By Celebration Park Splash Pad Open House
Earlier this evening, I hosted an open house for residents to review the splash pad concept design and site plan. Thank you to those who attended the meeting and I appreciate the feedback we received.
Laurentian Place – Update
Construction began on Phase 1 of Laurentian Place in early May 2010, and to that end, I made special arrangements with SmartCentres to provide you with a dedicated contact person to address any noise complaints, etc. relating to construction. SmartCentres has formally instructed their contractors to do their best to minimize any inconvenience to the community and has instructed them to comply with all City of Ottawa regulations for noise abatement, hours of work, safety, etc.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to directly contact Aaron Clodd, SmartCentres, at 613-721-2200, ext. 230 or by e-mail at aclodd@smartcentres.com. SmartCentres will regularly update my office regarding any concerns that are raised and you can be sure that I will let them know about any concerns that you bring to my attention. Mr. Clodd will respond to construction related-issues and is not in a position to comment on tenancy agreements, future development, etc.
Please know that this contact information is provided as an option to you. It is not meant to preclude anyone from contacting my office, in confidence, directly.
Parking on Central Park Drive – Update
Further to my previous updates about parking on Central Park Drive, staff completed a second traffic safety study. As a result, a number of measures were implemented, including painting a centerline on Central Park Drive and installing all-way stop controls and crosswalks at the intersections of Central Park Drive at Whitestone Drive and Central Park Drive at Yorkville Street. In the next few weeks, City staff will erect signage to implement the following traffic safety measures:
- Install 15 metre “No Parking” corner clearances at all intersections along Central Park Drive to increase intersection sightlines;
- Install 15 metre “No Parking” corner clearances at the driveway accesses to 110 and 112 Central Park Drive;
- Install 9 metre (minimum) “No Parking” zones on the inside portions of the horizontal curves along Scout Street (near 30 and 150 Scout).
Please feel free to contact me if you would like to further discuss this issue.
Help Keep our Collection Operators Safe
The City of Ottawa is calling on all residents to be vigilant when disposing of their unwanted or old pool chemicals. Pool chemicals are hazardous wastes and can cause serious injury to collection operators and homeowners if placed into your regular garbage. Please do not place pool chemicals in the garbage.
Residents are reminded to use up all pool chemicals that they purchase. However, if you need to dispose of excess pool chemicals, the City’s one-day mobile household hazardous waste depots are a good option to dispose of this dangerous material. The depots provide a convenient way for you to help keep the environment free of hazardous household waste and most importantly depots help to prevent injury to you, your family and the waste collection operators.
For more information about dates and future locations as well as items that can be taken to the Household Hazardous Waste Depots, please visit the City’s website at www.ottawa.ca/hhw, check the collection calendar or call 3-1-1.
Ottawa’s Supervised Beaches to Open for the Summer on June 19, 2010
Ottawa’s four supervised beaches – Britannia, Westboro, Mooney’s Bay and Petrie Island will officially open for the 2010 summer season on Saturday, June 19, 2010.
Despite the warm weather, swimming in Ottawa’s unsupervised lakes and rivers may pose great personal risk. Residents are encouraged to enjoy Ottawa’s outdoor spaces, however for their own safety are advised to avoid swimming. As of Saturday, June 19th, lifeguards will be on duty every day from noon to 7 p.m.
Every day during the beach season, Ottawa Public Health takes water samples from all four beaches and tests for bacteria levels. If unusually high levels of bacteria are found, a ‘no swim’ advisory is issued.
Residents can check the daily updates on water quality before they head to the beach. Starting June 19,2010 updates will be available by calling the City at 3-1-1 or 613-580-6744, ext. 13219, via RSS feeds, or on www.ottawa.ca/health. Site signage and flag indicators will also indicate whether a ‘no swim’ advisory is in effect at that location.
City beaches will close for the season on Sunday, August 22, 2010.
Integrated Road Safety Program (IRSP)
May Results
The Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) focus on stop sign running and speeding resulted in 2,819 charges being laid in May – according to the City’s Integrated Road Safety Program (IRSP).
Speeding was the predominant offence with 2,570 charges being laid. Failing to observe stop signs resulted in 249 tickets being issued.
June Initiative
Ottawa Police will be placing impaired driving and cycling safety in the spotlight for the City’s Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) in June. STEP is a monthly initiative operated by the City of Ottawa’s Integrated Road Safety Program (IRSP).
In addition, the IRSP is teaming up with the CAA North & East Ontario to deliver additional R.I.D.E. checkpoints in June. In 2008, 373 impaired driving-related collisions occurred on Ottawa roads, resulting in seven deaths and 154 injuries (17 of them serious). Eighty one percent of the impaired drivers are male and 34 percent are between the ages of 16 and 25.
In spring and summer, cycling safety becomes a serious issue that warrants particular attention. Like pedestrians, cyclists are vulnerable road users. In 2008, 262 cyclists were injured in traffic collisions on Ottawa roads, 20 of which were life-altering.
The cycling safety initiative will target drivers who violate cyclists’ rights, and cyclists who disobey the rules of the road. It will include both education and enforcement. Sharing the road in a safe manner is essential so that our roads remain safe for all users.
Tips for Drivers to Increase the Safety of Cyclists
- Treat bicycles as you would any other vehicle on the road. Cyclists generally ride in the right-most through traffic lane, about one metre from the curb or parked cars.
- When passing a cyclist, leave a safe distance between your car and the bicycle. Give extra passing distance during slippery road conditions.
- Pass at a moderate speed and give plenty of space on quiet roads. Cyclists may be startled by fast-approaching vehicles.
- Shoulder check and signal all lane changes and turns.
- Check for bicycles in your side view mirror before opening your car doors.
Tips for Cyclists to Increase Their Safety
- Shoulder check and signal all lane changes, turns and stops.
- Do not cycle on sidewalks. Motorists do not expect cyclists to enter the roadway from the sidewalk.
- Recognize and be careful of the blind spots around cars, trucks and buses.
- Exercise caution when crossing intersections.
- Always wear a helmet.
Be bright at night. Use a headlight, taillight, reflectors and light-coloured or retro-reflective clothing so drivers can see you.
Rethink Garbage
The City of Ottawa provides weekly garbage pickup for residents of Ottawa. While the City collects, recyclables, organic waste and garbage, not all materials can be disposed at the curb. Due to hazards posed by some items, the City offers the following programs to deal with waste that should NEVER be thrown out in your garbage.
Household Hazardous Waste
Are you looking for an environmentally responsible way to dispose of household hazardous waste like cleaning products, propane tanks, disinfectants, fire extinguishers and pharmaceuticals? The City of Ottawa can help! Keep an eye out for the City of Ottawa’s one-day mobile household hazardous waste depots. These depots provide a convenient way for you to help keep the environment free of hazardous household waste. Other materials that can be
dropped off include:
- aerosol containers
- disinfectants
- fluorescent bulbs/tubes
- fertilizers and pesticides
- mercury switches/thermometers
- needles and syringes
- paints and coatings
- oven and window cleaner
- pool chemicals
Residents are reminded that only household waste will be accepted (maximum of 100 litres) at the depot. No commercial waste will be accepted. For more information about dates and future locations as well as items that can be taken to the Household Hazardous Waste Depots, please visit the City’s website at www.ottawa.ca/hhw. More information on the disposal of hazardous materials can be found at http://www.dowhatyoucan.ca/.
For a listing of Green Alternatives for household products, visit www.ottawa.ca/greenalternatives.
Free disposal of e-waste
Residents of Ottawa can dispose of e-waste at no charge at Ontario Electronics Stewardship (OES) registered permanent depots across the City. The program has now been expanded to include audio/visual equipment such as:
- Amplifiers, stereos, speakers, receivers
- Cameras, digital cameras
- Copiers, fax machines, scanners
- Pagers, PDAs
- Radios
- Telephones, cellphones, answering machines
- VCR and DVD players
Residents will still be able to recycle computer towers, monitors, televisions and peripherals at permanent OES-approved depots listed at http://www.dowhatyoucan.ca/.
Free disposal of tires
Visit http://www.ontariots.ca for information on how to dispose of tires at no charge at Ontario Tire Stewardship (OTS) registered permanent depots located across the City.
Take it Back!
The Take it Back! program ensures that more than 135 household products are reused, recycled or disposed of properly instead of going to the landfill. For more information, please visit www.ottawa.ca/takeitback.
Reminder
Bakery and produce plastics such as strawberry or cake containers (also known as clam shells), are not collected in the City’s recycling program. Please place this material in your regular garbage.
To determine what items are part of the City’s recycling program, residents are encouraged to visit www.ottawa.ca/recycle, check the collection calendar or call 3-1-1 for a list of acceptable items.
The City of Ottawa reminds residents who have not already started using their Green Bin to please start using it. And don’t forget to feed your green bin with extra leaf and yard waste! For information about what goes in your green bin check your collection calendar or visit www.ottawa.ca/greenbin
Have a Wonderful Summer
I wish you and your family a happy and restful summer.