Arcadia is one of Kanata North’s newest neighbourhoods. They have benefited from the development charges charged to builders to ensure that their neighbourhood came with parks, sidewalks, road signs and much more…instead of the city having to put those things in afterwards. Arcadia residents like to be outside enjoying their parks and pathways to the natural Carp River floodplain area. They want more benches and tables in their parks. They want a stop sign where two-way and three-way stops are confusing for drivers and pedestrians. The opening of Lyndon Hooper Park was so exciting. However, the traffic on Winterset and Calvington means the community also needs more traffic safety and calming measures. The whole community is very closely connected on the Arcadia Facebook group that acts as a Community Association and helps me to know what residents care about. Arcadia will continue to grow as phase five is built, with new developments planned across Campeau Drive. With many more stores and services to come all around the outlets, the widening of Huntmar and the redesign of the Huntmar bridge across the 417 has to include safe lanes for walking and cycling to Stittsville and Kanata South. With the Ottawa Charge having signed a long-term lease at the Canadian Tire Centre, Arcadia residents want to be kept updated on what is happening there!
Like all of us, Arcadia residents await stage three LRT, but they want more buses right now that run internal to Arcadia and Kanata North until the LRT is built. We finally got one bus route up and running, but with the new transit plan, I will be monitoring the needs of this new community carefully and advocating for more and more frequent routes!
