FLOODPLAIN REPORT MUST CLEAR A NUMBER OF HURDLES BEFORE BUILDING STARTS

If Ottawa City Council votes to approve the Third Party Review of the plans for restoring the Carp River and making changes to the floodplain, it does not mean construction can start. Before any work can be done, the provincial Ministry of the Environment must approve the environmental assessment of the Carp River Restoration Plan.

The Ministry of Environment has already ordered the City of Ottawa to do additional work on the Carp River Restoration Plan so we can expect the Ministry to conduct a rigorous review of any information that is provided. That is as it should be.

Issues around whether the Third Party Review resolves concerns about the Carp River Restoration Plan or leaves questions unanswered are highly technical. Members of council and most of the public are not hydraulic engineers. We can get a sense of what is involved and the potential problems from reading through reports, but on highly technical issues we have to rely on expert opinions.

There are qualified engineers on both sides of the debate over the Carp River Restoration Plain. This leaves councillors and others looking for additional opinions so we can get a sense of whether the plan will work or whether changes are needed.

With the Third Party Review of the work on the Carp River Restoration Plan, we got additional opinions. In fact, having a Third Party Review, Council went beyond what the Auditor General recommended. However, as has been reported, some people are still concerned.

Throughout this process, when objections have been raised that are technical in nature, I have pushed for additional work to be done so Council can get accurate information on whether those concerns are valid. The difficulty is when those second and third opinions say problems can be addressed, but critics say they cannot.

In that situation, as councillors should not be trying to act as hydraulic engineers, the role of the Ministry of Environment is vitally important.

Kanata residents have seen the problems that occur when development occurs without resolving drainage issues. We do not want a repeat. The requirement for different levels to approve the environmental assessment of the Carp River Restoration Plan is intended to ensure that does not happen.

COFFEE WITH PEGGY – MAY 22 AT THE LIBRARY

This month’s Coffee with Peggy will be on Friday May 22 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Hazeldean Branch of the library at 50 Castlefrank. It is a chance to drop by and chat informally without making an appointment.

CONGRATULATIONS TO CHILDREN’S 9-1-1 ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNERS

Every year the City of Ottawa recognizes children whose bravery and quick thinking enabled them to respond effectively to emergency situations. This years’ award winners included a very resourceful young woman from Kanata South.

WORKING FULL-TIME FOR KANATA SOUTH

I appreciate the chance to hear from you about issues affecting our community. You can reach me at 580-2752 (office), 580-2762 (fax), www.feltmateforkanata.com or peggy.feltmate@ottawa.ca