The Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee (ARAC) will host its first meeting of the year on Thursday, February 4th, beginning at 10:00am at our new regular home in Ben Franklin Place.  This will be our first meeting since the December 10th Special Meeting in Manotick.

In no particular order, agenda items for this meeting include: Inquiries & Motions Status Update; City of Ottawa Semi-Annual Performance Report; the Engineer’s Report for the O’Keefe Municipal Drain in Barrhaven; appointment of Robinson Consultants to review drainage works petitions for a development in Innes Ward as well as for the proposed Seabrook development on First Line Road; minor zoning amendments for surplus farm severances at 6345 Garvin Road (Rideau-Goulbourn), 5511, 5537 McCordick Road and 5510 Fourth Line Road (Rideau-Goulbourn), 5985 Frank Kenny Road (Cumberland) and 5063 Upper Dwyer Hill Road (West Carleton-March).

Locally, one item on the agenda relates to Manotick and Minto’s Mahogany development.  The report deals with development charges and credits provided to Minto for the recovery of sanitary and sewer works within Manotick that directly relate to their development.  On another Mahogany note, members of the Manotick Culture, Parks & Recreation Association will present plans for docking and recreation space at Mahogany Harbour, along Manotick Main Street.  The MCPRA is looking to work with the City on developing a clear path forward on implementing docks at this location and will be looking to jump start the process with their presentation.

The Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee will also hear presentations on traffic calming projects in the rural area as well as a new strategic initiative involving the Heritage Reference List and, more specifically, heritage properties in the rural area.  In 2017, distinct historically relevant neighbourhoods, villages and rural areas will be researched and the heritage value of buildings will be evaluated in relation to the local context.  Other heritage resources, such as bridges and parks, will also be evaluated.  As Chair of ARAC and a member of the Built Heritage Sub-Committee, this is an initiative that I am very much looking forward to working on and I imagine there will be much interest across rural Ottawa.

As mentioned earlier, the February 4th meeting of ARAC begins at 10:00am at Ben Franklin Place.  All are welcome.

Register now for March Break Camps

School will be out from March 14th to 19th for March Break, and the City is offering a week of fun-filled activities and action-packed camps in sports, arts, swimming and more. Register now for March Break camps. Find your neighbourhood adventure online at ottawa.ca/recreation:

•  Take to the ice with hockey, skating and curling camps.
• Try aqua camps, indoor soccer or rock climbing.
• Wow family and friends with talents developed in computer, magic or movie camps.
• Star on stage in acting, singing and dance camps.
• Get messy with clay, paints and glue.
• Work on your leadership skills and make new friends.

Ottawa’s largest selection of camps comes with enthusiastic and trained leaders. Our programs offer top value and quality you can trust. Registration can be done online, or visit a recreation facility or Client Service Centre where customer service staff can help with all your registration needs.

2017 Red Bull Crashed Ice

Last week, an exciting, and relatively new, event was announced as the latest event to hit Ottawa in 2017.  Red Bull Crashed Ice will make its Ottawa debut when the Ice Cross Downhill World Championship crashes and glides its way into the capital in March 2017.

Red Bull Crashed Ice events take place at unusual locations with stunning backdrops. The final showdown event in 2017 will take place next to the Château Laurier and Major’s Hill Park at Parks Canada’s historic and picturesque Ottawa Locks, which form part of the Rideau Canal National Historic Site and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Parks Canada is working in collaboration with Ottawa 2017 and Red Bull to ensure all measures are taken to preserve and protect the historical features of this heritage treasure.

The March dates for the Ice Cross Downhill World Championship will be announced later this fall when Red Bull releases the 2016-17 race schedules. This extreme winter sport is a unique blend of power skating, ski cross and boarder cross. The Ottawa event will welcome some of the world’s best athletes for the culmination of the winter tour season. Ice cross downhill is the fastest sport on skates where athletes hurtle down a massive ice track filled with high vertical drops and hairpin turns at speeds of more than 50km/h.

Canada’s 150th celebrations will offer Canadians and visitors from around the world an exceptional and memorable year of high-caliber experiences while bringing a record number of visitors to Ottawa in 2017 to celebrate this important milestone for our country.

For almost a decade, Red Bull Crashed Ice has been a pinnacle event in Quebec City. It is the largest outdoor event in that city each year and attracts a global TV audience. Other cities that have previously hosted the event include Lausanne, Helsinki, Prague, Moscow, Edmonton and Niagara Falls.

This latest announcement is in addition to the City of Ottawa’s already announced plans to host, in 2017, the Canadian Track & Field Championships, the Juno Awards and the Canadian Videogame Awards. Stay informed on plans for Canada’s 150th birthday celebrations in the capital by visiting ottawa2017.ca and following along on Twitter @2017ottawa.

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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.