News Archive

• Traffic Alerts on Twitter
  City of Ottawa traffic alerts are now available on Twitter – whenever a traffic incident occurs that results in a road closure or major disruption, you can receive a text message on your mobile phone. Follow @Ottawa_Traffic on www.twitter.com. For other City twitter feeds, visit ottawa.ca/twitter.

• Fog Testing in Beaverbrook
  Sewer Fog Testing will be happening in the Beaverbrook area through the beginning of June. For details on where the testing is happening and what Sewer Fog Testing is, please see the following PDFs: Fog Testing City Ad (PDF) and Fog Testing FAQ.

• Pay & Display Parking Technology
  The first of more than 600 new Pay and Display Machines was recently unveiled, and these will replace parking meters across the city. On average, each pay station takes the place of eight parking meters, and over 4,000 meters will be replaced over the course of the summer with this new technology. Although the technology is changing, existing rates and parking restrictions will not change. With the new pay and display machines, time is transferable from one Pay & Display on-street area to another, since you are buying time and not a parking space. Street ambassadors will be on hand at each location for a period of time over the summer to provide assistance for first time users. They will be able to answer any questions about the program and will be easy to spot in their bright green t-shirts!

• 2009 Crime Statistics for Kanata North
  For a snapshot of police activity in Kanata North for the period of January 1 to December 31 2009, download this PDF report for your information.

• Green Bins in Municipal Facilities
  The Green Bin program has expanded to include municipal facilities. In March, green bins were introduced to customers of Café 111, located on the first floor of City Hall. Green Bins were also made available on office floors at City Hall to allow staff and Councillors to dispose of foodstuffs and other acceptable materials. Three 240-litre bins of organic waste from Café 111 are being removed each week, along with eight 240-litre green bins from office floors, and seven 360-litre bins filled with wet paper towels from washroom facilities. Green Bins are now available in the kitchen areas of the Café at 100 Constellation and will soon be introduced to the Café at Ben Franklin Place, as well as offices at both locations. Since the Green Bin Program started last January, more than 18,000 tons of organic waste has been diverted from the landfill.

• Bidding Opportunities Under $50K now on ottawa.ca
  Bidding opportunities less than $50,000 will now be advertised on the Purchasing page of the City of Ottawa’s website. The Supply Management department has added requests for quotes on products and services valued at less than $50,000 to Ottawa.ca to make these opportunities to do business with the city accessible to more suppliers. MERX and the Ottawa Construction Association website are used to advertise bidding opportunities greater than $50,000.

• Help Keep Waste Collection Operators Safe
  Please be vigilant when disposing unwanted or old pool chemicals – these are hazardous wastes and can cause serious injury to collection operators and homeowners if placed into your regular garbage. Please do not place pool chemicals in the garbage. As a reminder, you should use all pool chemicals that you purchase; however, if you need to dispose of excess pool chemicals, the Household Hazardous Waste Depots are a good option to dispose of this dangerous material. For more information on dates and future locations as well as other items that can be taken to the Household Hazardous Waste Depots, please visit ottawa.ca/hhw, check your collection calendar, or call 3-1-1.

• Ottawa and Gatineau Air Quality Health Index
  Ottawa Public Health and Santé publique de l’Outaouais are partnering to promote an easy-to-use health index tool to help you understand what the air quality maens to your health – the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI). AQHI measures a mixture of air pollutants and grades the quality by using a simplified scale of 1 to 10+ (similar to the UV index) to help you adjust your level and time for physical activity outdoors. This is especially important for individuals with existing health conditions such as heart and lung disease and diabetes.
  
  How to use the AQHI:
  1-2-3: Breath with ease!
  People at risk can enjoy their usual outdoor activities, and conditions are ideal for outdoor activities amongst the general population.
  4-5-6: Slow down if at risk!
  People at risk should consider reducing or rescheduling strenuous outdoor activities if you are experiencing symptoms, and there is no need for the general population to modify activities unless symptoms such as coughing and throat irritation are experienced.
  7-8-9: Watch for warning signs!
  People at risk are advised to reduce or reschedule strenuous outdoor activities, and children and the elderly should also take it easy. The general population should consider reducing or rescheduling strenuous outdoor activities if symptoms such as coughing and throat irritation are experienced.
  10 or more: Be active indoors!
  People at risk are advised to avoid strenuous outdoor activity, and children and the elderly should also avoid outdoor physical exertion. The general population is advised to reduce or reschedule strenuous outdoor activity, especially if experiencing symptoms such as throat irritation and coughing.
  
  More information, and the latest AQHI readings, are available at www.airhealth.ca or by calling toll free 1-866-688-3810. Readings are also available through Environment Canada and the Weather Network.

• OC Transpo Community Passes for ODSP participants now sold at OPL Branches
  Eight Ottawa Public Library branches across the City, including the Beaverbrook Library at the Mlacak Centre (2500 Campeau Drive), will be selling the Community Pass to ODSP participants. Remember to bring your OC Transpo photo identification card with you when purchasing your Community Pass, and take advantage of your visit and benefit from the services of the Ottawa Public Library! For information on the free services of the Ottawa Public Library, visit their website at www.biblioottawalibrary.ca and for more information on the OC Transpo Community Pass visit www.octranspo.com or call 613-741-4390.

• Pathway Patrol Reminder
  The City of Ottawa is encouraging residents to become Pathway Patrol volunteers and help improve safety and courtesy on recreational pathways in Ottawa. Volunteers are trained to hand out information, provide directions and promote healthy living on local pathways. The Pathway Patrol is a volunteer program headed by the City of Ottawa and overseen by a steering committee made up of federal, provincial and municipal government partners, special interest groups, political representatives and local businesses.
  
  For the first time, the Pathway Patrol is expanding to Kanata and volunteers from the area are needed. Anyone interested is invited to an information session on Monday June 7, starting at 7 p.m. in the Kanata Seniors' Centre Program Room at the John G. Mlacak Arena, 2500 Campeau Drive.
  
  For more information on volunteering for the Pathway Patrol, call 613-580-2854 or send an e-mail to pathwaypatrol@ottawa.ca

• Public Financial Sustainability Summit
  Over the next year, the new City Council will consider and approve a budget for 2011. As part of the budget process, the City of Ottawa's Audit, Budget and Finance Committee is preparing a revised Long Range Financial Plan that will provide an updated focus on financial issues. Key to both the 2011 budget and the revised Long Range Financial Plan will be inovolving the public early to submit their ideas and suggestions on how to balance services within the financial resources of the City.
  
  As a part of this public engagement process, the City will host a Financial Sustainability Summit on Tuesday, June 22nd from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in Andrew Haydon Hall at Ottawa City Hall. In preparation for the Summit, input from the public will be captured online on the City's website at ottawa.ca/financialsummit. Residents are invited to submit questions before June 15th related to future financial decisions, the long range financial paln, suggestions for cutting costs, and any other financial matters. Once the question and accompanying explanatory information have been received by the Audit, Budget and Finance Committee, the question will be directed to the appropriate staff for a response. Questions and responses will be posted on the Financial Summit web page.
  
  During the Financial Sustainability Summit on June 22nd, discussions will centre on questions submitted and issued identified, and will be led by bilingual moderator. More information can be found on the City's website at ottawa.ca/financialsummit. Questions can be submitted to financialsummit@ottawa.ca by June 15th.

• City of Ottawa Open Data
  
  
  City Council supported the opening of City data not protected by privacy laws to the publci to encourage innovative new uses. Nearly two dozen data sets - including information on basketball courts, pathways, and sports fields - are now available at ottawa.ca/opendata. More will be added soon. People can use this data for any number of reasons, including mobile device applications. To that end, Council approved an 'Open App' development contest that will run this fall, with prize money and incentives totalling $50,000. Open Data Ottawa will continue to evolve through user feedback and consultations planned in the coming months. As Chair of the Information Technology Sub-Committee, I am excited by this approach that will ultimately provide improved information and services for residents. Details on the Open Data Contest will be available as we get closer to the fall.

• Weekly Column on Hydro Levy
  My weekly community newspaper column is posted online -- you can view a complete archive of my past columns this term by clicking here. In this week's column I discuss the proposed hydro levy for Kanata North. You can either click on the archive link or download my latest column directly in MS Word format by clicking here. As a reminder, I encourage you to come to my Ward Council meeting on Monday evening, which will focus from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on this issue.

• Invasive Plant Removal on May 16th, 2010
  Sarah Dehler of the Briarbrook Morgan's Grant Community Association is organizing a clean up day to address the invasive plant, Garlic Mustard, in the South March Highlands Conservation Forest. For more information, including contact information for Sarah at the BMGCA, click here.

• EAB Week Reminder!
  The City of Ottawa has proclaimed May 17th to 23rd, 2010 as Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Awareness Week and is reminding residents that firewood should not be moved due to the presence of the Emerald Ash Borer. If you need firewood, buy it locally. If you're going to a cottage or campsite, buy your wood there and leave it behind when you go. Moving a single piece could introduce the pest to new areas and compromise the health of our region's forests. To report an infested tree, please contact the CFIA at 1-866-463-6017. For more information on the EAB visit ottawa.ca/eab or call 3-1-1.

• Public Consultation on Kanata Avenue Hydro Poles - May 17th, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. (Kanata Seniors' Centre Program Room)
  Hydro Ottawa has erected tall hydro poles along the southern section of Kanata Avenue. This construction is different than the underground wiring previously installed by the former City of Kanata prior to amalgamation. Many residents who live in the vicinity have expressed their concern regarding this construction of overhead wires on a collector road, and have called for these lines to be buried like the rest of the road. I have been working to come up with a solution to bury these hydro lines, and have come up with the only available method to do so.
  
  After consulting with Hydro Ottawa, I've been told that the cost of burying the hydro lines is $3.5 million, and $2.5 million of that needs to be raised by the community of Kanata North in order to ensure that the lines are buried. A small charge, if approved by City Council, would be included on one's property tax bill over a period of ten years. You are invited to participate in a public consultation to learn more about this special levy and the process of getting it approved through the City on Monday, May 17th from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Kanata Seniors' Centre Program Room (2500 Campeau Drive).

• Sports Fields Open
  Due to the early spring weather and thanks to the efforts of the Parks, Buildings and Grounds Maintenance crews, the City’s sports fields will be open on Friday, May 7th at 4:00 p.m. Organizations with official City contracts can use the facilities on the dates specified on their contracts (weather-permitting). Fields can be booked by calling 613-580-2595.

• Public Meeting on City’s Taxi By-Law
  On June 3rd, 2010 at the Community and Protective Services Committee the City will be considering staff recommendations related to the City’s Taxi By-Law to:
  - Update taxicab standards to allow for more low emission vehicles;
  - Review the taximeter rates adjustment (related to the introduction of the HST and request from the industry);
  - Revise the implementation date of the Driver Refresher Training Course to 2012;
  - Authorize minor housekeeping and administrative amendments.
  Please send comments by May 22nd to Jules Bouvier at 613-580-2424 x25616

• Green Bin boosts City of Ottawa diversion rate 30 per cent.
  The City of Ottawa congratulates residents for using their green bins and helping divert almost 5,000 tonnes of organic material from area landfills, roughly 500 garbage truck loads, from January to March 2010. Using your green bin is an easy way to help the environment by extending the life of the Ottawa landfills. You’ll also help create a valuable resource in the compost created from the organic waste collected in your green bin.

• OC Transpo Rack & Roll
  The new spring schedules launched in April along with the return of the Rack & Roll service for cyclists. More than 350 buses have bike racks, so you can ride the bus and take your bike with you. Nine routes (12, 85, 95, 96, 97, 99, 106, and 118) are designated Rack & Roll routes, which have bike racks on most trips. For more information visit octranspo.com or call 613-741-4390.

• Supreme Court Ruling in Favour of Municipalities
  In a unanimous ruling on April 15th, the Supreme Court of Canada handed municipalities a significant victory by clearly and unequivocally stating that the federal government and its Crown corporations must pay for the services municipalities provide in the same way that private property owners pay. Municipalities had a lot at stake in this case. The court’s decision will help municipalities across the country collect Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) payments from federal property owners that help pay the costs of providing local services to these properties.

• Phoney Sales-Pitches
  The City has received complaints from residents who have been contacted by water-filtration or treatment systems salespeople making false claims about the quality of City drinking water. (View the report at ottawa.ca). There have also been reported cases of phone calls and visits by people misrepresenting themselves as City of Ottawa employees. I would like to remind you, on behalf of the City, that the drinking water here is completely safe and of the highest quality, which is ensured through rigorous and ongoing testing.
  
  City employees do not contact residents to sell products or services. Except for city emergency situations, any visits that may require access to homes or businesses by City staff are scheduled in advance by City staff. Residents are also provided with advance notice of projects that may impact local residents. All employees requesting access have City-issued photo identification cards. Residents who are directly contacted by persons claiming to be City employees for City business are asked to check identification, and, if concerns remain, contact the City prior to allowing access. You are also asked to report any suspicious, unsolicited calls or visits to 3-1-1.

• Young at Art 2010
  Artwork from Ottawa’s best young artists will be on display at community galleries this month for Young at Art 2010 exhibitions and awards ceremonies will be held throughout the city. Prizes will be given for outstanding work in Painting, Drawing, Mixed Media, and other categories. Young at Art is a juried art competition that brings the work of artists 12 to 19 years of age to local art galleries across the city. This competition represents a tremendous opportunity for the public recognition of young local artists. A newly sponsored category for digital graphic design has been added this year and will be awarded by Corel. For more information, visit ottawa.ca/youngatart.

• City’s updated Strategic Plan approved
  City Council approved the updated City Strategic Plan (2007-2010) that sets out Council’s priorities for its current four-year term. The updated plan sets the key initiatives that the City will work towards for the remainder of Council’s term this year. The update was linked to the 2010 budget process so that the City’s strategic goals are set within a financial framework. The update identifies many of the City’s achievements over the past two years, including approving the Transportation Master Plan and the Recommended Plan for the Downtown Ottawa Transit Tunnel (DOTT), retrofitting 25 local areans, procuring $46 million of infrastructure stimulus funding for social housing repairs and developing the Ottawa River Action Plan. The plan highlights the City’s $600-million commitment in the 2010 budget, in addition to $375 million in infrastructure stimulus funding, to renew and enhance Ottawa’s roads, transit, pedestrian and cycling facilities and cultural initiatives.

• Pedestrian Safety Evaluation Program Approved
  The Pedestrian Safety Evaluation Program, a three-year pilot project aimed at minimizing the frequency and severity of preventable collisions involving pedestrians, was approved by Council and will review approximately 23 intersections for pedestrian safety.

• Volunteers Needed for Community Tree Planting
  The City is looking for volunteers to plant trees! Come help the City of Ottawa kick off the first annual community planting event. Together over a thousand trees will be planted to enhance the City’s forest cover. The planting event will take place at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 15th at the site of the Monaghan Reforestation Project in the south west end of the City. Bring your shovel and boots and have some fun in the dirt. Space is limited. For more information or to register to participate, please e-mail tree@ottawa.ca or call 613-580-2424 x1TREE (x18733).

• REMINDER! A TASTE FOR LIFE!
  I am looking forward to participating in A Taste for Life for the second year on April 28th, 2010. A Taste for Life is a unique fundraising event that helps men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS in Ottawa.
  
  On the evening of Wednesday April 28th, I will be dining at Lapointe's Seafood Grill (60 Colchester Sq.) to help fight the impact of HIV/AIDS in our community. Just by dining at Lapointe's on that evening, the restaurant will donate 25% of the cost of meals and drinks served to Bruce House and the Snowy Owl AIDS Foundation. There is also the opportunity for diners to donate additionally for which charitable receipts will be provided.
  
  There are two ways for you to participate - I will be making a reservation and invite you to spend the evening having dinner with me by reserving through my office (though space is limited), or if you would like to support the event and go with your own group, please make sure to call the restaurant to make your reservation at 613-599-1424 and make sure to let them know you are booking for A Taste for Life!
  
  Along with Lapointe's there are over 40 restaurants participating this year. Have a look at the event website at www.atasteforlife.org to find out more about the fundraiser!
  
  I hope to see you there on April 28th!
  
  Please also send this off to friends, family and colleagues and get the word out about A Taste for Life!

• New Website Sections on Parks and on Roads
  Looking for more information on some of the recent park developments, or information on the road projects underway in Kanata North during this busy 2010 construction season? Under the "Issues" tab of my website you'll find two new sections, one labeled Parks and one labeled Roads. Have a look at these sections for more information on park plans like Keyrock Park and road construction information for projects like Terry Fox Drive.

• Public Meeting on Maintaining Safety and Harmony on City Streets
  Consideration is being given to the possibility of amending the Use and Care of Roads By-law to include provisions that would prohibit disorderly conduct on City streets or prohibit activity that would interfere with the general public using City streets or with adjacent property owners. The City is seeking public comment on this subject and invites you to attend a meeting to share your views on:
  
  Thursday, April 22nd, 2010
  7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
  City Hall, 110 Laurier Ave W
  Andrew Haydon Hall (Council Chambers)
  
  The discussion paper on Maintaining Safety and Harmony on City Streets can be downloaded here in English or downloaded here in Frenchor can be obtained at Thursday evening's meeting.
  
  Comments may also be submitted in writing by May 31, 2010 by fax at 613-580-2719 or by e-mail to Christine.Hartig@ottawa.ca. For more information, please contact Christine at 613-580-2424 x25629.

• Weekly Green Bin and Leaf and Yard Waste Collection
  As of Tuesday, April 6, you will have your green bins and leaf and yard waste collected every week. Organic food scraps, soiled paper products and other allowable waste from residential homes can now be placed at the curb for weekly collection. For more information on what goes in the green bin and collection dates, check your Collection Calendar or visit ottawa.ca/greenbin.

• Ottawa Public Library System Upgrade
  The Ottawa Public Library will conduct a major computer system upgrade from April 12 to May 4. During this period, some services will be affected and all Ottawa Public Library branches will be closed on Monday, May 3 and Tuesday, May 4. The website will remain online and the book returns will remain open throughout the upgrade period. For more detailed information visit www.BiblioOttawaLibrary.ca, your local branch, or call 613-580-2940.

• Interprovincial Crossing – Phase 2A Online Consultation Deadline Approaching
  You are invited to complete an online questionnaire for the Interprovincial Crossing Environmental Assessment (EA) Study as part of Phase 2A of this project. The questionnaire should take approximately 15 to 20 minutes to complete, however, you will first need to review the draft Study Design at ncrcrossings.ca and then visit surveymonkey.com/s/crossings for the questionnaire. The online consultation closes on Friday, April 16.

• Household Hazardous Waste Depot
  The City is hosting a one-day household hazardous waste depot on Saturday, April 17 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Drain-All Ltd., 2705 Stevenage Drive, between Hawthorne Rd and Russell Rd, south of Walkley Rd. For more information visit ottawa.ca/hhw.

• Accessible Customer Service
  The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA 2005) is provincial legislation that aims to achieve full accessibility throughout the province of Ontario by the year 2025. This legislation requires accessibility of goods, services, facilities, accommodation, employment, buildings, structures and premises and applies to private, public and voluntary sectors. The City of Ottawa has reported compliance with the new Accessibility Standard for Customer Service, the first Standard to be enacted under the AODA. Meeting compliance of the Accessible Customer Service Standard resulted in:
  -- The establishment of the City’s first ever Accessible Customer Service Policy and its endorsement by Council
  -- Development of an Accessible Customer Service training model that was delivered to almost 14,000 staff, volunteers as well as third-party contractors who work with residents on behalf of the City
  -- Development of an accessible services feedback process
  -- Enhanced awareness and process for requesting City documents in an accessible format, and
  -- Increased awareness of accessible services provided by the City (signage on the City’s website, Ottawa.ca).
  Future legislated standards under the AODA will include: Information and Communications, Built Environment, Transportation and Employment. For more information on Accessibility Services at the City of Ottawa and the Accessible Customer Service Standard visit ottawa.ca/accessibility.

• World Health Day - Walk at the Beaverpond
  Between April 7 and April 11 this year is World Health Week. For a healthy activity in Kanata North, I would like to invite you to join me on Saturday, April 10 at 9:00 a.m. for a walk in the Beaverpond area. We will meet at the parking area at the end of Walden Drive. Construction may start in this area later in the year so this is an opportunity to enjoy the woods as they are today. I hope to see you there!

• Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association 15th Annual Mammoth Used Book Sale
  The Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association (FOPLA) will be holding its 15th annual Mammoth Used Book Sale at the Nepean Sportsplex on Saturday, April 17th, from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. and on Sunday, April 18th, from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Through this sale, the FOPLA was able to raise almost $17,000 in support of the Ottawa Public Library! Over 20,000 used books will be available at the sale, with prices starting at one dollar for pocketbooks to two dollars for hard cover and trade paperbacks. Sets and special books are priced individually, and admission and parking is free. You will find a variety of materials on offer, from classics to children's books, fiction and non-fiction, as well as French and other language books as well. Used CDs, DVDs, videos and large print books will also be on sale. The proceeds are used to enhance the Ottawa Public Library collections, spaces and programs not covered in the regular budget.

• Upcoming Easter Scheduling Changes
  As a reminder, there will be a number of scheduling changes throughout the city on Friday, April 2 (Good Friday) and Monday, April 5 (Easter Monday). Ottawa City Hall, including my office and the Client Service Centres, will be closed on both the Friday and the Monday, with business resuming as usual on Tuesday, April 6. The City's 3-1-1 Contact Centre, however, will remain open as always. There will be no curbside garbage or recycling collection on Good Friday and Easter Monday - please check your collection calendar for more information. On Good Friday, OC Transpo will operate on a Sunday schedule, and on Easter Monday there will be some minor schedule reductions. Visit octranspo.com for the full details.Most pools, fitness centres and some arenas wil be open on Good Friday and Easter Monday with modified schedules, but be sure to check ottawa.ca for details. All branches of the Ottawa Public Library will be closed on Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday, with regular branch hours resuming on Tuesday, April 6.

• One Million Kilometers for the O-Train
  One of the O-Trains has now traveled more than one million kilometers, a distance equivalent to circling the globe 25 times. The odometer clicked past the million kilometer milestone at 9:48 a.m. on March 19th while the O Train was traveling north towards the Confederation Station. The initial ridership target of the O-Train pilot project was between 5,100 and 6,400 customer-trips per day, though ridership has now reached more than 10,000 customer-trips per day due to the outstanding reliability and convenience of the O-Train for students and other commuters along this corridor.

• Community-Based Income Tax Information Clinics
  The Federal Government has organized a number of volunteer-run community based income tax information clinics throughout Canada, including a number in Ottawa. For more information on this, visit the CRA website by clicking here.

• Spring Cleaning the Capital
  With the warmer weather comes the annual Spring Cleaning the Capital campaign, following up on last year's record participation of 87,400 participants in the Spring and Fall campaigns. The Spring 2010 campaign runs from April 15 to May 15, and early bird registration has already begun. You can register online at ottawa.ca/clean or by calling 3-1-1. Register on or before April 14 2010 for your chance to win early-bird prizes!
  
  In the spring of 2009, we won the Ward Award for having the highest participation ratio and this was our fourth consecutive win! As the repeat-winner, I issued a challenge to my colleagues on Council to try and beat Kanata North with an Oscar the Grouch Trophy as an incentive. I was pleased that Stittsville-Kanata West stepped up and won the Ward Award in the fall, but sorry that we lost the challenge. Congratulations to Councillor Qadri and the residents of Stittsville-Kanata West! Now it is time for Kanata North to step forward and win back the Oscar!

• Terry Fox Road Debate
  The Beaverbrook Community Association will be meeting on March 24th, and at this meeting will be hosting a debate on the Terry Fox Drive completion. The debate will be between Matt Muirhead of the Briarbrook-Morgan's Grant Community Association and John Bennett, Executive Director of the Sierra Clubb of Canada. This takes place at the Beaverbrook Community Centre (at the west end of the Calian Mall, entrance off Beaverbrook Road, just west of Teron Rd) at 7:30 p.m. I look forward to hearing all positions at that time.

• A Taste for Life
  
  I am thrilled to be hosting A Taste for Life at Lapointe's Seafood Grill at 60 Colchester Sq. on April 28, 2010. A Taste for Life is a unique, annual fundraising event that has been helping Ottawa men, womena nd children living with HIV/AIDS for ten years by raising funds for Bruce House and the Snowy Owl AIDS Foundation. All you have to do is have dinner, and Lapointe's Seafood Grill will generously donate 25% of the cost of your meal to Bruce House and the Snowy Owl AIDS Foundation that evening.
  
  There are two ways to participate - I will be making a reservation and invite you to spend the evening having dinner with me by reserving through my office (though space is limited). Alternatively, make your reservation directly through Lapointe's Seafood Grill at 613-599-1424 for Wednesday, April 28ht, and note that your reservation is for A Taste for Life. Then come, eat, and enjoy a fun night out for a great cause! For more information, please visit www.atasteforlife.org.

• Please Stay Off Sports Fields and Baseball Diamonds
  I would like to remind you, on behalf of the City, to stay off sports fields and baseball diamonds to allow the turf to grow for this upcoming season. Access to ball diamonds is not permitted prior to Saturday, May 1, 2010 and access to sports fields is not permitted prior to Saturday, May 15, 2010.

• Report Potholes and Other Road Deficiencies
  Winter takes its toll on our city’s roadways, and the Roads and Traffic Operations and Maintenance Branch has been working diligently repairing potholes. The need for road repairs intensifies during the winter and spring months as freezing-and-thawing cycles contribute to bumps, cracks and potholes. Staff are currently applying “hot mix” asphalt that adheres to the existing asphalt effectively and is more durable than the “cold patch” asphalt used to repair potholes. In the meantime, you can assist in locating bumps, cracks and potholes by reporting significant road deficiencies by calling 3-1-1 or sending an e-mail to 311@ottawa.ca.

• Comment Deadline for City’s Updated Economic Strategy
  The deadline to submit comments on the City’s updated Economic Strategy is March 19th – as a reminder, you can view and comment on the white papers at www.opinionottawa.ca or submit your comments via e-mail to economicdevelopment@ottawa.ca. More information on the Economic Strategy Update is available at ottawa.ca or by contacting economicdevelopment@ottawa.ca or 3-1-1.

• Protecting Ottawa’s Drinking Water – Intake Protection Zone Study Open Houses
  Two public Open Houses are scheduled to inform you about a recently completed study that identified land areas, or zones, tributary to the Ottawa River that could pose threats to the source water that the Britannia and Lemieux Island water purification plants draw upon to provide much of our City’s drinking water. This study was completed as a requirement of Ontario’s Clean Water Act, and is co-managed by the City of Ottawa and the Mississippi-Rideau Source Protection Region. At the Open Houses there will be display boards summarizing the findings of the study along with a brief presentation at 6:30 p.m. at both Open Houses. Additional display boards will summarize how drinking water is treated at the water purification plants as well as display boards presenting an overview of other Ottawa River initiatives.
  
  Open House #1
  March 22, 2010 from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
  Tom Brown Arena (141 Bayview Rd, Ottawa)
  
  Open House #2
  March 31, 2010 from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
  Ron Kolbus Lakeside Centre (102 Greenview Ave, Britannia Park Ottawa)
  
  Study findings are also posted on the website www.mrsourcewater.ca, and your written comments can be submitted before the deadline of April 16, 2010.

• New Website for Ottawa Public Library
  The Ottawa Public Library has launched a new website, which contains many of the same features as before in a more user-friendly format, intuitive navigation, new ways to connect with other users and OPL staff, and enhanced media content. Visit www.biblioottawalibrary.ca, and if you have any questions visit the New OPL Website FAQ.

• Ottawa Public Library Sunday Hours
  At the March 8th meeting of the Ottawa Public Library Board, the Board approved funding to extend Sunday hours in six OPL branches, including the Beaverbrook and Hazeldean branches in Kanata. These branches will be open on Sundays from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. until Sunday, June 6th (previously, these branches ceased opening on Sunday mid-May). The branches will be closed on Sundays from June 13th through to September 5th, and will resume opening on Sunday on September 12th (previously they resumed in mid-October).

• Interprovincial Crossings Environmental Assessment Study Public Consultation Sessions
  Public Consultation sessions for Phase 2A of the Interprovincial Crossings EA Study will be taking place soon. Phase 2A is being undertaken by AECOM-Delcan Co-Enterprise and includes the preparation of a Study Design and Canadian Environmental Assessment Act Project Scoping document to guide the process and scope for Phase 2B. You are invited to review information boards, participate in discussions with Study experts at various ‘consultation kiosks’ on location, and provide comments on the draft Study Design report, anytime between 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the following locations:
  
  Ottawa City Hall (Jean Pigott Hall)
  110 Laurier Ave W, Ottawa ON
  Tuesday, March 30, 2010
  4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
  
  Gatineau Maison du Citoyen – Agora
  25, rue Laurier, Gatineau QC
  Wednesday, March 31, 2010
  4 :00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
  
  For more information visit www.ncrcrossings.ca. There you can also subscribe to e-mail alerts for updates on the Study.

• Scrap Metal Diversion from Trail Waste Facility
  City’s Solid Waste Operations Branch almost tripled scrap-metal diversion from the Trail Waste Facility in 2009 when compared to 2008, as a result of staff initiative. In 2007, 452 tonnes of metal that otherwise would have been disposed of in the landfill were recovered and sold to recyclers; this generated revenue of $23,157. In 2008, the tonnage dropped to 222 (with a revenue of $11,369). Solid Waste Operations Branch staff understood the potential for recovering more scrap metal and the importance of preserving capacity in our residential waste landfill, so adjustments were made in 2009 after reviewing the program, and aggressive recovery targets were set. Using existing staffing levels and budgets, 600 tonnes of scrap metal was recovered from the residential waste stream and diverted from the landfill, generating revenue of $60,000 for the City. You can do your part in diversion by participating in the Take It Back! program.

• KNRC Schematic Design Feedback
  If you were unable to attend the Public Meeting on March 11, 2010, please visit the Recreation Complex section of my website. There, under the timeline and meeting for March 2010 you will find a PDF version of the presentation on the schematic designs. I would encourage you to take the time to review this plan and submit your feedback to Paul Landry, the Senior Project Manager for the Kanata North Recreation Complex. Stay tuned to my website for the next Public Meeting, which we expect will be in approximately two months time.

• Kanata North Recreation Complex - Public Meeting March 11, 2010
  You are invited to review and provide input on the schematic design plans for th Kanata North Recreation Complex (KNRC) to the KNRC Steering Committee, Ward Councillors (myself and Eli El-Chantiry), City staff, design consultants, and representatives from teh National Capital Region YMCA-YWCA on March 11, 2010 between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. at All Saints High School (5115 Kanata Ave).

• OC Transpo Bus Operator Recruitment
  The City is currently accepting applications for the position of bus operator from March 8 to April 12, 2010 and is looking to staff 85 positions. If you have a strong customer service background, sound judgement skills, enjoy driving and working with the public in a diverse work environment, this could be the career for you. Apply online through ottawa.ca/careers.

• City of Ottawa Spring Operations Begin
  The recent mild temperatures and minimal snow precipitation has allowed the city to initiate spring clean up operations, which currently involves hot mix pothole patching, litter pickup, and hand sweeping. Spring operations will continue into full clean-up as weather permits. The City also recognizes, however, that as it is still early March the possibility of a turn in the weather exists and crews and equipment are prepared to deal with another winter storm event should it arrive.

• Earth Hour 2010
  Once again, the City of Ottawa will be celebrating Earth Hour and you are asked to participate in the campaign scheduled to take place on Saturday, March 27 from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. by simply turning out your lights. Join forces with nearly 1 billion people in more than 4,000 cities around the world – visit ottawa.ca and click on Earth Hour to sign up online, and register your support to the fight against climate change. You can also find a toolkit for Earth Hour at wwf.ca.
  
  Hydro Ottawa has a number of year-round conservation tips available on hydroottawa.com, such as putting power bars on timers to stop daytime waste usage, turning outdoor lights off during the day, keeping your furnace filter clean regularly, washing your clothing in cold or warm water, and many more small suggestions that make a huge difference.

• Civic Appreciation Awards
  Nominate a special individual for a City of Ottawa Civic Appreciation Award. Each spring, the City holds its Civic Appreciation Awards ceremony following National Volunteer Week. This volunteer appreciation program provides an opportunity to nominate and recognize individuals, groups, and organizations that volunteer in a variety of ways in our community. The deadline for nominations is Friday, March 26, 2010. More information, including the nomination form, can be found online at ottawa.ca/volunteering or by calling 3-1-1.

• OC Transpo Schedules for March Break
  OC Transpo bus schedules will be modified slightly during the March Braek (March 15 to 19), as schools will be closed and many people will be on holidays. Complete details are available at www.octranspo.com or by calling 613-560-1000 and entering your 4-digit stop number.

• Spring & Summer Recreation Guides Available
  The new City of Ottawa Spring/Summer 2010 Recreation Guide is now available. The guide can be picked up at neighbourhood recreation facilities, Client Service Centres, Ottawa Public Library branches, participating retail outlets or viewed online at ottawa.ca/recreation.

• Community Environmental Projects Grants Program (CEPGP)
  Funding has been made available through the Community Environmental Projects Grants Program for 2010. Proposals from non-profit organizations wishing to help improve the environment in their neighbourhood can be submitted before the deadline of Wednesday, March 31, 2010. More information, such as the application form and eligibility requirements, can be found at ottawa.ca.

• Civic Events Funding Applications Available for 2010
  Local not-for-profit organizations, such as volunteer-based community or recreation associations, are invited to apply for funding under the 2010 Civic Events Funding Program, to provide one to two-day civic events with free admission that foster civic pride and develop community cohesion. These events are linked to and celebrate a civic/statutory holiday (i.e. Victoria Day, Canada Day), are held in a specific geographic district in Ottawa, and encompass a broad range of activities (family entertainment). The application deadline is March 24th and the maximum allocation is $2,000. Applications are available at City of Ottawa Client Service Centres or by visiting ottawa.ca/communityfunding. For more information or for any further clarifications, contact Brenda Denault at 613-580-2424 x26459.

• Non-Renewable Community Project Funding Available for 2010
  Non-profit community organizations in Ottawa are invited to submit applications for new projects that address Community Project Funding priorities. For information on both the One-Year Project Funding and Three-Year Project Funding, visit ottawa.ca/communityfunding. The deadline to apply is April 8, 2010 and information sessions are being held (in English at Ben Franklin Place, 101 Centrepointe Dr on March 15 from 4 to 6 p.m. and in French at the Richelieu-Vanier Community Centre, 300 Pères Blancs Avenue on March 16 from 4 to 6 p.m.). If you require special needs accommodation for the information sessions, please contact Julie Tremblay at 613-580-2424 x12513. For information on the 2010 Non-Renewable Community Project Funding Program, contact Rahmat Shahidi at 613-580-2424 x24251.

• Fire Chief Encourages Caution when Venturing on Ice
  Fire Chief John deHooge urges residents to practice caution when venturing on the ice on our rivers and lakes at this time of year. In addition to the warmer-than-usual temperatures, other factors like currents, water depth, and fluctuating water levels also weaken the ice. Any one, or a combination, of these factors can quickly change the ice safety conditions from one day to the next.

• EAB Management Strategy Continues
  We are preparing to enter the second phase of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Management Strategy. During the first phase, the City planted trees in areas with severe ash tree decline. Now, during the second phase, infested trees have been identified for removal based on a City-wide EAB monitoring program. In anticipation of the loss of thousands of ash trees in the next 10 to 15 years, the City is tracking the infestation in order to ensure a continuous forest cover for Ottawa, and endeavours to help slow the spread of EAB through tree planting, tree protection, tree removal, and controlling wood movement. This insect does not move quickly on its own, so you can help slow the spread by not moving ash products, particularly firewood. If it is necessary to move wood from your property, please consult the federal government regulations before transporting any ash products. If you need to purchase firewood, please do so locally. For more information on the EAB, visit ottawa.ca/eab or call 3-1-1.

• Affordable program for low-income women to get active, feel great
  The City is providing low-income women an affordable opportunity to get fit and enjoy the benefits of a healthy lifestyle through the Woman Alive/Femme active Program, a program now in its 13th year. Ottaaw Public Health, Parks and Recreation and partners in healthy living are delivering the program at nine City community and recreation facilities, such as the Kanata Leisure Centre (70 Aird Place, 613-591-9283 x308). For more information, call the Ottawa Public Health info line at 613-580-6744, or visit ottawa.ca/health.

• Lansdowne Park Open Space Design Firms Confirmed
  Five firms have been invited to compete for the design of Lansdowne Park’s open space. A Request for Qualifications for design companies interested in the public space design competition was released on January 16 and closed on February 12. After receiving 21 submissions, the short-listed firms are:
  - Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (Cambridge, MA, USA)
  - Phillips Farevaag Smallenberg (Vancouver, BC, Canada)
  - The SWA Group (Sausalito, CA, USA)
  - West 8 Urban Design & Landscape Architecture (Toronto, ON, Canada)
  - Williams, Asselin, Ackaoui & Associates Inc. (Montreal, QC, Canada)
  At the end of February, the design firms began gathering information and ideas for the new open space in a meeting with the City, the National Capital Commission, and Parks Canada in a design symposium. The five firms will each develop their proposed park designs and in May will unveil them to the City for further public comments. For the latest information on Lansdowne Park, visit ottawa.ca/lansdownepartnership or contact the City at 3-1-1.

• Ottawa Physician of the Year Award
  Congratulations to Dr. Isra Levy, our Medical Officer of Health, who received the Ottawa Physician of the Year Award from the Academy of Medicine of Ottawa in recognition of Dr. Levy’s demonstrated excellence as a clinician, advocate and professional, and for his outstanding service to the community.

• Economic Strategy Update
  The City held an Economic Forum involving approximately 80 key stakeholders as the next step in the City’s Economic Strategy Update. I am on the 11-member Steering Committee, working with staff, to develop the updated strategy to provide direction and priorities for economic development policy and programming through 2015. Seven white papers were developed to frame the discussions and to stimulate creative thought and innovative ideas in specific areas – as a member of the public, you have the opportunity to provide input by visiting opinionottawa.ca or e-mailing staff at economicdevelopment@ottawa.ca. The deadline for submitting comments on the white papers is March 19, after which feedback will be compiled and provided to the Steering Committee and a draft strategy developed and brought to the Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee, of which I am also a member, along with Council in June 2010. More info at Ottawa.ca, e-mail above, or 3-1-1.

• Women in Politics Campaign School
  Councillor Jan Harder and I will be hosting a Campaign School for women interested in running for municipal office or women managing campaigns of candidates for municipal office. More information on this event, which will be taking place on February 27th at City Hall, can be obtained by clicking here.

• IT Vendor Information Session
  The City of Ottawa, in partnership with OCRI, hosted an IT Vendor Information Session to present the City's Five Year Technology Roadmap. As Chair of the City's Information Technolgoy Sub-Committee, I attended the meeting, where I was joined by over 385 other participants; primarily those technology vendors who currently do business with the city, as well as those interested in future opportunities. The Five Year Technology Roadmap that was presented outlines the City's plan in developing and expanding its eGovernment services, which will improve how we engage with residents. The Five Year Technology Roadmap can be downloaded as a PDF from the city's website by clicking here.

• Young at Art 2010
  Young at Art application forms are now available for artists aged 12 to 19. Works selected for Young at Art 2010 will be displayed in Ottawa community galleries and will be recognized for outstanding work at award presentations throughout the city. For the first time this year, three Young at Art exhibitors will be awarded studio space at the Nepean Creative Arts Centre for the months of July and August to build their portfolio and develop their work as a part fo the Young At Art Award Studios. Applications are available at secondary schools throughout the city, Ottawa Public Library branches, online at ottawa.ca/youngatart, or by contacting the Young at Art 2010 coordinator, Mike Taylor, at 613-550-2424 x29288 or mike.taylor@ottawa.ca. The deadline for submissions is March 5th at 4:00 p.m.

• Spring Cleaning the Capital
  In 2009, 151,218 kg of litter - enough to fill 20 garbage trucks - was collected throughout more than 1,438 of our parks, woodlots, shorelines and roadways throughout the city during the Cleaning the Capital campaigns. After winning the award for the Ward with the Highest Participation three times in a row, I issued a challenge to the rest of Council to encourage their residents to participate -- and they were up to the challenge! Stittsville Councillor Shad Qadri accepted the Fall Cleaning the Capital award for highest participation on behalf of his residents, along with an "Oscar the Grouch" trophy I've provided for some extra fun. Congratulations to Stittsville, and thank you to those who participated in Kanata North. Let's win back our award this spring! Visit ottawa.ca/clean for information on this spring's program (April 15th to May 15th).

• March Break Program Registration
  During the week of March 15th to 19th, the City is offering a number of programs (swimming, dance, arts, and more) for school-aged children away from school. You can register online at ottawa.ca, by calling 613-580-2588 or in person at the City's Client Service Centres. More information on the March Break programming is available at ottawa.ca/recreation.

• * * Information on Sewer Backups and Basement Flooding * *
  Please visit ottawa.ca for the latest information on the July 2009 flooding, including what action the City is taking and information on the Compassionate Grant for those impacted by flooding. Please do not hesitate to contact me at 613-580-2474 or Marianne.Wilkinson@ottawa.ca.

• OC Transpo Winterlude Sno Bus
  OC Transpo will offer the Winterlude Sno-Bus Service on all winterlude weekends once again this year (February 6th to 7th, 13th to 14th, and 20th to 21st). For complete details please visit octranspo.comor call 613-741-4390.

• New Programming at South March Elementary School
  Fridays, January 8th to March 5th
  Open Gym
  (6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. for 10-12 year olds, $2.50/visit)
  
  Open Gym
  (8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. for 13-15 year olds, $2.50/visit)
  
  * Please note, Open Gym is not a registered program. There will be City of Ottawa staff there to supervise the proram. You are to pay the attendant each time that you arrive for the program.
  
  
  Saturdays, January 9th to March 6th
  Preschoolers Soccer Playtime
  (9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., 3-5 year olds, Cost is $50 & Registration Barcode is 441080)
  
  Preschoolers Soccer Playtime
  (10:15 a.m. to 11:15 a.m., 3-5 year olds, Cost is $50 & Registration Barcode is 441081)
  
  Children Soccer Skills
  (11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 9-12 year olds, Cost is $50 & Registration Barcode is 441082)
  
  Children Basketball Basics
  (1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., 9-12 year olds, Cost is $50 & Registration Barcode is 440991)
  
  Children Basketball Basics
  (2:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m., 6-8 year olds, Cost is $50 & Registration Barcode is 440990)
  
  Youth Basketball Open Gym
  (3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., 12-15 year olds, Cost is $45.25 & Registration Barcode is 441085)
  
  If you have any questions in regards to these programs, please contact Beata Arseneault at 613-580-2424 x33501.

• 2010 Budget
  The Audit, Budget and Finance Committee recommended a draft budget to Council on December 9th, which will be considered by Council next week. The draft 2010 budget proposes a 3.9% increase to property taxes. More information on the 2010 Budget, including information on how to make a presentation to the Committee of the Whole, can be found online at ottawa.ca.

• Compassionate Grant for Flood Relief
  For those impacted by the flooding due to sewer back-usp as a result of the significant rainfull event throughout the west-end in July of 2009, the Compassionate Grant Application Form is now available on ottawa.ca. Eligible applicants may receive a $1,000 compassionate grant for residential properties that have been flooded three or more times within the previous fifteen-year period by a significant sanitary or storm sewer back-up resulting from a significant rainfall. The complete details of the policy and the application form are now online. The application deadline for those impacted by a third flood before September 1st, 2009, is February 28th, 2010.

• Changes to E-Waste
  As of January 1st this year, electronic waste will no longer be accepted at curbside pick-up throughout the city. It is estimated that we throw out over 2,000 tonnes (approximately 300 garbage truckloads) of e-waste each year, unnecessarily taking up valuable landfill space since most of the parts (including steel, glass, copper, aluminums, plastics and precious metals) can be recovered and used to make new products. A new province-wide electronics recycling program is providing a new environmentally friendly way to extend the life of our landfills. You can drop off the following items for recycling or reuse at 17 area locations: televisions, desktop and laptop computers, monitors, desktop printers, fax machines, cd-rom drives, disk drives, keyboards, and computer mice.
  
  For a list of drop off locations, visit dowhatyoucan.ca/electronics or call 3-1-1. You will not be charged a fee for dropping off electronic equipment, as this program is funded by a new fee that you pay when purchasing electronics. If you put e-waste out for collection, it will not be collected and you will receive an information notice. Please also continue to make use of the City's Take it Back! program (ottawa.ca/takeitback) for items that are not included in this program.

• OPH Meningococcal and HPV school vaccination clinics
  Ottawa Public Health has begun vaccinating Grade 7 & 8 students against Meningococcal virus and Human Papillomavirus (HPV) at 100 school-based vaccination clinics. These clinics will operate in January and February. For more information on the vaccines and the clinics, visit ottawa.ca/health. Students unable to attend their own school's clinic will have the opportunity to attend an OPH catch-up clinic on February 18th at Earl of March.

• Winter Operations
  Nearly 600 staff use more than 550 pieces of equipment to keep Ottawa's streets and sidewalks clear each winter. Staff is responsible for over 11,615 lane kilometers (almost 1.5 times the length of the Trans-Canada Highway!), 13 park and ride lots, and over 6000 bus stops! The City measures 2,797 square kilometers, or roughly half the size of PEI (with a population roughly that of PEI and New Brunswick combined). On average we receive 81 winter precipitation events each season, around 213 cm of snow each year and 153 mm of winter rain.

• OC Transpo & Ottawa 67s
  As of January 1st, the Ottawa 67s will offer transit customers a discount on their game ticket. Transit riders will get $2 off the price of admission to an Ottawa 67s game when they show their transit pass, DayPass, or transfer from the same day. Families get additional savings on weekends when traveling to and from the game with an OC Transpo Family DayPass for the low price of $7. Full details are available at octranspo.com

• Richardson Farm House
  In December, Council approved the designation of the Richardson Farmhouse under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act, which provides municpalities with the authority to protect properties of cultural heritage value. The Richardson Farmhouse (1665 Richardson Side Rd) was built about 1871 by Thomas A. Richardson and was owned and inhabited by his descendents until the property was sold in 2007. The cultural heritage value of the Richardson Farmhouse is related to its association with the Richardson family, as they were one of the earliest pioneer families to settle March Township in the early 19th century, and members of the Richardson family had significant involvement in municipal politics and local education. The farmhouse also has cultural heritage value as a good example of the central gable Gothic Revival-style farmhouses built throughout Ontario during the late 19th century, and is a reminder of the agricultural history of March Township.

• 900,000
  The City of Ottawa marked a population milestone in December with a sign unveiling ceremony at LeBreton Flats Park, commemorating the city's population reaching 900,000. Since 2001, the city's population has grown by about 12%, with the addition of 103,000 new citizens. It is anticipated by that 2031, Ottawa will have more than 1.1 million people and will be at the centre of a metropolitan area of more than 1.7 million people.

• Pay & Display Parking
  Parking meters across the city will be replaced with new Pay & Display technolgoy to increase capacity and make on-street parking more convenient by providing receipts and permitting the use of credit card payments. Six Pay & Display machines will be installed over the winter to replace existing Pay & Display machines to evaluate their performance during cold weather. An additional 100 machines will be installed during a test phase expected to begin in April 2010, with the remainder expected to be installed by the end of the summer, 2010.

• Guide to Preparing Studies & Plans
  The city of Ottawa's Planning and Growth Management Department has made the Guide to Preparing Studies and Plans available online at ottawa.ca.

• City Rebate program for Water Efficient Toilets Resumes
  Additional funding for the Toilet Replacement Program was approved by City Council in December to provide homeowners with a cash incentive to replace old inefficient toilets with a City-approved water-efficient toilet.

• Salvation Army Christmas Kettle Drive
  The Salvation Army Christmas Kettle Drive, from December 3rd to the 24th is seeking volunteers for a minimum two hour time contribution between 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. To volunteer or for more information, please contact Chris Penton via telephone at 613-241-1573, Ext. 314 or via e-mail at chris_penton@ottawaboothcentre.org

• Winter Overnight Parking Regulations
  Between November 15th and April 1st, the Winter Overnight Parking Regulations are in effect, any time a snow accumulation of 7 cm or more is forecast by Environment Canada, including forecasts for a range of snow that exceeds 7 cm (i.e., a forecast for 5 to 10 cm). Sign up for Winter Parking e-Alerts by visiting ottawa.ca/winterparking. Every time a winter overnight parking restriction goes into effect or is lifted you will receive an e-mail. This is a free service, and you can unsubscribe at any time

• GPS for Road Salt Savings
  The City has added Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and material monitoring technology to each of the salt spreader vehicles, which will save you $1 million per year in taxes, while reducing road salt use by as much as 13,300 tonnes. The amount of salt applied to the roads can be harmful with prolonged use because it contains a large quantity of chlorine, which can seep into groundwater, affecting water quality in drinking wells and in natural waterways. To learn more about the City’s winter operations, visit ottawa.ca.

• Outdoor Rink Volunteers Needed
  The City of Ottawa is looking for residents to help make a difference by joining hundreds of volunteers who devote time to providing access to winter activities each year. Volunteers are needed for the 2009-2010 season, and grants are available to assist those who volunteer. Contact the City’s Seasonal Recreation Office at 613-580-2590 for more information and to obtain an application package. For other volunteer opportunities, visit ottawa.ca/volunteer.

• 2010 Budget
  Our Budget process for the 2010 budget has changed from previous years, giving you insight into the development of the City’s operating and capital budgets in advance of when you would normally see them. To date, all of the City’s standing committees have released their draft estimates and held meetings to put forward recommendations to the newly formed Audit, Budget & Finance Committee. The ABFC has gone through the process of reviewing and consolidating these recommendations from the various standing committees and in December will table a draft budget for Council’s consideration.
  
  My colleagues on Council representing the west end and I will be holding two public meetings in January to review this draft budget and receive your feedback in advance of Council’s debate of this budget beginning at the end of January. Please check back for more details as they become available.

• New OC Transpo Website
  OC Transpo has launched an updated website at octranspo.com with a new look a number of new features and functions, including a google map to lookup bus stops, vendors and departure times, service updates daily such as route detours, community event listings, and more.

• Parks & Recreation Master Plan
  Have your say on the future of Parks & Recreation Services. The Parks & Recreation Master Plan was presented to the Community and Protective Services Committee earlier this month and is now available on ottawa.ca for your feedback. Send an e-mail to recreationmasterplan@ottawa.ca with your feedback.

• Ottawa River Action Plan
  The City is holding public meetings to help determine which course of action it should take to protect the long-term health of the Ottawa River. The Ottawa River Action Plan includes 16 projects, one of which specifically addresses the problem of Combined Sewer Overflows. Visit ottawa.ca/riverplan for more information and to complete an online survey. You can also e-mail riverplan@ottawa.ca.

• OMBI 2008 Report
  The Ontario Municipal Benchmarking Initiative (OMBI) 2008 Performance Benchmarking Report compares the performance of 15 Ontario municipalities in 26 key service areas. For full details on the OMBI report visit Ottawa.ca and OMBI.ca

• Compassionate Grant for Flood Relief
  I am pleased to announce that Council approved the Residential Compassionate Grant Policy for Sewer Backups, based on a motion I introduced, which will provide a $1,000 grant to residents affected three times during the past 15 years by flooding caused by sewer backups. The policy will also provide coverage for residents who experience flooding over any future 15-year period. More information will soon be available on the City's website.

• Rapid Transit
  City Council approved Light Rail Transit (LRT) as the rail technology for our rapid transit expansion. Over the summer, the City hosted a Technology Forum that brought manufacturers, operators and transit experts from across North America to Ottawa to discuss various transit systems, best practices, and lessons learned with the objective of identifying the best solution for Ottawa. The Transit Committee will consider a report on the functional design of the Downtown Ottawa Transit Tunnel (DOTT) from Tunney’s to Blair on December 16th, 2009.

• H1N1 Update
  Dr. Isra Levy, the Chief Medical Officer of Health, in his latest update to Council has informed us that Ottawa Public Health, in collaboration with other City departments, distributed almost 300,000 doses of the H1N1 vaccine to the community last week by the end of this weekend, Ottawa Public Health expects to have distributed 350,000 – in five weeks, that means more than 40% of Ottawa residents will have been provided with the vaccine. I visited one of the clinic at City Hall once the vaccine was available to the general population and have received my vaccination. Visit ottawa.ca for more information on the continued clinic dates and times.

• Lansdowne Partnership Plan
  Earlier this month the City released the results of the Lansdowne Partnership Plan public consultations, conducted by Nanos Research and involving public meetings, online consultations, a public opinion telephone survey and comments received through the 3-1-1 contact centre. After reviewing these results, Council met and heard from many public delegations and spent a great deal of time debating the merits of the Lansdowne Partnership Plan proposal.
  
  Many of my colleagues expressed their position throughout this process, both for and against. I had some major concerns with the business aspect of this proposal, which were dealt with in a motion at this meeting. My motion was to ensure that the City benefits equally with the Ottawa Sports & Entertainment Group from any funds raised, and to include financial penalties if the football team ceases to exist (as much of the proposal results from a need for a stadium for the football franchise). The detailed motion can be viewed at ottawa.ca. We also passed a motion, brought forward by Councillor Hume, improving design aspects of the proposal.
  
  Full details on the conditions of the proposal and related background documents can all be found on the City’s website, at ottawa.ca/lansdownepartnership

• Marianne “A Celebration”
  On Monday, December 7th “Marianne, A Celebration,” a dinner and auction benefiting youth facilities at the upcoming Kanata North Recreation Complex, will be held at the Brookstreet Hotel in Kanata. It was 40 years ago that I ran, and won, my first election in what was then the Township of March. Individual tickets are $100.00 and corporate sponsorship tables are available. For more information or to order tickets, please click here.

• H1N1
  The pandemic H1N1 flu is a strain of the influenza A virus, which causes the same symptoms as seasonal flu: fever, cough, muscle aches, fatigue, severe headache, sore throat, lack of appetite, and possibly nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
  
  If you are sick, stay home. Frequent and thorough hand-washing as well as proper coughing/sneezing etiquette should also be practiced to help curb the spread of H1N1. The best way to prevent the flu is to get the H1N1 vaccine, currently being offered to residents in the following high priority groups: people six months to 65-years old with chronic medical conditions, healthy children between six months and five years of age, health care workers, household contacts and care providers of infants younger than six months and people with compromised immune systems, pregnant women (who will also have the option to receive the non-adjuvanted H1N1 vaccine, expected to be delivered in mid-November). I have been visiting the clinic in Kanata and speaking with residents there, and would like to take this brief opportunity to thank you for your patience as the City undertakes this large-scale vaccination process -- in the first week, 80,000 Ottawa residents were vaccinated, which is the number of residents who normally receive the seasonal flu vaccine throughout the full regular flu season.
  
  The Ottawa Public Health website has lots of additional information, including the latest news on vaccine clinics and flu assessment centres. Please visit ottawa.ca for more and refer to ottawa.ca for the most current information.

• OC Transpo and STO to offer free service for Veterans during National Veterans' Week
  War veterans who wear their medals and/or uniforms may ride OC Transpo and STO free during National Veterans' Week - November 5 to 11. This also applies to companions accompanying them. For more information on other activities and service changes to commemorate Remembrance Day, visit octranspo.com or call 613-741-4390.

• New Collection Calendar Coming
  The 2010-2011 Collection Calendar for recycling, the new Green Bin program, leaf and yard waste, and garbage pick up is being delivered and should be in mailboxes by November 30th. Check your calendar for tips on how to reduce, reuse and recycle, as well as for information on holiday schedules, the dates and locations of household hazardous waste depots and Give Away Weekends. Keep your calendar in a convenient place for your ease of reference, and as of November 30th access the new calendar online by visiting ottawa.ca/collectioncalendar.

• Remembrance Day Schedule Changes
  Ottawa City Hall and all of the City's Client Service Centres will be closed on Remembrance Day, Wednesday November 11th. For urgent matters requiring immediate attention, the 3-1-1 Contact Centre will be open. For details on garbage and recycling, transit, receration, culture, and child care services please visit ottawa.ca.

• Cleaning the Capital Program wins Tri-Valley Conservation Award
  The City has been recognized as an environmental leader for its annual Cleaning the Capital campaigns, which attract tens of thousands of volunteers each spring and fall to participate in community projects that help keep Ottawa clean, green, graffiti-free and litter-free. This is great news for a wonderful and engaging program, in which I am proud our community is so actively involved. Let's keep up the good work!

• Universal Swim Assessment for Children Under 11
  The City has recently introduced a universal swim assessment system for children under the age of 11, and a wristband identification system for City of Ottawa indoor and outdoor pools. The City's aquatic standards meet or exceed provincial regulations and industry standards, however, the City continuously reviews recommendations for improvement. Swim test is not mandated, but has been a part of the City's procedures for at least ten years. These recent adjustments will further enhance safety by ensuring all children under the age of 11 are tested for their ability to swim.

• Ottawa Police West Division Youth Engagement Strategy
  Following the implementation of the Youth Engagement Strategy in May 2009, the Ottawa Police Service West Division has seen a drop in calls for service at area parks and facilities. For more details, visit ottawapolice.ca.

• Speed Zoning Policy Update
  The City has introduced updates to its Speed Zoning Policy, which will expedite responses to speed-related inquiries, establish a community engagement process for setting speed limits in local residential and rural communities, and expand on the school speed zone program. The process to review speed limits under the updated plan will require 75% consensus from property owners to change the speed limit to 40 km/hr on local residential streets, will continue to apply a warrant system for requests to apply 40 km/hr on minor collector roads, and set a speed limit on major collector and arterial roads using the 85th percentile speed. The policy will also include a process to review speed limits on rural gravel roads, and require developers to include 40 km/hr signs as applicable in new developments under the current Site Plan Agreement. Funds are in place within the City's current budget for the placement of 200 signs per year. This updated policy will be presented to Council on October 28th.

• H1N1 & Seasonal Flu Shots
  The first phase of Ontario's flu shot strategy recommends that people aged 65 and over, as well as long-term care residents, receive the seasonal flu vaccine. Ottawa Public Health will be holding ten free seasonal flu shot clinics. More information is available on ottawa.ca.
  
  The next phase of the vaccine rollout strategy is for the H1N1 vaccine, which will be administered on a graduated basis, following the federal government's recommendation for the sequencing of target groups, and then to all residents under 65 years of age.
  
  The final phase of the vaccine strategy is for residents of all ages to receive the seasonal flu vaccine.
  
  For more information from the City of Ottawa, visit ottawa.ca/health and from the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care visit ontario.ca/flu.

• Rapid Transit Technology Choice
  On the October 21st meeting of Transit Committee, a report on the LRT Technology Choice will be tabled. City staff have been working on a recommendation of rail technology based on a number of factors, including:
  - predicted passenger volumes;
  - fit in the urban environment;
  - minimization of operating costs;
  - ability to respond to future changes to the City and demand for travel;
  - technological innovation;
  - proven solutions;
  - and suitability for Ottawa's climate
  The recommendation will be available as part of the DOTT EA Open House on October 26th, 2009 and will go to Committee for approval on November 18th 2009 and Council for approval on November 25th, 2009.

• 2010 Budget
  This year's Budget Process will be more inclusive and strengthens the role of Standing Committees, providing you with additional opportunities for consultation and input. An updated Council Strategic Plan and Service Excellence Report will be included in the development of the 2010 Budget. Key dates are listed in the yellow column on the right.

• Fall Give Away Weekend & Waste Reduction Week 2009
  Learn more about City programs to help you reduce, reuse and recycle during Waste Reduction Week from October 19th to October 25th! Did you know that you can dispose of e-waste this year at no charge at Ontario Electronics Stewardship registered permanent depots across the City (dowhatyoucan.ca)? You can also dispose of tires at no charge at Ontario Tire Stewardship registered permanent depots this year (ontariots.ca. Non-rechargeable batteries can be dropped off at most City libraries, community centres and Client Service Centres (ottawa.ca/takeitback).
  
  Fall Give Away Weekend is October 24th and 25th. Don't put unwanted items in the garbage, set them out at the curb that weekend with a sign indicating that they are Free! Learn more by visiting ottawa.ca/giveawayweekend.

• 2009 Planning Primer Program
  The Planning Primer is offering elective courses for fall of 2009 in Heritage Planning on October 24th or 26th and Urban Design on November 7th or 9th. Register online at ottawa.ca or e-mail intro@ottawa.ca for more information.

• ATU 279 Arbitration
  The City of Ottawa and the Amalgamated Transit Union 279 have received the arbitration award for the ATU 279 interest arbitration. The City and the ATU 279 agreed to enter into the arbitration process to settle the collective bargaining dispute. A preliminary summary of the ruling is as follows:
  (1) Wage Increases: 3.25%, 2.5%, and 2.5% for the three years of the contract (2008 to 2010). No one-time signing bonus. These are the same increases that were given to the City's other large unions in bargaining.
  (2) Sick Leave and Special Leave: No new entitlements
  (3) Scheduling: Employer can set operators' schedule, like other major North American transit providers.
  (4) Contracting Out: No major changes.
  The arbitration award will be incorporated inot a three-year collective agreement between the parties, which will expire at the end of March 2011.

• Ottawa Recognized for Leadership in Technology Innovation
  The annual Governemnt Technology Exhibition and Conference (GTEC) awarded the City of Ottawa with two Service Delivery Awards recognizing outstanding public-sector leadership in technology innovation. The City of Ottawa was recognized in the Municipal Awards (Group III) for the Interactive Traffic Map and Development Application Search.

• City of Ottawa Economic Strategy
  The Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee, of which I am a member, initiated the process of refreshing the City's 2010 Economic Strategy, originally approved by Council in 2003. An analysis of the City's economy and prospects for the future conculded that the 2020 Economic Strategy is still relevant and continues to be a sound guide for the City and its partners' economic development agendas. An Economic Strategy refresh will be led by a nine-member steering committee, composed of Councillors and community leaders, and will include a five-year vision for the economy, the economic development mission, goals, and objectives, a set of strategic plans, and a series of indicators to measure Ottawa's progress in achieving these objectives. A draft will be presented fo rpublic comment next spring and will go to CSED and Council for approval in May of 2010.

• TREE Program & Emerald Ash Borer (EAB)
  The TREE Program is closing in on its goal of planting 100,000 trees in only four years, helping the environment by replacing trees that will be killed by the invasive EAB. All trees are now being delivered directly to homeowners who register. To register for a tree for the Spring 2010 season, visit ottawa.ca/TREE or call 3-1-1.
  
  As the temperature is now dropping, you may be considering purchasing firewood for your home or cottage. I am taking this opportunity to remind you of the Ministerial Order governing the movement of firewood in the Ottawa and Gatineau regions. Wood can be brought into regulated areas identified by the order but wood cannot be moved from within the regulated area without the approval of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. More information on the ministerial order is available at inspection.gc.ca and on the City's EAB strategy at ottawa.ca/eab

• IT Sub-Committee
  Council established an Information Technology (IT) Sub-Committee to advise Council on policies and mandates for strategic and large-scale investments in IT. I will be chairing this sub-committee and Councillor Steve Desroches will be vice-chair. I look forward to the work of this sub-committee to improve client service and increase efficiencies.

• 50+ Recreation Strategy
  Please take the time to complete the Recreation Talks! Survey online for residents and recreation users over the age of 50 in Ottawa. Visit ottaw.ca/recreation_strategy to complete the survey and learn more.

• Lansdowne Partnership Plan
  I was pleased to see so many people out and participating in the Lansdowne Partnership Plan Open House meetings. I would encourage you to stay up to date and informed on this project ottawa.ca/lansdownepartnership.

• Ottawa Public Library Museum Passes
  As an Ottawa Public Library cardholder, you can now borrow the ArtPass and Renfrew County Museum Pass. The ArtPass admits a family (two adults and three youths aged 13-18) to the permanent collections of the National Gallery of Canada and the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography. Admission is always free for children 12 and under. The Renfrew County Museum Pass provides a family of five (maximum of two adults) access to a number of Renfrew County museums, such as the Canadian Clock Museum and Petawawa Heritage Museum, only to name a couple. The OPL collection includes four other museum passes: the Privilege Card, Nature Card, ScienceTech, and the Ottawa Museum Pass, which includes ten local Ottawa Museum Network locations. All passes can be borrowed for a period of one week. Visit BiblioOttawaLibrary.ca for more details.

• Snow Go and Snow Go Assist Programs
  The Snow Go and Snow Go Assist programs were launched in September to help seniors and residents with disabilities to secure reliable and affordable services for clearing snow and ice from their private driveways and walkways this winter. Information on the program is available at ottawa.ca or by calling 3-1-1.

• Green Bins Being Delivered
  The City is delivering Green Bins to houses this fall. Visit greenbinottawa.ca for more information on the program and on delivery. Although bins are being delivered this fall, collection will not begin until the new year.

• 2008 City of Ottawa Annual Report
  The City of Ottawa has released its 2008 Annual Report, entiteld Taking Action in Demanding Times. Please visit ottawa.ca to review it.

• LRT Litigation Settlement
  Council settled the $217.5 million lawsuit from the plaintiffs in the Light Rail litigation with a net payment of $36,718,500. At Council, we accpeted the advice from the City's lawyers that this settlement represents the most reasonable outcome of the litigation with the least risk for taxpayers. Staff have been authorized to interim finance the settlement and to prepare a permanent funding strategy for the 2010 budget deliberations.

• Age Registrictions on Student Transit Passes Removed
  OC Transpo's policy will change effective immediately - after receiving concerns from students, student associations, and the Pedestrian and Transit Advisory Committee, Council has ensured that any full-time student, regardless of age, is nwo eligible to purchase a student pass. If you are over the age of 27, are a full-time student, and have purchased a regular adult photo ID along with a regular adult pass you may present yourself to an OC Transpo Pass and Ticket office, where you will have two options:
  - You may present your pass and Photo ID to receive a reimbursement of the difference between teh adult fare adn the student fare, along with a new student photo ID adn student pass, with proof of age and registration of full-time status at an educational institution; or
  - You may present your adult pass and Photo ID the following month and receive a further discount on your new Photo ID and student pass, wtih proof of age and registration of full-time student status at an educational institution.
  Visit octranspo.com for more information.

• Ottawa Public Library Card - An Essential Back to School Supply!
  Children 16 and under are encouraged to participate in the OPL's "Every Kid a Card" campaign until Saturday, September 26th. Kids who register for a new card or renew their existing card during this time receive a free City of Ottawa swim pass, an Ottawa Senators hockey card and a ballot to win a laptop and printer from Staples, a Staples gift certificate, two Ottawa Senators tickets or a Sparty's Kids Club membership. Visit BiblioOttawaLibrary.ca for more information.

• Safe Drinking Water Act Open House
  The City is reviewing the method used to recover costs for the delivery of drinking water, sanitary and stormwater services. Proposed changes have the potential to affect all landowners, urban and rural. Public open houses are scheduled for September to review, in addition to the current rate structure, three alternative rate structures. There are five public information sessions, one of which will be in Kanata at the Kanata Recreation Complex (100 Walter Baker Place) on September 22nd, 2009 from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. City staff will be on hand to discuss the proposed options, answer questions, and receive your feedback. For more information, please visit ottawa.ca/ratestudy or contact the Project Manager at 613-580-2424 x23307 or ratestudy@ottawa.ca.

• Urban Tree Conservation By-Law In Effect
  The Urban Tree Conservation By-Law has taken effect as of September 1st, 2009. Under the by-law, owners of urban properties larger than one hectare are required to produce a city-approved tree conservation report to remove a tree ten centimetres or greater in diameter. Owners of urban properties one hectare or less in size must obtain a permit from the City to remove a tree that is 50 centimeters in diameter or greater. There is no permit fee. More information is available online at ottawa.ca/urbantree.

• Fall Cleaning the Capital, 2009
  It is time to register for Fall Cleaning the Capital! Earlybird registration ends on September 14th, however, you can register your clean-up project throughout the duration of the program, which runs from September 15th to October 15th. Kanata North has had the highest participation rate across the city for the last three "Cleaning the Capital" campaigns and I know that residents will continue to show pride in our community this fall. Visit ottawa.ca/clean to register or to learn more.

• City of Ottawa Advisory Committee & Board Recruitment
  Contribute your expertise, enthusiasm, and civic pride to one of the City's advisory committees or boards. There are 23 Advisory Committees and Boards looking for new members, which have mandates touching on a wide range of topics such as accessibility, business, culture, diversity, the environment and transportation. You must be a resident of Ottawa and 18 years of age or older. You can apply to several committees or boards at once, but can only be appointed to one at a time. For more information visit ottawa.ca or contact Jamie Lalonde in the City Clerk's Branch at committees@ottawa.ca. Applications are due by Friday, September 18th 2009.

• Crime Prevention Ottawa Recruitment
  Crime Prevention Ottawa (CPO) is recruiting for Board Members and Community Forum members. For more information visit crimepreventionottawa.ca or contact Francine Demers via e-mail at CPO@ottawa.ca or telephone at 613-580-2395.

• 2009-2010 Recreation Guide Now Available
  The City of Ottawa Fall/Winter 2009/2010 Recreation Guide is now available at neighbourhood recreation facilities, Client Service Centres, public libraries, participating retail outlets, and can be viewed online at ottawa.ca/recreation.

• LRT Technology Forum
  City staff met with transit operators and manufacturers at the LRT Technology Forum in June of this year. Staff will present a report to Transit Committee and to Council on technology recommendations that will incorporate the discussions and feedback from the Technology Forum. The project website, with presentation videos, slides, and background documents, can be viewed at ottawa.ca/lrt-forum

• 2009 Flood Relief Trust Fund

  With the recent flooding events throughout Ottawa’s west-end communities of Kanata, Stittsville and West-Carleton, we are hoping that you will help provide some immediate financial assistance to those residents whose homes have been flooded multiple times, causing them to be without insurance. The City is working to provide assistance, financial and otherwise, to impacted residents. However, this will take time and funding is needed now for those without insurance to assist with clean up and other measures as a result of the flooding. By making a donation you can bring some much needed help to fellow members of our community.
  
  To contribute:
  -- In Kanata and Stittsville, visit any Scotiabank Branch and make a donation via cash or cheque to the 2009 Flood Relief Trust Fund.
  
  -- Throughout Ottawa, visit any Scotiabank Branch and make a donation via cash or cheque to the 2009 Flood Relief Trust Fund, asking that your donation be forwarded to the Scotiabank Branch located at 8111 Campeau Drive.
  
  -- Visit any of the City’s Client Service Centres to make a donation via cash or cheque to the 2009 Flood Relief Trust Fund.
  
  -- Donations over $10.00 will receive a tax receipt from the City of Ottawa.
  
  For more background and other information on the flooding, please visit ottawa.ca.

• Civic Holiday Schedule Changes - Ottawa City Hall (including my office) and all six Client Service Centres will be closed on the Civic Holiday (Monday, August 3rd). The 3-1-1 Contact Centre will be open as always for urgent matters. The Ottawa Public Library branches will be closed, and OC Transpo will operate on a Sunday schedule. For complete details on the holiday schedule changes, visit ottawa.ca.

• Reminder: Do Not Move Firewood! - The City of Ottawa reminds residents that firewood should not be moved because of the Emerald Ash Borer. The EAB is strictly regulated by the federal government as a plant pest under the Plant Protection Act. If you need firewood, buy it locally. If you're going to a cottage or campsite, buy your wood there and leave it behind when you go. Moving a single piece could introduce the pest into new areas and compromise the health of our region's forests.

• Economic Stimulus Funding - Project List - Visit this link on ottawa.ca to review a PDF of all of the projects that were approved by Council for Infrastructure Stimulus funding. Projects highlighted in bright green have received full Provincial and Federal funding, while light green projets have received partial Provincial and Federal funding for some but not all projects within that project envelope.

• Don’t Be a LitterBug! – Pitch in and stop the LitterBug from littering in our parks, neighbourhoods and other scenic locations. With over 2,900 waste receptacles across the City we can all make sure that we put litter where it belongs – in a waste or recycling container.
  
  To report litter, contact the City by calling 3-1-1. You can also take an online survey about litter at ottawa.ca/litterbug.

• Lunchtime Performing Arts Series in City Parks – Some of Ottawa’s most talented performers are being featured at wading pool parks throughout the months of July and August across the City. Themed events will offer a variety of activities for children and youth on Thursdays from 11:00AM to 4:00PM with an artistic performance from 12:30PM-1:30PM. For a complete listing of these and other special events at the City’s wading pools visit ottawa.ca

• City Preparing for Launch of Green Bin Program – The Ottawa Green Bin program is a new initiative that will help stop organic waste from going to landfills and instead, use it to make compost. A small group of participants have started using their Green Bins already to provide the City with valuable feedback before the full launch. Green Bins will be delivered starting in September of this year, with organics collection beginning in January of 2010. For more information on the Green Bin program, including items that can be collected and cannot be collected, visit ottawa.ca/greenbin.

• What Parents & Youth Need to Know About Graffiti Vandalism – Graffiti includes all types of markings or writing with paint, markers, scratches and even acid-based etching on glass – and graffiti vandalism comes with some serious consequences. Talk to your children about the negative impacts of graffiti and encourage them to participate in positive creative outlets. There are also great opportunities for them to make their mark, such as community art programs, mural opportunities, and legal graffiti walls to support artists and creative expression. Consequences of doing graffiti may include criminal charges (a conviction under which can result in a criminal record), fines (26 youth were fined $610 for graffiti under the Graffiti Management By-Law in 2008) and restitution payments (which may be used for offenders under the age of 18, before criminal charges would be laid). For more information, including tips for concerned parents, visit ottawa.ca/graffiti or call 3-1-1.

• Ottawa Public Library Teen Reading Zone – Readers aged 12-18 are invited to participate in the Teen Reading Zone this summer. From July 1st to August 30th, teens can review their favourite books. Every book reviewed earns you one ballot into a draw for great prizes – the more read, the more changes you have to win! Use your OPL card to participate online at Teens.BiblioOttawaLibrary.ca.

• Community Challenge Day – Ottawa City Council has taken up the challenge and joined 20 other municipalities who have committed to reducing their overall energy consumption on August 14th, 2009 between 8:00AM and 8:00PM. The Ontario Power Authority is recognizing the anniversary of the biggest blackout in North American history when the power went out across Ontario and eight U.S. states on August 14th, 2003 with a province-wide conservation competition among Ontario communities. Participating communities are competing in two categories – highest percentage drop in electricity consumption and the highest per-capita participation in the Count Me In! pledge drive. Visit countmeinontario.cato be counted in!

• Parks & Recreation Master Plan – White Papers Feedback Wanted! - I encourage you to provide your feedback to the City on the Parks & Recreation Master Plan through its three online White Papers on Service Delivery, Accessibility and Inclusion, and Tax Support and Revenue Generation. The Master Plan aims at providing better services citywide, and will provide direction for our recreation services for the next 10 to 15 years. Visit ottawa.ca to view the White Papers and provide your feedback for the Master Plan.

• Ottawa’s Supervised Beaches Opening - The four supervised beaches will officially open on Saturday, June 20th. Every day during the beach season, Ottawa Public Health takes water samples from all four beaches (Britannia, Westboro, Mooney’s Bay and Petrie Island) and tests for bacteria levels. If unusually high levels are found, a ‘no swim’ advisory is issued. Check the City’s website daily for updates on water quality before heading to the beach. As of Saturday, updates will be available by calling 3-1-1, via RSS Feeds, or on ottawa.ca/health. Site signage and flag indicators will also tell you whether or not a no swim advisory is in effect at that location.

• Mid-Term Governance Review Online - Council is reviewing its governance structure and we would like your feedback. You can view the Governance White Papers online and provide your feedback by visiting ottawa.ca.

• Highway 417 Lane Closures - Beginning Sunday, June 21st, weather permitting, from 7:00PM nightly to 6:00AM, Highway 417 westbound lanes will be reduced to one lane from Richmond Road to Eagleson Road for paving operations. Highway 417 will be operational with at least two open lanes every morning by 6:00AM. The anticipated completion date for the paving work of westbound lanes is July 3rd, 2009, however, this may change depending on the weather. Bus lanes at HWY 416 north to HWY 417 west (near Holly Acres Rd) will also be impacted, as will ramps within the work zone. For more information contact the Ministry of Transportation at www.mto.gov.on.ca or 1-800-268-4686.

• Transportation Master Plan - The Transportation Master Plan as adopted by City Council in November 2008 is online at ottawa.ca/tmp. With the Master Plan approved staff are busy working on a number of key projects such as the Downtown Ottawa Transit Tunnel (DOTT, visit ottawa.ca/tunnel or contact DOTT@ottawa.ca for more information) and the Western Corridor LRT Planning & Environmental Assessment Study. The Western Corridor (between Baseline and Tunney’s Pasture or Bayview) will provide a key link to downtown from the west end. Candidate corridors are under review and the study is anticipated to take 26 months to complete. For more information contact Mona Abouhenidy, Program Manager, Transportation Strategic Planning (x26936).
  
  With the Transportation Master Plan approved in November, we are now looking at the specific type of technology needed to achieve our vision. On June 20th the City is hosting a LRT Tech Forum, bringing together transit experts, technology providers, and key stakeholders to identify the best transit technology options for our new LRT system. Visit ottawa.ca for background information and an opportunity to provide feedback. Please submit your feedback by July 15th.

• Ottawa Public Library TD Summer Reading Club - Children aged 6-12 are invited to participate in the TD Summer Reading Club, themed Agent 009 (encompassing spies, mysteries, puzzles and crime-solving science). Registration begins June 17th, for full details visit www.BiblioOttawaLibrary.ca.

• Vehicle Donation Program for Ottawa Fire Services - Donate your old or scrap vehicle as a training apparatus to help firefighters practice the intricate skill of auto extrication. Every year Ottawa Fire Services responds to thousands of traffic collisions that involve extricating injured drivers and passengers using specialized techniques and tools. Donate in exchange for a $150 tax receipt; call 613-580-2860 for more information.

• Canada Day Schedule Changes - Ottawa City Hall, Client Service Centres and the Provincial Offences Court will all be closed on Wednesday, July 1st for Canada Day. There will be no curbside or multi-residential garbage and recycling collection on Canada Day. OC Transpo operates on a Sunday schedule and offers free service after 10:00PM. The 3-1-1 Contact Centre will be open for urgent matters requiring the City’s immediate attention. For full details on scheduling changes, visit ottawa.ca.

• Changes to the City’s 2010 Budget Process - A new budget process will be in place for the 2010 budget and all future budgets, which will increase engagement by Councillors and the public at the beginning of the budget process. The role of Standing Committees will be increased by this process, and a new Standing Committee on Finance and Audit has been proposed. The objective is to move away from a draft budget developed by staff to a budget developed by Standing Committees.

• FCM National Board of Directors - I have been elected to the National Board of Directors at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities as the new Ontario representative. FCM has more than 1775 members and represents the interests of Canadian municipalities on all federal government policies and programs. I have been active on a number of committees with FCM over the past year and look forward to continuing to represent the City at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.

• Infrastructure Investments to Reduce Sewer Overflows - An $18.73-million investment, a partnership between the City and the Federal Government, will help drastically reduce sewer overflows during heavy rainfalls. Real Time Control technology, combined with other investments, are reducing discharges into the river. These upgrades will be made to five combined sewer overflow sites, maximizing conveyance capacity within the system and reducing overflow. Once completed in the spring of 2010, these projects are expected to reduce the volume of overflows discharged to the Ottawa River by 65% during an average year.

• Canada Day in Kanata - Are you a student (or do you have a student in your house) looking for their volunteer hours? Would you like to come help out at a great event in Kanata? Canada Day in Kanata is looking for volunteers to assist with set up on June 30th, all day on July 1st, and take down on July 2nd. Opportunities include set up and take down, parking and site security, sales teams, site crew, and at the play zone. Volunteer in 4 hour shifts or volunteer all day! E-mail volunteers@canadadayinkanata.com for more information or to sign up.

• Bike Share Trial - The City, National Capital Commission and the Ville de Gatineau is running a trial Bike Share Service this summer (from June 8th to September 23rd). For full details visit ottawa-gatineau.bixi.com including fees, rental locations and more!

• Green Bin Pilot Project - You may notice some of your neighbours have Green Bins already – this is a small pilot project the City is undertaking to get feedback from residents before the full launch of the Green Bin program. Look for your Green Bin this fall!

• City Librarian Recognized - Our City Librarian, Barbara Clubb, has been recognized for her professionalism and dedication to librarianship. The Canadian Library Association presented Ms. Clubb with The Outstanding Service to Librarianship Award at its National Conference in Montreal earlier in June. The Public Library Association, a division of the American Library Association, will be presenting the Allie Beth Martin Award to Ms. Clubb at its Annual Conference in Chicago in July. Congratulations to Ms. Clubb and thank you for your dedication!

• A Taste for Life - Thanks once again to everybody who attended A Taste for Life, whether it was at Lapointe’s Kanata or elsewhere. We had a great time, and I’m pleased to report that Kanata North WON the Councillors’ Challenge – in addition to eating lots of delicious food, the Lapointe’s patrons were very generous with their donations. A big thank you goes out to the staff at Lapointe’s and our TD Representative for all of their work that night.

• Battery Recycling - You can now drop off batteries for recycling at a number of City of Ottawa locations, including the Beaverbrook Branch of the Ottawa Public Library, City Hall, the Kanata Wave Pool. Non-rechargeable batteries, including alkaline, lithium (which must be wrapped with tape or plastic), and zinc air button cell and silver oxide button cell batteries are accepted. This pilot program does not accept rechargeable batteries, but many businesses accept those as part of the Take it Back! Program.

• Carp River Restoration Third Party Review - The results of the Third Party Review of the Carp River Restoration Plan and associated projects were brought to Councillors at a briefing on April 9th, 2009. A summary of the Staff Report and Recommendations can be found online at ottawa.ca. Please contact Carol Christensen for more information.

• Choosing our Future - This joint planning initiative between the City of Ottawa, the City of Gatineau and the National Capital Commission aims to help the Capital Region face the challenges of the 21st century while integrating concepts of sustainability and resiliency into all facets of regional planning and design. Visit www.choosingourfuture.ca for full details.

• The Interprovincial Transit Strategy is a collaborative effort between the National Capital Commission, the Société de transport de l’Outaouais, and the City of Ottawa nad Ville de Gatineau. Visit interprovincial-transit-strategy.ca for full details and to register online for updates.

• A TASTE FOR LIFE
  Lapointe's Seafood Grill
  (60 Colchester Sq)
  
  Evening of Wednesday, April 29th
  
  Contact Lapointe's: 613-599-1424
  Reserve with Marianne: 613-580-2474
  
  
  
  
  
  Join me at Lapointe's Seafood Grill (60 Colchester Sq) on Wednesday, April 29th for "A Taste for Life" to benefit Bruce House and the Snowy Owl AIDS Foundation. Just by having dinner, and having fun, at Lapointe's on April 29th, you'll be helping the over 3,000 people in the Ottawa area living with HIV and AIDS. By dining at Lapointe's, 25% of your bill that evening will be going to help local organizations in their work with members of our community living with HIV and AIDS.
  
  I attended "A Taste for Life" last year with Councillor Peggy Feltmate, and this year she has challenged me to host an event in Kanata North to see who can raise the most money! It is a thrill to host at Lapointe's and get Kanata North involved. Not only will you have great food, have a great time, and be supporting a great local charity at this event, you will also have a chance to win some fantastic prizes by filling out a ballot at the restaurant on April 29th. You could win four seats to a cooking demo/meal at Urban Element; you could win a Gold Pass for two to the Ottawa International Jazz Festival and dinner for two at Cafe Paradiso; or you could win two tickets to the GCTC plus dinner for two at Social.
  
  I encourage you to contact Lapointe's Seafood Grill directly at 613-599-1424 to make a reservation. I will be there at 6:00PM, and have a few spots left at my table so contact my office quickly at 613-580-2474 to reserve a seat with me. Weather permitting the patio WILL be open! I look forward to seeing you there on April 29th.

• Kanata North Street Naming Contest - Deadline to Enter, March 31st, 2009!
  
  
  
  The two contests - one to name the re-aligned Goulbourn Forced Road and the other to provide the theme to an upcoming subdivision development - will draw to a close on March 31st, 2009. Submit your entry using this downloadable form, which includes further contest details, via fax (613-580-2514) or e-mail (KanataNorth@ottawa.ca). Thank you to all of those who have provided excellent suggestions so far, keep them coming! Once again, a special thank you to the Holiday Inn Select Kanata and Kelsey's Restaurant for their generous donation of prizes to the contest.

• City's Approved Sledding Hills Closed - The City of Ottawa has closed its 50 approved sledding hills for the season due to dangerous conditions from changes in the weather. Please keep personal safety in mind and remain off the sledding hills.

• All OC Transpo Bus Routes Back in Service, March 16th -- Regular Traffic & Parking Restrictions are also back in Effect - All bus routes are back in service as of Monday, March 16th - three weeks ahead of schedule - including all rush-hour commuter routes. With additional buses on the road, service levels will be at 94% during off-peak periods and at 90% during rush hours. Although all routes are running, some will have fewer trips than normally scheduled and will be busier than usual. Howerver, all communities will have service back in place. Throughout March and April, additional rush-hour trips will be added as more buses become available. bus service levels are expected to be back to 100% in April. You should check regularly at octranspo.com for updated times. As a reminder, during March Break (March 16th-20th) elementary and secondary school routes will not operate. The City is also reinstating traffic and parking regulations on the same date. Ther following mitigation measures will remain in place to provide additional flexibility to transit riders:
  - The temporary park-and-ride lots at Millennium Park, Ray Friel Centre, Mooney's Bay Park, and the Nepean Sportsplex will continue to be available until further notice, depending on requirements for parks and recreation programming
  - The courtesy park-and-ride lots at Bayshore, St. Laurent, and Place d'Orleans shopping centres will continue to be available, subject to the requirements of the property owners
  - The temporary carpool lot at Bell Sensplex will continue to be avialable until further notice, depending on requirements of the facility.
  For more information, please call 3-1-1.

• TREE Program Delivers! - The City's Trees, Reforestation and Environmental Enhancement program is making it easier for you to receive a tree to plant on your own property. You can now opt to have the tree delivered, at no charge, right to your front door. Registration for the TREE Program is year-round and trees will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, while quantities last. Once registration for the June 2009 distribution is full, registrations will be accepted for fall 2009. Ify ou have registered for the June 2009 delivery you will receive a letter in May from the City confirming pick up location or delivery dates. One potted tree per household is avialable by registering online at ottawa.ca/TREE or by calling 3-1-1.

• Register Now for Spring Cleaning the Capital! - We're gearing up for Spring Cleaning the Capital, a program now in its 16th year. Registration is now open and the campaign runs from April 15th to May 15th, 2009. Sign up online at ottawa.ca/clean or call 3-1-1 to register a group of volunteers to pitch in and give Ottawa its annual spring cleaning. Last year 70,000 volunteers completed more than 1,200 registered cleanup and graffiti-removal projects and collected 116,000 kg of litter! We were the Ward with the highest participation in the City, Kanata North, so let's keep it up! Register your group today and request a clean up kit; if you register on or before April 14th you have a chance to win early bird prizes!

• "Your Pass to Explore" three museums with OC Transpo - The Canada Science and Technology Museum Corporation and OC Transpo are pleased to announce the launch of "Your Pass to Explore," which gives you the opportunity to get a free museum admission. Until May 31st, 2009, visitors to the Canada Agriculture Museum, Canada Aviation Museum and Canada Science and Technology Museum who present a valid OC Transpo transit pass or transfer can receive a free museum admission with the purchase of one paid admission of equal or greater value. With a transit pass or transfer you may also purchase a one-year Canada Science and Technolgoy Museum Corporation membership and receive a free two-month membership extension. That way, you receive unlimited admission for 14 months to all three world-class museums. For more information or travel planning assistance, please call 613-741-4390 or visit octranspo.com, sciencetech.technomuses.ca, aviation.technomuses.ca or agriculture.technomuses.ca.

• Ottawa Pedestrian Plan - A draft copy of the Ottawa Pedestrian Plan is available online at ottawa.ca. Comments can be submitted by e-mail at PedestrianPlan@ottawa.ca or in writing to Gill Wilson, Coordinator Pedestrian Facilities, Mobility and Area Traffic Management Division, 100 Constellation Cres, Ottawa, ON K2G 6J8 or by fax at 613-560-6069.

• Community Project Funding & Crime Prevention Ottawa Project Funding - 2009 Applications - Non-profit community organizations in Ottawa can submit applications for new projects that address Community Project Funding priorities and community initiatives in crime prevention. More details are available at ottawa.ca/funding or CrimePreventionOttawa.ca. Applications must be postmarked or received by 4:00PM on Wednesady, April 22nd.

• Spring/Summer 2009 Recreation Guide Available! - The City of Ottawa Spring/Summer 2009 Recreation Guide is now available and can be picked up at neighbourhood recreation facilities, Client Service Centres, public libraries, participating retail outlets or viewed online at ottawa.ca.

• Mayor's Taskforce on Governance Releases Report - On March 5th, the Mayor's Taskforce on Governance issued its report "Governing Ottawa: Strategic Thinking for a Winning City" and it is available online at governance-ottawa.ca. The Taskforce makes a number of recommendations on governance, and a staff report on governance will be issued some time in the coming weeks.
  
  
  

• Planning Primer II - The second course in the Planning Primer program is being offered on March 28th and 30th, 2009 in the Colonel By Room at City Hall. For full details on the Planning Primer, visit ottawa.ca or e-mail intro@ottawa.ca.

• Civic Events Funding - Local non-profit organizations, such as volunteer-based community or recreation associations, are invited to apply for funding to provide one-to-two-day civic events that foster civic pride, develop community cohesion and offer free admission.
  
  Under the Community Funding Division, the Civic Events Fund supports events linked to and celebrating a civic or statutory holiday, such as Victoria Day or Canada Dya, are held in a specific geographic district in Ottawa, and encompass a broad range of activities, including family entertainment. The maximum allocation is $3,000 and applications are due by April 2nd, 2009. Forms are available at ottawa.ca, Client Service Centres, or by contacting Brenda Denault via e-mail or telephone at 613-580-2424 x26459.

• Reporting Potholes - It's that time of year again; numerous potholes are appearing on roads across the city. To report any potholes please contact the city by:
  - Calling 3-1-1
  - Sending an e-mail to 311@ottawa.ca
  - Reporting it in person at any Client Service Centre
  
  This is the best and fastest way for you to report any deficiencies and have them corrected as soon as possible.

• 
  
  
  I encourage everyone to participate again in Earth Hour on March 28th. For more information visit Earth Hour Canada.

• $576,818 for United Way from City Employees! - Congratulations to City employees for the second-largest community campaign in Ottawa! Campaign Co-Chairs Nancy Schepers and Jan Harder, along with their entire team of volunteers, did a great job in getting our employees involved.

• OC Transpo Ahead of Schedule – There will be service on all OC Transpo routes during peak periods starting on Monday, March 16th – three weeks ahead of schedule. I was pleased to send this announcement to my e-Newsletter list – you can read what was sent by clicking here and full details on OC Transpo’s service resumption is online at www.octranspo.com.
  
  To subscribe to my e-Newsletter List and receive these kinds of updates, e-mail me at KanataNorth@ottawa.ca

• Earth Hour 2009 – Once again we will be supporting Earth Hour 2009 on Saturday, March 28th from 8:30-9:30PM and I encourage you to participate. This is a global campaign, initiated by the World Wildlife Fund in Sydney, Australia in 2007. You are encouraged to join together and demonstrate the potential for action on climate change initiatives through your participation. You can find more information online at ottawa.ca and can register your participation.

• 2009 Civic Appreciation Awards – Do you know a special community volunteer? Recognize them by nominating them for a City of Ottawa Civic Appreciation Award. The ceremony will be held in the spring during National Volunteer Week. Your deadline to nominate someone is Friday, March 27th, 2009. Nomination forms are available online at ottawa.ca/volunteering or through the Client Service Centres and Ottawa Public Library.

• Block Parent Program Closure – The Block Parent Program in Ottawa closed last fall, and the Ottawa Police Service is still looking for Block Parent window signs to be returned. The sign return deadline has been extended to March 31st, 2009. The Police would like to remind you, especially parents, schools, and groups that work with children, that the Block Parent Program no longer exists in Ottawa. More information on returning your sign is available at ottawapolice.ca.

• The Latest from OC Transpo - For the most up to date information on the resumption of Transit Services, please visit the OC Transpo website at www.octranspo.com. I am still receiving an unusually high volume of e-mails, so please bear with me as it may take some time to respond. Please be assured that I am receiving your feedback, and either myself or a member of my staff will get back to you at the earliest opportunity.

• Heritage Day, February 17th – I was proud to kick off Heritage Day celebrations on February 17th to recognize the efforts of those who work to preserve our architectural heritage and highlight the 150th Anniversary of the Village of Manotick (founded by Moss Kent Dickinson in 1859). We had more than 40 displays by local heritage groups at City Hall and dozens of costumed greeters. You can find more info at ottawa.ca/heritage or through the Council of Heritage Organizations in Ottawa at www.choocopo.ca.

• 
  
  The Friends of the Ottawa Public Library Association is looking for volunteers! The Friends of the Ottawa Public Library are advocates of a strong public library system, promoters of literacy (check out the annual anthology of bilingual children's poetry and short stories, pot-pourri), and fundraisers for library materials and services. To learn more about the FOPLA, visit their website at ottawapubliclibraryfriends.ca.

• Family Day Schedule Changes – I’d like to remind you of the various scheduling changes for Family Day on Monday, February 16th. City Hall and all Client Service Centers will be closed, as will the Provincial Offences Court at 100 Constellation Cres. And branches of the Ottawa Public Library. There will be no curbside recycling or garbage pick-up on Monday – the collection schedule will be delayed by one day for the entire week of February 16th. Most recreation facilities will be maintaining regular schedules and programming on Monday – for full details, visit ottawa.ca.

• Hockey Day in Ottawa – Join your neighbours and celebrate Hockey Day in Ottawa on Saturday, February 21st. Hit the ice with your community for an afternoon of hockey, skating and physical activity on one of the City’s 233 outdoor rinks. Remember to dress appropriately for the weather and use helmets and applicable safety equipment on the ice. For more information visit ottawa.ca.

• Revised Official Plan – City staff tabled revisions to the Official Plan at a special joint meeting of PEC & ARAC on February 2nd. Draft revisions to the Infrastructure Master Plan were also tabled. The Official Plan provides a vision of how and where the city should grow through to 2031. There are two open houses to present proposed changes – the first on February 19th at Confederation High School (focusing on rural policies) and the second on February 24th at City Hall (focusing on urban policies). A special Joint PEC and ARAC meeting will take place on March 31st and will be the official public meeting where all interested parties have the opportunity to make presentations in respect to the proposed amendment. More details can be found at ottawa.ca/beyondottawa2020.

• Theft from Vehicles – Community Policing Constable Ryan Strotmann reminds us to be cautious of thefts from vehicle, which can be “crimes of opportunity.‿ Criminals target unattended vehicles at opportune moments to reduce the chances of being seen. There are ways you can reduce your risk with these prevention tips:
  . Don’t’ leave your doors unlocked when you are away from your vehicle
  . Don’t keep personal identification in your vehicle; a photocopy of your vehicle ownership meets the legislated requirements to surrender documents to the police upon request.
  . Don’t leave automatic garage door openers in the vehicle, which can leave open access to your home.
  . Don’t leave attractive valuables in your vehicle
  . Always leave the vehicle interior clean and empty; it looks less inviting.
  . Always park in a well-lit area.
  . Always make every effort to use your residential garage (if you have one)
  . If you have a landlord, develop a close working relationship. Advise immediately about broken/burnt out lights, malfunctioning/miss timed common garage doors and any occurrences that might happen; the landlord can’t fix a problem unless he or she is aware of it.
  . Report suspicious activity to the police.
  Visit your local Community Police Centre (on Abbeyhill Drive) for more information on this or any other Crime Prevention program.

• Volunteer at Outdoor Rinks! – Join the hundreds of community based volunteers who devote their time to provide access to affordable winter recreational activity every year. Community involvement helps ensure that Ottawa’s outdoor rinks are available free of cost to everyone from toddlers to seniors in neighbourhoods across Ottawa. You can assist with maintenance of ice surfaces, volunteer to supervise the rinks and field house, help run weekly children’s programs, or organize a winter carnival at your rink. Contact your neibhourhood rink operator or the Seasonal Recreation Office at 613-580-2424 x37017 or seasonalrecreation@ottawa.ca for more information.

• 2009 Community Environmental Projects Grants Program (CEPGP) – Funding has been made availble for 2009. The City is seeking proposals from non-profit organizations wishing to help improve the environment in their neighbourhoods. The deadline for applications is Friday, March 27th, 2009 and more information can be found at ottawa.ca

• Ottawa Public Health reporting increased presence of stomach “flu‿ (gastroenteritis) – Symptoms may include nausea and/or vomiting and/or diarrhea. Dr. Isra Levy, our Medical Officer of Health, is advising of two simple steps to prevent the spread of this illness: First, wash your hands routinely and thoroughly for at least 15 seconds – especially before eating or preparing food; Second, stay at home when you are sick. Those with symptoms should not enter childcare facilities, schools or health care facilities until 48 hours after the last episode of vomiting or diarrhea. For more information or to order resources on infection control such as hand washing posters, please call Ottawa Public Health at 613-580-6744 or visit ottawa.ca/handhygeine.

• Kanata North Street Naming Contest - Between now and March 31st, 2009, submit your entry in the Kanata North Street Naming Contest. There are two contests, one to re-name the re-aligned Goulbourn Forced Road and the other to provide a Canadian theme for street names of an upcoming subdivision in Kanata North! Please note that street names cannot be duplicates of existing names in the City of Ottawa. Entries will be judged by a small panel and prizes will be awarded to the winner of each contest. A special thank you to Kelsey’s Restaurant and the Holiday Inn Select for the donation of prizes. You can download the entry form with full contest details by clicking here (.doc)

• Council updates staff's negotiating mandate - For full details on updates to staff's negotiating mandate for the ATU 279 strike, please see this news release on ottawa.ca.

• January 19th Ward Council to focus on Transit Strike - I would encourage you to attend Ward Council on January 19th at the Kanata Seniors Centre Program Room. The usual items will be included, but our main focus will be the ATU 279 strike. For details please see the agenda under "Next Ward Council Meeting."

• Special Council Meeting, January 16th - Council continues to work towards resolving the transit strike. I understand the frustration that this causes many of you, and want you to know that we are continuing to work on this issue. We will be meeting on January 16th at 9:00PM for a Special Meeting in Andrew Haydon Hall.

• Additional Measures to help keep Ottawa moving - Council has approved a number of additional measures to help mitigate the effects of the ATU 279 strike. These include: expanding use o fthe transitway for organized shuttles; providing assistance to universities and colleges; reimbursing agencies for transportation costs; service bridging for Ontario Works clients; putting new carpool destination signs in place; parking savings for carpoolers; reduced on street parking rates; parking permits; increases to Para Transpo; and additional monitoring and maintenance of key pedestrian and cycling routes. The City is also encouraging you to retain your December transit pass and Park & Ride permit; if you would like a refund equal to the value of lost transit service, you must present your pass or permit to a Client Service Centre (at City Hall, Kanata, Orleans or Ben Franklin Place) starting January 16th.

• Medical Officer of Health Issues Frostbite Warning - A Frostbite Warning has been issued to ensure you are taking the appropriate precautions before heading outside this week. A frostbite warning goes into effect when wind chills are predicted to be -35 or colder, or extreme weather conditions such as a blizzard or ice storm are predicted. With a wind chill of -35 or colder, exposed skin can freeze in as little as ten minutes. Wear several layers of clothing to keep warm and make sure that the outer layer protects you from wind and wetness.

• Mumps Vaccine - Ottawa Public Health is encouraging young adults to get a second dose of the mumps vaccine at one of the scheduled free clinics being held at post-secondary campuses and within the community between January and March. Most young people born between 1970 and 1995 received only one dose of the Mumps/Measels/Rubella (MMR) vaccine, and for maximum protection two are required. For a list of community and campus clinics, visit ottawa.ca/health; if you cannot attend one of the clinics, the vaccine is also available from your physician.

• Listen Online to the City's Planning & Environment Committee - Beginning Tuesday, January 13th, anyone with Internet access can listen in live to every meeting of the City's Planning & Environment Committee. City Council meetings are videocast on the City's website, but audiocasts of a committee meeting will be a new service on ottawa.ca. This is a one-year pilot project to let let residents, community groups, businesses, property developers and other interested people hear the PEC discuss issues and reach decisions in real time. The PEC is responsible for steering and enforcing the City's Official Plan, and for developing and updating a wide range of policies related to the environment, infrastructure and utilities such as water, wastewater and solid waste.

• 2009 Summer Student Employment Program - Students interested in summer employment with the City of Ottawa can apply online beginning Monday, January 12th, 2009. For more details visit ottawa.ca/careers. Applications will be accepted from Monday, January 12th to Friday, February 20th, 2009.

• Hockey Exhibit at City Hall - Viewing hours for the popular City of Ottawa Archives hockey exhibit at the City Hall Art Gallery will be extended until January 16, from 9:00AM to 9:00PM. Regular viewing hours will resume on January 17th and 18th from 9:00AM to 6:00PM. The exhibit, 125 Years of Hockey in Ottawa, highlights the City's hockey history - amateur, collegiate, and professional - through artifacts, images and video. It runs until January 18th, 2009. Admission is free, please visit ottawa.ca/heritage for more info or call 613-580-2424 x28425.

• 55+ Short Story Contest Underway - The City's 12 annual edition of the 55+ Short Story Contest invites you to submit original, unpublished short stories or memoirs if you are 55 years or older. Your submission must be 2000 words or less and is due by March 16th with an entry fee of $5 per story. For full details, pick up a brochure at the Client Service Centres or call the Heron Seniors' Centre at 613-247-4808 x1.

• OC Transpo Strike - I have sent an e-mail with information on the OC Transpo Strike (and tomorrow night's Tega Subdivision Public Meeting) to my e-Newsletter list. If you are not on the list, simply e-mail KanataNorth@ottawa.ca and you will receive my e-Newsletter and other important updates such as this. The OC Transpo information is also posted online under the "Issues" tab by clicking on "Transit Strike." I would also encourage you to visit the City's website for an update on traffic, parking and carpooling enhancement as the strike continues by clicking here.

• Emergency Preparedness - Emergencies such as severe weather, blackouts and floods can hit any city, any time. Are you ready to handle an emergency in your home? Do you want to help other people in your community to be ready? The City's Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is seeking volunteers for its "Are you Ready, Train-the-Trainer Network" - to conduct community emergency preparedness workshops. Prepared community volunteers can greatly assist the City in the response to an emergency. "Are You Ready" is a grass-roots community network of agencies, residents and businesses helping raise community awareness and action towards emergency preparedness. Volunteers for Train-the-Trainer will receive a free two-horu session and training materials. For more information or to register, please contact Nathalie Rochefort of the City's OEM at 613-580-2424 x28078 or by e-mailing Nathalie.Rochefort@ottawa.ca.

• Recycling Christmas trees, greeting cards and other items from the holiday season - Christmas tress will be collected during the week of January 12th, 2009 on your regularly scheduled collection day. Trees wrapped in plastic bags, frozen in the snowbank, or with decorations on them cannot be collected. In order to avoid problems with collection or snow removal operations, please place your tree at the curb the night before your scheduled collection day. Greeting cards and paper gift-wrap items can be placed in your black box. However, foil gift-wrap, bows and ribbons are not accepted in the City's curbside recycling program. For more information please contact 3-1-1.

• Merry Christmas and a Safe and Happy New Year - I'd like to wish you all a warm and joyous holiday, with family, friends and neighbours, as 2008 comes to a close. There are a number of scheduling changes for City services over the holidays so please visit ottawa.ca for full details. My office will be closed at noon on Christmas Eve, both downtown and at the Mlacak Centre, and will re-open on Monday, January 5th. During this time, my staff and I will continue to monitor e-mail and voicemail for urgent matters and 3-1-1 will continue to operate as always and staff there are happy to assist you as well.

• Mumps Catch-Up Vaccination Program - The past year has seen outbreaks of mumps, primarily among university and college students, in five provinces including Ontario (the others are Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Alberta and British Columbia). To prevent further outbreaks, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care is offering a one-time measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) Vaccination Catch-Up Program for all students attending a post-secondary institution in the province, between January and March 2009. More information, including a schedule, is available by visiting ottawa.ca/health or by calling the Ottawa Public Health Info Line at 613-580-6744.

• Sledding Hills Open - The City's 50 approved sledding hills are now open and all of you outdoor enthusiasts are invited to sled while weather and hill conditions permit. Please keep safety in mind while sledding! Approved locations are listed on ottawa.ca

• Downtown Tunnel Project - Last week the City unveiled details on the Downtown Ottaaw Transit Tunnel (DOTT) in a briefing to Councillors and the Media. A website with all of the information was launched, and I would encourage you to have a look - at ottawa.ca/tunnel. Stay tuned for information on upcoming Public Consultations related to the DOTT project.

• 2009 Planning Primer Program - Infrastructure Services & Community Sustainability is offering the Planning Primer Program again to help you become more aware of, and more involved in, the land-use planning process. The next session of Planning Primer I is on January 17th or January 19th at City Hall and requires your registration in advance. For more information, or to register (before January 14th) please click here.

• Keep carpooling & helping out our neighbours during the strike - I understand the frustration the transit strike is creating for residents, which is why I'm always glad to hear from residents taking advantage of carpooling with their neighbours and by using online resources such as ottawaridematch.com. You can obtain information on carpooling and OC Transpo Park & Ride lots by visiting octranpso.com, ottawa.ca, or by calling 3-1-1.

• Downtown Parking Space Added during Transit Strike - The City is temporarily re-opening a parking lot during the ATU Local 279 transit strike. This lot will help accomodate the 20% increase in vehicles that commuters are using during the tranist strike. Many of the additional vehicles are ending up in the downtown core. The additional parking lot is located at 531 Albert Street - east of Booth Street between Wellington Street and Albert Street near the Lebreton Transit Station. It can hold 150 vehicles. The parking lot is open seven days a week from 8:30AM to 9:30PM, with a rate of $.50 for 12 minutes and $2.50 per hour. The full day is $10.00. A full list of City parking lots is available on ottawa.ca

• Help keep traffic moving - Don't dump snow on the road! - This is a reminder to all residents and snowplow contractors that dumping, pushing and depositing snow onto roadways is not permitted, and may be subject to a fine under municipal by-law regulations. To keep traffic moving, it is imperative to keep roads and streets clear of obstructions, including large deposits of ice and snow.

• Adjust driving according to weather and road conditions - The Ottawa Police Service is advising you to adjust your driving according to weather and road conditions. Remember that weather and road conditions do not cause collisions, but the failure to adjust driving to these conditions does. Some adjustments to consider are slowing down, giving yourself lots of stopping time/room, leaving plenty of distance between your vehicle and the one in front of you. More winter driving tips are available on the Ottawa Police website.

• Block Parent Program closes in Ottawa - The Ottawa Police Service is actively supporting the Ontario Block Parent decision to close the Block Parent Program in Ottawa and is requesting that all Block Parent window signs be returned to Ottawa Police by January 31, 2009. For more information, please visit ottawapolice.ca

• More on OC Transpo - While I will try to ensure that updates related to a potential OC Transpo strike are posted on my website in a timely fashion, I would encourage you to visit both ottawa.ca and octranspo.com for the latest information. The City has published details of its final offer to ATU local 279 online; please visit ottawa.ca's Media Room for full details.

• Contingency Plans in the event of an OC Transpo Strike - As you are aware, there is a possibility of an OC Tranpso Strike on Wednesday, December 10th, 2008. While we hope that a strike can be avoided, contingency plans are being put in place to help you cope with any service disruptions as a result of strike action such as carpooling (try a website like OttawaRideMatch.com), teleworking or working flexible hours. Residents are able to use the Park & Ride locations for carpooling, and Para Transpo will continue to operate. For full details, please visit octranspo.com. Through the OC Transpo website, the City has also published these helpful Frequently Asked Questions for items such as purchased Transit and Park & Ride passes.

• Transportation Master Plan - I have updated the Transit section of my website - under the issues tab, click "Transit" or simply click here.

• Kanata Town Centre Visioning Exercise - Results! - Thank you to those of you who came out and participated in our recent Visioning Exercise for the Kanata Town Centre. As always, I am pleased to be a part of such an engaged community. Participants were asked to view a slideshow of images and rank these images to get a sense of residents' vision for the look & feel of the Town Centre lands. You can view the presentation and the results (including average rankings and a comparison with the original rankings) by visiting the Kanata Town Centre section of my website.

• Pedestrian Countdown Signals - You'll soon know exactly how much time you have to cross the street. Council approved a new 10-year program to install countdown signals at all intersections across the city, with the first one being installed at Festival Plaza and Laurier Ave outside City Hall. Find more information by visiting ottawa.ca/onthemove

• Winter Overnight Parking Regulations - Now In Effect! - With temperatures dropping and winter fast approaching I would like to remind you about the City's winter overnight parking regulations - in effect from November 15 to April 1. These regulations are to help ensure our snow-clearing crews are able to keep our roads safe and clear for motorists, public transit, pedestrians and cyclists. Between November 15 and April 1, parking is permitted on all streets between 1:00AM and 7:00AM, except when a snowfall of 7cm or more is forecast by Environment Canada. This includes any forecast for a range of snow more than 7cm (i.e. 5 to 10cm of snowfall). Those with municipal on-street parking permits are exempt from these restrictions. I encourage you to sign up for the City's Winter Parking e-Alerts to receive e-mails each time an overnight parking restriction is in effect. You'll also receive an e-mail if the restriction continues over more than one night, and another when it has been lifted. This is a free service and you can usubscribe at any time - sign up by visiting ottawa.ca/winterparking. You can also find out about overnight restrictions by calling 3-1-1 or tuning in to local media for announcements.

• Notice of Completion: Shirley's Brook Storm Water Management Facility 1 - West Functional Design Report Environmnetal Assessment - The City carried out a Functional Design of the proposed future development of the Shirley's Brook Storm Water Management Facility 1 - West as identified in the recommendations of the Shirley's Brook Subwatershed Study and the Kanata North Environmental Management Plan. This report describes the design considerations, evaluation of alternatives and technically preferred alternative for the SWM pond required to service the proposed future development of this area. Copies of teh report are now available for review at the Client Service Centres at City Hall and 580 Terry Fox Drive, as well as both the Beaverbrook and Hazeldean Branches of the Ottawa Public Library. The 30 day public review for the Shirley's Brook SWM Facility 1 - West Functional Design Report begun on October 31st and ends on October 30th. You can submit comments to the below addresses:
  
  Guy Bourgon, P.Eng.
  Program Manager
  Infrastructure Approvals - Central/West
  Infrastructure Services and Community Sustainability
  Planning Branch, City of Ottawa
  110 Laurier Ave W, Ottawa ON K1P 1J1
  E-mail: Guy.Bourgon@ottawa.ca
  Tel: 613-580-2424 x27884
  Fax: 613-560-6006
  
  Mike Petepiece, P.Eng.
  Novatech Engineering
  240 Michael Cowpland Dr, Suite 200
  Ottawa, ON K2M 1P6
  E-mail: m.petepiece@novatech-eng.com
  Tel: 613-254-+9643
  Fax: 613-254-5867
  
  If concerns cannot be resolved in discussion with the City of Ottawa, you may request that the Ministry of Environment make an order for the project to comply with Part II of the Environmental Assessment Act (referred to as Part II Order). This request must be received by the Minister at the address noted below, prior to November 30, 2008. A copy of the request shall also be sent to the City of Ottawa at the above address. If there are no requests received by November 30, 2008, the project will proceed as presented in the studies.
  
  Ministry of Environment
  Hon. Laurel C. Broten
  135 St. Clair Ave W, 12th Floor
  Toronto, ON M4V 1P5
  Tel: 416-314-6790
  Fax: 416-314-7337
  Toll Free: 1-800-565-4923

• Remembrance Day Schedule Changes - Ottawa City Hall and all six Client Service Centres (including the Government Service Centres at City Hall and 580 Terry Fox Dr) will be closed on Tuesday, November 11th. Recycling, garbage, leaf & yard waste, and multi-residential garbage container collection will take place on its regularly scheduled day with no changes to the collection schedule. OC Transpo will be operating on a revised weekday schedule with minor reductions on Tuesday. Service is free on November 11th for veterans wearing their uniform or medals. All pools, arenas, and fitness centres will be open on Tuesday for public swimming, skating and fitness classes, following regular schedules. City operated child care centres will be closed on November 11th, as will all branches of the Ottawa Public Library. For complete details please visit ottawa.ca.

• 35th Craft Christmas Gift Sale - A Holiday Tradition - The holiday craft show season gets underway as the City of Ottawa presents the 35th annual Craft Christmas Gift Sale from November 5th to 9th. This popular show has become a holiday tradition with over 140 talented artisans displaying unique one-of-a-kind items. From homemade culinary delights to intricate works of art, there is something for everyone on your gift-giving list! Takes place from Wednesday-Friday, 10:00AM-9:00PM, Saturday from 10:00AM-6:00PM and Sunday from 10:00AM-5:00PM at the Nepean Sportsplex. Admission is $6 for adults & students and $3 for seniors.

• Exposé contest - The Ottawa 67's and Ottawa Public Health's Smoke-Free Youth project, exposé, invite all grade 7 & 8 students to take a slapshot at the tobacco industry in a writing contest and win a shot at playing hockey with players from the Ottawa 67s. What are you doing, or what could you be doing, to take a stand against the tobacco industry and make a difference in our schools and communities? Thirty winning students will be selected to play with the Ottawa 67s at Nepean Sportsplex on November 22nd, 2008. Written submissions, in the form of a story, song, poem or rap (no longer than 500 words), can be mailed, faxed or submitted online to:
  Ottawa Public Health
  C/O Slapshot the Tobacco Industry Contest
  100 Constellation Cr, 7th Floor East
  Ottawa, ON K2G 6J8
  Fax: 613-580-9653
  online: smokefreeottawa.ca
  
  The contest closes November 14th, 2008.
  Visit exposeottawa.ca for more details.

• Free Transit Service for Veterans - War veterans who wear their medals and/or uniforms can ride OC Transpo and STO free during National Veterans' Week (November 5th-November 11th).

• Trick or Treat! - I hope you enjoy the great turn in weather this Hallowe'en as well as the great costumes by trick-or-treaters. Staff at City Hall were treated to some adorable trick-or-treaters this morning from St. Luke's Childcare Centre. Although garbage collection ends early on October 31st, to help ensure a fun and safe evening for those out trick-or-treating, please keep our tirkc-or-treaters in mind this evening and stay extra cautious if you are on the roads. Happy Hallowe'en!

• 
  2009 Budget - On Tuesday, November 4th, we will be tabling the 2009 Draft Budget. This will be followed by a public consultation period - I am hosting two public consultation meetings, along with my fellow west-end Councillors, Councillors Feltmate, El-Chantiry and Qadri. These meetings will be attended by myself and the west-end Councillors, as well as City staff, to present on the budget and take your questions and feedback. The first meeting will be on Friday, November 7th during the day at the Mlacak Centre and the second meeting will be on Monday, November 10th in the evening at the Mlacak Centre. These are not different meetings, we simply wanted you to have an opportunity to attend whatever meeting best suited your schedule. Again, the meetings on the 2009 Budget are as follows:
  
  2009 Daytime Budget Consultation
  Friday, November 7th
  1:30PM-3:30PM
  Mlacak Centre (2500 Campeau Dr)
  
  2009 Evening Budget Consultation
  Monday, November 10th
  7:15PM-9:15PM ** CHANGE IN TIME **
  Mlacak Centre (2500 Campeau Dr)
  
  Please continue to visit my website as well as ottawa.ca for more information on the 2009 Budget throughout the process.

• City strategy to contain Emerald Ash Borer infestation - Earlier this week at the PEC meeting, the committee approved a comprehensive strategy to manage the impact of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) in our city. The EAB is an invasive alien beetle that kills ash trees, and was discovered this summer by City staff within the St-Laurent Boulevard and Ogilvie Road area. It continues to devestate ash forests in the United States and Canada and biological, chemical, and mechanical methods of killing the beetle and its larvae have been expensive and met only with limited success. The EAB does not spread quickly and is most commonly spread when people move infested materials such as firewood, branches, nursery stock, chips or other ash wood. We are asking you to help stop the spread of the EAB by only buying and using local firewood and refraining from moving firewood. For more information visit one of the following websites: ottawa.ca, inspection.gc.ca, Canadian Forest Service, or The Ministry of Natural Resources

• Diesel-Electric Hybrid Buses to hit the roads this month! - OC Transpo will be servicing routes 4, 14 and 18 in mid-November with two hybrid buses, the first of 202 hybrids that will be delivered to the City over the next two years. City transit vehicles account for about 80% of the total amount of CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions produced by all City-owned vehicles; adding these buses to our fleet will allow for an annual CO2 reduction of over 5,000 tonnes!

• Ottawa Police Launch "Ottawa Crime" online mapping tool - Earlier this week the Ottawa Police Service launched a new online mapping tool. Please visit ottawapolice.ca for more information on this new google-based crime-mapping tool, which lets you see what is going on in our community by viewing calls for police service.

• Transitway Turns 25! - The Transitway has been taking commuters across the city for 25 years. It was 1983 when OC Transpo began running buses on two stretches of the Transitway that opened at the same time - Baseline to Lincoln Fields and Hurdman to Lees. Today, the Transitway has 34km of bus-only roadways, 38 stations and 11 Park & Ride lots. For more information on the Transitway and OC Transpo visit www.octranspo.com

• MPAC releases new assessment data - New annual property assessment data from the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation, a corporation created by the provincial government that administers a province-wide property assessment system in accordance with the provisions of the provincial Assessment Act, shows an average increase in Ottawa residential property assessments of 13.8% since the last assessment date of January 1st, 2005. You should receive your 2008 property assessment notice from MPAC starting on Monday, October 27th. Keep in mind that an increase in your assessment that is close to the average 13.8% will not mean an assessment-related property tax increase, and an increase in assessments was expected because of Ottawa's active real estate market. Visit ottawa.ca/taxes for detailed information about how assessments are used to calculate property taxes. If you have questions or concerns about your assessment, or if you do not agree with the value of your assessment, you can visit the MPAC website at mpac.ca, call 1-866-296-MPAC (6722) toll-free, or e-mail enquiry@mpac.ca

• Stop tailgating! Follow the two second rule! - Allowing a two-second cushion between vehicles provides you with more reaction time and reduces your risk of a rear-end collision, according to the City's Integrated Road Safety Program's "Back Off" campaign. The majority of rear-end collisions are caused by motorists following other vehicles too closely.

• Residential Water Efficiency Kits - Indoor water efficiency kits are now available free of charge through the City's Client Service Centres. These kits include one water efficiency showerhead, one low-flow bathroom aerator, and a toilet tank that displaces water to reduce the volume of water per flush, along with easy to follow, do-it-yourself instructions to help you reduce water consumption year-round and save money. To receive your free kit, visit a Client Service Centre (like the one at 580 Terry Fox Dr) and complete an application form, and provide a piece of identification confirming your address such as your water or municipal tax bill. More information is available online at ottawa.ca.

• Intensification: Tell Us What You Think - City Staff have prepared an Intensification Feedback Questionnaire, which I would encourage you to take the time to complete. You can complete the questionnaire online by clicking here.

• Integrated Street Furniture Program - Public consultations have been launched for the City's new Integrated Street Furniture Program. This is your opportunity to get involved in developing a common approach to replace and upgrade the look and feel of on-street furniture across the City of Ottawa. Visit ottawasimplicity.ca for full details.

• Give Away Weekend Fall Dates - Prepare for another voyage for more hidden treasures as dates have been chosen for the Fall 2008 Give Away Weekend, as the event has grown from a single day to the full weekend. Fall Give Away Weekend will take place at the end of Waste Reduction Week - Saturday, October 25 and Sunday, October 26. Set out your unwanted household goods at the curb on Give Away Weekend with a sign or label indicating that they are free and ensure that any items that you want to keep dont' get mixed up with your Give Away items at the curb. At the end of each day, bring any uncollected items back into your home.

• Share your Transitway Memories! - The City is asking everyone to participate in a contest to celebrate the Transitway's 25th anniversary. The Transitway Memories Contest invites you to submit a short story of 500 words or less recounting an experience on the Transitway. The winner will receive an annual transit pass worth more than $1,000. Four runner-up prizes of a monthly transit pass will also be awarded. Stories can be submitted online at octranspo.com, dropped off at any OC Transpo Sales and Information Centre during regular hours of operation, or mailed to:
  Transitway Memories Contest
  OC Transpo
  Marketing Department
  1500 St Laurent Blvd
  Ottawa, ON K1G 0Z8
  The contest closes on Friday, October 24th, 2008 at 4:00PM and winners will be announced and posted on octranspo.com by noon on Friday, October 31st, 2008. Stories must be submitted with your name, address and phone number.

• Snow Go and Snow Go Assist Pilot Programs - The Snow Go and Snow Go Assist Pilot Programs match seniors and people with disabilities, including low-income seniors and people with disabilities, with contractors to assist in the removal of snow and ice throughout the winter season on private laneways and walkways. Information on the Snow Go matching program and Snow Go Assist program for financial support, including eligibility criteria and application processes, you can contact the Western Ottawa Community Resource Centre at 613-591-3686 or taylor@communityresourcecentre.ca or the City of Ottawa at 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401).

• Greener Environment & Green in your Wallet - Riding the bus adds more green to the environment, and saves more green in your wallet with two special deals announced in September on Car Free Day with two private-sector firms focusing on the environment - Green Rewards and VRTUCAR. OC Transpo ECOPASS holders can participate in VRTUCAR's Bus Plus Car Sharing Program without having to pay the $500 deposit. VRTUCAR is essentially time-sharing a car, but the units of time are in hours. Members can reserve from a fleet of well maintained cars in convenient locations and use the vehicle for as little as an hour or as much as several days and takes the burden of purchase and financing, licensing, routine maintenance, repairs, insurance and fuel costs. Green Rewards, Canada's national green-friendly loyalty program, is preparing to launch very soon. It is the first broad-appeal loyalty program of its kind in the world, allowing Canadians to harness their vast economic power and direct it towards helping the planet. For more information please call 3-1-1.

• Register for your spring tree today! - You are able to register for a tree to plant on your property through the Trees, Reforestation and Environmental Enhancement (TREE) Program, one per household, by visiting ottawa.ca/TREE or calling 3-1-1. Please note that you are only eligible to receive one tree over the life of the program.

• 2009 Civic Appreciation Awards - Nominate Someone Today! - Each Spring during National Volunteer Week, the City of Ottawa hosts the Civic Appreciation Awards which are an opportunity to nominate and recognize individuals, groups and organizations that volunteer in a variety of ways throughout the city. For more information and nomination forms, please visit ottawa.ca

• Ottawa Public Health Launches Annual School Immunization Clinics - The School Immunization Program was launched by Ottawa Public Health in approximately 130 schools across Ottawa. This progarm is conducted in partnership with our four local school boards, independent schools, nad the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care. Vaccines included protect students against Human Papillomavirus (HPV), Meningococcal C and Hepatitis B. These vaccines are all voluntary, but are highly recommended. Students must have a signed consent form to receive vaccinations at their school. For more information on the vaccines and this program visit ottawa.ca/health or contact Ottawa Public Health Information at 613-580-6744.

• Federal candidates invited to City Hall election forum - The forum will focus on transit, housing, infrastructure, child care and Portrait Gallery of Canada. The City is inviting representatives from four of the federal parties to a special election forum that will highlight issues facing cities. The forum is one part of the City's effort to keep up the pressure on the federal parties to help find solutions to issues that affect Ottawa residents such as funding for housing, infrastructure and transit. Council voted to invite a representative from the Conservative, Liberal, New Democratic and Green parties to a public forum to be held at Ottawa City Hall ot answer questions from Councillors about some of the most pressing issues facing the City and its residents. Along with Councillors Deans, Feltmate and Harder, I am working with staff to arrange the forum at City Hall. Please come back to this webpage for more details as they become available.

• Green Bin Program moving forward - The City's Green Bin Program will become a reality in the fall of 2009. Council has decided to maintain weekly garbage pickup. Once the program is launched, residents will be asked to place kitchen waste such as vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, bones, dairy products, coffee grounds and filters as well as other organic materials in the Green Bin. The remaining dry garbage can be put at the curb for separate pickup. The residential Green Bin Program will increase diversion of residential waste from landfills, extend the life of the Trail Waste Facility and defer the need to expand or establish new landfills, which significantly impacts on the environment. The City of Ottawa generates more than 330,000 tonnes of residential waste each and every year. With a current recycling rate of approximately 30%, the potential for an additional 30% organics diversion from the Green Bin Program will move the City forward toward its goal of diverting 60% of the residential waste from landfill.

• Volunteer to become a Community Food Advisor - Promote healthy eating, nutrition and safe food handling through workshops, exhibits and cooking classes by volunteering as a Community Food Advisor. For those accepted as volunteers, the free training will take place in January of 2009. Sessions will cover all aspects of healthy eating - including Canada's Food Guide, budget-wise shopping, cooking for one or two, getting ready for classroom presentations, and more. Volunteers will earn their Food Handlers Certificate. Dietitians, public health inspectors, educators will provide all training as well as currently certified Community Food Advisors.The CFA program is a partnership between the Nutrition Resource Centre (NRC - Ontario Public Health Association) and Ottawa Public Health. For more information please contact cfaprogram@ottawa.ca.

• 211 will officially launch on September 19th - 211 is an easy-to-remember telephone number that connects people in Ottawa with the community, social and government services they need. 211 is free, confidential and multilingual, offering services in more than 150 languages. It is complemented with an online directory of community, social, health and government services at 211canada.ca.

• Tips for Preparing and Packing Safe School Lunches & Snacks - Ottawa Public Health staff have put together a fact sheet with tips for preparing and packing safe school lunches and snacks for you and your family. Please see School Lunch - Food Safety (DOC) for more information.

• Police Break Ground on New West Division Patrol - The Ottawa Police Services Board and the Ottawa Police Service hosted a Groundbreaking Ceremony for the new West Division Patrol Station at 211 Huntmar Drive. The facility, to be built and operational by December 2009, will consist of a 41,000 square foot freestanding structure complete with over 200 parking spaces, located on the 5.6-acre site. For more information visit ottawapolice.ca

• New Online Resource for Volunteers - You can now access volunteer positions throughout the City by using a new online resource developed specifically for volunteers. This volunteer referral system powered by MyVolunteerPage.com is a Canadian-based product that helps connect individuals with organizations in need of volunteers. In Ottawa, 300,000 volunteers donate nearly 487 million hours of service equivalent of 23,397 full time employees, representing a dollar value of invested capacity to our City of $730,000,000 in service delivery. Staff wil now be able to manage their volunteer needs in 'real time' providing residents with the most up-to-date details. You can apply online for any position. For information on volunteering with the City of Ottawa, visit Volunteer Opportunities webpage or call the Volunteer Hotline at 613-580-2624 or e-mail volunteer@ottawa.ca.

• Sewer monitoring and control upgrades will reduce the volume of discharges into Ottawa River - The City is investing $19 million from previous capital budgets to upgrade its sewer system and improve its capacity to detect, report and respond to sewer overflows and spills. Construction is under way to upgrade the regulator on the west side of the Rideau Canal (immediately north of the Plaza Bridge). Regulator upgrades at Keefer Street and in Cathcart Square Park are in the contract award stage with construction scheduled to begin this fall. Significant improvements have been made in procedures for informing City Council, the Ministry of the Environment and the public of sewer spills and their impact on beach water quality.

• Diversion 2015 - While waste generated by local stores, offices, manufacturing works, schools and health care facilities is not managed by your municipal government, it has a significant impact on the environment within the City. The City has developed pro-active programs to encourage diversion of waste from businesses and institutions away from disposal in our landfills. Diversion 2015 is the City's Draft strategy outlining how we in Ottawa intend to proactively address the disposal of waste from businesses and institutions. It makes recommendations that will help the City move forward with aggressive diversion in the industrial, commercial and institutional sectors (IC&I) and outlines how the City proposes to address them. For more information about the strategy call 3-1-1 or review the report online here (PDF)

• Mayor's eGovernment Task Force Report - City COuncil approved recommendations from the Mayor's Task Force on eGovernment aimed at improving service to residents while increasing effectiveness and efficiency of City operations. Council directed staff to bring forward a proposal for using electronic agendas and reports exclusively, which has the potential to save about $150,000 annually in printing costs; directed the City Manager to bring forward a report on the establishment of the position of chief technology advisor for a two-year term who will help Council to drive the implemetnation of an IT-focused service culture; directed staff to review the City's data dissemination policy with a view to giving open access to public data, such as transit schedules, traffic statistics, recreation schedules and facilitiies coordinates, which could lead to the cost-effective development of many community- and user-friendly applications; and requested that mid-term governance review include an option for the establishment of a committee or sub-committee of Council that will oversee large-scale technology investments. You can revie wthe Mayor's Task Force on eGovernment Report online at ottawa.taskforcereport.ca.

• City and provincial funding for Smartcards in 2010 - The City and Province announced joint funding for a new $21-million Smartcard fare system for Ottawa's transit riders. With the City's contribution of $14 million already earmarked by Council, the Honourable Jim Watson, Ontario's Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, announced that the Province would provide $7 million for the project, which is slated to begin implementation in mid-2010.

• Dig a Tree Day Update - Unfortunately, we were not able to obtain the necessary final approvals for the tree day mentioned in this week's issue of the Kanata EMC (August 29). While, regrettably, we will not be having the tree day at this site I have been updated from staff that they are continuing to work on obtaining approvals and the necessary details for transplanting of some of the trees at the school site to one of the local parks. We apologize for any confusion the information in the article caused, and hope to find another suitable site for a Tree Day in future.

• Listeriosis Outbreak Information - I have received calls and e-mails from residents wondering what kind of meat was used at the Second Annual Kanata North Picnic in July. Our hotdogs were purchased at CostCo and were the Shopsy's Brand and our hamburgers and veggie burgers were purchased at Loblaws and were the PC brand. Neither Shopsys hot dogs, nor PC burgers, have been listed on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Recall List as of 29 August 2008. For more information on the listeriosis outbreak, including press releases from the City, please visit ottawa.ca/health

• Labour Day Schedule Changes - Just a reminder of a number of scheduling changes for Labour Day (Monday, September 1st). City Hall and all six Client/Government Service Centres will be closed with business resuming as usual on Tuesday, September 2nd. The City's Provincial Offenses Court willa lso be closed. There will be no curbside garbage and recycling pick up on Monday. The Monday pickup will take place on Tuesday. In addition, the curbside collection of garbage and recycling materials will be delayed by one day for the remainder of the week. Multi-residential garbage container collection is not delayed. OC Transpo will operate on a Sunday schedule on Labour Day; new fall service goes into effect on Sunday, August 31st and new timetables are available by calling 613-560-1000 plus your four digit bus stop number for automated information. All branches of the Ottawa Public Library will be closed on Labour Day. For full details on these and other scheduling changes, please visit ottawa.ca

• Get a Library card! An essential back to school supply - A library card is vital to every student's success - children 16 and under are encouraged to participate in the OPL's Every Kid a Card campaign until Friday, September 19th. Kids who register for a new card or renew their existing card during this time receive a pizza coupon, a free public swim pass, an Ottawa Senators hockey card and a chance to win a laptop and other great prizes. For more information visit the Ottawa Public Library's website, biblioottawalibrary.ca

• Federal Funding for Museum Programs - The City of Ottawa will receive $61,114 in new federal funding for heritage programs from the Department of Canadian Heritage's Museums Assistance Program. The funding will be put toward the Collections Management Project, which will roll out collections management software for archival, art and museum collections to Ottawa's community-operated museums. The City will match this funding with $200,000, previously approved as part of the Museum Sustainability Program (MSP). The MSP provides funding support at various levels to seven community-operated museums: Bytown; Diefenbunker; Goulbourn; Nepean; Osgoode Township; Watson's Mill and Museoparc Vanier Museopark, in addition to three City-operated museums: Billings Estate, Cumberland Heritage Village, and Pinhey's Point Historic Site.

• Wading Pools closed for the 2008 Season - Ottawa's 55 wading pools saw 330,000 visits over the summer. Most locations closed on Thursday, August 21st and all were closed by August 24th. Through raising funds at park events, seasonal staff were able to make a $3,100 donation to the Candlelighters, a charitable organization that provides support and resources to children with cancer and their families. Thanks to all who came out in support. Parks and Recreation staff are soon to be recruiting staff for the 2009 season. If you would like to join the team or find out how you can become a Park Programmer, please contact the Seasonal Recreation Office at 613-580-2590.

• Major OC Transpo improvements go into effect August 31st - New service improvements will go into effect on Sunday, August 31st; the rapid transit network will be expanded and seasonal schedule changes will be implemented to meet the higher demand for transit in the fall. New commuter services will be extended to new residential developments in Kanata North and Stittsville. Improvements will be made to the frequency on routes 95 and 96 and the addition of new routes 98 and 106. Revised fall schedules also go into effect on August 31st on most routes and new printed timetables are available.
  
  Students are reminded to get their new transit photo ID card ($5.50) before last year's card expires on September 30th. Special photo ID sessions will be avialble at many schools, so check the octranspo.com website for locations and times. To help alleviate lineups at OC Transpo Sales Centres, photo IDs will also be taken at City Hall and the Kanata Client Service Centre (580 Terry Fox) weekdays from 9:00AM to 4:30PM until September 5th and again from September 22nd to October 3rd.
  
  Schedule information is available 24 hours a day, up to six days in advance, by calling 613-560-1000 plus the 4-digit bus stop number. For more details, trip planning assistance, routing information and new timetables, you should call OC Tranpso at 613-741-4390 or visit www.octranspo.com.

• Registration Open for 3rd Annual Fall Cleaning the Capital campaign! Register online at ottawa.ca/clean or call 3-1-1. Early Bird registration runs until September 14th. The 2008 fall campaign promises to be bigger and better with more volunteers, more prizes, and more incentives than ever before for cleaning your part of the Capital!

• IRSP helped pedestrians and motorists share the road in July - Last month, the City of Ottawa's Integrated Road Safety Program (IRSP), through its Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP), handed out hundreds of information pamphlets titled "A Helping Hand for Pedestrians" at Ottawa's higher-risk intersections for vehicle-pedestrian collisions. The enforcement component included 27 charges laid against both pedestrians and motorists - pedestrians for disobeying "Don't Walk" signals and drivers for failing to yield to pedestrians.

• City of Ottawa makes home ownership more affordable for low income earners - The City will be able to assist about 205 eligible Ottawa households purchase an affordable home thanks to $2 million in funding from the Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Program (AHP). The objective is to make homeownership affordable to low and moderate-income households by providing down payment assistance for those who wish to purchase a home and meet the eligibility requirements. Eligibility is based on income, and there is a maximum house price so that participating families are able to afford their homes over the long-term. Down payment assistance will be on a first-come, first-served basis. For more details on eligibility criteria and to obtain your copy of the application form, contact the Affordable Housing Unit at 613-580-2424 x43136 or 44154 or visit ottawa.ca/housing

• 2008 Planning Primer Elective Course Offerings - The Planning, Transit and the Environment Department offers the Planning Primer Program to help residents become more aware of, and more involved in, the land-use planning process in Ottawa. The program aims to build and maintain a strong working relationship and understanding between the City of Ottawa and communities and provide resources and teach skills to aid residents participating in the land-use planning process. The program is a series of free half-day courses. The series includes two core courses and two elective courses. Starting in September, two elective courses will be offered and will include a session on the Ontario Municipal Board and another on Environmental Planning. To make the most of the information being presented, residents must have attended the previously held Primer I AND Primer II courses before attending an elective course. The next series of Primer I and Primer II courses will be held in 2009. All members of the public including developers, real estate agents, lawyers, builders and community representatives are invited to attend. Space is limited so register online soon. Any questions can be sent to intro@ottawa.ca.

• Castlefrank Pedestrian Overpass - The Castlefrank pedestrian overpass of Highway 417 has re-opened following a condition assessment of the structure and repairs to a damaged glazing panel completed by City of Ottawa crews. Additional repairs to damage caused by the impact from a dump truck are being designed and will be carried out at a later date. The City's Infrastructure Services branch concluded that the overpass is safe to be re-opened to pedestrian traffic.

• Fall/Winter Recreation Guide available now! - The 200-page Recreation Guide offers Ottawa's widest selection fo recreation programs at affordable prices and convenient locations. With a greater number of programs taking place at more facilities than ever you are sure to find the perfect fit for you. Be sure to check out the new and exciting additions to this year's guide, including snowshoeing, mambo, pottery wheel workshops, and our intensive Hockey Conditioning boot camp. This year you will also find individual English and French guides, wiht detailed listings of programs available in each language. The guide can be picked upa t your neighbourhood recreation facility, Client Service Centre, library, participating retail outlets, or viewed online at ottawa.ca/recreation. Registration for aquatic programs begins August 12, 2008. Registration for all other pgorams starts August 14, 2008. For quick and convenient registration, simply follow the Guide's touch-tone telephone instructions or direct your browser to
  123Go Register.

• Castlefrank Pedestrian Overpass - Early Thursday morning a dump truck hit the pedestrian overpass on Highway 417 near Castlefrank Road. As a result, a detailed assessment is underway to determine the extent of the repairs and the overpass is closed to pedestrian traffic. A preliminary condition assessment was compelted on August 7th, which as determined it is safe for vehicular traffic to pass under the structure. Both eastbound and westbound lanes of Highway 417 have been re-opened to traffic by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation. City of Ottawa employees from Infrascture Services Branch and Surface Operations are on site for repairs and continual monitoring. Road closure information is availble by calling 416-235-4686 or toll free at 1-800-268-4686 or by visiting ottawa.ca

• Crows test positive for West Nile Virus - Two crows, one picked-up in the Manotick area, and the other, in the Marathon area in the former Township of West Carleton, tested positive for West Nile Virus. This is the first incident of West Nile Virus in Ottawa this year. West Nile Virus is contracted through teh bite of an infected mosquito. In order to reduce the risk of being bitten by mosquitoes, you are reminded to apply an approved mosquito repellent when going outside. You are also encouraged to remove standing water from around your home, because these waters are breeding grounds for mosquitoes that can transmit the West Nile Virus. The City continues to implement its 2008 West Nile Virus Preparedness and Prevention Plan, a control plan to reduce the risk of transmission of the virus to the human population.

• Development in the Greenbelt - Yes or No? - The City is undergoing an Official Plan review, part of which examines the ened for additional land for urban purposes. The Plan considers whether a discussion of urban land should include the option of some development within the Greenbelt. In June, the City released the Development in the Greenbelt White Paper to begin a discussion to examine whether the central objective of the Greenbelt remains relevant (i.e the preservation of a rural setting for the Capital) and whether this objective can be achieved wtih a different configuration than what exists today which might include the development of portions of the Greenbelt for urban purposes (all environmental lands and important landscape featuers would remain intact). Later this year, the City will provide the results of the discussion into the National Capital Commission's review of the Greenbelt Master Plan. You can be part of the discussion by reading the White Paper and answering the City's survey or by sending your feedback no later than September 30th, 2008. Please keep me informed of your feedback as well by e-mailing me at Marianne.Wilkinson@ottawa.ca

• Trailers, RVs and mobile homes need working smoke alarms - Ottawa Fire Services is calling on owners of trailers, motor homes and other recreational vehicles, as well as cottagers, to abide by the Ontario Fire Code by ensuring that they have working smoke alarms. Many new models of trailers and RVs contain smoke alarms but older models may either not be equipped with smoke alarms or their existing alarms may not have been properly maintained. Not complying with Fire Code smoke alarm requirements can result in a $235 ticket or a fine of up to $100,000.

• Ottawa's transit system motors toward 100-million-rider mark - Ottawa's public transit system moved an unprecidented 50.3 million riders in the first six months of 2008, which represents and overall ridership increase of 4.4% over the same period last year. With continued growth in overall ridership and transit-pass sales, it is anticipated that OC Transpo will reach a record-breaking 100 million riders by the end of 2008. Exceptional growth in transit pass sales in June 2008 contributed to the upward momentum, as more than 4,000 additional riders purchased a pass, and pass sales grew by 4.1% over teh same period last year. Recognizing the growth in ridership, the City is taking steps to enhance the transit system through ongoing investments in capital and human resources. By the fall of 2008, 47 new high-capacity articulated buses will be introduced, replacing older models of buses and adding more capacity to the system. Also, through a successful recruitment program, there will be a full complement of bus operators to ensure that service continues to be readily available and reliable for riders across the city.
  
  The City estimates that for every new rider taking transit, Ottawa benefits from a two-tonne reduction in greenhosue gas emissions annually. THis makes the upward trend in ridership something about which all Ottawa residents can breathe easier.

• Emerald ash borer confirmed in Ottawa - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed the presence of the emerald ash borer (EAB) in Ottawa. This insect pest was discovered by City staff on City and residential ash trees within the St-Laurent Blvd and Ogilvie Rd area. As required, staff immediately contacted the CFIA, the lead Federal Government agency on invasive alien pests, and the presence of the insect was confirmed by the CFIA inspectors. The City is asking residents to help stop the spread of the EAB, which attacks and kills ash trees. This invasive beetle does not spread quickly on its own; it is most commonly spread when people move materials which it has infested, such as firewood, branches, nursery stock, chips or other ash wood. The CFIA is conducting a thorough investigation to determine the extent of the infestation. For more information, please visit the CFIA website and the following resources: Ministry of Natural Resources, Canadian Forest Services and more from Canadian Forest Services.

• Mayor highlights benefits of public transit for seniors - Mayor O'Brien and Alain Mercier, the City's Director of Transit Services, met with local senior citizens to highlight the OC Transpo Seniors Summer Special and the benefits of public transit for seniors. Seniors represent OC Transpo's third largest market segment, behind only commuters and students. Approximately 10.5% of all transit users are seniors. Most of OC Transpo's fleet are fully accessible with low-floor entrances for easy boarding, and all have priority seating at the front, in addition to many other accessible features. The majority of the buses are air conditioned, offering passengers a comfortalbe ride in the summer. For more information, call OC Transpo at 613-741-4390 or visit octranpso.com. For accessibility questions, contact the Access Hotline at 613-842-3625.

• Ottawa bucks rising trend in deer-vehicle collisions for second year in a row - The number of deer-vehicle collisions on Ottawa roadways dropped for a second year in a row last falla nd posted the lowest rate in nearly a decade, according to the Integrated Road Safety Program (IRSP). The IRSP initiated the Speeding Costs you Deerly campaign in 2006, and teh number of collisions dropped by 13%. The campaign ran again last fall and the collisions were further reduced by 21%. For more information on the many IRSP campaigns, visit ottawa.ca/roadsafety

• Second Annual Kanata North Picnic! - Tuesday, July 22nd from 4:00PM-8:00PM will be the Second Annual Kanata North Picnic. Come on out, rain or shine, to enjoy a free BBQ (while supplies last) and entertainment with neighbours, family and friends. Our Kanata North Picnic is once again free to all residents with thanks to our generous sponsors, including Groupe Lepine, Urbandale, Trinity, Thomas Cavanagh Construction, Regional Group, Phoenix Homes, Novatech Engineering, Minto, Broccolini, Scotiabank, and HSBC. We have also received contributions from other organizations, including Enbridge, Kanata EMC, Kanata Kourier-Standard, the City of Ottawa, BOB FM, Rogers Television and Pro-Style Martial Arts and Fitness. The Briarbrook Morgan's Grant Community Association and Kanata Lakes Community Association have generously provided us with use of their tents for the evening as well, and so a big thanks goes out to them.
  
  This year at the Kanata North Picnic we will be collecting monetary donations for the youth room at the upcoming Kanata North Recreation Complex, in addition to acceptiong donations of non-perishable food items for the Kanata Food Cupboard. As well, this will be a very special event for me personally as it will mark 40 years in Kanata as well as the occasion of my 70th birthday - so come on out, join in the fun, and have a piece of cake!
  
  There will be a variety of activities at the event. We will have children's activities throughout, including a bouncy castle and slide, magic and balloon shows, dancers, martial artists and more. There will be children's activities provided by the Ottawa Public Library and face painting done by volunteers.
  
  I look forward to seeing you on Tuesday evening! The picnic is at the Sandwell Green Park, across from Earl of March (where parking is available), from 4:00-8:00PM.

• Keep Ottawa clean & green - We're calling on all residents and visitors to be friendly to our environment by keeping our parks, neighbourhoods and scenic locations clean. Trash should be placed in a waste receptacle or, if appropriate, a recycling bin. Used bags, scrap paper, coffee cups, cigarette butts, pop cans, fast food wrappers, chip bags and other items should be disposed of correctly, not thrown carelessly on the ground. Please do your part, as the simple action of putting litter where it belongs benefits everyone. If you wish to report litter, contact the City at 3-1-1. Let us know what you think about litter in Ottawa by taking the online survey at ottawa.ca/litterbug

• Public Consultation on Proposed Model for the Board of Health - The City has opened the doors to public consultation on a new proposed governance model for an independent Board of Health. You are invited to review the information on the proposed changes and provide feedback through an online survey found at ottawa.ca/health - free access to Internet-ready computers can be found in many City of Ottawa facilities; for location details, contact 3-1-1. The online survey will be open until July 30th, 2008.

• Ottawa Cycling Plan - Council recently approved a 20-year comprehensive strategy that details infrastructure and other improvements designed to make cycling a safer, more convenient and enjoyable travel option. A survey of Ottawa residents used in the development of the Ottawa Cycling Plan (OCP) revealed a priority list of improvements, including more bike lanes, paved shoulders and cycling pathways.

• New Community Signage for Housing Developers - The City's new Developer Wayfinding Signs (DWS) were unveiled earlier this month. The DWS system was developed by the City in consultation with the Greater Ottawa Homebuilders Association. The signs are allowed to be placed alongside roadways to direct traffic to the outskirts of new housing developments and then to the builder sales centres. The placement of the signs is subject to City approval to ensure public safety and appropriateness of locations. The signs under the DWS program, which are paid for by the developers, are for temporary placement during the marketing of the development. With the amount of new developments throughout the city, roadside intersections were being inundated with signs - this signage will provide a uniformed approach.

• First Step for Downtown Tunnel - Delcan Corporation has been selected to complete the Downtown Ottawa Transit Tunnel (DOTT) Planning & Environmental Assessment. Delcan will lead a multi-disciplinary and internationally recognized team of consultants comprised of engineers, planners, architects and other relevant specialists to develop a plan for grade separating transit through the downtown core, within a study area spanning from Bayview to VIA Station. The DOTT Planning and Environmental Assessment study is expected to take approximately 20 months to complete. As has been the case throughout the transit planning process, public consultation will be an integral component of the DOTT study, and will include a combination of public consultations, business consultation group meetings, stakeholder meetings, as well as Open Houses throughout the course of the study. I will be posting more information as details become available on these consultations.

• Warning to residents to watch for missing maintenance-hole covers - The City is warning residents to watch for open maintenance holes on City streets. In the past month, a rash of maintenance-hole covers have disappeared from streets across the municipality. The disappearance of these covers is under investigation with the Ottawa Police and the City's Corporate Security branch due to the impact it could have on public safety. Road users, cyclists, in particular, are asked to remain vigilant as they could seriously injure themselves by driving or falling into an open maintenance hole. You are asked to call 3-1-1 if you discover any missing maintenance-hole covers.

• Ottawa's drinking water rated exceptional by Province - The City's drinking water is among the safest in the world, according to the Ontario Ministry of the Environment Chief Drinking Water Inspector's 2006-2007 Annual Report. The City's Public Works and Services Department has achieved exceptional inspection ratings, including perfect water quality scores at four of the six municipal water systems. The full Ministry report is available online as a PDF by clicking here.

• Outdoor fireplaces fall under Open Air Fire By-Law Restrictions - Ottawa Fire Services reminds residents that outdoor fireplaces - like chimineas - fall under the same Open Air Fire By-Law restrictions that prohibit campfires and other open air fires in Ottawa's urban and densely populated villages and developments. Rural residents within Ottawa boundaries require an Open Air Fire Permit - which is valid for a calendar year - before lighting any open-air fire. Fires for agricultural purposes, like burning brush, which are larger in nature and last a few days, require an Annual Agricultural Permit. Applicants must provide a Farm Business Registration Number, which covers up to four properties. For mor einformation on Open Air Fire Permits, visit ottawa.ca.

• Comprehensive Zoning By-law recives Final Approval - City Council adopted a new comprehensive zoning by-law, which harmonizes the existing 36 zoning by-laws from the former municipalities into one single zoning by-law. City of Ottawa Zoning By-Law 2008-250 applies consistent zoning codes for various land use categories throughout the City, and is one of a number of tools available to guide development. For full details please visit ottawa.ca/zoning.

• City of Ottawa 2007 Annual Report - In June the City released its 2007 Annual Report, entitled Providing for Today, Planning for Tomorrow. The 2007 Annual Report provides details of the City's financial performance over the past year and highlights the progress that has been made towards achieving City Council's priorities for Ottawa residents and businesses. The report can be viewed online at ottawa.ca or can be picked up from my Ward Office.

• New technology for waste management - Ottawa City Council approved a resolution giving authority to the City Manager to issue a letter of intent for development by Plasco Energy Group Inc. of a Waste Conversion Facility to process the residual household waste that would otherwise be disposed of in the City's landfill. The agreement will be subject to the Ontario Ministry of Environment issuing a Certificate of Approval respecting environmental performance. Upon approval, Plasco Energy will pay for all costs to build, own and operate the new facility. Four hundred tonnes of garbage a day will be delivered directly from local collection trucks to the facility. The City would pay a tipping fee of $60 per tonne of waste processed. Plasco Energy currently operates a 75-tonne-per-day demonstration facility at Trail Road. Progress has been encouraging adn through our partnership with Plasco Energy the City hopes to move beyond the demonstration facility to a commercial-scale operation, which has the potential to provide economic benefit to the City through revenue sharing arrangements.

• Auditor General Report - Detailed Audit Reports are availble online at ottawa.ca

• Housing Allowance Application Deadline is June 30th, 2008 - The application deadline for the Rental Opportunities for Ontario Families (ROOF) is Monday, June 30th, 2008. ROOF provides eligible families with a housing allowance of up to $100 per month. ROOF is funded and administered by the Province of Ontario. For more information, please call the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing at 1-888-544-5101. To download a copy of the application, visit mah.gov.on.ca

• Final Draft of Ottawa Cycling Plan now available for review - The Ottawa Cycling Plan (OCP) containing comprehensive measures to improve conditions and encourage cycling in Ottawa is now available at ottawa.ca/onthemove. The 20 year plan is designed to triple bicycle use in Ottawa by making it safer, easier, and more convenient through improvements to existing entworks and by ensuring the needs of cyclists are taken into account when designing and maintaining City streets. A report containing four recommendations based on the OCP will be presented to the City's Transportation Committee on June 18th. Copies of the final draft are also available on disk by contacting Wilf Koppert, Program Manager, Cycling and Pedestrian Facilities Unit at 613-580-2424 x13879 or e-mailing Wilf.Koppert@ottawa.ca

• Tequila Sunrise Activities - The Ottawa Police Service is continuing its program to respond to concerns over end-of-school-year youth activities (a.k.a. Tequila Sunrise) - if there are concerns in your area, please contact the Ottawa Police at 613-236-1222 x7300.

• Green Bin Plan - The City of Ottawa Source Separated Organics Program forms a vital part of the City's push to meet the goal of diverting 60% of residential waste from disposal. Council previously awarded the contract for processing and marketing the City's SSO for a period of 20 years to Orgaworld Canada Ltd. The City will now be able to begin implementing a comprehensive Source Separated Organics Collection Program. For more information about the organic waste collection program and other related services provided by the City and its partners, call 3-1-1 or visit ottawa.ca

• Master Contact List - We want to make sure we keep in touch with you, so please make sure your Community Organization information is up to date in the City's Master Contact List - visit this website to complete your details.

• Share a story about your hidden treasures! - The City's Solid Waste Services branch is asking residents to tell us about a new favourite item they discovered on Give Away Weekend, which took place on June 7th and June 8th. Residents are invited to send a short account of your Give Away Weekend expereince, telling us how one person's trash is now your treasure. Describe your hidden gem and let us know how you've put it to good use - whether it's a small table that you plan on restoring, a used book that you've always wanted to read, or a stereo system that is the final missing piece in your basement. Stories can be submitted to George.Reimer@ottawa.ca. One or more stories will be selected for community articles to help promote our fall edition of Give Away Weekend, on Saturday October 25th and Sunday October 26th. For more information on other City initiatives to maximize landfill space including the Take it Back! program and household hazardous waste depots, visit ottawa.ca/recycle

• Ottawa Police Service - Project "ERASE" - The Ottawa Police, in conjunction with 20 other Police Agencies across Ontario, conducted another "Race Night" under Project ERASE (Eliminate Racing Activity On Streets Everywhere), a project spearheaded by the York Regional Police Service. During Race Night, approximately 90 vehicles were stopped for traffic infractions, including speeding (52), disobeying traffic signs, and various other traffic violations. Further "Racing Nights" will continue throughout the summer months with a zero tolerance on motorcycle "Stunting" and other traffic related offences.

• City offers fun Summer Camps for children and youth with disabilities - Camps being offered this summer include Summer Success (geared to children with attention, hyperactivity, learning and behavioural difficulties), SNAP (Special Needs Autism Program), and Youth Leadership (for youth with developmental disabilities). These camps are a great way to get involved, meet new people and have fun through recreational programming, swim components, and a small staff-to-participants ratio. VIsit ottawa.ca/recreation for details on these and other camps.

• Safety Reminders for the BBQ Season - Whether you have already fired up the grill or are soon planning to do so, the City of Ottawa's Fire Services Branch is reminding residents that taking a few safety precautions is the recipe for a succesful BBQ Season.
  - Clean your burner ports with wire or a pipe cleaner so they are free of rust and debris - including dust, dirt or spider webs.
  - Check the hose that leads from the propane supply to the burners - if they are cracking or damaged, replace them.
  - Test your propane (fuel) and hose connections for leaks by applying a solution of half water and half soap - if any bubbles appear, this indicates a loose connection or a damaged part. After tightening the connection or replacing damaged part(s), retest by applying the soapy solution.
  - Remember, barbeques are for outdoor use only - barbequing in an enclosed space will create dangerous and deadly levels of carbon monoxide, which is a poisonous gas that is both odourless and colourless.

• City Council Approved Comprehensive Zoning By-Law Released - The Comprehensive Zoning By-law as approved by City Council was released on the ottawa.ca in order to give time for the public to review it before its scheduled adoption by City Council on June 25th. This release reflects all City Council approved changes to the Draft Comprehensive Zoning By-law, including those made on April 23rd, 2008 and the most recent changes made by City Council on May 14th regarding parking rates. The Comprehensive Zoning By-law will be adopted by City Council on June 25th, 2008. A notice of adoption will be mailed out to you within 10 days of the passage of the By-law on June 25th. Following this, there will be a 20 day period during which appeals to the Ontario Municipal Board may be made. Hard copies of the Comprehensive Zoning By-law will be available at all Client Service Centres after June 25th. Staff are working to ensure that a printable (Adobe PDF) version of the text of the By-law will be available on the web site at that time as well. For information on the item itself, please contact Francoise Jessop, Program Manager Zoning Studies and Area Planning Central, at 613-580-2424 x13862 or e-mail Francoise.Jessop@ottawa.ca.

• Zerofootprint Ottawa launched! - Zerofootprint Ottawa is an interactive website that lets residents, businesses, neighbourhood and community groups measure, track and reduce their carbon footprint. The partnership provides free access to the Zerofootprint Ottawa's web-based carbon calculator and social network. The community-wide initiative engages individuals and organizations in the fight against climate change and provides information and services that help residents take action to combat global warming.

• Federation of Canadian Municipalities - This weekend I am attending the Annual Conference of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) in Quebec City. I am running for a position on the FCM Board of Directors because I believe it is crucial to have representation from Ottawa on the FCM Board. There is a lot that Ottawa can do to support FCM and its member municipalities. View my flyer (PDF) and the letter I sent to FCM Delegates. Once again I thank my colleagues on Ottawa City Council for their support.

• Seniors Summer Special with OC Transpo - Once again this summer, Seniors can ride FREE on Wednesdays on OC Transpo. For full details on the Seniors Summer Special, visit octranspo.com

• Carp River Restoration Plan Public Review - The City of Ottawa is initiating a Third Party Review of the Carp River Restoration Plan in response to concerns raised following an audit of the project. The EA of the Carp River, Poole Creek and Feedmill Creek Restoration Project was completed in 2006. The first task is to prepare a Terms of Reference for the Third Party Review. The completed ToR will be presented to the City's Planning & Environment Committee on June 24th, 2008. The Third Party Review is expected to take three to four months to complete, including a public information session. The City is committed to providing residents and stakeholders with the opportunity to provide input into the Terms of Reference. Please visit ottawa.ca/carpriver to review the ToR and provide your comments via e-mail to carpriver@ottawa.ca by June 9th.

• OC Transpo and STO offer a "2 for 1" fare special on Clean Air Day, June 4 - OC Transpo and STO will offer a joint special fare deal on Clean Air Day to encourage residents in the National Capital to try transit. On Wednesday, June 4, transit riders who pay a fare can bring along a friend for free. Visit octranspo.com for more information.

• City Council approves new Transit Vision - On Wednesday, Council approved a Recommended Rapid Transit Network, which includes a Priority Network based on an amended version of "Option 4" and a City-wide Network that represents a long-term transit vision for Ottawa.

• Spring Cleaning Clean Up Report - Submit your Spring Cleaning the Capital Clean Up Report on or before May 31st and your team could win some fantastic prizes from the City's sponsors! All teams who submit their clean up reports before this Saturday will be entered into the prize draws. Clean up reports can be submitted online at ottawa.ca/clean or faxed to 613-580-2690. Don't forget to register for your Fall Clean Up project starting August 15th, 2008!

• Design Lansdowne Public Consultation Results - Results of the Design Lansdowne Public Consultations that took place from January to March are now available online at ottawa.ca. For more information contact Selma Hassan, Planner at 613-580-2424 x25192 or designlansdowne@ottawa.ca.

• Councillors Wilkinson & Feltmate issue Press Release on Transit & Transportation Committee Decision - Councillor Feltmate and I have issued a press release on the decision to endorse an amended version of Option 4 at Wednesday's Joint Transportation and Transit Committee Meeting. Please view the release by clicking here (PDF)

• Give Away Weekend dates charted for treasure hunters! - Prepare for another voyage for more hidden treasures as the new dates have been chosen for the 2008 Give Away Weekends - the event has been extended from a one-day event to include both Saturday and Sunday. Spring Give Away Weekend will take place at the end of Environment Week, on Saturday June 7th and Sunday June 8th. Don't cast away your unwanted household goods to the garbage - set them out at the curb on Give Away Weekends with a sign or label indicating that they are free. For you treasure hunters, chart your course through your neighbourhood, community and city to find those hidden gems! Remember to reuse, one person's trash is another person's treasure. For more information, visit ottawa.ca.

• 
  
  Development Application Information Now Online! - The Ctiy of Ottawa recently launched a new feature on its website that will provide information on development applications in an online format. The Development Application Search will provide the community with convenient access to identify, investigate and make comments on applications within the development process. Development applications subject to public consultation, submitted following February 1st, 2008, are included in this search tool. Try it out! Visit ottawa.ca/devapps for more information.

• Emergency Service Week - Emergency Medical Service Week this past week reminds us to stay safe and avoid potential dangers while enjoying the warmer weather in the coming months. Avoid serious injury while enjoying outdoor activities like cycling and in-line skating by wearing appropriate protection including helmets, elbow and knee pads, and wrist guards. Keep your cool this summer in areas with air-conditioning and fans, and stay hydrated by replenishing yourself with water and sports drinks. Never leave children or pets unattended in vehicles, where temperatures rapidly soar to 50 degrees Celsius. Stay within arms reach of children when near swimming pools, ponds, and waterways.

• Doors Open Ottawa - On June 7th and 8th, Doors Open Ottawa will give inside access to 112 of Ottawa's most interesting buildings. Admission is free and open to everyone and most participating buildings are not normally open to the public. For full details, visit ottawa.ca/doorsopen

• Register for your fall tree today! - Register for a tree to plant on your property throught he TREE Program. Registration is year-round and trees will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, while quantities last. For more information visit ottawa.ca/TREE or call 3-1-1.

• Victoria Day Schedule Changes - Please be advised that City Hall and Client Service Centres, as well as my office, will be closed on Monday, May 19th 2008 for Victoria Day. For full details on schedule changes please visit ottawa.ca.

• Eye on Ottawa Launches Ottawa City Council Survey - Eye on Ottawa, Transcontinental Media and Rogers TV Ottawa are conducting a survey to see what you think about City Council. I would like to encourage you to take this opportunity to submit your feedback through the survey to evaluate myself, my colleagues and the Mayor, as we near the half-way point of this term of Council. For more information and a link to the survey visit eyeonottawa.ca

• Tennis Courts Set to Open - Grab your racquet and shoes, tennis is set to smash into Ottawa in 2008. The City of Ottawa has nearly completed its annual clean up of municipal tennis courts and these will soon be ready for public use. Tennis nets are currently being installed at facilities across the city and it is expected that all courts should be open and operational by May 15th, 2008 (weather permitting). Meanwhile, the City would kindly ask all residents to remain off municipal tennis courts until Surface Operations has had the opportunity to finish cleaning and restoring these facilities.

• Ball Diamonds Opening on May 1st - City of Ottawa ball diamonds will now be open for use this Thursday, May 1st thanks to the work done by the City's Surface Operations crews. The ball diamonds were originally slated to open on Monday, May 12th but crews have made every effort to get the diamonds ready sooner. The public is allowed to use the ball diamonds as of Thursady, May 1st - all other sports fields will open on Thursday, May 15th.

• Ward Council Postponed! - My Ward Council meeting on Monday April 28th has been postponed due to Transit Options public meetings - the next Ward Council will take place on Thursday, May 15th. Check back to my website for the meeting location and agenda once confirmed.

• Tour the tulips on the OC Transpo Tulip Shuttle - Relax and see the tulips aboard the Tulip Shuttle on the first three weekends of May. Children 11 and under ride free and adults pay just $3 to ride the shuttle all day. For more information please visit OCTranspo.com.

• South March Highlands Conservation Forest Management Plan - The South March Highlands Conservation Forest consists of 457 hectares of municipally owned land within the larger South March Highlands forest and natural environment area. The Forest is located immediately adjacent to and within the urban and developing area in Kanata. In the urban area, the forest includes Trillium Woods and the trails around the beaver pond in Kanata Lakes. The rural portion, located further north, is more remote and wilder.
  
  The forest is one of the most ecologically significant and diverse areas in the City of Ottawa. The City, in partnership with the community, is preparing a management plan to provide opportunities for people to benefit from this unique area while protecting the natural featuers and functions that make it special. There will be an Open House on Wednesday, April 30th from 7:00PM-9:00PM at the Old Town Hall (corner of March & Klondike). For more information you can contact my office or contact Mr. David Miller at 613-580-2424 x21447 or David.Miller@ottawa.ca.

• Please stay off sports fields and ball diamonds - The City is asking residents to stay off sports fields and ball diamonds to allow the turf to grow for the upcoming season. Access to ball diamonds has been postponed until Monday, May 12th due to excess snow and water on fields and ball diamonds. Access to sports fields is not permitted prior to Thursday, May 15th. Organizations with official City contracts can use the facilities, only on the dates specified in their contracts (weather permitting).

• OC Transpo opens the door to women during new recruitment campaign - OC Transpo’s first women Light Rail Operators have graduated and will get behind the controls of the O-Train. As former bus operators, Margaret Bicknell and Margaret Lafrance successfully completed a stringent ten-week training course in light rail operations. The percentage of women in the workforce in Transit Services has been steadily growing over the years. Currently, 10% of bus operators are women. Increasingly, the role of women in transit is varied, with many opportunities outside of traditional office positions, such as Training Instructors, Transit Supervisors, Fare Enforcement Officers and Special Constables.

• Idling Control By-Law Spring Campaign - The City would like to remind residents of the Idling Control By-law that has been in effect since September 2007. The by-law can be viewed online at ottawa.ca. Since Earth Day (April 22nd) a two-week Spring Campaign has been taking place in order to raise awareness and compliance to the Idling Control By-law. The first week served as an education period where warnings were issued. This week will see strict enforcement and a penalty for non-compliance of $100.

• 2007 Audit of the Carp River Watershed Study and Related Projects - Mr. Alain Lalonde, Auditor General for the City of Ottawa, tabled the 2007 Audit of the Carp River Watershed Study and Related Projects to Ottawa City Council on April 23rd, 2008. The audit is available online through the Auditor General's website or by clicking here (PDF).

• Healthy Active Schools Program - The Healthy Active Schools Program celebrates a year of success by welcoming 23 new elementary schools to their program. This program is a partnership between the four local school boards and Ottawa Public Health to fight the growing trend of childhood obesity. It tailors healthy eating and physical activity programs to the needs and interests of each school. The program now includes 58 healthy active schools.

• Diefenbooker Classic - The Diefenbooker Classic has proven to be a huge success for the promotion of health in the community, while fundraising for the Carp, Constance Bay and Fitzroy Harbour branches of the Ottawa Public Library. Last year’s 365 runners between the ages of three and 80 helped raise over $10,000 by running the five or ten-kilometer Diefenbooker Classic course. The Diefenbooker Classic will be held on Satudray, May 3rd, 2008. For more information please visit diefenbookerclassic.ncf.ca.

• Ontario launches Flood Information website - The Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) is responsible for flood management in Ontario, and they work with conservation authorities and Environment Canada to forecast when and where flooding is likey to occur. Both the MNR and Conservation Authorities monitor watershed and weather conditions to predict flows and water levels and issue flood messages. These messages help municipalities notify the public of developing unsafe river and lake conditions and advise them to take precautions. The MNR has launched a new website at ontario.ca/mnr. Additionally, the City is posting regular updates at ottawa.ca.

• Transit Option to be presented on May 21st - I do not support returning to the previously rejected North-South Light Rail option. Take a look at the following option (Wilkinson Option (PDF)), which will be considered as part of a motion I will be putting forth on May 21st:
  
  RESOLVED THAT Committee recommendation Option 3 modified by showing an extension of the O Train to Leitrim in lieu of a bus transitway for that section; and further
  
  THAT once initial work has commenced through the downtown core that all other routes shown in the long range potential network be evaluated with respect to transit ridership with the next section built being that route (either within the Greenbelt or passing through the Greenbelt) which would maximize transit ridership.
  
  This option will be presented to ensure the public is provided with all of the information on possible options. For more information, including the Press Release I issued on Monday, April 21st, please visit the Transit section of my website

• Kanata North Recreation Complex - Priority Session - Thank you to all of those who came out to participate in our April 10th Priority Setting Session - you can view the results of that session here (.PDF). Please continue to visit my website for further updates.

• Ottawa Public Library's Children's Website recognized as one of the best on the Internet! - The OPL children's website has been selected as an official Webby Award honouree. The Webby Awards are recognized as the leading international honour for the Internet. Please visit this award winning webiste at kids.biblioottawalibrary.ca

• OC Transpo introduces new spring schedules and reinstates Rack & Roll - On Sunday, April 20th, OC Transpo will introduce new spring schedules and reinstate the Rack & Roll program. Starting April 20th, service levels will adjust to reflect lower seasonal demand. New spring schedules go into effect on most routes. For more information please visit octranspo.com.

• Cat & Dog Registration and Renewal Due April 30th - Cat and dog registration annual renewals are due by April 30th, 2008. To register your cat or dog, print and complete the application form from the City's website and forward it to the City, along with any required proof of microchipping and sterilization, and the required registration fee. Owners can also complete the new registration ro renewal form at any of the City's Client Service Centres. For more information please visit ottawa.ca

• Downtown Rapid Transit - Public Consultation Opportunities - On April 16th, City staff will table a report of the recommended Downtown Rapid Transit Network ption to a joint meeting fo the Transit and Transportation Committees. The report will include feedback from the consultation process, an evaluation of each of the options, the recommended transit network, as well as an outline of next steps. I would like to encourage you to get involved in the consultation process by providing your feedback in one of the following ways: participate in Ottawa Talks Online Discussion Forum, complete complete my online survey, or attend one of the Ward Consultations (happening in Kanata on Tuesday, May 6th from 7:00-9:00PM at Holy Trinity Catholic High School on 180 March Rd).

• Reminder! Town Hall for High Tech Industry in Kanata North - Thursday, April 10th from 3:00PM-5:00PM is the High Tech Town Hall at the Brookstreet Hotel. Please register online by clicking here.

• Reminder! Kanata North Recreation Complex Meeting - On Thursday, April 10th from 7:00-9:00PM at the Mlacak Centre (Hall C), Councillor El-Chantiry and I will be hosting the priority setting session for the Kanata North Recreation Complex. Come out and participate in the priority setting session to determine our priorities for the kinds of facilities we would like at the site on Innovation Drive. For more information on the Recreation Complex, please click here.

• Join the Sens Army at City Hall! - Mayor O'Brien is calling on the Sens Army to join him and our Council colleagues on Wednesday afternoon at City Hall for a Sens flag raising in show of support for our Ottawa Senators as they prepare for their playoff opener against the Pittsburgh Penguins. On Wednesday, April 9th at 12:30PM at City Hall Festival Plaza the Ottawa Senators' "Ambassador of Fun", Spartacat, will lead the 2nd Annual Car Rally to City Hall in advance of the flag raising. Hockey fans of all ages are welcome to City Hall to turn Festival Plaza into a sea of red as the Mayor officially proclaims April 9th, 2008 as "Wear Your Sens Jersey to Work Day!"

• Spring Sweep of Ottawa Streets - City crews have recently begun their annual citywide sweeping of streets and sidewalks to remove debris, dust and sand that accumulated over the winter months. Debris, dust and sand may pose a danger to traffic and storm water drainage. By sweeping it up, it helps keep Ottawa clean, green, litter-free and safe. Crews will be working continuously until sweeping is completed in mid-May. For more information, visit ottawa.ca or call 3-1-1.

• Ottawa Talks Transit - The City released preliminary results of public consultations on the four Dotnwon Rapid Transit Network options unveiled on March 3rd as part of the update to the City's Transportation Master Plan. Preliminary results show broad support for Option 4 as the preferred long-term transit solution as well as support for Option 3 as a "staged" implementation toward developing Option 4. There is overwhelming support for the construction of a downtown tunnel. For further details, please visit ottawa.ca. You can continue to submit your feedback by e-mailing me at Marianne.Wilkinson@ottawa.ca.

• Consultations on Interprovincial Crossings - The NCC, MTO, MTQ, and the consultants (ROCHE-NCE) will hold an additional public consultation in June 2008 in OTtawa and Gatineau. Details of the consultations will be communicated to the public when available. For more information please view the following news release in English (.DOC) or French (.DOC).

• Spring School Immunization Clinics Begin - The Spring School Immunization Program begins on Monday, April 14th 2008 in approximately 130 schools across Ottawa. The program is in partnership with Ottawa Public Health, the four local school boards, independent schools, and the Ministry of Health. The program provides vaccines, which protect students from Human Papillomavirus (HPV), Meningococcal C and Hepatitis B. While these vaccines are all voluntary, they are highly recommended. For information about the School Immunization Program, visit ottawa.ca/health or contact Ottawa Public Health Information at 613-580-6744.

• Be prepared, stay informed on potential flooding - After this year's near record snow accumulations, melt offs caused by any combination of warm temperatures and precipitation increases the risk of flooding - in both rivers, and property and street drainage. The City of Ottawa is monitoring the situation, and reminds residents that flood mitigation tips in-and-around your home can help reduce the risk of flooding. Take precautionary measures around your homes by ensuring catch basins and drains near your property are open. Also, ensure your eavestroughs and downspouts are free of ice build-up, and snow is cleared away from your foundation. If excessive water is building up on the street, call 3-1-1 and City crews will be dispatched to investigate the situation. A special information page has been set up on ottawa.ca that provides easy-to-find information on various subjects regarding flooding (both from rivers and drainage).

• 15th Annual Spring Cleaning the Capital! - You are invited once again to join the City's 15th annual Spring Cleaning the Capital Campaign, which runs from April 15th to May 15th, 2008. Registration is quick and easy - select a cleanup location (a park, woodlot, ravine, shoreline, bus stop, pathway or any area requiring tidying up after the winter months); projects can include litter pick-up or graffiti removal. Register your cleanup project online at ottawa.ca/clean or by calling 3-1-1. If you register before Monady, April 14th you and your team will be eligible for early bird prizes.

• Ottawa Police Service Issues 2007 Activity Report, "Keeping Ottawa Safe" - The Ottawa Police Service has released its 2007 Activity Report which can be viewed online at ottawapolice.ca (.PDF).

• Council Approves 2008 City Budget - On March 27th, Council approved the 2008 Budget - a fiscal plan designed to enhance the quality of life of City residents. The City's operating budget for 2008 is $2.1 billion and the capital budget (without Police) is $596 million. A 1.44% tax increase is requred to fund the operating requirements of the Ottawa Police Services as directed by teh Police Services Board. A 2% tax levy was approved for each of the next three years, which will yield $120 million to address the city's aging infrastructure. The total property tax incrase for 2008 is 4.9%.

• Funding applications for civic events now available - Local not-for-profit organizations such as volunteer-based community or recreation associations are invited to apply to the Community Funding Division for funding to provide one to two day civic events with free admission that foster civic pride and develop community cohesion. These events are linked to and celebrate a civic/statutory holiday (i.e. Victoria Day, Canada Day), are held in a specific geographic district in Ottawa, and encompass a broad range of activities (i.e. family entertainment). The maximum allocation is $3,000 and the application deadline is April 18th, 2008. To request an application form, please contact Brenda Denault at 613-580-2424 x26459 or by e-mailing Brenda.Denault@ottawa.ca.

• Ottawa Police Service reminds you to use extreme caution around area waterways - With ice and snow beginning to melt, the Ottawa Police Service would like to advise residents to refrain from traveling on frozen waterways. The spring thaw has resulted in rising water levels and increased current speeds in the Rideau and Ottawa rivers along with the multiple smaller rivers and creeks and ditches within the city. The last heavy snowfall created an insulation layer, preventing the ice from re-freezing. Should you have to venture onto frozen rivers or lakes use extreme caution.
  - Be aware of your surroundings
  - Notify someone of your intention to travel on ice
  - Avoid traveling on ice at night
  - Avoid traveling on ice alone
  - Avoid consuming alcohol
  - Know what to do in the event you go through the ice in case you need to do a self-rescue
  - Always carry proper safety equipment, wear a Personal Flotation Device and always carry a readily accessible set of ice picks.

• Ward Office Closed Week of March 25-28 - Please be advised that the Ward Office will be closed on Wednesday, March 26th and Friday, March 28th but will resume normal hours the following week. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

• Town Hall for High Tech Industry in Kanata North - Register now for April 10th's Town Hall for the High Tech Industry. Stay tuned to the Kanata North Tech page for more details as they become available, including the meeting agenda.

• 2008 Graffiti Symposium for Home and Business Owners - The City of Ottawa and the Ottawa Police Service invite you to attend Ottawa's first Graffiti Symposium on Saturday, March 29th from 8:30AM-12:30PM in Confederation High School (1645 Woodroffe Ave at Hunt Club, next to the Nepean Sportsplex). Admission is free, but advanced registration is required - learn more about the City's enhanced Graffiti Management Strategy, prevention and removal strategies, innovative enforcement strategies, beautification through public art, and more. For more information or to register please visit ottawa.ca/graffiti or call 613-580-2424 x12680.

• Easter Schedule Changes - A reminder to residents of scheduling changes for Friday, March 21st (Good Friday) and Monday, March 24th (Easter Monday). City Hall and all Client and Government Service Centres will be closed on Good Friday and Easter Monday with business resuming as usual on Tuesday, March 25th. There will be no curbside garbage or recycling collection on Good Friday and Easter Monday. Good Friday's pick up will now take place on Saturday, March 22nd and Easter Monday's pick up will take place on Tuesday, March 25th. In addition, the collection of garbage and recycling materials will be delayed by one day for the entire week of March 24th. OC Transpo will operate on a Sunday schedule on Good Friday and all branches of the Ottawa Public Library will be closed on Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. For complete details visit ottawa.ca and octranspo.com.

• City's approved sledding hills closed - The City of Ottawa has closed its 50 approved sledding hills for the season due to dangerous conditions from changes in the weather. The public is urged to keep personal safety in mind and remain off the sledding hills. Notification of the re-opening of the hills in the winter of 2009 will be available on the City's website at ottawa.ca.

• Upcoming Detours around Campeau Watermain - Please view this letter to residents in the area by the Campeau Watermain project. Temporary detours along some of the side streets are expected throughout the project.

• Proposed Roadway Modifications - Please view this announcement (.DOC) regarding proposed roadway modifications on Klondike Road between March Road and Flamborough Way as well as March Road between Klondike Rd and 140m south of Klondike Rd.

• Clean up continues from winter storm - In the first nine days of March, we receievd 98cm of the 411cm of snow received this winter season. City crews continue to work around the clock on the ongoing cleanup activities, and we thank you for your patience and understanding after these storms. Initial snow clearing operations on arterial, collector, and residential roadways are generally passable, however, please exercise caution as many roadways are restrited due to the large snow banks that are encroaching on travel lanes. Sidewalk clearing on main roads and bus routes is underway. This will take longer than normal since the heavy accumulation requires the use of the sidewalk snow blowers rather than plows. Snow removal continues as resources permit on a priority basis for emergency access and mobility.

• Earth Hour - March 29th from 8:00-9:00PM - Hydro Ottawa Tips of the Week!
  1. Sign up as a supporter of Earth Hour at earthhour.org and tell your friends and family to do the same!
  2. Join Hydro Ottawa's peaksaver program and receive a programmable thermostat (a $300 value) for free, including installation! Enroll online at hydroottawa.com or call 1-866-813-2226.
  3. We have lots of things in our home that waste power even when we're not using them - use a power bar timer to turn TVs, stereos, computers, and game consoles off during the day when no one is home and on in the evening; a timer for mobile device chargers could keep chargers on overnight, and off throughout the day.
  Click here for more tips from Hydro Ottawa

• Nominate a special volunteer or group for a Civic Appreciation Award! - Help us say thank you to that special volunteer who has touched your life in our community. Every year, over 225,000 volunteers dedicate their time and expertise to make Ottawa a better place to live. They have a direct impact on many aspects of our day-to-day life, including health, heritage, education, social services, arts and culture, sports and recreation, protective services, literacy services and the envrionment. Let us know about that special person whose volunteer efforts should be recognized by completing the nomination form at ottawa.ca/volunteering before Friday, March 28th at 4:00PM. For more information visit ottawa.ca/volunteering, visit a Client Service Centre or library for a brochure, call 3-1-1 or e-mail questions to volunteer@ottawa.ca.

• Winter Storm Information from Ottawa.ca - Please visit ottawa.ca for important winter storm information, including tips for emergency preparedness.
  

• Change your clock - change your batteries! - The City of Ottawa's Fire Services would like to remind you to replace smoke alarm batteries, both at home and at the cottage, when setting your clocks ahead one hour on Sunday, March 9th, 2008. Residents should also replace their smoke alarms every eight to 10 years, and should push the 'test' button once a month to make sure they are working properly. Working smoke alarms provide early smoke detection and can save your life and that of a loved one. Statistics show that fewer deaths and injuries occur in households where smoke alarms are installed and maintained. The best way to be safe is to be prepared before a fire strikes. For more information, call 3-1-1.

• New Web Updates! - I have posted new items under "Issues" to give you more details on a variety of subjects: City of Ottawa Funding Programs, Snow Removal, and the Transportation Master Plan update and Rapid Transit Options.

• Ottawa Public Health makes convenience food healthier - Ottawa Public Health kicks off Nutrition Month by showing you how to make convenience food healthier - one step at a time. The new Nutrition web site now privides food demonstrations that show how to turn frozen pizza into a healthy delight, make a quick lasagna from a can of pasta sauce and even how to nutritionally boost the classic mac and cheese. For more tips on saving time and money without sacrificing health and taste, visit the nutrition website at ottawa.ca/health or talk to a dietitian for free by calling 1-877-510-5102, Monday to Friday, 9:00AM-5:00PM.

• Mon guide francophone des loisirs now available! - The new French-only recreation guide, Mon guide francophone des loisirs Printemps-ete 2008 is now available. The guide can be picked up at neighbourhood recreation facilities, libraries, and Client Service Centres. The guide can also be viewed online at ottawa.ca/recreation

• Awesome Authors Recognized - Fifty-two young awesome authors, aged nine to 17, were honored for their short stories and poems at the Ottawa Public Library's Awesome Authors Awards presentation held on Tuesday, March 4th. Four hundred and eighty-three young people participated in the Awesome Authors contest. Congratulations to the winners in Kanata North!

• 
  Register for your spring tree today! - You are invited to register for a tree to plant on your property through the Trees, Reforestation and Environmental Enhancement (TREE) Program. One potted tree (approximately 1.5 to 2 metres in height) per household is available by registering online at ottawa.ca/TREE or by calling 3-1-1. Registration is year-round and trees will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, while quantities last.

• The Ottawa Public Library goes Green - Visit the OPL during the March Break and take part in activities themed with the colour green! Join the OPL for programs and events, from puppets to slime and all things green in between. For more information, check with local branches, call InfoService at 613-580-2940, visit www.biblioottawalibrary.ca or pick up a copy of Preview magazine at library branches, community and client service centres for details and registration guidelines.

• OC Transpo Service Reductions for March Break - OC Transpo will operate a reduced service schedule during the school March Break, from March 10th to March 14th. Automated schedule information is available 24 hours a day, up to six days in advance, by calling 613-560-1000 plus yoru four-digit stop number. For more information, holiday schedules and travel planning, telephoen 613-741-4390 or visit octranspo.com.

• Tips from the Ottawa Police for Skiing and Hiking Safety - This weekend Ottawa Police received a 911 call from an individual lost in the woods, who used a cell phone to call after becoming disoriented. The Ottawa Police are reminding the public who use area ski trails to have a fully charged cell phone wtih them, especially if out alone. A whistle is recommended as a signaling device and it is wise to let someone know of your proposed route and return time.

• Loblaws Plastic Bag Return-to-Vendor Initiative - Seventeen Loblaws stores in Ottawa, including the Loblaws at the Kanata Centrum (200 Earl Grey Dr), have now partnered with the City's award winning Take it Back! program to accept back clean plastic grocery bags from their customers for recycling. For more information on this and other programs visit ottawa.ca.

• Outdoor skating season extended - Weather permitting, community partners and City staff are making an effort to extend the season at approximately 60 of Ottawa's 230 outdoor rinks, which were scheduled to close for the season on February 29th. Please check online at ottawa.ca or call 613-580-2590 for rink locations and regularly updated listings of rinks that will remain open.

• Spring/Summer Recreation Guide Available! - The new City of Ottawa Spring/Summer 2008 Recreation Guide is now available and can be picked up at neighbourhood recreation facilities, libraries, the Government Service Centre, or at participating retail outlets. For more information please visit ottawa.ca.

• New Website Section - Kanata North Recreation Complex - As we move forward and prepare to host additional public meetings on the Kanata North Recreation Complex I have created a new section of the website under "Issues" where you can check back for updates and relevant materials. Currently you will find details on the site location, including a map, and soon a summary of the first public meeting (held in November) will be posted. As dates are selected for the next meetings I will update the website so please check back for more details soon. Please note that this section has a link to provide feedback to me on the kinds of services you would like to see at the recreation complex.

• Ottawa Police Service announce purchase of land for new west end facility - At the February 25th meeting of the Ottawa Police Services Board the OPS announced that 2499 Palladium Drive will be the future home of a new west division facility to be constructed by December 2009. For more information please visit ottawapolice.ca.

• On-street Parking Meter Rate Change - March 1st - The City of Ottawa would like to advise residents that the on-street parking meter rate will increase to $3 per hour from the current $2.50 per hour city-wide beginning March 1st, 2008. The new rate ist he first increase since 2004 and will bring Ottawa's parking rates in line wtih other large Canadian municipalities. A discussion on other potential changes to on-street parking, including weekend and evening charges, has been delayed pending consultation with the business community as per Council direction. City staff will report back to Council with alternative funding opportunities on Wednesday, March 26th. To ensure you have the right information about parking at meters, in lots, on-street and in the winter, visit ottawa.ca/parking.

• Phase 2 of Transportation Master Plan Update - The City of Ottawa is beginning the second phase of the TMP update, which identifies and addresses the transportation needs of our growing population and employment to the year 2031. This phase involves exploring the various downtown transit options and their implications on the overall transit network. As part of this review, the City is hosting four Open Houses and Discussion Group sessions across the city from Monday, March 3rd to Thursday, March 6th (including March 5th at Earl of March Secondary School). For full details and to register for the discussion group, please visit ottawa.ca.

• Earth Hour 2008 - Mayor Larry O'Brien challenges all residents and businesses to add their voices with millions around the globe in support for action against climate change by turning off their lights for one hour on March 29th in the world-wide Earth Hour event. Sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund, Ottawa is joining other cities around the world (like Chicago, Toronto, Copenhagen and Sydney) in turning off lights from 8:00-9:00PM on Saturday, March 29th. For more information visit ottawa.ca.

• Notice of Public Meeting - On 28 February 2008 there is a Public Meeting regarding the McMurty Lands (subdivision at Klondike and Second Line). For more information view the Meeting Notice (PDF) and Location Map (PDF).

• Drawing Contest for Kids - You could win four tickets to GOYA Theatre's performance of A Little Bird Told Me! Visit a branch of the Ottawa Public Library and pick up a drawing entry form or download it online from www.BiblioOttawaLibrary.ca. Draw the picture, fill out the ballot, and then return it to the library by Saturday, March 1st.

• Nominate a special person or organization for a City of Ottawa Civic Appreciation Award - Volunteers have a direct impact on many aspects of our day to day lives, including health, heritage, education, social services, arts and culture, sports and recreation, literacy services and the environment. Let us know about that special person in the community whose volunteer efforts should be recognized. Submit the nomination form online at ottawa.ca/volunteering or by picking up a brochure at the Client Service Centres or branches of the Ottawa Public Library and community centres. The nomination deadline is Friday, March 28th 2008.

• 2008 Planning Primer Program - Ever wondered how land-use planning is done? How to make a presentation to the Planning Committee? What those black & white signs in the community mean? Now is time to find out - the Planning Primer Program is offered by the Planning Transit and Environment Department to help residents become more aware of, and more involved in, the land-use planning process. The program is a series of free half-day courses, including two core courses and two elective courses. Find more information, including how to register, online at ottawa.ca.

• Ottawa offers funding for 'greening and cleaning' projects - apply today! - The City has committed $1 million to the Green Partnership Program and is looking for innovative and sustainable projects that will take place during the coming spring, summer and fall months throughout Ottawa. These grants are available to community associations, service clubs, non-profit groups, BIAs and community groups to improve and beautify their communities and environment through greening and cleaning projects. The funding application deadline is April 15th, 2008. More information is available at ottawa.ca/green or by contacting the Client Service Centres by stopping by or dialing 3-1-1.

• Family Day Scheduling Changes - This Monday, February 18th, is Family Day. Please note a number of scheduling changes for City services - City Hall (including my office) and all Client and Government Service Centres will be closed, as will the Provincial Offenses Court and all branches of the Ottawa Public Library. Recreation Facilities will maintain regular schedules, and OC Transpo will operate on a revised weekday schedule. There will be no curbside garbage or recycling pickup. For more details, please visit ottawa.ca or call 3-1-1.

• Ottawa Manufacturing Week Features Made in Ottawa Tours - During Manufacturing Week (February 25-29) get to know the companies and businesses in the area that are part of the diversified manufacturing sector. In Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec there are over 650 companies engaged in manufacturing, employing over 40,000 people. Whether an individual, class, or a club, everyone is welcome to take part in the 2008 Made in Ottawa Tours; it's free, fun, and informative. Pre-registration is required for all tours, and more information can be found at the Ottawa Manufacturer's Network website at omnet.ca

• Ottawa rated Canada's most sustainable large city - Ottawa tops the list as the most sustainable large Canadian city, according to the second annual Corporate Knights Sustainable Cities Ranking list. The comprehensive ranking identifies Canadian cities whose practices leave the smallest environmental footprint possible and create a healthy, thriving population. Full results are available at corporateknights.ca

• Revised weekday Transitway and high-frequency routes - Due to recent staffing shortages and unforeseen maintenance and repair work on transit vehicles, OC Transpo will revise weekday Transitway and high-frequency routes effective Monday, February 18th. This will result in a modest increase in waiting times during the peak-period. Revised services is expected to continue until the end of March. Trips on commuter express routes, school trips and rural express routes will not be affected by these changes. Revised schedules are now available for affected bus routes on octranspo.com, or you can call the automated bus stop schedule service at 613-560-1000.

• City environment grant program assists community in making a better world - A reminder to non-profit and community groups that funding is available for them to make a difference, beginning in our local environment through the Community Environment Projects Grants Program (CEPGP). There is $50,000 available in total for community-based initiatives and non-profit organizations interested in improving and preserving the environment in such areas as solid waste diversion, water efficiency, wastewater management, water environment protection, sustainable development, and broader climate issues. The deadline for submissions is Friday, April 4th, 2008. For more visit ottawa.ca or call 3-1-1.

• Black History Month 2008 celebrates achievements in the fields of medicine and health care - February is Black History Month and this year's theme is Minding Our Health, Building a Community, promoting the importance of health in building a vibrant, productive community. For more information on events around the City, visit ottawa.ca.

• Apply for Green Partnership Program Funding - Deadline April 15th - You or your community group still has time to partner with the City for a cleaner and greener capital. Apply for Green Partnership Program funding today; One million dollars has been committed by the City to fund innovative and sustainable community environmental projects that will be compelted by the end of this year. For more information visit the City's website Ottawa.ca.

• City expects to switch to thawing operations - With temperatures expected to move to highs over 10C this week and the potential for rain, the City may have to switch to winter flood control operations, i.e. thawing catch basins, opening culverts, etc. You can assist by ensuring that the drains nearest your homes are open and free of snow and ice. Ploughing and salting of roadways and sidewalks will continue during this period to ensure safe traffic and pedestrian travel. This is a proactive measure aimeda t avoiding ice build up and rutting as temperatures drop to seasonal levels. Keep safety in mind when you are on the roads, as they can be slick and slippery - drive slowly and keep a safe distance between you and other traffic. Supervise children and prevent them from digging dangerous tunnels or trenches that could collapse or be filled in by passing snow removal equipment. When shovelling, do not place snow around the fire hydrant on or near your property - they must remain visible and accessible for emergency crews. Any problem areas should be brought to the attention of staff at 3-1-1.

• Winter Storm Warning - Stay Off the Roads - Today, Environment Canada issued a winter storm warning. There are predictions of between 20 and 30cm of snow for the Ottawa area between today and Saturday morning. City Officials and the Ottawa Police Service are advising everyone to exercise extreme caution and if you do need to go out - take public transit. If you are enrolled in any of the City's recreation programs for today, please call ahead to ensure that it is still scheduled. To help crews clear snow easily and effectively, overnight parking restrictions have been put in place. During an overnight parking restriction, vehicles are banned from parking on any city street so crews can work quickly. Vehicles that remain parked on the street during an overnight parking restriction will be ticketed. On-street parking permit hodlers are exempt from this restriction. There will be over 578 staff and 525 pieces of equipment deployed to clear the City's 5500km of roads, 1900km of sidewalk/pathways and 40km of Transitway. To view a map of the City, presented to us recently at an update of Surface Operations Winter Operations, click here (pdf). For more information on signing up for the City's Winter Parking e-Alerts, visit Ottawa.ca.

• City warning residents of home water filter sales - A number of sales companies have recently been reported to target Ottawa residents to "test" their tap water and arrange for a visit. Some have falsely indicated that the water is contaminated with human waste and is unsafe for consumption. Often, the follow-up is a sales pitch designed to sell expensive water filtration equipment. These door-to-door sales efforts are not endorsed by or affiliated with the City of Ottawa. Ottawa's drinking water supply continues to be safe and high quality, and does not require further treatment in the home. If you would like to know more about Ottawa's drinking water supply or facts about in-home treatment filters, please call our Water Quality Information Line at 613-580-2424 x22300 or by calling 311 and asking for the Water Quality Information Line.

• List of 2008 Budget Items for Kanata North - At my January 28th Ward Council meeting a list of budget items impacting Kanata North was discussed. I have updated my website to include that list, please view the Budget 2008 page under Issues for more information or simply click here

• Take the Sno-Bus to Winterlude - The popular Sno-Bus service, the best way to travel between Winterlude sites, will once again be offered by OC Transpo. Operating on all three Winterlude weekends (Feb 2-3, 9-10 and 16-17) the OC Transpo Sno-Bus travels from Confederation Square downtown and serves all the sites along the Rideau Canal to Dow's Lake. For services to Jacques-Cartier Park, you can transfer downtown to the STO Sno-Bus in front of the National Arts Centre. Free for children 11 and other, customers 12 and older pay $2.50 each (cash only) and can ride the Sno-Bus all day with their Snow-Bus ticket. For more information, please visit octranspo.com

• City Licensing Committee Revokes Snow Removal License - On Monday, January 21st, the City's Licensing Committee unanimously ruled to revoke the snow plowing operating license of Tony's Roofing and Snowplowing. A company is not permitted to operate a snow plowing business without a license from the City. For more information view the City's Media Release at Ottawa.ca.

• Give Away, 2008! - I met with staff recently to set the dates for Give Away Weekend in 2008. The weekend of June 7th, 2008 (the end of Environmental Week) and the weekend of June 25th, 2008 (the end of Waste Reduction Week) will be our Give Away dates. Look for them when you receive your Waste Collection Calendars this Spring! There was some confusion last year, especially in the fall, regarding the rain date which is why you will be able to place your items marked "free" at the curb throughout the entire weekend this year. Stay tuned for more information closer to the dates, I look forward to hearing more Give Away success stories this year.

• New Parks for Briarbrook - On the January 16th, 2008 meeting of the Briarbrook Morgan's Grant Community Association, concept plans for two new parks for Briarbrook were discussed with the Community Association, City Staff and myself. If you were unable to attend the meeting, you can view the concept plans online in PDF format - click here for more information.

• Young at Art 2008 Underway! - The City of Ottawa, Kanata Civic Art Gallery, Foyer Gallery and Arts Ottawa East invites submissions of original artwork from visual artists between the ages of 13 and 19 for Young at Art 2008. Works selected for the exhibition will be displayed in the Ottawa community galleries and recognized for outstanding work at awards presentations in the east, west and central areas of the city. This is an exceptional opportunity for youth-aged artists to reach out to their communities through the experience of a citywide juried art exhibition. Young at Art 2008 marks the third year of participation by youth artists from east, west and central Ottawa and continues to grow from its beginnings at the Kanata Civic Art Gallery 12 years ago. The deadline for Young at Art 2008 submissions is Friday, March 7th at 4:00PM. Application forms and guidelines are available at secondary schools citywide, branches of the Ottawa Public Library and online at ottawa.ca/arts.

• OPL Class Challenge - Ottawa born Canadian Space Agency astronaut Steve MacLean and the Ottawa Public Library joined forces today to challenge local students and their teachers to an important mission - MacLean wants every child in every class in every school in Ottawa to have a Library card because of all of the incredible resources available to help children with their homework and so they can experience the joy of reading. The Class Challenge runs from Friday, January 18th to Thursday February 28th and for those classes, schools and teachers that accept the challenge, there are great prizes to be won. Complete details are on the Ottawa Public Library's "Contests" page at www.biblioottawalibrary.ca.

• On-Street Parking Changes - I have recieved feedback from residents of Kanata North and across the city regarding proposed changes to on-street parking. My position is, at a minimum, to have on-street parking remain free on Sundays and have metered charges no later than 7:00PM, rather than the proposed change to fees on the weekend and as late as 9:00PM throughout the week. Pending further public input, any changes to on-street parking charges have been delayed until March 1st, 2008. On February 6th, 2008 there will be a special meeting of the Transportation Committee to further discuss this. For more information you can view the City's full News Release online at ottawa.ca

• Summer Student Employment Program - Recruiting is underway for the City's 2008 Summer Student Employment Program. Visit Ottawa.ca for more information.

• Sign up for an A.C.E.S.S. Smoking Cessation Program this winter - Quitting smoking is a process that takes practice. With Accessible Chances for Everyone to Stop Smoking (A.C.E.S.S.) programs, you can find help to quit in a relaxed and informal group atmosphere. Free eight-week programs are offered day or evening with sessions starting as early as the beginning of January in several areas of the city. Pre-registration is required for all eight-week programs - for full details visit ottawa.ca or call Ottawa Public Health Information at 613-580-6744.

• Reminder to Be Prepared on the Ice Storm Anniversary - It has been ten years since the unprecedented series of ice storms that resulted in a declared state of emergency (the first in the Regional Municipality of Ottawa Carleton's 29-year history). The 10th anniversary of the Ice Storm is a reminder of the pure force of nature and the unpredictable characteristics of emergency situations. At this time, the City would like to remind residents to visit its Emergency Preparedness website and consult the "Are You Ready?" program online at ottawa.ca.

• City's outdoor rinks closed - The City has temporarily closed all outdoor rinks due to changing weather conditions. Residents are asked to stay off all City of Ottawa rink ice surfaces to minimize ice damage. The rinks will reopen once weather permits (-10 degrees Celsius for a minimum of three consecutive days) and ice conditions are deemed safe. Notification of the re-opening will be available on the City's website at Ottawa.ca

• 55+ Short Story Contest now underway - The City of Ottawa's 11th annual Short Story Contest invites submissions of original, unpublished short stories or memoirs, 2000 words or less, by Ottawa residents 55 years or older. One of the winning stories will be selected for publication in the spring issue of Forever Young. An entry fee of $5 per short story is applicable and the deadline for submissions is March 15, 2008. For more information, visit Ottawa.ca, pick up a brochure at any Client Service Centre or call the Heron Seniors' Centre at 613-247-4802 extension 1.

• Christmas Trees Collection Date - The City would like to remind residents that Christmas trees will be collected on your regular garbage collection day the week of January 14th, 2008. Please remove all tinsel and decorations.

• City's approved sledding hills closed - The City has temporarily closed its 50 approved sledding hills due to changing weather conditions, which has resulted in unsafe conditions for sledding. The City of Ottawa urges the public to keep personal safety in mind and remain off the sledding hills until further notice. The hills will only be reopened after a significant snowfall and hill conditions are deemed safe. Notification of the re-opening of the hills will be available on Ottawa.ca.

• City of Ottawa Advisory Committees and Boards looking for volunteer members - You can make a difference by becoming a volunteer member. Advisory committees and boards provide advice to City Council, and contribute to the development of policies, programs and initiatives. The City can benefit greatly from your expertise, enthusiasm and civic pride. Get involved and play an active role. To apply, submit a letter outlining how the committee(s) or board(s) would benefit from your membership, and how your work, education, and/or volutneer experience are relevant to its mandate. Please remember to include your home address. The deadline for application is Thursday, January 17th. For more information visit ottawa.ca.

• 2007 Year-End Review for Kanata North - As the first year of my term as your Councillor drew to a close, my staff and I worked to prepare an annual report to summarize the year's activities and highlight the progress made on a number of issues in our community. As well, my year-end review highlights the ways in which I am working to meet the promises I made do you during the Municipal Election. This report will be mailed to households in Kanata North in the coming days, and is already available online as a PDF - Click here for more information.

Last Updated: 2010-08-24