Jack Hanna
Explore new heritage district in western Centretown
The Centretown Community Association (CCA) is working to create two new Heritage Conservation Districts (HCDs) in Centretown.
One would be in western Centretown, between Kent and Bronson; the other in the Golden Triangle, between Elgin and the canal.
The CCA wants new HCDs because they ensure the heritage character of a neighbourhood is retained. Big new apartment or condo buildings can still go up, but they must respect the neighbourhood’s heritage architecture. And if a big new building is proposed for a site that has beautiful old red-brick houses, the architectural design must incorporate those Victorian houses and do so in such a way that, for passersby on the street, the heritage streetscape is maintained.
The CCA will recommend boundaries for the new HCDs. It has been conducting walking tours so folks can experience the streets and discuss whether particular city blocks should be included in HCDs or not.
Detailed proposals for HCD boundaries will be finalized in the next few weeks and submitted to the City. For more information: jack.2014@icloud.com
Experience the history before it’s… history
The CCA’s history walking tours will continue at 11 a.m. Sunday mornings until the end of October. Meet at Elgin and Waverley, at the entrance to the Elgin Street Market.
There are two tours, offered on alternating Sundays. Blunders and Beauties explores big boo-boos made by city officials and builders, and Ottawa’s heritage of beautiful architecture.
The other tour, Canal and Communities, discusses the building of the local portion of the Rideau Canal, and the peoples and villages that, back in the day, occupied what now is Centretown.
To see which tour is being offered on a particular Sunday, go to the Events calendar on the CCA’s website.
Fall Festival, Saturday, September 23
The Fall Festival in late September in Dundonald Park saw hundreds come out to enjoy the fine weather and many activities.
Kids made masks and other crafts, sat on the grass for the read-aloud, gobbled free popcorn, and were entranced by magician Mark Montreuil.
Adults could chat with the folks staffing some 20 display tables, about topics as diverse as pollinators, native plants for the garden, indoor composters, retirement and estate planning, caring for the urban tree canopy, and establishing new heritage districts.
The Capital City Stompers, with tuba, guitar and clarinet, had folks smiling and swaying to the music.
The festival was sponsored by the CCA and the Centretown Community Health Centre. See the photos on page 9 of this BUZZ.
Hearty vegetables at Elgin Street Market
Of course there are pumpkins.
The Elgin Street Market is stretching its season until the last Sunday of October.
Expect the stalls to be full of good things associated with autumn: for instance, root vegetables and baking. The root vegetables include Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower. The baking includes apple pies and seasonal breads.
And of course there is a wide variety of the fare always found in the market: produce, organic and not; take-away Italian and Vietnamese foods; artisanal beers and cookies; locally roasted coffees; spicy pickles; and artisanal crafts.
Trouble on the street? Here’s the number to call
Centretown has been chosen to pilot a new type of response to get help for someone having trouble on the street. There will be a 24/7 number – other than 9-1-1 – linking the caller to a dispatcher who can send the appropriate mental-health, outreach, or peer-support workers to de-escalate and deal with the situation.
This meets a big need, says Councillor Ariel Troster. “I receive dozens of emails a week from residents who don’t know what to do when confronted with open drug use, erratic behaviour, or displays of psychological distress by people on our streets or in local businesses and community spaces,” Troster said.
The pilot project is scheduled to start in the summer of 2024.
Opportunity is knocking to create new canal-side park
The Queen Elizabeth Driveway (QED) will be closed to cars for two years starting in 2028, because the roadway will be the construction site for a replacement Queensway bridge over the canal.
The CCA’s Transportation Committee sees an opportunity. If the QED is to be car-free for two years, why not keep it that way permanently?
“The city will adjust to a new reality,” the CCA said in a letter to the city.
The CCA has advocated permanent closure of QED to cars. That would create a park along the west bank of the Rideau Canal, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The CCA envisions a canal-side park with bike and walking pathways, trees aplenty, playgrounds, playing fields, cafes, and performance spaces.