Second City, Second Metro: Cumberland Township Needs Planners

Just as it had been since the end of the Second World War (and arguably long before), one of the catalysts for advocating changes to local governance was rapid development and the ability of the local government to manage and accommodate it adequately.

Likely stemming from the imbroglio surrounding the Queenswood development and fears of a changing character for Cumberland Township, the Cumberland Community Association (CCA) sought to bring the township under the regional government umbrella (in some undefined fashion) so that it would have access to the planning expertise that its own council was either unable or unwilling to develop.¹As is always the case, there is a story to be told. I expect to integrate it with the proper piece that is forthcoming. See David McWilliam. “Off Queensway East: Giant City Suburb to Cost 17-Million,” Ottawa Citizen, March 20, 1961, 1, 7; “To Build Mammoth Subdivision: Satellite town in Cumberland to cost $17 million,” Ottawa Journal, March 22, 1961, 3; Ottawa Journal, March 23, 1961, 39; “Cumberland Would Ban Cottage as Regular Home,” Ottawa Journal, March 28, 1961, 23; “Sewers and Roads for Queenswood,” Ottawa Journal, April 14, 1961, 3; Dave Brown. “Housing Project Halted: ‘Owners’ Want to Know Score,” Ottawa Journal, April 19, 1962, 5; “Queenswood Ratepayers’ Petition: Seek Investigation into Township Administration,” Ottawa Journal, November 27, 1963, 3; “Cumberland Inquiry Under Way,” Ottawa Journal, December 2, 1963, 1; K.H. Hart. “Cumberland Concern,” Ottawa Journal, December 11, 1963, 6; “Provincial Probe: Urges Cumberland to Streamline Bylaws,” Ottawa Journal, January 21, 1964, 16; David Nesbitt. “Regional Gov’t Shadow Hangs Over Hearing,” Ottawa Journal, March 17, 1965, 50. Also see Queenswood Heights Community Association. “Queenswood Heights History” and Saul Svirplys’ many entries on Queenswood on his wonderful blog, Mid-Century Modern and 1970s-Era Ottawa.

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PLANNING COMMITTEE
CUMBERLAND COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION

BRIEF

  Expert planning advice leading to firm planning and zoning measures are urgently required for the area around Cumberland Police Village. So far, the Township Council has been indifferent to the Association's request that such action be taken.

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HEARING

  The submission was presented by Richard A. Gretton, Chairman, and Robert Platts, Dr. I.F. Kennedy, K.H. Hart, L.R. McNarry and H. Ala-Kantti, members of the Planning Committee.

  It was noted that the Association represents an area of a three mile radius around Cumberland Police Village. In the discussion, it was urged that development in this area should take the form of planned low density housing along the ridge overlooking the Ottawa River, which would not use up prime agricultural land. It was admitted, however, that the cost of services for such development could hurt farmers in the township unless industrial development were obtained, or real property relieved of education costs, or the developed areas separately incorporated. 

  The primary concern of the delegation was the need for professional planning and protective zoning in the area however, and it was stated that regional control would be welcomed to this end, while the rural Township Council is inadequate to the task. 

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One point of interest, at least to me, is that one of the CCA submission’s signatories was local architect Harry Ala-Kantti, who remained a resident of the area his entire life.