City Council

WHEREAS Splashifax Waterparks is an inflatable water playground experience that values safety, inclusion, sustainability, laughter, and learning through action; and WHEREAS Splashifax has approached the City to determine a suitable location to establish an inflatable waterpark in Ottawa; and WHEREAS Splashifax has identified an area of the Ottawa River off Petrie Island Beach as a possible location to pilot this concept for the summer of 2022 and 2023; and WHEREAS the waterpark is intended to operate 7 days a week from 9:30 AM to 7:00 PM except for inclement weather, poor water quality, or days and times directed by the City of Ottawa; and WHEREAS the capacity for the waterpark cannot exceed 310 individuals and Splashifax will have a staff of 30-35 team members fully certified with First Aid, CPR and National Lifesaving Certification; and WHEREAS the waterpark operation will be supervised 24 hours a day and Splashifax will have a general liability insurance policy, with the City of Ottawa as a co-insured, for an amount to the satisfaction of the City’s Insurance Services; and WHEREAS Splashifax has agreed to implement a transportation plan that encourages participants to use public transportation by providing ticket price incentives for those who do; and WHEREAS a 30-day circulation of Splashifax’s application has commenced with Transport Canada for authorization to install the inflatable attractions in the Ottawa River at this location; and WHEREAS is it anticipated that

WHEREAS in August 2022, Ottawa will host the Bingham Cup, the world’s largest LGBTQ2S+ inclusive rugby competition, with over 1,500 participants, coaches, officials and guests coming to the nation’s capital for this international event; and WHEREAS the Bingham Cup is named after Mark Bingham, a pioneer of inclusive rugby who was a passenger on board United Airlines Flight 93 on September 11, 2001, and who along with other brave passengers formed the plan to retake the plane from the hijackers and led the effort that resulted in the crash of the plane into a field in Pennsylvania, rather than in a building in Washington, D.C.; and WHEREAS the Bingham Cup Ottawa 2022 Organizing Committee has dedicated a portion of the Bingham Cup’s operating budget towards a legacy investment that will see the field at Ken Steele Park (located at 1195 Ogilvie Road) be graded and leveled, and enhanced multi-sport infrastructure will be installed to benefit rugby, soccer football clubs for years to come, including the Ottawa Wolves RFC – the only Canadian inclusive rugby club with both an established women’s and men’s team; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the field at Ken Steele Park be known henceforth as the Mark Bingham Field, as part of this legacy project of the 2022 edition of the Bingham Cup in Ottawa; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that $30,000 from Mayor Watson’s Thriving Communities account (910269) be allocated to supplement the multi-sport infrastructure enhancements being del

WHEREAS Les Emmerson is most widely known globally as the lead vocalist and guitarist for the Five Man Electrical Band based first in Ottawa and then in Los Angeles, which in 1971 scored a hit with the gold record “Signs”. The song perfectly captured the youthful zeitgeist of the late 1960s and early 1970s, and reflected Les’ generous, humble and loving values; and, WHEREAS Emmerson was also the lead singer and principal songwriter for the Staccatos (which became the Five Man Electrical Band in 1968), still remembered fondly by many Ottawa residents today from that golden era of live music performance in the capital; and, WHEREAS Emmerson’s musical contributions spanned decades, including with Les Emmerson and the Hitmen that was formed in 1997 and that played locally all the way through 2019 including for multiple charitable events and providing young musicians a place to showcase their talents. Over the years, he and bandmates have played with luminaries including Chuck Berry, The Allman Brothers, Bob Seger, Billy Joel, Edgar Winter, Rick Derringer, Humble Pie, Triumph (Rick Emmet), Grand Funk Railroad, War, Bread, Tom Cochrane, Jefferson Airplane, and Ronny Hawkins; and, WHEREAS there was no cause too small or inconsequential to which Emmerson would not lend his name, including numerous relief benefits and volunteering his time to music education efforts including working with Algonquin College. Emmerson never forgot his hometown and gave privately and personally t