This week, Councillor Gower fills residents in on a number of upcoming events – some requiring registration, Ottawa Council initiatives and his notes on the new zoning application amendments for 6310 Hazeldean Road.
Out & about in the community
As the snow melts and temperatures start to rise, it has been great to see more and more neighbours on pathways and trails in our community, getting some exercise and enjoying the outdoors.
It’s also great to see volunteers getting together to participate in community clean-ups, organize new events, and connect people in the community.
On the weekend, I met up with volunteers who are organizing the weekly Ottawa-Carleton Trailway parkrun event. It’s a free weekly 5-kilometre run, happening every Saturday at 9:00am beginning May 4 along the Trans Canada Trail. (You can walk or just come and watch too!)
Meanwhile there are dozens of groups participating in this year’s Cleaning the Capital campaign. You can check out ottawa.ca/clean to see a map of events near you, or register your group to participate. The city will provide a free cleanup starter kit to anyone who registers.
The deadline for this year’s Stittsville Volunteer Awards is on Friday, April 26. You can nominate a volunteer in one of six categories: The Roger Griffiths Memorial Citizen of the Year, The John Curry Memorial Youth of the Year, Senior of the Year, Group of the Year, Teacher of the Year, and Business of the Year. Details at glengower.ca/volunteer/.
And finally, we want to inspire more community events and projects to build community and strengthens connections in Stittsville. We’ve launched a new Stittsville Community Micro-Grant program, with grants of up to $200 available for qualifying activities. Deadline for submissions is April 30. Click here for more information….
City releases first draft of the New Zoning By-law
The first staff report for the new Zoning By-law project has been published and will be tabled at a special committee meeting on April 29.
It summarizes the proposed By-law in plain language and how the By-law is implementing the new Official Plan. The full text of the proposed By-law will be released in its entirety on May 31, including more detailed neighbourhood maps.
I’ve posted a high-level overview of what’s in the draft, and I would encourage residents who are interested in planning and development to read through it and send your comments and questions to me. Over the next 18 months or so there will be a number of consultation activities and opportunities for residents to provide feedback.
6310 Hazeldean: Zoning by-law amendment update
The City has received a third submission for a zoning by-law amendment application for the site at 6310 Hazeldean Road. The new iteration proposes 431 apartments in two buildings, with heights stepping up from three storeys to 21 storeys. We’ve posted a summary of the changes and links to background documents here….
Spring COVID-19 vaccines available
The Province of Ontario has launched a campaign to encourage COVID-19 vaccination for people at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19, for example adults aged 65 and above, adult residents of long-term care homes, and individuals who have moderate to severe immunocompromised conditions. Many pharmacies will continue to provide the COVID-19 vaccine for the Spring campaign, or you can visit the Provincial Vaccine Booking Centre to book an appointment at an Ottawa Public Health vaccine clinic.
Flewellyn-Shea Intersection
New safety measures will be installed in the coming weeks at the Fernbank-Shea intersection, just south of Stittsville. Measures include flashing beacons and warning signs to alert drivers to the approaching intersection, speed boards along Flewellyn Road, and edge line payment markings to remind motorists to reduce speed when approaching the intersection. For more information, please visit Councillor David Brown’s web site.
Update on Traffic Safety Meeting for Brae Crescent Residents
In March, we hosted a community meeting to discuss potential traffic calming measures on Brae Street between Donegal and Snowberry. We’ve posted a summary of your comments along with next steps. Read more….
Spring 2024 tree planting update
Forestry Services’ spring tree planting program is scheduled to begin on Monday and will run until mid-June, weather permitting. This includes tree planting in parks, at City facilities, and along streets through Forestry Services’ lifecycle tree planting programs and some Schoolyard Tree Planting Grant Program projects. In this round of planting, 138 trees are being planted through Trees in Trust & Trees in Parks programs. More info here….
Gardening at Lee Boltwood Park
The Stittsville-Goulbourn Horticultural Society invites community volunteers to join their park committee to help out at Lee Boltwood Park in Abbottsville Crossing. Anyone who is interested in joining, can contact Arlene Rowe-Sheppard (sghorticultural@gmail.com).
Fernbank Road Closure
Fernbank Road is closed between Black’s Side Road and Jinkinson Road for an emergency culvert repair. Local traffic still has access, but all other drivers should find an alternate route until the road is fully re-opened. Repairs are expected to be complete in the next few weeks.
Gardens near a road or sidewalk
The Right-of-Way (ROW) is a City-owned portion of land that extends from the edge of the road and onto every property. Typically, it extends to the water shut off valve. You can learn more on ottawa.ca or use the geoOttawa program to help measure the City’s ROW on your property.
No permit is required for residential gardening in the ROW. Here are some things to remember if you want to install a garden the right way:
- There is a list of plants that are not permitted in the ROW
- Only soft landscaping and hand-digging gardens are allowed.
- The garden must not interfere with the sidewalk.
- The maximum plant height is 1.0 metres and 0.75 metres for corner lots.
- Hard landscaping materials such as pavers, riverstone, gravel and planter boxes are not allowed.
- Consumables including vegetables, fruit, herbs, nuts and seeds are not allowed.
- You cannot garden within a ditch.
For information on little lending libraries in the ROW visit: Use and Care of Roads (By-law No. 2003-498) | City of Ottawa.
Carp River Floodplain Public Open House
The Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority has updated floodplain mapping for the Carp River watershed, including the communities of Carp, Kinburn, and Fitzroy Harbour. This has been done in partnership with the City of Ottawa. They’re holding an open house on Thursday, May 2 at the Kanata Beaverbrook Community Centre. For more information, visit the MVCA website.
June 15: Welcome to Stittsville Multicultural Festival
We’re planning the third edition of the very successful Welcome to Stittsville Multicultural Festival. This year’s event will be held on June 15 from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Village Square Park, and we are looking for participants who wish to share the beauty of multiculturalism with our community!
Contact us for more information on how you can participate, whether it’s reserving a table to showcase your culture, performing on our live stage, or promoting your business. Call 613-580-2476 or email glen.gower@ottawa.ca.
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