Prince of Wales development could increase Hunt Club congestion

Good morning! 

Sometimes, to find a little peace in our day, all we need to do is slow down and take in our surroundings.

That was certainly the case for many Ottawa residents on Nov. 10, when a spectacular double rainbow appeared in the skies over the nation’s capital. People from across the city began sharing photos online, showing what the colourful spectacle looked like from their vantage points.

I was sitting at Bridgehead in Old Ottawa South when the rainbow appeared. Almost immediately, people stopped drinking their coffee, stepped outside and looked up in awe.

What struck me most was how strangers began talking to one another, sharing their excitement over a simple yet extraordinary experience. I couldn’t help but think that this is what a community should feel like — something perhaps we as a generation have begun to lose. We’re often so caught up in our own lives that we forget to appreciate the people and places around us.

Speaking of neighbourhoods, today’s main story takes us to Prince of Wales Drive, where a proposed nine-storey development has residents worried about worsening traffic congestion. I visited the community to see it firsthand and speak with concerned residents about why they believe the city’s plans could create more problems than they solve.

Let’s get to it!

— Charlie Senack, Ottawa Lookout managing editor

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By Charlie Senack. Read the story online.

Dennis Saikaley remembers a time when cows, not cars, were the most common sight along Prince of Wales Drive.

His father built a home there in the mid-1940s, and as a young boy in the 1960s, he watched cattle graze in sprawling pastures near what is now the bustling intersection of Prince of Wales Drive and West Hunt Club Road.

Back then, the area was little more than farmland, with a scattering of houses and the occasional vehicle travelling along what was known as the Prescott Highway. Since then, so much has changed.

Today, it’s among Ottawa’s most collision-prone intersections. In 2020, it tied for the highest number of reported collisions at a signalized intersection in the city. Between 2017 and 2021, there were 141 crashes, averaging 28.2 annually. A transportation study prepared in 2024 estimated roughly 72,100 vehicles enter the intersection on an average day.

Now, with a proposal to permit commercial development reaching up to nine storeys on a nearby property, Saikaley fears the already congested corner could be pushed even further.

The debate centres on 2175 Prince of Wales Dr., a 3.23-hectare vacant property near West Hunt Club Road, immediately west of the Rideau River and beside the residential neighbourhood of Waterbend Lane.

The property could eventually accommodate a hotel, car dealership, restaurant, office building or other commercial uses. No specific development has been confirmed.

Despite residents’ objections, Ottawa City Council voted Nov. 12 to endorse a settlement position supporting changes to the city’s Official Plan and zoning bylaw for the property. The proposed amendments remain subject to approval by the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT). The decision followed a recommendation from the planning and housing committee on Nov. 4.

The decision does not approve a particular building or plan, but it brings the property closer to redevelopment.

Saikaley wonders how his community could handle additional development on what’s already such a busy corner.

“Like we always used to say, in Toronto, they just build roads before they build houses. In Ottawa, they build houses and wonder how all the people are going to get around,” Saikaley told the Lookout. “The traffic, they don’t plan ahead for traffic in this city; they just do stuff.”

The intersection began to get busier in 1985 when the Hunt Club Bridge opened, said the longtime resident, who now describes the thoroughfare as a parking lot during rush hour.

“There are near misses and collisions every day,” he said.

Saikaley said he sometimes has to carefully time trips across the Hunt Club Bridge because leaving just a few minutes later can add 12 to 15 minutes to his journey. His concerns are shared by other nearby homeowners, who say the surrounding road network is already struggling to accommodate existing traffic.

In a seven-page opposition letter submitted to the planning and housing committee, Waterbend Lane residents identified traffic as one of their most immediate concerns.

They pointed to congestion on Prince of Wales Drive and West Hunt Club Road, the short northbound left-turn lane, difficult turning movements, pedestrian and cyclist safety, and the possibility of vehicles entering or exiting the development through Waterbend Lane.

Residents also questioned how southbound vehicles on Prince of Wales Drive would safely turn into the property and whether additional turning movements near the intersection would worsen congestion.

The city’s own planning report acknowledges that transportation concerns remain unresolved. In its summary of public comments, staff noted complaints about congestion, turning movements, cyclist safety and access from Waterbend Lane.

Its response was that “Transportation matters will be reviewed in further detail once a specific development is proposed.”

The proposed zoning includes a holding provision requiring a transportation impact assessment before development can proceed through the site plan process.

Making matters more complicated is the possible future widening of Prince of Wales. The city’s report said that space must be protected along the property for the eventual road expansion. However, the project remains unfunded and has only reached the conceptual design stage.

Knoxdale-Merivale Coun. Sean Devine introduced a direction at the Nov. 12 council meeting asking city staff to avoid allowing regular vehicle access to the development from Waterbend Lane, except for servicing vehicles. It was supported by staff.

The property’s planning history stretches back to 2008, when an application was submitted to rezone the land for industrial uses. The file was placed on hold several times before being revived in 2025 following a change in ownership.

After the application was revived, the applicant initially sought permission for buildings as tall as 12 storeys, considerably higher than the four-storey limit normally contemplated under the property’s Neighbourhood designation in Ottawa’s Official Plan.

Following discussions with city staff, the proposed maximum height was reduced to nine storeys, while residential and certain industrial uses were removed. The property is owned by Zena Investment Corporation, with Novatech representing the applicant.

In July 2026, the applicant appealed to the OLT after the city failed to make decisions on the applications within the legislated timelines.

City planning staff attributed the delays to the complexity of airport, environmental, and heritage-related issues, as well as multiple submissions and revisions from the applicant.

Rather than contest the matter through a full tribunal hearing, staff recommended supporting a negotiated settlement.

They argued the revised proposal was appropriate given the property’s location near major roads, existing commercial development and a transit priority corridor. Staff also cited restrictions associated with the Ottawa International Airport, which limit building heights and prohibit residential uses on the property.

But nearby homeowners believe the proposed nine-storey maximum is still excessive.

Saikaley worries it could set a precedent for taller development on surrounding properties, where lower height limits have traditionally applied. A medical building on the other side of the intersection is seven storeys high, while another building across the street is just two storeys high.

“If they let nine storeys go there, I’m going to say I want a six-storey apartment building on my property,” he said. “They’re throwing the height restrictions out the window. That’s the point.”

The opposition letter also questions the city’s decision to use the nearby seven-storey building as a comparison, arguing it is part of a separate business park rather than a property immediately beside residential homes.

Residents instead pointed to 2200 Prince of Wales Dr., where they say the city previously imposed an eight-metre height limit to protect the adjoining neighbourhood.

The proposed zoning would restrict building heights to approximately three storeys within 20 metres of the southern property line, before permitting heights of up to nine storeys farther into the property.

Residents argue the transition is insufficient, particularly because a nine-storey building could begin immediately beyond that 20-metre area.

“Simple promises of fencing or hedges cannot block out the blinding glare of parking lot security floodlights, glowing commercial signs, and vehicle headlights beaming directly into our windows,” the letter states.

The residents say they would instead welcome businesses that primarily serve the surrounding community, such as medical and dental clinics, professional offices, cafés and neighbourhood-scale pharmacies.

Saikaley said he isn’t necessarily opposed to commercial development. In fact, a car dealership, which previously faced opposition from residents, is beginning to look more appealing to him than the possibility of a nine-storey hotel.

“What’s the perfect solution? I don’t know, but this process is flawed, and we’ve been shafted as homeowners,” he said.

City staff maintain that the proposed settlement includes safeguards requiring further analysis before construction on any development can proceed. Those include geotechnical, transportation, servicing, environmental, heritage, and noise studies, which must be completed to the city’s satisfaction as part of a future site plan application.

The property’s proximity to the Rideau River has also raised environmental concerns.

According to the city’s report, portions of the site contain steep slopes, floodplain areas and natural features associated with a tributary of the Rideau River. Residents worry about erosion — where landslides were once a problem — stormwater runoff and the potential impact of development on the surrounding natural environment.

Under the proposed settlement, environmentally sensitive portions of the property would be rezoned as protected open space, with development prohibited within 30 metres of the river’s high-water mark.

Parks Canada has reviewed the setback because the waterway forms part of the Rideau Canal UNESCO World Heritage Site.

City staff say the revised zoning, environmental protections and future technical studies will ensure development is compatible with the surrounding area.

In its report to council, staff concluded that the proposal’s location at the intersection of two arterial roads, near other commercial and office uses, made the revised permissions appropriate.

Devine has said he intends to press for an updated transportation impact assessment once the developer identifies exactly what it plans to build.

The matter remains before the Ontario Land Tribunal, with a further proceeding scheduled for Jan. 14, 2027.

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$17,000

That’s how much of an annual raise Ottawa city councillors could receive during the next council term, from $119,692 to $137,000. Mayor Mark Sutcliffe could see an increase of $14,000, bringing the mayoral salary to $228,000 per year. The 2027 draft budget, under the 2026-30 Council Governance Review, will adjust salaries to “align with the current average of single-tier comparator municipalities.” [CTV]

⛸️ The National Capital Commission is considering artificially freezing the northern end of the Rideau Canal to enhance skating conditions in the winter. CEO Tobi Nussbaum told CBC Radio’s Ottawa Morning that the 900-metre stretch from the Corktown Footbridge to the NAC is the most difficult to freeze naturally and that the NCC is reviewing studies recommending the use of refrigeration pipes. Read more. [CBC]

🕑 Two city councillors have put forth a motion urging the city to advocate to the province to end seasonal time changes. Coun. Shawn Menard and Coun. Marty Carr tabled the motion Thursday over concerns that the national capital region could have two time zones if Quebec Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon follows through on a pledge to end the semi-annual time change. Read more. [CTV]

🏗️ Ottawa City Council approved zoning changes Nov. 12 that will allow the development of four 30- to 40-storey towers along Baseline Road. The proposed development at the former Scouts Canada headquarters could include 1,251 housing units and retail spaces. Read more. [CBC]

🚂 Protesters concerned about the development of the Alto high-speed rail project through eastern Ontario arrived in Ottawa Thursday after a 100 km walk along the proposed route. The concerned citizen group will present petitions to Prime Minister Mark Carney, Minister of Transport Steven MacKinnon, Minister of Agriculture Heath MacDonald, and Governor General Louise Arbour. The group says the petition is a “symbolic appeal for recognition of the concerns of Canadians who feel their voices have not been adequately heard.” Read more. [CTV]

🚗 An elderly woman was struck and killed the evening of Nov. 10 at the intersection of Viewmount Drive and Saginaw Crescent. The traffic fatality was the 33rd on Ottawa’s streets this year, making it the deadliest year in more than a decade. Ottawa police are asking for witnesses to reach out with any information they may have. Read more. [Ottawa Citizen $]

🚨 Ottawa police are asking for the public’s help locating 13-year-old girl Nakita Morris-Copenance. She was last seen Nov. 4 and is known to frequent the Rideau Centre and ByWard Market. Morris-Copenance is an Indigenous female, medium build, 5-foot-7 tall, with red-dyed hair and brown eyes. Read more. [Ottawa Citizen $]

👮🏼‍♀️ Ontario Provincial Police have charged an Ottawa driver with careless driving. The driver had the self-driving mode activated in her Tesla on Highway 417 during Tuesday morning rush hour. OPP are reminding the public to “pay due care and attention when behind the wheel.” Read more. [CBC]

🚓 Ottawa police conducted back-to-back traffic enforcement blitzes the first week of November in the south and west districts of the city. Police laid 350 charges, most commonly for speeding. Read more. [Ottawa Citizen $]

🏒 A heavy hit in Tuesday’s game against the Washington Capitals will have Ottawa Senators centre Nick Cousins out for the next few weeks. The Senators ultimately lost to the Capitals 3-2 in overtime. Read more. [CTV]

Wreath & Wine Workshop | 282 Richmond Road, Ottawa | Wednesday, November 25, 5:30–8 PM | Join Savvy Company and Flowers Talk Tivoli for festive wreath-making, Canadian wine tasting, artisan cheese and exclusive holiday shopping. | Reserve your spot >> [Sponsored]

Calm and Creative: Cozy Critters | Ottawa Public Library, Beaverbrook branch | Nov. 13, 2:30 p.m. | Join the Beaverbrook OPL branch in fabricating fuzzy felt friends over a cup of tea | Free

Ten Thousand Villages Fair Trade Christmas Sale | Ottawa Mennonite Church, 1830 Kilborn Ave. | Nov. 13, 3-8 p.m., Nov. 14, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. | Organic and fair trade certified crafts and food from around the world | Free entry

One and Only Craft Fair and Book Sale | Sandy Hill Community Centre, 250 Somerset St. E | Nov. 14, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. | Festive market of handmade work by local Ottawa artisans, paired with a popular book sale | Free entry

Decolonize This Place Beading Workshop | Shenkman Arts Centre | Nov. 14, 2 p.m. | Join Algonquin beadwork artists for a hands-on introduction to the art of beading | Tickets $25

Simple Renaissance Dances | Ottawa Public Library, Rideau branch | Nov. 14, 2-4 p.m. | Learn a selection of simple dances from Renaissance Europe, offered in French and English for adults, including 50-plus | Free

Parkdale Orchestra: Passport to Music | Parkdale United Church, 429 Parkdale Ave. | Nov. 14, 7:30 p.m. | A concert taking you on an international journey of countries and musical styles | Tickets $18-29

KCAG Gift of Art Show & Sale | John G. Mlacak Centre, 2500 Campeau Drive | Nov. 14-15, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Affordable, original art by local Ottawa artists | Free entry

Story Seed Press Bookstore pop-up | STACKT, 60 ByWard Market Square | Until Nov. 28 | Pop-up bookstore in the ByWard Market with everything from kids to YA to spicy romance | Free

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