Constructed Wetlands in Ottawa

Monahan Drain Constructed Wetlands

I found out about the Monahan Drain when I was reading about the Ottawa 2017 maple groves that were being planted all over the city.

From the website:

"This artificial wetland complex, with approximately 230,000 m3 of overall storage, consisted of three storage cells sized to provide both flooding and erosion control, a wetland cell, and five sedimentation forebays designed to meet the water quality objectives of the Rideau River.  The wetland complex was designed to offer diversified wetland plantings that are native to the Ottawa area.  Plantings consisted of numerous species for each of the five zones: deep aquatic, deep emergent, shallow emergent, riparian, and upland zone.  The intent was to direct storm flows through all zones to maximize the wetland’s ability to remove nutrients, TSS, and E.Coli.  Various complex engineering analyses were carried out to size the different elements of the facility: hydrological to simulate synthetic design storm events, long-term simulations to evaluate removal of bacteria and TSS, long-term simulations to assess erosion and investigate rain-on-snowmelt events, and steady-state and hydrodynamic hydraulic analyses. The wetland is now an important community feature of Bridlewood, used for many passive recreational pursuits."

Designed by J.L. Richards

P.S. Check out my latest "urban wild" nature blog: Wild. Here.
(2016 update)

Transforming Business Campuses into Habitat!

When I was at the ICLEI conference in Montreal in 2011 there was this young woman who presented her master's thesis about creating new habitat for wildlife in business campuses.

All that space, green lawn, large property and typically it's a dead zone or they plant exotics like hostas - so she was proposing to bring back native habitat including ponds and streams and develop these spaces as greenspace corridors.

Such a brilliant idea!  And now I have found The Wildlife Habitat Council which promotes and certifies habitat conservation and management on corporate lands through partnerships and education!  Exactly what she was envisioning!

Check them out - they have a white paper for download and on-demand webinars (free of charge).


From their website:

"The opportunity exists to re-examine the way corporate campus lands are managed. New and existing corporate campuses can incorporate nature in their designs, realizing the cost savings of native landscaping, the human benefits of a more natural setting, and the opportunity to restore productive habitat and reconnect a fragmented suburban landscape."

http://www.wildlifehc.org/about-us/vision-and-values/

10 Native Trees for Ottawa (by Diana Beresford-Kroeger)

List of 10 Native Trees recommended as substitutes for the Ash, Fraxinus species

by Diana Beresford-Kroeger

1. Oak, Quercus 

Q. macrocarpa is called the Bur Oak. It is a native oak, an edible species of the landscape of the City of Ottawa. This oak or the white oak, Q. alba, or the northern red oak, Q. rubra, will grow rapidly and form large canopies. These trees require immense amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide to grow. They are local trees that will reverse climate change, reduce pollution and skin cancers. They have the strength to withstand ice storms and heavy snow. They are also extremely drought resistant. 

2. Honey Locust, Gleditsia triacanthos 

The natural form of honey locust is extremely healthy and hardy in city traffic conditions. It is almost resistant to disease infestations. It is drought resistant and it fixes its own nitrogen from the atmospheric nitrogen dioxide and from the soil. The locust will reverse climate change. The canopy of which produces a high filtered light for city gardens. The tree produces edible beans which can be ground as flour and added to other grains to make flour in various proportions. The flowers of the locust feed beneficial insects which in turn act as predators reducing the need for pesticides. The tree is also an 'Escape tree' for birds from city cats and racoons. 

3. American Basswood, Tilia americana 

This local native tree has flowers in June to July which are immensely fragrant. The lactone chemistry in the aerosols that are produced are beneficial to human health. The tree is the greatest feeding tree in the entire world for beneficial insects. Basswood honey is the best on the continent. This tree helps the bird populations to increase and produce more viable eggs in the spring which in turn reduces the need for pesticides. The Basswood leaves in its canopy combs the city air of its particulate pollution which is a leading cause of heart disease in the asthmatic. 

4. Eastern White Cedar, Thuja occidentalis 

Ottawa is blessed with native populations of an evergreen tree called the cedar Thuja occidentalis that the local native people called "The Tree of Life". There are golden, tall, weeping and fastigate forms. The trees’ leaves have glands on the tips of the leaves that can be easily seen by the naked eye. These glands in hot humid air release an aerosol medicine into the air that regulates the beating heart and is antiviral. The tree is also drought and fire resistant. It feeds birds and protects them in the winter adding 2 degrees centigrade to their body heat within the shelter of this evergreen. 

5. Black Walnut, Juglans nigra 

The walnut tree is a medicinal tree. It produces anticancer bio-chemicals both in the mature foliage and in the nuts themselves. Ottawa has a very high cancer rate. This tree would act as a shield for this, most especially for the children of the city who are most vulnerable because of their high metabolic rate when they are in growth spurts to adulthood. Pound for pound, the flesh of the walnut is equal in protein to the best black Angus t-bone steak. The tree is strong and wind resistant. It also has a wide canopy which reduces summer cooling costs. The wood of this tree is one of the most valuable in the world. A well grown Juglans nigra ‘Thomas’ in the city will pay for a grandchild's university education, quite easily. A full canopy of black walnut generates chemical aerosols which will neutralize toxic benzene from the traffic. 

6. Fir, Abies 

All of the fir are drought resistant. They will withstand heavy snow loads and ice. The conical form of anatomy of the tree helps them to stand straight, also, in high winds. The branches have a special form of buttresses built into them. These trees guard all the waterways, canals, lakes and river systems helping to purify potable water which is increasingly an issue for cities and urban areas across the world. The chemistry from the needles or leaves produces airborne aerosols that are antiseptic and antibiotic. These trees act as air cleansers and as deodorants on a massive scale. This super clean air is a health benefit to the city of Ottawa and to the surrounding area. There are two trees of choice, the Abies balsamea, known as the balsam fir, balsam, Canada balsam or the eastern fir. This tree is native to the city of Ottawa. The other is the Abies concolor known commonly as the white fir or white balsam. This is a Canadian species, the best cultivar for shape, form and drought resistance is A. c. ‘Candicans’. This tree is also a songbird shelter and escape route for predation. 

7. Spruce, Picea 

The white spruce is the workhorse of Canada. It has a long and important history on the landscape especially for Ottawa, where it grew on rocky areas overlooking the Ottawa River. It was one of the trees with long tracheids that made pulp which made paper that made money for the lumber barons. Their names can be found inscribed in Rideau Hall, residence of the Governor General. The tree is famous for its pharmaceuticals, one of which reduces blood pressure the other is anti-anginal and helps the heart itself to beat. This is a medicinal tree. It is evergreen and can withstand snow loads and strong winds. The resin of the tree helps all flying beneficial insects especially the honey bee. This tree helps to stop Honey Bee Colony Collapse. The best spruce for Ottawa is the common, native white spruce, Picea glauca. It is known as the skunk spruce. The latter is a common name given when the science of the aerosol medicine was not appreciated by the pioneers, but was used by the aboriginal medicine men for 40,000 years on this continent as a medicine. 

8. Catalpa, Catalpa speciosa 

The catalpa is the most spectacular flowering tree for the city of Ottawa. The bloom clusters are bigger than a man's head. The flowers are white and fluorescent purple. The long beans hang in tassels into the fall and winter. They are the food of the red cardinal birds who love to split open the bean and eat the seeds. This tree is suited to the calcareous soils of the city of Ottawa. The tree can be easily grown, it is disease and drought resistant. The horizontal limbs and main branches in the winter are flexible and will withstand heavy ice and snow. The blooms are like orchids and attract butterflies. The author, Diana Beresford-Kroeger would like to see these trees widely planted in the downtown area as a tourist attraction for a festival of their flowering in June to July. Such a tree allée would also help to maintain clean air as the huge leaf can comb air pollution of 2.5 micron sizes, reducing it for easy breathing. It is a North American tree. Its origins are unknown on this continent. 

9. Hickory, Carya ovata 

The Hickory trees that were cut down for the building of the city of Ottawa were Carya cordiformis. The tree is also known as the Bitternut Hickory, Bitternut, Swamp Hickory and by the farming community as Pignut. It is not known if other members of this family were present at the time. They may have been present because the aboriginal people often planted nuts. These trees would have been Carya ovata, the Shagbark Hickory, the antifamine trees. The Hickory is unique to the continent, except for China. It grew to enormous proportions here. Fingerprint boles account for circumferences of 18 feet on shallow soils. The Hickory is a feeding tree for birds, man and mammals. It is also a butterfly tree, used in a butterfly’s continental migration. This tree can be planted for a public park or a larger garden. In the last ice storm this Ottawa tree species was badly damaged. It needs to be replaced, also. 

10. Cucumber tree, Magnolia acuminate 

The Cucumber tree and all the other species of trees that are endangered in Canada could go on a long list. People who are interested in preserving the native heritage and stories of Canada should grow this magnificent Canadian tree. The tree produces a unique cucumber style fruit. From this fruit the frost opens the seed cases and dangles a red seed by a white thread. Birds love these rich seeds. The flower is like a steel grey tulip which is produced at the end of May. From this tree the aboriginal people made anti-malarial medicine. They made dugout canoes for inland travel on their water highways and they carved death masks from its sacred wood. These masks had an important ceremonial function. The cucumber tree is almost extinct. The City could help in a recovery program for its new World Heritage Site of its canal system. Then these trees could be enjoyed by everyone again. They were a waterway tree.

Found on Ecology Ottawa website (October 2013)


P.S. Check out my latest "urban wild" nature blog: Wild. Here.
(2017 update)

From Architecture Design: Patterns of Biophilic Design

Happy to see architects debating the benefits of biophilic design!

From the Architecture Design website:

"American sustainability consulting and strategic planning firm Terrapin Bright Green has released a white paper that promises to guide building designers towards more environmentally connected outcomes...  The Terrapin document goes further than just abstract observations however, and offers 14 building design interventions that can be incorporated to facilitate this human connection to nature through built form."

The 14 interventions are:

Nature in the Space

1. Visual Connection to Nature
2. Non-Visual Connection to Nature
3. Non-Rhythmic Sensory Stimuli
4. Thermal & Airflow Variability
5. Presence of Water
6. Dynamic & Diffuse Light
7. Connection to Natural Systems

Natural Analogues

8. Biomorphic Forms & Patterns
9. Material Connection to Nature
10. Complexity & Order

Nature of the Space

11. Prospect
12. Refuge
13. Mystery
14. Risk/Peril

Read more here: Architecture Design.

Photos from Architecture Design

Two Depave Projects right here in Ottawa!

I first blogged about a Depaving project in California and the organization in Portland in 2012 - finally Ottawa is implementing its own "depave" projects!

Lansdowne Park is a large scale project (replacing 11,000 square metres of pavement for grass) where they are "putting the park back into Lansdowne Park".

From CTV News:

"The new park includes plenty of pathways and seating areas, places for events, a farmer’s market and other vendors, and plans for features like a children’s play area, a water plaza, skateboard park and outdoor rink. 

Workers have planted over 850 new trees and thousands of shrubs. There’s even an apple orchard in the north-east corner of the park where some trees are already producing fruit. “There’s seven or eight different varieties of apple trees that will be open to the public for picking and there’s a pathway system and a picnic table area in there,” says Doug Clunie of D&G Landscaping – the Ottawa company in charge of building Lansdowne’s urban park. 

Lansdowne’s urban park is slated to open August 15th."

The other Depave project is one by the Depave Paradise organization - working through Ecology Ottawa.  It is being done at Kitchissippi United Church: The Alcove Garden Project (630 Island Park Drive).

protecting trees during constrution

Great info from the University of Minnesota on protecting existing trees during construction that covers information such as:

- determining whether a tree can be saved
- how to make vertical cuts or lower the grade
- digging trenches around trees
- general rules for cutting roots (if it has to be done)
- filling or increasing current grades
- aeration and planting under a canopy
- tips for tree care before and after work

All of this information can be found in their Sustainable Urban Landscape Information Series.

Image from SULIS webpage.

Let us Build Cully Park! (Portland)

"For over twenty years, Cully residents set their sights on the conversion of a 25-acre grassy field in the neighborhood, well-located and large enough for a range of community activities – even if it happened to be the site of a former landfill."

 Read more here: Community-Led Park Partnership (Sustainable Cities Collective)

Images from SCC website.

Wildlife Construction Protocols (Ottawa)

From Ottawa Community News:

April 17, 2014

Board Looks at Alternative School Site (Kanata):

WILDLIFE PROTECTION

Measures were in place to mitigate the effects of tree cutting on birds and animals in the area, Wilkinson said.

Cutting can only be conducted until April 15, the councillor said, to avoid the nesting season of birds in the area.

If tree cutting didn't happen before the deadline for bird nesting season, there would be no way for the school to be built in time for kids to attend in September of 2015, Wilkinson said.

That tree-cutting deadline is needed to comply with the federal Migratory Birds Convention Act, Snedden wrote. In addition, KNL was asked to follow the tree-removal protocol followed by the city's forestry department. That procedure involves tree inspectors searching for evidence of animal use or habitat, which is shared with tree-cutting crews, who do a second inspection of flagged trees to see if animals are present. If there is an animal in the tree, the tree is not disturbed and the crew returns to remove it once the animal has moved on. Nesting boxes were placed around the area to lure animals such as squirrels out from trees.

A similar policy is being considered for the wildlife construction policy the city committed to drafting as part of an update to its wildlife management strategy last year.

City staff conducted surveys to identify areas where trees and wildlife habitats were to be retained, Snedden said. They also monitored cutting to ensure the removals complied with the urban tree conservation bylaw.

Snedden said Blanding's turtles are still hibernating at this time of year based on population monitoring data. Wilkinson said KNL Developments has a certificate from the province allowing it to go ahead with work because the area isn't part of the main habitat of the protected Blanding's turtles. If turtles are found, they must be protected and removed from the area, Wilkinson said.


Image from: Unpublished Ottawa

Suburb Re-Do

Images: Sherwood Eng, Washington Edu, Seattle PI, Mithūn Arch.

From Ecobuilding Pulse:

"Revitalizing and rethinking suburban developments offers a wealth of opportunities to builders and architects, says Ellen Dunham-Jones, who is overseeing Sustainable Communities for the Hanley Wood Sustainability Council.

A lot of your work focuses on the suburbs. What are the opportunities there?

The opportunity is that we get a do-over. We built so much, but no one was thinking about environmental issues, especially when it came to the immediate postwar buildings. We drained wetlands. We built with excess. Now that so many of those properties are failing or underperforming, we have a great opportunity to redevelop them into more mixed-use, urban places, or to regreen spaces where we never should have built in the first place.

What do you mean by “regreen” them?

In some cases, especially if there is a slow market, it makes the most sense to simply tear a building down and replace it with a park. Sometimes it means reconstructing wetlands or daylighting creeks that had been put into culverts under parking lots, or putting in community gardens. Outside of Minneapolis in the low-income suburb of Phalen, there was a big strip mall built in the 1960s. It was built before the Clean Water Act, when it was perfectly normal to drain wetlands and put a culvert under the parking lot. The site also happened to be on a major migratory route. Well, the strip mall died and so did the culvert. People at the University of Minnesota’s landscape program made a case for reconstructing the wetlands. They built a beautiful lake and created lakefront property that attracted the first new private investment in over 40 years, which also happens to be next to a big public housing development. This helped trigger improvements to the public housing. The dead strip mall was bringing property values down. So, regreening the space served multiple purposes.

Another thing that’s happening is the daylighting of creeks. One of the most dramatic examples is the Northgate Mall in Seattle. The project has received a lot of press because it features new housing and senior housing on the sides of Thornton Creek, which used to be a culvert under the mall’s parking lot. Now it’s an amenity for housing, the headwaters of a major stream, and can handle the area’s flooding."         (Image: Lisatown - Inspirational Wall)

From Ecobuildingpulse.com By Katie Weeks

Rockcliffe Lands Redevelopment - Part 5

DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES

Ideas, policy and guidelines are all good.  We bandy around the words "sustainable", "green" and "resilient" but how do these words, these principals actually become groundtruthed and implemented?  How do you ensure that once you have interested developers, that they follow your vision and implement a development that reflects green design and construction? 

Many cities may have policy goals around this language to achieve in their Official Plans, Transportation and Greenspace Master Plans and Environmental Strategies but until these policies and values filter into the actual day-to-day operating principals and procedures of a municipality there is no way to guarantee that they will be implemented.

One method of encouraging this is to have these types of policies integrated into land development IMPLEMENTATION strategies.  These strategies will ensure that development can meet goals of 33% tree coverage, 50% green roof and walls, 75% native plant species, etc.  This can be done through Development Review Checklists (with biophilic goals outlined), bonusing and reduced development charges and LEED certification.

Waterfront Toronto development is one example of how this can be done.  The Waterfront Toronto has not only a Sustainability Framework but also Minimum Green Building Requirements which will "ensure that all new buildings along the waterfront are efficient in their use of resources and take advantage of new approaches and technologies to deliver a positive impact on the surrounding air, land and water".  For this development, "Twenty-five percent of the waterfront revitalization area is reserved for parks and open spaces." 

For Rockcliffe Lands, there needs to be as much thought put into a Framework, Guidelines and Implementation as there is for the Design Plan of this redevelopment.  Collaboration with both the City of Ottawa and the National Capital Commission are essential for this redevelopment to succeed.  Incentive programming should go hand in hand with guidelines so that this type of development is attractive to developers.  Specifically, what needs to be considered are:

Municipal Design Guidelines for Rockcliffe Lands:

- Green bus stops for onsite stormwater retention
- Native public gardens with both bee condos and insect hotels
- All public buildings Leeds Platinum with storm water retention onsite
- Natural playgrounds - playscapes (already in Ottawa)
- Dark Skies Lighting (already in Ottawa)
- Green Alleys (potential pedestrian/bicycle corridors)
- Native tree nursery (including Maples, Elms and "Champlain" Burr Oak)
- Bioswales as natural fencing between properties
- Good tree pit design (for trees that are bordered by concrete)
- Better standards for minimum soil volume for street trees

Private Development Guidelines for Rockcliffe Lands:

- LEEDS Platinum for all private development including:
- green paving technology and/or permeable pavement (already in Ottawa)
- green roofs and green walls for onsite stormwater retention and cleaner air
- bird safe building design - as found in Toronto (discourage glass condos)
- tree canopy coverage and landscape best practices (already in Ottawa at EQuilibrium)
- supportive by-laws for naturalized gardens

Construction Guidelines for Rockcliffe Lands:

- Current tree protection during construction (from Westside Action)

"No grade change, storage of materials or equipment permitted with this Tree Protection Zone.  Tree protection barrier must not be removed without the written authorization... Urban Forestry Services."

Root damage, trunk/bark damage, soil compaction and other activities from construction such as exhaust fumes from equipment can all compromise the health of a tree.  Even if the tree does not seem to suffer during the time of construction, there may be enough damage that the tree's ability to survive over a longer period of time may be weakened.

- Structural earth for all new street trees (from Westside Action)

HONOUR ALGONQUIN LANDS

This redevelopment includes identifying ways in which the Algonquin presence can be reflected on the Rockcliffe lands. "The history and connection of the Algonquin People with the Rockcliffe lands may be recognized through: installation of commemorative elements design of park spaces naming of streets, etc. Through the Consultation Working Group, Canada Lands Company and the AOO will jointly coordinate public unveilings of these initiatives. CLC recognizes that a commemorative opportunity on parkland overlooking the Ottawa River is of particular significance and interest to the AOO."  A site that honours and protects the native species (both flora and fauna) and allows for them to continue to flourish would be a great way to commemorate the First Nations People.

Involvement with the First Nations (through the Wabano Centre perhaps?) could also include leading the new neighborhood in efforts to connect with the land after the development.  This could include tree plantings, nut-harvests, tracking and living off the land workshops and even managing the tree nursery!

And one last thought - shouldn't the naming of the this new development reflect its aboriginal heritage?  Prior to the 17th century when this land belonged to the Algonquin people was there a name for it or could it be named after a prominent figure in either the Algonquin people's past or someone who should currently be honoured?  This is a great opportunity to ensure that this site will be forever recognized as Algonquin lands.


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If you still want to send your thoughts and comments to Canada Lands Company it is not too late. You can find their contact information on the Canada Lands Company Rockcliffe Lands website (syau@clc.ca, info@clc.ca). I did not find an email address for the Ottawa office however.


Posts on Rockcliffe Lands Redevelopment:

First blog post: September 2011

Rockcliffe Lands Redevelopment (Part 1): November 2012

Rockcliffe Lands Redevelopment (Part 2) - April 2013

Rockcliffe Lands Redevelopment (Part 3) - September 2013

Rockcliffe Lands Redevelopment (Part 4) - October 2013

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Images from: Skyscraper Forum, Rockcliffe blog,  Honouring SMH Beaver Pond

Imagine! The First Biophilic Redevelopment Project in Canada!

Finally!! I have written those much promised blog posts on the Rockcliffe Lands Redevelopment.  I'm only a year late!  I still have one last post to do and I hope to get it done this month and provide my comments to CLC.  I can't wait to see what this development shapes into in the upcoming years!

Posts on Rockcliffe Lands Redevelopment:

First blog post: September 2011

Announcement of the project by CLC

Rockcliffe Lands Redevelopment (Part 1): November 2012

Description of the first public open house (October 2012) and their Green and Blue conceptual drawings.

Rockcliffe Lands Redevelopment (Part 2): April 2013

Consideration for heritage old growth trees, green corridors to promote ecological diversity and the surrounding landscape.

Rockcliffe Lands Redevelopment (Part 3): September 2013

Suggestions regarding increasing the size of Montfort Woods, Expanding options for "Blue Landscaping" and adding Native Wildscaping

Rockcliffe Lands Redevelopment (Part 4): October 2013

Thoughts on supporting native fauna including birds, bees, bats and other wildlife

If you still want to send your thoughts and comments to Canada Lands Company it is not too late. You can find their contact information on the Canada Lands Company Rockcliffe Lands website (syau@clc.ca,info@clc.ca). I did not find an email address for the Ottawa office however.

UPCOMING: Rockcliffe Lands Redevelopment (Part 5) which will include a discussion on the potential for Biophilic Guidelines (based on Toronto Waterfront's Sustainability Guidelines) and honoring Algonquin Lands.  Stay tuned!

Rockcliffe Lands Redevelopment (Part 4)

ROCKCLIFFE LANDS FUTURE

So how to get people on board in terms of the potential for this type of biophilic development?  Tell them all about the local birdwatching opportunities, the beautiful landscaping, the zen-like rainwater ponds and the idyllic setting that they would be living in.  Opportunities to forest-bathe, enjoy nightly avian performances, take in the pleasures of pollinator parks, meet new neighbours like chimney swifts or purple martins and play the old fashioned way.  People will benefit in so many ways by having a more natural surrounding and being drawn outdoors.  How else can the Rockcliffe Lands be redeveloped so as to allow the green surroundings and its fauna to flourish?  

THE LOCAL FAUNA

This area and its surroundings is a big draw for birds.  Not only is there the Ottawa River to the north but you have two marshes and a stream connecting them on the west side. At least a 100 birds have been seen in this area including the Bobolink and Bluebirds.  The project has already identified small stands of trees that should remain and the wood lot in the north-east corner.  To support and increase the diversity of birds in this area, habitat for birds needs to be included, along with efforts to decrease hazards for birds.  Habitat can be hedge borders, shrubby areas, open fields and trees.  It can also include manufactured constructs such as purple martin housing or chimney swift towers - see links above.  (It would be a great opportunity to build some demonstration towers here as new development does not include brick chimneys such as houses used to have.)  There also needs to be water and food for the birds - which can be provided by the proposed blue areas and hedge borders and shrubs (for berries and seeds).

Also bird-friendly design guidelines should be recommended.  Buildings (especially glass towers) can be a hazard for birds and result in deaths due to collisions especially during migration.  Any new highrises should be designed to minimize dangers to birds.

Hand in hand with birds of course are bees!  And when designing pollinator parks, it is beneficial to include insect habitat such as mason bee condos and insect hotels.  Mason bees are not known to be aggressive and are a great benefit for pollination of a green urban environment.  Going beyond that, insect hotels provided different sizes, shapes and materials for sheltering many types of insects and will ensure greater biodiversity in neighbouring gardens and lands.  And another beneficial neighbour would be bats.  These flying mammals help regulate winged insect populations, especially mosquitos so building design and/or park design could include recommendations for increasing habitat for them.  Some golf courses are encouraging bats to reside on their property.

Images from: Freshkills Park Blog, Pacific Horticulture (online), Sierra Club local chapter blog

If people are going to live in a more biophilic environment what needs to go hand in hand is an education program to help people adapt to more frequent encounters with all types of fauna and how best to discourage unwanted visitors.  There are ways to COEXIST WITH (coyotes, skunks, crows, etc) WILDLIFE in a less confrontational manner.

NEXT UP: DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES AND HONOURING ALGONQUIN LANDS. Rockcliffe Lands Redevelopment (Part 5): November 2013

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Posts on Rockcliffe Lands Redevelopment:

First blog post: September 2011

Rockcliffe Lands Redevelopment (Part 1) - November 2012

Rockcliffe Lands Redevelopment (Part 2) - April 2013

Rockcliffe Lands Redevelopment (Part 3) - September 2013

Rockcliffe Lands Redevelopment (Part 5) - November 2013

ROCKCLIFFE LANDS PAST

natural playgrounds

Did you know that the City of Ottawa has a natural public playground?

Ottawa Start first posted about this back in August 2010:
         
"A new natural playground park for the enjoyment of families at the Fairlea Park in Gloucester-Southgate ward is being built this Thursday through a partnership between the City of Ottawa, ING DIRECT Canada and Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds."

The term "playscapes" instead of "playgrounds" is used:

From Bienenstock website: "Playscapes are Natural Playgrounds. They are designed with the intent to bring children back to nature using: fallen logs, tree stumps for seating, vertical logs for forts, slides embedded in the side of hills etc... Playscapes and Natural Playgrounds offer a wide range of open ended play options for children while remaining safe."

You may have read the 2012 National Post article: Return of Risk: The Growing Movement to Let Kids Play Like Kids:

In 2012 "advocates lobbying for a more natural, challenging schoolyard announced the formation of the International School Grounds Alliance, a global voice to address the “increasingly sedentary and risk-averse generation of children disconnected from nature.” Its members hail from Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States — all countries hoping to trade ideas and become an influential force that will help schools see the learning opportunities that can come from peering under rocks and maybe even skinning a knee during recess."

Urban Planet has also blogged about the new phenomenom: Natural Palygrounds.  And if you are at all interested in this movement you MUST meet Willa Black:

 "My employer, ING DIRECT put forward a staff challenge to come up with an idea to get as many employees as possible involved in a community improvement project. I put forward the winning idea of building the city of Toronto’s first natural playground.  On September 17th 2009, close to 500 ING DIRECT employees transformed McCleary Park into an innovative playscape featuring a hill slide, climbing boulders, sand area, musical instruments, mature trees as well as an inverted tree."

FAIRLEA PARK OTTAWA: between Holly Lane and Fairlea Crescent (south of Walkley)

Rockcliffe Lands Redevelopment (Part 3)

How can the Rockcliffe Lands Redevelopment site become the FIRST BIOPHILIC REDEVELOPMENT in CANADA??  This is the second part in a series of how best to redevelop Rockcliffe Lands to create a ecologically sound development that considers the flora and fauna surrounding and within it.

BLUE LANDSCAPING

The proposed blue landscaping sounds wonderful: small rain gardens, recharging water table through naturalized low-lying areas, storm water both on and off site, etc.  These ideas need to be kept on the proposal at all costs, no matter how tough the priority setting is.  By managing water in the most natural way and working with the landscaping this will allow savings and avert potential crisis in the future.  Imagine having bioswales between houses along some of the higher elevated lands?  A natural feature like this would be a boon to housing values.  In the Lashley + Associates example this equates to just a three metre easement between the houses. 

One possibility that hasn't been proposed is the opportunity to build Ottawa's first constructed wetland for sewage.  I was on a campus in Lindsay Ontario for two years that housed its own constructed wetland and there were none of the issues that you may associate with a sewage facility including odours, insects and/or overflows.  It could be well designed like this bioretention facility in Portland or this constructed wetland in Washington D.C..  With an internationally recognized research institute (the Centre for Alternative Wastewater Treatment) only three hours away from Ottawa, it would be a waste to lose an opportunity like this to test urban applications of these wetlands.  And a wetland like this would help ensure that this property becomes a truly biophilic development.

INCREASE THE SIZE OF MONTFORT WOODS

In the last post I discussed some opportunities in terms of wood lots on the site (and adjacent to the site) but I would like to propose more in this post.  I've mentioned before the benefits of having a 10-hectare wood lot and that Ottawa needs to protect what they have and consider more.  There is a great opportunity here to create a larger forest that combines the Montfort Woods with some of the south-west corner of the Rockcliffe Lands.  Presently Montfort Woods is only 9 acres (3.5 hectares) which could easily be expanded into the new development to create a 10 hectare plot.  This would equate to only 5% of the Rockcliffe Lands - perhaps it could be designed to accommodate this - a bit denser housing and more green space left intact?

Yes these N.C.C. woods presently are not that ecologically sound with periwinkle invading in many corners but these woods are worth saving.  The Montfort Woods was declared an environmentally sensitive area in 2004, which ensures that this property will not be developed.  The Rockcliffe Lands redevelopment project has already proposed some buffering around this woods so that there isn't an abrubpt change from woods to backyard lawns.  This type of transition zone, such as a shrub border, would help safeguard its ecological integrity.  Once the development has been built and there are local citizens who can get involved, the neighborhood could consider public education regarding these non-native forest flora invaders and "No Dumping Garden Waste" signs along the border of the woods.  Rockcliffe Lands could even partner with the N.C.C. to run a program like Edmonton's Master Naturalists to help protect the local  wood lots and the surrounding corridors.

NATIVE PLANTS AND WILDSCAPING

Another great consideration that has been proposed is keeping as much of the natural elevation as possible.  This land sits above the Ottawa River with some great viewsheds and some rock outcroppings and it is a wonderful idea to recognize the landscape and terrain as a important feature to retain.  The best way to recognize and work with these natural features is to landscape them or wildscape them as naturally as possible using native plants.  Xeriscaping (designing a garden with plants that are drought-tolerant) would be an ideal way of having municipal landscaping that was low-maintenance.  Some areas could be naturalized and left unmowed to provide natural habitat for various fauna including bees and birds.  Some hedge borders in less accessible areas and around the north and western edges of the redevelopment would also provide habitat and/or food (such as berries) and wildlife corridors that would link various green spaces.

All in all, what has already been proposed is a great start and those behind the plan have a keen eye for the natural assets that the Rockcliffe Lands have to offer.  Let's hope that they continue to see the benefits and that the community backs them up!


If you still want to send your thoughts and comments to Canada Lands Company it is not too late. You can find their contact information on the Canada Lands Company Rockcliffe Lands website (syau@clc.ca, info@clc.ca). I did not find an email address for the Ottawa office however.


NEXT UP: BIRDS AND BEES AND OTHER BENEFICIAL NEIGHBOURS! 
Rockcliffe Lands Redevelopment (Part 4) - October 2013

All details about this Redevelopment Project can be found here: http://www.clcrockcliffe.ca/

Posts on Rockcliffe Lands Redevelopment:

First blog post: September 2011

Rockcliffe Lands Redevelopment (Part 1): November 2012

Rockcliffe Lands Redevelopment (Part 2): April 2013

Rockcliffe Lands Redevelopment (Part 4): October 2013

Rockcliffe Lands Redevelopment (Part 5): November 2013

Urban River (Calgary)

Read about this interesting project the other day:

River park design firm Recreation Engineering & Planning received "an Award of Excellence (first place) in the categories of Community Development and Water Resources & Energy Production for Calgary’s Bow River Weir Project. This project was one of only two to double-medal at this event. REP played a key role in the project by completing its original feasibility design and planning, as well as the design and inspection of the park’s whitewater features. According to the judges, the development “demonstrates a highly technical project that enhances the community and environment, providing new and enhanced recreation opportunities for the public while enhancing the river ecosystems and fish habitats.” Says another, “The Calgary Bow River Weir project is an excellent example of how engineering ingenuity can revitalize a critically important natural resource, creating safe and sustainable opportunities that enhance and enrich the whole community.”

“All these parks re-connect the communities to their local rivers and help revitalize local economies,” says REP president Gary Lacy. “Plus, in many cases, they also convert liabilities into recreational amenities.”

Text from Playak.com: http://playak.com/article.php?id=12792

Vertical Forest (Milan)

This is so exciting!  Green skyscrapers are becoming a reality:

Bosco Verticale (in Milan, Italy) is a vertical forest design that will be open later this year.  It will include 900 trees, oaks and amelanchiers, 500 shrubs, and 11,000 ground plants—the equivalent of 2.5-acres of forest. If each residential unit had been constructed as individual stand-alone units, more than 50,000 square meters of land and 10,000 square meters of woodland would have been required.

Each balcony houses a mini-forest complete with a rainwater watering system and construction costs of Bosco Verticale are only 5% more than those required for the usual skyscraper, which will promote replication in other cities.  It will be the first of its kind - providing vital ecological and energy benefits within the confines of an urban area.

All information/images are from Great Ecology.

P.S.  Check out my latest "urban wild" nature blog: Wild. Here. (2016 update)

Rockcliffe Lands Redevelopment (Part 2)

Rockcliffe Lands (future name to be determined) is a very unique urban property situated along some major green corridors and hopefully CLC and the developers can see this opportunity and will want to take advantage of it.  At one point during the mid-2000's redevelopment, the thought was to make this the MOST sustainable development in the country.  Fast forward to 2013, many developments are LEED Gold or Platinum - sustainability is much more reachable and not such a NEW story.

So how about biodiversity? How about the first Canadian neighborhood that is not only sustainable but that is also truly biophilic.  Why not consider how to design this neighborhood to not only blend into its surroundings and benefit from its environment but to also PROVIDE for the flora and fauna and let it flourish beside it?  This could truly be an amazing opportunity to determine the best innovative, forward-thinking ways of redeveloping a site that would have MINIMAL impact on the native flora and fauna and perhaps even help it to become more resilient.

Think about it!  This could be great!

As mentioned in the previous post the consultant has done a great initial review of the environment and landscape and how to work with what is there.  They would just have to expand on this, determining the best foot forward to create the FIRST BIOPHILIC REDEVELOPMENT in CANADA!  Some of the things that they could consider:

HERITAGE - OLD GROWTH TREES

It was wonderful that the old growth (160 + years) Bur Oak was highlighted in their initial public consultations.  This is a great opportunity, not only to protect this piece of history but to also benefit from its genetic legacy.  Efforts needs to be made to protect and save this tree and other Bur Oaks found on the property - this includes care during construction (protecting each tree to the drip line) and proper grounds keeping and maintenance after.  Some seedlings from this specimen could also be planted to continue the genetic line.  At one point during the initial discussions (in the mid 2000's) there was even consideration of a  tree nursery.  A local native tree nursery would ensure that local hardy trees (for Ottawa's climate) would be planted on the site.  This also begs the question are there any other heritage trees that could be protected on the site that are 50 plus years or over? As mentioned in the previous post Landmark Trees of Ontario commented on their Facebook page that there are multiple large Bitternut Hickories, Sugar Maples, Basswood, Rock Elm and Slippery Elm spread throughout the site. It would be great if as many of these trees could be protected as possible along with the Bur Oaks. And perhaps this could be a new site to plant some direct descendants of the Ottawa Champlain Oaks?

TREE/FOREST HEALTH

Some assessment of the composition of trees in groupings (as noted) that will be saved should be done to consider the issue of the emerald ash borer and how lost trees will be replaced.  The City/N.C.C. should assess the health of Montfort Woods and the other NE corner woods that backs onto N.C.C. lands and determine how to strengthen the health of these wood lots.  The health of trees would also benefit from being linked through green corridors to other wood lots.  These would act as buffers so that genetic diversity could be encouraged.  The tree groupings that have already been noted on the initial ClC maps could help with linking these two forests.  You can see that CLC has sketched essentially this in their display below.   Just imagine a line of street trees (local and native) linking all the green sites!  A native tree nursery (that is commenced in 2014) would again help provide a source of local trees for this site. 

What a benefit and great local feature to have a green link from the Montfort woods to the proposed central park and then to the N.C.C. forest (which is part of the Rockcliffe Parkway)!


CONSIDER THE LARGER LANDSCAPE

One thing that this proposal is missing is the consideration of the larger landscape.  In all ecological restoration projects you have to consider what is around the site since over the long term this will influence your restoration.  Perhaps it was done but not shared at the public consultation meetings?  What is the species composition of the forests found outside the development area?  This development needs to consider the Montfort Woods and the old quarry in Fairhaven Way as it is a heavily treed neighborhood.  What about the NRC government campus to the east?  Will there be some forested area there to buffer between the two, such as there is right now for Rothwell Heights?  CLC could enter into discussions with them to partner to create some buffer, add some natives, help with the genetic diversity. 

The NE corner woods link to some open lands along the parkway where there are bird houses and have been bobolink sightings.  And the NW corner along the Aviation Parkway where it meets the Rockcliffe parkway is an urban biodiverse hot spot (according to OBBC) for birds.  This area is a very green corridor (deer have been found in Manor Park this winter) and it includes Manor Park creek and marsh which links to Macoun Marsh in the Beechwood Cemetery.  All of this needs to be considered as redevelopment occurs. Also if the storm water ponds offsite to the north of the development are built this will increase movement of fauna both to and away from the water feature and safe wildlife passages along both parkways should be considered for this area.

It would be great to see the N.C.C. up their game here along the Aviation Parkway and consider how the parkway acts as a divide between the green space on both sides and determine ways to help encourage genetic diversity on both sides and strengthen the integrity of this lovely green corridor. 


NEXT UP: OTTAWA's NEWEST 10 HECTARE WOODS AND NATIVE PLANTS AND WILDSCAPING!  Rockcliffe Lands Redevelopment (Part 3): September 2013


All details about this Redevelopment Project can be found here: http://www.clcrockcliffe.ca/

If you still want to send your thoughts and comments to Canada Lands Company it is not too late. You can find their contact information on the Canada Lands Corporation Rockcliffe Lands website (syau@clc.ca,info@clc.ca). I did not find an email address for the Ottawa office however.


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Posts on Rockcliffe Lands Redevelopment:

First blog post: September 2011

Rockcliffe Lands Redevelopment (Part 1): November 2012

Rockcliffe Lands Redevelopment (Part 3): September 2013

Rockcliffe Lands Redevelopment (Part 4): October 2013

Rockcliffe Lands Redevelopment (Part 5): November 2013

The Green City: Toronto!

While so many Canadians and Torontonians are talking about Rouge Park, another great space is being overlooked during the debates and discussions.  It seems that Toronto is blessed with a second urban park close to the waterfront.  Although its size is approximately 1/10th of the potential 4000 hectares that will become the first national urban park, the Port Lands at 400 hectares is still an impressive size for a centrally located green space.

"An exciting future initiative on our new blue edge will be the development of Lake Ontario Park. It will transform the southern portion of the Port Lands into part of a massive new park. Encompassing 375 hectares (927 acres) and 37 kilometres of shoreline, Lake Ontario Park will be Canada’s next great urban park.  It will encompass numerous ecologically 
unique and distinctive landscapes, from the spectacular wetlands that define Tommy Thompson Park, to the cathedral stand of cottonwoods that frames Cherry Beach. Lake Ontario Park will be a world renowned urban wilderness and recreational park that will truly define our relationship with the water’s edge."  Quote from the Waterfront Toronto Website

The total size of the Port Lands district is 400 hectare (988-acre) bounded by the Keating Channel/Don River and Lake Shore Boulevard in the north, the Toronto Inner Harbour in the west, Ashbridges Bay in the east and Lake Ontario and Tommy Thompson Park in the south. This extensive, underutilized area presents an unprecedented opportunity for waterfront revitalization. Much of the Port Lands is publicly owned and is within a 30 minute walk of downtown Toronto. The southern portion of the Port Lands is bordered by Lake Ontario and much of it is used formally and informally as recreational space.

Find out more here: Waterfront Toronto