By Sue Stefko
(Appeared in the Glebe Report, June 2025)
The Glebe Annex Community Association Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held on Wednesday May 14th, and featured updates from Councillor Menard and President Ryan Hampel, as well as a keynote presentation by Canada Lands Company, which largely focused on the new park that will be built at the 299 Carling site.
Canada Lands confirmed that residents will finally see some movement this summer with the anticipated start of remediation, which is expected to last into fall. In the meantime, the city, working with Canada Lands and the Algonquins of Ontario (AOO) will finish its detailed plan for the 0.34-acre park – although with a size of approximately 83 by 146 feet, according to city nomenclature it is categorized as an “urban parkette.”
The preliminary concept design was completed by Canada Lands in coordination with the AOO this spring, after which the city launched a virtual public consultation in March. Feedback received was largely supportive of the preliminary design, given that the design was informed by Canada Lands-led public consultations in 2022.
In the city-led consultation, the community was still happy to see the proposed public art, which will procured by Canada Lands and the AOO through the City’s Public Art Program, as well as the interpretive panels. The neighbourhood again requested that these acknowledge the neighbourhood’s history. This could include the references to the area’s Algonquin heritage, structures that used to be on the site such as JR Booth’s Fraserfield lumber yard and the National Capital Commission rock quarry, as well as the area’s origins as a working-class community that supported local mills and lumberyards.
Feedback also re-emphasized the desire for a community gathering space, as well as play structures and potentially exercise equipment to allow the park to serve an older ‘clientele’ than Dalhousie South Park, whose play structures are primarily aimed at younger children. Given the dearth of greenspace in the neighbourhood, an issue which is exacerbated by each new development which removes more of the already scarce resource, the community indicated a desire to maximize greenspace and minimize hardscaping in the new park. While it is too early to discuss planting plans, the preference for native plants that help wildlife such as pollinators, was also reiterated in the consultation.
One new request was for community involvement in the naming of the park. Canada Lands explained that as this will be an Algonquin commemorative park, a name will be selected by Canada Lands and the AOO. However, the city’s commemorative naming process will be followed, which will enable the community to provide some input into the name selection. The naming is expected to take place this fall or winter, after remediation and the development of a finalized park plan. The park is anticipated to be built in 2026.
The park will not be the only greenspace on the site. As per the site’s zoning, the rocky outcropping on Bell St South, south of Dow’s Lake Towers, will also remain as open space. However, unlike the park, this space’s design and creation will be up to the future purchaser of the property as part of their site plan for the proposed development which will be reviewed by Canada Lands and the AOO to confirm alignment with the design guidelines developed for the site. The timelines will also be dependent on the purchaser.
Attendees of the AGM took advantage of the opportunity to ask about other aspects of the development. We learned that the site, which was initially offered to the market in the fall of 2022, was re-offered this spring by the broker, CBRE. Canada Lands indicated that there is interest in the offering by developers, and while it can’t provide any details now, the company is working to have a sale of the site by the end of 2025.
There continues to be strong community interest in including retail and commercial opportunities as part of the development. This is especially relevant given that plans for a grocery store and either a drug store or LCBO were shelved after Arnon withdrew from its proposed project at 450 Rochester. Canada Lands has confirmed that a mix of uses are permitted on the site as part of 2022 zoning by-law amendment. The rezoning of the site also included a requirement that for any building fronting Carling Avenue, at least 50% of the ground floor must be dedicated to commercial uses and offer opportunities for retail uses.
The annual general meeting proved to be a valuable opportunity to share updates and engage with the community – not only about broader neighbourhood information and developments, but especially about the much-anticipated park construction at 299 Carling.
The proposed concept for the new parkette – courtesy of Canada Lands Company, the Algonquins of Ontario, the City of Ottawa and NAK Design Strategies
