Thanks, Carolyn!
This month, I had the honour to present Old Ottawa South resident Carolyn Inch with a Letter of Commendation that the mayor and I signed.The letter is in recognition of Carolyn’s efforts advocating and creating resources for Ottawa’s older adult population, including her advocacy work through Seniors Watch Old Ottawa South and the Seniors Health Innovations Hub, and her work on creating a Guide to Healthy Aging in the Community. The letter was presented as part of the March board meeting of the Old Ottawa South Community Association.
Coffee House on Sustainability
On Sunday March 24, the third Coffee House on Sustainability will be open from 9:30 to 11:30 am at the Glebe Community Centre, 175 Third Avenue, Ottawa ON.
The Coffee House on Sustainability—Greenspace & Water will include three short presentations on ‘Sustainable Garden Practices’ (Tara Beauchamp), ‘Urban Forestry’ (Owen Clarkin) and ‘Water Management’ (Conor Renouf, Rain Ready Ottawa). There will be knowledgeable neighbours sharing their experiences on pollinator plants, rain gardens, native trees, permeable pavement, and more. These Ottawa residents want to share knowledge gained when making sustainable choices for their greenspaces that impact the biodiversity and resiliency of our communities. What worked, what didn’t work and what did they wish they’d known before making the change?
Admission is free, but please register for the event here: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/coffee-houses-on-sustainability-2828129.
Coffee and cookies will be available on a first come, first served basis but attendees must bring their own mug!
Funded by the City of Ottawa's Community Environment Project Grant Program (CEPGP), the Glebe Community Association & the Community Associations For Environmental Sustainability (CAFES).
Glebe BIA Website launch
This month, the Glebe BIA has officially launched its new and improved website! It’s got all the information you need on Glebe BIA businesses, news and events. Check it out: www.intheglebe.ca.
Lansdowne 2.0 Procurement Analysis Report
The city has released its report Lansdowne 2.0 Procurement Options Analysis and Recommendations. In the report, staff recommend working with the current project architect consultants Brisbin Brook Beynon Architects, who were retained by OSEG as the lead consultant to deliver this work. Staff also recommend using a Design-Bid-Build procurement model for the design and construction of the Event Centre and North Side Stands.
Click here to download the full report.
We remain concerned with the risks and financial assumptions underpinning the Lansdowne 2.0 project, as well as the decision to pre-select an architectural firm rather than having a competitive bid. You can read our full comments in the body or the report or by clicking here.
The report will be considered at the Finance and Corporate Services Committee meeting on Tuesday April 2 at 9:30 am. If you wish to speak at the committee meeting or would like to submit written comments, please contact the Committee Coordinator Melinda Aston at (613) 580-2424, ext. 21838, or [email protected].
Nearly New Sale!
Head over to Rideau Park United Church at 2203 Alta Vista Drive for their Spring Nearly New Sale. You can pick up some new-to-you spring and summer clothes, stock up on books for summer reading, peruse the selection of jewellery…and much more. There’ll be treasures for customers of all ages.
Sale times: Friday April 12, 6:00 to 8:00 pm and Saturday April 13, 9:00 to 11:30 am.
You drop off donations on Thursday April 11 (all day) and Friday April 12 (9:00 am to noon).
Joy of Sharing Concert
Foodsharing Ottawa is presenting "Joy of Sharing" with music from Big Soul Project and Deep Groove Band on Saturday, April 20, at 7:30pm, at Trinity Anglican Church, 1230 Bank Street. Proceeds from the sale of tickets will be used by Foodsharing Ottawa to support fairer, more sustainable ways of distributing, using and disposing of food.
Your Capital Ward
Photo by Susan Cartwright
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.
Weekend closure to Bank Street southbound from Sunnyside to Cameron
Starting Friday, March 22 at 6 pm until Monday, March 25 at 6 am, Bank Street, from Sunnyside Avenue to Cameron Avenue, will be closed to southbound traffic.
The southbound lane closure is required to accommodate sanitary sewer works beneath Bank Street as part of the Grove Avenue and Grosvenor Avenue Integrated Road, Sewer and Watermain Project.
Bank Street businesses remain open for business as usual.
OC Transpo services heading southbound on Bank Street will not be impacted and will be permitted through the work zone.
Vehicles heading southbound on Bank Street will be detoured via Sunnyside Avenue, Bronson Avenue, and Riverside Drive.
Heavy trucks heading southbound on Bank Street will be detoured via Catherine Street, Bronson Avenue and Riverside Drive.
The sidewalk on the west side of Bank Street between Glen Avenue and Ossington Avenue will be closed. The sidewalk on the east side of Bank Street will not be impacted.
Northbound cyclists can share the open lane with other northbound traffic. Southbound cyclists are encouraged to walk their bikes on the sidewalk on the east side of Bank Street through the work zone, or detour via Glen Avenue to Grosvenor Avenue and Cameron Avenue.
2024-2028 Child Care and Early Years Service System Plan (SSP)
The City of Ottawa is seeking feedback from families with children 0-12 years or those expecting to in the next 9 months. This feedback will be used to help develop the 2024-2028 Service System Plan (SSP) which is a road map that will ensure we are responding to local needs and strengthening the local child care and early years system to ensure children get the best start in life.
The city is asking interested families and residents to provide their feedback by completing a survey found here. The survey will remain open until April 10, 2024.
For more information on the work being done please visit the project website here or email [email protected].
Share your ideas for a connected, reliable, safe and accessible Ottawa
The city is excited to officially launch the second theme of “Your city, your ideas,” a multi-phase initiative where you can share your ideas on how we can serve you better while finding innovative ways to save money that can be reinvested into other city priorities.
Do you have ideas on how the city can save money while improving services? Head over to Engage Ottawa to participate. It’s your city, and your ideas!
After Ottawa’s warmest and weirdest winter ever, what happens next?
You can ask a scientist or you can look out the window; either way, it looks like Ottawa will continue to have warmer winters, hotter summers, more windstorms and more heavy rain.
To make it easier for Ottawa residents to prepare, Climate Ready Ottawa is now available for public consultation.
Climate Ready Ottawa identifies actions to address the top climate risks facing Ottawa and prepare for a much warmer, wetter and unpredictable climate. This is a long-term strategy that will help us build a resilient city by 2050. It combines many initiatives already underway with new policies, programs and initiatives.
Visit engage.ottawa/climate-resiliency where you can:
- Take a survey
- Sign up for an Open House
- Read background information
Climate Ready Ottawa already combines input from:
- Climate Projections
- Climate Vulnerability and Risk Assessment
- Collaboration with all City departments
- Consultation with residents and community partners
The strategy is split into five main themes:
- Resilient communities
- Resilient buildings, transportation and water systems
- Natural environment and parklands
- Extreme weather preparedness and response
- Cross-cutting actions that deal with more than one of the other four themes
Climate Ready Ottawa identifies how we can support individuals, communities, businesses and organizations. It also identifies where more support is needed from other levels of government.
Visit engage.ottawa/climate-resiliency.
How to prevent basement flooding
In recent years, residents of Heron Park and other neighbourhoods have experienced basement flooding. The city has put together resources to help residents prevent basement flooding in the future. You can follow the following steps to reduce the risk of basement flooding:
- Seal window wells and cracks in floors, walls and the foundation.
- Slope ground away from the foundation to allow rainwater to flow away from the home.
- Direct downspouts from eaves troughs away from the foundation (minimum of 1.2 metres) or to a rain barrel.
- Disconnect downspouts from the sewer system or foundation drains.
- Don't put grass clipping, leaves, or other debris on the streets as they can plug the drains and prevent proper drainage, particularly during heavy rainfalls. Plugged drains cause water to build up on the street, increasing your risk of basement flooding.
- Don't throw garbage, grease or hazardous waste down your drains. Garbage that gets into your sewer through your drains can clog your sewer and cause sewer backup and grease hardens as it cools and sticks to the inner lining of sewer pipes, eventually causing a blockage.
- Ensure foundation drains direct water to the storm sewer or sump pump. Foundation drains should not be connected to the sanitary sewer.
- Clear snow away from your foundation to prevent snowmelt from seeping in through the walls.
- Ensure the sump pump is connected to the storm sewer or discharges to the ground at least 1.2 metres from the foundation.
- Install protective plumbing devices, such as backwater valves which protect against surcharging in City sewers. The City’s Residential Protective Plumbing Program offer rebates to qualified homeowners.
- Maintain existing protective plumbing devices according to the manufacturer’s instructions. A protective plumbing device should be maintained periodically or before a forecasted heavy rainfall to ensure it is free of debris, functioning properly and that cleanout caps and access covers are firmly secured.
- In older homes, especially those with cast iron pipes, additional maintenance may be required, as rust can accumulate at the hinge and prevent proper closure of the backwater valve during a surcharge event.
Additional resources on preventing basement flooding
