Web-extra (July 26, 2018): Photo Essay: BREAKING NEWS; Hintonburg Rocked by Heritage Collapse.

Web-extra (July 26, 2018): Photo Essay: BREAKING NEWS;
Hintonburg Rocked by Heritage Collapse.

It happened on a day when Hintonburg gardens were getting a wet relief from the July drought. On a day where some gathered in Somerset Square were remembering Abdirahman Abdi. Those dining on Wellington West were avoiding the patios and thankfully so. For most Hintonburg residents the only sound heard was the gathering cacophony of sirens. A Ladder truck and a pumper truck navigated the one and two-way streets, and deployed in case of fire or rescue. What had been three storeys of large and small quarried limestone wall now lay as motionless rubble on the ground. A front picture window shattered onto the sidewalk. Thankfully the occupant was out, no reports of injury, but the loss of history looms large.

Photo Caption: The Magee House as it was called was not the prettiest of the heritage buildings in Hintonburg but it was built two and a half decades before the Great Hull-Ottawa Fire of 1900. It was the oldest greystone remaining. In recent memory it has been the home and business place of an architect. His thoughts on an expansion off the back of the building will take a backseat as city engineers decide the fate of the 3 remaining walls. The owner hopes the building can be repaired, as do many in the ‘Burg. Photo provided by Pat McLeod.

Photo Caption: The day after the collapse and after a record rainfall too, the scene is still blocking traffic. Businesses to either side tempoarily closed for 1 day, while workers in safety vests review the scene. Plus a TV-Media presence and constant flow of spectators and passersby on foot, bike and mobility-scooter.

[Ed: for more on the great fire, walk a block east to Wellington W. and Pinhey and check out the large Gallery 150 heritage display on the side of the Giant Tiger Express. The Magee House in 1898 is likely the small block on the lower left edge of the Map on the wall (File photo shown).]

For more on this story in other media may we suggest;

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/1119-wellington-collapse-wall-architect-1.4761063

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/building-collapse-hintonburg-ottawa-1.4760392

 

April 12, 2018: Councillor’s Corner; News from City Hall.

April 12, 2018: Councillor’s Corner;
News from City Hall.

By Jeff Leiper, Kitchissippi Ward Councillor.

Welcome to April, Kitchissippi. It’s truly springtime now, and we are excited for all the events and activities that come with this new season. Here’s what’s been keeping our office busy this month:

On March 26th the Environment and Climate Protection Committee received recommendations for an updated contract between the City and Orgaworld, the company that processes our organic waste.

Proposed changes, intended to increase our green bin participation from the current rate of 51%, included the disposal of dog waste and single use plastic bags in the green bin.

Because we were unable to refine the contract language to allow only compostable bags in the green bin, I voted against the changes, but that is the only sticking point for me. Council voted 19-3 to approve these changes; I reiterated my dissent.

Ultimately, I hope residents will use only compostable bags in the green bin so we can minimize the amount of plastics in the landfill.

In transportation-related news, the Harmer Pedestrian Overpass Bridge is due to be replaced, starting in May 2018. The new bridge, which will be completed in 2020, will have improved accessibility features as well as an enclosed roof and lighting. The bridge will be constructed off-site and installed using a rapid bridge replacement technique. In the meantime, there will be a detour along Holland Ave including temporary segregated bike lanes; personally, I’m hoping the bike lanes will be widely used and may be made permanent when the construction is complete.

At its March 28th meeting, City Council voted unanimously in favour of the motion forwarded by Councillor Deans and seconded by Councillor McKenney to establish a Women’s Bureau and Women’s Issues Liaison at City Hall. We absolutely need to do everything possible to include women in the planning and building of our City, and I’m very pleased to see the municipality taking this step.

Coming up this month, we have Pop-Up Office Hours on Friday, April 20th and Thursday, April 26th. On the 20th I’ll be holding a table at the Bridgehead at Richmond Road and Golden from 9 – 12, and on the 26th I’ll be at Hintonburger from 5 – 8 pm; come by and chat all things Kitchissippi. Also upcoming is the Spring Ward Forum, which will feature John Manconi as our special guest speaker to give updates on transit in the City. The Forum will be held at Van Lang Field House from 6 – 8 pm on April 30th.