2017 Annual General Meeting

Published on by glebeannex

Wednesday, November 8, 2017 (6:30 p.m.)
Glebe Community Centre (GC Café)
175 Third Avenue

1. Call to Order

The meeting was called to order at 6:37 p.m.

2. Welcome and President’s Report

Scott Blurton introduced himself and welcomed all members, as well as our guest speakers, to our annual meeting. He mentioned that our agenda might need to be changed slightly due to the availability of Councillor David Chernushenko, who would arrive around 8:00 p.m.

3. Approval of the Agenda

The motion to approve the agenda was put forth by a member (name unknown) and seconded by Tom Giddings. Unanimous approval by all in attendance.

4. Approval of Minutes of Annual Meeting, November 3, 2016

The motion to approve the minutes from November 2016 was put forth by a member (name unknown) and seconded by Grigor H. Unanimous approval by all in attendance.

5. Business arising from the minutes

  • No business arising from minutes.

6. Committee Reports

a) Treasurer – Chris McCann

  • Chris presented copies of the G.A.C.A.’s Income Statement. Please see attachment.
  • The main source of revenue is our Membership fees. Our membership is down from a high of 105 (one year ago) to 67 this year.
  • Needs: A Membership Chair needs to be recruited.
  • Dues: A portion of our fees ($2 per member) must be paid to the Glebe Community Association.

b) Membership Drive – Scott Blurton

  • Special thanks go out to Brenda Quinlan, who retired from the board, but still assists with keeping up our membership list. It is harder to get info out to the community when the membership list has dropped from 122 to 68 people.
  • We would like to get more homeowners/renters involved so that we can have a stronger voice as a community.
  • A membership drive was held in April with various board members and G.A.C.A. members knocking on doors and dropping off pamphlets.

c) Parks and Recreation – Sue Stefko

  • Sue spoke about the history of Dalhousie South Park (built 25 years ago).
  • As a member of the Ottawa City Parks Committee, she and other volunteers have tried to plant various plants in hopes that more greenery would enhance our park.
  • Our park was slated for renewal in 2017. Now, 25 years after the park was created, it looks like our park will be renewed in 2018. (Designs were displayed at the meeting).
  • Online consultation will be held via the membership list.
  • Things to note for the park renewal:
    • Soil remediation; amendment of soil. Better ground for sod is required.
  • One member suggested “Enviro Grass”. This grass is indigenous to Canada; it has a better root system. It is a hardier type of grass which grows slower and as a result, requires less mowing. More info here: http://www.bluestem.ca/enviroturf-wholesale.htm
  • No additional trees are expected to be planted due to constraints with new play structure to be installed, and the desire for open space to play in.
  • One member had a question regarding the health of current trees. We may have to plant replacement trees in the future, but there is no money allocated for this right now.
  • Funds for the park renewal will be roughly 2/5 from city (Asset Management) and 3/5 (Cash in lieu of Parkland) from Councillor David Chernushenko.

d) Traffic/Safety/Security – Scott Blurton
(Peggy Kampouris unable to attend)

Info session regarding Safety and Security was held in the summer with Constable Stephanie Lemieux who discussed community concerns with residents. Scott reminded everyone to call 613-236-1222 (for non-emergency reports) to report thefts, break-ins, etc. or one can file a report online at: https://www.ottawapolice.ca/en/contact-us/Contact-Us.asp to report:
  • Theft (excluding theft of passports)
  • Lost Property (With a visible serial number or distinct marking such as a custom engraving)
  • Mischief/Damage to Property
  • Theft from Vehicle
  • Traffic Complaints
  • Drug Complaints
  • Fraud Complaints
  • Hate Crimes
  • Add information to an existing report
One member mentioned that there is a Facebook site too which gives updates on crimes (French and English).
Another member voiced her concern over drug busts and parties happening on her street.
Scott thanked Peggy who was instrumental in having a light put in on Henry Lane (just off of Henry Street).

e) Planning – Sylvia Milne

  • Scott expressed his thanks to Sylvia Milne, Sue Stefko and Chris McCann from the G.A.C.A. Board, and to Carolyn Mackenzie, from the Glebe Community Association Board.
i)  Parking Lot of 265 Carling
  • Start date of construction of Taggart’s Seniors’ Residence (high end rental units) is expected to be Spring of 2018. Opening in 2020. OMB hearing in November. Site Planning Process will start in New Year.
  • Original plan was to dig four floors deep for parking. That has now been changed to 5 floors deep. More parking is required due to tenants currently using the PWL Building.
  • Design of Seniors’ Residence: 16 stories
  • Floors 1 and 2: Higher care, no parking allocated.
  • Floors 3 to 16: Each tenant to have a parking space.
ii)  Parking Lot of 289 Carling: Where Carling meets Bell Street South
  • This is the planned site for the city’s “Housing First” initiative.
  • Public consultations will begin at the earliest in January of 2018.
  • Sylvia encouraged members to check out Ottawa.ca and click on the “Development  Application Search” for more info on the status of this and other projects: https://app01.ottawa.ca/postingplans/home.jsf?lang=en.

7. Question and Answer Session

  • (See notes below under each keynote speaker)

8. Keynote Speakers:

A. Keynote Speaker #1: David Chernushenko, Capital Ward Councillor David.Chernushenko@Ottawa.ca.

Keynote Speaker #1
Councillor Chernushenko spoke about the following:

i) Bronson Reconstruction – Slated for 2020
  • From the Queensway (Highway 417) to the “Bronson Bridge” (which runs over the Rideau Canal before Carleton University).
  • No “specialized” or bike lanes planned like those on Main Street.
ii) Dalhousie South Park: Funding for renewal
  • “Cash In Lieu of Parkland”, approximately $180,000 from David
  • Life Cycle of Park: $105,000
  • “No Smoking” signs have still not been installed in Park. Michael Reid, David’s assistant is to follow up on this. Michael.Reid@Ottawa.ca
iii) Future of Carling Avenue
  • Buses to run in the centre of Carling Avenue but this will not happen for many years to come.
iv) O.C. Transpo routes in the G.A.C.A.
  • There seems to be some interest from O.S.E.G. (Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group) to improve the frequency of buses running across Bank Street rather than along Bank Street. This is due to the highly-congested Bank Street on a game day and other special event days at Lansdowne Park.
  • At the present time, Route #56, which runs along Glebe Avenue, only does so during high peak times during the week with no service on weekends.
  • Further note: Route #101, which runs along Chamberlain Avenue, has no Sunday service.
v) Road Safety in Neighbourhood
  • Crossing Lyon Street:  Either at Powell Street or Glebe Avenue. This street was mentioned as a concern re. cars not “stopping” but “rolling” through stop signs.
  • Condition of Bike Paths or Lanes a Concern? Call 311
vi) Other Projects/Events in his Ward (Capital Ward 17)
  • Canal Footbridge at Fifth Avenue (Linking Old Ottawa East to the Glebe)
  • Grey Cup Week (Tuesday, November 21st to Sunday, November 26th)
  • Renewed push for people to walk or take the bus that week.
vii) Future of Parking Lot at 289 Carling:  Housing for Homeless/”Housing First”
  • R.F.P. (Request for Proposals) will start in 2018
  • Not expected to be for “Hardest to House”.
viii) Concerns/questions from people in attendance
  • Decrease in Property Values?
  • Safety walking in neighbourhood?
  • Safety of students at Glebe Collegiate?
  • Lack of services: Grocery stores, support services for homeless (none) municipal buses (lacking)
President Scott Blurton thanked Councillor Chernushenko for his time and effort in trying to answer all questions.

Keynote Speaker #2
Joseph Federico, Dow’s Lake Residents Association

  • Sylvia Milne introduced Joseph, who has been actively involved in attending meetings regarding various future developments in our area. He has lived in the Dow’s Lake Community for 10+ years.
  • Joseph spoke about the importance that we as stakeholders play. We can make a difference. He recommended that we check out: www.homelesshub.ca.

i) History of 289 Carling (Parking Lot)

  • First appeared in news on October 25, 2016.
  • Went to City Council for decision on November 9, 2016.
  • The Federal Government approved the project July 25, 2017.

ii) Dow’s Lake Community Position re. 289 Carling

  • About 50 people signed the letter he drafted. He sent the letter to our Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre, Catherine McKenna, on August 7, 2017. http://cmckenna.liberal.ca/
  • The community is not against development; the residents want to encourage dialogue.
  • Response from Minister McKenna’s office arrived on August 8, 2017.
  • Consultation process, generated by the city, is yet to start.

iii) Other Notable Upcoming Developments:

A) New Location for Ottawa Hospital (Civic Campus)
B) Booth Street Complex (6.5 Acres)

9. Nominations and Election of Directors for 2018

Scott thanked the Board members for all of their hard work this past year. In particular, he mentioned two who are not seeking re-election: Chris McCann (Treasurer for 4+ years) and himself, Scott Blurton, (President for 2 years).
Nominations from the floor included:
  • Heidi Thomson
  • Joanne Benoit
  • Sue Stefko

10. Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 8:40 p.m.

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