You won't believe what's happening to our Greenbelt

Okay, so I just got through the latest batch of building permits and active development applications from City Hall – honestly, sometimes I feel like I need a security clearance just to understand the terminology, you know? But there’s something here that really jumps out, particularly for anyone who cares about our precious Greenbelt.

The biggest item, in terms of sheer scale and, frankly, what it *means* for the city, is this Site Servicing permit, #DRAIN 26-2107 SS. It’s for a massive $1,118,910 project at 1082 Lakeshore Road East in Ward 1. This isn't just a single house, mes amis. This permit is for the site servicing of nineteen residential buildings. Nineteen! And right alongside it, we see an active development application, #SP 25 68, for "Section 47 for block 8" at the *exact same address*.

Here’s the deal: Lakeshore Road East is right on the edge of the National Capital Commission's Greenbelt, and any significant residential development there, especially nineteen new buildings, is a major shift. The NCC Greenbelt is supposed to be this miracle of city planning, protecting our natural spaces. To see this kind of permit issuance and active application suggests a substantial push outwards. It’s not just about drains; it's about density creeping towards areas we always thought were safe. The real story is never on the Hill – it's always just off it.

This is something we need to watch closely. What does this mean for the future of our green spaces, and how much more will we see pushed to the very edge?

Simone Okafor-Bouchard, MiTL Sports Desk, Ottawa.

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