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The Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committee met to review the Ottawa Rural Clean Water Program's five-year performance and discuss its renewal for 2026-2030. The program, which provides cost-share grants up to $15,000 for water quality projects, distributed $671,000 across 271 projects while leveraging $1 million in additional landowner contributions. The committee also heard presentations on carbon sequestration farming technology and high-speed rail concerns, before passing several motions including a comprehensive rural transit service study and new excess soil management notification requirements.
Topics Discussed
Ottawa Rural Clean Water Program Renewal (2026-2030)
The committee reviewed the program's strong performance from 2021-2025, which saw 271 completed projects resulting in 112,000 trees planted, 1,752 hectares of forest protected, and improvements to over 450 hectares of farmland. Despite a $100,000 surplus due to limited awareness and pandemic-related challenges, staff recommended continuing the $200,000 annual funding through a special levy. The program will expand beyond water quality to include climate adaptation and environmental stewardship, with staff conducting a comprehensive study to report back in 2027. Councillor Brown emphasized improved outreach: "There's nothing like hiring somebody and them saying, 'Hey, by the way, did you know that you can get a portion of this cost covered by a program being run by the city?'" The committee approved increasing the five-year funding limit per property from $25,000 to $35,000 and adding living snow fencing as a permanent project type.
Carbon Sequestration Partnership Proposal
Bobby Vasley, CEO of Canadian Wollastonite, presented on expanding their enhanced rock weathering program to Ottawa's 250,000 acres of farmland. The company spreads crushed wollastonite to sequester carbon while improving soil health, currently serving 195 farms across Ontario with over 17,000 tons of CO2 removed. In Kingston, a $200,000 city rebate program achieved a 12.5:1 return on investment and is closing six months early due to high demand, with farmers receiving the material at no cost. The general manager described it as "dollar for dollar, the most cost-effective and one of the more permanent forms [of carbon sequestration] that currently exists." The company plans to invest several million dollars in electrified trucking and establish depots in Ottawa, targeting 165,000 tons spread by year-end 2026.
High-Speed Rail (ALTO) Project Concerns
Delegate Shirley Dolan urged the city to issue a formal statement opposing the proposed $60-90 billion high-speed rail project between Toronto and Quebec City, citing threats to municipal services, agricultural land, and environmental features. She quoted Mississippi Mills Mayor Christa Lowry's warning that the project "risks creating dead end or orphaned road segments and could result in longer travel times for fire, ambulance, police services." The Ontario Federation of Agriculture has called for an immediate halt to allow thorough impact assessments. Dolan also raised alarm about Bill C-15's new federal right of first refusal, which can lock up properties for up to eight years, preventing improvements and severely impacting farmers and businesses trying to sell land.
Rural Transit Service Expansion Study
Councillor Brown introduced a comprehensive motion requiring staff to review rural transit funding models and explore partnerships with private transportation providers to supplement service. The motion addresses growing demand in rural communities for connections to employment, education, and healthcare, with nearly 1,000 signatures collected supporting transit expansion. Jerry Pearson, a private transit operator, highlighted urgent needs: parents facing $5,800-6,000 annual costs to transport children to school after boundary changes, and residents losing jobs due to lack of transportation. The motion sparked heated debate, with ATU Local 279 President Noah Vineberg warning that "this is not about filling a gap. This is about making a choice. A choice to begin shifting public transit work outside of OC transport." Staff confirmed a critical constraint: approximately 390 buses are on order but only 100 delivered, with all replacements rather than expansion vehicles, meaning any rural service expansion could face 5-10 year delays. The motion passed, directing staff to report back with analysis of both public and private service options.
Excess Soil Management Notification Requirements
Councillor Skolski introduced an urgent motion addressing a regulatory gap where sites receiving more than 10,000 cubic meters of excess soil must register with the provincial Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority, but municipalities receive no notification. This creates situations where large volumes of fill are imported without municipal knowledge, causing substantial truck traffic, road degradation, dust, odor, noise pollution, erosion, stormwater impacts, and potential groundwater contamination. The motion requires an interim amendment to Site Alteration Bylaw 2024-448 by end of Q2 2026, mandating owners/operators to notify the city and local ward councillor within five days of provincial registration, with a comprehensive staff report on regulatory options due in Q3 2027.
Motions
Carried:
• Ottawa Rural Clean Water Program renewal for 2026-2030 with expanded scope.
• Rural Community Building Grant Program applications.
• Urban Design Review Panel procedural changes.
• Municipal Responsibility Agreement for 1491 Merivale Station Road.
• Rural transit service study exploring private transportation partnerships.
• Installation of flashing warning beacons at 10th Line Road and Wall Road.
• Excess soil management notification requirements.
• Rural home infrastructure upgrade financing program study.
Received:
• Status Update Report on inquiries and motions for period ending March 24, 2026.
• Urban design brief terms of reference and urban design guidelines update.
Attendees
The transcript does not provide a complete list of councillors present. Councillors mentioned by name during discussions include:
• Councillor Brown
• Councillor Lulof
• Councillor SC
• Councillor Sudds
• Councillor Skolski
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