Ottawa planning committee backs Barrhaven mosque operating temporarily for up to three more years; full council to decide

Ottawa city councillors on the planning and housing committee voted on November 4 to allow the MAC Barrhaven Islamic Centre to continue serving its community for up to three years despite lacking appropriate planning or building code approvals. The centre is at 3971 Greenbank Road, at the corner of Greenbank and Barnsdale roads in Barrhaven.

Opened in 2024; staff back temporary operation

The one-storey building and quonset hut opened in 2024. City staff support the site operating temporarily, but they do not consider the existing buildings a permanent place of worship in a future urban community. A staff report says a building permit has been submitted for the site, but it needs temporary zoning approval to continue operating. Public comments about the site mainly focused on traffic and parking.

Speed limits and traffic in focus; amendment goes to council

Barrhaven West Coun. David Hill raised the issue of speed limits in the area. "The current speed limit on Greenbank Road next to the MAC Barrhaven Islamic Centre site is 80 km/h. Does staff have a position regarding reducing the speed limit?" he asked during the November 4 meeting. Staff said no assessment had been completed before the meeting, adding that lower speeds typically reduce collision risks. The staff report also flagged parking: some attendees would park off-site to avoid the bottleneck of vehicles at the end of service, creating concerns about on-street parking and pedestrian crossings. Somerset Coun. Ariel Troster said the mosque's needs highlight the fact that planning and transportation are in different committees and are siloed. "If you're having prayer services five, six, seven times a day, or many times, the transportation needs coming in and out, parking, leaving, they're just different" than a church, she said. The zoning amendment will now be considered by full council.