Council to Vote on Future of Tewin Lands

Ottawa City Council is preparing to vote on a motion that could determine the future of 445 hectares of land in the city’s rural southeast, known as the Tewin lands. The decision will decide whether the area remains within the city’s urban boundary or is removed from future development plans.

The land, located near Highway 417 and Anderson Road, is primarily owned by the Algonquins of Ontario (AOO), who partnered with the Taggart Group after receiving council approval in 2021 to explore a new community that could eventually house between 35,000 and 45,000 residents. The AOO has promoted the project as an example of innovative community planning that aligns with reconciliation and long-term growth for the Ottawa region.

At the time of the initial approval, former mayor Jim Watson called the proposal a meaningful step for the AOO and a major development opportunity for Ottawa’s east end. However, the development quickly became a point of contention.

Later in 2021, Councillor Riley Brockington attempted to reverse the decision, arguing that the land is too far from existing services and that taxpayers could be burdened with the cost of essential infrastructure such as libraries, schools, and transit. According to the city’s Infrastructure Master Plan, extending just water and wastewater services to the site could cost nearly $600 million. Brockington’s motion was defeated in a 15–8 vote.

Environmental groups, including Ecology Ottawa, have also raised alarms about deforestation in the proposed development area. But the strongest opposition has come from Indigenous leadership outside the AOO. The Algonquin Anishinabeg Nation Tribal Council, which represents recognized rights-holding First Nations in the region, says they were never consulted during the urban boundary expansion process.

Grand Chief Savanna McGregor has publicly rejected the idea that the Tewin project represents reconciliation, stating that partial involvement from one Algonquin-affiliated corporation does not equate to consent from the Algonquin Nation as a whole. She emphasized that meaningful consultation, as required under Section 35 of the Constitution Act and the city’s own Official Plan, has not occurred.

In response, Bay Ward Councillor Theresa Kavanagh is bringing forward a new motion to remove the Tewin lands from the urban boundary, warning that the city could face legal consequences if it proceeds without proper Indigenous engagement.

The Planning and Development Committee is set to debate and vote on the motion on Oct. 15, with council facing mounting pressure to reconcile growth ambitions with legal and ethical obligations to Indigenous rights holders.