Rural affairs office | City of Ottawa

On this page

Rural affairs office and contacts

The role of the Rural Affairs Office

To monitor and support issues affecting rural Ottawa ensuring that current and emerging rural issues are a prime focus of City staff and Council.
To facilitate a productive relationship between the City and its rural citizens by assessing the impact of the City’s rural policies, by-laws and programs and negotiating change.
To establish links with provincial and federal governments and to keep City officials informed of developments in legislative and policy efforts.
Advocates for the rural perspective in accordance with City Council’s direction.

The Rural Affairs Office also supports the implementation of solutions identified at the Rural Summit (in 2005 and 2008), and the work of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee.

In particular, the Office is focusing its attention on the priorities identified through the Rural Summit:

Access, Communication and Consultation
Agriculture
Governance
Policy issues
Rural business
Services

Contacts and resources

Contact the City of Ottawa

General Inquiries: 3-1-1 (613-580-2400)
Toll-Free: 866-261-9799
TTY: 613-580-2401

Contact the Rural Affairs Office

The Rural Affairs Office is situated at Ottawa City Hall
110 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, Ontario
K1P 1J1

For inquiries relating to rural issues, contact:
Email: Rural Affairs Office at ruralaffairs@ottawa.ca

Rural affairs office email distribution list

Stay informed about City services, public consultations, funding opportunities and other topics affecting rural Ottawa. To be added to the Rural Affairs Office distribution list, send an e-mail to ruralaffairs@ottawa.ca.

Provide your name, e-mail address, if you represent a specific organization, and what part of the City of Ottawa you live in.
Receive regular e-mail updates with information affecting you.
Subscribers may ask at any time for their name to be removed from the list.

Contact your rural councillor

Ward 1 - Orléans East-Cumberland
Councillor Matthew Luloff
613-580-2471
Email: Matt.Luloff@ottawa.ca
Web: https://matthewluloff.ca/

Ward 5 - West Carleton-March
Councillor Clarke Kelly
613-580-2475
Email: Clarke.Kelly@ottawa.ca
Web: https://clarkekelly.ca/

Ward 19 - Orléans South-Navan
Councillor Catherine Kitts
613-580-2489
Email: Catherine.Kitts@ottawa.ca
Web: CatherineKitts.com

Ward 20 - Osgoode
Councillor George Darouze
613-580-2490
Email: George.Darouze@ottawa.ca
Web: George Darouze

Ward 21 - Rideau-Jock
Councillor David Brown
613-580-2491
Email: Ward21@ottawa.ca
Web: https://www.ward21.ca/

Client service centres

You can also contact the City by visiting any of our Client Service Centres including locations in Kinburn, Metcalfe and North Gower. Please refer to days and hours of operation specific to rural locations.

Rural website directory

A

Agriculture
Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee (ARAC)
All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs)
Ambulances
Animal Care and Control

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

L

M

O

P

R

S

T

Tourism
- Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association
- Ottawa’s Countryside
Transit
Trees

W

Y

Youth Zone

Z

Zoning By-laws

Stay informed: Rural Connections

Receive regular email updates with information affecting you.
Subscribers may ask at any time for their name to be removed from the list.

Nutrient management in rural areas

Introduction

To fertilize their fields the agricultural industry is required to transport agricultural products such as manure from a farm storage site to the field. This can require transporting the manure between multiple fields and across City rights of way. One method of transport is the use of tanker trucks, which can result in traffic congestion, the spread of mud and dirt over the roadway, as well as physical damage to the roadway and shoulder due to the size and weight of these vehicles.

Of note, farm vehicles and equipment are exempt under the Highway Traffic Act from seasonal load restrictions and the requirement to obtain Over-Dimensional Vehicle Permits under the City’s Over-Dimensional Vehicle By-law. From the perspective of the agricultural industry, the use of tanker trucks also presents inefficiencies given the number of trips as well as large uses of fuel.

As an alternative means of transporting manure, drag lines can be employed to pump the substance from its source to the field via a large hose. This method can be employed to treat fields within a certain radius of the storage site, alleviating the need for tanker trucks. The use of manure drag lines requires pumps positioned along the hose length, with hoses running between eight and ten inches in diameter.

The Nutrient Management Act sets out the requirements for operators of these systems to ensure proper procedures and mechanisms are in place to quickly shut down and isolate the system should there be a loss of pressure due to, for example, a leak in the system. Generally speaking, treatment of a field via a manure drag line system can be accomplished either within the day, or within a couple of days, which includes the set up and take down of the system.

Anyone intending to place a manure drag line within the City’s right of ways for the purposes of accessing fields separated from the source lagoon by a right way may do so subject to the following:

Crossing the right of way through a City culvert

A manure drag line may be run through a City culvert for the purposes of crossing a City right of way provided photos of the culvert are taken before and after the operation and submitted to City staff. See below for instructions on how to take and submit the photos.

Pre/post photo submission instructions

Photos of each culvert both pre & post drag line placement (for a total of eight (8) photos) showing the following:

Ditch showing culvert outlet — Figure A - Outlet elevation (example file name ‘L898680 – North elevation

Ditch showing culvert inlet — Figure B - Inlet elevation (example file name ‘L898680 – South elevation’)

Interior shot of culvert from the outlet side — Figure C - Looking through the culvert from the inlet side (example label ‘L898680 – Looking through from South’)

Interior of culvert — Figure D - Looking through the culvert from the outlet side (example label ‘L898680 – Looking through from North’)

The photos through the culvert should be bright enough to reasonably identify deficiencies in the barrel walls.

All photos should be labelled with the structure number(s) (eg. ‘L896660’). The structure numbers can be found on the City’s GeoOttawa Tool under the ‘Struct NBR’ field within ‘Structures’ layer. Instructions here on how to access and use the City’s GeoOttawa tool. An example of what the structures label looks like is shown below:

2. Photos can be emailed to amsstructures@ottawa.ca. When emailing please note the structure ID and “Culvert Use for Manure Drag Line” in the subject line.

3. If a culvert cannot be accessed for photography due to site constraints, please reach out to amsstructures@ottawa.ca to confirm whether the culvert can be used for a manure drag line.

Please note that the City makes no representations as to the condition of its culverts and their suitability for accommodating a manure drag line. The City also holds no responsibility for the use of its culverts for this purpose, and anyone using a City culvert to facilitate the crossing of the right of way with a manure drag line does so at their own risk.

Culverts under driveways

Where a Manure Drag Line needs to be run through a culvert under a driveway, permission must be sought from the associated landowner.

Running a manure drag line in a ditch

Where a manure drag line is placed in or crosses a ditch, a portable sign such as an A -frame sign indicating the presence of a drag line must be placed adjacent to the drag line in the shoulder as far back as possible from the edge of the roadway.

Where a manure drag line runs in a ditch for a distance greater than 50 metres, a sign must be placed at each 50 metre interval.

Manure drag line on shoulder or roadway

Where a manure drag line will be along the surface or above the right of way shoulder or roadway, a Temporary Construction Encroachment Permit may be required to ensure that any necessary traffic controls are implemented by the proponent. This may include a requirement to temporarily close the right of way, which requires approval from the City.

For information on Temporary Construction Encroachment Permit Applications and Temporary Road Closure applications please see the Ottawa Construction in the right-of-way page.

For questions about where your manure drag line activities require a Temporary Construction Encroachment Permit or Temporary Road Closure Authorization please reach out to ROW_Permit_Office@ottawa.ca

Installation of subsurface pipe crossing

If a proponent wishes to install a subsurface pipe for transporting manure or a manure drag line across the City’s right of way please contact ROW_Permit_Office@ottawa.ca to discuss further.

If the proposed pipe is feasible, the City will require the proponent to enter into a License of Occupation setting out the proponents responsibilities and accountability for the pipe. The ends of the pipe must be located on private property, outside of the City’s right of way. A Road Cut Permit will also be required. The proponent is required to obtain utility locates through Ontario One call to ensure no utilities are adversely affected or impacted by the installation. A Municipal Consent Approval may be required where utilities are present.

Spill management

In the event of a spill or release of the manure drag line contents proponents are required to follow Ministry of the Environment procedures. Spill Action Centre is available 24 hours a day at 1-800-268-6060.

Rural Summit 2005 Initiatives

The City of Ottawa’s first Rural Summit was held November 15 and 19, 2005, to address the results of the City’s 2004 Citizen Satisfaction Survey, which identified that Ottawa’s rural residents were significantly less satisfied with municipal services than urban residents.

The Summit focused on the rural–urban relationship and strengthening public satisfaction in rural areas. Six major categories were reviewed: access, communication and consultation; governance; service issues; policy issues; agriculture; and business issues.

Feedback and suggestions received from Rural Summit participants resulted in many improvements and new initiatives for rural Ottawa, including:

Established a Rural Affairs Office and hired the City’s first Rural Affairs Officer
Facilitated broadband internet access for all rural communities and toll-free calling across Ottawa
Launched the Rural Connections website to act as a “portal” for rural Ottawa residents, including the Rural Events and Attractions page to advertise and promote rural Ottawa non-profit events
Developed specialized training for frontline staff regarding rural issues
Made City contracts more accessible to rural companies
Enhanced the role of the Agricultural and Rural Affairs Standing Committee to provide Council with advice on Ottawa’s rural economy and issues affecting rural residents
Re-instated the Rural Issues Advisory Committee
Targeted consultation for the Rural Settlement Strategy, building upon the work of the Rural Summit, and look closely at land-use matters, such as village growth, country lot subdivisions, rural services, natural environment and resource protection
Created the Rural Wetlands Stakeholder Group to resolve landowners’ and community concerns concerning wetland identification and designation
Launched the directional farm signage program to help urban customers find and buy locally grown food.
Appointed local farmers to the position of livestock valuator. City By-Law Officers previously carried out this position.
Established City-Centre Farmers’ Market at Lansdowne Park
Approved a new grant program to offset the cost of building permit fees to Ottawa farmers for any building or structure needed to conform to the provincial Nutrient Management Act
Established the Rural Association Partnership Program to assist with funding of projects benefitting rural Ottawa for fairs, farmers’ markets and business organizations
Established a Buy Local campaign for the City’s agricultural products by creating and promoting the Savour Ottawa brand
Created a Home-based Business Guide to assist entrepreneurs looking to start a home-based business
Increased investment in rural road and ditch maintenance
Improved relationships between rural community associations and recreation providers

Rural Summit II 2008 initiatives

The second Rural Summit — “Building on Success” — was held on April 8, 2008. Rural Summit II was an opportunity for rural residents and representatives of rural organizations from across Ottawa to reconvene to discuss ways of further improving networking and continue to build on the strengths of our rural communities.

The process began months before with extensive community consultations to discuss issues of interest to rural stakeholders. Working Groups, composed of residents who had volunteered their services during the community consultations, were then formed.

During facilitated sessions held at Rural Summit II, participants reviewed the “Options for Solutions” developed by the Working Groups, and individually voted on their priorities for action.

Suggestions were grouped into four categories: governance; rural services; infrastructure, by-laws, permits; and processes. This led to many improvements and new initiatives for rural Ottawa, including:

Continued improvements to road and ditch maintenance programs
Significantly updated the Rural Connections website to improve internal and external contact information in a Rural Website Directory, provide links to service delivery standards for road and sidewalk maintenance, and more
Revised the Directional Farm Sign application and review process
Improved and expanded the Rural Connections monthly news updates and ensured that all interested residents, rural community associations and rural media organizations receive the information for further dissemination
Installed improved Community Signage in several villages in cooperation with local associations
Collaborated with Just Food to improve available information promoting local agriculture producers
Continued working with By-law Services to ensure active consultation of rural residents on new by-law regulations
Established booths at four rural fairs (Navan, Richmond, Carp, Metcalfe) to ensure a more active approach to public outreach
Created the “Wildlife Strategy Working Group” to establish policies and procedures for dealing with wildlife issues, as well as improved information on Rural Connections website
Commissioned Senior Services in Rural Ottawa report and began working with three different community committees in rural Ottawa to assist with Senior’s issues
Continued working with City Municipal Drainage, local conservation authority, provincial and federal governments to improve timeframes for dealing with municipal drain issues
Coordinated Office of Emergency Management “Train the Trainer” sessions for residents, with a specific emphasis on rural issues
Improved communications with the City’s 3-1-1 team to ensure up to date information sharing on rural issues.