By Central Park Gardening Club
I am pleased to announce that on October 12, 2011, City Council unanimously approved a report allowing the newly-formed Central Park Gardening Club to landscape the area surrounding Canada Post mailboxes throughout the community. Thank you to Laurie Lyon and CPCA President Liz Allan who worked with my office and City staff to ensure that this project abides by City regulations while enhancing the beauty of Central Park for all residents!
Influenza Clinics
The seasonal flu vaccine is now available from participating physicians and health care providers throughout the city. Ottawa Public Health (OPH) is currently distributing 90,000 doses of the influenza vaccine to physicians, hospitals, and workplaces. OPH receives shipments of the flu vaccine from the province on a weekly basis in order to meet demand.
Ottawa residents have several easy options for getting the flu vaccine, including:
- Through their physician or local health care provider
- Thirty-three OPH clinics across Ottawa, eight of which conveniently offer online booking at fluclinicsottawa.ca. OPH clinics begin October 29. A complete list of these clinics is available at ottawa.ca/flu.
- At a workplace immunization clinic
Along with getting the flu vaccine, it is important that residents take these precautions to keep themselves and their families healthy:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water, or hand sanitizer
- Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your arm, not your hand
- Stay at home if you are sick
Snow Go and Snow Go Assist Programs
On average we receive 235 cm of snow per year in Ottawa, in addition to an increasing amount of rain and freezing rain. Keeping our private driveways and walkways clear of snow and ice is challenging for everyone.
The Snow Go Program helps seniors and persons with disabilities find reliable and affordable snow removal services to clear snow from private driveways and walkways. Once matched up with snow removal help, residents are responsible for making payments directly to the individual or contractor. The Snow Go Assist Program provides financial assistance to eligible low-income seniors or persons with disabilities to assist with their snow removal costs. Approved participants may be reimbursed up to 50 per cent of the cost of snow clearing per event, to a seasonal maximum of $250.
If you are interested in either of these programs, please call my office at 613-580-2486.
Give Away Weekends
The City of Ottawa is holding one more city-wide “Garbage Give Away Weekend” in 2011. The Give Away Weekend takes place on October 22 and 23, 2011. Council approved this plan to allow residents to give away objects they no longer want by simply placing them at the end of their driveway.
Here are some guidelines for setting out treasures:
- Place items at the curb
- Place stickers or signs on items with the word “FREE”
- At the end of each day, bring any uncollected gems back to your home
The intent of the program is to help residents reuse household items that otherwise might end up in local landfills. The City of Ottawa is calling on community groups and residents to participate in Give Away Weekend, and help discover the hidden treasures in your neighbourhood, community, and city. It’s another way to RETHINK GARBAGE and protect our most precious treasure – our environment.
Community Input into Ottawa’s Older Adult Action Plan
Over the coming weeks, residents will be able to participate in seven community consultation sessions in order to provide input into Ottawa’s Older Adult Action Plan. Topics of discussion at each session will include transportation, social participation, and community support and health services. Each consultation session is limited to 25 people, so residents must register in advance at ottawa.ca/seniors or over the phone at 613-234-4666 ext. 303. The dates and times for the sessions are as follows (in English, unless otherwise noted):
- Wednesday, October 19 – 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. (French)
- Orléans Library Branch, 1705 Orléans Boulevard
- Tuesday, October 25 – 1:00 to 3:30 p.m.
- Greely Community Centre, 1448 Meadow Drive, Greely
- Friday, November 4 – 1:00 to 3:30 p.m.
- Orléans Library Branch, 1705 Orléans Boulevard
- Monday, November 7 – 1:00 to 3:30 p.m.
- Sunnyside Library Branch, 1409 Bank Street
- Monday, November 14 – 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. (French)
- City of Ottawa Central Archives, 100 Tallwood Drive
- Saturday, November 26 – 1:00 to 3:30 p.m.
- City of Ottawa Central Archives, 100 Tallwood Drive
- Monday, November 28 – 1:00 to 3:30 p.m.
- Navan Memorial Community Centre, 1295 Colonia Road, Navan
In addition to the in-person consultation sessions, residents can also complete an online survey at ottawa.ca/seniors. This survey will also be available in paper copy by visiting one of the City’s client service centres and can be completed over the phone by calling 613-234-4666, ext. 224. All of the information gathered this fall will lead toward the adoption of an Older Adult Plan by City Council in 2012.
Budget 2012 – Open Houses
To engage the community before budget tabling, a special e-mail address was created, budget2012@ottawa.ca. Residents are encouraged to make their voices heard. All suggestions shared via the email address that can be incorporated into the budget will be provided to management before tabling and identified to Council as part of the Draft Budget report to be tabled on October 26, 2011.
In addition, four community meetings will be held to present the draft budget to the public and to address specific questions or concerns the public may have. Meetings will be held at the following times and locations:
- Tuesday, November 1 – 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
- Richcraft Theatre, Shenkman Arts Centre, 245 Centrum Boulevard
- Wednesday, November 2 – 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
- Cafetorium, Holy Trinity Catholic School, 180 Katimavik Road
- Thursday, November 3 – 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
- Gymnasium, Rideauview Community Centre, 4310 Shoreline Drive
- Friday, November 4 – 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
- Andrew Haydon Hall, Ottawa City Hall, 110 Laurier Avenue West
2012 Non-Renewable Community Project Funding
Applications are now available for new projects spearheaded by non-profit community organizations. These projects must address emerging community needs and support the priorities of the Community Project Funding Program.
2012 Non-Renewable Community Project Funding is available for projects that:
- Increase neighbourhood capacity to enact positive and sustainable change in planning, service delivery, improve health and/or improve safety in accordance with neighbourhood-defined goals
- Promote the healthy development of children and youth (0-18 years) and their development of competencies through recreation, leisure, cultural and arts activities
- Increase participation of seniors in physical activities and community life to promote successful aging
- Support inclusion of people who are low income, at risk, isolated or otherwise marginalized and promote quality of life for the full diversity of citizens through activities such as literacy, employment, physical activity and/or participation in cultural programs
- Promote conditions of equality on the basis of race, ethnicity, income, gender, official language and ability
The application deadline is December 1, 2011 at 4:00 p.m. Visit ottawa.ca or any City of Ottawa Client Service Centre for more information, including program guidelines and the application form.
Integrated Road Safety Program
October Initiatives
The City’s Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) will focus on those who fail to buckle up or comply with child car seat requirements, as well as drivers who fail to obey stop signs in October.
In Ottawa, from 2006 to 2010, 26 people were killed, 50 suffered life-threatening injuries and another 202 were injured as a result of not wearing vehicle occupant restraints. Of the 26 people that were killed, 20 were male.
At different times in the month, Ottawa Public Health nurses and the Ottawa Police will be setting up roadside spot-checks at locations in the city to ensure that motor vehicle occupants are wearing their seatbelts, and that child car seats and booster seats are suitable and properly installed.
Disobeying stop signs – including rolling stops – is also a serious issue on Ottawa roads. In 2010 alone, 1,618 collisions at stop sign-controlled intersections resulted in six deaths and 492 injuries – 23 of them life-threatening.
September Results
September was a costly month for 91 Ottawa motorists who were charged as part of the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) focus on tailgating and failing to stop for the flashing red lights on school buses.
Tailgating was the prevalent charge with 78 tickets being issued. The school bus initiative resulted in the laying of 13 charges.
The penalties for a driver passing a stopped school bus with its upper red lights flashing include fines ranging from $400 to $2,000 and six demerit points for a first offence. A second offence yields the driver a fine between $1,000 and $4,000, six demerit points and a possible jail sentence of up to six months.