PO Box 53050 Rideau Centre PO
CP 53050 BP Centre Rideau
Ottawa ON K1N 1C5
[email protected]
4th March 2023
Reference: The Ghettoization of Ward 12 and its Safety and Security Impacts

Dear Mayor Sutcliffe:
We are writing to you today to share with you our concerns in relation to the shooting /homicide that took place on February 21, 2023, on York Street. This tragic event is yet another ever-growing security concerns unfolding in Ward 12, and more specifically in the Lowertown/Byward market area.

The Lowertown Community Association (LCA) prides itself on its citizen engagement efforts and keeps a watchful eye on all activities happening in its neighbourhoods. We are witnessing that many violent crimes tend to occur in proximity to emergency shelters.

Ottawa’s approach to providing aid to individuals experiencing homelessness, substance abuse, and other mental health issues have concentrated the city’s residents most in need into one area. The Rideau-Vanier Ward has 12 emergency shelters with the addition of two hotels that serve a similar function. The Bernard Grandmaître arena is also scheduled be converted into another emergency shelter for the 2023 summer season.

This over-concentration is unfortunately facilitating predatory actions in the vicinity (e.g., drug dealing, gang recruiting, pimping/prostitution, reckoning, trafficking). To put it simply, this approach is enabling wolves to prey upon the vulnerable.

The LCA participated in the Social Services Budget Consultation on February 28, 2023 and we were astounded at the number of delegations expressing serious concerns about their safety and security in Ward 12. A few examples among many:

§ The General Manager of Les Suites Hotel walking staff to the LRT at night as
they are too afraid to go out on their own (and the hotel has lost significant
long-term tenants);
§ Fitzroy Harbour Youth with mental health issues being driven to George
Street in the Byward Market (and finding the program full);
§ The Theo University residence at Rideau & King-Edward finding human feces
regularly at its entrance and expending massive amounts to try and add
security to the building;
§ Young Rideau Centre employees who refuse to use the stairwells (feces, urine,
sexual activity, people shooting up), who cannot get in the elevators when
others are present and who are harassed, threatened and assaulted.

It is unbelievable that residents and businesses in the downtown core of the capital city of Canada have to live in fear. It’s even worse for the vulnerable who are preyed upon.

Your leadership is required to ensure that all citizens of the city of Ottawa are safe and secure, especially those who are in a precarious situation. Mental health, substance abuse, and homelessness are a citywide challenge. All wards have a duty of care towards their citizens and must share the responsibility if we are truly going to provide proper aid and care (with long-term success). Studies show that small-scale centres that deliver social services across a city foster better outcomes on the short, medium, and long-term. As such. we are calling upon you to initiate a new way forward by working with your city councillors to:

1. Establish by the end of 2023 an action plan to de-cluster the city’s approach to mental health, substance abuse, and homelessness;
2. Implement, as part of this action plan, a prioritizing framework where all wards are considered and ranked on the introduction of new social services. Mental health, substance abuse, and homelessness, especially with the current housing crises, do not discriminate. Every ward in Ottawa is facing these challenges and implementation of social services across the 24 wards must be achieved. It is no longer reasonable nor responsible to ask the Rideau-Vanier ward to exclusively assume this responsibility; and
3. Adopt new dedicated funding streams to ensure long-term success of the
identified milestones pertaining to the action plan. Lack of funding can no longer be a hurdle that inhibits the progressive care your citizens require.

We thank you for your time and we are open and willing to provide any assistance to support a positive change.
​
Yours sincerely,
Sylvie Bigras
President
Lowertown Community Association/Association communautaire de la Basse-Ville

Cc.
Stephanie Plante, Councillor Ward 12
City of Ottawa Councillors
Kalin McCluskey – City of Ottawa Mayor’s Office
Mona Fortier – MP
Lucille Collard - MPP

The City of Ottawa is undertaking the development of an update to the ByWard Market Heritage Conservation District (HCD) and the Lowertown West Heritage Conservation District (HCD) and their associated management guidelines. The updates will result in new Heritage Conservation District Plans as required under the Ontario Heritage Act.
The HCD Plans outline objectives, policies, and guidelines for how these HCDs should be conserved and protected, as well as how they should grow and evolve. This project also provides an opportunity to review the reasons that each HCD is significant, what elements or attributes, spaces, places or features express the important values of each HCD, and clarify how the areas should continue to grow and evolve into the future.
By completing these surveys, you will help Heritage Planning staff ensure they’ve captured those cultural heritage values, attributes and objectives for the Plan.  The information collected will form part of the study record and will be used to inform the draft plan and make recommendations to City Council.
Follow the links given below for each of the surveys 

Click on this for the ByWard Market HCD survey

Follow this link for the Lowertown West HCD

The Board of the Lowertown Community Association has set out its priorities and committee objectives for the coming year.

Overall LCA Priorities
Social services - continue to work with leaders in the Community to better provide services to the most vulnerable, while ensuring a safe community in which to live and raise our families;
King-Edward - continue to work with varioius partners in looking at alternative options for routing truck traffic from Gatineau to the Ottawa area which will lessen the volume of trucks on King-Edward from MacDonald-Cartier Bridge (currently causing safety, environmental and traffic issues)
Enhancing our community through traffic calming, beautification, new & animated community spaces, respecting the heritage character of our community.
​
Transportation
Ensuring the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists by increasing the walkability and biking infrastructure in Lowertown
Plan for parking in the Byward Market and surrounding area: if we solve walking, cycling and public transit issues then that will reduce the number of people driving
Explore the city’s plans for a tram from Ottawa to Hull – which would go along Sussex
Alternatives for trucking route which would reduce King-Edward truck use

 Housing and Homelessness
Decentralization of social services for people who experience homelessness across the city of Ottawa (homeless is a city wide challenge, not just a Lowertown issue)
Ensure that social service provided in Lowertown and elsewhere have positive impacts on recipients and the community 
Study alternative modes to tackle the housing crisis and develop a policy paper for consideration by our elected officials. 

Planning
The city-wide rezoning required as a result of the new Official Plan (which is still awaiting Provincial approval)
The new Official Plan's promised Byward Market secondary plan 
Negotiating a community benefit agreement with Ottawa Community Housing

Heritage
Completion of the Byward Market and Lowertown West Heritage Conservation District plans, including detailed guidelines and communication by the end of 2023
Development of Macdonald Gardens Heritage Conservation District work plan, with completion date for the plan in 2024 
 
Safety and Security
Commitment for increased community policing focused on prevention of crime and local problem solving through increased foot and bicycle patrols
Engage Crime Prevention Ottawa in a project that focuses on the decreased sense of security for residents concerned about the concentration of social services
​
Friends of Lowertown Parks
Completion and implementation of the heritage conservation plan for Macdonald Gardens Park in 2023 (designated in 2017)
Completion of Bingham Park revitalization in consultation with community completion by end 2023
 
You are invited to join in on the efforts to pursue these objectives over the coming year.  It’s as easy as sending a message to [email protected]

Le conseil d'administration de l'Association communautaire de la Basse-Ville a établi ses priorités et objectifs pour ses comités pour l'année à venir.

Priorités globales de l'ACB
Services sociaux - continuer à travailler avec les dirigeants de la communauté pour mieux fournir des services aux plus vulnérables, tout en garantissant une communauté sûre dans laquelle vivre et élever nos familles ;
King-Edward - continuer à travailler avec divers partenaires pour rechercher des options alternatives pour acheminer le trafic de camions de Gatineau vers la région d'Ottawa, ce qui réduira le volume de camions sur King-Edward à partir du pont MacDonald-Cartier (causant actuellement des problèmes de sécurité, d'environnement et de circulation )
Améliorer notre communauté par l'apaisement de la circulation, l'embellissement, de nouveaux espaces communautaires animés, en respectant le caractère patrimonial de notre communauté.

Transport
Assurer la sécurité des piétons et des cyclistes en augmentant le potentiel piétonnier et les infrastructures cyclables dans la Basse-Ville
Planifier le stationnement dans le marché By et ses environs : si nous résolvons les problèmes de marche, de vélo et de transport en commun, cela réduira le nombre de personnes qui conduisent
Explorez les plans de la ville pour un tramway  d'Ottawa à Hull - qui longerait Sussex
Alternatives pour les itinéraires de camionnage qui réduiraient l'utilisation des camions King-Edward

Logement et itinérance
Décentralisation des services sociaux pour les personnes sans abri dans toute la ville d'Ottawa (l'itinérance est un défi à l'échelle de la ville, pas seulement un problème de la Basse-Ville)
Veiller à ce que les services sociaux offerts dans la Basse-Ville et ailleurs aient des impacts positifs sur les bénéficiaires et la communauté
Étudier des modes alternatifs pour faire face à la crise du logement et élaborer un document d'orientation à l'attention de nos élus.

Planification
Le rezonage requis en raison du nouveau plan officiel (qui attend toujours l'approbation provinciale)
Le plan secondaire du Marché By promis par le nouveau Plan officiel
Négociation d'une entente sur les avantages communautaires avec Logement communautaire d'Ottawa

Patrimoine
Achèvement des plans du marché By et du district de conservation du patrimoine de la Basse-Ville Ouest, y compris les lignes directrices détaillées et la communication d'ici la fin de 2023
Élaboration du plan de travail du Macdonald Gardens Heritage Conservation District, avec date d'achèvement du plan en 2024

Sûreté et sécurité
Engagement à accroître les services de police communautaires axés sur la prévention du crime et la résolution de problèmes locaux grâce à une augmentation des patrouilles à pied et à vélo
Faire participer Prévention du crime Ottawa à un projet axé sur la diminution du sentiment de sécurité des résidents préoccupés par la concentration des services sociaux

Amis des parcs de la Basse-Ville
Achèvement et mise en œuvre du plan de conservation du patrimoine du parc des Jardins Macdonald en 2023 (désigné en 2017)
Achèvement de la revitalisation de Bingham Park en consultation avec l'achèvement de la communauté d'ici la fin 2023

Vous êtes invités à vous joindre aux efforts visant à poursuivre ces objectifs au cours de la prochaine année. C'est aussi simple que d'envoyer un courriel à [email protected]

Dear neighbours / Chers voisins,
 
Please join us for the AGM of the Lowertown Community Association /  Veuillez vous joindre à nous pour l'Assemblée générale annuelle de l'Association communautaire de la Basse-Ville


Here is the  ZOOM link for the meeting/ Voici le lien:

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84354051103?pwd=TWtwUUNQSWtPR2dnZUdrM2hiQURkZz09

Meeting ID: 843 5405 1103
Passcode: 622325

LCA AGM Agenda - June 13, 2022

Reports / Rapports  
1. Welcome / Mot de bienvenue
2. Lowertown crime statistics / Statistiques sur la criminalité  – Constable Sebastien Lemay
3. Messages from our elected representatives / Messages de nos élus
4. Report of the Community Engagement Team, City of Ottawa - Rapport de l'équipe d'engagement communautaire, Ville d'Ottawa -  - Kent Hugh
5. Update from Committee Chairs / Mise à jour par les présidents des commissions

AGM Business/Elections  /  Affaires/ élections de l'AGA:   
Archie Campbell, Chair
- Quorum
- President's Report / Le rapport du président
- Treasurer's Report / Le rapport du trésorier
- Motion to accept Treasurer’s Report / Motion d'acceptation du rapport du trésorier
- Other Business / Questions diverses

Elections / Élections - Archie Campbell, Elections Chair / président des élections

Current candidates / Candidats actuels:
- President / Présidente - Sylvie Bigras
- Vice-Presidents / Vice-présidents (2) Sandra Milton, Warren Waters
-  Secretary / Secrétaire -Vacant 
- Treasurer / Trésorier -  Lloyd Morrison
- Directors - minimum 6,maximum 10 / Administrateurs - minimum 6, maximum 10:
- Transport / Transports - Dominic Santos
- Safety & Security / Sûreté et sécurité - Sandra Milton & Julie Lanteigne
- Planning / Planification - Warren Waters 
- Housing & Homelessness / Logement et itinérance - Bruce Kelly
- Heritage / Patrimoine - Andrew Waldron & Nancy Miller Chenier
- Friends of Lowertown Parks / Amis des parcs de la Basse-Ville - Sandra Milton
- Communications - vacant
- Arts & Culture - Kendra Hughes & Fiona Barbaro Sant

You can find the transcript from last year’s AGM here / Vous pouvez trouver la transcription de l'AGA de l'année dernière ici.
 ​
 

Topic: Lowertown Community Association Monthly Meeting
Time: Nov 8, 2021 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Here is the link / Voici le lien:
https://zoom.us/j/97448664019?pwd=TmMxZUhWbkpHNm9Za3RnVWo1ZG04UT09
Meeting ID: 974 4866 4019
Passcode: 884752

AGENDA
1. 19:00 – 19:05  Welcome / Mot de bienvenue
2. 19:05 - 19:15 Friends of the Parks - facilities reopening and updates / Amis des parcs - réouverture des installations et mises à jour
3. 19:15 - 19:30 Mental Health Blueprint in Lowertown / Plan de santé mentale dans la Basse-Ville 
4. 19:30  – 19:45 Update from Committee Chairs / Mise à jour par les présidents des commissions
5. 19:45 - 20:05 Update from Councillor Mathieu Fleury / Mise à jour du conseiller Mathieu Fleury
6. 20:10 - 20:30 What's your vision for this Executive? What are your community priorities? / Quelle est votre vision pour cet Exécutif ? Quelles sont vos priorités communautaires? 

*Audio transcript and accompanyning documents from the last meeting can be found here / La transcription audio et les documents d'accompagnement de la dernière réunion peuvent être trouvés ici*

The Lowertown Community Association
Information : [email protected]