The controversial Montreal Road Rescue Army complex in Vanier crossed another hurdle on Friday when the Ottawa Planning Committee approved the site’s plan.
The plan for the housing and emergency shelter has been in front of the city for five years. He faces many criticisms, including an appeal to the Local Planning Appeals Tribunal, which was rejected.
The design, presented to the planning committee on Friday, includes an H-shaped complex with a four-story west wing lowered from the original six floors and a three-story east wing. The two wings will be connected by a two-storey common part.
The complex will have 211 beds, compared to the originally proposed 350. Of these, 32 beds will be in supporting housing units, and 99 will be shelter beds. The proposed addiction program has been eliminated from the plan.
Despite the changes, a majority of public delegations at Friday’s meeting condemned the plan.
“We still don’t know what will happen in this space,” said Natalie Carrier, executive director of Vanier BIA.
“The Vanier community is constantly discussing the fact that there should be housing, not shelter. “Shelters should be the exception to the rule,” she said.
Carrier believes the Salvation Army is duplicating services already available in the community, an opinion expressed by other service providers who spoke during Friday’s meeting.
Natalie Carrier, executive director of Vanier BIA, says there are unanswered questions about the type of programming planned for the facility. (Trevor Pritchard / CBC)
Carrier, who was involved in the process as a stakeholder, accused the Salvation Army of having no real interest in cooperating with the community.
In response to a request for an interview from Radio Canada, the Salvation Army said it was not ready to comment.
Mark Maracle, CEO of Gignul Non-Profit Housing Corporation, reiterated some of Carrier’s concerns.
“The Indigenous Community and the Ottawa Aboriginal Coalition have been very clear from the outset and have maintained our concerns about the scope and scale of the proposed facility and how it fits into the Vanier community,” he said.
“We also take the position that programming informs the design, so what will happen in this building will shape the spatial configuration and ultimately how it expresses itself in the design form of the street.”
Some are beneficial
Some delegations spoke in support of the project.
“The design and layout of the site are highly informed by the voices of the clients we serve, including our indigenous clients,” said Wendy McCall, executive director of Ottawa Inner City Health, which will provide services to the site.
“I would also suggest that of all the voices you will hear today, perhaps the voices of the people who really need to have access to and use the facility may be the most important.
Rido-Vanie count. Mathieu Flory says he will now turn his attention to blocking any funding for the project. (Trevor Pritchard / CBC)
The plan does not require additional approval from the council. City officials will now be monitoring any further changes to the plan.
count. Mathieu Flori, who is not running for re-election, said he would continue to fight the project, working with higher levels of government to block funding for what he called “obsolete shelter models”.
Add Comment