This week, Councillor Gower extends a huge Thank You to the Stittsville Village Association and all who assisted to make the Parade of Lights another successful holiday event. He also is seeking residents who also want to join him in a couple of sing-alongs at two local retirement residences. There are also volunteer opportunities to help with our community outdoor rinks and the Kiwanis of Kanata-Stittsville are seeking volunteers for their new youth centre opening in January, 2024. Don’t miss out on visiting the Turcotte family’s ‘Christmas Vacation’ display in support of the Stittsville Food Bank. The Councillor has published his December multicultural and human rights calendar highlighting some community celebrations. He is also seeking new members for his community multicultural group. He also shares information from Ottawa Public Health to assist adults and children in coping with some of the stressful times we are experiencing right now. And lastly, the OC Transpo and Loblaw holiday fundraiser at No Frills and Brown’s YIG in support of the Stittsville Food Bank takes place on December 9.
What a great parade!
A huge THANK YOU to the Stittsville Village Association and all the volunteers who helped to make this year’s Parade of Lights a big success! Thousands of kids and families lined Stittsville Main Street to watch the procession, followed by the official tree lighting at Village Square Park thanks to the Stittsville Lions. Watch the official tree lighting here…
Singers needed: We’re looking for a few more singers for two holiday singalongs on the evenings of December 12 (at Hazeldean Gardens) and December 20 (at Wellings). Send me an email if you’d like to join in: glen.gower@ottawa.ca.
Rink volunteers: We’re looking for more volunteers to help at outdoor rinks this winter, including Bandmaster Park (Fairwinds) and Trustee M. Curry Park (Hartsmere). All of Stittsville’s outdoor rinks are run 100% by community volunteers. If you can help, send an email to glen.gower@ottawa.ca.
Youth Centre volunteers: Volunteers needed for a new Stittsville youth centre. Plans are underway to open the doors to youth in grades 9 through 12 by the end of January 2024. If you are interested in volunteering your time, please email Glynn Kneebone from Kiwanis at Glynn.kneebone@kiwanis-kanatastittsville.ca.
Turcotte Family Christmas – fundraiser for Stittsville Food Bank
Sean Turcotte plugged in the lights to officially launch this year’s Turcotte Family Christmas display at 18 Cypress Gardens, a fundraiser for the Stittsville Food Bank. MPP Goldie Ghamari was there along with Theresa Qadri from the Stittsville Food Bank. This year’s theme is a tribute to National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Thanks to Sean and his family for contributing this great Christmas tradition in our community!
December 2023 multicultural & human rights calendar
We’ve published our monthly multicultural and human rights calendar to highlight a number of cultural and community celebrations taking place in December. Some highlights include World AIDS Day (December 1), International Day of Persons with Disabilities (December 3), National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women (December 6) and Hanukkah (beginning December 7). Read more…
Also: We are looking for new members to join our Stittsville multicultural group. Get involved & help improve the lives of newcomers to our community. Email glen.gower@ottawa.ca for more info.
Responding to recent stressful events
With world events continuing to unfold and evolve, Ottawa Public Health (OPH) is mindful of the impacts these events can have on our community’s mental health and well-being, regardless of age, backgrounds, and beliefs.
OPH has developed several mental health supports and resources to help adults and children cope through some of the stressful times we are experiencing right now. These supports aim to build resilience, improve physical and mental health, and help deal with life stressors and changes.
Please visit OPH’s Responding to Stressful Events webpage to learn more on how to:
- Talk to children and youth about their feelings during stressful events;
- Recognize the signs of stress and ways to overcome stressful events; and
- Knowing when and how to get help.
Information for supporting children and youth can also be found on OPH’s Parenting in Ottawa Responding to Stressful Events webpage. OPH has also developed English and French fact sheets and will soon have translations available in Arabic and Hebrew.
OPH is committed to promoting safe and supportive environments grounded in inclusion, where everyone feels like they belong and can contribute to our community’s well-being.
December 9: 39th Annual OC Transpo and Loblaw Holiday Food Drive
Over the years, this has become the most important single-day food drive for the food banks in Ottawa, bringing in more than three million pounds of goods and tens of thousands of dollars to help those in need. Visit the Ottawa Food Bank’s website for more information about volunteering for a shift, donating non-perishable items, or making a monetary donation. This event is from 10:00am to 5:00pm at participating stores, including Brown’s Independent and No Frills in Stittsville in support of the Stittsville Food Bank.
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