The City of Ottawa has plans to sell Plouffe Park, the only large green space and playing field in the Dalhousie Centretown West neighbourhood. Neighbours and friends of Plouffe Park are deeply concerned about this issue.
City Recreation and Real Estate staff are proposing major developments to Plouffe Park, the Plant Recreation Centre, and the lands at 1010 Somerset Street West. This includes not only building a school on Plouffe Park but also putting in a three lane roadway through the park. The plan would see Plouffe Park closed for construction as early as the end of 2023. A new replacement park would not open until at least 2030.
These plans were developed without community input and go against the City of Ottawa’s Official Plan for the neighbourhood. The public engagement survey created by the City is misleading, makes no mention that Plouffe Park would be paved over, and limits space for real feedback from the community.
This neighbourhood is expected to see more than 25,000 new residents in the next 10 years. The Dalhousie community already has the lowest area of park space per capita in the city. We need to work together to change this concept plan and protect the space at Plouffe Park.
How you can help:
-Fill out this survey at Engage Ottawa ASAP and state your concerns. Note that you need to write in the comments section that you want to Save Plouffe Park.
-Visit the Dalhousie Community Association (DCA) website to learn more and sign up for further updates. The City will hold a public meeting soon, and the DCA will notify you.
-Read more about Plouffe Park in this CBC news article, and the Centretown Buzz article posted below. Read the Proposal to Build Over Plouffe Park, also posted below.
-Make your concerns known to your City Councillor and the Mayor by sharing the letters below.
