Council votes to move Lansdowne 2.0 forward

Good morning everyone!

We’re doing something fun this month. With the summer arriving, people want to get out and visit nature. In that spirit, we want to discover which parks you love. We’re asking readers to vote for your favourite park and we’ll release a guide later this month.

Today we’ve got an update on Lansdowne, the costs of the convoy, a new kosher brewery and a list of events this weekend.

Enjoy.

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Council moves Lansdowne 2.0 forward

What happened: The controversial Lansdowne 2.0 development has cleared another hurdle as city council voted to move ahead with the next stage of the plan. The vote was 17-7, and extremely contentious, with councillor Menard and Mayor Watson debating, according to Ottawa Life. 

The vote breakdown:

The decision allocates $8 million towards the next stage, which includes inquiring about developer interest in the land.

• According to CBC, the mayor stressed it was not a final decision and can be revisited in the future. 

• But Coun. Shawn Menard, who represents the ward, argues that these decisions do in fact lock-in the project, according to CBC. 

Background: The $332 million plan would replace north Lansdowne stadium stands, building 1,200 apartments and rebuild “the Civic Centre Arena as a venue that could hold mid-sized events” said CBC. 

Council debated numerous amendments, including one from Coun. Catherine McKenney calling for 20 percent of the housing to be deeply affordable. Instead, council approved a plan that the “future highrise developer should work with a non-profit housing provider.”

• What oppponets say: Ken Rubin argued in the Ottawa Citizen the plan gives Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group too much power, preventing Lansdowne from being “a more balanced, sustainable, architecturally and financially sound place.”

• What supporters say: Mark Sutcliffe argued in the Ottawa Citizen that while not perfect, is a “huge improvement” and will allow people to live and play in the city. 

Lookout readers’ thoughts: We asked Lookout readers if city council should delay the decision until after the election. Ninety percent of you said the decision should be delayed.

Ottawa's first Kosher brewery Shillow Beer Co. offers an authentic Kolsch and Vienna lager

Jamie and Benjamin Shillow moved from Toronto to Ottawa a couple of years ago with a plan to open a beer company. They had both worked in hospitality with Benjamin, as a certified sommelier, working such places Canoe and Auberge du Pommier. Jamie learned her brewmaster skills at the Niagara College Teaching Brewery and with that, the move was on.

Convoy costs pile up

The cost: CBC reported that the total cost of the convoy protests will top $37 million. That’s according to an updated estimate by the city. 

By the numbers:

• Local taxpayers will be on the hook for about $310,000 in towing 110 vehicles.

• A total of 3,182 parking tickets worth $320,545 were issued to convoy members.

• Only 42 percent have paid those tickets and according to CBC, city officials are having trouble tracking down many who still owe payments.

Many of the tickets are being challenged and, according to CBC’s report from the city, will go to trial. 

• According to a Global News report in May, the Rolling Thunder protest that took place at the end of April cost the city $3 million. Unlike the convoy, reinforcements and preparations were made ahead of time.

City Council update

Chiarelli to run again: Coun. Rick Chiarelli, who after a lengthy inquiry was deemed to have harassed members of his staff, plans to run again in October. He’s currently under another investigation after a sixth complainant brought forward new allegations. Currently two candidates, Laine Johnson and Granda Kopytko, have filed to run in College ward. [CBC]

Ottawa adopts anti-racism strategy: The city will undergo a transformation as it adopts its first anti-racism strategy. It will affect all aspects of city operations, including board appointments and city contracts. It includes 132 actions after consultations with 1,000 residents and city employees.

No public internet: Much to the chagrin of anyone who pays internet fees, city staff are unlikely to recommend a public utility for internet access. Outside organisations were calling for a $10 to $30 per month option, but staff say there’s no simple solution and any option would be expensive to implement. [Citizen]

Stories you might have missed

Bicyclist collision on Greenbank: A 28-year-old bicyclist was struck by a vehicle and is now in critical condition. It happened yesterday just before 7:00 am. [CTV]

Wellington ownership could change: The ownership of Wellington Street may soon be different. The city is in talks with the federal government to potential transfer ownership to them. According to CBC, Public Services and Procurement Canada have expressed an interest. The NCC is also looking at shutting down Wellington Street permanently to vehicles. [CTV]

Dress code update: Ottawa’s largest school board, the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, updated their dress code to better clarify what types of clothes are and aren’t allowed. Previously each school determined their own rules. This followed the controversy over the French Catholic high school dress code blitz that students said was humiliating. [CBC]

Slow down: The city is attempting to slow traffic on Walkley Road between the parkway and McCarthy by reducing traffic lanes to two lanes and turning the other two into bike lanes. The road is considered dangerous, with drivers regularly speeding up to 70 km/h in a 50 km/h speed limit zone. [CBC]

Ambulance capacity problems: For an average of three times per day, there were no paramedic units available for dispatch between Jan. 1 and May 25. These events increased from 45 in 2021 to 526 in 2022 during the Jan. 1 to May 26 time period. The city has asked the province for additional resources to solve the problem. [CTV]

Youth charges possible: A 13-year-old could be charged for bringing a BB gun outside a Kingston high school, which caused two schools to be locked down. The youth was not a member of either school. [CTV]

Help choose Ottawa's best parks

Think you know Ottawa's best park? Have a place you always take your family and want to share it with readers?

We're asking Lookout readers to help choose Ottawa's Best Park. Vote today for your favourite park. We'll create a guide for each park based on the top parks selected.

Community highlights

• Looking to adopt a cat? Zeus from the Ottawa Humane Society may be the one for you. [City News]

• Beyond the Pale Brewing decided to add a twist to their best-selling flagship brew and has released Orange is the New Pink – an orange zest American wheat beer. Check out a summary of all the new beer in Ottawa in The Insider. 

• Baba Bar in Little Italy will satisfy your outdoor patio needs

• Congrats to Ottawa’s Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches and her team who were presented with the Keys to the City yesterday.

• Adventure Report has a new story on paddling the Barron Canyon in Algonquin Provincial Park. Looks like a blast!

Your weekend guide

Orléans Craft Beer Festival / Festival de bière artisanale | Thur-Sat | 4pm-11pm | Centrum Plaza in Orléans | Craft beers, wines, spirits, food and live entertainment.

Ottawa Titans baseball games | Fri-Sun | Evening + afternoon | Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton Park | Catch the local baseball games this weekend.

Arts Court Open House Party | Saturday | 2pm-2am | Arts Court, 2 Daly Ave | Artisan market, performances, visual and media arts, think of it as a huge visual art party.

The New Art Festival | Sat-Sun | 10am-5pm | Central Park in Glebe | Free admission | 150 artists, family and dog friendly, local food provided.

Celebrate Gardening | Sat-Sun | 1pm-4pm | Dundonald Park, Centretown | Gardening Q/A, insect display, seed and tool library, kids games.

Britannia Village Arts Crawl | 1pm-4pm | Numerous homes in Britannia Village | Shop and connect with art, along with music and children's activities. 

NAC Indigenous Art Market | Sunday | 10am-5pm | NAC | A wide selection of First Nations, Inuit and other Inigenous artisans from around the world. 

Outdoor Night Markets | Second Thursday every month | Kemptville Campus, 75 Campus Drive, Kemptville | Shop, eat and enjoy farmers, artists and businesses.

In lighter news...

We’re surprised we have to say this, but if you get caught speeding, you cannot call 911 to complain about getting a ticket.

Yes, this is a real story that happened in Gatineau, via CRV.

Daily COVID stats

All infection and vaccination data via Ottawa Public Health. You can find the status of the wastewater tracking here. And you can find vaccination stats here.

• Active Cases: 430

• Deaths: 814

• Ottawans In Hospital: 14

• Ottawans In ICU: 1

• Acute Beds Occupied: 100% 

• ICU Beds Occupied: 73% 

• ICU Ventilator Beds Occupied: 15%