NEWS ARCHIVESJanuary 30, 2009 City and Union reach agreement to end transit strike The City of Ottawa and the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 279 have reached an agreement to put an end to the 51-day long transit strike. The agreement will send all outstanding issues, including the contentious issue of scheduling, to binding arbitration without preconditions. The City will continue to seek regulatory changes related to work/rest rules with Transport Canada. The process of binding arbitration will see an independent third party review both cases and make a final decision, which the City and the Union will have to accept. One of the City’s previous offers was to send all issues to binding arbitration with a condition that the final results do not exceed the City’s previous financial offers. The Union had offered to go to binding arbitration for all elements of the contract except the issue of scheduling. I know residents across the City have endured hardships and inconveniences during this time and I cannot stress Council’s appreciation for the way this City’s residents have come together to support each other in a time of need. Now the focus shifts to the process of returning the transit system to full operational status. I have been in contact with Alain Mercier, the director of OC Transpo, to express my wishes for the City’s return-to-service protocol. I believe the high-occupancy routes, in particular the 90-series busses, should be the first to return, followed by express service across the City, as this will have a major influence on peak period traffic and mitigating congestion in the downtown core. However, it is my understanding that the preliminary plan for service will see the immediate introduction of the O-Train, followed by the 90-series rapid transit routes, including the 96 servicing Stittsville. Express service will be several weeks away after more busses are serviced and re-integrated into the fleet. The Ontario Ministry of Transportation has confirmed it will work with the City on a speedy and exhaustive recertification of the OC Transpo fleet in order to reduce service wait periods. My office will relay information on to residents as new
details emerge. Stittsville Main Street development proposed A zoning and site plan application has been submitted for 1491 and 1493 Stittsville Main St., located on the east side of Stittsville Main Street, slightly north of Abbott Street and opposite Manchester Street. The applicant is proposing a mixed-use development with residential, office and retail uses. The land fronting onto Stittsville Main Street is proposed to have a 5-storey building with retail on the ground floor, offices on the second and third floor and residential apartments on the fourth and fifth floors. The easterly portion of the site is proposed to have six 3-storey buildings containing a total of 36 stacked residential units. The zoning application submitted contains a number of requests including an increase in permitted height for the commercial building, additional permitted use of stacked dwelling for the residential component, reduced parking on the site and reduced landscape space. This proposal will affect the current Stittsville Main St. and will set a precedent for future development on Stittsville Main St., which affects the entire community. I encourage residents to join me at a brainstorming roundtable session to discuss and illustrate your thoughts on how the land should be developed. We know the land will be developed, but I want to ensure residents can assist in this planning process. I will be hosting the community session on February 10 from 7-9pm at the Stittsville and District Community Centre, Upper Hall, located at 10 Warner Colpitts Lane. Please note this is purely a brainstorming session to gather the community ideas; neither City Staff nor the developer will be making a presentation at the meeting. In the future I will be requesting that an information session be held on the proposal so residents can ask questions of Staff and the developer. I believe it is important to have community input on a proposal that will affect Main Street so please join me with your brainstorming hats in hand! Please visit my website to view the proposed plans. For
more information, and to provide comments by February 19, please contact my
office and the City Planner, Kathy Rygus, at 613-580-2424 ext. 28318 or
Kathy.Rygus@ottawa.ca. Comments made
at the February 10 session will also be provided to the Planning Department. Youth Voice forum wants to hear from you The City of Ottawa, along with the Western Ottawa Community Resource Centre, invite the youth of our community to an event geared specifically to them. On February 20 from 3-6pm, youth aged 12-18 years old are encouraged to stop by the Goulbourn Recreation Complex to discuss the planning of youth-oriented activities and programs for their community. This is your opportunity to let City Staff know what is important to you. Prizes and pizza will also be available! For more information, or if you would like to volunteer,
please contact Kyla Helpin, Stittsville Youth Supervisor, at 613-580-2424 ext.
43302.] Coffee Chat to feature Mayor O’Brien Nothing quite says a romantic Valentine’s Day like a coffee chat with Mayor O’Brien and myself. But that is exactly what you can expect if you stop by my ward office on February 14 from 11am until noon for an informal discussion with Mayor O’Brien. The Mayor is conducting coffee chats across the city in an effort to reach out to residents and gauge what is important to you and your family. This is a great opportunity to come and discuss your
community concerns with the Mayor. I hope you and your family can participate in
this fantastic event. Funding available for Community Environmental Projects Grants Program The City has created a great initiative for non-profit organizations looking to improve our environment. Funding is available through the Community Environmental Project Grants Program (CEPGP). The purpose of the program is to help the city meet its environmental objectives in areas of sustainable development, solid-waster diversion, air quality and more environmentally pressing issues. I encourage all neighbourhood groups and non-profit organizations in our community to take advantage of this initiative and help improve the Stittsville-Kanata West area. It’s a fantastic opportunity to really make a difference to our environment. Information on the program and grant application forms can
be found at www.ottawa.ca and
following the links: residents/funding/community environmental projects grant. Should we kick it or throw it? That is the question on the minds of many people across our City as we are faced with two stadium and sporting proposals. Eugene Melnyk, the owner of the Ottawa Senators, has stepped up his bid for a Major League Soccer franchise and a new soccer-specific stadium near Scotia Bank Place, which would include several fields for public use. A group fronted by Ottawa 67’s owner, Jeff Hunt, is proposing to give Lansdowne Park a major facelift highlighted by a new Canadian Football League franchise. Concrete numbers have yet to be released but it is understood that both proposals will require considerable funding from the City of Ottawa. Give budget limitations, it is highly possible the City is only capable of funding one project. If this is the case, which project would you prefer? Would you rather a revitalized Lansdowne Park featuring a new CFL franchise, or would you prefer a new soccer-specific stadium featuring a MLS franchise to be built in the west-end? Please do not hesitate to contact my office with your
thoughts on the proposals. I can be reached by phone at 613-580-2476 or by
e-mail at Shad.Qadri@ottawa.ca. 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, |
