City of Ottawa Finance committee approves bid to buy east-end landfill on Boundary Road near Hwy 417, in Carlsbad Springs - Decision now rest on Council on Nov 26.
- CJRO Radio News - Nouvelles
- 2 days ago
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Osgoode ward Councillor's comment on the issue:
The City of Ottawa has taken a major step toward potentially purchasing a new landfill site in the city’s east end. The finance and corporate services committee voted 8–3 to recommend that city council consider buying the Capital Region Resource Recovery Centre, located at Highway 417 and Boundary Road and currently owned by Taggart Miller Environmental Services, which recently put the property up for sale.
Mayor Mark Sutcliffe emphasized that this vote does not authorize the purchase, but simply moves the decision to full council. He noted that the site is already provincially approved to operate as a landfill regardless of who owns it. Council’s upcoming decision is therefore about whether the City, another municipality, or a private operator ends up controlling the facility.
City staff describe the opportunity as a “rare” chance to secure a long-term waste-management asset. The site is approved to receive up to 450,000 tons of waste per year and is expected to operate for 30 years. No estimated sale price was shared publicly due to confidentiality, though staff said the purchase would be financed through previously approved Solid Waste Master Plan debt.
Committee members also passed motions that would apply if the City purchases the property, including:
Creating community benefit mechanisms
Working with a community liaison committee
Publishing annual environmental impact reports
Completing a human health risk assessment
Adjusting truck routes to reduce neighbourhood impacts
The move comes as Ottawa’s existing Trail Road landfill is projected to reach capacity in 10–15 years. The City has already implemented measures to extend its lifespan and is studying long-term options such as waste-to-energy incineration. Staff stressed that buying the Boundary Road site would not limit consideration of other future waste-management solutions.
Public delegations were divided: some residents raised concerns about groundwater, air quality, and leachate management, while others supported the purchase as a way to avoid building a new landfill elsewhere through a contentious site-selection process.
City council will debate the matter on Nov. 26.
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