A Better Lansdowne
This week, I attended Let’s Talk Lansdowne, a public event hosted by local community groups to discuss the city’s updated Lansdowne 2.0 proposal. It was great seeing so many engaged residents come out to speak in favour of something better for the park than what has been proposed.
I want to thank everyone who took the time to attend and speak, and, of course, all residents who volunteered their time to put on the event. Ottawa is better for the work of residents and volunteer community groups. Thank you.
Last week as the city released the new proposal, we released an analysis the report, highlighting “the good, the bad and the ugly” of the proposal. This serves as an overview of what’s been improved and what still needs to be improved upon. We also released our full comments on the report [PDF], diving deeper into the details, and providing a broader view of the work left to do.
If you want to delegate to committee after the rally, please click here. Delegations can be conducted in-person or using Zoom.
The full report can be found on the city’s council agenda page.
The deadline to register by phone to speak or submit written comments or visual presentations is 4:00 pm on November 1. The deadline to register to speak by email is 8:30 am on November 2.
You will also be able to watch the meeting via city council’s YouTube channel.
The City Budget and You: A Community Consultation
Join Councillors Menard, Troster and Leiper to learn about the City of Ottawa’s 2024 budget and share your priorities. We will discuss opportunities to enhance frontline services and infrastructure in the urban core.
The consultation will be held on Wednesday October 18 at 7:00 pm over Zoom.
Visit our website to RSVP.
Highway 417 will close October 19 to 24 for Percy Street bridge replacement
The Ministry of Transportation Ontario will be closing the following sections of Highway 417 for the rapid bridge replacement over Percy Street, starting at 8:00 pm on Thursday, October 19 until around 6:00 am on Tuesday, October 24:
- Eastbound lanes between Carling/Kirkwood and Metcalfe
- Westbound lanes between Metcalfe/Catherine and Bronson.
Lane reductions and ramp closures are scheduled to start at 7:00 pm on Thursday, October 19, with the full closure of Highway 417 scheduled to be in place by 8:00 pm. The replacement timeline has been extended beyond the usual Monday reopening to accommodate any fall weather that could impact concrete and paving work.
The following access ramps will also close:
- O’Connor westbound
- Lyon westbound (ongoing)
- Maitland eastbound
- Carling eastbound
- Parkdale eastbound
The following detours will be in effect during the closure:
Westbound detour for Highway 417 closure
- Westbound motorists must exit the highway at Metcalfe/Catherine
- Continue westbound on Catherine Street
- Take the Highway 417 Bronson westbound access ramp
Eastbound detour for Highway 417 closure
- Eastbound motorists must exit the highway at Carling/Kirkwood
- Continue eastbound on Carling Avenue
- Turn right on Bronson Avenue
- Take ramp to eastbound Riverside Drive
- Continue eastbound on Riverside Drive
- Take the Highway 417 Riverside eastbound access ramp (just before the 417 bridge)
Critical Mass Ride
A Critical Mass Ride will take place on Saturday, October 14 at 10am starting at the Canadian War Museum and ending at Patterson Creek Park. This fun and welcoming bike ride is open to all and will be an empowering demonstration of the need for safe active transportation infrastructure.
Your Capital Ward
Photo by Marianne Pushavetz
If you have a photo you’d like to share in an upcoming bulletin, please send it to [email protected], with the subject line Your Capital Ward. Please give us your name for attribution…or tell us if you’d rather not have your name shared.
Council approves new by-law for outdoor clothing donation boxes
This week, city council approved a new by-law for outdoor clothing donation boxes(link is external) in Ottawa, including a mandatory permit system and regulations, to come into effect January 31, 2024.
Clothing donation box owners would need to obtain a city permit and follow regulations around box placement, signage, safety and maintenance. The proposed annual permit fee is $500, plus $150 per box operated by the permit holder.
Boxes would need to display the owner’s name and contact information. Charities and not-for-profits would need to display their valid registration numbers while non-charitable organizations would need to indicate clearly that they are not a registered charity. Box owners would be responsible for ensuring their boxes are regularly emptied and maintained, are safely designed and are placed in safe and secure, well-lit areas.
Donation boxes at city facilities will also be included under the new permit system; however, only registered charities could place boxes at city facilities, and only at specific, pre-approved locations.
The by-law would allow the city to prevent and address common concerns about outdoor clothing donations boxes. These include donated items left outside of boxes, waste and debris left at box locations, incorrect or misleading information on boxes, boxes placed on private property without consent, potential safety risks, theft, vandalism and illegal dumping. It would also help inform future initiatives to divert more textiles from the city’s landfill, by collecting donation data from permit holders annually.
Children’s Vision Health Month
October is Children’s Vision Health Month and Ottawa Public Health (OPH) has plenty of vision health promotion activities happening now and throughout the year. OPH has a role to highlight the importance of eye health and encourage parents to take their children and youth to a local optometrist.
This month, close to 20,000 vision health postcards will be distributed to junior and senior kindergarten students in 225 schools across Ottawa. Factsheets will be distributed to schools and posted on strategic school bulletin boards. This information will help parents, teachers and school staff identify students who might have vision problems, and how to make an appointment with an optometrist.
On Thursday, October 19, Dr. Joshua Smith will be the guest optometrist for a Vision Health Day on the Parenting in Ottawa Facebook page. OPH will share information addressing Amblyopia (lazy eye), the use of drops for children and OHIP eye exam coverage. Check out the Parenting in Ottawa Facebook page on October 19 to join in the discussion.
Remember, if you have children aged 19 years and younger, a valid OHIP card will cover the cost of a full examination with an optometrist. Book an appointment today!
Y Embassy Chef Showcase October 24
The YMCA of the National Capital Region is thrilled to announce a culinary event that could only be held in Canada’s Capital: The Y Embassy Chef Showcase! Taking place on October 24, 2023 (United Nations Day), this special event will feature authentic dishes and beverages created by talented chefs from around the world in the spirit of friendly competition, cultural diversity and inclusion. Guests will have the chance to cast their votes for different awards including People’s Choice, Best Beverage, Best-Dressed Booth, and more.
This cocktail-style event and reception will be held at the John G. Diefenbaker Building, located at 111 Sussex Drive, and lasts from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Each participating Embassy will treat event guests to small bites (and sips) from their home country. In addition, there will be an opportunity to provide international performances, and more. Tickets are on sale now.
The Ottawa Police Services Board wants your input on its Draft Strategic Plan
At a special meeting on October 6, the Ottawa Police Services Board (OPSB) presented its Draft Strategic Plan for the Ottawa Police Service (OPS). The plan will guide the priorities for the OPS over the next three years.
As part of the OPSB and Service’s commitment to continuous community engagement, and following initial community outreach, the OPSB is now looking to re-engage residents and other stakeholders to ensure the draft strategic plan and priorities are reflective of the feedback previously received.
Please take a moment to provide your feedback by completing this survey.
The deadline to complete the survey is October 16, 2023. The feedback will be incorporated into the final strategic plan, to be considered by the Board for approval at its November 27 regular meeting.
