Hi neighbour,
With warm temperatures, yard sales, community barbeques, and folks out enjoying the parks and trails in Bay Ward, it feels like summer has officially arrived this week! While we’re all ready to soak up some sun, I’ve included some water safety reminders in this week’s newsletter from Ottawa Public Health and the Ottawa Police Service. The city’s four municipal beaches (including Britannia) are open for supervised swimming starting on Saturday, June 20th. Also, a reminder to everyone using our beautiful parks in Bay Ward to make sure to clean up after your visit, so the parks remain litter-free for all visitors.
Updates from Finance Committee: Looking at the City’s Long Range Financial Plan
At Tuesday’s Finance Committee meeting, we reviewed the City’s Long Range Financial Plan, which outlines how the city will fund and maintain critical infrastructure like parks, libraries, recreation centres, and roads over the next 10 years.
The report highlighted a $229 million annual funding gap, driven by aging facilities, rising construction costs, and continued growth across the city. This is a significant challenge, and one that has real impacts on neighbourhoods in Bay Ward, especially given the age of our roads, sidewalks, and recreational facilities (case in point: the Belltown Dome). The report indicated that across the city, 130 recreation facilities are nearing end-of-life, but there is currently funding to address about 40 of them. I’ll continue to advocate for prioritizing funding to maintain and improve the infrastructure we already have—our parks, roads, libraries, and recreation facilities—so that our communities remain vibrant, safe, and accessible for everyone.
Planning and Housing Committee: 500 & 508 Edgeworth Ave
At Planning and Housing Committee this week, we considered a zoning by-law amendment application for 500 & 508 Edgeworth Avenue, to permit a high-rise residential building of up to 24 storeys. I want to sincerely thank all the residents who took the time to share their feedback on this application. I know this proposal has raised concerns, particularly around traffic, infrastructure capacity, and how the development fits with the existing neighbourhood.
Neighbourhoods in Bay Ward have seen a tremendous amount of change in recent years, with Stage 2 LRT construction and increased intensification. While this has brought challenges, it will also mean that when the LRT West Extension opens in late 2027, Bay Ward will be one of the best-connected areas in the city. This proposed development is located just 150 metres from Lincoln Fields Station, and includes plans for improved connections to transit and active transportation routes. At Committee on Wednesday, I put forward a direction to staff, asking that the sidewalk installation on Edgeworth Ave (between Carling and Richmond) be coordinated with the new development, to ensure there are safe pedestrian routes in this neighbourhood. If the zoning by-law application is approved at Council next week, I will continue working with the developer and City staff to address community concerns—from the construction management plan, to car-sharing opportunities, and new opportunities for shared community space and improved park amenities.
Traffic calming in Bayshore
As many of you know, last year the Province, through Bill 56, made the decision to remove automated speed enforcement (ASE) cameras from municipal roads. I want to reiterate that I strongly disagreed with this move, as these cameras were a proven tool to slow traffic and improve safety, particularly in school zones. Since their removal, we have seen an increase in speeding in areas where these measures once helped protect our most vulnerable road users, especially near our local schools.
To compensate for the removal of the cameras, the Province has provided some funding for alternative traffic calming measures. The City has applied for this funding to improve safety in Bayshore by installing speed display boards and speed cushions along Bayshore Drive and Woodridge Crescent, directly in front of Bayshore Public School and St. Rose of Lima School. These measures are intended to encourage safer driving behaviours and help protect students and families in our community.
Reminder: Drop-in Coffee Chat with Councillor Kavanagh – Monday, June 8
A reminder that my next informal coffee chat is coming up on Monday, June 8th at Tim Hortons (993 Richmond Road). Stop by anytime between 9 and 11 am to meet some neighbours, and discuss ideas for how we can make our communities better for everyone. I’ll be joined by Jake Gravelle, the City’s new Chief of By-law and Regulatory Services. I hope to see you there!
Could you be Bay Ward’s next caseworker?
Our office is still accepting resumes for a caseworker position. If you like working directly with the public, helping with issues in the community, and being part of a great team this could be the role for you. Please send your resume to: bayward@ottawa.ca with “Bay Ward Caseworker” in the subject line.
Read the full newsletter for more news and events across Bay Ward!
