This is terrific news for Manotick families with kids at or heading to St Mark High School. Per the latest Manotick Village and Community Association newsletter, there has been movement on the proposed pathway between St Mark High School and the Long Island Aquatic Centre, where it will meet up with the village’s existing network of sidewalks.
From the newsletter:
An MVCA-promoted project for a pathway connection between the Village of Manotick and the Osgoode Multi-Use Pathway is included in the list of Community Connectivity Projects (2015-2018) for the proposed Term of Council Strategic Initiatives. The project was initially named the “Pool to School Pathway”, as its objective was to allow for a safe pathway for students, pedestrians and cyclists to travel from St.Mark High School to the Manotick pool area, where sidewalks are in place.
The project name is “CC10 – Osgoode Pathway to Manotick Link”. The MVCA has asked the city for more details on this project. Residents wishing to express support for this project are asked to please write/click on these links: Councillor George Darouze at George.Darouze@Ottawa.ca and Councillor Scott Moffatt at Scott.Moffatt@Ottawa.ca, with a copy to president@manotickvca.org
Your support for a safe route for our youth, cyclists and pedestrians along Mitch Owens is greatly appreciated.
I think this is an excellent idea and long overdue. I know Tristan would love to bike to school, but there is no way I would allow him to ride on Mitch Owens, with no paved shoulder, speed limits of 80 km/hr and terrible truck traffic. He has missed the bus once or twice and walked home and I’ve cringed having heard that he took it upon himself to walk home along Mitch Owens. It’s simply not safe in any weather, and non-navigable in winter.
Even myself, I love to ride around the island but I am seriously terrified of riding on any of the arterial roads into and out of Manotick – the edges of the road are rough and the shoulders aren’t paved. Who would have thought living outside the urban areas would lead to such a lack of bike paths? We love being able to walk to the library, the shops, the pool and the elementary school – it would be terrific if the boys could some day safely ride to the high school as well.
I’m 100% in support of this initiative to link two of Manotick’s biggest neighbourhoods, especially one that gives safe, easy access to the local high school. If you agree, feel free to let our city councillors know!
