General Meeting – 08 January 2013

GREENSPACE ALLIANCE OF CANADA’S CAPITAL
Greenspace Watch

General Meeting
January 8, 2013

Hintonburg Community Centre
1064 Wellington Street West
K1Y 2Y3

Present: Erwin Dreessen, Amy Kempster (chair), Martin Callsen, Jason Kania and Elina Elnione (note taker)

Regrets: Juan Pedro Unger and Sol Shuster

The meeting commenced at 7:20p.m.

  1. Administration items:
    1. Minutes of November 27 meeting
      Erwin moved, seconded by Martin, to approve the Minutes of November 27 as circulated. Approved.
    2. Meeting dates
      Amy will inquire what days other than Tuesdays are available in order to enable attendance of members whose availability is limited. Agreed.
    3. Treasurer’s report
      Erwin moved, seconded by Jason, to allocate 79.08$ for the general meeting room rental. Agreed.
      Erwin moved, seconded by Martin to pay 194.36$ for one year post box rental. Agreed.
    4. New member
      Erwin moved, seconded by Elina, to approve a membership application of Barbara Lajeunesse. Agreed.
    5. Server update
      Jason will commence work on the server update in early February.

     

  2. Business arising from minutes
    1. Lower Rideau Sub-watershed Report
      Amy agreed to look into this case for a potential input from Greenspace Alliance.
    2. Rockcliffe Airbase Community Design Plan
      Follow up with Al Crosby is ongoing.
    3. Transition to new Nonprofit Corporations Act
      We have been granted a Certificate of Continuance. No further action is required. Elina handed the papers over to Erwin for safekeeping.
    4. Ottawa Budget 2013
      Enquiries with the City Treasurer regarding the Environmental Resources Acquisition Fund are ongoing.

     

  3. Projects concerning trees
    1. Heather Hamilton Group
      There were two meetings on November 29th and December 11th. It was agreed to name the group “Ottawa Forests/Forêts d’Ottawa.” Mandate, structure, and potential projects and activities were discussed. Further work is anticipated.
    2. Ecology Ottawa
      Amy and Erwin will meet with Ecology Ottawa regarding a strategy for EAB.

     

  4. Ottawa Official Plan Review – FCA meeting
    Erwin will attend the FCA meeting on January 10. Members expressed a concern about the definition of ‘significant woodland’ for having a requirement to have a water element. This has a potential to miss valuable woodland. Other concerns are about Country Lot Estates, Schedules L1, l2 and L3, the LEAR review, the Aggregate Resources review and, above all, the protection of natural linkages as per the January 2012 Terms of Settlement with the Alliance.
     
  5. Greenbelt Master Plan
    No report.
     
  6. May AGM speaker
    There is a suggestion to organize a panel regarding green corridors and wildlife. It would be desirable to involve the City in this discussion as this issue will be addressed by the City in the spring. In April areal photos of 2011 will be released followed by a study involving consultant specialists. Erwin will contact Nick Stow about the panel.
     
  7. New Business
    1. Hintonburg Statement
      Martin will write the first draft of a letter to the Councillors expressing strong support for a zoning update.
    2. South March Letter
      The strategy for a letter to Alex Munter was discussed. Martin will revise the letter.

     

The meeting adjourned at 9:15 p.m.
Next meeting of the Alliance will be on Thursday, January 31, 2013, 7.15pm
Hintonburg Community Centre
1064 Wellington Street West
K1Y 2Y3