A sidewalk debate in Park Manor

For decades, the sprawling lawns of Manor Park's expensive detached homes have stretched to the roads, providing an open, park-like feel. The popular post-war design choice in the 1940s came at a time when walkability wasn’t considered in urban planning, and the concept of 15-minute neighbourhoods wasn’t even on anyone’s radar.   

But now the city is looking to undertake an integrated road, sewer and water main rehabilitation project, which would pave over some of that greenspace with sidewalks. 

The infrastructure work would be confined to one side of the following streets: Arundel Avenue, from Farnham Crescent to St-Laurent Boulevard; Braemar Street, from Ava Road to Arundel Avenue; Farnham Crescent, from Ava Road north to the dead end; Finter Street, from St-Laurent Boulevard to the dead end; Jeffrey Avenue, from St-Laurent Boulevard to Braemar Street; and Kilbarry Crescent, from Sandridge Road to Ava Road.

But the idea is causing quite the stir in what is usually a quiet east end suburb. 

Peter Burpee is one of many who say Manor Park is a safe community, planned without sidewalks in the first place. He has been handing out “no sidewalk” lawn signs to his neighbours, which urge the city not to “pave paradise.” 

“Significant changes could be made to the traffic flow to calm the traffic [rather] than putting in sidewalks. Sidewalks really detract from the safety and connectivity of the community. The proposal for sidewalks is to connect sidewalks throughout the whole community. But, we are a self-contained residential area, wide-opened streets, designed as a connected, safe community 75 years ago and functioning well,” Burpee told CTV. 

The new pedestrian walkways are part of an updated Transportation Master Plan (TMP), which prioritizes sidewalks in new development and road reconstruction projects. 

During a community info session on July 30, a city staff presentation also said the plans aim to create “a safe, accessible, and well-connected pedestrian network linking homes to schools, parks, transit, and shops.”

Currently, 43.4 per cent of Ottawa residents’ trips are made using sustainable transportation. However, the demand for connectivity is expected to grow as Ottawa reaches a population of 1.4 million by 2046. That will lead to an additional 1.2 million daily trips — about half of which will occur in vehicles. 

The Manor Park Community Association did not respond to the Lookout’s repeated requests for an interview, but its president told the Ottawa Citizen that while she isn’t taking a stand, she understands the community's frustrations. 

“The neighbourhood has been saying that we don’t want sidewalks because we feel that it’s perfectly safe the way it is,” said Natalie Belovic, who is also a real estate agent. “We’ve been trying to get the city to install sidewalks in areas where they’re badly needed.”

One of those places is Braemar Street in front of Manor Park Public School. 

Sidewalks would help with future development, says environment committee

The Manor Park Environmental Sustainability Committee appeared to endorse the project on Facebook. 

“Manor Park Estates has large amounts of land in both MP North and MP South slated for redevelopment over the coming decades. Their official plan amendment passed the city council a few years ago, so they are already approved to build thousands of new residential housing units, including in mid-rise and high-rise buildings,” the Facebook post read. “All of the land they will be redeveloping at some point in the next two to three decades in Manor Park North is within two to three blocks of the streets proposed to have sidewalks and traffic calming. It is important to take this once-in-a-generation opportunity for sidewalks now and prepare the area for the future.”

The group also said it was important to bring older parts of Ottawa, which lack modern infrastructure, up to current accessibility and safety standards.

Non-profit organization Ecology Ottawa agrees. In an article posted to the group's website, Eugenie Waters — a Manor Park resident who chairs its Environmental Sustainability Committee — wrote that it’s time the city adhered to its policies, which were developed after years of work, consultation, and approval by the Ottawa city council. 

“The city has already highlighted that tree protection will be a priority, and installing sidewalks during ongoing construction is cost-saving. Any loss of green space will be offset by the creation of safer streets, which promotes more sustainable modes of transportation,” wrote Waters. 

“Finally, multiple community members, including those in the disability community, have spoken up about their own difficult transportation experiences in the neighbourhood. If preserving ‘neighbourhood character’ means excluding people with disabilities — 27 per cent of Canadians — aren’t our priorities backward?”

Ecology Ottawa fears the public pushback could derail the project. It referenced a 2018 sidewalk project in Orléans that was scrapped after similar pushback from residents who said they didn’t want the crossings going through their driveways. At the time, Innes Ward Coun. Jody Mitic said almost every resident on the street signed a petition opposing the idea. 

Then, in 2023, there was opposition towards a proposed overpass at the Orléans light rail station. Orléans West-Innes Coun. Laura Dudas said it was a safety risk and a recipe for gridlock in her community. The design stuck bike lanes directly through the path of pedestrians exiting buses. 

In response, the city said modifications were not impossible, but Michael Morgan, the director of the city's rail construction program, said it “would be a costly variation that would impact the project schedule and conflict with the results of previous public consultation efforts.” 

Rideau-Rockcliffe Ward Coun. Rawlson King’s office said he was unavailable for an interview but provided a statement saying no final decisions have been made. King has previously said he supports the TMP and noted that the July 30 public info session was held to help the community better understand the sidewalks' purpose. 

“Community input will help shape the outcome. I issued a survey to better understand residents’ views, and I’ve asked City staff to review whether sidewalk installation could be deferred under exceptional circumstances,” wrote King. 

For now, construction is expected to be completed by the fall or winter of 2026, costing $18.9 million.