Latest news with #FindlayCreek
CTV News
11 hours ago
- CTV News
50 fires caused by improperly discarded smoking materials in Ottawa this year
A home on Cache Bay Crescent in Findlay Creek was damaged by fire Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025. (Courtesy: Jean Lalonde) A fire in Findlay Creek that displaced eight people and injured two firefighters last week was caused by improperly discarded smoking materials and was preventable, Ottawa Fire Services say. Crews were called to a townhouse on Cache Bay Crescent just before 5 a.m. on Aug. 13. 'The fire started on the exterior and spread to the vinyl siding. That vinyl siding's like liquid gasoline, it just goes up the house into the windows, breaches the windows and then it spreads into the house,' said Jimmy Fata, assistant division chief in the fire investigation unit. 'Especially under these conditions where it's hot, everything's dry, make sure your cigarette is properly put out and I don't mean a couple of taps and then you throw it to the ground. Put it in a can of water, put it in an ashtray properly.' Eight people were displaced by the blaze that spread to both the attached unit and the one beside it. One woman in a basement had to be rescued by firefighters. Two firefighters suffered heat exhaustion. One was transported to hospital and released later that day. So far in Ottawa this year, firefighters say 50 fires have been caused by improperly discarded smoking materials. 'Every year, it's one of the top two preventable causes of a fire in Ottawa along with unattended cooking,' said Nick DeFazio, public information officer for Ottawa Fire Services. Fire crews have also had to douse several grass fires along Highway 401 in the last week caused by someone tossing a cigarette out of a moving vehicle, according to the Quinte West Fire and Emergency Services Department. It's happening locally too. Hwy. 401 fire Fire Crews in Quinte West have had to douse multiple grass fires along Highway 401caused by cigarettes being tossed from vehicles. (John Whelan/Provided) 'We have had several small grass fires started on the 416,' said Ottawa OPP Const. Michael Fathi. 'I would highly recommend people to not flick their cigarettes out the window. It's also considered littering so if you are seen, it's $110 a ticket.' A burn ban for Ottawa remains in effect over the drier than normal conditions this summer.
CTV News
4 days ago
- General
- CTV News
City of Ottawa considering licencing fee for landscapers as part of bylaw review
An Ottawa City Councillor says changes could be coming to the bylaw that oversees landscapers. CTV's Katie Griffin reports. Changes could be coming to the bylaw that oversees landscapers in Ottawa. The review that has been underway as part of the Landscaper Regulatory Review comes as several homeowners speak out after receiving a notice from the city saying they have to rip up some of their landscaping because it goes against a bylaw. 'Somebody complained and they targeted seven of us on this little crescent,' said Claude Mulligan who lives in Findlay Creek. 'The river rock was up to the curb and the city ordered us to remove everything in the right of way which is about 13 feet in my case.' He says the city eventually said they would only have to remove about 18 inches of rock away from the curb and replace it with mulch. 'But not any kind of mulch, it had to be organic mulch,' Mulligan said. 'I've got rubber mulch which I'm in the process of removing and I'm going to replace it with the organic, wood chip-type of mulch.' The landscaping was done more than 10 years ago and until this June it had never been an issue—until someone complained and a bylaw officer paid a visit, he said. 'We're all confused why this is happening. These stones don't bother anyone, they don't damage the roadway, they don't impede or interfere with anything.' Ottawa landscaping : Some residents in a Findlay Creek neighbourhood were told they had to rip out hardscape and replace it with mulch because it violated a bylaw. (Katie Griffin/CTV News Ottawa) Other homeowners reached out to CTV News Ottawa after our initial story about a Kanata couple that was told they had to rip out part of their $40,000 landscaping project. The city says no hardscaping, including river rock and interlock, is allowed on its right of way because it 'interferes with drainage, snow removal and can impact other city services.' 'I know that in the city there are literally tens of thousands of people that have done this in the last 20 years I would say. I think the bylaw needs to be changed because people don't want grass anymore,' Mulligan said. The Klines A Kanata couple has been told they have to rip out some of their nearly $40,000 landscaping project over a bylaw violation. (Katie Griffin/CTV News Ottawa) Right now, the city is reviewing the bylaw that oversees landscapers. 'The city needs to be much more proactive and making sure people are aware of what they can and cannot do but also to hold landscapers accountable,' said Coun. Riley Brockington. 'Landscapers need to be aware of the bylaw, this is not just a paycheque.' Brockington added that some potential changes as part of the Landscaper Regulatory Review could include licencing. 'That's possible that there may be a licensing fee so the city can keep better track of who the landscapers are.' Proposed changes could come before committee in the fall. Mulligan hopes something changes. 'We did what the city asked us to do but we're still scratching our heads as to why this is so bad.'
CTV News
6 days ago
- CTV News
Firefighters injured battling blaze in Findlay Creek
A home on Cache Bay Crescent in Findlay Creek was damaged by fire Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025. (Courtesy: Jean Lalonde) Ottawa Fire Services says multiple firefighters sustained minor injuries while battling a blaze in Findlay Creek Wednesday morning. Firefighters were called to a home on Cache Bay Crescent at 4:52 a.m. on reports of flames from the upper floors. Fire crews arrived and rescued a resident at 5:01 a.m. A second alarm to bring in additional resources was called at 5:15 a.m., according to a news release. Expand Autoplay 1 of 7 Cache Bay fire Firefighters were called to a home on Cache Bay Crescent at 4:52 a.m. on reports of flames from the upper floors. (Viewer photo/submitted) Cache Bay Crescent Fire Fire crews arrived and rescued a resident at 5:01 a.m. A second alarm to bring in additional resources was called at 5:15 a.m. (Courtesy: Jean Lalonde) Cache Bay Crescent Fire It took approximately five hours to get the fire under control. (Courtesy: Jean Lalonde) Cache Bay Crescent Fire Firefighters fought the fire amid hot, humid weather. Humidex values were between 34 and 36 Wednesday morning before a rain shower cooled things down a bit. (Courtesy: Jean Lalonde) Cache Bay Crescent Fire, Ottawa Fire Services says multiple firefighters sustained minor injuries while battling the blaze. (Courtesy: Jean Lalonde) Cache Bay fire Crews remained on scene to watch for flareups. (Peter Szperling/CTV News Ottawa) Cache Bay Crescent Fire Extensive damage can be seen at the rear of the home. The cause of the fire is under investigation. (Courtesy: Jean Lalonde) Ottawa Paramedic Service spokesperson Marc-Antoine Deschamps said one firefighter was transported to hospital in stable condition, and two other people were assessed at the scene and released. Ottawa Fire Services did not provide any specific details on how the firefighters were injured, but they fought the fire amid hot, humid weather. Humidex values were between 34 and 36 Wednesday morning before a rain shower cooled things down a bit. All injuries reported were minor. Cache Bay Crescent Fire, A home on Cache Bay Crescent in Findlay Creek was damaged by fire Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025. (Courtesy: Jean Lalonde) It took approximately five hours to get the fire under control and crews remain on scene to watch for flareups, Ottawa Fire Services said. Victim Services has also been dispatched. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
CTV News
07-07-2025
- Lifestyle
- CTV News
Model Home Monday with Tamarack Homes
In this month's Model Home Monday, Melissa takes a look at the Hamilton, a four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom model nestled in the heart of Findlay Creek!
CBC
03-07-2025
- Business
- CBC
City of Ottawa settles with developers over 'excessive' $1.8M fees
Social Sharing It appears the City of Ottawa set its fees too high when it decided to charge $1.8 million to property owners wanting to apply for a one-off expansion of the urban boundary. A hearing was set for June 2 at the Ontario Land Tribunal for an appeal by five home builders that want to convert rural land along March Road north of Kanata for urban development. CBC News has learned the city instead agreed to a settlement that sees the developers pay just one-sixth of the application fees the city had originally charged. At least one other appeal over application fees was resolved at the same time. It had been filed by developers wanting to expand the Findlay Creek neighbourhood eastward. Claridge Homes is involved in both cases. The company confirmed they were settled so the builders would pay $209,581 in fees to the city for a planning review, and another $106,000 to assess servicing lands with water and sewer pipes. That's a fraction of the fees council approved last fall when it created the new type of application. It originally set fees that totalled $1.8 million, including a planning review fee at a hefty $1.4 million. "The settlements resulted in mutually agreed upon fees that achieve cost recovery, which has always been the city's goal," wrote Derrick Moodie, the city's director of planning services, in an email. One-off urban expansions The City of Ottawa set up the new regime in October 2024 in order to adjust to a significant change made by the Ontario government. In the past, property owners had to wait years for a chance to see the urban boundary expand. A municipality would do a detailed analysis of where to expand city roads, pipes and other infrastructure to allow for a growing population. But after an updated policy took effect on Oct. 20, the province allowed property owners to apply at any time to expand a municipality's suburbs or rural villages. The City of Ottawa's planning department came up with a process so it could have studies to inform piecemeal expansions developers might put forward in the years between regular citywide analyses. It also came up with fees to recover the cost of determining if a given parcel was even needed for future populations, or how it would tie into plans for building infrastructure. Several developers in Ottawa did apply for urban expansions right away, but others paid the fees "under protest" and then filed appeals at the Ontario Land Tribunal. That included the South March landowners: Claridge Homes, Minto Communities, Mattamy Homes, Regional Group and Uniform Urban Developments. They argued fees totalling $1.8 million were "excessive" for the work required for even a single application. With several applications for urban expansions, they said there was overlap in the analysis and the city could work even more efficiently. Fees remain unchanged The city says it could only estimate last October what it would cost to process applications, and didn't know how many might come in. "The recommended fee to council was based upon only one application, with the potential for efficiencies if there were multiple applications," Moodie wrote, now that the appeals have been settled. But those same efficiencies might not happen in other scenarios, the director of planning services notes. So despite the settlement, the City of Ottawa has no plans to lower its fees. They'll stay at $1.8 million and any change would need council's approval, he added. City council received a legal update related to the Ontario Land Tribunal and city fees for urban settlement areas on May 14 — before the settlement — but those minutes are not reported publicly because the session was held behind closed doors. Tribunal decision in early May Disputes over application fees weren't the only appeals the City of Ottawa faced at the land tribunal related to its new regime for dealing with applications for urban expansion. A few weeks before the fee dispute was settled, the city had faced a separate setback on May 8. In that case, an adjudicator decided applications for urban expansions made by Caivan Homes near Stittsville and by Mattamy Homes in Barrhaven were complete even though they hadn't submitted all the studies the city now required. The executive director of the Greater Ottawa Home Builders' Association said he wasn't surprised developers challenged the city at the land tribunal on both fronts. Jason Burggraaf said they had questioned last fall about why the city needed so many studies and such a high fee. "The industry overall really is trying to reduce all the costs that go into housing, and that includes city-imposed fees," said Burggraaf.
