Black History Month
February is Black History Month, and across the city and the country, neighbours, friends and communities will be participating in events to honour and celebrate the lives of African, Caribbean and Black (ACB) Canadians and their role in the culture and history of our country and our city.
The 2024 theme for Black History Month is: “Black Excellence: A Heritage to Celebrate; a Future to Build”. This theme celebrates the rich past and present contributions and accomplishments of Black people in Canada, while aspiring to embrace new opportunities for the future.
The theme aligns with the 10th year of the International Decade for People of African Descent and recognizes that people of African descent represent a distinct group whose human rights must be promoted and protected.
The following are just a few of the ways you can celebrate Black History Month:
- Participate in Ottawa Public Library’s upcoming events on February 8 with author Kai Thomas and on February 15 for a French event with author Blaise Ndala
- Review this collection of biographies of some notable ACB people in Canada, including musicians, educators, politicians, athletes, authors, physicians and many more. Read about the challenges these individuals overcame, the incredible accomplishments they achieved, and the many ways they have enriched Canadian society.
- Visit Black History Ottawa for a list of events happening in the city throughout February
- Check out Ottawa Tourism for a list of ACB-owned Ottawa businesses to support this month and all year long
- Watch for more information coming soon on a special project honouring OC Transpo bus operators from the ACB community, a collaborative effort being led by the ACB Employee Network and OC Transpo
Capital Ward Cup postponed
Due to weather issues, the Capital Ward Cup must be postponed a week and will now be held on Sunday, February 18, at 10:00 am at Brantwood Park. More information can be found here.
Council to review policy on voluntary community benefit contributions
On Wednesday, city council passed a motion for developing an updated policy for voluntary contributions for community benefits. A recent column in the Ottawa Citizen looked at the comparison between community benefit agreements and developer donations to election campaigns.
Celebrate Winter Walk Month!
Each year, the first Wednesday of February is Winter Walk Day! This year it’s officially on February 7, 2024, and you can choose to celebrate on the day or for the whole month. Walking to school in the winter can be a fun activity for kids, bringing all the benefits of active transportation.
Enjoy the quality time you get to spend with your family as you travel to school together! Check out this poster for activity ideas to celebrate Winter Walk Month.
Snow Mole audit in Old Ottawa East and the Glebe
Speaking of walking in the wintertime, last week I had the privilege of participating in a Snow Mole walk, looking at how our infrastructure and winter maintenance facilitates winter walkability in our community.
We started on the east side of the canal, walked over the Flora Footbridge and on to Bank Street, noting hazards and impediments that limit mobility and accessibility in the winter, including untended desire lines, blocked catch basins and street drainage, sidewalk plowing, and uncleared bicycle lanes.
On the plus side, having the Flora Footbridge stairs open in the winter was a big hit.
The Snow Moles are a dedicated group of volunteers working to make Ottawa a more welcoming winter city. You can learn more about their work at the Old Ottawa South Community Association website.
Public Consultation: Bank and Walkley development
A development applicant is planning to bring forward a zoning bylaw amendment to the city to facilitate a new development at the northwest corner of Bank Street and Walkley Road (where the Value Village currently sits). Please join us online, on Wednesday February 28, at 7:00 pm, to hear more about the proposal and to provide feedback. RSVP here to receive an email with the Zoom invitation.
Greenfield Avenue, Main Street, Hawthorne Avenue Integrated Road, Sewer and Water Reconstruction Project—Open House
The City of Ottawa invites you to attend a Public Information Session to discuss the on-going construction project in your neighbourhood. Project drawings will be on display for your review and staff will be present to answer any questions and receive comments, including any detailed property-specific questions you may wish to ask. There will be a short presentation at 7:30 pm. Please attend at your leisure.
In addition to the public information session, residents can also participate through the Online Engagement Opportunity. The City of Ottawa will be posting drawings, design and construction information by Monday, February 12, 2024, related to the Greenfield Avenue, Main Street, Hawthorne Avenue project at ottawa.ca/gmhreconstruction and invites you to review and provide comments by 11:59 pm on Tuesday, March 5, 2024.
Tuesday, February 20
7:00 to 9:00 pm
Saint Paul University, MULTI Room
223 Main Street
Short presentation at 7:30pm
Your Capital Ward
Photo by Don Simpson
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.
Be part of the community—Become a crossing guard!
Join the Ottawa Safety Council’s (OSC) dedicated, community-minded team of Adult Crossing Guards!
Great reasons to join the OSC’s crossing guard team:
- Make a real difference in your own community!
- Get to know your neighbours
- Help local families
- Become a trusted face in your neck of the woods
- Enjoy supplementary income and perks
Being a Crossing Guard provides a meaningful employment opportunity that puts a smile on everyone’s face.
Interested in learning more? Get all the details on becoming a crossing guard from our website at www.Crossing-Guard.ca or contact Ella at [email protected]
Save the date: Ottawa Seedy Saturday—March 2
The Alta Vista Community Association Local Food Committee, a group of community gardeners
interested in food security, is working with Just Food and Seeds of Diversity to host Ottawa Seedy Saturday for 2024.
The event will be held at Emmanuel United Church, 691 Smyth Road, on Saturday March 2 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.
There will be seed sales and exchanges, workshops by experienced gardeners, and local artisanal and cuisine offerings.
Admission and parking are free. OC Transpo route 55 serves the church.
This event began several decades ago, led by veteran Ottawa seed producer Greta Kryger. Most recently it ran at the Ron Kolbus Lakeside Centre in Britannia. The event originated as part of a nation-wide effort to save ten thousand years' worth of heirloom food seed development from disappearing, due to the increasing use of hybrid and genetically modified seed.
Bring your own reusable bags and, if you have some, your seeds for exchange. Some vendors will accept card payments, but same might only use cash.
Please contact [email protected] for more information or if you’re interested in being a vendor.
Have your say on the City of Ottawa’s draft Solid Waste Master Plan
From Wednesday, February 7, until Thursday, March 7, residents are invited to share their thoughts on the city’s draft Solid Waste Master Plan. The Waste Plan is a roadmap for how the City of Ottawa will manage waste over the next 30 years.
Ottawa’s vision is to be a zero-waste city. And yet, more than half of what we throw in the garbage could be recycled or composted. We need a plan that can stand up to challenges such as climate change and a landfill that is filling up fast.
Feedback from the public has been essential to the development of the draft Waste Plan. In the first phase of public engagement, we heard that residents want progressive, collective and innovative action. Residents offered their creative ideas for the city to explore as part of the planning process. In the second public engagement phase, we asked for feedback on a short list of options for the plan.
Residents are now invited to review the draft Waste Plan, which was presented to Committee and Council in November 2023. Your feedback will help inform Ottawa City Council’s decision on the final Waste Plan. It will also help guide priorities for staff as they develop the implementation plans that will put the Waste Plan into action.
How to participate
Residents can visit Engage Ottawa to take a survey and register to participate in a virtual information session or an in-person open house.
The sessions will include:
- Opportunities for residents to ask questions to City staff about the draft Waste Plan.
- A review of how earlier feedback from residents helped to shape the Waste Plan.
- Discussions on the Waste Plan’s five areas of focus:
- Reduction and reuse of waste
- Recycling
- Waste recovery, energy and how to manage the waste that remains after recyclable materials have been separated.
- Operational advancements in the industry
- Fostering a zero-waste culture across Ottawa
Waste Plan summary documents are available on Engage Ottawa in English and French as well as other languages commonly spoken in Ottawa.
If a resident does not have access to the internet to complete the survey, they can contact the Waste Plan team by phone at extension 25550.
Next steps
Staff will bring the final Waste Plan to City Council in June 2024.
The Waste Plan is a living document that will be updated every five years. As part of this review process, and as new strategies and programs are designed over the next five years, there will be additional opportunities for public engagement.
To stay up to date, sign up for the Solid Waste Master Plan eNewsletter and visit Engage Ottawa.
Applications are now open for the 2024 Paint It Up! program
Looking for a way to help deter vandalism and beautify the community while empowering our city’s youth through public art? Look no further than the Paint It Up! program.
What is Paint It Up!?
Paint It Up! is a youth engagement program funded by Public Works and administered by Community and Social Services (CSS) at the City of Ottawa. It promotes the use of outdoor murals to:
- Support local arts and culture
- Enhance the city’s beauty for residents and visitors
- Engage youth in positive skill-building experiences
Funding is available through Community Safety and Well-Being, Policy, and Analytics within CSS for local organizations wanting to hire youth to create murals in neighbourhoods experiencing a high rate of tagging and vandalism. Since 2010, Paint It Up! has involved more than 2,925 youth in 103 murals across the city.
How to apply
Organizations interested in applying can attend a virtual information session on Thursday, February 1. Please register on ottawa.ca/PaintItUp.
Before applying for funding through Paint It Up!, applicants must secure property authorization and apply for preliminary location approval for their mural project through the Mural Application Form on ottawa.ca/mural. Please apply for location approval as soon as possible between Friday, February 2 and Saturday, March 2.
Those interested in participating will need to keep two deadlines in mind:
- You must submit your location for approval by Saturday, March 2 via the mural application form.
- The complete application will need to be submitted by Thursday, April 4.
For more information on the Paint It Up! Program, please visit ottawa.ca/PaintItUp.
Community Economic Development grants will help residents overcome employment barriers
The City of Ottawa is now accepting applications for the annual Community Economic Development Funding Program.
Grants are available for non-profit organizations that are starting projects focused on:
- creating jobs
- creating businesses
- developing entrepreneurship and employability skills
Successful applicants will demonstrate how their projects will create jobs for Ottawa residents and benefit those who are under-represented in the mainstream economy such as:
- lower income youth
- new Canadians
- racialized communities
This program awards a total of up to $280,000 per year, distributed among the proposals that are selected by a jury panel. Please consult the full eligibility criteria for more details.
Applications are open until Friday, February 9 at 4:00 pm.
