News   Feb 05, 2024
 559     0 
News   Jan 27, 2020
 1.7K     0 
News   Nov 14, 2019
 1.9K     0 

Parks, Plazas and Open Spaces

If this was a new plaza, it would be great, but the WEP plaza was already the best space in the CBD. This reno seemed unnecessary, though I imagine it might have been more about updating the waterproofing for the underground garage.

Hope to see PdV update their Phase 1 plaza, maybe return the fountain. Constitution Square updated their Albert Plaza recently. It's not, but not very well used outside lunch and CS events.

How everyone feeling about the Relevé plaza?

1715432250694.png

1715432292067.png

 
Hoping the City can revamp Tech Wall Park soon. Other than the community gardens, it's very underutilized. A big chunk of it is stagging for the Slater rebuild. Would be awesome if Tech High could redevelop the parking lot and gym at the same time.
 
Bay Ward Bulletin
May 17, 2024

image-16-738x369.png


This week was an exciting one for the Irish diaspora and their descendants in Ottawa.

On Tuesday morning at the Built Heritage Committee, I had the privilege to put forward a motion to allow for a modest monument in Macdonald Gardens Park in the neighbourhood of Lower Town, to represent the Irish Famine victims, many of whom perished after landing in Ottawa.

The monument consists of a pair of children’s shoe to scale, cast in bronze along with a plaque with a QR code to explain the tragic story of the Irish Famine Victims of 1847 who are buried within what is now a city park with a heritage designation.
It was my privilege to work with the Ottawa based Irish Way Famine Memorial committee with the support of the Ambassador of Ireland, Eamonn McKee, on the Bronze Shoes project.

This summer, communities across Canada will install identical small pairs of bronze shoes, along with a plaque to commemorate the thousands of Irish people who came to Ottawa in 1847 fleeing hunger and illness.
Ottawa’s commemorative site of MacDonald Gardens Park, off Rideau and Cobourg Streets is a fitting place for this small monument because it is the former cemetery holding the remains of more than 300 famine victims. The remains of these victims were buried in a mass grave with no individual markers. This lack of recognition reflected the low status of these Irish refugees at this time.

On Wednesday morning City Council overwhelming supported this project. I thank my Council colleagues for their enthusiastic support of my motion to participate in this historic initiative.
Please find the article I recently wrote to tell the story of the Bronze Shoes, and the motion which City Council endorsed.

 

Back
Top