On April 19, the NCC Board of Directors met to discuss recent and upcoming projects. Here are some of the highlights presented in my Report on Activities.
LeBreton Flats
- Work with the RendezVous LeBreton group is advancing toward a Master Development Agreement, with the intent of having this agreement in place by 2019.
- The NCC continues to engage with the leaders of the Algonquin First Nation, with another meeting with the Algonquin Delegation of Chiefs on April 26. This will be the eighth meeting with the Delegation of Chiefs.
Rideau Canal Skateway
- The 48th season of the Rideau Canal Skateway ended on February 21, lasting 48 days and open for skating 35 days.
- This winter the Skateway had 967,984 visitors, about 27,685 per day.
Mosaïculture Gatineau 2018
- The NCC was pleased to announce earlier this month that a new Mosaïcultures horticultural display will return to Jacques Cartier Park for the summer of 2018.
- This builds on the success of MosaïCanada 150 last summer.
Voyageurs Pathway
- The Voyageurs Pathway rehabilitation will go ahead this summer, with the intent of re-opening the parts damaged in last year’s heavy rains and flooding by the fall.
Gatineau Park Master Plan
- Phase 2 of the renewal of the Plan has begun.
- A public forum is scheduled for the Urbanism Lab on April 25, to be followed by a series of workshops throughout the Capital region.
Capital Pathways Network
- The review of the Capital Pathways strategic plan continues with almost 200 people attending public consultation sessions in February.
- Online consultations will begin this spring.
O’Brien House
- The work to restore historic O’Brien House in Gatineau Park has been completed and it is now operating as the boutique hotel “O’Brien.” An official grand opening is planned for May.
- Members of the public can view elements of the Crown Collection that are temporarily on display in the Canadiana Room.
Rideau Hall
- The Rideau Hall skating rink has completed its first full season with its refrigerated surface.
- This allowed for the longest skating season ever at Rideau Hall, from December 8 until March 25.
- More than 4,600 skaters participated this year.
Memorandum of Understanding with Chelsea
- On March 27 the NCC and the municipality of Chelsea signed a relationship charter and Memorandum of Understanding to formalize a commitment to work together on numerous issues of mutual interest — for example, event management, environmental management and land-use planning.
- This is a pilot project that we hope will be the basis for further discussions with the other municipalities in the National Capital Region.
Federal Budget
- The federal government has budgeted $55 million over two years to allow the NCC to address some of the issues of deferred maintenance that the Office of the Auditor General pointed out last year in its special 10-year examination.
- The NCC has a plan in place to advance high-priority and high-impact projects, and to ensure that NCC staff have the support they require to perform the work efficiently and to the highest standards.
Tin House Court Properties
- Renovations at the Black Thorn Café on Clarence Street have been completed. The tenant expects to reopen the café this spring.
- Work on all commercial and retail units on the Tin House block is expected to be complete by June 1.
Advisory Committee on Universal Accessibility
- Catherine Gardner and Collinda Joseph have been appointed to the committee. More information about the new members is available on the NCC’s website.
