[Indigsol] Urgent Actions for Chaudiere Islands rezoning vote

[IPSMO]

Please forward this email and/or share this info online via these two links:

Web post:
http://ipsmo.wordpress.com/2014/10/06/urgent-action-contact-ottawa-city-council-chaudiere-islands/

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/602116639892590

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*CALL TO ACTION FOLLOWS MAIN MESSAGE:*


On Wednesday October 8th (meeting starts at 10:00am), Ottawa City Council
will make their final decision on the rezoning application for Chaudiere
and Albert Islands, giving the go ahead for condos, retail and office space
to be built there by Windmill Development Group.

This follows the City Planning Committee meeting of October 2nd, where they
heard from citizens who were overwhelmingly opposed to such a decision, who
spoke of the sacredness of this to the Algonquin and other Anishinaabe
peoples, and in support of Grandfather William Commanda's vision for these
islands, yet the committee unanimously went ahead and recommended the
rezoning.

There will be no public input at Wednesday's full council meeting, but you
can contact your city councilor as well as the mayor in the lead-up to the
meeting to voice your concerns.

As well, you can contact Domtar, who currently holds the land in question,
and urge them facilitate its return to ensure the manifestation of the
legacy vision of its rightful heir, late Alqonquin spiritual elder and
leader Grandfather William Commanda.

The islands in question are envisioned to be public space, turned into
parkland accessible to all, fitting with the sacred nature of the Chaudiere
Falls / Asinabka site. This is part of William Commanda’s larger vision for
the Chaudiere Falls and all the islands there.

Please consider voicing your support for Grandfather William Commanda's
vision, both to Ottawa City Council and to Domtar.

We note the historic and ongoing sacredness of this site for the Algonquin
people, and all Anishinaabe peoples. It has been used for thousands of
years as a place of prayer, and of coming together of peoples from many
parts of this continent.

Now that the industry that has been built upon this site over the past 200
years is finished, why not return the site to its traditional spiritual
use, honouring the ways of the First Peoples of this land?

Instead they are looking to give the go-ahead to private and commercial
development at this site - is this truly the best way forward?


*FOUR URGENT ACTIONS:*

1) Contact your Ottawa City Councilor and the Mayor:
http://ottawa.ca/en/city-council

2) Contact Domtar (President & CEO, Mr John D. Williams):
information at domtar.com

3) Public Consultation / workshop / site visit
Tuesday October 7, between 4:30-8:00pm
*Note: This is for other islands at Chaudiere Falls, not the two
immediately under consideration for rezoning
http://www.ncc-ccn.gc.ca/capital-planning/public-meetings/calendar-events/site-visit-public-consultation-bronson-pulp-mill

4) Invite your friends to the Facebook event, and share online:
https://www.facebook.com/events/602116639892590
and/or share the link to this post:
http://ipsmo.wordpress.com/2014/10/06/urgent-action-contact-ottawa-city-council-chaudiere-islands/

ALSO: if you would like to attend the Ottawa City Council meeting, it takes
place Wednesday October 8th, starting at 10:00am, in Andrew S Haydon Hall
at Ottawa City Hall, 110 Laurier Ave W.



*BACKGROUND INFO / RESOURCES:*

Recent letter to Domtar (2pg letter & 51pg background info) from Romola V
Thumbadoo, Coordinator, Circle of All Nations
http://www.asinabka.com/Archives/2014-09-23_Asinabka_Heritage_Note.pdf

Asinabka website: http://asinabka.com

June 2014 update on the vision:
http://ipsmo.wordpress.com/2014/06/22/william-commandas-vision-chaudiere/

City of Ottawa official document for the current rezoning proposal:
http://ipsmo.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/official-plan-and-zoning-3-and-4-booth-street-hieu-nguyen-letter.pdf

VIDEO – Architect Douglas Cardinal explaining things (10min):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeFqbRBU5mk



*MEDIA COVERAGE FROM THE PLANNING COMMITTEE HEARING:*

Ottawa committee approves rezoning on sacred aboriginal site
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-committee-approves-rezoning-on-sacred-aboriginal-site-1.2785746

CBC TV Nightly News - segment starts at 5m:25s in
http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Canada/Ottawa/ID/2539902760/
- or, CBC TV News segment for mobile:
http://www.cbc.ca/m/touch/video/clips/ys_2539967240.html?st=myregion&ln=canada-ottawa&pid=2539967240

Planning committee approves Chaudière, Albert islands rezoning despite
objections
http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/1003-windmill

Critics take aim at development plan for old Domtar lands
http://www.ottawasun.com/2014/10/02/critics-take-aim-at-development-plan-for-old-domtar-lands

Planning committee recommends city approve Windmill's Domtar lands rezoning
application
http://www.obj.ca/Local/City-Hall/2014-10-02/article-3890322/Planning-committee-recommends-city-approve-Windmills-Domtar-lands-rezoning-application/1

Des autochtones mécontents du projet Windmill sur les îles Chaudière et
Albert
http://gatineau.radionrj.ca/info-gatineau-ottawa/2014/10/02/des-autochtones-mecontents-du-projet-windmill-sur-les-iles-chaudiere-et-albert

Fulfill Commanda's Vision at Chaudiere - Opinion, by Peter Raaymakers
http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/raaymakers-fulfill-commandas-vision-at-chaudiere



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