With the Engage Ottawa page up and running, I encourage all residents to look at the information that is posted there. Staff are doing an excellent job putting up information on the website that will help answer your questions. However, there are some questions coming in that are best directed at me. Below are a few:
Cathy, do you not think the City would secretly support this development because they will get property tax revenue from it?
No. First of all, it has been the City fighting it in the courts for 7 years, not the politicians. It was the City Solicitor who decided, on his own, to take this case all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada twice! Think about it. So many more houses will require the City to widen Campeau Drive, widen Kanata Avenue, add an additional interchange on-ramp on Kanata Avenue, upgrade water infrastructure to pumping stations, maintain more roads and rights-of-way, look at adding more police etc. The property tax paid is not the City making a profit. Property taxes pay for all of the services required. In this case, the cost of added infrastructure would far exceed the property tax generated.
Cathy, do you think the buildings that have developers’ names on them (Richcraft and Minto) should continue to be allowed to be named after those companies given that what has happened here has been a double cross of the City? They are building on our park!
Minto and Richcraft have been household names in this City for decades. They have supported our events, our fundraisers, and programs that benefit residents. They have literally built communities. I have often said that if you have a roof over your head, thank a developer. It is risky to start a business, own a business, and run a business. We are fortunate that individuals took those risks and became developers. In my opinion, it has always been ClubLink that we have been fighting in court. ClubLink started this. That said, as requested, I have asked City staff to look at the naming rights agreements. I will keep you updated regarding that.
Cathy, have you heard that some residents are being told by their insurance companies that their insurance may be cancelled given the past and possible future flooding or damage from blasting in Kanata North?
Yes, I have heard this. I have sent the information that residents sent to me on to our City Solicitor for his review. I will let you know what I hear back.
Cathy, did you hear that some residents’ houses were shaking from the work going on on the golf course lands and that bricks have fallen out of the landscaping wall on Campeau Drive right near the golf course lands?
Yes. Below is the picture that was sent to me of the wall. And, I alerted City staff right away regarding the reports of houses shaking. City staff tell me they are investigating.
Cathy, did you read the report on the contamination on the golf course by a Senior Scientist, and the letter from Stephen Quigley, P. Eng.?
Did City staff read what they sent? – Yes and Yes. I read both the report and the letter and thanked the authors very much. City staff told me that they read both documents and gave them to City engineers for their consideration. This is an excellent example of how community and independent input matter. From the report and the letter, the City’s engineers and WSP determined that the tee blocks, the greens and the bottom of the ponds need to be tested, and fulsome environmental testing and remediation must be done to ensure resident and environmental safety. Thank you to the KGPC, Dr. Heather McNairn, and Stephen Quigley, P. Eng. for doing everything they can to keep residents safe.
Cathy, why would the City not have been more proactive here with the website and getting third-party testing?
Why did you have to move motions to get this to happen? – Well, I have said this before. No other developer has acted like this, without notice to the community or to staff that they would be doing such significant work. Given what a sensitive and high-profile situation this is, no one could have predicted such action without warning. All of us were reacting. There wasn’t time to be proactive as City staff always are on development files. The good news is that staff are acting now. Please keep looking at the Engage Ottawa site for more information.
Cathy, regarding resident safety where there is documented mercury contamination, did you see the letter from Ottawa Public Health (OPH) referring to the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) who has the authority to act and then the letter from MECP referring people to OPH saying that OPH has the power to act?
Yes. I commiserated with residents that it was like a game of hot potato or, more appropriately Canadian…passing the puck! I sent the letters to City staff who are questioning the MECP about this confusion. I will let you know if we get clarity.
Cathy, were you at the rally? Did you see that Alex Munter came!?
Yes and Yes! See the photos below. I was so pleased to see so many people with their hand-made signs standing in solidarity to save our greenspace! And, given my deep respect and admiration for Alex Munter, I was so touched that he came to stand with us. The day the bulldozers went across the golf course with only hours’ notice, Alex sent me the photo below from the Kanata Standard. As some of you will recall, when Alex Munter was Kanata’s city councillor, Alex arrived on site to see that developers had cut down a protected forest. What a terrible day that was. And, Kanata has never forgotten it. He can relate to what we are dealing with now. So kind of him to take time on a Sunday afternoon to support saving our greenspace!
