COMMUNITY NOTES: from the desk of Councillor Gower

(Employees of OC Transpo were recognized on April 2, 2023 for reaching career milestones, safe driving records and assisting residents in distress in the Ottawa community.)

Councillor Gower is sharing his weekly information and updates to ensure that residents are aware of events and issues relevant for the Stittsville community. However, he was honoured to be present, along with Mayor Sutcliffe, for the awards given out on April 2nd to OC Transpo employees for the incredible work they do. This week he provides responses to questions he has received from residents on the work occurring around 360 Bobolink and the 5000 Robert Grant development sites; information on school safety zones – specifically Shingwàkons Public School zone; register for the Tuesday, April 18 Councillor Speaker Services that will feature Stephen “Buddha” Leafloor of Stittsville as he shares his journey of helping those with mental health issues. The Councillor shares an update on the Transportation Master Plan Part I materials; asked residents to nominate an incredible person, business or community group for the Stittsville Volunteer Awards; and, don’t forget to register for Cleaning the Capital spring campaign.

Recognizing OC Transpo employees who keep our community safe
On Sunday morning I had the honour of presenting OC Transpo’s Safe Driving Awards and Transecure Awards.

The Safe Driving Awards recognize bus operators who reach career milestones in driving. Employees must drive at least 1,000 hours during the previous year without an at-fault accident. Thirty-nine Operators were honoured for reaching 20, 25, 30 and 35 years of safe driving. Five of the Operators were recognized for driving more than 35 years without an at-fault accident, including one operator with 44 years, the longest active safe driving record!

Transecure is OC Transpo’s community watch program on wheels. It recognizes the actions of OC Transpo employees who demonstrate exemplary behaviour by assisting members of the community in their moments of need. Fifteen employees were honoured today for their actions during 2022.

Among them were the Transecure employees of the year, Bus Operators Ludwik and Gursharan. The two noticed a man lying on the side of the road who appeared to have suffered a serious stab wound. They applied a compression bandage to stop the bleeding and provided care until emergency services arrived. Details for all the monthly winning calls are available on octranspo.com.

OC Transpo employees do an incredible job. Every day they are on the road they safeguard the well-being of the community by providing a safe haven for those in need, reuniting lost children with their parents, and even serving as a first responder in medical emergencies when the need arises. I commend them for their efforts.

(The 360 Bobolink site plan)

360 Bobolink & 5000 Robert Grant
We’ve had a few questions from residents about work happening along Robert Grant between Bobolink and the Trans Canada Trail.

There is site preparation and tree removal work happening at 360 Bobolink in anticipation of future development. The owner (Broadview Properties) has obtained the required permits for tree removal. Their development application has not been approved and is still being evaluated by City staff.

At 5000 Robert Grant Avenue, crews have been removing soil from the site, and transporting it for use in another location. This is part of early site preparation but is not the start of construction on the approved apartment buildings. Lépine says it will be another couple of years before construction will begin on any of the buildings planned for the site.

Residents may recall that City Council added a condition to the development approval to delay construction of the tallest building in their proposal until Robert Grant Avenue is complete to Maple Grove. About half of the 500 apartments are planned for the tallest building.

We’ll continue to share updates on both of these files via our web site and email newsletter.

Traffic safety near Shingwàkons school
We’re continuing to work with school officials, City traffic staff, by-law officers and Ottawa Police to improve safety at every school in Stittsville, including the new Shingwàkons Public School at Cope and Rouncey.

A crossing guard is in place at Cope and Continental/Tapadero during school pick-up and drop-off hours. Parking restrictions have been added to Brittanic. There are additional no-stopping and no-parking signs on various streets around the school. Permanent parking signage, including School Area Warning Zone signs will be installed once the snow melts.

The roads around the school will be evaluated this spring to see if they qualify for Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) or photo radar.

We’re asking residents to:

  • If you can, avoid driving near schools during school pick-up and drop-off times to reduce the amount of vehicle traffic near schools.
  • Report unsafe driving (speeding, stop sign violations, distracted driving) to police via ottawapolice.ca/report. Police use this information to focus targeted enforcement campaigns.
Stephen “Buddha” Leafloor receives the Meritorious Service Cross at Rideau Hall in Ottawa from Governor General David Johnston.
(Stephen “Buddha” Leafloor receives the Meritorious Service Cross at Rideau Hall in Ottawa from Governor General David Johnston in 2016.)

Councillor’s Speaker Series
Join us for our Councillor’s Speaker Series, featuring Stittsville residents sharing their experience and knowledge. The next one is on Tuesday, April 18 and features Stephen “Buddha” Leafloor. He has a Masters Degree in Social Work, with over thirty-five years of front line experience working with families and youth living with mental health, trauma and addiction. Stephen will share his journey and his experiences using hip hop and traditional culture to promote healing. Admission is free but advanced registration is required through Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/600719557367.

Transportation Master Plan: Updated Part 1 material
Over the next 25 years, Ottawa’s population is expected to grow from 1 million to more than 1.4 million residents. With that kind of growth, we need to revisit how people, vehicles and goods move through our city. This review is being done through an update to the Transportation Master Plan (TMP). 

City staff recently released updated Transportation Master Plan Part 1 materials, refined based on feedback received from residents and stakeholders. These include new transportation policies and the scoring framework to prioritize new transportation projects. More info here…

Nominations are open
Do you know a person, business or community group going above and beyond to make a difference in Stittsville? We want to hear about them! The Stittsville Volunteer Awards are an opportunity to highlight and celebrate the dedication of volunteers in our community. Nominations must be received by email at the end of day on April 21, 2023, and the awards celebration will take place May 31. More info here…

Registration is open
Twice a year, thousands of residents help keep our community spaces clean and green through Cleaning the Capital and you can join them by registering for the spring 2023 campaign. To learn more about the campaign or to register your project, visit ottawa.ca/clean.

Get in touch!
If we can help in any way, please email me at glen.gower@ottawa.ca or leave a voicemail at 613-580-2476. Please call 3-1-1 if you require immediate assistance. – Councillor Glen Gower

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