For July’s Climate CAFES column on CKCU FM, Angela interviewed Mireille Trent about the community concerns surrounding the National Capital Commission’s intentions to zone the McCarthy Woods area for future housing development. Mireille is an environmental economist, a member of Ottawa South Eco Action Network (OSEAN), and active with the Hunt Club Community Association.
Between 2025 and 2026, there has been an uproar of community concern about several prized NCC greenspaces that are now at risk for development. In 2025, some areas within the McCarthy Woods were temporarily re-zoned to “Developmental Reserve” in a draft of the new Zoning By-law, at the request of the NCC, with the intention to ready the lands for future development. While it was soon reversed back to its protective zoning designation after swift advocacy from Councillor Brockington, OSEAN and Hunt Club Community Association, the NCC is now appealing the Zoning decision at the Ontario Land Tribunal.
Similar community-led advocacy is going on in Old Ottawa South, where the NCC is tendering offers to develop the forested lot on Canal Woods Terrace. This mature and beautiful forest sits along the very busy Bronson Avenue and is enormously important in cleaning pollutants from the road, managing stormwater and flooding, providing cooling during hot summer months, and reducing traffic noise from Bronson.
Densification is undoubtably necessary and Ottawa is in need of affordable housing. But the NCC should be proposing to redevelop underused built lots, brownfields, grey areas, or areas of low ecological value and not removing mature urban forests.
Read more on McCarthy Woods and Canal Woods Terrace and join the green resistance!
Check out Angela’s and Mireille’s clip, or listen to the full episode!
The next Climate CAFES column with Angela will be on August 10th. Be sure to tune in to CKCU FM 93.1 at 8am!
CKCU FM 93.1 is a campus-based community radio station at Carleton University dedicated to diversity, alternative content and independent voices in the Ottawa-Gatineau area.