2012 forecast to be one of fulfillment for Kanata North

Posted Jan 5, 2012 By Marianne Wilkinson

EMC News - Like many of you I spent the Christmas Season with family and friends, enjoying time with those that we only see occasionally and eating too much!

I also worked on getting the number of emails awaiting a response down to a reasonable number and thinking about what the key issues will be over the coming year.((

In Kanata North the community will be dealing with a number of zoning issues in existing communities and with plans to start to develop the city-owned lands in the Kanata Town Centre.

Installation of services and later construction of homes will occur on the Richardson lands and Minto's stacked townhouse developments in Morgan's Grant and Briarbrook will begin.

Work will also start on development of Minto's Arcadia development off Huntmar later in the year.

Plans for the new outlet mall will come forward for zoning approval and the OMB will make its final decision on the expansion lands for the urban area, likely including lands along March Road north of Maxwell Bridge.

Major studies will continue on the drainage issues for lands draining into the Beaver Pond and Kizell wetlands and the wetlands will be formally added to the city's official plan as a provincially significant wetland.

The KNL developments north of the wetlands will have the archaeology study, being done by the Algonquins of Ontario, completed.

I've been informed that the study north of the Beaver Pond itself is finished so that work to remove stumps will be undertaken over the winter. Any development on the KNL lands has to await completion of the drainage studies as well as proper drainage plans that will not negatively impact other lands.

I plan to hold an International Women's Day breakfast again in 2012 as well as my annual summer picnic.

Community activities, which are fun for all, will continue to be held by Community Associations.

The Annual Canada Day in Kanata will be a big hit as well as the Capital Hoedown. Businesses in the Kanata North Business Park will make a decision on having a Business Improvement Area there and some improvements will be made to our transit system within and to Kanata.

Construction will begin on the widening of Highway 417 from March Road to the Toronto turnoff, including major work on the March/Eagleson Bridge - which will be reduced to three lanes during the construction season.

The Recreation Complex will be under construction, a design for the library expansion approved and construction started to change the Beaverbrook Branch into the District Library for the western part of Ottawa.

I will continue to have regular Ward Council meetings, with the first on Jan. 30, where progress on the zoning issue for 2 The Parkway will be discussed. In February, the Mayor has agreed to come to outline City wide issues and respond to your questions and I hope to have a presentation in March on the final plans for the Recreation Complex and options on the designs for the library expansion.

As a city councillor and particularly as chair of the transportation committee, I will also be dealing with a number of city wide issues.

These will include approving the contract for the light rail project (LRT) before the end of the year, choosing an alignment for the next phase of the LRT from Tunney's Pasture to Baseline Station, improving the bus transit system, implementing work to reduce sewage overflow to the Ottawa River, making major changes to the system in Glen Cairn where flooding has occurred, moving to twice a week garbage pickup with weekly green bin pickup, starting work on a new Official Plan and Master Transportation Plan, continuing to maintain our existing infrastructure, using technology to improve service while keeping costs down and much more.

Community reminders

Bus schedules change effective Jan. 8. Check your route to ensure that you know of changes in both bus routes and bus arrival times. Note: put in the date you will be travelling to get the correct information.(

Tobogganing Hills are now open, including the one in Walter Baker Park. For other locations go to ottawa.ca. Outdoor rinks, which are maintained by community groups, are also becoming available due to the recent colder weather.

Details are at ottawa.ca/skating.

Contact me at 613-580-2474, email Marianne.Wilkinson@ottawa.ca, or visit www.mariannewilkinson.com to keep up to date on community matters.