Tewin: Sustainability or Greenwashing?

On October 15th, the Planning and Housing Committee voted down Councillor Kavanagh's motion to remove the Tewin development from the City's Official Plan.

Tewin claims it will be a “sustainable” suburb in Carlsbad Springs to accommodate Ottawa’s growing population. The project is proposed by land developer Taggart in partnership with the Algonquins of Ontario. Tewin was first proposed to the City in 2021, and in the same year, City Council expanded the urban boundary to include Tewin lands.

Since the project was announced, environmental organizations, community groups, and Indigenous leadership have raised several concerns, including:

• The Ottawa Field Naturalists Club found that Tewin is home to a rare forest ecosystem with diverse plant and wildlife species in 2021.
• In March 2023, Taggart clear-cut 70 hectares of land near Tewin without a proper permit.
• Tewin is not integrated into Ottawa’s transit network and would increase urban sprawl. Extra journeys by transit and individual cars would increase Ottawa’s emissions.
• It would also be expensive for the City of Ottawa
  • Water and wastewater services would cost an estimated $591 million.
  • It is unclear how much of the cost would be shouldered by Taggart or Ottawa taxpayers.
• It is unclear how this suburb represents reconcilitation with the Algonquin nation.

In terms of sustainability, Taggart claims Tewin will operate under the framework of "One Planet Living" which they define as "a vision of a world where all people live happy and healthy lives within the ecological limits of our one planet -- leaving space for wildlife and wilderness.”

Principle #10 is Zero Carbon Energy: Making buildings and manufacturing energy-efficient and supplying all energy with renewables.

Over the past two years, CAFES has met several times with the Taggart Tewin planning team. We have repeatedly questioned Taggart on whether their plans are zero-carbon and renewable energy, or whether they are planning to build gas pipelines to Tewin. Taggart has refused to provide a clear answer in our meetings with them. Their official answer at the January 2025 open house was: "The Preferred Community Design Strategy will incorporate recommendations from the One Planet Action Plan to begin a journey towards One Planet Living."

You can judge for yourself whether this sounds legitimate, or another example of greenwashing.

You can stay updated on the Tewin project through Engage Ottawa.