Sarsfield

We received the following update by email and since it impacts our village, we are sharing with you. We highlighted in green the most important points.

We encourage you to review the options and send your opinion to the city.

Good afternoon,

As you may be aware, I am one of the consultants for the Ottawa Ward Boundary Review 2020, which has been tasked with establishing new ward boundaries for the City of Ottawa to use in the next three or four municipal elections. You are receiving this email because you signed up for project updates or are identified as a key stakeholder.

This email includes updates and information regarding:

• The Round 2 public consultation results; and
• The release of the Ottawa Ward Boundary Review 2020 – Recommended Ward Boundaries – Final Report, which recommends a realigned ward boundary system for the City of Ottawa

Round 2 Public Consultation

Round 2 public consultation ran from August 19, 2020 to September 25, 2020. During this phase, we engaged with residents and stakeholders and collected feedback on the six options outlined in the Options Report and the Supplementary Report. All Members of Council, including the new Ward 19 – Cumberland Councillor, were consulted. We also held additional meetings with some Members, particularly those in more impacted wards.

As gathering restrictions continued due to the COVID-19 pandemic, public consultation meetings were conducted virtually through Zoom. Six public meetings and three stakeholder meetings were held, which included representatives from community associations, business improvement areas, school boards and advocacy groups.

Residents and stakeholders were also encouraged to complete a survey available through ottawa.ca or, for those with limited or no access to a computer, by requesting a paper copy.

In total, 2,150 surveys, 238 submissions and comments by email and telephone, and 16 Guest Book entries were submitted during Round 2, and 137 individuals and stakeholder groups participated in the public and stakeholder meetings. More details on the Round 2 public consultation process can be found in the Recommended Ward Boundaries – Final Report, which is described below in more detail.

Release of the Recommended Ward Boundaries – Final Report

The Final Report was released today on the City’s website and its recommendations are based on the following:

• The feedback on the six options for realigning Ottawa’s wards;
• Identification of a ‘preferred option’;
• Balancing the various components of “effective representation”; and
• Previous Court and Tribunal decisions

The Final Report will be considered by the Finance and Economic Development Committee (FEDC) and City Council during their December 1, 2020 and December 9, 2020 meetings, respectively. The report recommends a new ward boundary structure of 24 wards, with 12 urban wards, nine suburban wards and three rural wards.

A new interactive geoOttawa mapping feature has been created so you can view how the recommended structure would affect you. PDF maps for each of the 24 wards are also available.

If you would like to send a written submission to FEDC regarding the Final Report, or register to speak about the report at the meeting of December 1, 2020, please contact Carole Legault, Committee Coordinator, at CaroleA.Legault@Ottawa.ca or by calling 613-580-2424 ext. 28934. You must register to speak by no later than 9:00 am on Tuesday, December 1, 2020. Presentations to the Committee are limited to five minutes and will be made through the virtual meeting platform, Zoom. To ensure timely receipt and distribution of written comments to Members of Council, communications regarding the report should be sent no later than 4:00 pm on Monday, November 30, 2020.

Thank you for your interest in this project.

Best regards,

Beate Bowron, Project Manager, Ottawa Ward Boundary Review 2020

We received the following by email and since it impacts our village, we are sharing with you. We highlighted in green the most important points.

We encourage you to review the options and send your opinion to the city.

Ottawa – The City is seeking public feedback on six options for re-aligning Ottawa’s wards through an online survey at ottawa.ca/wardboundary from August 19 to September 25 and through virtual public consultation sessions scheduled from September 10 to September 23.

Since the last major review in 2005, Ottawa’s population has grown significantly – especially in suburban wards. This has resulted in substantial population imbalances between wards that affect fair and equal representation for voters and their communities.

As a result, City Council directed staff in June 2019 to retain an independent consultant to conduct a comprehensive, impartial, and unbiased review and establish ward boundaries that could be used in at least three municipal elections in 2022, 2026 and 2030, and possibly a fourth election in 2034.

The consultant team of Beate Bowron Etcetera Inc., in association with The Davidson Group and Hemson Consulting Ltd., has developed six options for a new ward boundary model – which are available online at ottawa.ca/wardboundary. Here are brief highlights of the options:

• Option 1 increases the number of wards to 25, with 13 urban wards, nine suburban wards and three rural wards.
• Option 2 increases the number of wards to 24, with 12 urban wards, nine suburban wards and three rural wards.
• Option 3 maintains the current number of wards, 23, and includes 11 urban wards, nine suburban wards and three rural wards.
• Option 4 also maintains the number of wards at 23. It also includes 11 urban wards, nine suburban wards and three rural wards. The boundaries for each ward are different than those in option three.
• Option 5 reduces the number of wards to 17, with nine urban wards, six suburban wards and two rural wards.
• Option 6 increases the number of wards to 24, with 12 urban wards, nine suburban wards and three rural wards. It minimizes ward boundary changes.

This is the second round of consultations. Round 1 took place in March 2020 with an online survey and public consultations to get input on the existing ward boundaries. The consultant team’s Options Report was considered by Council on July 15, 2020. The final report with recommendations for new ward boundaries is scheduled to be considered by the Finance and Economic Development Committee and Council in December 2020.

How to give your feedback on the six ward boundary options

 Online survey and virtual consultation sessions

Give your feedback online at ottawa.ca/wardboundary or register to take part in one of the upcoming virtual consultation sessions on Zoom. Following registration at ottawa.ca/wardboundary, you will receive an email with a passcode and login information. Three of the sessions will invite comments from participants all over the city, while another three sessions will focus on the urban, suburban and rural parts of the city.

• Thursday, September 10, 2020, 7 to 9 pm (city-wide focus)
• Saturday, September 12, 2020, 10 am to noon (city-wide focus)
• Monday, September 14, 2020, 7 to 9 pm (suburban focus)
• Saturday, September 19, 2020, 10 am to noon (city-wide focus)
• Tuesday, September 22, 2020, 7 to 9 pm (rural focus)
• Wednesday, September 23, 2020, 7 to 9 pm (urban focus)

 Simultaneous interpretation in both official languages will be available at the three city-wide sessions.

You can get more information on the Ottawa Ward Boundary Review 2020 at ottawa.ca/wardboundary or by calling 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401). Inquiries and comments can also be sent to wardboundary@ottawa.ca. You can also connect with us through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

We encourage you to visit the City of Ottawa’s website for the latest information on the COVID-19 virus.

We’re going to share the information we think is most relevant to the people of Sarsfield, but the city’s site remains the most reliable and comprehensive resource.

1. There are restrictions on the use of the park. See image for more info.
2. The annual village cleanup will not take place this year. The City of Ottawa is asking citizens to limit themselves to cleaning up their land. If you ever want to pick up trash during your walks, they strongly recommend the use of gloves or picker.
3. There is a new clinic in eastern Ottawa. See image for more information.
4. The Orleans Cumberland Community Resource Center shares good information with us for citizens of all ages. See image for more info.