Due to some unpredictable weather recently, I have had to postpone two of our previously scheduled town hall meetings. The two were planned for Munster and Ashton. Additionally, the Richmond Village Association scheduled their Annual General Meeting on the same evening as we have scheduled a town hall meeting in Richmond. As a result, we will be rescheduling that town hall as well as the ones in Munster and Ashton. We will be looking to April to hold those three meetings. We do, however, have two upcoming meetings on the following dates:

• February 26th: Marlborough Community Hall, 7:00pm

• March 5th: Goulbourn Town Hall, 7:00pm

LED Street Lights in Rideau-Goulbourn

At my North Gower Town Hall, we had a discussion about LED lighting and a resident wanted to know how many LED street lights were installed in Rideau-Goulbourn. We have a total of 1880 streetlights in Rideau-Goulbourn. Currently, we have 193 Hydro Ottawa Retrofit lights and 215 LED lights. There are still 1472 street lights that need to be changed to LED lights. Staff anticipate all of the lights being changed in 2020.

City of Ottawa Winter Maintenance

I know residents are frustrated by the amount of snow they have been forced to deal with this winter. City crews have been operating around the clock since January 19th and all resources have been deployed during snow events. The City is trying to clear and remove snow as quickly and efficiently as possible but with a record amount of snow in January, and February likely bringing a similar fate, it has been challenging. Please note that snow removal is based on a road-priority system, with high-use roads and emergency and transit routes cleared first. After the last snowflake falls, the city standard is that residential roads are cleared within 16 hours. If your street is missed, please call 311, as they are available to action your request 24/7.

The City also encourages residents to avoid parking on the street where possible, to support efficient snow removal. Please remember not to push snow onto the street as this puts others using the roadway at risk, and makes it more difficult for City plows to pass. We sincerely appreciate your help and your patience as the City continues to clean up the streets.

Ottawa Public Library and Library Archives Canada Joint Facility Project  

In December, Diamond Schmitt Architects and KWC Architects were selected to design the new central library, which will be an Ottawa Public Library and Library Archives Canada joint facility. Part of the design will include a robust public engagement process, both online and in person.

Billed as the Inspire555 series, in a nod to the facility’s new address at 555 Albert St., the engagement process will include design workshops, pop-up events, expert lectures, online activities (local and national) and engagement with Indigenous communities - all planned for 2019.

The first in-person design workshops on Building Blocks are set for later this month and the details are as follows:

Phase 1 Design Workshop: Building Blocks
Participants will be invited to register for one of two design workshops on how to make best use of the site for the new joint facility:

• Thursday, February 28, 6 pm to 9 pm, Jean Piggott Hall, Ottawa City Halll

• Saturday, March 2, 9 am to 12 pm, location to be determined

The public is invited to visit Inspire555.ca to pre-register for one of the two workshops.

From 2013 to 2016, more than 3,000 people provided input into the spaces and uses for a new central library. In 2016, following the decision to explore a partnership with Library and Archives Canada, the public provided input into the selection criteria for a site for the joint facility, as well as its functional programming.

This is an exciting time for our City and we encourage Rideau-Goulbourn residents to have their say!

Community Dancing in Manotick

Interested in a fun, interactive session of dance, laughter & music? Join the Ever Hopeful Stringband and caller Pippa Hall for a family-friendly, alcohol-free evening of community dancing, including circles, squares and contras. Each dance is taught and the whole family is invited. The evening begins with simple dances, followed by dances that build on skills as the evening progresses. The fun takes place Friday, February 22nd, from 7:00pm to 9:30pm, at the Manotick United Church.  Admission is $10, $5 for those aged 12-18 and free for anyone under the age of 12. The family max admission is $20. For more information, please call 613-692-4576 or visit http://dance.manotick.net.

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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. For information on Rideau-Goulbourn issues, please visit RideauGoulbourn.ca.