I want to thank residents for their patience with the Eagleson Road closure, which came on the heels of Shea Road also being closed.  As you likely noticed, Eagleson re-opened last week.  Another closure will also be coming to an end shortly on Mansfield Road.  Originally scheduled to be closed until mid-November, the Mansfield Road project is progressing ahead of schedule and the road could re-open as early as this Friday.

This month, there are a couple of road closures that could impact your commute which I want to let you know about.   Construction work for the rehabilitation of the roadway and storm sewer along Rideau Valley Drive South is progressing.  In order to facilitate the Contractor’s installation of a large storm sewer maintenance structure just north of Stevens Creek, a full road closure of Rideau Valley Drive South is required.   The road closure is required due to the size of the structure, the requirements for the Contractor’s equipment, protection of existing utilities, and worker & public safety.

The full road closure will extend from just north of the Stevens Creek Bridge to immediately south of the Stevens Creek Bridge only.   The road closure will need to be in-place from November 9th to 13th, 2015.  The roadway will be re-opened to traffic as soon as the Contractor has completed the work.

Rideau Valley Drive South will be accessible to local traffic only from Roger Stevens Drive to south of Old Wellington Street and from north of Lockhead Road to Dilworth Road.  Signage will be installed at key intersections on Roger Stevens Drive, Rideau Valley Drive South, Lockhead Road and Dilworth Road and a signed detour route will be provided via Roger Stevens Drive, Third Line Road and Dilworth Road.

The second closure takes place on River Road, between Earl Armstrong Road and Leitrim Road, due to the rehabilitation and construction of culverts in the area. The work is expected to last until mid-November. Road closure and detour signs will be installed and maintained throughout the construction period. The road will remain open to local traffic. There may also be temporary lane reductions along River Road between Tewsley Drive and Honey Gables Drive during the construction period.

Richmond Arena Roof Replacement

As many of you are aware, the City of Ottawa undertook the replacement of the Richmond Arena’s roof this year.  After several issues with the subcontractor on the project, the roof replacement now has a revised completion date of late November.  Originally, it was to be completed by early September.  While the project did have some issues with the heavy rainfall last week, the general contractor is working to correct any and all deficiencies.  These corrective measures are being addressed at no cost to the City.

I can assure you that the City is working very closely with the general contractor, Laurin, to complete this project as quickly and efficiently as possible.  I’d like to thank everyone for their patience throughout this work and especially the specific user groups that use the Arena on a daily basis.  If you have any specific questions about this project, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

City of Ottawa Accessibility Plan

The City is updating its multi-year Accessibility Plan and is encouraging residents to provide input into the plan through a survey available on the City’s website, ottawa.ca. Residents have until November 27th to complete the survey and share their innovative ideas on how City programs, services and infrastructure can be made more accessible and responsive to diverse communities. Once you have completed the survey, please share the link with family, colleagues and associates who might also like to contribute ideas.

The City is committed to providing equal access to services, programs, goods and facilities to residents, visitors and employees with disabilities. This commitment led to the creation of a multi-year Accessibility Plan in 2012 which will be updated and renewed in early 2016. Anyone who has difficulty accessing the survey or who wants more information on the survey or the City’s Accessibility Plan can visit ottawa.ca or call 3-1-1 (613-580-2400).

Remembrance Day at Dickinson House

On November 11th, the public is invited to Dickinson House in the Square in Manotick to learn about some of the contributions made by citizens of Rideau Township to the War Effort.  This year, there is a special tribute to Lt. General E.L.M. Burns and Group Captain Albert U. Houle.  A model of the Spitfire flown so skilfully by Group Captain Houle will be on display.  The House will be open from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on November 11th, and from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm on November 14th & 15th.  Admission is free; donations are welcome.

Nominate an Outstanding Young Farmer for 2016

Ontario’s Outstanding Young Farmers Program (OOYF) is designed to recognize farmers and farm couples who exemplify excellence in their profession. Anyone can nominate a young farmer/farm couple for the regional recognition award and title of Ontario's Outstanding Young Farmer as long as they meet the following program eligibility requirements:

• Must be between the ages of 18 and 39
• Be farm operators
• Derive a minimum of two-thirds of their income from farming

Nominations for the 2016 Award are due by December 2, 2015 and are available at: http://www.oyfontario.ca/nominations.html.

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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.