Rideau Corridor Landscape Strategy - Progress to Date
First Public Workshops for the Rideau Corridor Landscape Character Assessment a Success!
Smiths Falls, Ontario - March 13, 2012 - A very big thank you to all who attended the first round of public consultation workshops held March 6-8 along the Rideau Corridor. It is great to see the passion and enthusiasm people have for the Rideau and to gather invaluable feedback and information about places in the Rideau Corridor that are important to them.
For those unable to attend the workshops, the presentation, maps, handouts and comment sheet are all available on the project website www.rcls-sacr.ca.
The public is also encouraged to participate through other ways including: via social media, contributing to an online photographic library of the Rideau Corridor's landscapes, and attending the next round of community workshops to be held in the summertime. Information about participating in these opportunities and about the project itself can be found on the web site www.rcls-sacr.ca.
Follow us on Twitter @RideauCLS.
The Rideau Canal is a National Historic Site, Canadian Heritage River, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As part of the 2007 World Heritage Site designation, the World Heritage Committee recommended that the Rideau Canal's visual protection be strengthened outside of the established buffer zone to ensure the visual values of the setting are protected alongside environmental values.
As part of its commitment to the Rideau Corridor Landscape Strategy, Parks Canada is facilitating a Landscape Character Assessment to identify key features and values of the Rideau Corridor in order to support more effective planning and management of the Rideau Corridor's landscape into the future.
For further information on the Landscape Character Assessment project, please contact:
Rideau Canal, Parks Canada
rideaucanal-info@pc.gc.ca
613-283-5170
For further information on the Rideau Corridor Landscape Strategy, please contact:
Doug Struthers
Chair, Rideau Corridor Landscape Strategy
mayor@merrickville-wolford.ca
613-269-4791
March 2012
Dillon Consulting provided an update on progress made to-date on the landscape character assessment project, and an overview of the upcoming public workshops. Thus far, the project team has explored what information is already available to properly complete the assessment, and is presently researching past character descriptions documenting the land use, cultural features, natural conditions, policy areas, and special visual resources in the Rideau Corridor. This preliminary work has resulted in the identification of draft geographic sectors and landscape character areas along the corridor, based on watershed divide, the evolution of the canal and landscape characteristics. This preliminary information will be shared at the upcoming public workshops to gather the public’s feedback and enhance and refine the preliminary research.
These public workshops will be held March 6, 7 and 8 along the Rideau Corridor.
Registration begins at 6:30 p.m. All workshops will be held from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Workshop dates and locations are:
North
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Rideau Valley Conservation Authority
3889 Rideau Valley Drive, Manotick
Central
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Merrickville Community Centre
106 Read Street, Merrickville
South
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority – Outdoor Centre
1641 Perth Road, Kingston
Anyone interested in providing input is also encouraged to contribute to the online photographic library of the Rideau Corridor’s landscapes. A second round of workshops will be held later in 2012 to gauge participant’s preference for landscape types and characteristics. Information about participating in these opportunities and about the project itself can be found on the web site www.rcls-sacr.ca.
November 2011
Stage 1 of the landscape character assessment commences, with the introduction of the Dillon team to the Steering Committee, and review of a proposed Communications and Engagement Plan.
October 2011
The Request for Proposals to hire a consultant to undertake a landscape character
assessment and develop planning and management recommendations for the Rideau Corridor closed for bidding on October 4. Following extensive review and evaluation of all eight submissions, Dillon Consulting is awarded the contract in late October.
August 2011
The Request for Proposals to hire a consultant to undertake a landscape character
assessment and develop planning and management recommendations for the Rideau Corridor is posted for bidding on the MERX Canadian Public Tenders website.
On-water meetings of the Steering Committee, Planners Technical Advisory Committee and key partners and stakeholders are hosted by Parks Canada, traveling from Smiths Falls to Ottawa.
July 2011
On-water meetings of the Steering Committee, Planners Technical Advisory Committee and key partners and stakeholders are hosted by Parks Canada, traveling from Kingston to Smiths Falls.
May 2011
The Steering Committee approves the Request for Proposals to hire a consultant to undertake a landscape character assessment and develop planning and management recommendations for the Rideau Corridor. The City of Ottawa Mapping Project Team continues to develop baseline mapping for the entire corridor.
April 2011
Following a discussion on the Community Consultation Group, the Steering Committee passes a motion supporting the public consultation process being directed by the consultant hired to undertake the landscape character assessment.
The Steering Committee sends a letter to the National Capital Commission and the City of Ottawa expressing its concerns with the proposed digital screen on the Ottawa Convention Centre.
February-March 2011
The Secretariat makes presentations to numerous Rideau Corridor municipalities and the Algonquins of Ontario to update them on Strategy progress. A video which introduces the Strategy to new audiences and provides information on progress since the Steering Committee formation is launched by the Secretariat. The Parks Canada website is continually updated with Strategy information.
January 2011
Feedback and advice is sought from the Steering Committee regarding the refinement of the Request for Proposals for the Landscape Character Assessment and the Terms of Reference for the Community Advisory Group. Planning begins for public information sessions that will assist with formation of the Community Advisory Group.
December 2010
The Steering Committee passes a motion to accept a proposed general work outline for part 1 of a 2 part plan for a Landscape Character Assessment, Landscape Planning, and Management Recommendations developed by the Planners. The Secretariat and the Planners Group begin to draft a Request for Proposals for the Visual Landscape Character Assessment.
After receiving support from the Steering Committee and the Planners Advisory Group, the Secretariat begins to draft a Terms of Reference for the formation of a Community Advisory Group.
October 2010
As part of the Planners Working Group, the City of Ottawa presents a Geo-Data mapping proposal which aims to build a multi-layer mapping file for all counties, municipalities, First Nations and Conservation Authorities along the Rideau Corridor. The proposal is endorsed by the Planners Advisory Group and the Steering Committee. The Planners Advisory Group analyzes and presents findings of the planning policy review. The Steering Committee submits its comments on the Provincial Policy Statement Review to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing to seek inclusion of World Heritage sites in the Provincial Policy Statement.
July-August 2010
Parks Canada produces a document review which is an overview of what Rideau Corridor research exists. A proposal of a Landscape Character Assessment is presented to the Steering Committee by the Secretariat. The Planners Advisory Group begins discussions on approaches to the Landscape Character Assessment and conducts a review of current planning policies that affect the Rideau Canal.
January -June 2010
The first meeting of the new Steering Committee is held in January and by June, a Terms of Reference is endorsed. Through these months, work begins to plot the way forward using advice and information generate by the previous Steering Committee. A Planners Advisory Group is formed as one of the secondary Groups outlined in the Strategy Governance Model. A Terms of Reference for this group is also endorsed.
December 2009
The new Steering Committee is formed with plans for an initial meeting in early January. In addition to being represented on the Steering Committee as a voting member, Parks Canada is designated as the Secretariat.
November 2009
The last meeting of the original Steering Committee is held which results in key recommendations for the new Steering Committee on how to successfully move forward. The new governance model and Steering Committee for the
RCLS are introduced at the ‘Rideau Corridor Forum for the Future’.
October 2009
Letters were sent to the Algonquins of Ontario, all Corridor municipalities and counties, the Provincial Working Group and existing Steering Committee to inform them of the general outcomes of the Municipal Forum held on September 3. The letter also requested that representatives from the respective municipality/group be designated for future participation on the new Steering Committee.
September 2009
A Municipal Forum is held in Perth to bring together the Algonquins of Ontario, the existing Steering Committee and the Corridor municipalities to craft a new governance model for the
RCLS. Consensus was reached on a new governance model.
July 2009
Rideau Corridor Mayors are invited to a Mayor’s discussion session. This session is held with good attendance and resulted in the recognition that a more extensive involvement of Corridor municipalities in the development of the
RCLS was required. The Algonquins of Ontario and Parks Canada meet on site to establish a partnership of mutual respect and understanding for the Rideau Corridor.
June - October 2009
Three Steering Committee meetings are held to generate ideas on what projects should be part of the Strategy (ie. Visual assessment of the Rideau Canal), how the Provincial Ministries can be more closely involved etc. Numerous consultation cruises along the Rideau Corridor are held with municipal planners to discuss various development concerns and opportunities.
May 2009
Parks Canada appoints a Steering Committee with Doug Struthers (Mayor of Merrickville-Wolford) as the Chair and representatives from a wide range of stakeholder groups. A Terms of Reference for the Steering Committee is established.
April 2009
An Open Space Forum is hosted by Parks Canada, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Tourism and North Grenville. Over 130 participants representing municipalities, provincial and federal agencies, First Nations and aboriginal communities, and a wide variety of non-governmental organizations, attended the day-long "Open Space" meeting to discuss the challenges and opportunities for planning and development in this World Heritage corridor and possible next steps. One major suggestion was that a Steering Committee be developed to move the Strategy forward.
Some key messages from the Forum included:
- We need to speak with one voice.
- We need all levels of government to cooperate on developing this Strategy and include the private sector.
- We need to involve the communities along the Corridor in identifying values we want to conserve in the process.
January - March 2009
Parks Canada meets with municipal staff and / or elected officials. Resolutions of support are passed by all three counties and 13 municipalities.
January 2009
First Nations groups in Eastern Ontario are asked to participate in the development of a new vision for the Rideau Corridor.
December 2008
A Provincial Working Group is formed and comprised of the Ministries of Environment, Culture, Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs, Municipal Affairs & Housing, Natural Resources, Northern Development & Mines and Tourism.
August - October 2008
Parks Canada and various Ontario provincial government representatives meet to discuss the potential for a Rideau Corridor Study (soon to become the Rideau Corridor Landscape Strategy).
April 2008
Parks Canada holds a preliminary meeting with Provincial Ministries to scope interest in working collaboratively towards a new vision for the Rideau Corridor.
June 2007
The Rideau Canal is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.