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CMHC Ottawa housing tracker
Find the most recent nationwide CMHC reporting here.
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Developer benefits holiday should be rejected
Mayor Sutcliffe’s Housing Acceleration Task Force is suggesting a five-year break for developers from paying community benefits charges (CBCs). These charges are often used to support affordable housing and public amenities in our neighbourhoods. The proposal would remove millions of dollars we could spend in ways residents need. Council should reject this recommendation. The proposal…
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The strip mall conundrum
When does “good” city planning have “bad” outcomes? I’ve been thinking a lot since getting back from a planning conference in Toronto about the difficulty city planners often face when trying to balance competing public interest considerations as the city develops. Since returning, I’ve had strip malls on my mind. While I was at the…
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Byron/Churchill
In my newsletter last week, I pointed to the work the City is doing to implement a protected intersection at Byron and Churchill. You can read more about that here. I’ve already received feedback opposing the change since the re-design would remove the northbound left turn lane from Byron to Churchill. Residents are concerned that…
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Before the Budget: A Conversation About Ottawa’s Future
Councillor Troster and I are hosting an early consultation tonight on the 2026 City budget. I’ve been thinking more urgently as we prepare this last budget of this term of Council about where this city is headed, and how far we’ve drifted from what we used to be. Kitchissippi residents have allowed me to represent…
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Personal alcohol consumption in parks
As has been well covered in the media, a couple of weeks ago City Council opted to allow the consumption of alcohol in parks on pilot basis this year from July 1 to October 30. Subject to rules about proximity to amenities such as play structures, sports fields and the like, the personal consumption of…