A message from Shawn
Capital Ward Cup 2024
Join us for an annual Capital Ward tradition where residents join community hockey teams to compete in a friendly game of shinny for the Capital Ward Cup. The Capital Ward Cup was first awarded in 2008. The current Capital Ward Cup holder is the Old Ottawa East Hosers, who won it from the then defending champs, the Old Ottawa South Moose, on their turf last year. The current champs will be hosting the tournament in Old Ottawa East this year on Sunday, February 11 at 10:00 am at Brantwood Park. You can RSVP to join us as a spectator, or sign up to join a local community team and play hockey for the cup, here! More information about the tournament, including the rules of play, can be found at the same link. We hope to see you there.
On voluntary community benefits and developer influence: A recap of the Katasa Memorandum of Understanding
As some of you may have seen in the media recently, there have been several stories about a yet to be signed draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for affordable housing and traffic safety in Ward 17 that was to be voluntarily entered into by a developer who has several developments in the ward, approved by Planning Committee (Katasa). I have put together some background information and have responded to some of the misleading commentary on this issue here.
Coffeehouses on sustainability
The Glebe Community Association in collaboration with CAFES is hosting a series of Coffee Houses on Sustainability. Knowledgeable neighbours will be sharing their experiences on the following topics over the next few months:
- Homes and energy – January 27, 9:30 to 11:30 am, Glebe Community Centre,
- Reducing your carbon footprint – February 24, 9:30 to 11:30 am, Glebe Community Centre
- Greenspace and water management – March 24, 9:30 to 11:30 am, Glebe Community Centre
- Transportation – April 27, 9:30 to 11:30 am, Glebe Community Centre
- Responsible consumption – May 5, 9:30 to 11:30 am, Glebe Community Centre
- Basement flooding – June 8, 9:30 to 11:30 am, Jim Durrell Recreation Centre
The homes and energy coffee house on Saturday, January 27 will feature a presentation on the City’s Better Homes Ottawa Loan Program at 9:30 am. You can also hear from homeowners who will be sharing their experiences on solar panels, heat pumps, insulation, air tightness, energy efficient appliances, windows and doors.
Find out more and register on Eventbrite.
Public Information Session—Open House
Bank Street Renewal, Phase 1 (Riverside Drive to Collins Avenue)
The City of Ottawa invites you to attend a Public Information Session—Open House to discuss the upcoming construction starting in your neighbourhood in 2024. Detailed design drawings will be on display for your review and staff will be present to answer any questions and receive comments. There will not be a formal presentation at this open house. Please attend at your leisure.
Tuesday, February 13, 2024
6:30 to 8:30 pm
Jim Durrell Recreation Centre, Ellwood Hall
1265 Walkley Road, Ottawa
The proposed renewal of Bank Street includes the installation, rehabilitation and/or replacement of various components of the underground infrastructure including watermains and sanitary and storm sewers. The project also includes the rehabilitation of streetscape elements including sidewalk, cycling, transit and vehicle provisions, street lighting, traffic signals and streetscape improvements.
Construction is planned to start late spring 2024 and be completed by fall 2026.
More information about the project can be found at www.ottawa.ca/BankStreet.
Your Capital Ward
Photo by Jamie Brougham
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.
Join Volunteer Ottawa at its Community Breakfast Open House on February 22!
This mid-winter celebration will warm your heart with inspiring stories of Ottawa’s volunteers and the difference they make at charities and non-profits throughout the city. The open house features a light breakfast, information kiosks about volunteering and prize draws. Ticket sales and donations will directly support Volunteer Ottawa’s programs and services.
Get your pay-what-you-can ticket now and be a part of this celebration of Ottawa’s volunteers:
Event: Community Breakfast for Volunteer Ottawa
Venue: Rideau Hub Cafeteria, 815 St. Laurent Blvd. Ottawa (free parking)
Date: Thursday, February 22, 2024
Time: 8:00 – 10:00 AM
Register before February 16th on the Volunteer Ottawa website.
Interested in a sponsorship or donating a door prize? Contact [email protected].
Idling Control By-law Review
The City of Ottawa is conducting a review of its vehicle Idling Control By-law (2007-266). This by-law was enacted in 2007 to reduce unnecessary vehicle idling by all drivers in Ottawa with the aim of improving local air quality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
What is idling?
Idling is running a vehicle’s engine when the vehicle is not in motion and when the engine is not operating equipment essential to the basic function of the vehicle. It commonly takes place outside of businesses or residences when waiting to pick someone or something up, when preparing to leave the house or office, or when otherwise being stationary with the engine running.
Did you know that idling is harmful to your health and wastes money?
- According to Ottawa Public Health,(External link) emissions from vehicles are a major contributor to air pollution in Ottawa.
- Idling your vehicle for 10 minutes can cost between 300 and 500 millilitres(External link) in wasted fuel depending on the size of the engine. If you idle often, it could cost you hundreds of dollars a year. Wasted fuel is wasted money.
- Vehicle idling creates emission impacts(External link). Every litre of gasoline that you use produces 2.3 kilograms of carbon dioxide. Every litre of diesel that you use produces 2.7 kilograms of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is the principal greenhouse gas emission contributing to climate change impacts.
Current idling regulations
The City of Ottawa’s Idling Control By-law currently limits idling to three consecutive minutes every 60 minutes when the temperature is between 5°C and 27°C. When the temperature is colder than 5°C or hotter than 27°C, there is no idling time limit. The by-law also lists certain vehicles or situations exempt from the idling time limit.
Get involved
The City of Ottawa is seeking your input as an important part of the Idling Control By-law review. Please complete the survey below to tell us about your experience with idling and share your comments on the by-law. This survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete and will remain open until Friday, 15 March 2024.
Your responses will be considered as part of the City’s review that will be presented to Council in Fall 2024.
For any individuals or businesses that identify their vehicles as a mobile workshop(External link), an armoured vehicle, a private transit(External link) vehicle, or as engaging in normal farm practices(External link), we would like to consult further with you. Please contact [email protected](External link) for additional information.
If you have any questions about the review or survey or if you require accessibility support, please contact [email protected](External link).
Register now for winter activities, March break and summer camps
Start planning your recreation and culture activities for 2024! Spring activities and before and after school programs online January 30. Aquatics registration is February 13. Recreation, culture and before/after school programs registration is February 15.The City of Ottawa’s March break and summer camps are online now for browsing at register.ottawa.ca.
Camps are affordable and flexible and children are supervised by qualified staff in a safe and enriching environment. They are offered in English and French for children aged four to 14, both in-person and virtual.
Participants will make new friends, be creative and get active with arts, crafts, music, games and sports - the options are endless. They will enjoy all the amenities that the City has to offer, from art studios to parks and play structures, rinks, sports fields, tennis and basketball courts, pools, splash pads and gymnasiums.
In 2024, Ottawa residents will receive a 10 percent discount on some of the City’s most popular summer camps. These summer camps include Ottawa Adventure, Energy, Fun and Friends, and Bout d’choux. Convenient payment plans are also available.
There are camps for children of all ages and interests. If science and technology is your child’s thing, register for a junior computer programming, prototyping or robotics activity. Children who love the arts will adore the drama, dance, improvisation, sculpture, drawing and painting camps. For specialized arts programs delivered by professional instructors, sign up for an arts camp at the Nepean Visual Arts Centre or Shenkman Arts Centre.
Let’s not forget the teens! Consider leadership camps or swim certification programs to build teamwork, decision-making and problem-solving skills that are foundational to a career in many fields.
Campers can learn new skills, drills and strategies in tennis, badminton, touch football, ball hockey, basketball, hockey, martial arts, skating, soccer, volleyball, swimming and more.
Looking for a specialized service or camp for family members with exceptionalities? Be sure to browse the Inclusive Recreation activities and learn about specialized programs and integration support such as Shared Care.
Other important dates
Mark your calendars with these dates for the City’s spring and summer programs:
- Spring activities and before and after school programs for the 2024/25 academic school year are online Tuesday, January 30
- Registration for spring aquatics opens Tuesday, February 13
- Registration for all other recreation, culture and before/after school activities opens Thursday, February 15
- Summer programs are online Tuesday, April 30
- Registration for summer aquatics opens Tuesday, May 14
- Registration for all other summer recreation and culture activities open Thursday, May 16
To avoid missing registration dates and to get the most up-to-date information on City recreation and culture programs, subscribe to DiscoverRec.
Invitation to Emergency Preparedness for Persons with Disabilities
Please join the City of Ottawa for a discussion on emergency preparedness for persons with disabilities.
The City’s Office of Emergency Management, Accessibility Office and Ottawa Public Health will provide information and resources with a focus on key emergency preparedness considerations for those living with disabilities.
The second portion of the session will be a facilitated discussion to learn about the needs, perspectives, concerns and questions shared by attendees, as well as explore opportunities for further collaboration with you.
Topics include:
- Preparing for emergencies
- Making a plan
- Preparing a kit
- Staying connected
When: Tuesday February 13, 2024
Time: 1pm to 3pm (EDT)
Location: Virtual Event over Zoom
Registration will be open until 4:00 pm Monday February 12. A Zoom link will be shared with registrants the evening before the event.
To promote the inclusion of all participants, the following supports are in place for the event:
- American Sign Language (ASL)
- Langue des signes québécoise (LSQ)
- Continuous real-time captioning in English and French
- Simultaneous English and French audio translation
Annual Frozen Water Pipes Service Notices
The City of Ottawa provides clean and safe drinking water to more than 950,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers. The water is delivered through more than 3,200 kilometers of underground pipelines.
Depending on location and installation year of a water service pipe, some are not buried as deeply or properly insulated as others, meaning they are at risk of freezing at this time of year. Approximately 2,000 Ottawa homes and businesses may be impacted by frozen water service pipes.
During typical winters in Ottawa, some homes and businesses experience a frozen water service pipe that prevents water from reaching their internal plumbing. To minimize the risk of water service interruption, as many as 2,000 customers may proactively receive Frozen Water Service Warning – Run Water Notification letters.
The city will issue notices to customers who have previously experienced a frozen water service pipe and have not had the service replaced at a lower level, using a phased notification process.
How to prevent frozen water service pipes?
While the City maintains the water infrastructure up to the water shut-off valve, it is the homeowner’s and businesses’ responsibility to maintain their plumbing and water service pipes. Residents and businesses can protect the water service pipes on their private property, between the water shut-off valve and the home or business, in a variety of ways:
- Proactively insulate pipes near exterior walls
- Ensure the indoor air temperature is kept above eight degrees Celsius in areas that contain water service pipes, especially near the water meter
- Additional information is available on ottawa.ca and on social media Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram
Ottawa’s water is world-class; preventative steps taken now will ensure it continues to arrive at your tap.
