Ed McKenna
Cornerstone on Eccles
Sarah Davis of Cornerstone Housing Association for Women and Kyla Tanner of the Centretown Affordable Housing Development Corporation gave a special presentation to the DCA meeting on March 2. The subject was the redevelopment of the former École St. Dominique at 44 Eccles Street.
Most recently, this building has provided office space for multiple organizations. There is a proposal now for the former francophone girls’ school to be converted into supportive housing for women. The redevelopment will include 46 studio apartments, as well as office space and amenity areas.
The discussion that followed supported the redevelopment proposal. However, several members expressed concern that the site plan still includes 20 parking spaces and that an opportunity to add greenspace has been overlooked. It was suggested that a portion of the old asphalt parking lot behind the building be replaced with grass and trees.
The DCA will write to the city requesting that the building site plan be amended to include landscaping, with trees, in the southwest corner of the property.
Has the city been returned to us?
The occupation has become a protest and the semi-permanent encampment on the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway is now an occasional peaceful demonstration‒except for the guy with the bullhorn at Fleck Fountain Plaza.
The truckers’ convoy was still on the agenda at the March meeting. DCA President Catherine Boucher reviewed the letter sent to the mayor and the police chief on February 8: “When will our city be returned to us?” the letter asks. “And when that happens, we expect a fulsome report on how this came to be. We also deserve an apology for having to live under siege for so long.”
The mayor’s response will be on the agenda for next month’s regular meeting.
Vacant Buildings in Dalhousie
Members of the DCA’s Peaceable Neighbourhood Committee met with the city’s Emergency and Protective Services Department on February 23 to discuss the Vacant Building Strategy Review.
Vacant buildings in Dalhousie impact the health of the community. Abandoned buildings and empty lots depress property values, look bad and can be places where bad things happen.
The committee pointed out some vacant properties where it is suspected illegal drugs are used and sold. Squatters are a public safety concern and have been linked to building fires. Other properties are hosts to rodents and accumulate waste. And many of these properties were once homes and now stand unused with housing urgently needed.
City policymakers are preparing a draft report and will be seeking further comment from the DCA next month.
Community Garden
Some DCA members met with the coordinators of the local community garden last month to prepare for another busy season at the raised beds at Somerset and Preston. There may be a handful of plots still available. Hopeful gardeners should contact: dcacommunitygarden@gmail.com
Annual General Meeting
The DCA will hold its annual general meeting in May and is hoping it can be in person. It will feature guest panelists who will discuss: How tall is tall, how green is green, how affordable is affordable? Intrigued?
For more news about the upcoming AGM and what’s happening in Dalhousie, contact: president@ottawadalhousie.ca