Victoria Island Remediation
 

5 years too late but since it will be going for another 2 or 3 here's the thread.

About the project

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...b07d10cd_h.jpg

So, will the island continue to be disjointed (but newly detoxified) patches of greenspace that 3 people pass through every hour, a hydro plant, random ruins and inaccessible buildings, some tepees and random plaques and monuments... or are there plans to develop the island into a proper park and/or community eventually?

It's Ottawa so you can bet the latter

1. Turn it upside down, cut every single tree and bush
2. Declare it nationally significant greenspace and nature conservation site, so it must see minimal usage

The buildings closest to Zibi were in use. One was a climbing gym.

Was the entire island given to the Indigenous, or just the part east of Portage?

Here's a nice description of the project from someone on the ground:

https://ncc-ccn.gc.ca/blog/theres-mo...-meets-the-eye

Good read. So it's going to be pretty much the same as before when they finish, just cleaned up. Some day they will unveil a new plan. I'm hoping for Zibi 2.0 between the bridges and a park and/or indigenous museum on the Eastern end of the island.

I really hope NCC does something more that what they already have with the Victoria Island Timber Slide.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...022d3ae8_h.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...1b75f32b_h.jpg

Throw away the iron trough (why it's even still there?), let the water flow, open it up for the public.

Find a partner in one of the local rafting companies and have them maintain and manage it and run their rafts down the slide. This could be a major tourist attraction for next to no cost.

Repurpose one of the abandoned buildings on the Island for the Timber Trade History Museum. So much history there and such a unique and fitting thing.

I didn't even know that Royals came to visit and rode the slide in the 18xx.

Anybody have any more photos from here?

https://d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.ne...andduchess.jpg

https://d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.ne...rslidehull.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...slide_1901.jpg

Can you imagine people sliding down that thing today? The bureaucracy involved would be mind-boggling.

On rafts? Yeah, hundreds of people aged 8-80 with no experience are doing it between Pembroke and Arnprior every day on more technical rapids that you can't control.

They should have bought the old log ride from La Ronde and installed it there :haha:

https://i.cbc.ca/1.4134941.149597081...0/la-ronde.JPG

Red Bull Raft Racing anyone? Could be the summertime companion to the Crashed Ice competition :).

Now imagine doing it sitting side-saddle, in a hoop dress and corset with no life jacket!

Kayak cross is an Olympic sport ;)

• Video Link

Goes to that idea expressed elsewhere in this forum to have that whole district be a 'water district'.
Fingers crossed they'd build the olympic length & dive pool w/ Carleton/City of Ottawa in the flats! (yeah, will never happen....)

Bit of a contradiction to say "so much history there" but then advocate to have the main part of it (the slide) removed...

This whole area should have historic plaques about the lumber industry, indigenous peoples and the great Ottawa fire of 1900. Living artefacts should be retained and be a feature of the area history

The slide was installed in the 1970s long after the end of the timber industry. Basically a garbage chute.

2 years later, they are back digging again.

https://i.imgur.com/o4wi1W6h.jpeg

From the NCC link at the top of the thread.

Phase 3b: East of Portage Bridge (planning)

The planning stage for Phase 3b of the work has started. Remediation is currently scheduled between 2025 and 2028.