Update from Councillor Cathy Curry
Blanding Way – Accidents
A number of residents wrote to me about an accident that occurred on Terry Fox Drive at Blanding Way. Blanding Way is one of three streets that, because of new subdivision construction taking place before road infrastructure is upgraded to manage the increase in traffic, we see new residents trying to pull out of a residential street onto a road with an 80 km/h speed limit. Residents wrote to me, understandably upset, and requesting a traffic light be installed at Blanding and Terry Fox. City staff are currently working on the fuctional design for the intersection. The goal of the functional design is to determine which type of Traffic Control Device (TCD) is most appropriate for the intersection design. A TCD refers to any sign, signal, marking, or device placed on or near a roadway to regulate, warn, or guide road users. Examples include traffic signals, stop signs, roundabout, pavement markings, and pedestrian crossing signs etc.
A more functional intersection is being designed right now, but design and tender and construction take many months and sometimes years. We have met with our City traffic engineers three times over the past couple of years about this safety issue. Staff installed a sign indicating that there was an intersection ahead. However, I don’t think it made any difference. We talked about whether anything could be done in the meantime. We can put another speed board up; however, given that the street entrance/exit is on a curve, the speed board has to be installed further down the road to be able to read the speed accurately. I don’t know how much that will help either. The solution is a traffic light. The good news is that it will be installed eventually. The bad news is that it won’t be for maybe a year or even more. In the meantime, for any of you who drive down Terry Fox Drive, please watch for traffic turning onto or out of Blanding Way.
Recycling bins/pick up issues
As the transition to Miller Waste continues, residents have written to me frustrated that their bins were broken when recycling staff threw their bins back on the road/driveway. Others indicated that their recycling wasn’t picked up. Others were frustrated that they had to pay for a replacement bin when the City used to give residents new ones for free. If you have experienced any of these problems, please contact Miller Waste at 1-888-852-2374 or area2@millerwaste.ca or email me and I will help you get to the right people who can help.
Backyard Bird Feeder Support
I had many residents reach out to me to ensure that I knew that they were not supportive of the City creating a by-law that would prohibit bird feeders. I assured everyone who wrote to me that I would not support a by-law that prohibited bird feeders. I understand the mover of the upcoming motion that deals with nuisance feeding of wildlife, Councillor Laura Dudas, does not want to prohibit bird feeders. She is trying to address an unfortunate problem we hear about, as councillors, where people excessively feed wildlife. People dump entire bags of bird seed on their lawns, dump their compost and garbage on their lawns in an effort to attract racoons, squirrels, porcupines and other larger animals for their viewing enjoyment. This type of behaviour creates many other problems. Other cities have nuisance feeding bylaws. We will be looking at having one, too. I will keep you posted on this whole issue.
Federal Government In-Office legislation
Recently, I had residents reach out to ask me what I thought about the Federal Government’s decision to have people work in office 4 days a week. While there are undeniable benefits to being back in the office—such as fostering collaboration, strengthening team relationships, and supporting local businesses—there are also important reasons to allow flexibility for employees who need to work from home. I was pleased to see that the City of Ottawa’s back-to-work mandate gave employees the opportunity to explain why they needed more flexibility, which is a compassionate and practical approach.
Regarding the Federal Government’s recent decision to have employees back in the office for four days a week, many residents have shared concerns with me about the lack of office space, meaning not everyone has a desk, and ongoing issues with insufficient parking. Transit options for Kanata North also remain sub-optimal; people are spending nearly four hours a day on buses due to limited service, a shortage of diesel mechanics, and the absence of Light Rail Transit to our area. While I recognize the four-day-in-office is a federal decision and trust there are reasons behind it, I sincerely hope the Federal Government will follow the City of Ottawa’s lead—considering each person’s unique situation and making exceptions out of compassion and respect for people and families.