Support our fight by donating on our square site or by sending us an e-transfer at: rideau.action.group@gmail.com
Mission Statement:
Supporting a sustainable and resilient future for historic Rideau Township
Rideau Action Group
How it all began:
Happy New Year to all our Rideau Action Group members. Although we have been a little quiet on the communications front of late, the RAG board has not been idle. In December members of the board contacted the new mayor, Mark Sutcliffe and met with our new Ward 21 councillor David Brown to discuss concerns regarding the site plan for 1966 Roger Stevens Drive. We asked what the Council can do to undo or mitigate any harm inherited from the previous council’s planning strategies.
There is both good news and bad news. The good news is that due to the delays caused by RAG taking the case to the Ontario Land Tribunal and beyond, the tenant for the proposed e-distribution centre has gone elsewhere. This means the site plan is no longer relevant as a new tenant may want to build something completely different. Also, good news is that there is currently no new tenant and therefore no new site plan. Unfortunately, due to Bill 23, passed into law by the Ford conservative government, once a new site plan is submitted the city council and the public will no longer be able to provide input regarding what happens at the site.
RAG is committed to continuing to pursue the issue of building on the flood plain, and to trying to mitigate issues that are within the council’s control, such as traffic through the village. We will also be continuing to fundraise throughout the year in order to keep chipping away at our final legal bills related to the appeal to the Divisional Court last summer. For those wondering, we raised an outstanding $62,000 over the three years that RAG has existed.
2023 Membership
It’s membership renewal time. Please renew your Rideau Action Group Membership before January 31st. Individual membership is $25 a year. You must be a member in good standing to attend the AGM in late February. Renew here.
https://rideauactiongroup.square.site/s/shop
If anyone would like to stand for the board please contact us at rideau.action.group@gmail.com. Most of the current board members have been on the board for three years. Fresh faces and ideas would be appreciated.
We would like to thank all of you for your support and help over the past three years. We look forward to continuing to advocate for North Gower and Kars in 2023.
Dear supporters,
our appeal to the Ontario Divisional Court with respect to the conduct of the Ontario Land Tribunal has been denied. With this decision the challenge against the proposed development of a massive distribution center on Roger Stevens Drive can go no further in the Ontario Court system.
The members and supporters of RAG have spent the last 2½ years fighting for what we believe is the preservation of our rural quality of life. We thank you for the unwavering support and it is with heavy hearts that we now step away from this issue, and watch with trepidation as to what will unfold in our community.
Read the judge's decision here:0
Thank you so much to all of our generous donors who are funding our efforts. We need your financial support more than ever. There are several ways to support us, please consider participating in one of our fundraisers below, or donating on our square site or by sending us an e-transfer at: rideau.action.group@gmail.com
Keep watching this space for more exciting fundraisers!
Order your Rideau Action Group Lawn Signs
Help us to raise awareness and raise funds for RAG with one of our fantastic lawn signs!
Minimum donation $20 per sign. Order several and share them with friends and family. 3 different designs to choose from or purchase all 3 designs for $55. Orders by April 20th please. You can submit your orders via email at:
Full colour 12" x 18" sign with H stand included
Become a member
Membership fees and generous community support enabled us to hire a lawyer and fund the filing of two appeals against the zoning and by-law changes. Because of this, the originally proposed warehouse was not built at 1966 Roger Stevens Drive in 2020 or 2021, however, the fight is not over. Your continued support will allow Rideau Action Group to cover legal fees for the hearing at the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal. The land at 1966 Roger Stevens Drive is still very much at risk of a single-use massive development if the zoning and by-law changes are not repealed. Please click the link on the left to renew your membership.
A quick overview of the main issues:
The Rideau Action Group was formed to provide North Gower and surrounding residents with a means to ensure a sustainable future for this idyllic rural agricultural area. Currently, our main concern is the rezoning of 1966 Roger Stevens Drive to allow construction of an e-commerce distribution centre. We are appealing the City of Ottawa's rezoning of this site, which is within our village boundaries, at the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal. This is a costly and time consuming process, but the only legal avenue by which we can fight this proposal.
1966 Roger Stevens Drive
The land is 123 acres of beautiful farmland. It is an extensive floodplain and home to at least 4 endangered species. The land was zoned for some form of development, but that development was to benefit the local community and businesses and was very specific about the types of businesses allowed. The zoning change that RAG is appealing would let one massive single use facility be built within the boundaries of North Gower Village, by a multi-million dollar single entity with no roots in the community, which would jeopardize our community’s ability to grow and thrive in a sustainable way.
This is what a 700,000 square foot distribution centre building looks like, relative to the size of the village of North Gower!
The Proposal
1. The proposed building would have a 50% larger footprint than the Barrhaven Amazon building, and 20% more capacity.
2. 1.2 million square feet of land would be covered by building or asphalt
3. 63 Loading bays for large trucks
4. 1820 parking spaces
5. 240 trailer drop spaces (where trailers are parked while waiting to be loaded or unloaded)
6. 24/7 365 days per year operation
7. Traffic study suggests 1900-2000 cars per shift change (more in peak times such as prior to Christmas)
In case you missed it:
RAG Director Teddie Laframboise was recently interviewed for the Ottawa Citizen by Kelly Egan
"Retailers, especially small retailers, even shopping centres, are suffering from this immediate-delivery (sector). It's terrible for retail. It's terrible for the quality of life. It's terrible for transportation."
Posters all.pptx