Robertson Road

Robertson Road (Ottawa Road #36) is a road in Ottawa's west end. It runs approximately 4.5 km (2.8 mi) west from the junction of Richmond Road in Bells Corners where Richmond Road makes a 90° turn southward, to Eagleson Road in Kanata, where it becomes Hazeldean Road west of the intersection. It is a four-lane route through much of the commercial strip in Bells Corners where the speed limit is 60 km/h (37 mph), but west of the old CP Rail trestle (now the Trans Canada Trail) it passes through the Greenbelt and the speed limit increases to 80 km/h (50 mph). This stretch has been identified as a high deer collision corridor. Numerous attempts have been made to reduce the risk, including reflective markers along the shoulder on each side of the road. Most recently, these have been removed and the entire stretch is now lighted.

History

Robertson Road was named for John Robertson (1797-1884), an owner of a general store in Bells Corners and "Surveyor of Roads" for the Township of Nepean.^[1]

Originally built as the concession road leading west to the Hazeldean neighbourhood in neighbouring Goulbourn Township, the road was named Arnprior Road because from there it headed northwest to the town of Arnprior. It was known colloquially as "Whiskey Road" for the number of taverns along its route.^[2] It later became part of Highway 7 and Highway 15 before the western leg of Highway 417 was completed, after which it was known for a time as "Old Highway 7 & 15". The Robertson Road name was established on September 28, 1983 by a Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton (RMOC) by-law naming the portion of Highway 7 and 15, west of the Richmond Road turnoff at Bells Corners to Eagleson Road.^[3]

Future

On 13 April 2011, the Ottawa city council voted to rename Robertson Road and a portion of Richmond Road after the late Lloyd Francis, a wealthy land speculator, Liberal MP and Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons.^[4] The approved proposal^[5] would have changed the names of both roads through Bells Corners so that the commercial area would bear a single name for its entire length, despite opposition from local residents and businesses.^[6][7][8] The Robertson name was to have been preserved as the name of a park,^[9] but despite this the protests continued.^{[10][11][12][13][14]}

Lloyd Francis Boulevard was to run east-west from the intersection of Richmond and Baseline Roads to the intersection of Eagleson and Hazeldean Roads in the community of Kanata. Richmond Road would then continue from its original intersection with Robertson Road to the Village of Richmond. Lloyd Francis together with Donald Sim were land speculators who had assembled a vast tract of land in Bells Corners. In 1958, they brought in developer Bill Teron to build an entire subdivision. By 1960, four hundred families lived in Teron's bungalows; another four hundred homes were built in 1961. However, Lloyd Francis was never a resident of the area.

Because of the controversy, heritage advocates called on the city to overhaul its naming policy.^[15] However, on July 13 a new motion was passed rescinding the original change and renaming Richmond Road from Baseline Road to the Richmond Road intersection (east of Moodie Drive) as Robertson Road instead.^[16] This accomplished the original goal of a single name through Bells Corners without the renaming of the original Robertson Road. However, properties on the original Robertson Road will still be renumbered at considerable inconvenience and expense to the residents and businesses located on it.^[17]

Communities

• Lynwood Village
• Westcliffe Estates
• Bellwood Estates

See also

• Bells Corners

References

1. ^ Earl McRae (16 April 2011). "Who was John Robertson?". Ottawa Sun. http://www.ottawasun.com/news/columnists/earl_mcrae/2011/04/16/18019961.html. Retrieved 17 April 2011. 
2. ^ Larry D. Cotton (2007). Whiskey and Wickedness. Lanark, Ontario: Larry D. Cotton Associates Limited. pp. 124. ISBN 9780978487508. 
3. ^ "Street Name Change – Richmond Road (Phase 1)". Planning Committee Report 7. City of Ottawa. http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/occ/2011/04-13/pec/01%20-%20ACS2011-ICS-PGM-0069%20Richmond%20Road%20(Phase%201).htm. Retrieved 13 April 2011. 
4. ^ "Street Name Change – Richmond Road (Phase 1)". Planning Committee Report 7. City of Ottawa. http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/occ/2011/04-13/pec/01%20-%20ACS2011-ICS-PGM-0069%20Richmond%20Road%20(Phase%201).htm. Retrieved 13 April 2011. 
5. ^ Josh Pringle with CFRA Staff (6 April 2011). "City Set to Rename Bells Corners Main Street". 580 CFRA News Talk Radio. http://www.cfra.com/?cat=1&nid=78844. Retrieved 26 April 2011. 
6. ^ Steph Willems (21 April 2011). "Proponents of Lloyd Francis Boulevard stand by city's decision". Nepean/Barrhaven EMC. http://www.emcbarrhaven.ca/20110421/news/Proponents+of+Lloyd+Francis+Boulevard+stand+by+city's+decision. Retrieved 26 April 2011. 
7. ^ Donna Robertson Roe (22 April 2011). "Robertson family shocked by name change". Ottawa Citizen. http://www.ottawacitizen.com/opinion/Robertson+family+shocked+name+change/4659474/story.html. Retrieved 26 April 2011. 
8. ^ Jennifer McIntosh (14 April 2011). "Robertson name changed approved despite opposition". Your Ottawa Region. http://www.yourottawaregion.com/news/local/article/984802--update-robertson-name-changed-approved-despite-opposition. Retrieved 26 April 2011. 
9. ^ Michael Hammond. "Robertson name could be preserved in park". OpenFile. http://ottawa.openfile.ca/ottawa/file/2011/05/robertson-name-could-be-preserved-park. Retrieved 20 May 2011. 
10. ^ Tom Spears; Joanne Chianello (24 Mat 2011). "Seniors protest renaming of Robertson Road". Ottawa Citizen. http://www.ottawacitizen.com/technology/Seniors+protest+renaming+Robertson+Road/4830806/story.html. Retrieved 24 May 2011. 
11. ^ Earl McRae (24 May 2011). "Rise up to protect Robertson Road". Ottawa Sun. http://www.ottawasun.com/2011/05/24/rise-up-to-protect-robertson-road. Retrieved 27 May 2011. 
12. ^ "Businesses mad over Robertson Road name change". CBC News. 1 June 2011. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/story/2011/06/01/ottawa-robertson-drive-renaming.html?ref=rss. Retrieved 2 June 2011. 
13. ^ Joanne Chianello (3 June 2011). "Debate rolls on over Robertson Road". Ottawa Citizen. http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Debate+rolls+over+Robertson+Road/4884730/story.html. Retrieved 3 June 2011. 
14. ^ Earl McRae (11 June 2011). "Political name game rages on in Bells Corners". Ottawa Sun. http://www.ottawasun.com/2011/06/11/political-name-game-rages-on-in-bells-corners. Retrieved 13 June 2011. 
15. ^ Laura Mueller (28 June 2011). "Group pushes for overhaul of city’s naming policy". Tour OttawaRegion.com. http://www.yourottawaregion.com/news/article/1035229--group-pushes-for-overhaul-of-city-s-naming-policy. Retrieved 29 June 2011. 
16. ^ David Reevely (13 July 2011). "Bells Corners commercial strip will be called Robertson Road". Ottawa Citizen. http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Bells+Corners+commercial+strip+will+called+Robertson+Road/5096392/story.html?cid=megadrop_story. Retrieved 13 July 2011. 
17. ^ "Bells Corners street name change angers some". CBC. 14 July 2011. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/story/2011/07/14/ottawa-bells-corners.html. Retrieved 15 July 2011. 

External Links

• Bells Corners community news/views
• Ottawa City Council Watch
• Robertson Road