by David Gladstone
Confederation Park, by Lisa Barber
For fairly obvious reasons, the pace of development and transportation proposals slows down during the summer, providing time to enjoy the many pleasures of summer. It also provides a useful pause to reflect on Centretown’s past and future, while enjoying its present.
The good news is that Centretown in 2012 is very much a great community in which to live, work, and play. Walking, cycling, and transit are major ways of getting around, our parks are well-used, and many bistros and restaurants have tree-shaded patios.
The ongoing challenge is to allow modest redevelopment which respects our well-established neighbourhoods and built heritage, and is based on our walking, cycling, and transit infrastructure.
There is another element of Centretown that needs understanding and respect: our community is largely built on drained wetland. In most of Centretown, bedrock is well beneath the surface, limiting building heights. It’s rarely mentioned in reports, but the limits on what can be supported limit building heights in Centretown much more than in the central areas of Montreal and Toronto.
Centretown built on drained wetland
A fundraising run on Elgin Street gives people a chance to take advantage of the weather for a good cause.
Loyal readers will recall stories in The BUZZ on the importance of drainage to Centretown and descriptions of the cedar swamp to the south of Barracks Hill (now Parliament Hill) which greeted Lt-Col. By and his Royal Engineers when they arrived to build the Rideau Canal.
The issue became literally visible about 10 years ago when the century-old sewers under Bank and Elgin Streets were replaced. Centretown residents saw, briefly, the large pipes under these streets which carry rainwater to the Ottawa River. These pipes play a central role in our community, as without them the marshes that greeted Lt-Col. By would return.
A visible indication of the role played by these large pipes is provided during heavy summer downpours when we see sheets of water on our streets.
Less visible but well documented is that most of Centretown is built on drained wetland, or cedar swamp, this being the reason that there were no First Nations settlements in what is now Centretown. And we’re used to not seeing rock outcrops south of Parliament Hill. The absence of rock to build on has, in fact, led to the street-oriented Centretown we live, work, and play in. Property owners and developers are generally quiet on the subject, but building on drained wetland limits building sizes, which helps explain the absence of strong resistance to the Centretown Plan’s limits on building heights.
65 Lisgar
Lit bicycles brightened the streets at Capital Velo Fest’s Tour la Nuit on June 2.
The building foundation issue has come to the surface in discussion of a development proposed for 65 Lisgar, the concern being that building at this site will affect the foundations of neighbouring buildings. This can be seen as a “limits to growth” issue and its resolution will have general application in Centretown.
Canada Day and the summer festival season are here
Yes, folks, the great Canada Day party returns on July 1, with Captain Canada returning at midnight, Newfoundland time, on June 30. Our streets will come alive and the fireworks—for which we have front-row seats!—will be awesome. Isn’t our country—and its capital—great?
Before Canada Day, we have the TD Ottawa International Jazz Festival to enjoy, starting on June 21. On July 4, Bluesfest returns, with the HOPE Volleyball Tournament providing a great reason to cycle or take a bus to Mooney’s Bay Park.