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October 10, 2013 | 52 pages
OttawaCommunityNews.com
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Contact me with your provincial concerns 1795 Kilborn Ave. 613.736.9573
Parents face off over school wish list
Inside COMMUNITY
Jennifer McIntosh jennifer.mcintosh@metroland.com
An Ottawa delegation prepares to travel to China. – Page 3
The city has hired an independent, bridge engineering firm, Buckland and Taylor, to perform a third-party review of the project. River ward Coun. Maria McRae said she felt the same frustration as her constituents over the two-year construction delay on the bridge, which was originally supposed to be built in 2011.
News - A vote on the Ottawa public school board’s annual wish list pits communities against one another, said Orléans parent Oswold Peters. Peters, along with Lorna Bonvie, a Cumberland resident since 1985, made their case before the board of trustees committee of the whole meeting on Oct. 1. The meeting was to vote for a list of capital priorities. The list is comprised of projects selected by staff in May 2012 that had yet to receive funding. Barrhaven trustee Donna Blackburn proposed an amendment that would see a new Half Moon Bay elementary school nab the top spot over a new school in the Avalon subdivision of Orléans. The change was voted down by the majority of the board. “I realize there wasn’t much appetite to change the list,” Blackburn said. Blackburn said she didn’t think enough work had been done to try and accommodate the extra Orléans students in other schools. “I think we should treat every community fairly,” said Blackburn. Blackburn’s amended list would have pushed an Avalon II school down to the fifth spot on the eightitem list, behind a new Half Moon Bay School, a rebuild for Broadview Public School, an addition to West Carleton Secondary School and an addition to A.Y. Jackson Secondary School. Mark Fisher, a trustee whose area includes south Ottawa, said there’s little appetite for another look at the list.
See BRIDGE, page 3
See FAST, page 2
SPECIAL REPORT
BRIER DODGE/METROLAND
The final instalment of our series on hospice care in Ottawa. – Page 14
COMMUNITY
Spin to win Pam Munro spins the wheel at the Canadian Diabetes Association’s booth at the women’s show at the Ernst and Young Centre on Oct. 6. The show featured vendors, including several non-profits, seminars, and guest speakers.
City puts stop on bridge work Third-party to review after red flags raised over design Sabine Gibbins sabine.gibbins@metroland.com
A new park opens with a ribbon cutting. – Page 25
News - The city has ordered a halt to construction on the Airport Parkway pedestrian and cycling bridge after engineers raised concern over design features. The municipality fired Genivar, the bridge’s original contractor on Sept. 5, and subsequently hired Delcan to review the existing work and plan design modifications. The $6.9-million project includes the bridge, construction of an east-west
pathway between the Hunt Club community and the south east transitway, as well as the Sawmill Creek Constructed Wetland Pathway System. City staff said they are concerned specifically about two parts of the bridge which could hinder its lifespan and maintenance. Nancy Schepers, deputy city manager of planning and infrastructure, said it was her duty to put a stop to the work. “I want to point out how important it is to finish this project, but it has to get to the highest quality standard and the
highest safety standard,” said Schepers, who is also a professional engineer, during a press conference held on Oct. 4. NEW REVIEW
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