GCA Board Meeting
Tuesday, February 22, 2022
7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Chair: Laura Smith, President
Secretary and timekeeper: Janet Mayhew
Board members present: Laura Smith, June Creelman, John Crump, Janet Mayhew, Angus McCabe, William Price, Elizabeth Ballard, Janna Rinaldi, Carolyn Mackenzie, Dan Chook Reid, Rochelle Handelman, Vaughn Guy, Judy Wilson, Bob Brocklebank, Deborah Long, Cassandra Church, Christina Honeywell-Dobin, Della Wilkinson, Carol McLeod
Others present: Peter Nor, Martha Jeacle, Shawn Menard, Jonathan McLeod, Jay Miller, Sue Wheeler, Yoram Lapid, Bhagwant Sandu, David Hutton, Pat Goyeche, Lynn Armstrong, Susan Chibuk
Welcome and approval of agenda and draft minutes from January 25, 2022
Laura Smith opened the meeting with an Indigenous land acknowledgement.
A motion to approve the agenda was put forward by Carolyn and seconded by Dan.
Agenda was approved.
A motion to approve the minutes was put forward by Janna and seconded by Rachelle.
Minutes were approved.
Presentation on the Rideau Winter Trail
Peter Nor, Board President and Head Groomer of the Rideau Winter Trail, delivered a presentation and encouraged community members to use the trail for winter activities such as cross country skiing and snowshoeing. He provided an overview of the funding of this initiative, including a list of local sponsors, as well as the volunteer activities that are undertaken to maintain the trail. He asked that any community members who are interested in supporting the initiative or volunteering can reach out to him. More info can be found on the website: https://www.rideauwintertrail.ca/
Report from the Councillor
Shawn Menard provided an update on the following topics:
- The illegal occupation in downtown Ottawa
- Developer event planned for February 24, 2022 will be postponed to a later date.
- Due to road closures in the downtown core, OC Transpo routes 6 and 7 will be restored through the Glebe and Old Ottawa South with a detour on Isabella to reach downtown
- City Council meeting and the need to focus on residents and coming together to help each other during difficult times
- Ottawa Police Service Board is meeting on Thursday, February 24 at 9:00 a.m. The meeting on the 28th was canceled. There will be no public questions.
- OPL main branch to re-open on February 23, 2022.
Questions:
- The info session on parkland dedication bylaw scheduled for Feb. 16th was canceled. Will this affect the timeline for public comment opportunities? Shawn will send a note to the City to ask for materials.
Discussion: Occupation in Ottawa
Laura Smith notified Board members that the GCA Executive passed an urgent motion on February 5th and sent a letter to all three levels of government. (*a copy of the letter and motion is included at the end of this document).
In order to show community support, the GCA obtained window signs from Dominion City Brewery that said “We Love this City” and distributed them to neighbors who submitted an online request.
Board members discussed their feelings about the illegal occupation and how it affected the community. Given that there will be an inquiry into the government’s response to the occupation, Board members seemed supportive of the idea of coordinating GCA input with other community associations to present a united voice.
Committee motions
Motion 1: GCA Communications protocol
The draft GCA Communications protocol was reviewed at the GCA Board meeting on January 25, 2022 and Board members had the opportunity to submit their feedback to Janna. A revised version was presented and Board members approved the content.
A motion to adopt the Communication protocol was put forward by Janna Rinaldi and seconded by June Creelman. The motion carried.
Motion 2: The Mary Tsai Scholarship
Whereas Mary Tsai has worked collegially with our community, and particularly the Glebe Community Association, for more than three decades, and;
Whereas the Glebe Neighbourhood Activities Group (GNAG) agrees that setting up a scholarship in gratitude to be administered by GNAG is an appropriate way to thank her;
Be it resolved that the Glebe Community Association in gratitude starts the scholarship by donating $500.
The motion was put forward by Carol McLeod, with support from Elspeth Tory. It was seconded by Della Wilkinson. Motion carried.
Committee updates and items for discussion
The Environment Committee provided the following update:
- Zero Waste lead, Kate Reekie, prepared feedback to the City of Ottawa’s Standing Committee on Environmental Protection, Water and Waste Management (SCEPWWM) for Curbside Garbage Collection Options and Residuals Management Planning Framework through the advocacy group Community Associations for Environmental Sustainability (CAFES). A report on CAFES recommendations will be posted on the GCA Environment Committee webpage.
- Trees lead, Jennifer Humphries, made a presentation to the City of Ottawa’s Planning Committee on behalf of the GCA with respect to The Ottawa Hospital’s new campus and the need for an independent environmental assessment of the Dow’s Lake site.
- The GCA EC Tree Team continues to promote the Glebe Tree Canopy Regeneration Initiative and increased tree planting through articles in the Glebe Report (see Decision Trees for Tree Planting in February issue, page 16).
- 41 of the 100 tips for a greener Glebe have been posted on Instagram and Twitter @gcaenviro175, #greenerGlebe as of February 22nd, 2022. GCA and Glebe Report social media accounts are supporting this effort.
The Health & Social Services Committee provided an update re: an initiative underway to support seniors who wish to stay in their homes long-term. The following was posted in the Glebe Report:
- Are you an older adult who is thinking of staying in your home as you age? More and more people desire to “age in place”. If so, we have an opportunity for you. The Health, Housing and Social Services Committee is looking for someone to work with our neighbours in Old Ottawa South to form a working group. Led by SWOOS (Senior’s Watch Old Ottawa South) the group will conduct surveys to assess which resources are lacking in order to make it possible for people to stay in their homes long-term. If you are interested in being involved, please email us at health@glebeca.ca
The Planning Committee introduced two draft policies for the Board to consider:
- Draft of Conflict of Interest Policy
- While recognising that individual GCA members maintain their own perspectives and interests with respect to the many issues that the GCA seeks to engage on, these Conflict of Interest Guidelines are intended to ensure the integrity, objectivity, and public confidence in the Glebe Community Association Board (GCA Board).
- This policy provides guidelines for identifying conflicts, disclosing conflicts and procedures to be followed to assist the GCA to manage conflicts of interest and situations that may result in the appearance of a conflict.
- Draft Guidelines re: GCA support for legal counsel on planning related matters
- This document is intended to provide guidance in making decisions regarding the GCA’s allocation of financial resources in support of legal counsel for eligible development matters. Legal costs associated with any single planning file have the potential to be significant relative to the annual budget. The GCA seeks to be both judicious and equitable in its use of limited financial resources through consideration of these guidelines.
Board members had the opportunity to provide feedback on both documents and were encouraged to send comments directly to Carolyn who will update/finalize for the next meeting.
President’s Report:
Laura provided an updated on the following topics:
- Illegal occupation in the downtown core and the signs from Dominion City Brewery
- Parkways for People: attended a session with NCC and City Councillors re: pilot projects on parkways. Further discussion and consultation is required before the GCA can take a position.
- Nominations for 2022/23 GCA Board
- AGM to be scheduled for June 14th.
- Need to schedule an all candidates’ debate for the upcoming provincial election. Board members discussed virtual vs. in-person event. Details to be confirmed.
Adjournment
Motion to adjourn the meeting was put forward by Bill and seconded by Elizabeth.
Motion carried. Meeting was adjourned.
___________________________________________
From: Glebe Community Association <gca@glebeca.ca>
Date: Sat, Feb 5, 2022 at 11:00 AM
Subject: Occupation of downtown Ottawa
To: Watson, Jim (Mayor/Maire) <jim.watson@ottawa.ca>, Menard, Shawn <Shawn.Menard@ottawa.ca>, <diane.deans@ottawa.ca>, Joel Harden <joel@joelharden.ca>, <Premier@ontario.ca>, <yasir.naqvi@parl.gc.ca>, <info@ottawapolice.ca>, <justin.trudeau@parl.gc.ca>
Cc: <diane.deans@ottawa.ca>, McKenney, Catherine <catherine.mckenney@ottawa.ca>, Islam, Mohamed A <IslamM@ottawapolice.ca>
Dear Mayor Watson, Councillor Menard and Councillor Deans; Joel Harden, MPP and Premier Ford; Yasir Naqvi, MP and Prime Minister Trudeau,
I am writing today to express the concern of the Glebe Community Association (GCA) with the ongoing occupation and protest in downtown Ottawa.
The GCA is a volunteer, non-profit, membership-based, and City-recognized organization advocating for a liveable, sustainable, diverse urban neighbourhood in downtown Ottawa. We inform, consult, and engage with residents and other groups in the Glebe on issues of importance and promote the interests of our community with all levels of government and other organizations.
The GCA passed an urgent motion this week regarding the ongoing demonstration downtown (the full text of which I have included below). We are supportive of the democratic right of people to protest peacefully and engage in respectful dialogue. However, the protest and ongoing occupation we have seen this week is completely unacceptable for several reasons, including the racism and hate speech evident in many of the protestors’ messages, as well as the complete disrespect for those who live downtown, particularly in Centretown. All in the downtown core have been affected by the noise, pollution and dangerous circumstances, and it has been especially difficult for older adults, those living with disabilities, and those who are homeless and using the shelter system to access the supports they need. The environmental effects of constant vehicle idling are also concerning.
We are asking that the Ottawa Police, as well as the municipal, provincial and federal orders of government take immediate and appropriate action to address the situation downtown. Those who live and work in the National Capital Region have the right to live and move through their city without the fear of harassment, intimidation and threats.
Sincerely,
Laura Smith
President, Glebe Community Association
Whereas the Glebe Community Association advocates for a diverse, liveable and sustainable urban neighbourhood within Ottawa,
Whereas the GCA supports the democratic right of people to protest peacefully and engage in respectful dialogue,
Whereas the protest that began January 28 focused around Parliament Hill has included hate speech and imagery, signs and messages that are racist, anti-Semitic, homophobic, transphobic and offensive to Indigenous People,
Whereas the disrespect being shown for the people who live and work in Centretown and the downtown core is completely unacceptable,
Whereas the protest has made it particularly difficult for older adults, those living with disabilities, and people who are homeless and using the shelter system to access the supports they need,
and whereas noise and idling of vehicles are having a negative effect on mental health and the environment, in particular air quality,
Be it resolved that the GCA calls on the Ottawa Police and all orders of government to take immediate and appropriate action to protect the personal and civil liberties of those who live and work in the National Capital Region, including the right to live and move through their city without the fear of harassment, intimidation, and threats, as well as the effects of pollution from deliberate noise and exhaust.
And be it further resolved that the GCA support the statement from the Federation of Citizens Associations expressing its concern with the detrimental impacts of the protest and calling for an immediate end of the protest.