Hold the Line

Hold the Line was the theme for the Coalition for a Sustainable Ottawa’s noon-hour rally at the Human Rights Monument on Elgin Street today (Tues. May 12). Will Murray, an Ottawa lawyer organized the event in cooperation with Ecology Ottawa. The issue is Ottawa city council’s current agenda to amend the official land-use plan by increasing the urban boundary by nearly 850 hectares, much of which will eventually be occupied by single family dwellings.


The original plan amendment proposal and the modifications that are currently being debated were originally put forward by city staff. The opposition that now has emerged urges council to opt for zero land for suburban expansion with a focus on new development within the existing urban areas of the city. It is argued, rightly, that suburban expansion is unsustainable both environmentally and financially.

A number of like minded councillors attended the rally today as well as supporters from political parties, Sierra Club of Canada, the Raging Grannies and representatives from different communities across the city.


With respect to city staff, that do the background research and craft the Official Plan and amendments, it should be noted that they act based entirely on directions from city council. They actually do a pretty thorough job but a majority of council decided that an urban boundary expansion that would accommodate projected demand for single family dwellings was the way to go.

The Coalition for a Sustainable Ottawa is advocating a mix of housing development. Murray notes that distant suburbs have an environmental cost and are costly to maintain with services such as water, sewers public transit.

Budget bill threatens federal environmental assessment process

A University of Ottawa – Ecojustice Environmental Law Clinic group analyzing Navigable Water Protection Act amendments included in the budget bill conclude that they will allow “unfettered discretion” by the federal transport minister to exempt projects or waterways from environmental oversight; see Critics fear budget bill will lead to loss of waterways, Ottawa Citizen Feb 12, 2009.

Transport Minister John Baird claims the amendments were included “…because they are intended to remove an antiquated regulatory burden from developers and governments for “shovel ready” projects to stimulate the economy.” Surely projects cannot be claimed as “shovel ready” unless environmental assessments are completed?

Thinking beyond this, one ponders projects, such as the proposed Ottawa River bridge crossing (Kettle Island or elsewhere) or the proposed bridge across the Rideau River that is needed for later stages of the Alta Vista Transportation Corridor, proceeding without federal environmental assessments. Since when is the need for an environmental assessment “antiquated?” As Will Amos, staff lawyer for the clinic notes, “You’re not going to fix the economy by wrecking the environment.”

Mayor's preference for Kettle Island bridge likely a good reason to examine other options

An article in today's Citizen indicates that the mayors of Ottawa and Gatineau prefer the Kettle Island bridge solution for the new Ottawa River crossing. In my book the fact that Mayor Larry O’Brien prefers the Kettle Island bridge is justification enough to consider other options.

Failings of the Kettle Island Report

A letter from Étienne Grandmaître Saint-Pierre’s letter (Kettle Island report downplays our concerns, Citizen Jan 8, 2009) is one more example of consultants ignoring or trivializing legitimate concerns and views of residents. The consultant’s client, in this case the National Capital Commission I believe, also appears to be silent regarding resident’s concerns.

Similar situations occur regularly within the City of Ottawa; a good example being the Alta Vista Transportation Corridor (AVTC) environmental assessment. The AVTC assessment process went on for years and residents from many community groups raised concerns with the City and the consultants at public meetings and through face-to-face meetings with City staff.

None of these concerns was ever addressed seriously by staff or the consultant and even a well documented case presented to the Ontario Minster of the Environment failed to halt or change plans for this unneeded road. Plans for the first stage of this road remain a high priority in the Transportation Master Plan despite ongoing concerns addressed to council during recent TMP hearings.

As Étienne suggests, consultants go through the motion of consulting with the community but they fail to respect the spirit of the process. Further, they are seldom called to account for their actions by the client on behalf of residents (taxpayers).