Some of the most frequent questions I receive are with respect to the need for new park amenities, either the addition of fixtures or the renewal of existing ones. Unfortunately, there is no steady stream of funding available for parks and recreation upgrades. This is a concern for me as many of the recreational amenities in Alta Vista Ward are aging, overdue for renewal, or simply lacking. I am of the view that the current structure of City funding programs greatly advantages communities in growing suburban areas who receive new parks funded by development charges; communities in Wards that receive larger amounts of Cash-in-Lieu of Parkland funding; and communities who have strong engagement and fundraising capacity in wealthier areas. Wards such as Alta Vista that are well-established and include equity-seeking areas are greatly disadvantaged as a result.
When will the playground near me be updated?
Playground upgrades are now tracked on the city’s infrastructure project map. You can view this map here: https://ottawa.ca/en/planning-development-and-construction/construction-and-infrastructure-projects#city-ottawa-construction-projects-map.
Currently, many upgrades in our ward are cosmetic – the parking lots at Jim Durrell Recreation Centre and Heron Road are being repaired; the library roof at Alta Vista Library was recently replaced, and the changerooms at Brian Kilrea Arena are being upgraded. These are lifecycle improvements that are scheduled on a six-year horizon. There are some park renewal projects underway using Cash-in-Lieu funding. These include revitalization of Sandalwood Park in the Herongate community, where we will see playground equipment upgrades, a new splash pad and pathway lights in 2025, and a new Splashpad installation coming to Confederation Court Park (corner of Russell and Walkley Roads) in 2025. Both of these projects were committed to prior to my term.
What is Cash in Lieu funding?
Cash-in-Lieu of Parkland (CIL) funding is money paid to the city by developers when the amount of parkland established in a development or redevelopment is not met as per the parkland dedication policy. When received by the city, CIL funds are divided with 60% being allocated to the ward where the development took place and 40% are allocated for city wide parks improvements. These funds must be used for parks and recreational purposes as per the provincial planning act. You can read more about this policy here Cash-in-lieu of Parkland Funds Policy | City of Ottawa
How much CIL funding is available for Alta Vista Ward?
Alta Vista Ward currently has no available CIL funds, for several reasons. One is projects committed by the previous councillor have all had cost overruns (for example, the splash pad at Coronation Park opened this year cost over $850,000, even though originally estimated around $500,000). However, the primary reason for not having any CIL is that development has slowed, and in cases where there is potential development (e.g. Phase two of RioCan at Elmvale) the developer has included a new park therefore no CIL funding will be received. I don’t expect I will receive much CIL for the remainder of my term.
Do all wards receive approximately the same amount of Cash in Lieu funding?
No. As CIL is only provided when developers do not provide parkland, councillors who have a lot of high-rise development receive significantly more. Over the last decade Rideau-Vanier; Somerset Ward and Kichissippi Ward have received approximately $19 million each. Alta Vista Ward has received less than $3 million over the same time period.
Is there a central pot of CIL funding?
Yes. When a developer is required to pay CIL, 60% of the amount paid is allocated to the Ward CIL fund, and the other 40% goes to the Central CIL account. District parks are able to leverage Central CIL funding. Examples of District Parks include Brewer Park and Mooney’s Bay. There are no district parks in Alta Vista Ward.
Will the CIL program be reviewed?
City staff advised City Council members in August 2024 that they will be undertaking a review of the CIL program. I will be advocating for an equity lens to this program. No other municipality I am aware of has a program where councillors receive funding for discretionary use within their wards and no consideration is given to the age and state of parks and recreational amenities across Ottawa.
Are there other funding programs that can help with park renewal?
In addition to lifecycle renewal and CIL funding, the City offers Community Partnership minor and major capital grant programs. These programs require a community association or registered non-profit to fundraise 50% of the cost of a project and the City matches the remaining 50%, up to amounts of $7500 for a on non-city land and $10,000 on city land for a minor capital grant. There is no upper limit for major capital grants, limitations are subject to funding provided to this program, which is $700,000 per year.
Does Alta Vista Ward receive a lot of funding from the Minor/Major Capital Grant programs?
Ward 18 has not widely accessed these funds. The most recent grant was in 2018 when the city contributed $1,202 towards a bench in Coronation Park. Before this, funding received in the last decade primarily was in response to applications by school councils upgrading school play structures. The Alta Vista Community Association assisted neighbours who fundraised to sponsor an application add an additional play structure to Alta Vista Park in 2017.
What are examples of projects in other Wards that have been funded under the Minor/Major Capital Grant program?
Projects under the Minor Capital Grant Program have included projects that:
- support enhancements to schools, including $7500 for play structures from 2021-2023 at Churchill Alternative School (Ward 15), Roland Michener (Ward 4), St. Rose of Lima (Ward 7), Bells Corners’ (Ward 8), W.E. Gowling (Ward 16) and $7,500 towards an outdoor classroom at First Avenue Public School (Ward 17)
- Creation of new facilities such as pickleball courts at city parks (e.g. $10,000 at Pierre Rocque Park in Ward 2 in 2023)
Projects under the Major Capital Grant Program have included projects that
- Support indoor gymnasiums (e.g. $271, 000 for a double gym for MIFO in Ward 2 in 2021, $50,000 in 2023 for the Ottawa Islamic School in 2023 )
- Support enhancements to sports fields (e.g. Leitrim Park in Ward 22 received $125,000 in 2022 to convert softball field to baseball field and received $350,000 in 2023 for permanent lighting on the football field; McCarthy Park in Ward 16 received $125,000 for ball diamond upgrades)
- Support the establishment of fitness parks (e.g. $100,000 towards fitness equipment at Frank Ryan Park in Ward 7 in 2023 and $50,000 towards fitness equipment at St. Luke’s Park in Ward 14 in 2021)
- Support enhancements to gardens (e.g. Centennial Garden in Rockcliffe granted $150,000 for garden enhancements in 2023)
I’m happy to lead an initiative to fundraise for upgrades in a park near me. How can I do that?
You can reach out to a community association or a not-for-profit organization to see if they would support your application for a minor/major capital grant application. Our office can also help coordinate and work with community groups to support these efforts. There are many suggestions that have come into our office about different projects that are needed in the Ward- everything from revitalizing a baseball diamond or adding benches to renovating a fieldhouse.
What program was used to pay for the Jim Tubman Outdoor Rink?
A Local Area Levy was applied to the Jim Tubman Rink. The levy started in 2016 to fund $2.9 million of the cost of the Jim Tubman Rink in Canterbury Park. The final year of the levy will be 2025. Other sources of funding for this project included development charges, fundraising, and sponsorship. This was the second time that a Special Area levy was used to finance recreational amenities in our Ward. This program was leveraged previously to fund renovations to the Canterbury Community Centre which was paid from 2006-2015.
Will you suggest using a levy for other additional recreation renewals?
No. I do not support using a special area levy to fund additional recreation renewals. No other ward has invoked the use of this program to improve recreation. I support a review of existing parks funding to ensure that it is equitable and that the condition and age of amenities across the City are given consideration and not just the amount of funding generated by development in the Ward. Continually funding the wealthiest communities who have access to significantly more funding to build state of the art facilities while our Ward awaits the most basic repairs is not the way to build an equitable City.