When I speak to the residents in Morgan’s Grant, I hear about how excited they are to see the hydro corridor brilliantly used for community and ecological benefits. They love the community gardens, the butterfly gardens, the walking paths, the informative and educational signs, and the connection to pathways and trails from the South March Highlands, through the Hydro Corridor right to the Richcraft Centre. They love their Richcraft Centre and its indoor and outdoor facilities. When I meet with the Kanata North Recreation Committee and the Briarbrook Brookside Morgan’s Grant Community Association, I hear repeatedly that residents intimately understand the “live, work, play and learn” motto of the Kanata North Business Association. They look forward to the Nokia development and all that is to come. So many people in Morgan’s Grant work in high tech and see how it will continue to prosper as we continue to build neighbourhoods and natural places that attract talent and families to Morgan’s Grant.
People want, however, their March Road to be less congested. They wonder what it will be like with all the development to come. The thought that the widening of March Road might not come until 2038 is unacceptable to them. They do not want to stop the development of the Tech Park with housing, shops, university and college campuses and residences, but they want the traffic challenges to be addressed. They want taxes to be kept low. They see the rise in interest rates and the rising cost of gas and groceries and want to see a City Council that connects fiscal challenges to real people and their financial realities. I get that.
