By Happy New Year!
I would like to start by wishing everyone a Happy New Year, and by letting you know that I look forward to working with the CPCA and the Central Park community in 2010.
Former Laurentian High School Site Plan Public Open House
You and your neighbours are invited to review the proposed Site Plan for the former Laurentian High School site located at 1375 Baseline Road. Open House details are as follows:
Date: Thursday, January 21, 2010
Time: Drop In At Your Convenience from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Place: Alexander Community Centre
960 Silver Street
I look forward to seeing you at this Open House and to receiving your valuable feedback.
Registration for March Break Programming Now Open
All residents are welcome to register now for March Break programs. Plenty of great programming is available during the week of March 15-19, 2010 when most school-aged children are away from school.
Register your children or grandchildren for programs like swimming, dance, arts and all sorts of other activities and interests for children of all ages.
You can register online at www.ottawa.ca , by phone at 613-580-2588, or in person at any Client Service Centre or recreation facility.
For more information on March Break programs, please visit www.ottawa.ca/recreation.
Hockey Day in Ottawa – January 30, 2010
Grab your skates, hockey stick and scarf and join your neighbours to celebrate the City’s second annual Hockey Day in Ottawa on Saturday, January 30, 2010. Hit the ice with your community for an afternoon of hockey, skating and physical activity on any one of the City’s 236 outdoor rinks.
Don’t just watch the game, take a shift as people from coast-to-coast celebrate their passion for our nation’s favourite pastime. Hockey Day in Ottawa is for people of all ages, abilities and skill levels. The first edition of Hockey Day in Ottawa was a great success as skaters took to the City’s 236 outdoor rinks for a sunny Saturday afternoon of fun-filled activities. The City estimates that pick-up games were played by over 4,500 participants on 147 rinks across the city. This year, we want to make it even bigger.
The City would like to remind residents to dress appropriately for the weather and strongly recommends the use of helmets and applicable safety equipment.
Date: Saturday, January 30, 2010
Time: From noon to 2 p.m.
Location: All of the City’s 236 approved outdoor rinks
Hockey Day in Ottawa is sponsored by the City of Ottawa’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services in partnership with the Ottawa Senators, the Ottawa Sun, Giant Tiger, Humpty Dumpty and Child and Youth Friendly Ottawa’s (CAYFO) Skate 4 Kids program. Skate 4 Kids enables children and youth to experience the joy of skating despite any financial limitations that might otherwise make it impossible for them to learn to skate.
For more information on the Skate 4 Kids program please visit Child and Youth Friendly Ottawa at www.cayfo.ca. For locations and more detailed information on the City’s 236 outdoor rinks please consult the Seasonal Recreation Program at www.ottawa.ca.
City of Ottawa 55+ Short Story Contest Now Underway
The City of Ottawa’s 13th annual 55 + Short Story Contest invites submissions of original, unpublished short stories or memoirs of 2000 words or less by Ottawa residents 55 years or older. Eight entrants will be named to the 2010 Winners Circle, sharing recognition and prize money of $400. They will be recognized at An Afternoon of Readings on Wednesday April 28, 2010 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Heron Seniors’ Centre, 1480 Heron Road.
One of the winning stories will be selected for publication in the spring issue of Forever Young newspaper. Though contestants may submit multiple entries, they will only be eligible to win one prize.
An entry fee of $5 per story is applicable. Deadline for submissions is Monday, March 15, 2010. This contest is co-sponsored by the Colonel By Retirement Residence and the Forever Young newspaper.
For full contest details, pick up a brochure at any City of Ottawa Client Service Centre or call the Heron Seniors’ Centre at 613-247-4808 ext.1.
Integrated Road Safety Program (IRSP)
November Results
In November, the City of Ottawa’s Integrated Road Safety Program (IRSP), through its Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP), laid 421 charges for failing to use Reserved Transit Lanes properly and failing to stop at red lights.
Specifically, the safe use of Reserved Transit Lanes initiative resulted in the laying of 10 charges and 411 tickets were issued to drivers for failing to stop at red lights.
December Results
The Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) focus on speeding and impaired driving resulted in 1,488 charges being laid in December, according to the City’s Integrated Road Safety Program (IRSP).
Specifically, 1,378 tickets were issued for speeding and the impaired driving initiative resulted in 110 alcohol-related criminal charges (the result of 59 drivers caught driving under the influence).
During the four IRSP/CAA-sponsored R.I.D.E. initiatives conducted in December, approximately 2,000 vehicles were stopped, one driver was charged and seven 3-day driver’s license suspensions were handed out.
January Initiative
This month, the City of Ottawa’s Integrated Road Safety Program (IRSP), through its Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP), is focusing on drivers that follow the vehicle ahead too closely and those that do not obey stop signs.
In 2007, tailgating caused 4,716 rear-end collisions – the most frequent type of collision accounting for one-third of Ottawa’s total collisions. These collisions resulted in four deaths and 1,470 injuries – 17 of them life-threatening.
Failing to stop at stop signs is also a serious issue on Ottawa roads. In 2007, 1,666 reportable collisions occurred at Ottawa’s stop sign-controlled intersections. These collisions resulted in eight deaths and 588 injuries – 27 of them life-threatening.
City’s Approved Sledding Hills Closed
The City of Ottawa has temporarily closed its 50 approved sledding hills due to changing weather conditions, which has resulted in unsafe conditions for sledding. The City urges the public to keep personal safety in mind and remain off the sledding hills until further notice. The hills will only be re-opened after conditions are deemed safe.
Notification of the re-opening of the hills will be available on the City’s website at www.ottawa.ca.
City of Ottawa 2010 Summer Student Employment Program
The Summer Student Employment Program is a great opportunity to gain valuable work experience and insight into today’s workforce, discover a career path, showcase skills and enhance academic goals.
Positions are available in the following areas:
- Administrative and Support Services
- Building, Roads, Forestry and Parks Maintenance
- By-Law Services
- Engineering and Science
- Environmental Science
- Finance and Accounting
- Human Resources
- Information Technology and Geomatics
- Laboratory Technologist/Chemistry
- Library Services
- Paramedic Services
- Parks and Recreation Services
- Public Health Services
- Recreation, Heritage, Community and Social Services
- Traffic and Parking Operations
For more information including eligibility criteria and other requirements, visit ottawa.ca/careers. Applications will be accepted until Monday, February 22, 2010.
Green Bin
Bi-weekly collection began on January 4, 2010.
The Green Bin program is an easy way to dispose of household organic waste such as food scraps, soiled paper products and more. Check your new 2009-2011 Collection Calendar to confirm when pickup begins in your neighbourhood.
Ottawa’s Green Bin program accepts a wide range of organic waste including: fruits and vegetables, meat and dairy, grains, baked goods, cooking oils, yard waste (such as grass clippings, twigs, leaves) and houseplants and soiled paper products including pizza boxes, used tissues and paper plates.
It is important to note that the City of Ottawa was recently informed by Orgaworld Canada that their current Ministry of Environment Certificate of Approval issued by the Ministry of the Environment for their composting facility does not include dog feces as an acceptable material.
The certificate does allow for the receipt and handling of other small pet feces, as long as it is included as a part of cat litter and small animal bedding materials.
The Green Bin program is an environmentally friendly way to reduce the amount of garbage sent to our landfills, extending their useful lifecycle. By using the green bin, you can help prolong the life of our landfills and save the City money.
For a complete list of items that can be put in the green bin, visit: www.ottawa.ca/greenbin or www.greenbinottawa.ca.
Lansdowne Park Update
On January 14, 2010, the City of Ottawa introduced a group of distinguished urban-design experts who will lead an intensive planning and public process on what will be built at the new Lansdowne Park.
The Strategic Design Review and Advisory Panel is comprised of: George Dark, an urban designer and landscape architect whose projects include the award-winning University of Toronto Open Space Master Plan and the Downtown Ottawa Urban Design Strategy; Rick Haldenby, Director of the School of Architecture at the University of Waterloo since 1988, whose research interests include the design of mid-sized cities; and Marianne McKenna, an internationally acclaimed architect and founding partner of the Toronto architectural firm, KPMB.
The panel will review the designs for the three elements of the Lansdowne redevelopment: the new green front yard next to the Rideau Canal, integrating use of the two heritage buildings at Lansdowne, the Aberdeen Pavilion and the Horticulture Building; the mixed-use building of stores, restaurants, offices, cinemas, hotel and residential units; and the reconstructed Frank Clair Stadium and Civic Centre.
In addition to the release of the membership of the Strategic Design Review and Advisory Panel, a Request for Qualifications for design companies interested in the public-space design competition will be released this week. Between three and five firms will be selected to participate in the competition. Each of the short-listed companies will receive $75,000 in recognition of the time commitment and expenses incurred. Part of the design process for the public space will be a workshop in the spring where the design firms can express their ideas while gaining input from citizens and interested community groups about what city residents want to see in the development.
The City of Ottawa, in co-operation with the National Capital Commission and Parks Canada, is overseeing a juried competition for the design of the open space at Lansdowne, a project that is being jointly paid for by the City and OSEG. The members of that jury are: George Dark, who leads the design review panel for the new Lansdowne; Councillor Hume; a representative of the National Capital Commission; and a representative from Parks Canada.
Opinions collected in last year’s public consultations will be made available to both the Strategic Design Review and Advisory Panel and the jury for the design competition. The public will also be able to provide comments through the city’s website and through the formal committee and Council process.
For more information on the Lansdowne Partnership Plan and for upcoming committee dates and locations, visit www.ottawa.ca/lansdownepartnership or contact the City of Ottawa at 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401).
January H1N1 and Seasonal Flu Vaccination Clinics Announced
Ottawa Public Health (OPH) will hold 28 H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccination clinics beginning on Wednesday, January 6. Both the H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccines will be available at all clinics.
The traditional flu season usually begins in February and this year both the seasonal and the H1N1 flu viruses are circulating. Getting both vaccines will provide you with the best protection for this flu season.
Both vaccines are also available at many local doctors’ offices, community health care centres, university campuses and some workplaces.
For more information, visit www.ottawa.ca/health or contact the Ottawa Public Health Information Line at 613-580-6744.
Light Rail Implementation Update
On January 13, 2010 City Council approved the Recommended Plan for the Downtown Ottawa Transit Tunnel (DOTT) Planning and Environmental Assessment Study.
Approval of the Recommended Plan represents the next major step toward the transformation of public transit in Ottawa by constructing a light rail transit (LRT) link between Tunney’s Pasture and Blair Road, with trains passing below downtown through twin 3.2-kilometre tunnels.
City Council’s decision to accept the Recommended Plan means the functional design for the LRT corridor and the Maintenance and Storage Facility are now approved, and directs staff to start work in several key areas:
- Initiate the formal, expedited environmental assessment (EA) process using the functional design to define the undertaking and file the Environmental Project Report with the Ministry of the Environment;
- Following Ministerial approval of the EA, and provided that project funding is approved as part of the 2010 budget, initiate the process of acquiring property for the project;
- Initiate the preliminary engineering and the procurement management process; and,
- Undertake an urban design study and a transportation study for the downtown that takes into account pedestrian, cycling facilities, and residual transit service for post-DOTT implementation.
The LRT system will cut the number of buses traveling through the city’s downtown core in half, while the number of buses running along Rideau and Wellington streets will be reduced from 2,600 per day to 600 per day. With a virtually emissions-free LRT system in operation and fewer buses and other vehicles on the road, the city will be able to reduce fuel consumption by as much as 10 million litres a year, and cut greenhouse gas emissions by up to 27 million kilograms a year. Combined with a redesigned bus system, LRT is expected to reduce transit-related operating costs by up to $100 million annually starting in 2019 – providing citizens a significant return on investment.
With the launch of the expedited EA process for public transit projects, provincial approval for the LRT project could be granted as early as May 2010.
Sno-Bus Service for Winterlude
OC Transpo will once again offer the popular Sno-Bus service for Winterlude this year – the best way to travel during North America’s greatest winter celebration.
The Sno-Bus will operate on all three Winterlude weekends – February 6 to 7, 13 to 14, and 20 to 21 – and travel from Confederation Square downtown to all the sites along the Rideau Canal and Dow’s Lake. For service to Jacques-Cartier Park, customers can transfer downtown to the STO Sno-Bus in front of the National Arts Centre.
Winterlude enthusiasts can also park for free at Greenboro Park and Ride lot and take the OTrain to Carling Station where they can enjoy the activities at Dow’s Lake or connect with the Sno-Bus. Parking is free at all OC Transpo Park & Ride lots during Winterlude weekends.
The Sno-Bus is free for children 11 and under. Customers 12 and older pay $3 – cash only – and can ride the Sno-Bus all day with their Sno-Bus ticket. Passes, transfers, bus tickets, O-Train tickets and STO Smart Cards will not be accepted on the Sno-Bus. Customers can transfer between the OC Transpo and STO Sno-Bus services with their Sno-Bus ticket, which is only valid on the Sno-Bus.
For further transit information, you can call OC Transpo at 613-741-4390 or visit www.octranspo.com.