Large element of nature in Cornwall’s waterfront developments

Richard Mahoney — The Seaway News

Nature and accessibility are key elements of the projects which are intended to encourage the public to envision the future of Cornwall’s waterfront.

The city is seeking input on Carleton University architecture students’ visions for housing development along the St. Lawrence, after releasing the result of a design challenge to second-year architecture students at the University of Ottawa. They were asked to consider a range of factors in their design, including heritage, business, industry, density, sight corridors, time and seasons, people and diversity, environment, transport and seasonality.

The designs, by students Angelina Crea, Evan Berkes, Nashia Williams and Victoria Lee, emphasize a mix of flora, fauna and urbanism while promoting multi-purpose outdoor areas and accessibility for people of all ages. The plans, which can be viewed on the city’s website, include more paths, green spaces and buildings that would be located between the busiest sidewalks and main roads.

The urban forest in Lamoureux Park is recognized as a node, with students suggesting that it be extended further along the waterfront.

Evan Berkes notes that Cornwall’s nature is a largely untapped resource. Although it has swamps and forests, much of the natural landscape has been removed, with most of the city poorly integrated with the natural world, the student writes. Berkes’ design calls for neat and untidy green spaces. Groomed spaces would be multi-purpose sports fields and lacrosse, hockey and basketball courts. One goal of the untended green space was to create an area where the wetland could reclaim some of the land, allowing biodiversity to grow within the city. At the same time, the pond would be the focal point of the gathering places.

“Cornwall’s seafront is central to our community’s past, present and future,” says Mayor Justin Towndale. “We invited budding professionals to dream up whole new ways to envision these important spaces and provide more housing options for families – an exciting prospect as we continue to negotiate the transfer of these lands to the city from Transport Canada .”

“Cornwall is an interesting location for a project because it is the right size for an undergraduate project: it has all the services expected of a city and wonderful opportunities to explore design,” says Associate Professor Johan Voordouw at the School of Architecture and Azrieli. Urbanism at Carleton. “In particular, we were excited about the opportunity to work along the canal and river, and it was also exciting for the students to move to a new community outside of Ottawa.”

Cornwall’s seaside redevelopment is a long-term project that will be guided by all relevant planning and zoning processes. Any future redevelopment will complement existing riverfront park spaces and preserve public access to waterfront paths, the city says.

The students were not tied to the existing waterfront plan. Instead, these projects bring new ideas to light.

“The waterfront is where Cornwall and Ontario began. And it will be essential to the future we are building together,” says CAO Mathieu Fleury. “These designs are conceptual and functional – students get credit for their work, while the people of Cornwall think about our shared future.”

No fewer than 77 recommendations were contained in the existing waterfront master plan, which was updated in 2019.

The entire Cornish waterfront area covers approximately 16 kilometers from Guindon Park in the west to Gray’s Creek Conservation Area in the east.