April 18, 2022
Kanata Lakes and Beaverbrook residents want answers following these latest setbacks for preserving Kanata’s greenspace.
Kanata MPP Merilee Fullerton says her constituents should look to the City, and not to the Ford government to preserve the community’s endangered greenspace. A strange directive, given the City of Ottawa voted unanimously against ClubLink’s plan and Mayor Watson has repeatedly spoken out against this off-side development.
Fullerton’s rejection of Kanata’s plea for help comes 9 months after the Ford government blocked the destruction of Oakville’s Glen Abbey golf course without explanation. In a letter to her constituents, Fullerton says stopping the development is up to the City, not the province. “The approval or rejection of the development is within the purview of the City, I will work with the Mayor and Councillor Curry and the new Mayor and next Ottawa Council to halt this development.”
Fullerton makes no mention of when she’ll be taking Kanata’s case to the Ford government at Queen’s Park.
That’s a big disappointment to Barbara Ramsay, who Chairs the Kanata Greenspace Protection Coalition. “Dr. Fullerton is in Queen’s Park every week but wants to leave the problem here in Ottawa. We have a mass of scientific, environmental and other evidence which shows this project carries no social dividend for the City. Anyone watching the Ontario Land Tribunal hearing could see the arguments against the development were based on thorough analysis and fact. Yet, the OLT panel in granting conditional draft plan approval provided no substantiation for its own conclusion. ClubLink’s plan provides no social housing, the nearly 1500 homes will be priced far beyond the reach of most people; no infrastructure improvement is planned and Kanata will lose precious greenspace, all to give developers a quick profit estimated to be in excess of $400 million dollars.”
The OLT decision was released on March 22, 2022. A copy of Ms. Fullerton’s letter is below.
KGPC Chair Barbara Ramsay is available for comment.
Contact: KGPC Chair, Barbara Ramsay at 613-725-6595 or chair@ourkanatagreenspace.ca
The Kanata Greenspace Protection Coalition is a not-for-profit corporation, focused on increasing public awareness about the importance of greenspace preservation. Our goal is to raise funds and public support for the City of Ottawa efforts to ensure that the 40% Agreement is enforced.
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18 April 2022
Letter from Hon. Merilee Fullerton MPP to Barbara Ramsay
The KGPC, the community associations in Beaverbrook and Kanata Lakes, as well as concerned Kanata residents have all been vocal in their disapproval of ClubLinks’ plans. I will continue to support efforts in preserving our greenspace and oppose the development.
With the news of the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) decision, I am pleased the Mayor and Kanata North Councillor Cathy Curry will continue to fight the development of the Kanata Golf and Country Club with the municipal planning process and in the courts.
The Mayor and Councillor are correct in their assessments that there remains many compelling and legitimate arguments against the development. The OLT’s decision has provided a clear path for the City to put an end to ClubLinks’ plans for the golf course.
Significant outstanding issues relating to storm water and infrastructure are conditions for approval that must be met, and these fall within municipal authority. Here is the opportunity for the Mayor and Council to work with KGPC and conclusively demonstrate the unsuitability of Clublinks’ plans.
As the approval or rejection of the development is within the purview of the City, I will work with the Mayor and Councillor Curry and the new Mayor and next Ottawa Council to halt this development.