On January 17th, CAFES joined OSEAN, the Hunt Club Community Association (HCCA) and a number of local organizations for an Open House Panel event at the Hunt Club Riverside Park Community Center to discuss the ecological benefits of the McCarthy Forest, Meadows and River areas.
In 2025, these lands were re-zoned to "Developmental Reserve" in the City's draft new Zoning By-law at the request of the land owner, the National Capital Commission (NCC). The intent was to pre-zone the lands now so they would be ready for future development. This re-zoning was made quietly without much public knowledge, resulting in swift action and advocacy in the fall and winter of 2025 from local environmental and community groups, including the OSEAN and the HCCA, who quickly mobilized in support of these prized greenspaces in urban Ottawa.
On December 17th, River Ward Councillor Riley Brockington brought forth a successful motion addressing this issue when the final draft of the new Zoning By-law was tabled at the Planning and Housing and ARAC Committee. The motion, passed by a vote of 11-4, reverts the lands to a more protective zoning designation (that was originally proposed by the city in the first draft of the zoning by-law). The final Zoning By-law will come to City Council on Wed January 28th.
At the event on January 17th, speakers from the Poet’s Pathway, Greenspace Alliance, Ottawa Field Naturalists Club, OSEAN, HCCA, Councillor Riley Brockington, and CAFES' Angela Keller-Herzog spoke about the value and significance of the spaces that are being proposed for re-zoning by the NCC. Each organization also set up information tables and spoke to attendees during the open house about the important work they are doing.
The event included a magical sunset river walk led by Ottawa Field Naturalists Owen Clarkin and Jakob Müeller, to educate community members about this wonderful, high quality greenspace while highlighting the many rare plant and wildlife species that can be found there. The day was extremely well attended, with 70 attendees at the open house and 15 participating in the walk. CAFES was thrilled to be a part of it!
You can learn more about the event from the OSEAN website as well as further background information on the re-zoning.
