Park Seating Survey – by April 17

A big sign of progress in our quest to get more benches for the park has popped up! The city has a survey out for public feedback on a couple of choices, see https://engage.ottawa.ca/champlain-park-seating et en français, c’est https://participons.ottawa.ca/parc-champlain-sieges. Send in your comments by April 17th. Thanks to our councillor Jeff Leiper and the city staff for helping with this project.

I’ll reproduce the designs here, so you can see it at a glance now, and for future reference once the city’s web site has moved on.

Briefly, concept A has the sitting down spot closer to the field / rink, with a curvy bench and one lounge chair, concept B has it close to the field house and with three lounge chairs and a fourth wider lounge chair. Both have a gravel path to the field house. Both avoid interfering with the rink or the ski trail loop.

The other part is a picnic area, just east of the swings. Concept A has it slightly closer (moved south a couple of metres) to the wading pool, removing a pool corner fence and bike rack but being closer to the street light. Concept B keeps the fence and bike rack.

Things to contemplate: the fence kind of separates the pool kids from the rest of the park (is that important?), that bike rack is never used, seats closer to the pool let you keep an eye on the kids, but there are plenty of other benches around the pool.

20260327 Champlain Park New Seating and Picnic Area – Concept A.pdf

20260327 Champlain Park New Seating and Picnic Area – Concept B.pdf

So, what’s the next Big Idea? We (your neighbours running the community association) can assist with the funding and bureaucratic processes, but need your help in coming up with ideas. We’re having an info meeting and brainstorming session at our Bright Ideas event on Tuesday evening April 28 at the field house.

Christmas Tree Recycling

Recycle your Christmas Tree at the Champlain Park Baseball Diamond, anytime in January!!

It’s now time to collect trees in our neighbourhood at the park, as I am reminded by the appearance of the now traditional Kìchì Sìbì Winter Trail / Facebook post:

Now accepting Xmas trees. Drop off at Remic Rapids parking lot ONLY. Please remove all tinsel and other foreign objects. (But don’t rush it! Enjoy your tree as long as you can.)

The ones dropped off at the park will get used, though we’ll divert some for decorations for the Winter Carnival and rink windbreaks.

Blind Spot Experience – October 2

Pedestrians and cyclists – how to avoid blind spots and be seen in low light

Come and experience firsthand the dangers of a large vehicle’s blind spots and learn how to make sure you can be seen. The City of Ottawa is holding an interactive demonstration to help pedestrians and cyclists learn how to stay safe.

Continue reading “Blind Spot Experience – October 2” →

City Zoning By-Law Open Houses – September 25, 29

Following up on City Zoning By-Law Draft 2 Survey there are a couple of open houses remaining to discuss the zoning changes. See https://engage.ottawa.ca/zoning for details and background material.

Virtual Zoom city-wide Open House on September 25, 6:00 to 8:00 PM:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/9aJzC-BpRKu05GWA2yl4JQ#/
In person September 29, Ottawa Conference and Convention Centre, 200 Coventry Rd, 6:00 to 8:30 PM.

Island Park Drive Walking Tour – September 21

Heritage Ottawa recently posted about a walking tour of Island Park Drive history that may be of interest to Champlain Park residents. Visit https://shop.heritageottawa.org/en/2025-walking-tour-season to sign up, and for details about time and place.

A heritage asset of the National Capital Commission opened in 1923, Island Park Drive was designed to extend the Capital parkway system, which continues to preserve the original design intentions as well as many of the original homes along its entire length. As one of Ottawa’s most prestigious historical neighbourhoods, Island Park Drive has been home to many prominent Canadians who contributed significantly to the economic and cultural development of Ottawa. Residents have included legendary jeweller Jack Snow, printing tycoon Rolla Law Crain, W.H. Taylor Arkley, “the tailor,” and Daniel and Lucy Rochester, and Dr. Stafford Kirkpatrick, a Queen’s University metallurgical genius.

The guide is Jennifer Hornby Gillespie, a long-time resident, long-time board director and Past-President of the Island Park Community Association, who worked for 30 years in the technology sector.

Tunney’s Pasture Draft Plan of Subdivision

The next step in bringing the Tunney’s Pasture Master Plan from vision to reality is now underway. The Draft Plan of Subdivision (DPS) application for the site has been submitted to the City of Ottawa and documents are available for the public’s review and input on the City’s DevApps site.

The Draft Plan of Subdivision is an important step in bringing to life our vision for transforming Tunney’s Pasture from a single-use employment centre into a vibrant transit-oriented and sustainable mixed-use community that is integrated with surrounding neighbourhood.

It shows things like:

Where roads, parks, and pathways will go.
How the land will be divided into blocks or lots for future housing, offices, community amenities, or public spaces.
How services like water, sewer, and electricity will be laid out.

The DPS sets the groundwork before any detailed building designs are made. Once the plan of subdivision is approved, future development can move forward in a way that is consistent with the overall Master Plan, helping us deliver much-needed housing to the community!

Share Your Thoughts

Councillor Jeff Leiper will be hosting a public meeting on September 22 between 6:30 – 8:30 pm to hear feedback and answer questions from residents.

6:30 to 7:30 pm – Residents can drop-in and view project boards
7:30 to 8:30 pm – Residents can partake in a Town Hall question and answer period

Location: Wellington Room
Hintonburg Community Centre
1064 Wellington St. W, Ottawa, ON K1Y 2Y3

Stay Involved

We encourage you to review the application summary and reports and use the button on the page to send your feedback to the City by Friday, October 3rd.

Update from Neighbours for Tunney’s

Neighbours for Tunney’s has another newsletter update on the Tunney’s Pasture redevelopment plan. Quoting from it, the first three results from their recent survey are:

Prioritize green space and parks – Since a majority of respondents emphasized the need for parks and recreational areas, planners should ensure ample green space is integrated into the design, with features like playgrounds, walking paths, natural areas and seating areas (Ottawa’s Official plans outline targets).
Facilitate grocery store development – The strong demand for grocery stores suggests engaging with grocery retailers early to establish convenient access to fresh food and everyday essentials.
Invest in recreation and sports facilities – Including a multi-use recreation center, swimming pool, skating rink, and/or sports field would address a major community desire for accessible sport, fitness and leisure options (Ottawa’s official Recreation plan includes targets).

The newsletter has the rest of the top ten, a link to more detailed survey results, and ideas on what to do next.

City Zoning By-Law Draft 2 Survey – July 11

The deadline of the survey asking what you think about zoning has been extended to July 11. Heather says that this is an opportunity to tell the City what you think. Your input is important, even if you don’t answer every question. There also are options to leave comments.

From: New Zoning By-law / Noveau reglement de zonage <newzoning@ottawa.ca>
Date: Wed, 2 Jul 2025 at 11:36
Subject: Help Shape Ottawa’s Future: Zoning By-law Survey Extended to July 11 | Façonnez l’avenir d’Ottawa : le sondage sur le Règlement de zonage est prolongé jusqu’au 11 juillet

The City of Ottawa’s new Zoning By-law Review Project is inviting residents, businesses, and community stakeholders to participate in the Draft 2 Survey for the new Zoning By-law.

The survey deadline has now been extended to July 11, 2025 and the findings will be released in September along side the release of Draft 3 of the Zoning By-law Provisions.

What the Survey Covers

The Draft 2 Survey focuses on several key topics, including:

Building heights and transition areas in neighbourhood zones
High-rise development along Mainstreets
Permissions for communal parking lots
Zoning considerations in rural areas

Feedback from this survey will help refine the next version of the By-law, Draft 3, which is scheduled for release on September 8, 2025.

Take the Survey now and feel free to share the link:
https://engage.ottawa.ca/embeds/projects/28126/survey-tools/52803

[…]

Drinking Location in Champlain Park

Posted on the City of Ottawa website as of July 4, 2025: Personal Consumption of alcohol is now permitted in Champlain Park but only in the authorized zones marked with green stripes (SouthWest corner near Clearview/Cowley) as shown in the map below.

Alcohol is not allowed in any other area, except by permit.

Restrictions

Alcohol may not be:

consumed within five meters of specified park amenities
amenities listed on the signage that are applicable to Champlain Park: playgrounds, playground equipment, wading pools, sports fields, ball diamonds, rink boards
consumed in rented parks and facilities during events, except by permission
sold, supplied or served without a permit

Individuals consuming alcohol must:

be 19 years of age or older
be consumed between 11 am and 9 pm
take all empty alcoholic beverage containers home
not drink, drive, be intoxicated in public or cause a disturbance

Councillor in the Park – July 15

City councillor Jeff Leiper’s newsletter #443 informs us that…

Pop-up office hours in Champlain Park July 15

I’ll be doing my last pop-up before putting those on their usual summer hiatus on July 15 from 1-4 pm at Champlain Park (140 Carleton Avenue). If it’s raining, look for us in the field house. Pop-ups are an opportunity to come by any time during those hours without appointment to chat with me one-on-one about whatever is on your mind.