Finance and Corporate Services Committee

Minutes

Meeting #:

31

Date:

Friday, November 21, 2025

Time:

9:30 A.m. - 4:30 P.m.

Location:

Andrew S. Haydon Hall, 110 Laurier Avenue West, and by electronic participation

Present:

• Chair: Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, 
• Vice-Chair: Councillor Catherine Kitts, 
• Councillor Matt Luloff, 
• Councillor Laura Dudas, 
• Councillor Cathy Curry, 
• Councillor Glen Gower, 
• Councillor Tim Tierney, 
• Councillor Rawlson King, 
• Councillor Jeff Leiper, 
• Councillor Riley Brockington, 
• Councillor Shawn Menard, 
• and Councillor David Brown 

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1.

Notices and meeting information for meeting participants and the public

Notices and meeting information are attached to the agenda and minutes, including: availability of simultaneous interpretation and accessibility accommodations; in camera meeting procedures; information items not subject to discussion; personal information disclaimer for correspondents and public speakers; notices regarding minutes; and remote participation details.

Accessible formats and communication supports are available, upon request.

Except where otherwise indicated, reports requiring Council consideration will be presented to Council on Wednesday, 26 November 2025 in Finance and Corporate Services Committee Report 31.

The deadline to register by phone to speak or submit written comments or visual presentations is 4 pm on Thursday, 20 November 2025, and the deadline to register to speak by email is 8:30 am on Friday, 21 November 2025.

2.

Declarations of Interest

No Declarations of Interest were filed.

3.

Public Works Department

3.1

Acquisition Opportunity – Capital Region Resource Recovery Centre

File No: ACS2025-PWD-GEN-0002 - Citywide

At the beginning of the meeting, the City Clerk, Caitlin Salter MacDonald provided an overview with respect to the Code of Conduct including provisions relating to confidential information.

Mayor Sutcliffe provided opening remarks prior to the Committee receiving a PowerPoint presentation from Alain Gonthier, General Manager, Public Works (A copy of the slide presentation is filed with the Office of the City Clerk):

Prior to the delegations, Motions were read in on behalf of Councillor Skalski from Vice-Chair Kitts and Councillor Brown, listed below:

The committee heard the following delegations:

1. Jennifer van Koughnett
2. Emma Bainbridge, CAFES*
3. Sue Langlois, Lucie Régimbald, Capital Regions Citizen Coalition for the Protection of the Environment (CRCCPE)*
4. Duncan Bury, Waste Watch Ottawa*
5. Robert Leth, Managing Director, NH3 Group of Companies*
6. Harry Baker*
7. Pamela O'Donnell*
8. Aidan McCannell
9. Charlotte Greer

[    * Individuals / groups marked with an asterisk above either provided comments in writing or by e-mail; all submissions and presentations are held on file with the Office of the City Clerk. ]

The following written submissions were received by and filed with the Office of the City Clerk, and distributed to Committee Members:

• from Carlsbad Springs Community Association (CSCA) dated 14 November 2025
• Email from Rainer Bloess dated 17 November 2025

Following delegations, questions to staff, the following Staff responded to questions:

• Alain Gonthier, General Manager, Public Works (PW)
• Shelley McDonald, Director, Solid Waste Service, PW
• Debbie Stewart, General Manager, Strategic Initiatives
• Cyril Rogers, General Manager, Finance and Corporate Services

• Report Recommendation(s)

  That the Finance and Corporate Services Committee recommend that Ottawa City Council consider the acquisition of the Capital Region Resource Recovery Centre as described in this report.
• Motion No. FCSC FCSC-2025-31-01
  Moved by C. Kitts

  WHEREAS the Finance and Corporate Services Committee is considering a report regarding the potential municipal acquisition of the Capital Region Resource Recovery Centre (CRRRC) site; and

  WHEREAS rural residents have expressed to the Ministry and members of City Council significant interest in and concern about the potential for any landfill operation to contaminate groundwater, pollute the air and impact the quality of life of residents including contributing dust and noise; and

  WHEREAS local residents campaigned the Ministry to “dump the dump” for over 15 years questioning on the suitability of a landfill on lead clay and expressing concerns related to the stability of the ground and potential release of leachate and other toxins; and

  WHEREAS Carlsbad Springs lies within the Bear Brook watershed, a headwater stream that flows to the South Nation River dominated by lead clay and other fine textured soils, which includes provincially significant wetlands, and wildlife habi-tat; and 

  WHEREAS the South Nation Conservation Authority is currently studying the Bear Brook Watershed to examine how future land use and climate change could impact the watershed; and 

  WHEREAS the last environmental assessment made public for the site by the Ministry of the Environment was dated 2015; and

  WHEREAS a Community Liaison Committee was established through the Minis-try’s environmental assessment process to represent best practice and support transparency, identify early issues and collaborate on problem-solving;

  THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT Finance and Corporate Services Committee recommend Council direct staff to engage with the already-established Community Liaison Committee for the site, to confirm or update their terms of reference to include, at a minimum: 

  • Representatives from nearby communities (Carlsbad Springs, Russell Township and Vars), SNC, local farmers, local Ward Councillors, City staff and the facility operator; 
  • A requirement that the Community Liaison Committee be convened on a regular basis (at least twice per year) to allow regular and timely updates on issues such as proposed changes to the site’s permits or its regulated activities, as one avenue to inform and engage the community; and

  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT following the annual reporting as done for the EA, which includes groundwater, surface water, leachate, landfill gas, dust, noise, biological and geotechnical monitoring, that staff be directed to review the annual report and post it publicly, along with a summary (in plain language), for resident review and awareness and offer a technical briefing to the CLC to present the results and ensure awareness of any areas of concern that may warrant further study and/or action; and

  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT staff be directed to work with the SNC to en-sure that this landfill is incorporated, as appropriate, into the hazard mapping and scenario planning for the Bear Brook Watershed study.

  Carried
• Motion No. FCSC FCSC-2025-31-02
  Moved by C. Kitts

  WHEREAS a Human Health Risk Assessment (HHRA) is a structured, scientific process used to evaluate whether people may be exposed to harmful substances and if so, whether those exposures could pose health risks; and

  WHEREAS the Ministry’s environmental assessment includes an overall assessment of potential impacts, alongside air quality, groundwater and ecological studies; and

  WHEREAS upholding the best interest of residents would include ensuring the safety of groundwater, soil, air, and other aspects of the environment that contribute to human health; and

  WHEREAS the site has a history of industrial activities (auto wrecker) for over 30 years; and

  WHEREAS residents have serious concerns about potential human environmental health impacts that could occur in the event of contaminant releases from an active landfill;

  THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Finance and Corporate Services Committee recommend Council direct staff, should the City of Ottawa be successful in ac-quiring this site and in advance of its operation, to undertake and publish an HHRA to disclose the already-established (via Ministry EA) baseline of contaminant and exposure data and an assessment of the risk to human health; and

  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the HHRA be revised if environmental monitoring reveals a new concern (e.g., exceedance of acceptable thresholds, air emission change, new contaminant of concern is identified) in accordance with normal practices and that this information be publicly available and shared with the CLC.

  Carried
• Motion No. FCSC FCSC-2025-31-03
  Moved by C. Kitts

  WHEREAS Council is considering a report regarding the potential municipal acquisition of the Capital Region Resource Recovery Centre (CRRRC) site located near Carlsbad Springs; and

  WHEREAS increased activity at the site will result in additional truck traffic using the surrounding rural road network; including heavy trucks and employee and visitor trips, with implications for safety, traffic operations and quality of life in and around Carlsbad Springs; and

  WHEREAS residents in Carlsbad Springs and nearby rural villages have raised concerns to the Ministry and members of Council regarding heavy truck traffic, including noise, safety, and cut-through movements on residential streets and through village cores; and

  WHEREAS the City’s rural truck route network and associated signage may be reviewed and improved to better direct trucks to appropriate corridors and minimize impacts on local communities; and

  WHEREAS the Transportation Master Plan (TMP) is the City’s primary tool for identifying and prioritizing major transportation infrastructure investments over the long term; and

  WHEREAS proactively identifying and prioritizing network improvements that support safe and efficient access to the CRRRC site and protect nearby rural communities from undue impacts would better position the City to respond to future growth in the area;

  THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT Finance and Corporate Services Committee recommend Council direct staff, prior to site activation and regularly thereafter, to assess and make recommendations to reduce the cumulative impact of trucks in the Carlsbad Springs area, both in terms of impact on the road infrastructure and quality of life for residents; and

  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT Finance and Corporate Services Committee recommend Council direct staff to review the rural truck route network serving the CRRRC site and surrounding area in consultations with the CLC and interested residents, including existing and potential truck routes, signage, traffic mitigation measures, and to identify and implement solutions that maximize clear way-finding for truck operators and minimize disruption and cut-through traffic on residential streets and in rural village cores.

  Carried
• Motion No. FCSC FCSC-2025-31-04
  Moved by D. Brown

  WHEREAS Council is considering a report regarding the potential municipal acquisition of the Capital Region Resource Recovery Centre (CRRRC) site located near Carlsbad Springs; and

  WHEREAS recognizing the impacts that landfill operations have on residents, Private sector proponents develop community benefit programs to provide positive investments directly to the impacted community in the form of grants to im-prove parks and pathways, scholarships etc.; and

  WHEREAS rural communities often shoulder a disproportionate share of environmental and infrastructural burdens, like landfills, that compromise their quality of life and the rural lifestyle that they enjoy.

  THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Finance and Corporate Services Committee recommend Council direct staff, should the City acquire the CRRRC site, to review options available to establish a community benefit mechanism for the City to provide direct positive benefit to Carlsbad Springs and surrounding communities in the form of grants for local improvements, and report back to ARAC in 2027.

  Carried
• Motion No. FCSC FCSC-2025-31-05
  Moved by D. Brown

  Though a potential purchase of the CRRRC does not preference or preclude any future waste management decision of Council, it does represent new information to consider as staff develop a recommendation and finalized business case for Ottawa’s future waste management system. As part of the in-depth evaluation that staff are undertaking to develop a recommendation and finalized business case for Ottawa’s future waste management system, staff be directed to undertake a market sounding exercise that invites proponents to provide information to City staff related to the Council approved scenarios outlined in Recommendation 2 of the Waste Management Technologies Feasibility Study Report (Status Quo and Private Facilities, Waste to Energy Incineration Facility, and Construct a New Landfill).
  
  

  Carried with Councillor J. Leiper dissenting 

  Carried
• The committee recommendations as amended was Carried on a division of 8 Yeas to 3 Nays: 

  For (8)	L. Dudas, G. Gower, R. King, J. Leiper, R. Brockington, S. Menard, C. Curry, and M. Sutcliffe
  Against (3)	M. Luloff, C. Kitts, and D. Brown

  Carried (8 to 3)

4.

Adjournment

Next Meeting

Tuesday, 2 December 2025.

The meeting adjourned at 12:19 pm.