Remembering Hilda Moore and the Election Blackout Period

/
Sympathy flowers.jpg

With this being my last column before the October municipal election (more on that later), I wanted to use the beginning of this column to take a moment and remember my grandmother, Hilda Moore, who passed away recently after a battle with Lewy Body Dementia.

My grandmother was born in 1929 and spent her childhood in Old Ottawa South. She met my grandfather, Sumner Moore, in Constance Bay and they got married at Southminster Church on Bank Street. They would buy a home and begin their family in Carlington before moving to Richmond in 1958. My grandmother would spend 60 years in the village of Richmond. There, she was involved in a little bit of everything including the Richmond Legion, Richmond Curling Club and the Goulbourn Museum. Many remember her from her 30 years working as an administrator at South Carleton High School, retiring in 1990.

My grandmother was also very active and interested in the political world. She played a significant part in getting me to where I am today, I am grateful for her role in my life, and that my children were able to have such a strong relationship with her. She touched so many lives in her time and she will be greatly missed by my family and many residents in Richmond who remember her fondly.

Election Blackout Period

As mentioned above, this is the last column that I am able to print in the Messenger until after the October 22nd municipal election. City Council adopted an Election-Related Resources Policy which includes a “blackout period” in which corporate resources and Member of Council’s office budgets are not to be used to sponsor any advertisements, flyers, newsletters or householders. The 60-day “blackout period” is in effect from Thursday, August 23, 2018, up to and including Monday, October 22, 2018 (Voting Day).

During the “blackout period”, advertising for City events or services cannot, in broad terms, include the name of any Member of Council who is also a candidate.

For any pressing City matter, we will make sure that those items are provided to the Village Voice for Manotick issues and the Richmond Hub for Richmond issues. For other areas of the ward, there is a protocol for how matters can be communicated to ensure proper notification still occurs in the meantime.

Please be assured that the only thing impacted here is how we communicate in print. My office will still be attentive to anything that comes their way. Should you have any questions or concerns on anything, email my office or give my team a call and we will assist you.

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.

Make the Right Call

/

On Thursday, March 5th, the City of Ottawa’s Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee (ARAC) will host its first meeting at Ben Franklin Place at 10:00am in the former Nepean Council Chambers. Items on the agenda for this meeting will include:

  • 2015 Budget;
  • Phase 1B Zoning Amendment for the Minto Mahogany Development;
  • Modifications and improvements to the Monahan Creek Municipal Drain;
  • Minor zoning amendments to 3981 Farmview Road (West Carleton), 4045 Highway 17 (West Carleton) and 2227 Yorks Corners Road (Osgoode); as well as
  • The annual report on the Rural Association Partnership Program and the Rural Community-Building Grant Program.

As Chair of ARAC, I am very excited in our move to Ben Franklin Place as I believe this will make ARAC meetings more accessible to rural residents on an ongoing basis. If you’d like to receive the agenda regularly, I will be including it in my monthly email newsletter, which will be sent out each Friday before our ARAC meetings.  You can sign up for my the newsletter at www.rideaugoulbourn.ca. Ben Franklin Place is located at 101 Centrepointe Drive.

Make the Right Call

My office works in a very close partnership with Ottawa Police Service and I feel it is important to encourage you to “Make the Right Call”.

  • For any life-threatening emergency or crime in progress, call 911.
  • If you need to report a serious crime, break and enter or a suspicious incident /disturbance requiring the presence of a Police Officer, please call 613-230-6211.
  • If you would like to report a theft, loss or recovery of property, damage to property, missing person or stolen vehicle, please call 613-236-1222 Ext. 7300 and make a report.

Ottawa Police encourage you to call in when you witness speeding vehicles or poor driving habits with the appropriate information, such as location, time of day, vehicle particulars (if safely possible).  A Traffic Sgt. will review each report and allocate appropriate follow-up and enforcement by an Officer.

There is also the opportunity to file a report online at www.ottawapolice.ca  for the following:

  • Lost Vehicle Licence Plates
  • Theft (Under $5,000)
  • Lost Property (Under $5,000)
  • Mischief/Damage to Property (Under $5,000)
  • Theft from Vehicle (Under $5,000)
  • Traffic Complaints

We encourage you to “Make the Right Call”.

City of Ottawa March Break Camps

School will be out from March 16 to 20 for March Break, and the City is offering a week of fun-filled activities with more than 100 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.

Impress your 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.

Interested in Heritage? Join the Goulbourn Museum Board

Combine a love of heritage with your personal skills and play a role in the success of the Goulbourn Museum. The Museum is governed by an elected Board of Directors which meets in the morning on the second Thursday of every month. The Board currently has two vacancies and is seeking members of the community who share a pride in Goulbourn’s heritage to join the Board, or to nominate someone else for candidacy.

A Call for Nominations explaining the application process and a copy of the Museum’s By-laws have been posted to the Museum’s website. The website also contains a list of current Board members. To apply, candidates are asked to provide a statement describing the skills, knowledge and experience they can offer the Goulbourn Museum. This should be addressed to the attention of the Nominating Committee and submitted to the museum by April 1, 2015. Elections will take place at the Annual General Meeting of the Museum on the evening of Thursday April 23, 2015.

If you would like more information or have any questions about joining the Goulbourn Museum Board of Directors, please feel free to contact Curator-Manager Kathryn Jamieson at 613-831-2393 or [email protected]. 

Last-Minute Ice Booking

You can now find and buy last-minute ice time online at your convenience. Last-minute ice is a rental period which you can buy one to seven days in advance at a discounted rate. Visit Ottawa.ca for more information.

Ottawa Valley Farm Show

The Ottawa Valley Farm Show (OVFS) will be held from March 10th to 12th at the Ernst & Young Centre. Sponsored by the Ottawa Valley Seed Growers Association, The OVFS is the largest annual exhibition of its kind held in Ontario east of Toronto. Of particular interest to farm families and other rural residents, the show features 350+ commercial exhibitors offering everything from machinery and equipment, to computer and financial services. For more information please visit the OVFS website.

*****

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.

First ARAC meeting for this Term of Council

/

This Thursday, February 5th is the date of the first Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee meeting of this term of Council.  It also marks my first meeting as Chair.  This meeting will be held at City Hall at 9:30am but one of the agenda items will likely mean that this will be the last ARAC meeting at City Hall.  Following the Governance Report that I discussed back in December, we will be discussing meeting locations for future meetings.  Essentially, we are looking at moving all meetings to Ben Franklin Place in Centrepointe.  This location is geographically central to all wards in the City, thus offering an accessible location for rural residents.  It also has ample free parking.  This change in location will come into effect in time for the March meeting of ARAC.

Also on the agenda for the February 5th ARAC meeting will be the approval of naming the North Gower Bowling Alley after Gerry Lines, commemorating a future Manotick park in memory of Lela Scharf, confirming appointments to the Manotick Business Improvement Area, the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority, the South Nation Conservation Authority and the rural panel of the Committee of Adjustment, as well as some minor reports on two municipal drains.

Manotick Secondary Plan: Heritage in the Core

In last week’s column, I focused on soliciting feedback on the vacant land use designations within Manotick’s Secondary Plan.  However, that was the only item of importance I touched on during the meeting I hosted on Thursday, January 22nd.  This week, I’d like to gauge your opinions on heritage designations within Manotick.  While we have several buildings designated, such as Dickinson House, Watson’s Mill, Miller’s Oven and about a half dozen other properties within the village core, there are just over 70 properties on the Heritage Reference List.

The City of Ottawa’s Heritage Reference List identifies potentially significant buildings that staff can refer to when development applications come forward in order to assess whether or not a building merits further investigation and possible protection or designation.  During the 1997 developing of the Manotick Secondary Plan, the 70 or so properties mentioned above were added to the list.  While the list might highlight the potential heritage value of a building, it doesn’t do a whole lot to protect a building.  Consider that if a demolition permit was sought for the old Manotick Tea Room building, or the building that houses Allure, the permit could be issued and the building torn down without the community having any real say whether it gets torn down, protected or otherwise.  That brings me to the Heritage Register.

The City of Ottawa’s Heritage Register provides a form of protection that the Reference List lacks.  If a property is listed on the Register and a demolition permit is sought, the City has 60 days to decide whether or not the building warrants designation.  Those 60 days gives the City time to do their due diligence on designation and for the community to be made aware and take part in the process.  It doesn’t mean that the property owner can’t renovate or make changes to the property; it just helps to ensure that the property won’t simply disappear in a matter of hours.  In Manotick, the house at the northwest corner of Bridge Street and Manotick Main Street was added to the Register last year.

While I don’t believe all 70+ buildings listed on the Heritage Reference List are worthy of protection, I do believe many of them should be at least given that 60-day reprieve so that we don’t lose our history through demolition.  My question to you is, would you support shifting some of the properties onto the Heritage Register so that due diligence can be given in the event that a demolition permit is sought?  Further, are there any specific properties that you would wish to see on the Heritage Register?

In addition to the Allure Spa building and the former Manotick Team Room, Reference List buildings include: 5545 Ann Street (formerly Lindsay & McCaffrey); 5544 Manotick Main Street (The Mill Tavern); 5549 Manotick Main Street (known as Sonny’s Garage); 1136 Tighe Street (My Toy Shop); 1136 Mill Street (Mill Street Florist).  For the full list, please refer to the Manotick Community Profile (Pages 17 & 18) at ottawa.ca/manotickplan. 

A common goal we all share is the protection of our historic communities.  Preserving our heritage is key to protecting our villages.  I want to thank you for the feedback so far from last week’s column and I look forward to further feedback on this topic.

Free Family Day Event at Goulbourn Museum

Family Day at Goulbourn Museum will feature an array of free activities for all ages. Families can pose for a fun keepsake in the photo booth, get creative at the craft station, play games, win prizes, and pretend to be pioneers in the Museum’s replica village shop.

If weather permits there will also be outdoor games and activities as well as roasting marshmallows around the fire pit.  The Family Day festivities take place Monday, February 16th from 10:00am to 3:00pm. All ages are welcome, admission is free and so are the hot chocolate and Tim Bits!

The Goulbourn Museum is located at 2064 Huntley Road, just south of Stittsville, at Stanley’s Corners. For more information, visit www.goulbournmuseum.ca or call 613-831-2393 or join Goulbourn Museum on Facebook for regular updates.

Summer Student Recruitment

Students interested in summer employment with the City of Ottawa are encouraged to apply for available positions through ottawa.ca. The 2015 Summer Student Employment Campaign will be open from February 2 to February 27, 2015.

This program offers students great opportunity to gain valuable work experience and insight into today’s workforce, discover a career path, showcase skills and enhance academic goals. For more information including eligibility criteria and other requirements, visit ottawa.ca.

My ServiceOttawa is improving residents’ online experience

Ottawa residents now have the ability to view, print and pay their property tax bill and water and sewer bill online at Ottawa.ca through My ServiceOttawa. By creating a My ServiceOttawa account, residents can securely access and customize online City services and information that matter most to them 24 hours a day, including:

  • Paying bills online or setting up preauthorized payments
  • Viewing account summaries, bill history and last payment information
  • Changing your mailing address
  • Viewing a personalized garbage and recycling calendar
  • Viewing the status of service requests

Once the account is created, all that is required to view, print and pay bills online is your water account number and balance on the last bill, or property tax roll number and access code. Set up an account today by going to ottawa.ca and selecting the My ServiceOttawa button at the top of the web page.

*****

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.

Woodroffe Avenue closure

/

An issue of concern for many residents south of Barrhaven is coming to Planning Committee on Tuesday, February 11th.  The closure of Woodroffe Avenue will be on the agenda.  This closure dates back to pre-amalgamation Nepean in which the Council of the day approved closing Woodroffe Avenue at Prince of Wales Drive contingent on the extension of Strandherd Drive to Prince of Wales Drive.  Since that is now open, the closure has come forward with public consultation having been conducted in recent months.  I have heard many concerns from residents in our area on the closure and if you would like to speak on this issue at Committee, the meeting will be held in the Champlain Room at Ottawa City Hall at 9:30am.  As I have stated in the past, I am opposed to the closure as Woodroffe Avenue has historically been a vital connection into the city from the rural area, especially such destinations as the Nepean Sportsplex and Algonquin College.  The counter argument to my position is that taking Prince of Wales/Strandherd as an alternative is only 700m longer.

Manotick Local Improvement

In response to a Letter to the Editor in the December 19, 2013 issue of the Manotick Messenger, I just wanted to provide some details on the cost breakdown of the Manotick Core Local Improvement.  The Letter asked why Manotick properties were paying for something that benefits Minto more than anyone else.  First of all, it is important to note that the drive to bring sanitary services to the Village Core was done so through a petition presented to the City by the property owners, not at the request of any future developer.  However, as future development would certainly benefit, the cost breakdown took that into consideration.

In a report to Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee on March 12, 2008, the following was included: “The total estimated cost for the Local Improvement works is $26.96M with $12.06M applicable to the petition areas and the balance of $14.90M to be recovered from future servicing areas.  Based on the $12.06M applicable to the petition areas, the City and non-City share is $6.165M and $5.895M, respectively.”  The $26M figure covers both Hillside Gardens and the Core.  Therefore, only 22% of the total servicing costs were assessed to the properties that originally petitioned for the work.  The City covered 23% while 55% of the total costs will be assessed to future development or other future connections.

I hope this clarifies the issue.  If you have any further questions on this, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Generations Youth & Seniors

A fun Family Day event for youth and seniors is being organized for Saturday, February 15th between 10:00am and 4:00pm.  Rural Ottawa South Support Services and the Osgoode Youth Association are teaming up to offer this is event which will feature an art workshop, baking workshop, afternoon tea social and a delicious lunch.  Seniors over 65 years old and youth, between the ages of 11 and 18, are invited to this FREE event.

Spots are limited so please register as soon as possible.  Youth can register in person at the O-YA Centre of by email at [email protected] and seniors can register by contacting Terry at 613-692-4697 or [email protected].

Seniors Valentine’s Luncheon

The annual Seniors Valentine’s Luncheon at the Kars R.A. Hall is on Thursday, February 13th.  Always well attended, this event features a delicious home cooked meal for only $10 per person.  Live music and entertainment will be provided by the Mellowtones.  Lunch starts at noon so get there early!  The Kars R.A. Hall is located at 1604 Old Wellington Street, just off of Rideau Valley Drive South.

Kars Family Fun Day

Bring the family and join the Kars Recreation Association for some indoor & outdoor activities on Saturday, Feb 15th starting at 10:00am.  For the outdoor enthusiasts there will be skating and snowman making (weather permitting).  If you are looking to remain indoors, have fun soap carving, speed stacking, in addition to other arts & crafts.  Junkyard Symphony & Little Ray’s Zoo will also be in attendance to provide fun for the whole family. The event takes place at the Kars R.A. Hall at 1604 Old Wellington, Kars. There is a charge of $5.00 per adult which includes shows and lunch, children are free. www.kars.ca

Help Richmond win Kraft Hockeyville 2014

The nominations for Kraft Hockeyville close on February 9th at midnight so don’t forget to visit hockeyville.cbc.ca, join the Richmond Memorial Community Centre group and help support Richmond’s bid to be named Kraft Hockeyville 2014!  On February 8th, Creekside Gardens is hosting a Hockey Festival Day on their outdoor rink.  There will be a BBQ and hockey games throughout the day so come out and enjoy the fun.  Creekside Gardens is located at 5901 Ottawa Street.

Blood Clinic

Canadian Blood Services has activated the blood signal - which is a call to action to inform Canadians that there is an urgent need for blood right now. They are asking Canadians to rally together to give blood at their local clinics in the coming weeks. Canadian Blood Services are looking to fill 33,000 open appointment slots nationally.

The clinic in Richmond needs to collect 38 units of blood. Canadian Blood Services is hosting a donor clinic on Monday, February 10th at St. Philip’s Catholic Church between 4:30pm and 8:30pm.  Donors can book an appointment at www.blood.ca or by calling 1-888-236-6283.

Free Family Day Event at Goulbourn Museum

Family Day at Goulbourn Museum will feature an array of free activities for all ages. Families can pose for a photo keepsake in the Old-Fashioned Photo Booth, get creative at the craft station, play games, win prizes, and step back in time in the Museum’s replica village shop.

Visitors will also be the first to glimpse a piece of military history that was once pinned to the chest of one of Goulbourn’s War of 1812 heroes. After being passed down from generation to generation for 160 years, the family of Colonel George Burke has entrusted the Museum with his silver military medal. Burke’s medal will be added to the Museum’s 100th Regiment of Foot exhibition which is undergoing renovations to make the displays more accessible. Both the medal and the refreshed exhibit will be unveiled during the Museum’s Family Day event.

The Family Day festivities take place Monday, February 17 from 10:00am to 3:00pm. All ages are welcome, admission is free and light refreshments will be served. The Goulbourn Museum is located at 2064 Huntley Road, just south of Stittsville, at Stanley’s Corners. For more information, please visit http://goulbournmuseum.ca/whats-happening/ or call 613-831-2393 or join Goulbourn Museum on Facebook for regular updates.

*****

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

Flu season is upon us - vaccine information

/
12771851-23764933-thumbnail.jpg

This Friday, October 25th, I want to invite residents to help celebrate the opening of Major W. Ross Chamberlain Park at 10:00am.  Manotick’s newest park is located in the Mahogany community at 520 Bridgeport Avenue, directly in front of the new CHEO Dream Home.  Joined by Mayor Jim Watson, members of the Royal Canadian Legion, as well as members of Mr. Chamberlain’s family, this ceremony will also celebrate Mr. Chamberlain and all he contributed to our country and our community.

Women’s Day in Manotick

As November fast approaches, it is once again time for Manotick’s annual Women’s Day.  This great event, organized by the Manotick BIA, takes place on Saturday, November 2nd, between 10:00am and 5:00pm. Come discover (or rediscover) Manotick with its great shopping, fantastic restaurants and village charm.  Women’s Day Passports will be available at all participating retailers.  Get your passport stamped by all participating businesses, drop off your passport at the last location and you will be entered into a draw for great local prizes.  For more information, please visit www.manotickvillage.com.

Ottawa Public Health Flu Clinics

It’s that time of the year again and flu season is upon us. This year, there are more convenient options throughout the city for Ottawa residents to get their flu shot.

Ottawa Public Health will be starting community vaccine clinics on Saturday, October 26. This year, there are 22 clinics, including two by appointment only and an additional six public clinics at local hospitals. A full clinic listing, along with a complete list of more than 130 local pharmacies offering the vaccine, can be found online at ottawa.ca/flu.

As pharmacists can only administer the flu vaccine to residents over the age of five, OPH will also be holding flu vaccine clinics by appointment only for children under five years of age and for their parents and siblings at the OPH Immunization Clinic located on the main floor at 100 Constellation Drive.

Local clinics include Monday, November 4th, between 3:30-7:30pm, at Sacred Heart Catholic High School in Stittsville; Saturday, November 16th, between 9:00am and 2:00pm at the Richmond Arena; Wednesday, November 20th, between 3:30-7:30pm, at the Greely Community Centre.  Local pharmacies are also offering flu shots and they include Paul’s Pharmasave (Manotick), Rexall (Manotick), Richmond Pharmacy, Shoppers Drug Mart (Manotick), Shoppers Drug Mart (Stittsville) and Stittsville Pharmacy.

The influenza vaccine is for anyone six months of age and older who lives, works or goes to school in Ontario.

Residents are reminded:

  • the influenza vaccine is safe, and the most effective way to protect yourself and your family from the seasonal flu
  • to wash your hands with soap and water, or use hand sanitizer
  • to cover your coughs and sneezes with your arm, not your hand

For more information, visit ottawa.ca/flu or call the Ottawa Public Health Information Line at 613-580-7744 (TTY: 613-580-9656).

Kids and Drugs Ottawa

Kids and Drugs Ottawa is a workshop for parents, guardians, friends and family members who are concerned about preventing their children from using drugs. This is an education program developed and presented by the local and provincial police forces to reach out and educate parents regarding drugs. This session is for parents of and /or youth leaders working with grades 5-9. It will cover current drug trends, signs and symptoms to look for, the role and power of parents, talking with children and helping them make good decisions.

The event will take place on November 2nd, from 9:00am - 12:00pm (registration opens at 8:30), St. James Church, 1138 Bridge Street in Manotick. Contact church office at 613-692-2082 or register online at kidsdrugs.eventbrite.ca. Cost is $10 for adults (to cover cost of coffee and snacks), free for youth leaders age 16-18. Registration is limited to 50 people.

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

Halloween Fun at Goulbourn Museum

There’s a horde of hair raising Halloween hijinks brewing at Goulbourn Museum! Mansion Mayhem is back by popular demand and the costumes, candy and cackling will be better than ever. The eerie afternoon adventure takes place Sunday, October 27 from 1 - 4 p.m. Parents can leave the kids at the Museum and enjoy some alone time while their little devils decorate edible haunted houses, make creepy crafts and play ghoulish games.

The workshop is geared to children aged 6-11 and costs $20 per child ($15 for Connexion Cardholders). Registration is required and this annual event fills up fast so call 613-831-2393 or email education@goulbournmuseum to reserve a spot. The Goulbourn Museum is located at 2064 Huntley Road, just south of Stittsville, at Stanley’s Corners. For more information, please the Goulbourn Museum's website or call 613-831-2393. Like the Museum’s Facebook page to get regular updates.

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

Goulbourn Museum’s March Break camp will create kid curators

/

This March Break the Goulbourn Museum is offering a one-of-a-kind camp experience for children aged 7-11.  At Camp Curator kids will get their very own curator kits, don pint-sized lab coats and gloves and learn how to handle artefacts, create their own exhibits and even conduct an archeological dig.

This week long camp will include crafts, games, a behind-the-scenes tour of the artefact collection (did you know the Museum has over 8,000 artefacts?), and visits from special guests.

Camp Curator takes place March 11-15 from 1-4:30 p.m. Cost is $125 per child for the week. Snacks are included. For more information or to register, please call 613-831-2393 or email [email protected].

The Goulbourn Museum is located at 2064 Huntley Road, just south of Stittsville, at Stanley’s Corners. For more information, please visit http://goulbournmuseum.ca/whats-happening/ or call 613-831-2393 or visit the Museum on Facebook.

City of Ottawa March Break Activities

From crafts to sports, the City of Ottawa has lots of activities for your family during the week of March 11-15 in recreation and culture facilities, pools and arenas. Find active and interesting camps in your neighbourhood or a specialty camp for the athlete or artist. For more information visit ottawa.ca. 

Column: Working at the Trail Road Waste Facility

/

Celebrating the life of Nick Newton

Last Sunday, I had the opportunity to attend a special event in honour of Nick Newton, a long time Manotick resident and endless volunteer.  This event, titled a Celebration of Life, was held at the Boys & Girls Club of Ottawa, a place that Mr. Newton helped raise over a million dollars in support.  At this event, individual after individual stood up and spoke about how much Mr. Newton touched their lives.  I had the honour of being there with Mayor Jim Watson to present Nick’s wife, Wendy, with a posthumous City Builder Award.  Nick Newton is a role model to many people and his memory and dedication to community will live on in all those he touched.

Manotick Community Meeting - March 7

During the Fall of 2012, I hosted meetings throughout Rideau-Goulbourn providing updates on various issues around the City and in our communities.  Since the Manotick Town Hall in October, a number of projects have moved forward and new issues have come forward.  Therefore, I have scheduled a meeting at the Manotick Arena on Thursday, March 7 from 7:00-9:00pm to discuss these issues and provide updates on the goings on around Manotick.  Items to be discussed include Van Vliet Extension, intersection improvements at Bridge Street & Dickinson Street along with Bridge Street & Manotick Main Street, and we’ll also provide updates on various developments throughout the village.  I’d also like to provide some information on Dickinson Square and the Requests for Expressions of Interest.  I’ll touch on this subject in my column next week as well.  More details about this meeting can be found in the Village Voice column in this very newspaper.

Councillor For Hire: Trail Road Waste Facility

On January 31st, I had the opportunity to spend the day as an employee at the Trail Road Waste Facility, Ottawa’s very own landfill off of Moodie Drive.  It was a cold, windy day but doesn’t stop the garbage trucks from rolling in.  In the morning, I worked the scale house where I did the weigh-ins for garbage trucks, residential waste, construction waste and a truck that barely had the life in the engine to make it up the ramp.  I thought he was bringing the truck to the dump but it turns out it was the contents.

I then went to check the temperatures of the leaf and yard waste compost wind rows.  As per the Ministry of the Environment, these need to be checked every day and need to be at least 55° Celsius.  While year round leaf and yard waste ends up at Orgaworld, the volume is so high during the fall and spring that this excess comes to Trail Road and is turned into compost on site.  After this, I went in to the new building currently under construction and did some painting.  It was the second of three coats, so clearly they didn’t trust to do that good of a job.

The rest of the day was spent on the landfill itself operating machinery, packing garbage, and bringing in material to provide cover at the end of the day.  At the end of each work day, all garbage is covered and at any given time, no more than a couple hundred square metres of garbage can actually be seen in plain sight.  It is a very impressive operation with plenty of jobs that keep the staff on site extremely busy and always moving.  After working with several different employees, one thing became very clear: these people love working here.  One individual told me that he feels he has the best job in the City of Ottawa.  It is a busy place with unpredictable weather, but there is a great team mentality here and that makes it a great place to work.

Having this landfill in Rideau-Goulbourn, it was a great opportunity to see how this operation works and also to see what happens with the different types of waste once they arrive on site.  Thanks to the staff and management for inviting me to spend the day at Trail Road as an employee.

Building a Liveable Ottawa 2031

Building a Liveable Ottawa 2031 is a city-wide review of land use, transportation and infrastructure policies that make up the Official Plan, Transportation Master Plan, Infrastructure Master Plan, Cycling Plan and the Pedestrian Plan, with an eye towards making Ottawa a more vibrant, healthy and sustainable city.

The focus of the review is to propose solutions to 12 current planning issues. The outcome of the review will be an updated Official Plan and Transportation Master Plan and supporting plans with policies and priorities that influence the future growth of our city for years to come.  When completed, the Plans will set the directions, policies and affordability priorities that will influence the future of the city for years to come.

City Council will approve the new Official Plan, Transportation Master Plan and supporting plans in December 2013. For rural residents, the proposed policies for Rural Lots and Villages, Mineral Resources and the Agricultural Land Evaluation may be of particular interest.  Tell what you think by completing our survey before March 1, 2013. For more information, visit ottawa.ca/liveableottawa and read the At a Glance backgrounders and the Preliminary Proposals in their entirety.

Goulbourn Museum Family Day Fun

Bring the entire clan to Goulbourn Museum on Family Day for crafting fun, games & a photo keepsake!  Pose for a family portrait at their Old-Fashioned Photo Booth with the option to don heritage costumes, stop at one of their craft stations, let the kids play in the replica village shop & enjoy light refreshments. 

The Family Day festivities take place Monday, February 18 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. All ages welcome. Admission is free. The Goulbourn Museum is located at 2064 Huntley Road, just south of Stittsville, at Stanley’s Corners. For more information, please visit http://goulbournmuseum.ca/whats-happening/ or call 613-831-2393 or visit us on Facebook: facebook.com/GoulbournMuseum

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

Kars Family Fun Day

Come out to the Kars Recreation Centre on February 16th from 10:00am to 2:00pm for the Kars Family Fun Day.  This event, organized by the Kars Recreation Association, will feature sleigh rides, skating and other fun activities such as Mad Science and Little Ray’s Reptiles.  Admission is free!

*****

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

Building a Liveable Ottawa 2031

/

Western Development Lands - Richmond

Before I get into other issues, I just want to remind residents of Richmond and beyond that the City is hosting a public meeting on a development application for 6335 Perth Street, which is the land between the Fire Hall and the Home Hardware.  This plan calls for 1000 homes phased in with between 50-100 units being built each year.  The meeting is to be held on February 13 at the Richmond Arena at 7:00pm.

Building a Liveable Ottawa 2031

The Official Plan Review for the City of Ottawa is officially underway.  The City’s Official Plan is reviewed every five years.  This is a year long process which results in an updated Official Plan that comes into effect in 2014.  As the Chair of the Rural Review Steering Committee, I am one of five Councillors on the Official Plan Sponsors Group and I look forward to being heavily involved in crafting this updated document.

Residents are encouraged go online to have their say on how their city grows in the future.  The City of Ottawa is reaching out to the public on how neighbourhoods, roads, water and sewer services, rural villages and cycling and walking pathways should be planned.  Building a Liveable Ottawa 2031 – a city-wide review of land use, transportation and infrastructure policies that feed into the City’s Official Plan, Transportation Plan, Infrastructure Master Plan and the Cycling and Pedestrian Plans – was launched on January 29.

The focus of the project and public engagement goes beyond a visioning exercise. It deals directly with proposed solutions to 12 current planning issues, which are profiled on ottawa.ca/liveableottawa. The site also features a summary of each issue and each proposal, a video, and feedback mechanisms, including a survey that is available until March 1. Residents are urged to review the information before providing their survey responses.

The rural component to this review specifically speaks to no expansion of village boundaries but also at where to direct rural growth.  Richmond, Manotick and Greely are projected to see the majority of the growth in the coming years.  However, with the current development applications in Manotick and Richmond, the projections match the planning targets so this will not create new pressure on either village.

2013 Canadian Junior Curling Championships

Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the send-off for Manotick’s very own rink of Jamie Sinclair, Holly Donaldson, Katelyn Wasylkiw and Erin Jenkins to the 2013 M&M Meat Shops Junior Curling Championship in Fort McMurray, Alberta.  Along with their coach, Graham Sinclair, it was a great night to celebrate their achievements at the Manotick Curling Club and wish them luck as they headed out to Alberta.  The Championships are currently underway and at the time of printing this, Team Sinclair is 3-0.  The finals are this weekend and their progress can be followed at www.curling.ca.  Good luck girls!

North Gower Cooperative Nursery School

Straying from the usual dance and silent auction, this year the NGCNS will present their first ever Casino Royale & Silent Auction at the Alfred Taylor Recreation Centre in North Gower on Saturday, February 23.  The evening will include black jack, poker, martinis and some appetizers provided by AJ’s Catering as well as The Whalesbone Oyster House.  The Master of Ceremonies for the evening will be yours truly so come on out and enjoy a great night all the while supporting the Nursery School.  Doors open at 8:00pm and tickets are available at Roxy’s Salon in North Gower, Kit & Kaboodles in Manotick and from any NGCNS parent at a cost of $15.  Tickets will also be available at the door.  For more information, please visit www.ngcns.com.

An Evening of Port & Chocolate at Watson’s Mill

Port and Chocolate has always been a favourite pairing and what better way to accentuate our winter season than with a night dedicated to this attractive relationship. On Friday February 8 at 7:30 p.m., Watson’s Mill is excited to host a romantic evening that will expose the tempestuous flavour of our closest comfort food with the best full bodied wine. Leading guests into this passionate night of selected tapas, sweets and port will be Lori Savignac, Chocolate Lover Extraordinaire, who will deliver classic romantic readings, explain pairings and perhaps give a little chocolate trivia. Manotick’s French Café will be providing the desserts and tapas. All proceeds go to the ongoing operation of Watson’s Mill.

Tickets for this event are $35.00 (must be legal drinking age) and can be purchased at the Watson’s Mill Office, French Café, or Manotick Office Pro. There are a limited number of tickets, so call today to reserve: 613-692-6455.

Maple Madness at Goulbourn Museum

Join the Goulbourn Museum for all things maple at their P.A. Day program February 15. Wear your most Canadian outfit, make some maple treats and learn the art of maple syrup. There will be games and activities aplenty.  The fun takes place on Friday, February 15 from 1-4:30 p.m. and is geared to children ages 7-11 years. Cost is $25 per child. Snacks will be provided.

To register please call the Goulbourn Museum at: 613-831-2393 or email: [email protected].  The Goulbourn Museum is located at 2064 Huntley Road, just south of Stittsville, at Stanley’s Corners. For more information, please visit http://goulbournmuseum.ca/whats-happening/, call 613-831-2393 or visit us on Facebook.

Ottawa South United Registration

Ottawa’s only GOLD-rated Soccer Club by the Ontario Soccer Association is beginning registration for all Summer Programs on February 6, 2013.  Celebrating its 10th Anniversary of Soccer Excellence, OSU is proud to offer programs for all ages and abilities.  Programs fill up quickly, so don’t be disappointed – check out our website at www.osu.ca for a list of programs and registration information.

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

What's happening in Rideau-Goulbourn in 2013?

/
2013-Happy-New-Year.jpg

Another year is upon us and I’d like to wish everyone in Rideau-Goulbourn a Happy New Year!  I am looking forward to a very positive, productive 2013 and I’d like to share some of the things we’ll be working on together this year.

Ottawa on the Move

The Ottawa on the Move program, which saw the 2012 resurfacing of Donnelly Drive/Fourth Line Road, as well as the portion of Dwyer Hill Road between Franktown Road and Bleeks Road, will have a large impact on the Goulbourn portion of the ward this year.  In Richmond, Ottawa Street will be resurfaced from McBean Street to Eagleson while at the same time; King Street will be resurfaced from Ottawa Street to the river.  If there are any concerns you’d like to see addressed during this project, please let me know.  In Ashton, Ormrod Road and Ashton Station Road will be resurfaced through the village as will Flewellyn Road, from Ashton Station Road to Munster Road.  In the former West Carleton portion of Rideau-Goulbourn, Rothbourne Road will be resurfaced as well.  Mansfield Road, from Munster Road to Conley Road is on the schedule for 2014.

Goulbourn Area

The planning process for the western development lands in Richmond will move forward with a community meeting on February 13.  This will be the first opportunity for the village to speak with the developer and have a look at the plans.  Another project that enters into a planning and design phase will be the Highway 7 Service Road that will connect Country Club Village to Jinkinson Road to the east.  I look forward to working with the community on both of these projects and making sure the needs of the communities are met.

We’ll also hopefully see some additions to the Richmond Marketplace in 2013, as well as the grand opening of the new Hyde Park apartment building.  I also hope to focus on the Richmond Plaza and see how we can make this once vibrant centre something to be admired once again.

Rideau Area

The biggest project this year in Manotick will be the Van Vliet Extension, slated to begin in April.  The property has been acquired by the City and the house on site will be demolished early this year to make way for the new road construction which will see Van Vliet extended into the existing Bridge Street/Long Island Road intersection.  As part of this project, a sidewalk will be installed on the west side of the road connecting Bridge Street down to the Manotick Curling Club along South River Drive.  Although not confirmed as of yet, we are working on a project to be paired with this one as well.  This project would replace the proposed pedestrian crosswalk with a full set of traffic control signals at the corner of Dickinson Street and Bridge Street.  If it goes forward, this project would include realigning Dickinson Street so that it lines up with Dickinson Circle and would provide safe crossing for pedestrians in all directions.  I’ll have more details on this project as we go forward.

From a village planning perspective, the zoning applications stemming from the 2012 Village Review will come to Committee and Council early this year which will improve the ability for home based businesses in rural villages.  As it was pulled from the Village Review, Manotick will undergo a full Secondary Plan Review in 2013 and I will keep the community informed of the process as soon as possible.  I am looking forward to working with the community on developing a plan that meets the needs of Manotick for today and tomorrow.

In further planning for the future, the Environmental Assessment for the Greenbank Road re-alignment will continue in 2013 and will look at the intersections of Prince of Wales & Bankfield Road as well as First Line Road & Bankfield Road.  Preliminary design work will also be done at First Line & Bankfield on improving the intersection and adding control signals.  These planning projects will definitely help as we deal with future growth, especially since 2013 will see the first of many new Manotick residents moving into the Mahogany development.

The Manotick Mill Quarter Community Development Corporation will hold its first meeting of the 2013 this month.  Following that, we will enter into a Request for Expressions of Interest process which will bring forward interested parties in the properties owned by the City in Dickinson Square.  This process will then lead into the Request for Offers process.  The entire process will likely take the full year and the community will be involved as we move forward.  I will be looking to host at least two open houses to keep the community updated on the process and to gain valuable input prior to any decision making.

City-Wide

From a City-wide perspective, there will be major projects throughout the City including the redevelopment of Lansdowne Park as well as the commencement of LRT construction.  Ottawa on the Move will invest money in road projects across Ottawa including portions of Sussex Drive, Baseline Road, Fallowfield Road, Woodroffe Avenue and Meadowlands Drive, among others.  Greenbank Road will be widened to four lanes in Barrhaven between Malvern and Strandherd Drive.  On the fun side of things, Ottawa will be hosting the 2013 Women’s World Hockey Championships this April at the Scotiabank Place and planning will continue for the 2017 celebrations of Canada’s 150th.

I hope everyone has a fantastic 2013 and I look forward to working with you again this year.

Kanata Chamber of Commerce Business Awards

With Goulbourn being a part of the Kanata Chamber of Commerce, the time of year is now upon us to recognize the best we have to offer in the 2013 People’s Choice Business Awards.  Just go to kanatachamber.com to register and vote for your favourite in a variety of categories.  Local entries include the Richmond Village Association (Community Support/Non-Profit Organization), the Canadian Golf & Country Club, Saunders Farm and the Richmond Fair in the Tourism Business category and Saunders Farm as well in the Large Business category.  In the Small Business category, there is Bayview Windows, Century Roofing & Siding, Jabulani Vineyard & Winery, Kerr Karpentry, Sonya Kinkade Design as well as Sue’s Hair Advantage and Spotlight Hair Studio & Spa, both of whom are also nominated in the Health & Wellness category.  Last, but certainly not least, Rideau-Goulbourn’s very own John Curry is nominated in the Citizen of the Year category.

Citizen of the Year will be selected by a panel but all other categories are open to the voting public.  Keep in mind that all of these great local businesses are up against businesses from Stittsville so get onto www.kanatachamber.com and show your support for Rideau-Goulbourn!

Skating & Tobogganing in the City of Ottawa

The City of Ottawa has opened its 56 approved sledding hills. Outdoors enthusiasts are invited to sled while weather and hill conditions permit, and to keep personal safety in mind while sledding. Approved sledding hill locations, including those in rural Ottawa, are available at ottawa.ca. You can also join in the outdoor winter fun at one of the City of Ottawa’s 247 outdoor rinks!  Check the online map for the rink nearest you, including several in rural Ottawa.

Goulbourn Museum PA Day Event

Did you know there’s a Goulbourn in Australia? Come ‘down under’ for the day and join the Goulbourn Museum as they explore the Australian outback. Come dressed in your best safari outback attire and discover Australia’s indigenous animals with a visit from Little Ray’s Reptiles. Kids will also learn the traditional art of dot painting and make their very own boomerangs. The fun takes place on Friday, January 18th from 1-4:30 pm on the first PA Day of the New Year and is open to children ages 7-10 years (Grades 2-5). Space is limited and children must be pre-registered to guarantee a spot. Cost is $25 per child. Snacks will be provided. To register, please contact the Goulbourn Museum at 613-831-2393 or by email at [email protected] .

*****

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

COLUMN: City of Ottawa's Website

/

I’d like to start off this week by thanking and congratulating all the volunteers involved with the successful running of the 50th North Gower Winter Carnival.  It was another great year in North Gower with incredible weather that helped bring out many families and nearly 100 snowmobiles for the Snowmobile Poker Rally.

The third in the Rideau-Goulbourn series of winter festivals is this weekend in the quaint village of Munster.  I’d like to personally invite you to join myself and the Munster Community Association in kicking off the Munster Winter Carnival on Friday night at 7pm at the Munster Community Centre.  How many times can I say Munster in one paragraph?  The grand opening will be followed by an evening public skate on the outdoor rink and there will also be a movie night at Danby’s Bar & Grill featuring “Winter – A Dolphin’s Tale”.  The events continue throughout Saturday with a Chili Cook Off, Pancake Breakfast, Kid Zone, and contests at the local rink.  Cap off the night with live music at Danby’s.  Please visit www.rideaugoulbourn.ca for the full schedule of events.

Ottawa.ca

The City of Ottawa’s website not only has a new look, but has new functionality.  My goal as Councillor is always to provide better service to the residents of Rideau-Goulbourn and the rest of Ottawa.  Through the newly created Service Ottawa program, we are doing just that.  Last week, we launched the first phase of the new ottawa.ca.  In the coming months, there will be a second launch of the site that will make it even more user friendly, but for now, here are some of the changes.

Residents can now complete 250 service transactions online such as book and pay for last-minute ice time, make some payments, report graffiti, make a Bylaw or Parking complaint, request a recycling bin or a garbage and recycling calendar, request road maintenance, register for classes and activities, and report a pot hole.

The new Service Ottawa gateway is located on the right side of the main page and is extremely easy to use.  Upon issuing any service request, you will be given a tracking number and you can use the Service Ottawa program to follow up online to see what action has been taken.

The Service Ottawa program will produce a $40 million savings annually by the end of 2014.  For those of you who do not regularly use the internet, rest assured that calls can still be made to our 311 call centre or also by calling 613-580-2400 if you are outside the 311 call area.

Watson’s Mill Wine Tasting

The Wine Tasting event at Watson’s Mill takes place on Friday, February 24 from 7:30-9:30pm.  Featuring the great crew at Main Street Cellar, this super event is sure to tickle the most knowledgeable taste buds in town! With their paid admission, participants will be lead through a fun evening of specialty wines paired with even nicer hors d'oeuvres. Are you up for the challenge?? Event proceeds to the Raise the Roof campaign; in partnership with Manotick's Main Street Cellar. Tickets are $35 per person, and available for purchase at the Watson's Mill office or by phone with a visa card. Call now: space is limited! 613-692-6455. Must be legal drinking age.

OC Transpo Route 201

 For just over a month, the 201 has been running on Mondays and taking Richmond residents into Carlingwood and other destinations.  After looking at the design of the route over the first few weeks, I requested a slight change that would see the bus go through King’s Grant.  Starting in April, this change will be made.  Currently the bus turns left at Huntley and into Stittsville.  The change will see the bus continue down Perth Street, turn into King’s Grant and come back out onto Huntley via Queenston.  It is a minor change but one that will allow the 201 to touch all neighbourhoods in Richmond.

Cupids & Crafts

Create heartfelt decorations, gifts, and cards at Goulbourn Museum's next family craft & activity day. Join your children at the Museum on Sunday February 12th from 1-4pm for the annual Cupids & Crafts event.

This family event costs only $3 per child and is recommended for children ages 4-12. Parent accompaniment required. Please call 613-831-2393 or email [email protected] to register and guarantee a spot.

Please note: the History Centre will be closed during the event. The Goulbourn Museum is located at 2064 Huntley Road, just south of Stittsville, at Stanley’s Corners.