of urban living,” says Thompson. “Now that the urban core is home to so many new families, the final piece of the smart-city plan is the provision of amenities such as recreation centres for those families. Access to the shoreline and a redeveloped ORC present a timely, accessible, cost-effective opportunity to complete the City’s Smart Growth Vision.”
A new River Centre would increase river access and create a tourist destination. For residents, it would add simple amenities to the riverfront and added fitness facilities in the downtown core. “This is the type of planning and spending that would provide a legacy beyond 2017. And the NCC is supportive of the proposal, which aligns with their overall plan for re-development of the shoreline,” says Thompson.
If funded, the new building would open in 2017. The proposal was submitted to City’s infrastructure fund for 2017 legacy projects. The cost is expected to be $18M. ORC is looking to NCC and various levels of government for funding. Given the multi-party collaboration and financial commitments involved, an approval would take multiple steps. The capital funding model as proposed would seek federal, provincial and municipal contributions in approximately equal shares. The ORC would have a smaller share of the capital funding, but would then support all of the equipment and program costs and the greater share of the utilities during the life of the Centre.
So far, the proposal received a lot of support and encouragement. The redevelopment plan is aligned with the growth plan for the cities of Ottawa and Gatineau, and is supported by the NCC and the Ottawa River Keeper. The ORC seeks the support of community associations, always interested in new recreational amenities for residents.
“We are a volunteer organization, this provides a lot of value in running the facility. We want to ensure sustainability and stewardship of river,” said Thompson.
The ORC is the oldest Rowing Club in Canada. The club was founded by Sir John A. MacDonald and Mayor Robert Lyon in 1867 – just weeks before Confederation. The club has been active on the site for nearly 150 years, and a new Ottawa Rowing Centre would be a magnificent celebration of its own 150th anniversary. We wish them to row this project out to completion