NEWS & UPDATES
on the
Chats Falls Boat By-Pass Issue

 
 
July 17, 2004

 Willola Beach BBQ-Fundraiser, a huge success!
The Willola Beach BBQ (Fund-raiser) event, on Saturday, was, by all accounts, a huge success: Great speeches, music, food/refreshments, lively discussion, and perfect weather!  LINK TO STORY

 

  
 
 
June 8, 2004

Boat bypass angers residents
Fitzroy Harbour residents are furious about a Mississippi Valley Conservation decision they believe will allow thousands of pleasure boats to be towed through their community each season. (Ottawa Citizen - June 8, 2004)  LINK TO STORY

  
 
 

June 6, 2004

Ottawa Riverkeeper Opposes Dam Bypass

by Meredith Brown 		    The current moderation status is approved.Change the moderation status by click the following links.
 
   Introduction
    
 
Ottawa Riverkeeper is very concerned about the plan to built the bypass at Chats Falls and we would like to support the community with their demonstration. I would like to make it clear that Ottawa Riverkeeper opposes the proposal to use the Willola Beach Road and Morris Island old RR line route.
 
     

From: Meredith Brown <keeper@ottawariverkeeper.ca>
Date: Fri, 04 Jun 2004 09:48:09 -0400
To: wbpoa@hotmail.com
Subject: Chats Falls ByPass

Hello Mr. Campbell and Mr. Duncanson-Hales,

Ottawa Riverkeeper is very concerned about the plan to built the bypass at Chats Falls and we would like to support the community with their demonstration.  unfortunately I will not be able to attend the June 8th meeting since I am out of town for a conference.  However, I would like to make it clear that Ottawa Riverkeeper opposes the proposal to use the Willola Beach Road and Morris Island old RR line route.

I would like to write a letter and I am hoping that you can give me an idea of who I should send the letter to.  Any ideas on how we can help with this issue would be appreciated.

Sincerely,

Meredith Brown, Riverkeeper

Ottawa Riverkeeper / Les Sentinelles de la Rivière des Outaouais
Ensuring a healthy, ecologically sustainable Ottawa River for all
Une rivière des Outaouais en santé et gérée de façon durable pour le bien-être de tous

Hotline: 1-888-9KEEPER
Ottawa: 613-864-7442
email: keeper@ottawariverkeeper.ca
www.ottawariverkeeper.ca
 <http://www.ottawariverkeeper.ca/>
 

  
 
 

June 4, 2004

Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority Approves Dam Bypass

by Michael Campbell 		    The current moderation status is approved.Change the moderation status by click the following links.
 
   Introduction
    
 
On May 27th, the MVCA overturned a previous decision not to let the Chats Dam Boat Bypass go through the Wilderness/recreation area of Morris Island Conservation area.
 
     

 

On May 27th, the MVCA overturned a previous decision not to let the Chats Dam Boat Bypass go through the Wilderness/recreation area of Morris Island Conservation area. Councillor Eli El-Chantiry had made election promises against placing the boat bypass in quiet residential areas. He voted for a City of Ottawa proposal to have the Chats Falls Boat Bypass going through Morris Island Conservation Area and Vydon Acres, which also includes by default the quiet residential streets of Willola Beach Road and the heart of Fitzroy Harbour. Angered by this decision, Fitzroy Harbour residents will be holding a rally at the Fitzroy Harbour Community Centre on June 8th at 5:30 PM.

 

The residents will be joined by The Sierra Club of Canada, Ottawa Group, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS), Ottawa Valley Chapter, The Rural Council, West Carleton Rural Association, Terry Kilrea, The People’s Voice and other rural groups.

 

Rick Prashaw, Federal NDP and Stuart Langstaff, Federal Green Party Candidates for the Carleton-Lanark riding will be attending the Protest and have stated their support against the boat bypass. Other candidates have been invited. The proponent, MVCA Directors and City of Ottawa staff will be attending a public meeting regarding the boat bypass at 7 PM, following the protest. The residents learned from their Councillor that the proposal for the bypass is now in the hands of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). This makes the issue a local federal election issue. In addition to safety concerns originally raised by El-Chantiry, residents and environmental experts have concerns about how the project will affect the Ottawa River at Willola Beach.

 

The residents plan to reveal at this meeting their dissatisfaction and to also provide additional safety issues, some of which were mentioned by the Councillor regarding this bypass, which should have a major impact on the proposal review with the DFO.

 

  
 
   
May 28, 2004

Letter to Councillor Eli El-Chantiry

by Bruce Collier 		The current moderation status is approved.Change the moderation status by click the following links.
 
   Introduction
    
 
It is with sadness and great disappointment that I am writing this letter on behalf of the Willola Beach Property Owner's Association (WBPOA).
 
     

2004-05-27
 
Councillor Eli El-Chantiry:
 
It is with sadness and great disappointment that I am writing this letter on behalf of the Willola Beach Property Owner's Association (WBPOA).
 
A contingent of the WBPOA met with you on April 3rd, 2004 at the Lighthouse to discuss the Boat Bypass issue.  At that time you assured us that there would be an environmental assessment performed by the City of Ottawa environmental expert, followed by a public meeting to the residents of Fitzroy Harbour to discuss the outcome of this environmental assessment. You also PROMISED that there would be a followup meeting to this meeting for
the residents to rebut the outcome of this public meeting, with an additional public meeting if so required.  We discussed this several times during that meeting.  You left us thinking that there was still time to address this issue.
 
Today at the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA) Board of Director meeting I witnessed the City of Ottawa presentation where it was recommended that the Boat Bypass would go through Morris Island, downtown Fitzroy and down Willola Beach road.  You then voted for the MVCA resolution to permit the Boat Bypass through the Morris Island (which would by default also include having the route go through downtown Fitzroy and Willola
Beach).  Therefore, by default you have voted for the Boat Bypass through Fitzroy!?  Am I correct?

(I would also like to point out that it was inappropriate that the proponent Gary Wiseman was permitted to speak to the Board (and requested to do so by Rob MacKay of the City of Ottawa), but others in the public were not permitted to comment on the Boat bypass.  During the meeting it was also mentioned several times that the City of Ottawa has been consulting with the proponent.  Conversely, the residents have not been consulted during that period?
 
You also announced at today's meeting to have another meeting with the residents of Fitzroy regarding this issue on June 8 at 7 PM.  Additionally, you mentioned that the City was going to make a decision regarding the Boat bypass on Jun 15th. Is there more information regarding this meeting?  Will these be canned City of Ottawa meetings, or will the residents have the opportunity to actually give input into this issue? And have their issues heard?

Will the proponent be in attendance (not his consultants)?  I want to state right now that we want to make one or more presentations at both of these meetings with adequate time for presentations.  You had assured the WBPOA that you would give us ample notice regarding any change in the Boat Bypass and now it appears that by Jun 15th there will be a rush decision?  This is not fair, as we have been requesting information all along regarding the Boat Bypass.
 
When will we have the update performed by the Environmental expert for the City (not a project manager for the City as was performed today at the MVCA meeting)?  When will we see the Environmental Assessment document?  When is this process going to be transparent?  The residents of Fitzroy have already stated that they do NOT want the Boat Bypass passing through their quiet residential streets (over 90% voted against it).  Are they not allowed to make decisions for their own town, or is the City of Ottawa going to dictate
to us our decisions.

I am also disappointed that when Mike Campbell, President of the WBPOA, requested an update regarding the information we learned from the County of Renfrew last week indicating that the bypass would begin construction on July 15th, 2004 that you told him not to contact you until there was construction underway. As the time of construction is too late, this response was not acceptable?  You didn't bother to tell us about today's MVCA meeting, either?  Why are the residents being omitted from meetings which will impact their daily lives?  All of this questions the fair transparent process?
 
I will look forward to a response to this e-mail.
 
Disappointed.
 
Bruce Collier

 

  
 
 

Apr 15, 2004

Renfrew County to Pull Bypass Funding

by Karen McKenna

     
   Introduction
    
 
Today's North Renfrew Times contains an article entitled "County Committe Suggests Leaving Waterway Project."
 
     

Some pertinent excerpts:
 
As Renfrew County tries to cut its budget by $1.14 million, the development and property committee is proposing the upper-teir municipality doesn't provide $23,666 in operating funds to the Temiskawa Waterway this year.
 
The committee is also recommending the county try to retrieve $50,000 in a reserve fund for a boat bypass project at Fitzroy Harbour, pending legal review.
 
If council approves the committee's recommendation and doesn't provide its share of operating dollars, the decision will result in a third municipal partner leaving the Temiskawa Waterway in recent years. Arnprior is no longer a partner and Deep River pulled out last year, because the town decided that there wasn't sufficient boat traffic to sustain its participation in the project.
 
Mitchell Wilkie, manager of economic development services for Renfrew County, told committe members he believes the waterway will never become a money making proposition. "It's going to be a hole. It's going to be a money pit," said Mr. Wilkie.
 
Although the corporation is making a better effort in trying to get affairs in order, including developing a business plan, there are still problems, he said.
 
"I'm having second thoughts about the value of the project," said Mr. Weckworth, Mayor of North Algona Wilberforce. Mayor Ray-Anne Briscoe of Admaston/Bromley believes the waterway will never make money because of a lack of boat traffic.

 

  
 
 

Mar 26, 2004

March Update on Dam Bypass

by Karen McKenna

     
   Introduction
    
 
We've been hammering away at city council, trying to get them to revist the $300,000 for the boat bypass. They've already released $50,000 of the money to the proponent, perhaps to help with the environmental study costs. We think it's folly for the city to be spending money on a dam bypass that the local community doesn't want when they're faced with cutting essential services due to budget constraints.
 
     
  • Kathy Adeney made a presentation to the Corporate Services & Economic Development Committee at City Hall, asking them to recall the funding and also restated her plea in a letter to The West Carleton Review.
  • Bruce Collier made a presentation at a meeting of the The People's Voice (Terry Kilrea's group), asking several city councillors (including Jan Harder) to recall the funding.
  • Bruce Collier made a presentation to the Rural Affairs Committee asking city councillors (including Eli) to recall the funding.
  • The Willola Beach Property Owner's Association (WBPOA) took part in The People's Voice demonstration at City Hall, asking the city to recall the funding to help prevent a rural tax increase.
  • On Mar 23rd, Michael Campbell, President of WBPOA, made a presentation to the Rural Coalition, a group formed to present a single unified rural voice to the City of Ottawa.  Mike said that we'd like the $300K for the boat bypass put towards libraries, community centres, and other important services.  The Rural Coalition was formed by Bob McKinley, Adele Muldoon, and Jan Campbell and includes nearly 20 rural organizations, representing farmers, community associations, and others.
So far, our requests have fallen on deaf ears. How can you help? Call or email Eli and ask him to recall the dam bypass funding (580-2475 or Eli.El-Chantiry@ottawa.ca).
 
Call or email the mayor and other councillors and ask them to recall the dam bypass funding. Inundate the local newspapers with letters to the editor on the matter (580-2400 or http://ottawa.ca/city_council/wards_councillors_en.html).

 

  

Above UPDATES, courtesy of the website of the 
Willola Beach Property Owner's Association 
To Guest register for more information - CLICK HERE
 

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