Tewin Lands in Carlsbad Springs approved 16-8 by Ottawa City Council on February 10th.
50 years after expropriation of numerous properties the land owned by the Ontario government (former Ontario Housing Corporation) that was suppose to become the "Carlsbad Satellite City" back in the mid 70's will now become urbanized.
The Algonquins of Ontario (AOO) and Taggart are planning to build a suburb called Tewin in the western part of Carlsbad Springs between Ramsayville Rd and Hwy 417, and from Anderson Rd north to Thunder Rd. The first homes will be built within 5 years according to the AOO and Taggart.
(with files and information from the Ottawa Citizen).
A new satellite community in rural southeast Ottawa created by the Algonquins of Ontario and Taggart Investments will be included in an expanded urban boundary, city council decided Wednesday.
Council’s job was to approve 1,281 hectares of land that would be brought into the urban boundary as part of the city’s growth management strategy in the next official plan.
But 445 hectares pitched as an isolated community based on Algonquin values have drawn the strongest public reaction. The Algonquins of Ontario (AOO) and Taggart want to a build a suburb called Tewin west of Carlsbad Springs. They envision an eco-focused community of up to 45,000 residents developed with the guidance of Algonquin values and have vowed to pay for infrastructure costs, such as water and wastewater services to the site.
The Tewin land didn’t get included as a the staff-recommended site for urban expansion, but staff opened the door to the possibility of the site being established as a new community through a five-year study.
Councilors Kitts has indicated that there will be a lot of opportunities for "consultation":
"I’ve been trying to respond to all residents that have reached out with questions to me directly. I think the main message that I have been trying to drive home is that we have been assured by city staff that there are many years of planning ahead and many opportunities for public participation in the planning process. An official planning application has not yet been made, so there is much technical review and consideration to be completed before applications can be considered, providing ongoing engagement throughout the process.
At committee, a motion was passed to ensure that city staff review the feasibility of developing the Tewin lands. Before Council approves a plan for development, staff would have to identify the necessary policies and technical requirements needed before this land becomes developable.
I met with the Algonquins of Ontario yesterday (Feb 9) and requested that they hold a public meeting for our community in the near future. They were very receptive to that idea. I will follow up should the project move forward after tomorrow’s vote. "
Instead, the joint planning and rural affairs committee last month voted to remove proposed expansion land in the South March area, combine it with expansion area that still had to be determined and immediately assign the total 445 hectares of land to Tewin.
Council on Wednesday accepted the recommendation with a 16-8 vote.
There are still a lot of unknowns and uncertainty but the City has promise future consultation with the community and residents of Carlsbad Springs.
Voting in favour were councillors Tim Tierney, Jan Harder, Laura Dudas, George Darouze, Jean Cloutier, Jenna Sudds, Allan Hubley, Eli El-Chantiry, Glen Gower, Catherine Kitts, Scott Moffatt, Carol Anne Meehan, Rick Chiarelli, Matthew Luloff, Keith Egli and Mayor Jim Watson.
Councillors Jeff Leiper, Theresa Kavanagh, Mathieu Fleury, Catherine McKenney, Rawlson King, Shawn Menard, Riley Brockington and Diane Deans voted in opposition.
The updated official plan is scheduled to be considered by council later this year. Council’s decision on the official plan will be final, unless the minister of municipal affairs or a court steps in.
There were attempts by some councillors during the daylong meeting to delay the Tewin question.
Menard asked for a year-long delay, while McKenney asked council to reverse the committee’s decision when it came to the South March lands and send staff to review Tewin.
However, most of council clearly arrived at the meeting already knowing where their votes would go.
Gower accused council of avoiding making tough, bold decisions and saw no point in delaying a decision about Tewin. He won council’s support to make sure staff confirm the viability and municipal cost of the Tewin project.
Map below shows where the Algonquins and Taggart own land (in pink). Areas in pink with line will not be developed and will become a Natural Trust area where there will be trails and areas that will connect to the NCC Greenbelt.
“Let’s get on with the most important project we’re doing…for the rest of this century,” Harder, the planning chair, told council while backing Tewin’s inclusion inside the urban boundary.
Watson scoffed at the notion of delaying the matter for years.
“That’s really not leadership in my way of thinking,” Watson said.
On the other side of the vote, Coun. Diane Deans blasted colleagues for not listening to many Algonquin people who have warned the city about adopting the Tewin project as a signal of Indigenous reconciliation.
“This is poor planning based on a false promise of reconciliation,” Deans said, calling it “an embarrassment to our city.”
Algonquin communities that aren’t part of AOO, including several in Quebec, have criticized the city for allowing Tewin in the name of reconciliation. Those communities, which accuse AOO of not representing true Algonquins, don’t see it that way.
AOO represents 10 communities in land-claim negotiations with the federal and Ontario governments. Only one of the AOO communities, Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation, is federally recognized.
Pikwakanagan Chief Wendy Jocko defended the AOO communities, both status and non-status, as being “real Algonquins” in a 10-minute videotaped message to council posted before the meeting.
The Tewin matter was just one of the big controversial issues in front of council when it comes the urban boundary.
Council removed the staff-proposed “gold belt” of protected agricultural land on the request of Kitts, who said the idea caused “undue confusion” in rural Ottawa.
Existing land designations already protect rural villages and agricultural properties and the gold belt proposal was just a manner of applying new terminology, city staff acknowledged.
There was a wrong perception that government was going to expropriate land in the gold belt to create something like a second greenbelt, council heard. Planning general manager Stephen Willis said it was a “communications problem.”
What is Tewin? (information below provided by the AOO and Taggart):
Tewin is an exciting city-building project that will transform land in southeast Ottawa into a sustainable, connected and complete community founded on Algonquin values. The Algonquins of Ontario, along with our financial partner, are proud owners of this land. We are calling the land Tewin (pronounced “Tay-Win”), which means “home.” The Algonquins of Ontario acquired the Tewin lands as a unique opportunity to weave the Algonquin people into the socioeconomic fabric of the nation’s capital in an environmentally respectful way. The Algonquin people have been precluded from this opportunity for too long. As holders of Aboriginal rights and title, the Algonquins are the original stewards of the land and its resources. It is time for the Algonquins of Ontario to seize the rich opportunities for community building, sustainability and prosperity that the land provides. It is time for a community led by the Algonquins of Ontario to be integrated into our nation’s capital. Algonquin principles and teachings will guide all aspects of the planning, consultation, design and development process for Tewin.
The Algonquins of Ontario have chosen the Taggart Group as partners to help realize the Tewin vision, a partner that is committed to Algonquin values and delivering meaningful sustainable development. One Planet Living will be used as a framework to bring the Algonquins of Ontario, the City of Ottawa and the broader community together through a shared vision of sustainability. One Planet Living is a vision of a world where all people live happy and healthy lives within the ecological limits of our one planet.
Comprised of ten holistic principles that address all aspects of environmental, social and economic sustainability, the One Planet Living framework is well-aligned with Algonquin values, teachings and aspirations. Tewin will make Ottawa the only city in North America with two One Planet Living-endorsed communities, elevating Ottawa’s stature as a global leader in sustainable design. Indeed, Tewin will be a community that demonstrates best practices in sustainable design as well as smart growth. We are incredibly excited to see City Council’s commitment to the 5 Big Moves—forward-thinking policy directions for Ottawa’s future growth. The Tewin vision has been crafted to bring the City's 5 Big Moves to life.
By supporting Tewin, the City of Ottawa can demonstrate a genuine commitment to reconciliation in a way that is aligned with and enhances the 5 Big Moves.
Tewin will be a leading sustainable community, like no other. Tewin will be:
1. A community led by the Algonquins of Ontario, which: ∞ Embodies Algonquin culture and traditions; ∞ Has a deep respect for the land; and ∞ Fosters equity, inclusion and the socioeconomic flourishing of the Algonquins of Ontario and all peoples.
2. A One Planet Living community, designed to: ∞ Enhance the natural ecosystem and protect the local water system, agricultural lands and the Greenbelt; ∞ Deliver low carbon-living; and ∞ Reconnect people with their food and the local agricultural community.
3. A community that brings the City’s 5 Big Moves to life through: ∞ Dense, compact and mixed-use 15-minute community design; ∞ Connections to transit from day one, with no added cost to the taxpayer; ∞ Delivering servicing infrastructure in an easy and cost-effective way; and ∞ The provision of a range of housing options that meets diverse housing needs. We are excited to build the story of Tewin—a story of Algonquin culture and history, unity and collaboration, innovation and excellence, and right relations with nature. We hope you will join us in creating this story and seize the once-in-ageneration opportunity to build a model sustainable and inclusive community at Tewin.
A Message from the Planning Team -
The opportunity at Tewin is unprecedented in the Canadian and international context, presenting the City of Ottawa with a chance to create one of the world’s most innovative, respectful and sustainable new communities. Tewin is a once in a generation opportunity to build a community from the ground up that delivers upon the objectives and intentions of the 2020 Provincial Policy Statement and Ottawa's new Official Plan. In order to accommodate its growth to 2046, Ottawa Council has approved a growth forecast requiring an urban expansion of approximately 1,350-1,650 gross hectares.
In planning for that growth, Ottawa intends for its new Official Plan to ensure that all growth, including greenfield development: