NCC Board of Directors Approves the Ottawa River South Shore Riverfront Park Plan

Canada’s Capital Region - The National Capital Commission’s (NCC) Board of Directors today approved the new Ottawa River South Shore Riverfront Park Plan which will protect and enhance Ottawa’s riverfront corridor, share its rich culture and natural history, facilitate recreational experiences, and reconnect people to the river.

Based on extensive consultations with local residents, Algonquin First Nation, and other stakeholders, the plan will connect communities to nine kilometres of shoreline and the river, and encompass over 200 hectares of riverfront lands between LeBreton Flats and the mouth of the Pinecrest Creek corridor, in addition to the Mud Lake Conservation Area.

In support of the NCC’s priority to offer public access and new connections to discover the shorelines and waterways, this plan will create a regionally connected network of pathways and recreational attractions to ensure that the riverfront lands are more environmentally sustainable, ecologically healthy, attractive and accessible for all.

Implementation of the plan will be phased over the long term, with some elements being initiated sooner, such as Westboro Beach, pavilion and parking lot; Rochester Park and washroom facilities; a lookout on the river; and the parkway crossing to provide access to the river.

Highlights of the Plan

• Improved recreational opportunities along the shoreline, with programmable public areas
• Access to public amenities such as washroom facilities, water fountains, lookouts, bicycle parking, and food and beverage services
• Safer cycling and walking paths to increase public access to the river, as well as traffic-calming measures, including speed reduction.
• A vegetation strategy to protect and enhance wildlife habitat
• In collaboration with the City of Ottawa, this plan buries the western light rail transit line under a reconstructed section of the parkway, creating 38 percent more parkland along the shoreline.
• The plan is the culmination of a collaborative and inclusive planning process, whereby 4,000 respondents guided and informed its development.
• The plan retains the four-lane configuration of the parkway. Any future decision to reduce the number of lanes will be taken after the completion of the western light rail transit project in 2023; widening of Highway 417, as planned by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation; traffic and intersection studies with the City of Ottawa; and consultations with communities and the public.

Quick Facts

• In collaboration with the City of Ottawa, this plan buries the western light rail transit line under a reconstructed section of the parkway, creating 38 percent more parkland along the shoreline.
• The plan is the culmination of a collaborative and inclusive planning process, whereby 4,000 respondents guided and informed its development.
• The plan retains the four-lane configuration of the parkway. Any future decision to reduce the number of lanes will be taken after the completion of the western light rail transit project in 2023; widening of Highway 417, as planned by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation; traffic and intersection studies with the City of Ottawa; and consultations with communities and the public.

“The community’s strong desire to reconnect with the lands along the shoreline fostered a powerful reimagining and revitalization of the riverfront. I am pleased to say that the NCC will consult with the Algonquin First Nation, and conduct a public process to name this extraordinary new linear Park.”

 Dr. Mark Kristmanson