The Ottawa Carleton Wildlife Centre held a celebration on June to recognize the people and organizations who had contributed to the success of the project to rehabilitate the wetlands on the west side of Moodie Drive. Ian MacConnachie, past Chair of the CBLCA Transportation, Transit, and Infrastructure Committee (TTIC), Nic Martinez, President of the CBLCA and Kate Twiss, current chair of the TTIC attended.
Ian was awarded a certificate to recognize his work on the project and the contribution of Crystal Beach
Lakeview.
Anita Vandenbeld, MP, Ottawa West Nepean awards Ian MacConnachie the certificate
Anita Vandenbeld was also recognized for her leadership in coordinating the groups involved:
- The National Capital Commission
- The Ottawa Carleton Wildlife Centre
- Public Service and Procurement Canada
- Crystal Beach Lakeview Community Association
- City of Ottawa
While Crystal Beach Lakeview has always appreciated its proximity to the Greenbelt and the wider natural environment, activity on the wetland at Moodie Rd. took on urgency because of an initial City plan to position the LRT Light Maintenance and Storage Facility (LMSF) on the east side of Moodie Drive, near Solva Drive and Cleadon Drive. Strong opposition from our community generated not only a location change for the LMSF, but also, ultimately, commitment from the City to collaborate with other federal and provincial agencies and the community on rehabilitation of the wetlands on the west side as part also of increased storm water storage required for the LRT at Moodie. This began the ongoing collaboration, in particular with the Ottawa Carleton Wildlife Centre and its Environmental Sustainability Committee as well as with MP Anita Vandenbeld.
The rehabilitation project included dredging out ponds that had filled in and making the channels meander more naturally. Early on, updating settling ponds on the DND campus afforded opportunity for community members to participate in tree planting around the southern pond. The wetlands now provide management for floodwaters and natural purification of water that eventually ends up in Stillwater Creek, the Ottawa River, and our drinking water, while providing flourishing habitat for diverse species of wildlife.
Community members continue to play a role in identifying and publicizing the rich flora and fauna east of Moodie in the NCC Natural Link Corridor along our community’s western and southern border. Efforts at protecting this with wildlife corridors under both Moodie and Corkstown roads remain priority items in the wetland rehabilitation.
To learn more about the Ottawa Carleton Wildlife Centre, click here.
To see more about the wetland rehabilitation project, watch this video:
To learn more about the value of wetlands, watch this RVCA video:
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