The Glebe Community Association has voiced frustration over new traffic restrictions imposed by the City of Ottawa for the annual Great Glebe Garage Sale, now in its fifth decade. Organizers claim the city failed to conduct meaningful consultation before implementing the measures.
Event History and Concerns
For over 40 years, the Great Glebe Garage Sale has been a staple event for residents and visitors alike. However, this year marks the first time traffic restrictions have been enforced, according to John Crump, president of the Glebe Community Association. "This is the first year there have actually been traffic restrictions," Crump said in an interview with the Ottawa Citizen. He noted that while discussions occurred last year, restrictions were not implemented then.
Crump emphasized that the garage sale has operated safely for four decades and questioned why restrictions are suddenly being imposed for the event on Saturday, May 23. "We were never given a reason, other than vague safety concerns," Crump wrote in a May 21 news release.
City's Involvement and Permit Denial
Sam Woods, the event co-ordinator, explained that the city became formally involved last year, requiring the association to apply for a special permit. A few weeks ago, the city denied the permit application, though Woods later discovered the denial would not prevent the event from taking place. "They feel that the event itself is unsafe and creates a high likelihood of vehicle-pedestrian interactions," Woods said. In denying the permit, the city argued that the event's scale required centralized oversight, stating, "Given the distributed nature and number of participants involved, the level of control is not feasible."
Heidi Cousineau, the city's manager of Traffic, Safety and Mobility, Public Works, stated that the city consulted "community representatives, the ward councillor's office, the local Business Improvement Area, operational reviews" and considered "ongoing feedback from residents and city partners." However, Woods countered that the city failed to keep him informed during these consultations. "It's like they have a math for how they make the decisions about parking and street closures and are not listening to the people who are boots on the ground, attending the event year after year," he said.
Call for Better Engagement
Crump stressed the need for improved communication between the city and communities for large events. "There needs to be some frank discussion after this about how the city engages with communities, especially in a large event like this," he said.
