Fall 2026 brings old, new issues to our community
As sidewalk issue fades, the proposed Kettle Island Bridge continues to cause headaches
Welcome to September, it’s been quite a year!
Our sidewalk battle yielded a small result, not enough to impact the current project on some of our streets, but at least, the commitment from the City to review the policy and determine whether a “one size fits all” formula is the best plan forward. The next tranche of work to be done in our neighbourhood is in the distance so we will keep monitoring the situation and the decisions made at City Hall.
We have had several communications regarding the implementation of the new community mailboxes in the neighbourhood. Some of the locations chosen don’t make sense to residents nearby nor to the MPCA, so we are working with Canada Post to optimize the locations in and around Manor Park. If you are aware of a location that has been chosen but would cause safety issues, please let us know and we will add them to the list. The boxes are inevitable this time so we are just trying to optimize the choice of locations.
Bridge back again
The Sixth Crossing aka, the Kettle Island bridge, is sadly rearing its ugly head once again. The NCC and Public Works have asked for feedback as part of their “consultation” process.
We are dammed if we do and dammed if we don’t. The questions, like on most of these surveys generated by government, are all lopsided and the only answers possible are the ones that they want to hear. This is why it’s SO important for you to fill out the surveys and add LOTS of commentary.
The government is asking us to accept a half-baked idea as the plans for where all the traffic would disgorge is still unclear.
It’s important to engage our eastern friends and neighbours into this discussion. This crossing will hugely impact their commutes to work. It will clog up Ogilvie Road (the consultants are already referring to it as an already designated truck route). And that would cause the trucks to snake east to the Montreal Road on-ramps or west to cross St. Laurent and get on the 417 there. The other option is for a westbound interchange at the Aviation Parkway and 174 which will also be a nightmare.
It seems that one of the likely exits is at Hemlock Road. Imagine Wateridge having access to Hemlock (which they will shortly) and then the 3,000 or so Manor Park Estate units existing AND the cars and trucks coming off the Aviation Pkwy on to Hemlock!!! Do the trucks get to go down Beechwood? Do they snake down St. Laurent to the Queensway, a route already clogged at peak hours?
Problems
Ottawa has a truck problem and the Gatineau sitting MP and Cabinet Minister thinks that they have a commuting time problem. Commute times from the far suburbs in Ottawa are just as long. A bridge would induce sprawl on the Gatineau side which they are trying to bill as economic development.
They are also saying that there will be transit on the bridge. Both the STO and OC Transpo have said that they have no capacity to add routes so there will not be public transit on this bridge in the foreseeable future.
If you can do some fundraising/communications/deep-dive ATIP-type research/ engineering skill set to review studies, etc…. NOW is the time to get involved. Please connect with me directly.
Deserved recognition
Lastly, I would like to acknowledge my friend, neighbour, mentor and volunteer extraordinaire Elizabeth McAllister who recently “officially” retired from our MPCA Board as well as from the Federation of Citizens’ Associations (FCA) where she was recognized for her hard work at their AGM this summer.
Elizabeth has devoted countless hours to improving the lives of ALL our Manor Park residents and pushing the city to just “do better” by advocating for them to implement performance metrics and evaluations of their systems and programs. A big thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Our Board is growing and I will introduce each member next issue. If you are interested in participating, on the board or on a committee, please let me know and I’ll connect you to the right person.