Residents in Riverside South are upset with an ugly structure erected outside a local school

At first glance, the structure in front of Jonathan Pitre School in Riverside South appears out of place. Bill and Shirley Lipski, who live across the street, worry about safety.

"It's the highest thing in the area. And it looks — to me anyway — top heavy as well as being crooked. And, not to mention the fact that kids are going to be running around. You got all these wires there," said Bill Lipski. "Some questions need to be asked by the city. In other words, does this meet code? Because when you look around the area, all of the electrical is buried, so why would this not be buried?"

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So what exactly is this big box? An explanation from Ottawa's French Catholic school board, the Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est (CECCE), provides this answer:

"This structure is designed to securely deliver electricity to the new portable classrooms. This type of installation is also used in other schools and across the city," the CECCE said in a statement.

"The work was carried out by a regulated electrical contractor, governed by ESA (Electrical Safety Authority) standards. Overhead transformer installation is intended to prevent unauthorized access and to prevent contact and electrocution. Qualified architects supervised the work and will ensure compliance before occupancy permits are obtained.

"We recognize that the structure may not appeal to everyone, but it represents the safest and most efficient way to provide electricity to these temporary accommodations (portable classrooms)."

CTV Ottawa spoke to several residents and the word "eyesore" came up often.

"This looks so ugly. Actually, I don't know whether it is safe or not, but every day, the rest of my life, I have to deal with this thing. Every day when I wake up, even from the door, I can see this from over there and it looks so ugly," said Riverside South resident Sunny Joseph.

"It looks like they're sacrificing the schoolyard. I don't know if this is cheaper, it definitely doesn't look safer, but it stands out. It's not esthetically something that people in the neighbourhood really want. It's an eyesore." said Mark Hepburn, another Riverside South resident.

"We did not know anything about it until we looked out the window and there it was," said Shirley Lipski.

For Bill and Shirley Lipski, the view they once enjoyed has been tarnished by the structure.

"We were not respected as taxpayers, that we are paying taxes on this school and in this area, that a piece of this, whatever you want to call it, ugly looking form was put up in front of our home," said Shirley Lipski.