Parks, Plazas and Open Spaces - Page 7

SL123 · #**121** Posted **Jun 15, 2024, 9:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by J.OT13

WEP plaza looks good. I should check it out soon.

City of Ottawa's practice of closing stairs for winter and not reopening is annoying.

Lets just say those stairs were not "closed for winter" there's another reason why those stairs where closed and I dont expect them to reopen anytime soon. Think Waller Mall...

BlueJay · #**122** Posted **Jun 15, 2024, 9:45 PM**

I hope to one day eat food here, listen to some type of show and possibly use a washroom legally.[/QUOTE]

This project is looking great. Getting ready for the 3 day work week crowd starting this fall!

SweazyCavalry · #**123** Posted **Jun 15, 2024, 9:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by eltodesukane

Stairs on Rideau behind Shoppers Drug Mart to Besserer and Nelson.
Still closed... waiting to make sure the snow is gone?

Wait another 1 1/2 weeks, and a group of citizens may just cut the locks

lrt's friend · #**124** Posted **Jun 16, 2024, 1:08 AM**

You cannot have stairs without ramps for those who are mobility challenged.

vtecyo · #**125** Posted **Jun 16, 2024, 2:39 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by J.OT13

WEP plaza looks good. I should check it out soon.

City of Ottawa's practice of closing stairs for winter and not reopening is annoying.

According to Geo Ottawa they're entirely on private property - I think this must be the landlord/Shopper's decision to keep them closed.

Uhuniau · #**126** Posted **Jul 10, 2024, 7:19 PM**

The pavers at WEP Plaza 2.0 are already showing heave and unevenness.

J.OT13 · #**127** Posted **Jul 12, 2024, 1:37 PM**

Posted the map in 2021, but not the article. Wish the gradient on the map was a little more obvious, red, yellow and green. The two hectares per 1,000 residents across the board doesn't consider the reality of apartment dwellers vs suburbanites with backyards vs rural residents with acres of land. Cleary, the urban areas should include more hectares per 1,000 residents.

I don't believe NCC land is included, but the value of those lands differ depending on what they include (Westboro Beach vs empty grass lands).

Quote:

More pickleball courts, no new wading pools in city's recreation plans
Public delegations worry how Ottawa will build facilities, expand parks in the core

Kate Porter · CBC News · Posted: May 21, 2021 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: May 21, 2021

The City of Ottawa has set targets for the new recreation facilities and parks it will need to build as the population grows, and it sees far more pickleball courts and splash pads, but no more lawn bowling greens or wading pools.

Many who addressed the community and protective services committee Thursday, however, were most concerned with how the city would add green space and sports facilities in older urban areas under pressure from development, while also meeting the needs of kids in disadvantaged areas.

"The outer rings have both the best school facilities and the best city facilities," said Leo Doyle, pointing to the big, modern recreation facilities in Barrhaven, Kanata and Orléans.

Doyle works with youth through the Ottawa Shooting Stars basketball league and said inner areas are sorely lacking city-owned, standard-sized gymnasiums and sports fields.

The Ontario government requires the city to map out this first-ever master plan for its parks and recreation facilities and tie it to its big new official plan. Both final documents will be voted on by city councillors in September.

Staff took an inventory of 22 types of recreational facilities, from recreation centres to artificial turf fields to skateboard parks, and calculated how many exist per capita in various parts of the city.

39 new pickleball courts

The city has now set goals like having one recreation centre for every 50,000 people, instead of one for every 43,000.

It's also come up with a list of facilities it hopes to build over the next decade, including:

a new 50-metre pool
four community centres
two arena ice surfaces
36 outdoor ice rinks
two cricket pitches
44 grass sports fields
six skateboard parks

Staff also see building 39 more pickleball courts. While Ottawa already far surpasses other Canadian cities when it comes to pickleball amenities, the number of local players is expected to double in the coming years — and no other sport attracted as many comments during virtual public meetings.

Many of the targets could yet change, recreation general manager Dan Chenier cautioned, because the city is waiting for updated population projections from colleagues working on the official plan.

Parkland per person

Some community associations argued the targets should be set at the neighbourhood level, not for vast sectors set out in the future official plan that combine areas as different as Alta Vista and Mechanicsville.

Residents of the City View area just west of Merivale Road described their lack of parks. The Hintonburg Community Association, meanwhile, said it's nowhere close to meeting the city's goal of two hectares of city park per 1,000 residents, and will end up with even less parkland as more infill development takes place.

"Parks, green space, open space is really vital when you have none of your own or very little where you live," said Hintonburg's Cheryl Parrott.

Staff explained the city will eventually need to buy property in older areas to deal with their lack of city parks.

After the recreation facilities plan is approved this fall, staff will come up with ways to acquire land, whether from the city's surplus, real estate purchases or the repurposing of existing facilities.

City staff will hold more community consultation on its plans for new recreational facilities from now until mid-June.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-draft-parks-recreation-master-plan-committee-1.6034367

RogueNacho · #**128** Posted **Jul 30, 2024, 7:48 PM**

The World Exchange Plaza is now open and accessible. Had a quick walkthrough the other day to take a look around (sorry, no pictures). Overall, it seems quite nice as far as plazas go. They did a nice job with the choices for greenery and I quite like the colourful hanging tarps. Does anyone know what the wooden structure is actually for? When I walked around, it was shuttered closed with a gate, but it doesn't even look like anything is inside it.

urbanforest · #**129** Posted **Jul 30, 2024, 10:18 PM**

Here, I’ve got some photos I meant to share earlier this month. Taken July 1.

J.OT13 · #**130** Posted **Jul 31, 2024, 1:49 PM**

Looks really good. Hoping that space behind the wooden wall is some sort of cantina or bistro.

J.OT13 · #**131** Posted **Jan 28, 2025, 8:58 PM**

The NCC revealed the Canadian Paramedic Monument site last week at Dow's Lake near the new Civic Hospital:
NCC Presentation: https://ncc-website-2.s3.amazonaws....ument-Site-Selection-FINAL-DRAFT_SB_EV_MJ.pdf

J.OT13 · #**132** Posted **Mar 28, 2025, 12:52 PM**

Place du Vieux-Marché in Buckingham.

https://www.ledroit.com/actualites/actua...e-buckingham-7RLF6R6RWREJLMOKDTXXECQSCQ/

rocketphish · #**133** Posted **May 28, 2025, 1:53 PM**

Alcoholic beverages will be allowed in select Ottawa parks this summer

By Josh Pringle
Updated: May 27, 2025 at 3:19PM EDT | Published: May 27, 2025 at 11:46AM EDT

Parkgoers could be able to enjoy a cold alcoholic beverage in Ottawa’s parks this summer, with councillors and residents choosing the parks where beer, wine and coolers can be enjoyed.

Councillors on the community services committee approved a pilot project to allow alcohol consumption in designated areas of parks selected by councillors.

An amendment, presented by Coun. Ariel Troster Tuesday morning, said the councillor in each ward will work “in consultation with the (Public Works) general manager and their communities to identify eligible parks and decide on designating them, or not, to permit personal consumption of alcohol.”

The current bylaw prohibits alcoholic beverages in a park, except at events with a park rental permit and a special occasion permit.

If approved by council, alcoholic beverages will be allowed in select parks between July 1 and Oct. 31. Under the plan, alcohol will not be allowed to be consumed at beaches, sports fields and around playground equipment.

The rules for alcohol in parks include:

No alcohol consumption before 11 a.m. and after 9 p.m. or hours designated by the general manager.
No person shall possess or consume alcohol within a five-metre radius of a playground or playground equipment, wading pools or splash pads or outdoor pools, beaches, parking lots, natural or artificial ice rinks, and at sports fields, sports courts and ball diamonds.

Bylaw Services director Roger Chapman says a “robust” summer student program will have 20 student bylaw officers assigned to parks for proactive enforcement.

“The proactive enforcement in the parks is really driven by complaints,” Chapman told the committee. “We keep a list of parks where we’re getting significant complaints for and that’s where we really focus our enforcement.”

Chapman says Bylaw Services is not anticipating an increase in complaints about alcohol in parks.

The city received 42 calls for open alcohol and drinking in parks in 2024, with 10 tickets issued under the Parks and Facilities Bylaw.

Troster says she wants the city to make sure other park users can access the park.

“As long as people properly dispose of their cans and are not acting in a way that is harmful to others, I really don’t care what they’re consuming,” Troster said.

“I’m happy to see this to come forward as a pilot. I want to assure my residents I’m not going to choose Dundonald Park as a site for this pilot, although people are, absolutely, consuming alcohol there and I think we should be clear about the fact that this is bylaw that is largely not being enforced unless there are other factors involved.”

Both the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) and Ottawa Public Health have raised health, safety and security concerns about allowing alcohol consumption in parks.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/article/al...owed-in-select-ottawa-parks-this-summer/

zzptichka · #**134** Posted **May 28, 2025, 3:32 PM**

Quote:

An amendment, presented by Coun. Ariel Troster Tuesday morning, said the councillor in each ward will work “in consultation with the (Public Works) general manager and their communities to identify eligible parks and decide on designating them, or not, to permit personal consumption of alcohol.”

The amount of bureaucracy and person-hours going into this is insane. Wish Denley or Adam wrote an oped on that, instead of the usual whining about parking and LRT.

Uhuniau · #**135** Posted **May 28, 2025, 4:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by rocketphish

“As long as people properly dispose of their cans and are not acting in a way that is harmful to others, I really don’t care what they’re consuming,” Troster said.

Meanwhile, Councillor, the city and NCC have been removing public waste and recycling containers from public spaces.

Can collectors will gladly "dispose" of cans, but maybe there ought to be a clean and appropriate place for people to leave them if they're too lazy to pack them back out of the park (which many are.)

kwoldtimer · #**136** Posted **May 28, 2025, 4:13 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

Meanwhile, Councillor, the city and NCC have been removing public waste and recycling containers from public spaces.

Can collectors will gladly "dispose" of cans, but maybe there ought to be a clean and appropriate place for people to leave them if they're too lazy to pack them back out of the park (which many are.)

Are they?