Rawlson King Files Formal Objection to Kettle Island Bridge

Press Release · For Immediate Release

OTTAWA — Rawlson King, candidate for Rideau-Rockcliffe Ward Councillor, today filed a formal submission with the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada opposing the proposed Eastern Bridge at Kettle Island. The submission was filed on the final day of the federal public comment period. It sets out the project's risks to east-end neighbourhoods, local institutions and the environment, and calls on the Agency to hold the federal proponents to the highest standard of evidence.

King's full submission can be read on the Canadian Impact Assessment Registry at iaac-aeic.gc.ca/050/evaluations/proj/90709/contributions/id/67993.

"The Kettle Island bridge is not a priority for Ottawa, and it never has been. It would shift traffic, noise and pollution into Manor Park, Rockcliffe Park, Carson Grove and Wateridge Village while doing little to fix the truck problem on King Edward Avenue. Residents deserve better than a costly bridge that benefits few at the expense of many."

On September 9, Ottawa City Council voted 23 to 2 in favour of a motion moved by King and seconded by Mayor Mark Sutcliffe. The motion asked the federal government to extend the comment period until the newly elected Council takes office, and to pause consequential decisions in the meantime, because the entire consultation falls during the municipal election campaign. In a September 25 reply, the Agency declined both requests. King's submission calls that response inadequate. The Agency's own letter shows that its next major decision is not expected until late November, after the new Council takes office.

"Council spoke with one voice, and the federal government answered with a form letter from Halifax. There is room in the federal timeline to hear from Ottawa's newly elected Council before any major decision is made. I am asking the Agency to commit to doing exactly that."

The submission also identifies a factual error in the federal project description. The document states that the bridge is part of the City of Ottawa's Transportation Master Plan priority networks and that the City views it as critical to meeting its objectives. In fact, the bridge was never designated a City priority, and the City's own plan did not include it in its modelling. King has asked the Agency to require a correction.

Among the other issues raised in the submission:

• Truck traffic. A 2021 study for the National Capital Commission found that only about 15 per cent of King Edward Avenue truck traffic would be diverted by 2050. Aviation Parkway, closed to trucks today, would carry up to 2,300 medium and heavy trucks a day.
• Health and noise. Without mitigation, traffic noise would exceed Health Canada guidance at 30 locations along the corridor, and take-offs from Rockcliffe Airport could be redirected over Manor Park.
• Equity. The impacts would be felt by residents of every income level, and most sharply in Manor Park East, where many households already face socio-economic challenges.
• Institutions. Montfort Hospital, the Canada Aviation and Space Museum and the Ottawa/Rockcliffe Airport have all raised serious concerns about access, vibration and safety.
• Property owners. The federal list of 16 Ottawa parcels that could be required for the project gives no addresses or maps, which is causing real anxiety for residents.
• Environment and cost. Kettle Island is a protected nature reserve, and public cost estimates range from $2 billion to $6 billion, with no cost estimate in the federal document.

"Families along the corridor are living with uncertainty right now, wondering whether their homes are affected and what the future holds for their neighbourhood. They deserve straight answers, a real voice in this process, and a federal government that treats the City of Ottawa as a full partner."

Residents can continue to submit their own comments through the Registry's Eastern Bridge Project page at iaac-aeic.gc.ca/050/evaluations/proj/90709.

Ottawa's municipal election takes place on Monday, October 26, 2026.