Project update: Chief William Commanda Bridge multi-use pathway and rehabilitation project

City of Ottawa has provided the following update on the Chief William Commanda Bridge multi-use pathway and rehabilitation project

Project overview

In fall 2021, the City began construction on the Chief William Commanda Bridge multi-use pathway and rehabilitation project. The project consists of the construction of a multi-use pathway (MUP) on the existing inactive and retained Chief William Commanda Bridge and the rehabilitation of the substructure of the bridge such as pier work and stone masonry repairs/repointing on abutments. The MUP will connect to the City of Ottawa’s Trillium Pathway to the south and the NCC Voyageurs’ Pathway in Gatineau to the north.

The construction of this new multi-use pathway will improve active transportation between Ottawa and Gatineau and will serve as an interprovincial link for cycling commuters, recreational users, and visitors.

Project update

The following work has been completed or is on-going during this period:

  • Rail tie replacement on the south bridge

  • Concrete removal, dowel and rebar installation for north bridge pier caps

  • Formwork and concrete placement for pier caps of south bridge

  • Bridge jacking preparation

  • Masonry repairs at abutment wingwalls

  • Installation of streetlighting conduit along Trillium Pathway

Upcoming work

  • Continuance of rail tie replacement

  • Installation of temporary bridge bearings

  • Continuance of masonry repairs

Project timelines

Phase 1 - The multi-use pathway is expected to be completed and operational by fall 2022.

Phase 2 - Substructure rehabilitation to be completed by fall 2023.

The multi-use pathway will be put in service upon completion of the upper bridge works and will be safe for use. The remainder of the rehabilitation work will be completed in 2023 with minimal disruption to bridge users. Final cleanup work will be completed by summer 2024.

Photo 1: Installation of streetlighting conduit along Trillium Pathway, June 2022

Photo 2: Masonry repairs at abutment wingwalls, June 2022

Photo 3: Temporary bridge bearing installation, June 2022

Traffic impacts

Lemieux Island has been closed to the public until the completion of the project which is expected in summer 2024. Onigam Street leading to Lemieux Island remains closed to public access.

Impacts to Lemieux Island green space during construction

Reminder: Access to Lemieux Island Green Space remains closed until 2024. For more information please visit the project webpage on Ottawa.ca.

Canada Day

To keep the public safe and away from the construction area, the construction site, including the bridge structure on both sides of the Ottawa River, will be additionally secured and guarded for the duration of the Canada Day activities on July 1. Please stay safe this holiday and keep your distance from the construction site.

Posted on October 15, 2022 by Mechanicsville Community Association.

Media release: NCC seeks to shut out Community voices by opposing "party status" for Mechanicsville Community Association

by Roy Atkinson, Chair MCA Trees Not Embassies Working Group August 25, 2022

NCC seeks to shut out Community voices by opposing "party status" for Mechanicsville Community Association by Roy Atkinson, Chair MCA Trees Not Embassies Working Group August 25, 2022

Background to the situation: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ncc-appeal-embassies-mechanicsville-zoning-1.6381847

After making several amendments to the National Capital Commission’s (NCC) proposal to build a walled Embassy Precinct in Mechanicsville’s Lazy Bay Commons, the City Council rejected the entire application. Subsequently, the NCC filed an appeal with the quasi-judicial Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) to overturn the City’s decision and approve the NCC’s proposal.

On August 8, 2022, the OLT issued documents and set September 1, 2022, as the date for the initial Case Management Conference. Under OLT rules anyone seeking Party or Participant status is required to submit their application by August 22, 2022, only 2 weeks later. When seeking Party status, the applicant must lay out in broad terms the issues they will address and identify the experts they intend to call.

On August 14 the Mechanicsville Community Association submitted its application for Party Status.

Three days later, on August 17, 2022, the NCC’s lawyer wrote "the National Capital Commission does not consent to MCA’s request for party status" and indicated they are preparing arguments to block the MCA receiving Party status. Evidently, the NCC does not want to have a credible Party at the OLT hearing that can speak to the public interest on the environment, security, social justice, and the NCC’s many planning failures.

Throughout the City’s multi year review of the NCC’s Embassy Precinct proposal the MCA has been fully engaged through multiple submissions and participating in every public event. As a result, the MCA has information, analysis and perspectives that would be valuable to the OLT in reaching a decision on whether to approve the NCC’s proposal. The NCC should respect and welcome the MCA, as a representative of the public interest, to the OLT hearing. Instead, the NCC has chosen to harass the MCA with legal roadblocks.

The NCC was created by and reports to the Federal Government. It should be inconceivable that a federal government agency, that purports to serve the interests of Canadians, would seek to silence Mechanicsville’s only community association. With its deep pockets filled with taxpayer money the NCC is playing a game of “beggar your neighbour” by throwing up legal roadblocks that will stress the community’s resources.

The NCC’s arrogance on display here has been experienced across the City. It raises the fundamental questions of who in the Federal Government is holding the NCC to account and supervising the NCC’s extraordinary powers.

The MCA’s Party status will be determined by the OLT at the September 1 Case Management Conference. However, the MCA’s lawyer will have to spend time (and money) to counter the NCC’s arguments at the Case Management Conference, and she has only one chance to get it right.

The August 22 date also applied to people seeking “Participant Status”. At least 4 people from community submitted applications for Participant status together with a “Participant Statement” for the official record: • Tom Moon presented a comprehensive articulation of the NCC’s failure to address security issues in a professional manner and the risks this creates for the community. • Pat Moon’s statement is a powerful and succinct indictment of the NCC’s proposal on both environmental and social grounds; and, exposes the NCC’s big lie about Canada’s and the NCC’s responsibilities under the Vienna Convention. • Daniel Daley’s submission identifies the serious shortcoming of the NCC’s proposal within the NCC’s own policy framework and argues for locating embassies in vacant downtown offices. • Debra Bates’ statement is a passionate defence of the need for greenspace and social justice. It remains to be seen whether to NCC will also seek to deny these thoughtful and engaged citizens access to the OLT and thereby preventing the Tribunal from examining their evidence.

GoFundMe Financing Initiatives

Representing the community at the OLT requires lawyers and one or more expert witness. This expertise is essential to make the community's case and it is expensive. On August 11, 2022, a new Trees Not Embassies: Legal Defence Fund https://gofund.me/076db3ee was created It is focussed on raising $20,000 by early September to finance the MCA’s representation at the OLT hearing. To encourage early donations a local supporter pledged dollar for dollar matching of donations made before August 31, up to a total of $5,000.

The fundraising is off to a good start. After 12 days, donations reached $10,100 with the matching funds the total funds raised is $15,100, 75% of the target. There are only another 10 days to raise the remaining $5,000.

Donations can be made at Trees Not Embassies: Legal Defence Fund https://gofund.me/076db3ee

Posted on August 27, 2022 by Mechanicsville Community Association.

General public can observe OLT conference call about Embassy row on Lazy Bay Commons

The general public can attend as observers to the OLT (Ontario Land Tribunal) Case Management Conference about NCC’s (National Capital Commissions) appeal to the City’s decision to reject the Embassy Precinct proposal.

he Case Management Conference is on September 1st at 10 am. They can use the GoToMeetings app; https://meet.goto.com/979388733 The access code is 979-388-733

Posted on August 27, 2022 by Mechanicsville Community Association.

MP Yasir Naqvi's letter to NCC expressing disappointment about their opposition to MCA's request for party status in upcoming OLT Case management conference

Below is MP Yasir Naqvi's letter to NCC (National Capital Commission’s) expressing disappointment over their opposition to MCA's request for party status in upcoming OLT (Ontario Land Tribunal) Case management conference for the Embassy Precinct on the parcel of greenspace by Burnside Avenue (also commonly known as Lazy Bay Commons)

Posted on August 26, 2022 by Mechanicsville Community Association.

MCA is seeking Party Status to the NCC’s provincial appeal of the City's rejection of its application for 5 Diplomatic Compounds

MCA is seeking Party Status to the NCC’s provincial appeal of the City's rejection of its application for 5 Diplomatic Compounds.This will be precedent-setting as we want to hold NCC accountable for preserving trees and greenspace, contamination rehabilitation and community safety.We will need funding for legal counsel and experts who will testify on these subjects.The funding goal is a minimum of $20,000. If you can help, please donate at - https://gofund.me/076db3ee Every donation up to $5K will be matched until August 31st. Let’s show the NCC, don’t mess with Mechanicsville!

Posted on August 25, 2022 by Mechanicsville Community Association.

Update on Laroche Park from City staff

The following is an update on Larcohe Park from City staff:

The project team appreciates the patience and understanding of residents during the construction of the park and delays due to unforeseen site conditions, supply chain related issues and labour delays due to COVID - all very real factors in creating schedule delays.  We are grateful that given the numbers of constructions workers on site that contracted COVID,  they have all recovered and working again to complete the project.  

 As presented in to the Community in October 2020 at the final public meeting, a primary focus of the project was to remediate the impacts of the former landfill on site. This required excavation of areas accommodating the new building, park amenities and numerous new tree planting, removal of existing material, regrading of the entire park,  with no construction taking place until fill movement was completed. Following the regrading, clean soil capping material delivery continues to the site and put in place across the entire park. The sourcing of clean soil was made more difficult under Ontario's new excess soil regulations. The clean soil could not be brought to site in winter as it would freeze and could not be properly graded however, once the spring thaw arrived and the soil was ready for delivery.  Transport has been slowed due to the high demand and limited availability of dump trucks. The reduced number of available trucks has been addressed with extra deliveries of soil that have been scheduled on Saturdays.

 

Current Anticipated Timelines (subject to change for many reasons)

Field house: open and accessible in Nov 2022

Splash Pad: Spring 2023

Basketball Court: Spring 2023

Sports Field Available: 2024

Ice Rink: Winter 2023/2024

Posted on July 12, 2022 by Mechanicsville Community Association.