At last week’s Planning and Housing Committee meeting, Councillor Kavanagh introduced a motion to remove the Tewin lands from Ottawa’s urban boundary — a decision I believe deserves serious consideration.
As you may know, the Tewin lands (located near Carlsbad Springs) were added last term to the City’s Official Plan in 2021 through a last-minute motion that went against City staff recommendations. At the time, staff had advised that other parcels of land, including areas closer to existing infrastructure and transit, would be less expensive and more sustainable to develop. Despite this, Council chose to include Tewin, located well outside the current urban area, with limited servicing and transit connections.
I remain concerned about the financial implications of this decision. Extending infrastructure and city services to such a remote area is expensive. And while the expectation is that the new residents of Tewin will bear that cost, the reality is that the long-term costs will ultimately be carried by all residents via property tax increases. These costs have already been identified in the City’s Infrastructure Master Plan and are in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
There are also important questions about reconciliation. While the Tewin project was presented as a partnership with the Algonquins of Ontario, many Algonquin leaders have since voiced that this development does not represent true reconciliation and that meaningful consultation was lacking.
As Council re-examines this issue, we must ensure that our planning decisions reflect fiscal responsibility, environmental sustainability, and genuine respect for Indigenous voices. I welcome your thoughts on this issue, the motion will be debated at the October 15th Planning and Housing Committee.
