Action Sandy Hill (ASH) and Lowertown Community Association (LCA) have joined forces and are circulating a petition (both online and on paper) asking the Mayor and the Councillor to preserve the vision for Rideau Street east of King Edward, as outlined in the 2005 Community Development Plan and currently being updated.  It is now under grave threat from several proposed new high-rise developments along Rideau Street, immediately adjacent to the sensitive Besserer Street Heritage District.

Sign the electronic petition here!

Copies of the paper petition are making their way around the neighbourhood and can also be found at Ayoub’s (Somerset & Blackburn) and TAN Cafe (Wilbrod & Friel).

July 19th update: we already have more than 130 signatures!

For more information visit the ASH-ACS web page:  http://www.ash-acs.ca/plans-for-rideau-st-in-danger/

The Heritage walk on Dalhousie North was a great success! Close to 100 people attended all four walks given in French and in English. Check out the images above provided courtesy of Elaine Sigler. A big thanks and congratulations to the Heritage Committee co-chairs Nancy Miller-Chenier and Liz MacKenzie as well as both fantastic tour guides Mark Farine and Vincent Bergeron (with guest appearances by Brendan Bowen and the Drouin-Lasalle family). Special thanks to Robert Smythe who provided both moral support and historical context. You can check out Robert's excellent blog on Heritage in Ottawa here.

Below is a quote from co-organizer Liz MacKenzie:

''Nearly 100 people went on the four walks conducted by Vincent and Mark - with a popular vignette presentation by Brendan Bowen. Hundreds of people stopped to talk to the volunteers at the table - we sold T-shirts, books and CDs and signed up 20 people interested in LCA work. The merchants had balloons on every corner - leading people all the way down to Cathcart.  Fred provided space, jazz and a great spirit in the Das Lokal parking lot. BIA provided much appreciated tent, table, chairs and their heritage banner. I can't say enough about the positive response we got about our tour guides - people are looking for more walks!

Thanks to all our volunteers and congratulations to who made the day a great success on North Dalhousie.''

If you are interested in volunteering for the next walk just leave a comment or contact the LCA Heritage Committee. See you at the next walk soon!

Below is the statement from the petition you can sign at the following locations:

- Bluebird Café at 261 Dalhousie
- T.A.N. Coffee at 317 Wilbrod
- Ayoub's minimart at 322 Sommerset

Read more from the Ottawa Citizen about the proposed high rise development at 560 Rideau. Click here for the article.

Petition Statement:
We support our colleagues and neighbours who have participated in the Upper Rideau Street
Community Design Plan and ask our Councillor and Mayor to uphold the principles of that plan.
Please do not negate all the time and effort spent to come up with planning principles for Rideau
Street and the designated heritage area on Besserer Street . Please reject the proposal by
Richcraft to build a high rise tower on Rideau Street at Cobourg.

Nous demandons à notre conseiller et notre maire de s.v.p. voir au respect des principes
énoncés dans le plan de développement de la rue Rideau. Ceux-ci ont été formulés par nos
collègues et voisins ainsi que par de nombreux autres participants. La rédaction de ce plan
Rideau ainsi que la désignation héritage de la rue Besserer représentent de nombreuses heures
de bénévolat et de maints efforts de groupes de travail endossés par la Ville. Nous vous
demandons donc de rejeter la demande de Richcraft pour l’érection d’une tour sur la rue
Rideau à l’angle Cobourg.

Check out what LCA president Liz Bernstein had to say about the redevelopment of Byward Market in the Ottawa Citizen. Click on the article here