CJRO News: June 17 to June 23, 2024
Hello bonjour and welcome to CJRO News on CJRO Radio. I'm Candice Vetter reporting from Embrun.
The Tewin project proponents held an open house at the Carlsbad Springs Community Centre on June 19, showing the plans for the development. Tewin is a massive subdivision planned for unserviced, and unceded, land by the Taggart family of developers and the Algonquins of Ontario. The land is near Carlsbad Springs and the project would turn 1100 acres (445 hectares) of forest, wetland and farmland into a satellite city of 15,000 homes and hundreds of businesses. The proposal has caused several controversies. These include former mayor Jim Watson calling it reconciliation when the AOO is not recognized as a legitimate First Nation by other Algonquin/Anishnabee peoples, City staff advising against it due to its position well outside the urban boundary, the hundreds of millions of dollars needed to provide infrastructure, the loss of farmland and green space, the destruction of a forest without permission, and the negative impacts on existing communities. Then at a committee meeting the next day Councillor Shawn Menard asked if Taggarts were paying a staff person at the City to work exclusively on the Tewin file. SHAWN MENARD CLIP HERE City staff confirmed that there are three City Hall employees whose salary Taggarts were paying. They are a senior project manager for infrastructure, a senior manager for transportation, and a planner. Since then suggestions that the project not move ahead have come from City councillors, media pundits and local residents. CJRO will be following this developing story.
Image courtesy of City of Ottawa
A City email said crews are working on Frank Kenny Road from Russell Road to Colonial. The existing asphalt will be milled, new material added, and the road will be repaved. In addition culvert replacement will be done on Navan Road this week and next week.
The Township of Russell has announced it is hosting the first Meet Me on Main Street to be held in the Village of Embrun. The gathering is August 1 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 901 Notre Dame Street and on part of Blais Street. The Meet Me on Main Street events were started in North Dundas and recently spread to Russell Township. They have been hugely popular with hundreds of attendees gathering to visit, enjoy food vendors and listen to local musicians. Previous venues include Russell, Marionville, Chesterville, Winchester and other villages. For more information see Russell.ca.
CJRO wants to report on the local news that matters, so send news ideas, issues and comments to newscjro@gmail.com by Monday mornings. Listen to the news and Local First on cjroradio.com anytime or on the Tune In or Radio Player Canada apps, or at FrequencyNews.ca. I'm Candice Vetter for CJRO News. CJRO, last on the dial and first for local news.