Late Lansdowne Press Release Criticized

So, there is significant public feedback coming in — no one applauding — about the city’s late Friday, pre-long weekend notice of upcoming Ottawa City Hall meetings leading up to a Nov. 7, 2025 final council vote on Lansdowne 2.0, and with no updated documents released yet.

On that timing, note that it does not align with a motion introduced by Barrhaven West Councillor Wilson Lo, and approved by Council on April 17, 2024, that called on staff to “make the final report on the Lansdowne 2.0 project public and available to Members of Council as early as operationally feasible while respecting the bid process, ideally 30 days prior to the date which the item is to be voted on by Council.”

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This newsletter excerpt is courtesy of the city-wide community group Your Applewood Acres (And Beyond) Neighbours

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This is how Lo explained at the meeting his reasons for introducing the motion: “Recognizing the fact that between now and the end of 2025 there’s no real opportunity for us to do our jobs to provide oversight on this project, and it also addresses something that happened at the last gate, when one of our colleagues had requested some extra time to read the report. So I figure we may as well address that now instead of possibly delaying the project and therefore possibly raising the costs when it comes time to get to the final gate in 2025.”

Before the vote, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe asked staff: “On Lo’s direction, are staff receptive to those directions?” A staff person responded: “Mr. Mayor, yes, we are receptive.”

We reached out to some councillors on the long weekend for more information, including if they knew when the five latest documents will be available to the public, and want to thank Capital Councillor Shawn Menard for taking a few minutes to share that councillors were advised about the upcoming meeting dates the day before the Friday city release, and that based on what he has been told: “It sounds like the report itself will not be released until Oct. 20 unfortunately.”

So, the updated Lansdowne 2.0 report release will be 19 days before the final vote. And that is not the only Lansdowne 2.0 document to be digested in the coming weeks.

Based on the City information released Friday, discussions on the final report will begin at a special Finance and Corporate Services Committee meeting on Oct. 29, at 9:30 am. (nine days before the final vote). The city notice indicates that these items/documents will be on the agenda, but gives no indication on when any will be publicly available:

• Amendments to the Lansdowne Partnership Agreements
• Lansdowne 2.0 Redevelopment and Construction Approval Plan
• Economic Impact Analysis
• Lansdowne 2025 Annual Report

Says Menard: “It is unfortunate that staff released this late on a Friday of a long weekend and did not do more to adhere to councillor Lo’s motion (which stipulated that the report would be released at least a month before decision where possible).”

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Key To Good Transit Not Raising Fares: BLUESKY

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After the Oct. 29 Finance meeting, there will be a Nov. 4, 2025 special audit committee meeting about Lansdowne 2.0, so just four days before the final council vote, to discuss a “Follow-up Report: Audit of Lansdowne Sprint 1”, again with no information on when that document will be available. This report will presumably update the AG’s scathing June 2024 report that concluded, among other things, that the $419 million price tag the City is using is too “optimistic,” with the actual price predicted to be closer to half a billion.

And for those interested in more context or reminders of the range of Lansdowne 2.0 issues, you can listen to the discussion before the April 17, 2024 vote at the council meeting here (go to the 30 minute mark) Lo’s comments start around the 32 minute mark, and Sutcliffe’s at around 39 minutes.

And there were some tense moments in the meeting, including around the 55 minute mark where Alta Vista Councillor Marty Carr raises questions about any suggestions that the stands can remain in place, with her noting the lack of access for those with disabilities, and then a challenge about whether people are using ‘facts’ when suggesting the arena is not at “end of life”.

We are asking the city about when the new documents will be available and for more feedback from councillors, and will share if and when we hear back.

For You:

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Why Does Sutcliffe Want LRT Control? MULVIHILL

What Mark Sutcliffe Is Thankful For

Key To Good Transit Not Raising Fares: BLUESKY

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