Centrepointe Community fears new zoning could lead to development on beloved parkspace.

Good morning! 

When I started my career as a journalist nine years ago, I began writing stories for the Manotick and Barrhaven communities. What I learned very quickly was how different issues could vary from one place to another. What I also realized was there were countless stories to be told – so why weren't they? 

Unfortunately, legacy media has been on the decline for the past decade with layoffs and fewer resources to go around. It does not mean the stories go away – it just means there isn't the manpower to tell them. The situation has become much more dire over the last few years and I know you are all feeling it; organizations tell me they have fewer places to promote their causes, city hall followers tell me there are fewer places to find out what’s happening at the municipal level, the list goes on. 

We might be a small team at the Lookout for now, but we are trying to do our part to change that. Since we launched our neighbourhood approach a few weeks back, I've been getting countless amazing ideas. If I am yet to follow up with you, please know I will soon. 

Today’s main story on concerns over zoning changes at Centerpointe Park came from a reader. If you are worried or frustrated about something happening in your community, feel free to drop me an email and I will do my best to follow up. 

Let’s get to today’s headlines. 

— Charlie Senack, Ottawa Lookout managing editor, [email protected], X: @Charlie_Senack

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WEATHER

Wednesday: 27 🌡️ 17 | 🌤️

Thursday: 21 🌡️ 16 | ☁️ 

Friday: 23 🌡️ 17 | 🌧️

THE LOOKOUT RECOMMENDS

A little trip: If you need some inspiration for places to visit outside the hot, hot city, our food and drink editor recently did a tour of some wineries and cider spots. Luckily, a few of them are also indoor! Kin Vinyards out in Carp and Farm Gate Cidery in Arnprior both made the list.

Bees please: If you ever wondered about bees, what they do, how they do it, and a desire to get up close and personal (safely), then See the Bees at GeesBees Honey Company has an event for you. On Saturdays and Sundays until August, you can see bees in action at 538 River Rd., safely behind a screened observation area. 

ICYMI: Charlie put together a helpful story on how Ottawa’s Transit Master Plan may impact neighbourhoods in the city. It’s a helpful guide to get a look at what’s planned in the coming years. 

CITY

Centrepointe Community fears new zoning could lead to development on beloved parkspace.

There is the sound of laughter wafting through Centrepointe Park as children play on swings and splash in the waterpark. Nearby, soccer teams of all ages are getting their kicks in. At the baseball diamonds, teams are warming up for the season. But there is growing concern in the community that all or some of this could one day be lost due to new city zoning. 

Area councillor Laine Johnson said she understands the residents worry, but says the park is still protected.

Centrepointe Park is currently zoned as Open Space and Leisure Zone, but under the proposed changes, it would change to a Recreation Zone. 

What does that mean? The greenspace could then technically be used for various new purposes such as: shelters, amusement parks, artist studios, community centres, day care, fairgrounds, golf courses, indoor entertainment facilities, libraries, museums, places of assembly, recreation and athletic facilities, schools, sports arenas, and theatres. 

While the threat of development is raising eyebrows, Johnson says the city has no intentions of getting rid of greenspace – in fact it wants to create more. 

“The thing is that our parkland is governed by the Parks and Recreation Master Plan that maps out all the parkland across the city. Centrepointe Park is essentially built out at this time, there is no plan for it to ever get a community centre because of its proximity to the Pinecrest Recreation Centre and then Ben Franklin Place. It wouldn't make sense to put an additional community centre there,” Johnson told the Ottawa Lookout.

The local community fears the worst 

“Similarly, in the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, the city does not build amusement parks nor do they build indoor theatres or schools, so that would never be permitted under the master plan as well,” she added. “That parks and rec plan also talks about how much greenspace you need to provide for a certain number of residents, it tells us where future basketball courts will go or future aquatic facilities will go, and it's a calculation across the whole city to make sure that every neighbourhood gets a little bit of what they need.”

But those reassurances are not enough for the neighbourhood residents. In April a petition was started which has garnered over 820 signatures. In the comment section, one resident said, “the wording of the new zoning is very vague and risks fundamentally changing the character of the park.”

Another said he moved to Centrepointe because of the large park.

“The park is heavily used by various sports teams, families with kids, [and] community groups. Lately, three high-rise condos/rentals got erected near the park; once tenants move it, there will be twice as many people using the park,” said the resident. “Do not overpopulate this green and airy park any further; do not turn it into Lansdowne Park concrete jungle!”

Jennifer Stoyle, the Centrepointe Community Association’s representative for zoning issues, said there is always the concern that other parameters could change in the future which would further weaken the park's protections. She also feels there is a large difference between a park with playground equipment and an amusement park with rides. 

“The city is merging together parks and recreational facilities. I think people would agree that a dance studio is not a park,” she told the Ottawa Lookout. “And if you read the official plan, it says if you build a recreational facility near transit, you should also build housing on top of that recreational facility.”

Johnson has indicated that there are also no plans to build housing on the park and also noted the city has rules which prohibit parkland being sold for private use. 

But Stoyle asks what happens as the city grows? 

The amount of usable land is decreasing, she noted, and the Centrepointe community is growing. New apartments are going up just steps away from the greenspace. Work is underway on both the Algonquin Station and Baseline/Merivale Secondary Plans, which could see rapid intensification eventually come to the Nepean suburb. Light rail is also expected to start rolling through the community by 2027. 

“As our population in Centrepointe grows, our population could double from its current 7,000, or even triple,” said Stoyle. “We will get the population which gives us the need for more recreation facilities. And under the residential zoning changes, you're going to have fewer front and rear yards. With that, city greenspaces are going to become even more important.”

So what is the solution? 

The current Algonquon Station and Baseline Secondary plans would actually be a way of finding ways to add more greenspace, Johnson noted. For example with the recent Pinecrest-Queensview Secondary Plan, three new parklands south of the Queensway have been identified to keep up with the future growth. 

Johnson said she has committed to the community association that a solution of some kind will be found. The whole purpose behind changing the zoning in the first place is to create consistency and ensure there are fewer codes. Many areas of the city have differing rules because they were created before amalgamation. 

The safeguarding of greenspace could come in varying forms, but Johnson said she doesn't want it to be a “rubber stamp exemption” just for Centrepointe Park. 

“Centrepointe Park is a district park. There are other district parks across the city. Perhaps there could be a different application of the zoning for those types of parks,” she said. 

The city is currently on draft two of the zoning bylaw. Residents are able to give feedback on the Engage Ottawa website until June 30. The final draft will then go before council for approval. 

THE OTTAWA NUMBER

3,000

💉 The number of Ottawa students who were suspended for failing to provide updated vaccine records. During the 2024-2025 school year, 15,000 first notices were sent reminding families to update their children’s records. [Ottawa Citizen]

THE AGENDA

🏫 Justine Bell has announced she is stepping down as a Trustee with the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board. In a letter to parents, Bell said the board room table “was often a difficult space, and at times, a toxic one,” noting she’s making the change to spend more time with family. Bell had been attending many board meetings virtually after living half her time in Mexico, where she adopted her daughter recently. In the past year, three trustees have resigned from the OCDSB. [Ottawa Citizen]

🛟 Water rescue teams pulled two people in distress and a pair of rafters from the water in separate incidents on the Ottawa River on Monday. Fire crews say the “Deschenes Rapids continue to be the most common location for water rescue calls in our city.” They are urging residents to be aware of the hazards in this area and to exercise extreme caution when on or near the water. [CTV]

🙏 An Ottawa woman is thankful for the work of rescue crews who aided her 13-year-old son, who was injured when a tree fell on his Algonquin Park tent on Saturday.  Alison Flynn was able to send an SOS signal from a GPS and satellite communication device she had with her. It reached first responders who embarked on an exhausting 25-kilometre trek through fallen trees and brush using chainsaws to cut their way through. They then had to canoe 300 metres to reach the pair. [CTV]

⛺️ A father has died and his 10-year-old son was left with serious injuries after a tree fell on their campsite in Mallorytown. The incident happened Sunday morning around 6:00 am when a storm went through the area. Campers reported many trees fell down. [CBC]

🕯️ A ceremony was held in Ottawa on Monday to mark the 40th anniversary of the Air Indian bombing, which was the worst terrorist attack in Canadian history. On June 23, 1985, 329 people, including 268 Canadian citizens, were killed by a terrorist bomb aboard an Air India Flight from Montreal. The wreckage landed 190 kilometres offshore of Cork, Ireland. An annual commemoration ceremony was held at the Air India monument at Dow’s Lake. [CTV]

🍺 The Beer Store in Manotick is closing. It is the fourth alcohol establishment to close in Ottawa this year. The Beer Store on Bank Street near Holmwood Avenue will close on July 20. The Beer Store on Carling Avenue, across from the Carlingwood Mall, closed on June 15. The retailer closed the Beer Store on North Side Road in Bells Corners in February. [CTV]

Police news 

👮‍♂️ The Ottawa Police Service’s Guns and Gangs Unit is investigating an evening shooting in Barrhaven’s Half Moon Bay neighbourhood. Police say 9-1-1 received a call at approximately 8:30 pm Sunday reporting shots fired in the 900 block of Nokomis Place. No injuries were reported. [CTV]

📷 At least 50 Ottawa police officers will be equipped with body-worn cameras while on duty by the end of the year. “In terms of having more tools to understand what occurred, there’s no doubt that body-worn cameras will help that,” said Ottawa Police Chief Eric Stubbs. “It’s accountability on both sides – it’s accountability for the member; it’s also accountability for the citizen as well. If they do make allegations, then we can check some of that on the body-worn camera.” [CTV]

🚔 A man was taken to hospital in critical condition after a stabbing in the Chinatown neighbourhood. Few details are known at this time. Paramedics said they transported the man to hospital in critical condition but couldn't say if his injuries were life-threatening. [CBC]

🚨 Ottawa Police’s use-of-force involving Middle Eastern residents is up 28 per cent compared to 2020 numbers. Only a small fraction of OPS calls involve the use of force. In 2024, Ottawa police officers responded to about 223,000 calls for service. Out of those, officers displayed or used force in 251 incidents. [CBC]

HOME OF THE WEEK

The prices of homes around Ottawa General range quite substantially. But this one stood out to me for a few reasons.

First, it’s got a lot of nature and trees around it, perfect for someone who wants a bit of privacy. You’ve also got a really nice home layout, though the kitchen cabinets could use a change-up. Finally, you’ve got a big patio and backyard, though I’m sure that’s a low priority the last few days, given the heat! 

Here’s how much this three-bedroom, three-bathroom place will set you back…

House of The Week is a home selected by the Lookout team and is not a paid advertisement. All ads are labeled as such. If you’re a realtor who wishes to feature your home in our newsletter, please contact our sales team.

OTTAWA ARTS GUIDE

Performance

Do you love bubble tea like the Lookout staff? Step into a fun-filled evening of bubble tea and salsa dancing with an energetic 20s–30s crowd!. Taking place at Xing Fu Tang at 175 Main  Street, tickets are selling fast!

The National Arts Centre’s popular Canada Day concert returns, led by Alexander Shelley, with multiple choirs and hosted by slam poet Yao. It starts at 2:30 at Southam Hall. Tickets go live on June 27, and we’ve been told they will go fast, so check in at 10 am when they go live. 

It’s the final few nights of 37 Postcards over at Ottawa Little Theatre. It’s a comedy about bringing home a partner to visit a family, with a bit of confusion and a crazy family thrown in. On until june 28, tickets $32. 

There are only a few tickets left for Sesame Street Live on Friday at 6 pm at the NAC. Elmo and Cookie Monster will all be there; it’s the perfect family event. 

Movies 

The classic family-friendly The Princess Bride is showing at Uplands Military Community Centre on Saturday at 8:45. You’re invited to check out the centre before the movie starts. Save money on popcorn by bringing your own food and chairs. 

Over at ByTowne, you can expect Louis Riel or Heaven Touches The Earth, Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme, Alien: The Director’s Cut and Brian De Palma’s classic Body Double. 

Music 

Icelandic trio Hist Og plays the NAC on 26 June. They blend jazz improvisation with electronic elements, creating hypnotic, genre‑defying soundscapes. Tickets $33.

Lila Gray comes to Live! On Elgin on 27 June. Through her heartfelt lyrics and skillful songwriting, she explores themes of young adulthood and queen womanhood. Tickets $15. 

Ottawa Punkfest takes over Club SAW from 27-28 June. Come for a stacked bill of punk talent playing non-stop into the weekend. Tickets $35.

Nigerian Afro‑pop artist Joeboy hits the Bronson Centre on 28 June. Fusing romantic Afro-pop with contemporary R&B, he has amassed millions of streams across Africa and beyond. Tickets $54.

The Damn Truth celebrates their new album release at Overflow Brewing on 28 June. Expect soulful, riff-heavy modern rock with blues and folk influences. Tickets $27.

Listings for music shows are provided by Ottawa Gigs, the best place to discover live music in Ottawa. Check out Ottawagigs.ca for full listings across the city. 

OTTAWA GUESSER

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• Ottawa businesses 2x repeat visits by rewarding customers with a simple digital stamp card app. [Sponsored]

  Sarah McLachlan, Tom Cochrane and more will be performing on Canada Day. Here’s all the details you need to know. [CTV]

• G-Eazy’s replacement at Bluesfest is none other than Canadian rapper Kardinal Offishall. 

• Congrats to the team at the arts publication Apt613 on 16 years! 

• It looks like Ottawa has a new raccoon moment. Though let’s be honest, it will never top this famous one at McDonald’s. 

• You can now get some exercise while ordering a smoothie with this new Smoothie Bike at Juice Dudez. [OBJ]

• Ottawa Tourism has a new $100 pass to experience five different attractions for a discounted rate. [CTV]

• Kids Kingdom in Orleans has announced it is closing. [CTV]

• Want to have your announcement featured? Learn how here.

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Walkers take in the sunshine at Centrepointe Park on June 19, 2025.

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