Last week Canada went to the polls and voted in a new government in the Federal Election. I'd like to take a moment and address what that means for the City of Ottawa.  In my five years as Councillor for Rideau-Goulbourn, we have had the same Federal Government and, in my opinion, the relationship has been a positive one.  In that time, the City has worked closely with John Baird, Pierre Poilievre and Royal Galipeau and I would like to thank them for their efforts in working with our municipality.  As we move forward with a new Government, I do not expect that relationship to change.  I’ve found that local Ottawa MP’s, regardless of political stripe, are very dedicated to this city and I look forward to further collaboration in continuing to make Ottawa a great place to live.  Finally, I would just like to congratulate every candidate who put their names on the ballot.

Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee

Our next three meetings of the Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee will come in short order with meetings scheduled for November 5th, November 23rd and December 10th.  First up, of course, is our regular monthly meeting at Ben Franklin Place on Thursday, November 5th at 10:00am.

• This meeting has a relatively light agenda which includes the following items:
• Review of the ATV Trail Network Pilot Project in Osgoode Ward;
• Zoning By-Law Amendment for a surplus farm severance at 3834 & 3804 8th Line Road in Osgoode Ward;
• Lifting of the holding provision for the West Carleton Environment Centre (aka: Carp Landfill); and 
• Proposed deferral of development charged at 3765 Loggers Way in West Carleton.

An additional item on the agenda comes from Councillor Darouze which recommends a change in the speed limit of Apple Orchard Road to 60km/h.  The intent of Councillor Darouze is to create some consistency within the Greely road network.  All running in connection with one another, Parkway Road is a 60km/h zone, Apple Orchard Road is an 80km/h zone and Gough Road is a 50km/h zone.  This proposed changed will achieve that consistency.  Oddly enough, Apple Orchard is one of only three roads in Greely with a speed limit higher than 70km/h.  The other two are Manotick Station Road and Mitch Owens Road.

Another item on the agenda is an information report on the Assessment of Housing Needs for Older Adults in Ottawa’s Rural Area.  Essentially, the report highlights the future potential for seniors housing in our larger rural communities, such as Manotick, Richmond and Carp.

Please note that the regular December meeting has been moved to Monday, November 23rd to deal with the 2016 Budget.  That meeting will begin at 1:00pm and will be held at Ben Franklin Place.  In December, I have added an additional meeting on the 10th which will be held in the evening at the Manotick Area to deal specifically with the update to the Manotick Secondary Plan.

South River Drive & Van Vliet Road

Last week, I spoke about the intersection of South River Drive and Van Vliet Road.  After receiving some support for the suggestion I was making, I wanted to attach an image to this column so that you could get a visual of the proposal.  What we would be looking at is a four-way stop at Van Vliet & South River and removing the stop signs at South Island Park so that only the traffic heading south on South River Drive would stop at that intersection.  I very much appreciate the feedback thus far on this issue and encourage anyone who hasn’t commented to please do so.

Taxi By-Law Review

The public is encouraged to read and provide feedback on two new discussion papers published on ottawa.ca on Thursday, October 22nd as part of the City’s comprehensive review of the taxi and limousine industries. The City is examining the current regulatory framework and service delivery to residents and visitors. The discussion papers focus on emerging issues in the taxi and limousine industries, as well as accessibility issues.

A total of six discussion papers are being released in pairs on the City’s website for public input. Other topics covered by the papers include: taxi economics, customer experience, detailed case studies of regulations in other jurisdictions and Ottawa’s existing hired vehicle regulations.

There are several ways that residents can provide feedback:

• By email at [email protected]
• On Twitter using the hashtag #Otttaxi
• On Facebook 
• By phone at 613-580-TAXI (8294)
• Participate in a workshop by pre-registering by email ([email protected]). Workshop participants will have the opportunity to provide their feedback in-person to City staff.

Residents can also subscribe to email updates that will include notification of the release of discussion papers, the policy options and opportunities to participate in webinars.

Council approved funding for the Taxi and Limousine Regulation and Service Review as part of the City’s Strategic Initiatives. The consultant’s final report will be completed in December, and in early 2016 the Community and Protective Services Committee will consider a City staff report based on the consultant’s recommendations from the review.

Deck the House Christmas Charity Bazaar

Come out to the Marlborough Community Centre (3048 Pierce Road) on Saturday, November 7th for a Christmas charity bazaar. On from 10:00am until 3:00pm, the bazaar will feature tree ornaments, table centrepieces, home decorations and hostess gifts.  Admission is free and refreshments will be available for purchase.

All donations and sale proceeds go directly to Ottawa Valley Aid for Chernobyl Children, a registered charity, whose programs bring children of Belarus to Canada each summer for a six-week medical respite from the contaminated environment in which they live.  These visits greatly improve the children’s health by allowing their immune systems to recover, regenerate and restore their functions as disease-preventing agents.

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If you have any comments, questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at [email protected] or contact me by phone at 613-580-2491.