Tag: Pontiac Park Expansion

Progress with Forest Revitalization & Need a Truck

Date: Sat, 03 Oct 2020 18:32:01 -0400
From: DANIEL BUCKLES <dbuckles@sas2.net>

Progress with forest revitalization

Work on three sites in the Champlain Woods (NCC forest) is near completion, with the last section at the Pontiac closure wrapping up soon. Here, some old chain fence buried in shrubs is being removed, along with buckthorn (a non-native invasive plant that dominates much of the forest) and suckers from dead ash trees (unfortunately, ash saplings succumb to the Emerald Ash Borer once they develop thicker bark; the Ash may well never come back in North America). The wood from these will be laid in the cleared space and mounded with earth to create an environment for a butterfly garden while leaving the space open towards the river view (let us know if you want to help with the garden next spring!).

Do you have a truck, and are you willing to haul away the old chain fence to the dump or recycling? Please call Catherine Shearer by email: metshag@gmail.com.

Daniel Buckles
Champlain Park Community Association Environment Committee

Pontiac De-paving Day Photo Review

Community Effort to Remove Pavement on Pontiac Street and Reclaim Paradise!!

Last Saturday, a family-friendly event was led by Councillor Jeff Leiper to de-pave one block of Pontiac Street and to re-connect the green space of Champlain Park directly to NCC lands accessing the Ottawa river.

The Councillor received sponsorship from the City with funds from cash-in-lieu of parkland money and a small grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. Energetic community volunteers showed up to dig up sections of pavement and transfer them to City dumpsters. The volunteers were organized by Enviro Centre and Champlain Park Community Association, with coffee from Bridgehead and bagels from the Ottawa Bagel Shop.

In the near future, the City workers will finish digging the gravel base, adding soil, and seeding the area. The NCC will remove the fence and gravel on their side. Volunteers plan to landscape the NCC land with native species of ground cover, shrubs and trees. As Joni Mitchell sang in her song “Big Yellow Taxi”, “you don’t know what you’ve got, ’till it’s gone”. It’s not often a parking lot gets turned into parkland!

Enviro Centre team with Champlain Park Community Association volunteer, Debra Huron, set up coffee (Bridgehead) and bagels (Ottawa Bagel Shop) as well as supplying tools and safety gear for volunteers. Photo by John Arnason.

Continue reading “Pontiac De-paving Day Photo Review” →

Depaving Commences

Here’s a quick photo essay of the core work cycle at the depaving ceremony this morning. There were other things happening too, like a kids amusement spot with pumpkins and paint (they helped out near the end, moving small road fragments), an outfitting area and sponsored snacks. Hopefully we’ll have time to write a longer story later and give credit to the people and groups who helped with the depaving event.

The pick-axe crew at work, digging up the slabs.
Loading slabs onto the wheelbarrows. Councillor Jeff Leiper (in white) lends a hand.
Back and forth the wheelbarrow convoy goes.
Lining up to drop off asphalt squares. The front end loader lifts batches of them up into the dumpster.

Depaving Pontiac Street Ceremony – October 5

We’re holding a depaving ceremony on Saturday, October 5th 2019 from 09:30 to noon. Come and grab a chunk of asphalt (already pre-scored into squares) from the section of Pontiac that we’re converting to park, and throw it out! This is literally a community effort. Equipment and safety gear will be provided.

[Scoring the Pavement with a Circular Saw Cutter]
Continue reading “Depaving Pontiac Street Ceremony – October 5” →

Pontiac Planters and Depaving

Daniel Buckles writes:

That was easy! All planters have been picked up, with one water-helper from last year now taking #3 between Alexandra’s herb’s and Lori’s tall grasses (Thanks Kathy). Everyone has the go ahead to proceed when you are ready. Fabulous.

FYI, the Pontiac Ave depaving may occur in September of this year (or later). This does not affect your plans, other than at harvest time. The depaving is managed by Councillor Leiper’s office, with Adrian Bradley as the local association executive contact for this. Jeff has confirmed verbally that the 7 planters will remain in the community even after the depaving is complete (although locations may change).

As of now, I am formally bowing out of the coordinator role. The group information is below, so I will leave it to one of you to pick up the reins of keeping each other in touch and supporting as needed. This might include putting up a notice of progress once in a while to the community association website.

Thanks for your enthusiastic planting and tending. I remain active in the neighbourhood on tree planting and other environment projects. Cheers, Daniel

Planter Assignments:

  1. Heather Pearl
  2. Alexandra Evershed
  3. Kathy Choquettee
  4. Lori Kibbee
  5. Lianne Bellisario
  6. Kelly Wiles
  7. Lauren Simon

Report on January 17th Environmental Initiatives Meeting

Report on Environmental Initiatives Meeting – January 17

The Environment Committee of the Champlain Park Community Association met with interested residents at the Field House on Thursday, January 17. There were 16 people at the meeting engaged in informative discussions and amicable debates about steps we are taking together to foster sustainable living in a healthy urban environment (the Committee mission). Follow this link to the Environment Committee page for detail.

Daniel Buckles and Adrian Bradley, Co-chairs, Environment Committee

Champlain Park’s Intrepid Volunteers (Planters)

Have you enjoyed the flowers, grasses and herbs in the 7 planters on Pontiac Street? They were established and cared for this summer by 8 local volunteers:

  • Lianne Bellisario
  • Alexi Cambell
  • Kathy Choquette
  • Alexandra Evershed
  • Lori Kibbee
  • Heather Pearl
  • Lauren Simon
  • Kelly Wiles

Daniel Buckles coordinated the activity and liaised with the City of Ottawa and Councillor Leiper’s office.

Thanks to you all!

[Flowers 1]
Continue reading “Champlain Park’s Intrepid Volunteers (Planters)” →

Water a Pontiac Planter!

From: DANIEL BUCKLES <dbuckles@sas2.net>
Date: Sat, 09 Jun 2018 08:32:38 -0400

Dog Walkers and River Riders

The community now has 7 planters to beautify the extension of Champlain Park at Pontiac Avenue, cared for by volunteer gardeners. To help them along, we invite dog walkers and any others that enjoy going down to the river at Carleton Avenue to take some water with them for the plants. Soak a plant in a planter, rather than sprinkling water around, so that roots go deeper. This will help ease the worry of the volunteer gardeners throughout the season.

[Planter filled with freshly planted plants]

We would like to also give a big shout out to Councillor Jeff Leiper, and assistant Fiona Mitchell, for their dedication and hard work to get the planters in place and set for planting this season. Thank you, thank you, thank you.