(Councillor Glen Gower presents the Roger Griffiths Memorial Citizen of the Year Award to Phil Sweetnam on August 9, 2024.)
This week Councillor Gower encourages residents to listen to Mayor Sutcliffe’s speech on financial fairness for the city on YouTube and to sign the Mayor’s petition; the Kiwanis have a movie in the park evening coming up; he shares information about the City’s alert on the QR code parking meter scam; the water for Stittsville Main Street businesses and residents will be temporarily shut off overnight on August 15; two road closures will take place in the Westwood neighbourhood; the Ottawa Police Service have a survey for Ottawa residents asking for community feedback; blasting to begin in September in the Idylea Phase 2 development; the city wants to hear from you on their 2025 Budget; and, the Councillor’s office and a portion of the CardelRec Recreation Complex-Goulbourn will be closed for renovations. Councillor Gower will be on vacation until August 30th, but his office staff will be available to assist you.
Mayor Sutcliffe’s fight for financial fairness
In a 30-minute speech in front of local reporters at City Hall last week, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe laid out a compelling case for financial fairness for the City of Ottawa from the provincial and federal governments. He explained, in detail, two areas of structural inequities that are putting Ottawa on the brink of a financial and transit crisis. (If you haven’t watched his speech yet, you should go watch it on YouTube.)
He’s made five requests to the provincial and federal government that add up to hundreds of millions of dollars, but it’s not a handout he’s looking for. It’s about fixing a broken federal property tax regime and restoring equity between how the province funds transit in the Greater Toronto area versus Ottawa.
I’ve shared a summary of his argument here, and I’m encouraging residents to sign Mayor Sutcliffe’s petition on his web site at marksutcliffe.ca.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 17: Kiwanis Kanata-Stittsville presents Movie Night in the Park
Featuring Disney’s WISH! The movie is FREE to attend! We will also be accepting donations for the Stittsville Food Bank. Make sure to bring your own chairs, blankets, and bug spray! Movie starts at 8:00 p.m. at Village Square Park (6000 Abbott Street at Stittsville Main). Rain date: August 24. More info…
City alerts residents to new QR code scam on parking machines in Ottawa
The City is alerting residents to a new scam that was recently discovered on parking machines in Ottawa. A sticker with a fake QR code has been attached to various machines which, when scanned with a smartphone, navigates residents to a fraudulent version of the PayByPhone website. Residents are asked not to scan any QR code that has been placed on a Pay & Display machine, as the City does not include this option on the machines. More info…
Water shut-off on Stittsville Main Street on August 15
A temporary water shut-off is planned for overnight on August 15 so that crews can connect the new “The Landing” building at 1370 Stittsville Main. A number of homes and businesses along Stittsville Main between Carp and Beverly are affected, including residents on Ravenscroft and Wildpine. City staff and the builder have provided advance notification to all affected properties. The shut-down is expected to last 6-8 hours.
Temporary road closure for Beckton Heights and Goldhawk Drive
Two roads in the Westwood area of Stittsville will be temporarily closed in the coming days to complete sewer work. Beckton Heights will be closed August 12-19, and Goldhawk Drive from August 14-20. Pedestrian access and local vehicle access will be maintained. Nearby residents have received a notification in their mailbox with more information.
Ottawa Police community engagement survey
The Ottawa Police Service Board (OPSB) and the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) are seeking community views about how the OPS is performing, what the strategic goals should be for the OPS, and what the policing priorities should be in Ottawa. The survey is available in multiple languages. Click here to participate…
Blasting for Idylea Phase 2 (Fernbank Road)
Blasting is expected to start in September and last approximately four weeks. Typical hours of blasting are Monday to Friday between 7:00 am and 6:00 pm, with up to six (6) blasts per crew occurring per day. Notifications will be sent to everyone within 150 metres of the blasting site, and vibration monitors will be installed. Prior to blasting, there will be a pre-blast survey, which is completed for all structures within 75 meters of the blasting site. More info at glengower.ca/blasting/
Have your say on Draft Budget 2025
Budget 2025 is right around the corner, and we want to hear from you! Tell us what budget priorities matter to you by visiting the Engage Ottawa Draft Budget 202 page today to complete a short poll.
CARDELREC closure September 2-October 14
CARDELREC is anticipating an extended closure from September 2 to October 14, 2024 to replace the roof on the community centre side of the building. The arenas will remain open. The pool will be closed for the full duration of the closure, along with gyms and meeting rooms. Our ward office will also be closed. The Glen Cairn outdoor pool season will be extended to provide more swim times in the west end.
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