March 26, 2026
Our community organizers are whipping up a storm for our second RALLY this Sunday!
Come on out. Bring a sign and your voice.
Our community organizers are whipping up a storm for our second RALLY this Sunday!
Come on out. Bring a sign and your voice. There were more than 200 people out on March 8 for our first RALLY. It was energetic and it felt good to be with people who shared your concern and feelings of frustration and call for change…TOGETHER!
Don’t sit home alone. COME ON OUT!
RALLY RALLY RALLY
RALLY Required: We’ve got an Accountability/Regulatory Gap
We get letters but we write a lot more. One of our supporters wrote to the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) a few weeks back asking them to act on the fully unquantified contamination on the Kanata Golf Club (KGC) site. The reply was shocking, suggesting they don’t have a role in the quantification of known contamination on a residential site until the Record of Site Contamination (RSC) is produced for review. That means, for the KGC lands, Minto is performing earthworks, digging trenches and pits, moving and removing earth before they understand the degree of contamination because in the development process order, it comes later. Hard to believe for the thinking individual. We ask the question – who does this serve? Only the developers.
We read the above in the context of a reply to Councillor Curry from Dr. Trevor Aranason, Medical Officer of Health at Ottawa Public Health (OPH) where he suggested that OPH was not empowered to act until the MECP identified contamination. The disconnect surprised us again. Neither agency accepts responsibility. MECP – only when it is identified at a particular point in a process. OPH – only after the health emergency has been found or the MECP tells it to go looking. We summarized it here and mailed it to all concerned at City Hall and Queen’s Park. We’re waiting for our reply but we do have the next OPH meeting scheduled for Monday, April 20, 2026 on our calendar. More to come.
Engage Ottawa Kanata Lakes has Improved. Keep it coming.
Marcia Wallace, GM Planning at the City of Ottawa confirmed last week that the Engage Ottawa Kanata Lakes site will show some improvements. The KGPC has repeatedly expressed concerns since its launch a few weeks back that much of the material was historic in nature and did not provide information about what is happening currently or what can be expected going forward. As a result, they have added on the main page a ‘Documents Provided by the Proponent’ column which they are promoting as the primary source of reliable information on the proposed KGC development. Notable here is the weekly update from Minto.
We believe the information must be improved with an effort to explain the ‘engineering jargon’ for residents but give an adequate, accurate and complete description of what is going on. Nonetheless, there is more information than before, and we encourage you to check it out frequently. There is no doubt we are well beyond the “two trucks and a skid steer” that we were originally told about a month ago. We need transparency ( you’ll see the digging we’ve been doing below!) We’ll keep pressing alongside Councillor Curry.
This week – Homes are shaking on Shaughnessy Crescent
As noted above and from the Minto update on March 20, 2026-
Starting Monday, March 23, 2026, crews will begin hauling material from beneath the footprint of the test fill piles to a designated facility. This will be followed by the construction of the four ‘test fill pile pads’ (gravel piles). Work on erosion and sediment control measures around the ‘exfiltration manhole system’ and ‘bioswale system’ will also begin next week.
The above does not sound particularly bad unless you live along Fairway #9 and you have had vibrations for 3 days. On Tuesday morning at 10am, homes 150 meters away from some of this work experienced prolonged vibrations of significant intensity, likening it to earthquake tremors. Here’s an audio clip from a painter working on the second floor of a house on Shaughnessy recorded after this episode. Subsequently, the homeowner found crack damage within the home and informed the city via 311, Councillor Curry’s office and senior City management. As of today, he is on the phone to his insurance, waiting for his request for a visit from the City (2-3 days he’s told for a 311 visit) and he’s asking for a STOP WORK order. Come out on Sunday and support this homeowner and his neighbours. It’s the least you can do!
RALLY! RALLY! RALLY!
From our Inbox: Are you an engineer? Do you know an engineer?
We’ve got supporters looking for discussion. We have a lot going on with opposition to this development and one of the great challenges is understanding the complexities particularly around the various engineering aspects. We have a few engineers in the area who are getting together and talking about the issues as only they can. If you are an engineer, regardless of discipline and would like to join the conversation, reach out to Doug Slone. The KGPC says “Thank you!” in advance, for contributing!
From our Inbox: Insurance concerns and flooding on the KGC lands
We have been receiving lots of questions about the potential impact of increased flood risk on home insurance in our area given the problematic impact should our 175 acres of greenspace and absorptive land be compromised by the ClubLink/Minto/Richcraft development.
Neil Thomson, President of the Kanata Beaverbrook Community Association (KBCA) and KGPC Board member took our questions to the Insurance Board of Canada (IBC) and got some answers. Here’s the Q&A. Very informative reading and it settles some short-term nerves about cost increases as well. Thanks Neil!
KGPC and our community lost a comrade. Rest well John Hardie.
We were deeply saddened to learn late last week that our dear friend and KGPC Board member, John Hardie, passed away unexpectedly.
John was a pillar of the Catherwood Court community for many years. We treasured his sharp Scots wit, his reliable and vocal presence, and the wisdom and perspective he brought to every meeting and discussion. He was a true cornerstone of the KGPC and a constant support at every one of our events.
Our thoughts are with John’s daughters and their families during this difficult time. We take heart at the thought of him being at peace, reunited with his beloved wife Mary.
We’re counting on seeing you all out on Sunday. 1pm. Don’t make an excuse.
Join us and help double our numbers. We’re counting on 400 or more!
And, if you value what we do, consider a donation. We’ll have a donation box out there on Sunday or you can use this one.
Always remember, we’re a whole lot better together!
Barbara
Chair, Kanata Greenspace Protection Coalition
E – chair@ourkanatagreenspace.ca
C – 613.725.4345