Details about the Ottawa Tailrace Project

Ottawa River Runners – Comments on City of Ottawa Staff Report - Fleet Street Tail Race Ref N°: ACS2007-CCS-PEC-0008



As the staff report identifies, the Ottawa River Runners kayak club (ORR) were responsible for the cleanup and restoration of the Pumphouse tailrace. ORR has actively used this channel for 15 years, until it was temporarily closed for bank stabilization in 2004. For the previous 15 years ORR had an access agreement with the NCC, which owns the adjoining parkway and bowl to the east, and has enjoyed a very positive and co-operative relationship with the City Pumphouse staff.
The principle concern of ORR is that this facility has been temporarily closed since an engineers report identified serious concerns with bank stability. At that time (May 2004) the then Mayor instructed city staff to work with ORR to restore use of this site as soon as possible. Ongoing construction in the upsteam aqueduct created some unanticipated delays. However, aqueduct construction is now complete as is the major restoration to significantly grade the banks and eliminate formerly dangerous unprotected cliffs along the tailrace channel. The final element of this bank stabilization involves landscaping to replace lost vegetation and pathways and is anticipated that this will be completed this spring.
The current issue before committee is how to manage risks and liability related to this combined industrial and recreational asset. The city position is that the tailrace is primarily an outflow from an industrial facility (the pumping station). The report identifies the tailrace channel as one of fast flowing water and an extreme whitewater site. The staff report asserts that ORR has installed obstacles to increase the speed of water flow to replicates “the world’s wildest rivers”. Staff has suggested that there are serious risks and potential liability and relate these to removal of vegetation, together with fast water flow. It is important to clarify that the staff report grossly overstates the nature of this waterway and the associated risk. This channel would be considered a class II rapid and is far from replicating the world’s wildest rivers (class V and VI). It is designed to create obstacles and eddies replicating a natural river. As such, it is in fact as safe or safer that hundreds of kilometers of the Ottawa and Rideau river shorelines that exist within the City (and remain unfenced). The clean eddies that have been created provide a safe haven for a swimmer that has capsized his/her kayak. Such eddies are far safer than an unobstructed shoreline, or the most dangerous shorelines which involve fallen trees and branches which act as a trap and can cause drowning.
The report also fails to note that the city has in fact made the site much safer by regrading the shoreline into gentle slopes (with the exception of the steep rock cliffs of the west side). Augmenting this grading with a low (1.2m fence) and appropriate signage would leave the newly restored site far safer than the previous conditions (steep cliffs and unfenced pathways).
The staff report recommends referral to the Local Architectural Conservation committee for consideration as a heritage site. This seems inconsistent with the staff position that this is an industrial site and should be surrounded by a high industrial fence. ORR has no objection to this suggestion but is concerned that this may cause further delays. Staff has had three years to consult with this committee, but have not taken the opportunity to do so. Further delays in reopening the site to its established use will seriously impact both the local and national canoe and kayak community – a sport that is itself a key element of Canada’s heritage.
The ORR has no objection to a fence. Our concerns emanate from a city position that sought to completely restrict public access and required ORR to enter into an access agreement to allow exclusive access to club members. ORR has maintained that such a restriction is unnecessary and unduly restricts public access.
ORR is entirely in agreement with the installation of fencing and appropriate signage, but objects to the City staff proposal to designate this as a dangerous industrial site with a high fence and locked gates. Fifteen years of history, active public and club use and an insurance policy with not a single claim throughout this fifteen-year period is a testament to the true level of risk that exists on this site. The investment of more than $4 million to grade and stabilize the banks and the installation of a 1.2m safety fence creates a significantly lower level of risk than the pre-existing conditions.
ORR youth programs as well as those of the national slalom team have been seriously impacted by the “temporary closure” that has left the facility unusable for 3 years. ORR strongly urges Council to instruct staff to accept the recommendations of ORR, the NCC and the local residents association to install a 1.2 m safety fence or railing along the graded parts of the shoreline. Higher safety fencing may be appropriate along the portion of the western shore where steep cliffs remain and above the down stream viaduct to the Ottawa River.
ORR also requests that Council instruct staff to include the necessary installation of concrete pedestals to support slalom gate wires as part of the landscaping plan so these installations are aesthetically integrated in the plan (something that engineering staff previously agreed to undertake by was rejected by recreation and risk management staff).
Further ORR requests that Council direct staff to complete the final phase of restoration (landscaping and fencing) to enable paddling to resume in the tailrace as soon as possible now that ice and winter conditions have passed.