Interprovincial BridgeActivities
RPRA letter to the Minister June 26, 2011 or view as [PDF Format]
Kettle Island Bridge – let the NCC know what you think about it
Phase 2B of the Environmental Assessment for the proposed Ottawa River crossing is underway. Time is short and our community needs to let the NCC consultants know that we oppose a bridge at Kettle Island and the use of the Aviation Parkway for trucks (Corridor 5).
Please take the time to add your views to the NCC public consultation process. A "Do-it-Yourself" kit is available online, which allows to you identify and document your concerns. Click on the following link to access the DIY kit: http://www.ncrcrossings.ca/en/yourformkit.php (Comments - Do It Yourself Kit). The DIY kit will be available online until the end of June. Although the deadline for the DIY comments may be extended until mid-August, it is important to provide your input as soon as possible.
If you are unable to complete the DIY kit, you can still provide your comments directly to the NCC consultants at info.crossings@genivar.com.
Here are some points you may wish to consider when preparing your comments:
Put people before pollution. Any solution must remove large trucks out of the downtown corridor but also keep them away from residential areas on both sides of the river. Not appropriate to simply transfer the King Edward truck problem to another residential neighbourhood inside the green belt.
We value our recreational paths and heritage sites. Converting the Aviation Parkway (currently designated as part of a scenic route to downtown Ottawa) into a heavy truck corridor would cause significant harm to nearby residents, schools, the Montfort Hospital, recreational facilities and nationally significant heritage locations (RCMP Musical Ride, Aviation Museum, Rockcliffe Airport - Canada's oldest operating airport). It would also diminish the tourist value of this beautiful and historic cultural landscape.
Corridor 5 contains significant wooded areas that are designated Urban Natural Areas (among them Rockcliffe Shores, Montfort Hospital Woods, Airbase Woods). These are havens for wildlife, plants and trees and oases for people to enjoy those remaining remnants of forest. They help the city to breathe!
The combination of the massive Rockcliffe Base development and the Corridor 5 - Kettle Island option would have a devastating traffic impact on Hemlock/Beechwood corridor and the Rockcliffe Parkway.
The process must allow for consideration of options beyond the three proposed corridors, including a downtown tunnel, a ring road, and alternative corridor alignments on both sides of the river.
The process should expressly consider the "Canotek" option, which would link Highway 174 to Autoroute 50 (and Gatineau Airport) via Boulevard Maloney East (Highway 148). This option would route heavy trucks outside of residential neighbourhoods and outside the green belt. It would also provide better incentives for use of public transit.
Please speak up and help us stop a bridge at Kettle Island!