Weekly News Review: Look at Lansdowne, an Elgin St. BIA and more!

[vimeo width=”600″ height=”400″]http://vimeo.com/36364154[/vimeo]

Curious to know what the new Lansdowne might look like? Check the video above. Thanks to OpenFile for putting it on Vimeo.

If you were interested in the future of the LRT, the CE Centre was the place to be last week as Ottawa was host to over 250 companies hoping to work with whoever ends up winning the bid to create Ottawa’s light rail. Companies hoping to find work in the project offered services for every aspect of the LRT system, from employee recruiting to waste-soil disposal to suites for out-of-town employees. According to Mayor Jim Watson, 80 per cent of the labour and services for the LRT undertaking would be sourced from within Ottawa. With the project will creating 20,000 person-years of employment, some public servants might want to contemplate joining the train business!

There are 17 Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) in the city, none of which represent Elgin St. Thus far, Elgin St. businesses have been represented by Elgin Area Business Association, a body that aims to promote the area in a less formal way. That might soon change. Keith Loiselle, owner of Woody’s Pub, is leading a steering committee looking at starting an Elgin St. BIA. According to Loiselle, BIAs “are consulted more often on city planning, they are better highlighted in the city’s tourist literature, and they can apply for grants from the city for graffiti cleanup or holiday lighting.” He hopes that having a BIA would empower the area and make it as big a destination as the Market.