Barrhaven wont get sprung shelters after all. Here is where they are going instead

Two locations chosen: After countless debate, division, and a demonstration where over 1,000 people protested, a sprung structure will not be coming to Barrhaven after all. 

On Tuesday evening, 15 minutes before a community consultation was to be held with Barrhaven councillors Wilson Lo and David Hill, the city released a memo stating where the two temporary shelters for newcomers will go: The former Confederation High School on Woodroffe Ave, near the Nepean Sportsplex, and on Hearst Way — part of Eagleson Park & Ride in Kanata.

• The tent-like buildings are meant to house and help asylum seekers and include communal living facilities, showers, beds, kitchens, and on-support staff. You can read more from the City of Ottawa here.

The criteria: Over the past few months, there has been much debate over why the judging criteria were not made available to members of the council or the public. Finally, to offset these concerns, the City of Ottawa released a comprehensive 20-page document stating the rationale of shortlisted sites and why they were added or removed from the list over time. 

In February 2024, Housing and Homelessness Services staff were provided an initial list of 92 potential properties to be reviewed for operational feasibility — stretching from Dunrobin to Cumberland. During Phase 2, the list dropped to 23 potential sites with the others being eliminated due to walkability, access to transit, and comparability for the neighbourhood. 

Multiple stages: The list was then shortlisted again to three key locations, two nearby potential sites on St. Laurent, a piece of land on Greenbank Road near Highbury Park in Barrhaven, and a parcel of land on Lantheir Dr. in Orleans. However, after further evaluation, the locations changed again. 

Five were considered with the criteria now also adding NCC-owned property and OC Transpo Park & Ride locations: Number one became the Kanata Eagleson Park & Ride; a new Barrhaven location was added as number two with the addition of the Nepean Woods Park & Ride; three was a parcel of land on Lees Ave; four was the former Confederation High School site; and five became the Highbury park location. 

• The two suburban sites caused uproar when the community was first alerted by Barrhaven East Coun. Wilson Lo who later filed a freedom of information request when the city did not release their scoring criteria after repeated requests. 

Why Barrhaven was removed: The Highbury Park site was taken off the list because of existing uses planned for the site. It’s supposed to be part of Stage 3 light rail if it’s ever built — which is highly unlikely at this point. The province is also now looking at the possibility of building an urgent care Queensway Carleton Hospital satellite facility there.

You can read the Lookout’s previous coverage on that here. 

• The Nepean Woods site was removed “due to potential limitations and project delays from shared access and site use with OC Transpo, and mid-high estimates of probable costs for on-site works,” the memo read. 

Speaking to the Ottawa Lookout after the memo was released, Lo said he’s grateful all of the community engagement led to this point, but still believes city staff have more to do when it comes to being transparent with files which aren’t supposed to be confidential in the future. Lo is also still against spring structures being used to house the homeless, calling it “undignified.”

• “It’s not a humane way to house people. It’s a communal setting in a temporary structure. I want communities to get their recreation facilities back and I’m happy they are. But to transport sites elsewhere and not make it better is what makes sprung structures inappropriate. Better exists for Barrhaven and elsewhere,” said Lo. 

Lessons learned: Coun. Mary Carr, who represents Alta Vista ward where two of her three community centres were being used to house refugees, has been vocal in her support for Barrhaven to be considered for a site alongside the rest of Ottawa. 

But after two protests which were attended by thousands, a growing petition, and countless emails and phone calls, Carr said it’s clear Barrhaven is lacking in supports, and more needs to be done. 

• “Jason MacDonald, chair of the Barrhaven BIA, was very clear that Barrhaven has grown and is a community of 100,000 people. We heard it’s a community without social services. Those of us who sit around the Community and Protective Services Committee know that Barrhaven could benefit from some of the day programs that serve the vulnerable and the unhoused,” Carr told the Lookout. “That’s been a good takeaway for us. We need to make sure Barrhaven has the services to help those with mental health and addictions challenges.”

MacDonald, who butted heads with Carr in the past, said he was thankful for her comments but is still displeased with Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, who has not responded to the Barrhaven BIA’s four requests for a face-to-face meeting. He said the advocacy for communication and transparency will continue. 

If that happened from the beginning, MacDonald said the community outrage would have been much less from the beginning. 

• “They dug holes all over the place at Highbury Park, they did all this surveying, cut down trees. How much did this all cost the taxpayers?” asked MacDonald. “So much of this could have been avoided. The fact that city staff were given the authority for something so monumental and impactful without public consultation or consideration it’s ludicrous and should not have been allowed.”

But division remains: There have been lots of accusations leveled against community members and elected officials. Nepean MPP Lisa MacLeod, who used to be close with Barrhaven West Coun. David Hill, have accused him of not being there for his community at a time of need. Those intense feelings spewed out over a different issue on X Thursday morning. 

Hill did not respond to the Lookout’s request for comment ahead of publication, but reiterated many times in the past that he was against sprung structures from being built anywhere in the city. But he also cautioned community members not to speak so harshly against them and accused some of spreading misinformation. 

On X MacLeod also said that she is “extremely concerned” that the two sites were chosen without community consultation and questioned if the whole process has been “politically motivated.”

• “I would like to thank BRASS for their strong commitment and I will ensure the residents of Merivale Gardens, Manordale and Craig Henry I will voice their concerns to City Hall. This announcement comes from left field,” wrote MacLeod. 

Unknown reaction in Kanata, but Nepean is welcoming the site 

While Barrhaven residents are reeling with excitement over the news, reactions from Kanata and Nepean residents on social media has been mixed. Nobody — including the city councillors themselves — knew the two sites were even being considered. 

Knoxdale-Merivale Coun. Sean Devine has repeatedly said he’d welcome having a sprung shelter in his ward. In a statement to the Lookout Thursday evening, he said he’s welcoming the Woodroffe location, but would have liked information shared in a more transparent way. 

• “Just like Mayor Marion Dewar did back in 1979 when Ottawa welcomed refugees fleeing violence and persecution in Southeast Asia, we have an opportunity here to offer asylum seekers a solid first shot and landing on their feet in a new country. If Ward 9 has been selected as a place to show our compassion, then I believe that the residents of Ward 9 will make the city proud,” said Devine. 

Coun. Allan Hubley, the representative for Kanata-North, where the Eagleson location is, did not immediately respond to the Lookout’s request for comment. Hubley did, however, tell CTV that his understanding is the Park & Ride location would only be built if required. He also took aim at the federal government. 

“Unless we get some control over this issue, we may need 10 of these structures. Nobody is coming out in a good way in this thing, and it upsets me. As a proud Canadian, it really upsets me as to what I see is going on here,” he said.

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OTTAWA BY THE NUMBERS

♿️ 13%: The increase of tickets issued for misusing accessible parking permits in Ottawa. [CTV]

🏡 $2,207: The average cost to rent a two-bedroom apartment in Ottawa this October. [CTV]

👩‍⚕️ $600,000: The amount of money a Kingston Doctor is being ordered to pay after giving out thousands of COVID-19 vaccines. Ontario’s Health minister's office has alleged Dr. Elaine Ma billed 21 times their eligible payments. [CBC]

THE AGENDA

🗑️ Residents in Ottawa’s east end near Innes Road are complaining about the large mess of discarded items left in the area. Items include black trash bags filled with food waste, tires, broken furniture, oil containers, and industrial materials such as asphalt. The city says it is committed to cleaning up the garbage and will explore installing barriers to restrict access to the area to prevent illegal dumping in the future. [CTV]

🏡 The City of Ottawa has said it cannot meet its affordable housing targets without more help from the provincial and federal governments. Councillors have been told they will need more than $155 million more per year. In 2021, they set the goal of building 500 affordable housing units per year – a goal they have not reached once. [CBC]

🦆 A large piece of wetlands near the Tewin site has received protection, and its developers are welcoming the change. What does that mean? No development can take place on 561 hectares of swamp and marsh that hug Highway 417 east of the urban core. [CBC]

🚔 Gatineau Police say they arrested 15 people and seized drugs and weapons from residents who were living in the parking lot outside the Robert Guertin Centre. A homeless encampment had been set up on the site for months. Among the drugs seized were more than 1,000 suspected methamphetamine tablets, cannabis, crack, prescription drugs and other substances that have yet to be identified. [CTV]

🏒 The PWHL Women’s hockey team has unveiled their new jerseys ahead of the upcoming season. The Ottawa Charge's home jerseys are in red, with light grey shoulder patches, yellow striping and the team's "O" logo prominently displayed on the front. It was also announced the team will play a game at the Canadian Tire Centre this year. [CBC]

INFO

Here’s everything you need to know for Remembrance Day

What’s changed: 3-1-1 Contact Centre is only open for emergencies, while most other services provided by the city will be closed. Recycling, green bins and bulky items will still be picked up as usual on Nov. 11.

Transit: Some routes will be different on Remembrance Day, which you can check here, mostly on Nov. 11 from 6:45 am to 3:45 pm. There will also be a partial closure between Blair and Ottawa on Nov. 10, with replacement busses at Rideau and Blair.

Many stores may be closed until 12:30 on Remembrance Day because of an Ottawa City bylaw, but there are many exceptions including many major BIA areas.

• All major Remembrance Day ceremonies can be found here.

Written by Geoff Sharpe.

EVENTS

Snowflake Bazaar 2024 | St James Carleton Place | Nov 9, 11 am-2 pm | Kitting, sewing, jewellery and homemade items, cash only | Free

Beowulf in Afghanistan: In a new play by Ottawa's Laurie Fyffe a Canadian soldier navigates the clash of conflict. November 12-24 at GCTC. [Sponsored]

Military Memorials of Green Island | National Artillery Monument, Green Island | Nov. 9, 2 pm | Tour full of stories and memorials of members of the Royal Canadian Artillery, the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, and more | Free

Together at LAC: Remembrance Day | Library and Archives Canada | Nov. 9, 2024, 10 am-3 pm | Meet LAC subject matter experts and explore archival collections, family friendly events and shop the book sale | Free

Holiday Craft Magic Show | 2072 Jasmine Cres, Gloucester | Nov. 9-10, 111 am-4 pm | Artisans selling ther crafts all weekend long | Free

Capital Sessions with Sami “Slynks” Elkout and ALAMUSIC | NAC | Nov. 10, 1:30 pm | Free community dance session, come learn basic house dance steps | Free

MEC x POW Season Opener 2024 | MEC Ottawa | Nov. 10, 7:30 pm | Watch some ski films and connect with community members | Tickets $17

Stittsville Market at the Barn | 6154 Abbott St. E, Stittsville | Nov 10, 10 am-3 pm | Check out the small boutique farmers market | Free

Fall Concert - A Tour of Europe | Woodroffe United Church | Nov. 16, 3 pm | Tickets $20

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• Meet the Ottawa kids who got to meet Bruce Springsteen when he was in the Capital 12 years ago. [OTTAWA Citizen]

• The harvest is in & we're ready to deliver! Farmhouse Food brings local veggies, meat, eggs and dairy to your door. Sign up today! [Sponsored]

• These two Ottawa residents were not selected for the new nightlife council, so they are embarking on their own project. [Ottawa Business Journal]

• Here’s to celebrating 30 years of philanthropy at the Phils. [Ottawa Business Journal]

• A Riversong concert is set to raise awareness and funds for First Nations advocacy. [Kitchissippi Times]

• Here is a look at how 150-year-old technology keeps Ottawa's water flowing. [Ottawa Citizen]

• Many brothers served together during various Canadian wars. Here are some local heroes who died on the battlefield. [Kitchissippi Times']

GAME TIME

Well that was a popular one! Congrats to Clause, Amanda, Peter, Sanda, Patricia, Connie, Adam, Erin, Martha, Daryl, Stacey and Joan who all correctly guesed the intersection was Bank and Sunnyside.

Today’s game is Ottawa Wordle. Today’s is related to our top story. Think you have the answer? Play it now