By 
Happy Chinese New Year – Year of the Horse!
Best wishes to everyone celebrating the Chinese New Year. I wish you and your family good health, good luck and much happiness throughout the year.
Thank You for Attending CPR Training
Thank you to everyone who attended the CPR and Automated External Defibrillator training course that took place last Sunday. I am always pleased to see the commitment that River Ward residents demonstrate in taking this course.
Thank you also to our volunteers who taught the course. We are fortunate to have such wonderful people who want to pass along their knowledge to us.
Sochi 2014: Best Wishes to Our Canadian Olympians – February 6 to 23, 2014
Special congratulations to our local Ottawa athletes, coaches and support staff participating in
the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.
Go Canada Go!
River Ward Speed Boards – Central Park Locations
Traffic safety continues to be a top priority of mine and you may have noticed speed boards displayed in our Ward.
This month, two speed boards will be installed on Central Park Drive, one between Bloomingdale Street and Whitestone Drive and the other between Manhattan Crescent and Merivale Road.
If you would like City Traffic engineering staff to assess your street for use of the speed board, please give my office a call. I have made arrangements for exclusive deployment of the speed boards year round.
Winterlude in Canada’s Capital
Winterlude officially kicked off in Ottawa on January 31, 2014 at City Hall. If you have not had a change to get out and enjoy some of Canada’s favorite winter activities yet, be sure to do so before February 17, 2014!
A few of the fun-filled events include:
- Skating on the Rideau Canal, the world’s largest skating rink and enjoying a beaver tail
- Checking out the ice sculpture competitions in the Crystal Garden at Confederation Park
- Visiting the Snowflake Kingdom at Jacques-Cartier Park
- Enjoying a variety of concerts and culinary events at venues throughout the city
- Skating on the Rink of Dreams at City Hall
All Winterlude sites are open on Monday, February 17, 2013 for Family Day, where there will be fun-filled activities for all ages.
OLG Sno-bus
Ottawa residents and visitors are encouraged to leave their cars at home and to use public transit to visit downtown Ottawa. Once again, courtesy of OLG, OC Transpo, in association with the Société de transport de l’Outaouais (STO) will provide a free Sno-bus shuttle service between Winterlude locations during the weekends of Winterlude, Saturdays, February 8 and 15, and Sundays, February 9 and 16. For more information about Sno-bus, please visit winterlude.gc.ca or octranspo.com or call 613-741-4390.
March Break Camps Offer Adventures in Your Neighbourhood
School is out from March 10 to 14, 2014 for March Break and the City is offering a week of fun- filled activities. Select from over 100 action-packed camps in sports, arts, swimming and more. Search for your neighbourhood adventure online at ottawa.ca/recreation or by phone at 613-580- 2588 or you can visit a recreation facility or Client Service Centre.
City of Ottawa 2013 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. Students interested in summer employment with the City of Ottawa can apply online at Ottawa.ca. The application process will close on Friday, February 28, 2014. Student 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
- 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, please visit ottawa.ca. I greatly encourage our River Ward youth to apply for these summer positions.
Safer Roads Ottawa Program
January 2014 Initiatives
The City of Ottawa and the Ottawa Police Service’s Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) will focus on following too close and stop sign violations during the month of January as part of its ongoing commitment to keeping Ottawa’s roads safe.
Following Too Close
Between 2007 and 2011, following too close was the cause of 24,487 traffic collisions, 6,872 injuries and eight fatalities.
Stop Sign Violations
Between 2008 and 2012, there were 3,383 collisions involving drivers who failed to stop at stop signs. These collisions resulted in 998 injuries and six fatalities.
December 2013 Initiatives and Results
The City of Ottawa and the Ottawa Police Service’s Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) focused on impaired driving and speeding during the month of December resulting in 798 charges being laid, 90 for impaired driving and 708 for speeding.
The Safer Roads Ottawa Program is a leading community partnership between Ottawa Fire Services, Ottawa Paramedic Service, Ottawa Police Service, Ottawa Public Health and the Public Works Department committed to preventing or eliminating road deaths and serious injuries for all people in the City of Ottawa, through culture change, community engagement, and development of a sustainable safe transportation environment.
Also participating in the Safer Roads Ottawa Program are the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), Sureté du Québec, Department of National Defence’s Military Police and Gatineau Police Service to improve road safety for all residents of the national capital region.
Your Strong Voice at City Hall
As always, I appreciate hearing from you and encourage you to keep in touch with me as it allows me to serve you better. It is an honour and a privilege being your strong voice at City Hall.