Rehabilitating the ditches

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Having spent most of my life living in Nepean, it’s been interesting to revisit many of these neighbourhoods through a different lens — not just as places I’ve known personally, but as communities navigating growth, change and the challenges that come with it. And if there’s a story you think deserves more attention, send us an email. Chances are if it matters to you, it matters to your neighbours too.

Today we head back to City View, where debate continues over the future of the neighbourhood’s aging ditch system. While the city says rehabilitating the decades-old infrastructure is necessary to address flooding concerns, some residents worry the work could come at the expense of mature hedges, trees and the greenery that has long defined the area’s character. Others question why modern storm sewers aren’t being considered instead.

And be sure to scroll down to our community highlights section for updates from across Nepean — from Qualicum-Graham Park and Bells Corners to Barrhaven and beyond.

Let’s get to it!

— Charlie Senack, Ottawa Lookout managing editor

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By Charlie Senack. Read the story online here.

When Terry Laurenzio moved to City View 35 years ago, it felt like a pocket of country living in the middle of the city. Homes built over various decades sit on large lots with mature trees, shrubs and other greenery. It’s located just blocks away from the busy Merivale Road, but in its streets, there is a sense of quiet.  

Laurenzio's wife grew up in the neighborhood, so it was always an obvious choice for them to settle there. When they stumbled upon his home of three and a half decades, the couple immediately knew they wanted it thanks to the earthly privacy it offered. 

“No matter what window I looked out, all I saw was green,” he said. “We used to live on Fifth Avenue in the Glebe, so this was a big change. It was almost like country living in the city.  

But little by little, Laurenzio said that feeling is disappearing.

Older, family-style homes are being torn down and replaced by larger infill projects — many of which cater to students. Mature trees are coming down and new ones aren’t always being planted. Properties that once had grass, gardens and shade are being paved over. 

Now, with the City of Ottawa preparing to begin the first phase of its City View Ditch Rehabilitation project this summer, Laurenzio worries that a hedge that has stood in front of his St. Claire Avenue home for decades could be next.

City staff recently came to his door to explain that ditch work planned along Pender Street could require the ditch to be made deeper and wider. Laurenzio said he was told that could mean cutting into the hedge and possibly damaging its roots.

“She said they would have to shave a fair bit of the hedge and maybe even dig into the roots, which means they would be virtually killing the hedge,” he said. “The hedge has been there for at least 60 years and I’ve always taken care of it.”

The timing was especially frustrating. Laurenzio had just removed a large maple tree from his front yard after it began dying and dropping branches. He said part of the reason he took it down was to protect the hedge from being damaged.

“A week later, I get a knock on the door that they’re probably going to destroy my hedge,” he said. “Little by little, we’re losing all of our green.”

After attending a recent public information session, Laurenzio said he was told the city is looking into what can be done so the hedge does not need to come down. But the experience has left him worried about how the project will unfold for other residents across the neighbourhood.

The city says the ditch work is needed to address long-standing drainage problems in City View, where stormwater infrastructure has deteriorated over decades. According to city documents, the project will rehabilitate the local stormwater drainage system by re-establishing existing ditches and replacing key roadway and driveway culverts. 

The work has been divided into nine phases, with the first five included in the current project and the remaining four to be completed later. Phase 1 construction is expected to begin in summer 2026, with later phases following yearly, depending on funding and approvals.  

The neighbourhood’s drainage system has historically relied on open ditches and culverts. But over time, many ditches have been altered, filled in, blocked or poorly maintained. A 2022 drainage study by Robinson Consultants found City View had “inconsistent drainage infrastructure throughout,” including extended culverts, filled-in ditches, catch basins lacking connectivity, and homes without culverts or ditches. The study also found drainage problems were being worsened by housing intensification, which has increased surface runoff.  

College Ward Coun. Laine Johnson said the work is expected to be disruptive, especially in a neighbourhood where residents have grown accustomed to ditches.

“These ditches, many of them have been grown out for decades and there’s going to be precious hedges, possibly trees, gardens, that type of thing on particular properties in the right of way that are going to pose a problem for the integrity of the storm water system,” Johnson told the Lookout. “That’s going to be really challenging in a neighbourhood that sees less and less shade from trees over time as they’ve been sort of overtaken by some of these oversized developments on their lot.”

Johnson said the city has been trying to avoid surprises by speaking directly with homeowners impacted by the first phase. Still, some residents have questioned why the city is restoring ditches in 2026 instead of installing storm sewers or another more modern system.

Johnson said the answer is partly technical and partly financial. A ditch system, she said, can be as good as — and sometimes better than — storm sewers at managing runoff because it slows water down rather than sending it quickly into an outlet.

“It slows the water down, while a sewer kind of discharges it really fast and it needs to have a place to go,” she said. 

City documents say the ditch system has reached the end of its life cycle, and its renewal is covered under city stormwater rate funding because it is an existing city asset. Any upgrade to a different system, such as storm sewers, would be considered a local improvement under the Municipal Act and would require a petition-based process involving affected property owners. One city FAQ estimated that a hybrid shallow swale system could cost about $80,000 per household.  

Johnson said she has asked city staff to continue examining alternatives and supported a motion asking the city to seek provincial and federal funding to support future alternatives to ditching.

“I moved that motion to try and seek other levels of government support in funding that because to transform the system into something else is far beyond what the city can pay,” she said.

For residents like Laurenzio, the ditch project is only one part of a broader frustration over how City View is changing. He said infill development next door has created water problems on his property that he never experienced in more than three decades living there.

“I now have water problems in the last three years that they’ve been doing that construction next door to me that I never had in the last 35 years,” he said. “The ditches aren’t going to solve that problem. That’s a lot of water.”

Laurenzio said he understands the city needs to restore drainage, but believes the larger issue is how much new runoff is being created as smaller homes are replaced by larger builds.

“They tear down the homes and put two massive homes,” he said. “So the infilling is like, there’s no property left. And again, water still is going to come down. It has to go someplace.”

The city says new building permits include grading and drainage plans that are reviewed to ensure there is no increased impact on surrounding properties. City documents also say new zoning provisions require on-site stormwater management when development increases impermeable surfaces, regardless of whether the project is subject to site plan control.  

Johnson said the city has also added staff capacity to better identify stormwater problems before neighbourhoods experience more intensification. That includes two new positions created through the infrastructure master plan to proactively look at neighbourhoods where infill is expected.

“There’s been a ton of attention paid to how to, on a go-forward basis, not get here again,” Johnson said. “However, I can understand wholeheartedly why residents of City View and Crestview are mistrustful of that.”

For now, the city’s immediate focus is on restoring the drainage system already in place. The standard ditch is expected to be re-established in the city-owned right of way, with ditch depths generally varying between 0.85 and 1.5 metres from the road surface and widths generally between four and seven metres, depending on property slope. Residents are responsible for cutting the grass in ditches. Landscaping features within the right of way that are impacted by ditching may be removed, though the city says forestry staff will be consulted where trees could be affected.  

Laurenzio said he does not oppose drainage improvements. He just wants the city to find a way to do the work without sacrificing more of the greenery that made City View feel special.

“All I’m concerned about is there’s got to be a way to do this without destroying my hedge,” he said. “I don’t think I’m being unreasonable. I totally get it. Reinstating the ditches, I get it. But find another way.”

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🏗️ Residents in the Qualicum-Graham Park neighbourhood are continuing to fight against a proposed development at 2944 Baseline Rd, which would build three high rises, the tallest being 30 storeys. A total of 871 units would be built by Brigil, where a strip mall, including a Dollarama, currently sits. College Ward Coun. Laine Johnson said she has met with developers several times but is disappointed they are continuing to ignore residents' concerns. Read the Lookout’s past coverage here. 

🚧 If you’ve noticed construction fencing up around the Pinecrest Recreational Complex and Park, it’s part of work being done to conduct soil testing at the site. The review follows an Environmental Site Assessment conducted a few years, but is also part of the regular routine for city parks. A new splash pad will also soon be installed there. 

🚗 A reminder when driving around the city that Highway 417‘s eastbound on-ramp from southbound Pinecrest is closed until July 28 as part of LRT Stage 2 construction. Motorists are instead encouraged to travel east on Carling to Woodroffe, where they can access eastbound Highway 417.  

🏫 Parents of children who attend Manordale Public School and John XXIII School are raising concerns about traffic safety during drop-off and pick-up times. Some solutions have been brought forward, including a Neighbourhood Traffic Calming project on Knoxdale Rd, which is expected to be implemented next year. Traffic calming plans are also in the works for Meadowlands Dr and Viewmount Dr between Fisher Ave and Merivale Rd. 

🚙 Several drivers have expressed concerns about lane closures at Cedarview and West Hunt Club. The temporary closure of the eastbound left-turn movement from Hunt Club Road onto Cedarview Road is part of an Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) project to rehabilitate the bridge structure over Highway 416, and is expected to last until Nov. 2026. 

🎸 If you’re a neurodiverse adult with talent to share, the Nepean Rideau Osgoode Community Resource Centre (NROCRC) is hosting a common ground coffee house on May 29, on the last Friday of every month. Find out more. 

😎 The Bell-Air Community Association is gearing up for the Chew “Baca” Summerfeet taking place from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on June 6. The event will feature storytelling with award-winning children’s book author Laurie Campbell, bouncy castles, modern square dancing, and ice cream. Find out more.   

🆓 Emanuel Alliance Church is hosting a free community giveaway on June 6 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. There will be free items, a bouncy castle, car wash, drinks and snacks for everyone. Find out more. 

💡 If you live on Harrison Street, Ottawa Hydro crews will soon be performing work between Greenbank Rd and Barnes Cres. The work will take both under and above ground between May 25 and July 17. 

🛍️ The Qualicum Graham Park community is hosting its annual garage sale on May 30 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. 

🎉 Ben Franklin Place recently celebrated its 38th anniversary. First opening on April 29, 1988 as the city hall for the then township of Nepean, it has since grown to a community building where concerts are held, people visit the library, and skate in the rink outdoors during the winter. As it turns out, almost four decades later, people are still falling in love with the municipal building. Read more. [Nepeanville]

👮‍♂️ The 29-year-old pedestrian struck by a vehicle in Barrhaven last week has died, according to Ottawa Police. The incident took place at the Fallowfield Road and Via Park Place, near the OC Transpo park and ride, at about 7:19 p.m., on May 11. Read more. [CBC]

🕯️ The family of Farnaz Farahan, the Barrhaven mother who was killed in a femicide on April 23, is remembering their loved one as a “loud, vibrant and caring woman.” The grandmother, Nezhat Lashgari, was also seriously injured in the incident, but is expected to make a full recovery. The victim's son, 30-year-old Party Shah, has been charged with second-degree murder and attempted murder. Read more. [CTV]

⛑️ Fire officials helped rescue a Barrhaven child whose foot got stuck in a concrete hole that used to be used as a fence post. Firefighters carefully started digging around the area to expose more of the concrete before using a chisel and a pry bar to break away the cement surrounding the child’s leg and foot. Read more. [CityNews]

🛑 Crossing guards and community members gathered at Weybridge Park on May 3 to remember Peter Clark, who was struck by a vehicle and died at the intersection of Cedarview Road and Kennevale Drive near Mary Honeywell Elementary School on the morning of March 23. The crossing guard was remembered for his friendly smile, with his wife saying the job gave Clark confidence after battling with crippling anxiety. Read more. [CBC] 

Riley’s 5 km Walk for Cancer | 30 Wessex Rd. | May 24, 11 a.m. | Register and donate to help support cancer research

Tuesday Night Trivia at Kelsey's Barhaven | Kelsey’s Original Roadhouse | Tuesdays, 7 p.m. | Brain-teasing questions and fun with friends | Call to reserve

Ottawa Eid Fest | Nepean Sportsplex | May 30, 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. | Come celebrate in the community

Ottawa Farmers’ Market: Barrhaven | Nepean Woods Park & Ride | May 31-Oct. 25, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Local vendors selling fresh produce, food and other goodies | Free

Discover Your Ward by Bike | Ottawa Public Library | June 5, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. | Learn how to navigate around your own community by bike with your local councillor | Free, reservation required

Art in the Garden Show | 76 Blackshire Circle | Jun. 6, 9 a.m. | Annual craft and arts fair, discover new art for your home | Free

Merivale United Church 150th Anniversary Celebration | 1876 Merivale Rd | June 14, 10 a.m. | Come ceberate a major anniversary for the local church | Free

Family Paint Party | Broadway Bar and Grill | June 27, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. | A fun night where you get to create your own, no skills necessary | Tickets $47

Ottawa On Tap Beerfest | 2135 Robertson Rd | July 4, 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. | Beer and good times, an unforgettable beer tasting event | Tickets $20

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Thousands of people flocked to Clarke Fields Park over the Victoria Day long-weekend for the annual rib and poutine fest in Barrhaven