This was Ottawa's busiest photo radar camera last year
The photo radar camera set up near Holy Trinity Catholic High School in Kanata was the hot spot for speeders in Ottawa last year.
The automated speed enforcement camera on Katimavik Road, between Castlefrank Road and Curran Street, issued 16,736 speeding tickets in 2021, the most of any of the photo radar cameras set up in the city.
"To me, what I really want these cameras to do is not catch anybody," Kanata Coun. Allan Hubley said Thursday. "I'd be happy if everybody would just slow down."
The Katimavik-Hazeldean Community Association notes Katimavik Road is a busy street in Kanata.
"There are a lot of people blowing through stop signs," association vice-president Matthew Brearey says.
"We’ve got traffic coming from Costco and Home Depot and there’s a great exit off of Castlefrank to get back on the 417 and many people will use that as an alternative to get back onto the highway."
New statistics show Ottawa's eight photo radar cameras issued 80,944 tickets for speeding in 2021. Last week, the city of Ottawa said 13 per cent of speeding incidents captured through automated speed enforcement were not registered because the tickets were not mailed out within the 23-day window.
The photo radar camera on Ogilvie Road, between Appleford Street and Elmlea Gate, issued the second most tickets in 2021, at 15,616 tickets.
The photo radar camera on Smyth Road, near CHEO and the Ottawa Hospital, nabbed 10,772 speeders between January and December.
Here is a look at the tickets issued by the automated speed enforcement cameras in 2021, according to the city of Ottawa's open data.
- Katimavik Road between Castlefrank and Curran Street – 16,736 tickets
- Ogilvie Road between Appleford Street and Elmlea Gate – 15,616 tickets
- Smyth Road between Haig Drive and Edgecomb Street – 10,772 tickets
- Longfields Drive between Highbury Park Drive and Via Verona Avenue – 10,533 tickets
- Bayshore Drive near 50 Bayshore Drive – 9,904 tickets
- Meadowlands Drive West between Winthrow Avenue and Thatcher Street – 7,659 tickets
- Watters Drive between Charlemagne Boulevard and Roberval Avenue – 6,235 tickets
- Innes Road between Provence Avenue and Trim Road – 4,142 tickets
"Sometimes I'm just driving along, following the flow of traffic and I don't realize how fast I'm going," said Bonnie Bouliane, who received a ticket for speeding on Katimavik.
"We looked at (the ticket) and there's a picture of my car on Katimavik and I was like, 'Oh my God.'"
Last week, the city of Ottawa said thousands of motorists escaped penalty for speeding because the photo radar tickets were not mailed out in time.
Mayor Jim Watson said the centre that processes automated speed enforcement infractions "continues to struggle with the processing" of the automated speed enforcement camera tickets, and the tickets were not mailed out within the 23 day deadline.
"In 2021, 13 per cent of the City of Ottawa's speeding incidents captured through Automated Speed Enforcement were not able to be processed within the limitation period, which amounted to a loss of in revenue of approximately $1.1 million for the City," Watson said in a letter to Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney.
The city of Ottawa launched the automated speed enforcement program in July 2020. Between July 2020 and July 2021, 101,778 tickets were issued for speeding at the eight locations across Ottawa, netting $5.4 million in revenue.
In October, council approved a plan to install 15 new automated speed enforcement cameras by the end of 2022. Three new photo radar cameras have been installed so far this year. The locations are:
- Alta Vista Drive between Ayers Avenue and Ridgemont Avenue
- Bearbrook Road between Centrepark Drive and Innes Road
- Greenbank Road between Harrison Street and Banner Road.
Some motorists call the photo radar cameras a cash grab. Hubley says that would only be accurate if they started showing up in non-school zones.
"All the money collected from tickets from school zones goes right back into traffic calming the streets of the community."
Some drivers say the automated speed enforcement cameras should only be active during school hours, but the city says that's not possible.
"We can't send somebody out to change the timing of these cameras, and the cameras aren't remotely calibrated. It's done by an individual that comes out."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.