Progress on the Terry Fox Drive agenda?

It was pleasing to read that Ottawa forests and greenspace advisory committee is asking city council to put construction of the Terry Fox Drive Extension on hold, pending a more thorough environmental review (Advisory committee votes to hold Terry Fox extension, Kate Jaimet, Ottawa Citizen, April 27, 2010).

I’m not holding my breath however! It seem unlikely that planning and environment committee will agree to this request. It is even less likely that city council will agree. It’s just too much to expect the city to give serious consideration to environmental concerns if it results in having to turn down funding from Canada’s Economic Action (stimulus) Plan.

This is yet another example of a tight and inflexible completion date for projects funded under this initiative - encouraging municipalities to take risky decisions that they, communities and tax payers will have to deal with for years to come.