GCA looks at the big picture

The bright sun and good snow on a Saturday in January were perfect for skiing. But instead of hitting the slopes or trails, members of the Glebe Community Association Board of Directors gathered in a room in the Glebe Community Centre to take part in a board retreat.

The “big picture” session began with a review of the GCA’s history and accomplishments since its founding in 1967. Just two examples: Glebe Avenue was not turned into an expressway that would have connected to what is now Old Ottawa East and beyond. And the wall of apartment buildings planned for the Queen Elizabeth Driveway that would have hemmed in the community was never built.

The gathering was facilitated by Glebe resident Don Hall who led us through conversations about the GCA’s strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and challenges in the future, and how to define success. At the end of the afternoon, the walls were covered in flip chart paper loaded with thoughts and ideas.

After three years of (mostly) Zoom meetings, it was good to get together and share ideas and perspectives. Big thanks to Don for leading us through a fun process, VP Colette Downie for proposing a retreat, and the group who helped put it together.

The results of the retreat will be distilled into a report and reviewed at a future meeting.

More trees

When Lansdowne was redeveloped over a decade ago, new trees were planted along Bank Street. These trees haven’t done well. Some have died. Some are just stunted. You’d think they were planted in concrete, and you wouldn’t be too far wrong. Jon McLeod from Councillor Shawn Menard’s office explained that seven stunted trees will be removed and 11 new large trees will be planted in new soil cells. These cells will provide more space for roots and will make watering easier. The goal: healthy trees with fuller canopies. Two other trees will be planted on Glebe Avenue just west of Bank Street, also in a new soil cell, replacing trees that vanished at that site years ago.

Hollywood Glebe

It’s hard to miss the fact that the Glebe has become a favourite setting for the film industry. Several times a year a line of white trucks needed to support, house and feed cast and crew can be found along different streets. While it’s great to have this activity in the area, concerns have been raised about the effects of the “base camps” and staging required. This includes the use of diesel generators, noise and other pollution on neighbourhood streets (especially on Clemow alongside Patterson Inlet) and crews decamping noisily in the middle of the night.

Recognizing the benefits the industry brings to the city, the board felt the need for a regulatory framework similar to how film production is managed in Los Angeles and Toronto. The board passed a motion that would restrict base camps to designated parking lots, limit the hours that production crews set up and tear down in neighbourhoods to avoid sleep disruption, and control the number of permits to prevent particular sites from becoming permanent sets.

Police update

Ottawa Police Constable Meagan Arbuthnot, the Glebe’s community police liaison officer, reported that, based on their statistics, crime levels have been relatively stable over the last couple of years. This led to questions about how incidents are counted and reflected in the stats, and how online reports are counted versus phone calls. Constable Arbuthnot also talked about the importance of anti-theft registration for bicycles and the suggestion was made that police set up a registration booth at the Great Glebe Garage Sale in May.

Committee reports

The Transportation Committee provided a brief update on a federal Active Transportation Fund grant received to create an action plan that focuses on a safe, inclusive, active transportation neighbourhood aligned with the City of Ottawa Transportation Plan, which is in a final round of public consultation. The next step will be a Request for Proposals. The project will include public consultations and result in a plan that will go to the board for approval. Stay tuned for further developments.

The Great Glebe Garage Sale takes place on May 27th this year and planning is underway. There was a discussion on ways to increase donations to the Food Bank given the increasing stress that this important community service is under. As well, there is a need to develop backup plans in case of inclement weather. Last year’s derecho storm – which happened just before the big sale – was a sign that holding events “rain or shine” may not be realistic in this age of climate emergency.

Some good news to end with: the Health, Housing and Social Services Committee reports that its advocacy work to have the parking lot at Chamberlain and Bank used for affordable housing continues to make progress at City Hall. It looks promising that this parcel of land will be designated as surplus and sold to an affordable housing provider for development. The Committee would like to thank Miles Krauter from Shawn Menard’s office and Peter Giles from the City of Ottawa for their help in moving this file forward and listening to the community.

John Crump

President Glebe Community Association

Shawn Menard Councillor, Capital Ward

N 613-580-2487

E capitalward@ottawa.ca T @capitalward

E shawn.menard@ottawa.ca www.shawnmenard.ca