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CTV News
a day ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Legal alcohol drinking coming to some Ottawa parks this summer, including Great Lawn at Lansdowne and Minto Park
You will be allowed to enjoy an alcoholic beverage on the Great Lawn at Lansdowne Park, in Minto Park in Centretown and at Champlain Park this summer, but legal drinking will not be permitted in many suburban neighbourhoods. Starting July 1, alcohol consumption will be allowed in designated areas of Ottawa parks. Under the plan, councillors will work with the general manager of Recreation, Cultural and Facility Services and their constituents to select parks for alcohol consumption. The alcohol in parks pilot project will have the following rules: No alcohol consumption before 11 a.m. and after 9 p.m. or hours designated by the general manager. No person shall possess or consume alcohol within a five-metre radius of a playground or playground equipment, wading pools or splash pads or outdoor pools, beaches, parking lots, natural or artificial ice rinks, and at sports fields, sports courts and ball diamonds. Signs will be installed in selected parks before July 1 with information on: Details about when and where alcohol can be consumed Public health messaging A reminder to take empty alcohol containers home reached out to Ottawa councillors on Friday to ask if they will designate a park in their ward for legal alcohol consumption. Twelve councillors have said their wards will not be participating in the alcohol in parks pilot project. Here is a look at where alcohol consumption will be allowed in parks this summer. Great Lawn at Lansdowne Capital Ward Coun. Shawn Menard says the Great Lawn at Lansdowne is the 'main' park in his ward for legal alcohol consumption under the pilot project. Menard says he would also like to include the Brewer Park open sports fields for the pilot project. Minto Park, McNabb Park Somerset Coun. Ariel Troster says two parks have been selected for legal alcohol consumption in parks – Minto Park on Elgin Street and McNabb Park at Bronson Avenue and Gladstone Avenue. Champlain Park Kitchissippi Coun. Jeff Leiper said in a letter to constituents that Champlain Park will be recommended for the pilot project. 'Champlain Park strikes me as a low-stakes way to see how this will work. I'll say that I'm reasonably confident that permitting the consumption of alcohol in the park is unlikely to increase its occurrence. I'm quite certain that nearby residents are already enjoying alcoholic beverages responsibly in the park today,' Leiper said. 'I'm not particularly concerned that the park will become a destination for drinking. I've tried to imagine a scenario in which people make drinking the focus of an excursion to Champlain Park and simply can't.' Queenswood Ridge Park Orléans East-Cumberland Coun. Matthew Luloff says Queenswood Ridge Park has been selected for the alcohol in parks pilot project. No alcohol in parks Twelve councillors told CTV News Ottawa Friday morning they would not be recommending a park for the alcohol in parks pilot project. The wards are Barrhaven West, Kanata North, Stittsville, Bay, Beacon Hill-Cyrville, Gloucester-Southgate, River, Alta Vista, Knoxdale-Merivale, Barrhaven East, Kanata South and Orléans South-Navan. 'River Ward will not be participating in the pilot. I will yield to my colleagues who wanted the pilot and will learn from it before any local park is proposed,' River Coun. Riley Brockington said in an email. Stittsville Coun. Glen Gower said there was 'not much interest' from residents for a park to be selected for the pilot project. Gloucester-Southgate Coun. Jessica Bradley said she would wait to see how it goes with the pilot project this summer before making any future decisions. Barrhaven West Coun. David Hill said, 'based on the recommendation/advice from my community associations and residents, I opted not to participate in the pilot.' Knoxdale-Merivale Coun. Sean Devine told CTV News Ottawa, 'For the time being, and until we see what comes of this pilot project, I've decided not to add any parks in Ward 9 to the project. There's been absolutely no requests from Ward 9 residents in support of seeing local parks added.'
CTV News
18-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Environmental groups raise concerns about waste-to-energy option to handle Ottawa's garbage
A garbage truck picks up residential waste in Centretown Wednesday, May 29, 2024. as council gives rubber stamp to new curbside waste policy going into effect Sept. 30. (Leah Larocque/CTV News Ottawa) As Ottawa's Trail Road dump continues to fill up, the city is looking at possible options – including a waste-to-energy incinerator, which is raising concerns with some environmental groups. At the city's Environment and Climate Change Committee on Tuesday, councillors heard options from city staff about the next steps for dealing with the city's garbage and concerns from the public. The City of Ottawa has identified a waste-to-energy incinerator as one of the best options to deal with the city's future garbage, but it would cost between $497 million and $882 million to build and there is a complex regulatory approval process. With the Trail Road landfill expected to reach capacity in the next 10 to 15 years, the city is exploring options to deal with its trash. In 2023, council directed staff to explore 'proven technologies' to handle the city's future waste management needs, including looking at waste-to-energy incineration and mixed waste processing. 'Very problematic. It's concerning to see this being considered,' says William van Geest, the executive director of Ecology Ottawa. 'There are serious concerns from a health standpoint, from a climate standpoint, the pollution of air, water and soil. I don't like seeing it.' He says he'd like to see more of a focus on diversion instead. 'There are some fantastic organizations doing some great reuse of textiles, sharing materials of tools, sharing of equipment. The city had an option to pursue, pay-as you-throw, which would have reduced landfill contributions quite significantly,' he says. Angela Keller-Herzog, executive director of Community Action for Environmental Sustainability (CAFES) Ottawa says she is worried about pollutants. 'The reality is that there's hazardous, toxic ash that is produced. Some of it is filtered out, but some of it still goes up and then enters the rest of the environment, including deposition on soil and water,' she says. 'We have started to study the issue and learn more. There are some serious health concerns. So, we have asked that Ottawa Public Health be fully involved in the terms of reference for this next study, and that there should also be a public engagement where the public gets to know what's going on.' It's something city staff are considering. 'We'll want to investigate that further. Wanting to understand and work with our partners in Ottawa Public Health also work with the province and the federal government when it comes to those measures, in order to understand, to make sure that we're bringing the best information back for council's consideration,' says Shelley McDonald, City of Ottawa director of Solid Waste Services. She tells CTV News Ottawa the facility would be similar to the York-Durham site, just east of Toronto. She says a location for Ottawa's waste-to-energy facility, will be 'part of the next steps looking at siting and looking at those opportunities.' Timelines What the city decides to do will be a 'multi-year process,' which may end up being decided by the next term of council. 'So, if it's a new landfill or if it's a waste energy technology, there is an environmental assessment that needs to take place, plus environmental compliance approvals that are required. And so, that is a multi-year process that could take up to ten years in order to receive that approval. So, working very closely with the province in order ensuring that the air, land and water is the safety of air, land and water is maintained,' says McDonald. Capital Ward Coun. Shawn Menard, chair of the Environment and Climate Change Committee, says there is still time to get this right. 'We've given ourselves some breathing room. And we've got to make the right decision within that time that we've got now,' he says. 'It doesn't have to be a huge rush to make that decision. So, we want to get it right. And I think we are further along than we would have been before, based on the feasibility study staff have done and the options that we're moving forward with analyzing into early next term.' With files from CTV News Ottawa's Josh Pringle
CTV News
17-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
City Council explores revitalizing Bank Street
Ottawa Watch Ottawa City Council is set to vote on a plan to give Bank Street a new look. Sabrina Lemay of the Centretown BIA joins us with more.
CBC
15-06-2025
- Business
- CBC
Skepticism, cautious optimism as work on Somerset House begins
Social Sharing There's skepticism about whether substantial renewal work has finally begun on Somerset House, which has sat derelict for nearly 18 years in the heart of Ottawa's Centretown neighbourhood. The 129-year-old building at the corner of Bank Street and Somerset Street W. partially collapsed in October 2007. The eastern half of the building was demolished nine years later, while the western half has been boarded up since the collapse. New work on the building began at the start of June, but for those who've been following the Somerset House saga, there's still doubt as to whether it will ever be fully restored. 'Blot on the landscape' "It's better than we've seen for a long time," Linda Hoad told CBC as she looked out onto the concrete foundation that had been laid and what appeared to be fresh wood on the basement floor. As co-chair of the Heritage Ottawa advocacy committee, she's been attuned to what's been happening with Somerset House and says she's now "cautiously optimistic." "It's a blot on the landscape — and on the reputation of the city, to some extent," Hoad said. "We've seen more work done these past two weeks than we have for I don't know how many years," she added. "But we aren't counting on anything at this time." Once home to hotels, pubs The three-storey downtown building has a long history. Built in 1896, Somerset House was originally a department store for the Crosby, Carruthers Company. It then transformed into a series of hotels and pubs, including the Lockmaster and the Duke of Somerset. According to the city, permits to restore the building — which would include 14 apartments and two businesses —were issued in 2023, but as a private property it remained the owner's decision as to when the work would be done. Lesley Collins, program manager of heritage planning with the city, wrote in a statement to CBC that work is "actively underway" to repair and stabilize the building. CBC contacted building owner Tony Shahrasebi twice but did not hear back. With little done to Somerset House over the last 18 years, many people have been using similar words as Hoad has to describe the building's progress — or lack thereof. "That's been part of the problem is that every time, there's a promise to move ahead," said Ottawa Centre MPP Catherine McKenney. "It drags out. Next thing you know, another six months, year, two years has gone by. And here we are, 18 years later, and nothing has been done on that building." McKenney, the former two-term councillor for Somerset ward, also said the building has been an "eyesore" since long before they joined city council. They said they've watched various parts of the building rot away, including around the windows and window wells. 'Poster child for demolition by neglect' Ariel Troster, the ward's current councillor, has also seen the building deteriorate, calling it "the poster child for demolition by neglect." "People are right to be concerned, and they're right to be cynical. The reality is that we don't have a lot of tools to compel a property owner to take care of their property, to develop it and to do those added renovations," Troster said. The city can fine someone under the Property Standards Act if a property is falling apart, Troster said, and can send bylaw officers when there are maintenance complaints. But "when it comes to carrot and stick, we don't really have a big stick," she added. In a September 2023 report, the city said 19 orders had been issued since 2007 against the property under the Building Code Act. There had also been 31 calls to bylaw, resulting in 11 violation notices and six property standards orders. In that report, staff said that aside from the removal of the easterly wing in 2016, nothing had been done to the property. But Troster also said there are rumblings of a possible plan to impose a vacant commercial property tax on buildings like Somerset House, left vacant for years, similar to the residential vacant unit tax. On Tuesday, the built heritage committee also approved additional money for owners of heritage properties on a stretch of Bank and Somerset streets to improve those buildings' facades — including the windows, brickwork and heritage signage. While also skeptical that significant repairs are underway, Jack Hanna, co-chair of the planning committee of the Centretown Community Association, said he hopes the once "magnificent" Somerset House — with its exquisite masonry and a six-metre sheet metal spire that soared up on its leading corner — eventually returns to its original glory.
CBC
13-06-2025
- Business
- CBC
'Struggling' Bank Street could be in for a facelift
Social Sharing Storefronts along a struggling section of Bank Street in downtown Ottawa could soon be in for a facelift if city council approves a half-million-dollar improvement program aimed at revitalizing the area. If passed on June 25, the Centretown heritage facade improvement pilot program will draw $500,000 from existing funds over the next two years to help property owners restore and conserve their properties on Bank Street from Albert to Catherine streets, as well as a section of Somerset Street W. The project would span two conservation districts, and properties must meet certain criteria to qualify for funding. If approved, grants awarded under the pilot project will cover 75 per cent of a property owner's eligible costs, up to $75,000. Eligible upgrades include new signage, lighting and other additions that improve accessibility. Heritage conservation projects could also include upgrades such as structural improvements, restoration and repainting. 'Appearance matters' Earlier this week, staff told the city's built heritage committee the revitalization project is aimed at making the area more inviting, green, vibrant and safe for all. City staff said one of the pilot's key objectives is to encourage private investment in the area, which has deteriorated noticeably in recent years as businesses close and storefronts remain vacant. Sabrina Lemay, executive director of the Centretown Business Improvement Area (BIA), said while the area is home to some of the city's most beautiful heritage buildings, it has faced "unprecedented challenges" including the COVID-19 pandemic. "We have growing commercial vacancies and a shifting downtown dynamic that has left many businesses and property owners struggling to stay vibrant and visible," Lemay told the committee. Lemay said Bank Street currently has 30 empty storefronts, and attracting new tenants has been difficult. "Right now, people don't want to open businesses in Centretown," she said. "It's not creating a sense of community. It looks empty, it looks abandoned and feels unsafe." Lemay said the improvement program could help attract new residents, visitors and longer-term investment. "Facade improvements may sound cosmetic, but they have ripple effect and are profound," she said. "It increases pedestrian engagement, boosts foot traffic, instills pride in places and sends messages that Centretown is open, alive and worth investing in." 'A glimpse of hope' Jerome Duquette, owner of grocer Herb & Spice at Bank and Lewis streets, also welcomed the program. "It took them a long time, eh?" he joked over the phone. Duquette agreed the once-bustling shopping district has been decimated by the pandemic. Having something that's pretty on the street, it's inspiring for people, even if it's not much. - Jerome Duquette, Herb & Spice "There were a lot of people, families, workers, and it was very vibrant," he said. "[The pandemic] affected all the businesses on the street, and then people never really came back fully." Duquette said he has noticed an increase in homelessness and open drug use in the area. He said he and his co-owners think about moving "very often," but are staying put for now. If his business is eligible for the improvement project, Duquette said he hopes to improve the grocery's signage, lighting and brickwork. He described the project as a "glimpse of hope" for the beleaguered area.
