Category: Uncategorized

Uncategorized3 Comments

Promises converge …

Westsideaction

The inauguration of City Council last night was an interesting spectacle. It was a delight to see Suzanne Pinel again, she had us all from the first “Bonjour, je m’appelle [Marie Soleil]”. She refrained from calling hiz honor “Fergus”. I have many fond memories of taking my daughter to Marie Soleil events, endlessly rewatching the VHS programs. But once a children’s entertainer … it is hard to not view the inauguration through those eyes. It wasn’t the only note of nostalgia last night. There was the old politician stumbling to a new life, the promoted lifeguard, the renaissance garb worn by the mayor that instead of … Continue reading Promises converge …

Booth St, infill, intensificatioin, Uncategorized3 Comments

Any news, anyone?

Westsideaction

If you frequent Booth Street, you will recognize this “garage” on the east side, between Somerset and Gladstone. It’s Cousin Eddy’s and (Uncle?)*   Chado’s Auto Body. Here’s another view: It’s all known by the municipal address 357 Booth Street. The general state of disrepair has been a source of despair. Note the burnt out hulk to the right: according to this Citizen article,   http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=606c1117-859b-4168-83b8-f72616bab4a5&k=34712   it was also owned by “Cousin” Eddy Aoun, who torched his own rental property to evict the tenants he thought were dealing drugs. Such neighborhood concern did not extend to the mysterious loss of trees along the … Continue reading Any news, anyone?

145 Elm, infill, intensificatioin, Uncategorized1 Comment

Elm Street infill

Westsideaction

  Until a week or so ago, this was the view out my back door. The house behind me was very convenient — it had no windows so my backyard was very private. With a couple of judiciously planted trees, it was possible to have no suntan lines. Here’s the view from Elm Street: However, as mentioned in some previous posts, this was not to last. The small house on a 56×100′ lot is to be replaced by four infill houses, each of about 2000 sq ft, constructed in that very modern shoebox design with flat roofs, big windows, plywood panels, bent … Continue reading Elm Street infill

Uncategorized3 Comments

Jollies on Lisgar Street

Westsideaction

While walking down Lisgar Street last week I spotted this object lying on the pavement. Had it fallen out of someone’s car? If so, was it in use whilst driving or parked? Or did someone throw it out, having gotten their jollies and now ready to move onto more adventurous toys? Would some child walking down the street mistake it for a kid’s toy rather than an adult toy? Indeed, would most adults recognize it? I had to look twice before I recalled my sister-in-law’s address in Dildo, Newfoundland. Hey, maybe it’s part of a covert marketing campaign from Tourism … Continue reading Jollies on Lisgar Street

Uncategorized7 Comments

West LRT, part i

Westsideaction

This will be the first of several posts on the western portion of Ottawa’s LRT project. While some commentators insist that the current DOTT project is too short/too long/too wrong, some observers usually skip over that the Tunney’s to Blair portion is just the first part of a multi-phase LRT build-out. The temporary western terminus of the first phase LRT is at Tunney’s because the DOTT LRT piggy-backs on existing environmental approvals and studies. It would delay the DOTT portion for several years to try to build it all the way to Lincoln Fields in phase 1 due to the studies required for the “new section” west of Tunney’s. If the … Continue reading West LRT, part i

Bronson, Uncategorized3 Comments

Bronson road diet idea heats up

Westsideaction

The idea of a road diet for Bronson is generating lots of interest around the city. Here’s a story from today’s Ottawa Sun story by Scott Taylor: http://www.ottawasun.com/news/ottawa/2010/11/07/16021031.html: “It’s the opportunity of a lifetime, a community activist says, to do a makeover on Bronson Ave. that will appeal to motorists, pedestrians and cyclists. With the city planning to completely rebuild the major artery next spring, the time will never be better to beautify it. The problem Eric Darwin sees, though, is that nobody is really listening. “You take streets like Preston. It used to be four lanes and now it’s … Continue reading Bronson road diet idea heats up

bike path, bikewest, cycling in Ottawa, cyclopiste de preston, Laurier Ave, Uncategorized4 Comments

Cycling routes – part of roads? or sidewalks? or all on their own?

Westsideaction

Timo Perala spoke at the CFSC agm on Tuesday evening. One point he made about cycling infrastructure in Oulu, Finland, got me thinking again about how cycling infrastructure should be regarded. In Copenhagen, cycling tracks are adjacent the curb, with parking lanes out closer to the traffic lanes. Cyclists cross intersections in two stages, like pedestrians, rather than in one left-turn movement like cars. This is the model Bedard liked after his trip to Copenhagen, and I earlier blogged about how I thought Vivi Chi liked this one too as it can be implemented consistently throughout an urban area. Although how she could fit this onto the freshly … Continue reading Cycling routes – part of roads? or sidewalks? or all on their own?

Preston street, streetscaping, Uncategorized, west wellington

Tidy peastone vs au naturel

Westsideaction

A number of cities keep peastone beds around trees in the sidewalk neat and tidy. Ottawa is not among them. Toronto and Vancouver are. The peastone shown above is glued down to a porous mat which is cut to shape for the tree well. Moisture runs in; weeds do not grow out. The stones stay in place. Wheelchairs and strollers roll right over them. Little boys are frustrated. Dogs continue to pee on them. Smokers find one less spot to dump their butts. These mats are commonly available at stores for use as a foot mat on your front doorstop. On the other hand, while … Continue reading Tidy peastone vs au naturel

Bronson, cycling in Ottawa, parking, sidewalks, Uncategorized17 Comments

Toronto road diet

Westsideaction

Christie Street in Toronto is painted in different configurations. The southern section is a typical urban arterial, like Bronson: four lanes squeezed into a tight right of way, traffic jostling for position and obviously unattractive to adjacent businesses and residents. The more northerly section has been repainted into a different configuration. There is a painted bike lane between the parking and the travelled road surface. The bike lane is tight up to cars, raising concerns about “the door prize”. Traffic flowed much more smoothly too, with no passing and less stress driving the street. Above: north of Davenport,  Christie is painted with two … Continue reading Toronto road diet

condos, infill, intensificatioin, Richmond road, Uncategorized, west wellington5 Comments

Our Lady of the Condos, more Archly

Westsideaction

The redevelopment of the Soeurs de la Visitation site on Richmond Road is a great opportunity for infill development and intensification. The City had the chance to buy the site for a park, and passed on it. An eight to twelve storey building along Richmond and 4-6 storey buildings behind it is appropriate. Some aspects of the current design are not my first choice, but then I am not building it. Previous posts featured the Rowe’s Wharf project in Boston. See  http://westsideaction.wordpress.com/2010/06/08/our-lady-of-the-condos-archly/ I thought it was a good inspiration for the Richmond facade of the project here in Ottawa. I like the idea of keeping the convent “cloistered”, ie … Continue reading Our Lady of the Condos, more Archly

condos, intensificatioin, streetscaping, Uncategorized

Elegant sidewalk treatment

Westsideaction

The sidewalk treatment shown above is in front of the two Hudson condo towers by Charlesfort. In the foreground the smooth concrete band marks the public sidewalk. The brick paver area may be private property, or may be public (note the lamppost) but in any case it provides a pleasant widening on the corner. The pattern is simple yet dynamic and intriguing. The eye follows the curving lines to the edge of the installation and tries to extend it beyond. The pattern must also work when seen from above, as the condo towers are about 18 stories high. This bit of … Continue reading Elegant sidewalk treatment

Uncategorized5 Comments

Sex on the West Side

Westsideaction

There isn’t a photo in today’s post. It’s all text. Sorry. I was part of a long conversation on the weekend past, dealing with the potential ramifications of the recent Court decision regarding prostitution. Recall that prostitution per se is legal; however, communicating for those purposes is not. If the laws are struck down, if new ones are required, what should we do? Note that these opinions below come from a reaction to changing circumstances and are not that I am advocating for change. Prostitution is complex, I favour controlling/regulating it to avoid nuisance to others. While these points are not strictly … Continue reading Sex on the West Side

Uncategorized2 Comments

Electoral miscellany

Westsideaction

I made a post earlier in the civic elections about a candidate’s election platform that I thought was relevant to this readership. It promptly generated “comments” that seemed to me to be less than genuine, and more like spin. I notice the same thing for the Citizen commentary, which has been quite on the mark and perceptive, particularly David Reevely’s Greater Ottawa posts (don’t read this as being I agree with all of his views). The “comment” responses to his posts have the same “spin” tone to them. It’s a game I don’t really want to play. After the election, I might … Continue reading Electoral miscellany

sidewalks, streetscaping, Uncategorized

Acts of faith

Westsideaction

  Some neighbors got together to plant bulbs along Preston. The 200 daffodils and 200 tulips were bought by the Preston BIA and the buying/planting delegated to the Dalhousie Community Assoc. The Somerset Chinatown BIA also bought bulbs to refresh the flower beds along Somerset near Empress. These will be planted in the next week or so. About seven beds were planted along Preston Street. We chose areas with new, smaller shrubs where the soil would be easy to dig up. The bulbs should bloom before the shrubs leaf out. We don’t know if the bigger shrubs will block out too much light for the … Continue reading Acts of faith