NEWS ARCHIVESJanuary 16, 2009 City makes another offer to striking transit workers Following two days of in-camera meetings between members of Council, the City put forth another proposal to the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU). More information is available on my website at www.shadqadri.com. Council unanimously supported the framework of the Revised Bargaining Mandate. I, along with my fellow Council colleagues, remain hopeful that this will put an end to the month-long transit strike. On January 15, Council concluded its meeting by directing the City’s negotiating team to prepare an offer that would indicate the City is willing to renegotiate a work scheduling regime to achieve the objectives of creating a safer and more reliable transit system, including meeting federal safety standards by way of work rest rules. The City is requesting the ATU to agree to an independent Fact Finder to ascertain the facts on work scheduling. The City has also proposed suspending the $2,500 productivity bonus pending the review of the scheduling issue. Ultimately, the City is willing to negotiate a financial package that would not result in an overall cost increase that exceeds the City’s previous offers. A motion put forth by Councillor Bob Monette, and seconded by myself, authorizes the reimbursement of one month’s full value for each December 2008 transit pass. However, you must still have your December pass to receive the refund and the pass will be marked to ensure a second reimbursement is not possible. An equivalent credit will be made available for Ecopass subscribers. More information will be made available as to where and when you can claim your reimbursement. My office will continue to release information as soon as
it is made available. Please visit my website at
www.shadqadri.com for additional
information, including the City’s mitigation strategies and the Ottawa Police
Services response to the use of the Transitway. Widening of Hazeldean Road critical to community The City of Ottawa has submitted a list of shovel-ready infrastructure projects to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) in anticipation of an economic stimulus package flowing from the Federal Government. One of the projects included in the City’s request is the widening of Hazeldean Road from two lanes to four stretching from Terry Fox Drive to Carp Road. In a recent meeting with MP Gordon O’Connor and MPP Norm Sterling, I expressed the critical need for this stretch of Hazeldean Road to be widened. The majority of the land acquisition is complete and the road design and Environmental Assessment has been complete. Phase One of the project, which would see the widening of Hazeldean Road from Terry Fox Drive to Iber Road is projected for 2011 and Phase Two of the project, which would see the widening of Hazeldean Road from Iber Road to Stittsville Main Street, is not projected until 2016-2022, according to the City’s Transportation Master Plan. The total cost of this project is $41.2 million (in 2008 dollars). Phase One is projected to cost $21.6 million and Phase Two is projected to cost $19.6 million. The City is anticipating that between 2023-2031 Hazeldean Road from Stittsville Main Street to Carp Road will be widened from two to four lanes for a total of $12.2 million. The total cost of widening Hazeldean Road from Terry Fox Drive to Carp Road is $53.4 million. If funding from the Federal Government is made available as part of a stimulus package, and Hazeldean Road is selected to receive funding, the project would begin this year, rather than the budgeted time frame of 2011. The Environmental Study Report, dated November 2002, clearly identifies the need to widen Hazeldean Road from Terry Fox Drive to Carp Road initially from 2 lanes to 4 lanes in 2006. The report also concluded the existing roadway capacity is inadequate and unable to accommodate new residential and commercial development in the Stittsville area and adjacent Kanata West lands. Unfortunately, the Report never produced a desired result for our community but I am anxious that this will be remedied as soon as possible. The widening of Hazeldean Road is of critical importance
to the community of Stittsville-Kanata West; we must make this investment in a
quick and efficient manner. My office will be sure to provide residents with the
most up-to-date information as it becomes available. Future Fernbank Community request for comments The Fernbank Community is proposed to encompass approximately 650 hectares of land between the established communities of Stittsville, Kanata West and Kanata South extending south from Hazeldean Road to Fernbank Road. The objective of the Community Design Plan (CDP) is to create a blueprint that will help shape the Fernbank Community as a livable community with a land use plan, a parks and recreation plan, an open space plan, an infrastructure plan, and design guidelines. During the previous round of public consultation, the following two options were presented for the future alignment of Abbott Street between Iber Road and Terry Fox Drive. Alternative A: a direct but curvilinear collector road extension of Abbott Street from its present terminus at Iber Road east to the Castlefrank Road/Terry Fox Drive intersection. Alternative B: a less direct and straighter collector road with an approximate 400m offset at the North-South arterial between Abbott Street’s east and west extensions. I encourage you to provide comments as to which alignment alternative for the Abbott Street Collector you think should be included in the final plan. The Fernbank Community plans will be considered by the Planning and Environment Committee and Council once the results and implications of the Third Party Review of the Carp River Restoration Project are known. These plans are available at the Stittsville, Hazeldean and Beaverbrook Libraries and the Kanata Client Service Centre, or can be accessed through the City’s website at www.ottawa.ca/devapps. You can also visit the project website at www.fernbankcdp.com. To receive more information and to provide comments by
February 5, please contact my office at
Shad.Qadri@ottawa.ca and the City Planner, Myles Mahon, at
myles.mahon@ottawa.ca or 613-580-2424
ext. 27817. Public Art unveiling at Goulbourn Recreation Complex The newest addition at the Goulbourn Recreation Complex has been officially unveiled. Cynthia O'Brien’s Interdependencies #2, a project commissioned through Ottawa’s Public Art Program, was released to art enthusiasts on January 15. Following a call-to-artists and public competition, a jury chose Interdependencies #2 as the winning design. Cynthia’s artwork consists of more than 2,000 individual clay leaves arranged in the shape of a tree reaching up from a planter that is incorporated into the living wall, an interior garden located within the GRC. The tree’s shape is based on our neighbourhood streets, and at the base of the tree sits ceramic vessels that symbolize the seeds of the Goulbourn community from which the tree grows. Cynthia’s artwork is intricately linked to our community as she has inscribed many local family names on the back of the leaves. The names, unseen by the public, are a hidden legacy from the contributing individuals and the artist. Continuing to enhance the artistic component of the
Goulbourn Recreation Complex is the Ottawa West Arts Association (OWAA) who
unveiled a new group exhibition on January 15. The new exhibition will run from
January 8 to March 3. New ward office hours to serve you better Since moving to my new ward office, located in the Goulbourn Recreation Complex, I have noticed increased traffic during the evenings and weekends. In order to serve you better, I am altering my ward office hours to reflect peak times. My ward office will now be open Mondays 9-2pm, Wednesdays
3-8pm, Fridays 9-5pm, and Saturday 9-1pm. I will make myself available on
Saturday mornings for you to stop by with your comments and concerns. If
Saturdays conflict with your schedule, please contact my office by e-mail at
Shad.Qadri@ottawa.ca or by phone
at 613-580-2476 and we can arrange a more suitable time. Always listening and acting on your concerns As your Councillor, I always welcome your keen input and ideas on how we can sustain and improve Stittsville. Please contact our office anytime by phone at 613-580-2476 or by e-mail at Shad.Qadri@ottawa.ca. My ward office is located in the Goulbourn Recreation Complex, located at 1500 Shea Road. The hours of operation are Mondays 9-2pm, Wednesdays 3-8pm, Fridays 9-5pm, and Saturday 9-1pm. Please do not hesitate to pay us a visit. Sincerely, |
