by Joan Spice The Centretown Community Design Plan (CDP) is being developed by the City of Ottawa to provide a twenty-year guideline for the development of Centretown. It was launched in response to recent development proposals and the need to…
Category: April 2012
Invest Ottawa needed now more than ever
by Jim Watson, Mayor of Ottawa Ottawa is often labelled as a “government town.” As the Nation’s Capital, we house much of the federal bureaucracy, important provincial government offices and of course the offices of the City of Ottawa. The three…
A literary lover’s guide to Centretown: from sex shops to churches
by Amanda Earl What do Centretown churches, a sex shop, galleries, theatres, pubs & cafés have in common? They are all sites of literary activity in the city. It’s springtime and Ottawa is blooming with readings, spoken word showcases, book…
The Gouda Life: Shrimp, Radish and Asparagus Salad
by Kelly Brisson Spring is in the air. Though Mother Nature thought it humorous to tease us into believing it was here two months early, the joke is truly on her – spring hasn’t strayed far from Ottawa and I…
Transportation, heritage key to CDP
by David Gladstone Transportation needs to be a major subject of the CDP. Centretown is a modest success story for policies favouring walking, cycling, and transit, and requires that success to be recognized and improved upon in city planning and…
Some good points, some changes needed in Design Plan
by Judy Forrest, Centretown Community Citizens’ Association The CCCA has been an active participant in the process to develop the Centretown Community Design Plan (CDP) from the start in the summer of 2009. The CCCA had several members in the Public…
The dollars and sense of solving poverty
by Natasha Beaudin, Centretown CHC Imagine you are standing at the top of Niagara Falls in a windstorm. What would you prefer: a strong railing that prevents you from falling over the falls or a fleet of lifeboats and paramedics…
Farewell to a Community Activist: Joe Cassey, 1926-2012
by P. Marsden-Dole One of the great oaks of Centretown has fallen. Joseph (Joe) St. Leger Cassey died March 23. His passing has been well covered in the local media but the story that is worth telling here is about…
Budget 2012 ignores the needs of Canadians
by Paul Dewar, MP, Ottawa Centre Canadians remain concerned about the government’s plans for retirement security, health care, job creation and rising inequality. They want to see real action on these issues. Unfortunately, the Conservative government’s recently released budget fails…
No concerns about smoking ban
Patio owners not worried; “Education period” will last until July 2 by Dan Neutel The city of Ottawahas decided that all patios must now be smoke free and restaurateurs are in the process of teaching their customers the new rules.…
Backyard Beat: Noisy neighbours
by Const. Khoa Hoang, Ottawa Police Service Downtown businesses shift their focus from the indoors to outdoor summer patios with the welcoming of warmer weather. Many of us, including me, can not resist the enticement of a downtown patio full of…
Writers Festival returns to Elgin Street
by Kathryn Hunt If you happen to spot a prize-winning author or Canadian music icon roaming Elgin Street in late April, you’ll know it’s Writers Festival season. The Spring Edition of the Ottawa International Writers Festival runs April 26 –…
Housing Concerns: Where will I live when I am 84?
by P. Marsden-Dole, chair, CCCA Seniors Committee As we in Centretown watch so many approvals for new condos passing through the hands of the municipal planning department and then on through City Council, it is worth considering the housing options…
Centretown Citizens’ Community Association Report
by Jordan Charbonneau, CCCA president Below is some information on just a few of the many ongoing events and initiatives in Centretown in which the Centretown Citizens Community Association is involved. For more information, contact us via the information provided at…
DCA vigilant over development
by Zsofia Orosz DCA Secretary At our meeting on April 3, 2012, discussions about developments in our neighbourhood continued. City Council is looking to change small scale infill zoning regulations. They want to ensure that when land is subdivided in…
Planning for Centretown, then and now
by Daniel Mullaly A long, long time ago planners were calling for the death of Centretown. The city’s future, it was predicted, lay in the growth of the suburbs. Kanata, Gloucester, Nepean and Orleans were all expanding, one subdivision after…