The checklist is found at https://ottawa.ca/en/news/your-checklist-recovery-tornado-damage
Sep 302018
Organizing all candidates meetings
Resources for CAs
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Mar 212018
On March 15, 2018 an FCA-FAC workshop was held on “Organizing all candidates meetings”. The presentation for the workshop, prepared by FCA Vice-President Alex Cullen is found here.
Additional information has been collected from member associations.
Planning Advisory Committee – FCA input and City Hall next steps
City Governance, Communication Sent, Communications, FCA to Members, Planning & Zoning, Resources for CAs
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Dec 122017
In February 2017, an ad-Hoc FCA group submitted comments on a future Planning Advisory Committee which was to be created following the adoption of Bill 37. View our original submission here.
Following up on this file in the fall of 2017, we were advised that the city had without consultation or a response to our original submission prepared it’s own version of what the Planning Advisory Committee was to look like. You can view the proposal which will be voted on at the city council meeting on December 13th here.
FCA and Greenspace Alliance member Erwin Dreesen submitted an op-Ed which was published in the Ottawa Citizen here.
Sparks Street Renewal & other planning updates
FCA to Members, Planning & Zoning, Resources for CAs
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Nov 282017
The city of Ottawa has released information on the Sparks street renewal and other planning updates. See the link here for more details.
Bill 139 – OMB reform FCA Letter to Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing
City Governance, Current Issues, FCA to Members, Governance, Planning & Zoning, Resources for CAs, Uncategorized
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Sep 132017
The FCA has submitted a letter to the Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs of Ontario regarding Bill 139. The letter can be viewed here.
Backgrounder:
The Greenspace Alliance has put together a review of Bill 139, part of the proposed Building Better Communities and Conserving Watersheds Act, 2017: Amendments to the Planning Act. The Bill proposes among other things a very substantial reform of the current appeal process for official plans and offical plan and zoning amendments.
In the case of Ottawa, the only basis of appeal would henceforth be whether Council’s decision is consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement (and/or the City’s Official Plan in the case of zoning amendments).
There would also be support for intervenors but we have to await the regulations to know who would be eligible to receive such support and what level of funding will be available.
While this Bill proposes much that communities (and municipalities) have demanded for years, two aspects are surprising and worrisome: An Official Plan or Comprehensive OP Amendment in a single-tier municipality, once approved by the Minister, would not be appealable. And inconsistency with the Planning Act is not cited as a basis for appeal.
Comments on these parts of Bill 139 may be made via the EBR web site (#013-0590) until August 14, 2017. The Bill itself is here. For more background, please visit http://wp.me/P8kfbP-19V; you’ll also find there links to media coverage of this initiative which is updated regularly.
You can find the Greenspace review from July 15 2017 here: https://secureservercdn.net/166.62.113.120/g4t.993.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Bill-139-note-Draft-2-15Jul2017.pdf
And an earlier discussion paper from late 2016 on the issue here: http://greenspace-alliance.ca/index.php/current-issues-province-of-ontario/first-round-june-2016/discussion-paper-october-2016/
A recent article on what the development community is doing on the issue can be found here.
The final Greenspace Alliance, FonTRA and CELA submissions can be found on the Greenspace Alliance page here.
Tips for community associations concerned with crime and safety
Communication Sent, Current Issues, FCA to Members, Other Organizations, Resources for CAs
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Jul 272017
Crime Prevention Ottawa and the FCA recently put together some articles on dealing with crime and safety in your neighbourhoods from a CA perspective.
Here are the articles in English:
et en français:
For more information on assessing crime data check out the Ottawa neighbourhood study here.
Marc Denhez – FCA AGM recap of presentation
Other Organizations, Planning - Events, Planning & Zoning, Resources for CAs
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Jul 182017
At the last FCA AGM, Keynote speaker and former OMB member Marc Denhez presented his views on ”Fixing the Planning System.” You can find a recap of the notes from his presentation here.
Marc Denhez at FCA AGM, June 15, 2017
Erwin Dreesen (white shirt) thanking Marc Denhez at FCA AGM, June 15, 2017
Planning, Infrastructure and Economic Development Presentation and Updates
Communication Received, Communication Sent, Current Issues, FCA to Members, Planning - Reports, Planning & Zoning, Resources for CAs
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Jul 052017
“WHO WE ARE “
Planning, Infrastructure and Economic Development Presentation and Updates
City of Ottawa
Date: Wednesday, May 17, 2017
Presented by: Stephen Willis,
General Manager,
Planning, Infrastructure and Economic Development
Please find the following 3 attachments for FCA members and Community Associations. These presentations were made at our meeting in Kanata and hosted by the Katimavik/Hazeldean Community Association. It is important to note that there are many changes following City of Ottawa reorganization.
- Powerpoint Presentation – May 17th – “Who We Are”: http://fca-fac.ca/fca-pied-may-17-final/
- Copy of PIED Contact List – May 17th- City of Ottawa Staff in Planning: http://fca-fac.ca/copy-of-pied-contact-list-edlt-may-2017/
- FCA Questions – Responses from PIED: http://fca-fac.ca/fca-meeting-may-17-responses-to-questions/
Greenspaces Survey results
Current Issues, FCA General Body, Planning & Zoning, Resources for CAs
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Mar 192017
From March 10 to the 14th, the FCA in partnership with Greenspace Alliance released a greenspaces survey to its FCA network. 82 respondents from around the city chimed in. Have a look at the results here:
Sanctuary City Background Information & FCA Letter to Ottawa City Council
FCA General Body, FCA to Members, Resources for CAs
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Mar 102017
A proposal has been brought to Ottawa City Council to adopt the status of a “sanctuary city”, where immigrants and refugees are given the ability to access municipal services without fear of discrimination, detention, or deportation. Such policies have been adopted in other major Canadian cities.
On March 30th 2017, at the Community Protective Services Committee meeting, close to 30 different groups including the FCA we present in support the concept of Ottawa as a Sanctuary City. No motion was brought to the table and the item is still up for discussion.
The FCA passed the following motion at our March 15th general meeting:
“Be it resolved that the Federation of Citizens Associations of Ottawa (FCA) support declaring Ottawa a Sanctuary City i.e., a city where city-funded agencies, boards and services ensure that city services are available to anyone regardless of their immigration status, and that they may access these services without fear of discrimination, detention or deportation and that community associations in Ottawa be encouraged to adopt this resolution and inform their City Councillor.”
Here is the FCA letter sent to the City of Ottawa.
http://fca-fac.ca/fca-ltr-cps-sanctuary/
The FCA encourages all CAs to discuss the issue and if CAs wish to support it they can do the following:
1) Consider endorsing and adding your group’s signature to the sign-on letter (mail ottawasanctuarycitynetwork@gmail.com)
2) Consider sending your own letter of support the your ward’s Councillor (ex: Carlington Community Association)
3) Encourage people in your networks to sign the Sanctuary Ottawa Petition (printable version on the Sanctuary City Ottawa website) and send an email to the mayor and council.
Background information:
ottawasanctuarycity.ca
http://council.vancouver.ca/20160406/documents/pspc3.pdf
http://www.amssa.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/AMSSA-Info-Sheet-Issue-13-Sanctuary-Cities1.pdf
macleans.ca/society/sanctuary-
City of Vancouver grants access without fear
https://capitalnews.ca/ottawa-considers-sanctuary-city-status/
http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/ottawa/santuary-city-cps-committee-march-1.3972728
http://www.iheartradio.ca/580-cfra/news/watson-inclined-to-reject-sanctuary-motion-1.2387139
http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/city-hall-blog-sanctuary-city-buzz-raises-dewar-factor
http://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/letters/todays-letters-are-sanctuary-cities-a-good-idea-or-not
https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2014/06/10/toronto_forges_ahead_with_sanctuary_city_plan.html
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/sanctuary-cities-cant-run-on-goodwill-alone/article34205391/