Autumn has arrived and to start off the new season, Councillor Gower is again sharing information and updates of interest with the community. Maplewood Secondary School opens on September 23rd for its first year of the school opening; the Stittsville Youth Centre is re-opening; information on the Wetland Omnibus Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendment passed by Council last week; LRT time changes; its time to plant trees; construction on Abbott near Terry Fox; further information on the 2025 budget directions approved by Council; an update on The Station development planned for 1518 Stittsville Main Street; the Alfred H. McCoy Park official naming ceremony takes place in October; and, register for in-person workshops to learn about the new Zoning By-law; Ottawa Fire will be in the community this week for the fall ‘Wake-Up’ program; the annual Immigrant Entrepreneur Awards nominations are open; and, the City’s Emergency Preparedness and Protective Services Committee and the Environment and Climate Change Committe have approved an updated Idling Control By-law. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with the Councillor Gower so he can assist you with your issue or concern.
It’s finally open!
Maplewood Secondary School finally opens its doors to students on Monday, so in Stittsville we finally have our long-awaited public high school. Wishing students, staff, and parents best of luck during this school year!
Stittsville Youth Centre Fall re-opening and open house
The Stittsville Youth Centre (SYC) reopens on Wednesday, September 25, from 5 to 7 pm (parents are welcome). It will then be open every Wednesday and Thursday from 4 to 8 pm. The SYC is for teens aged 12 to 17, providing a safe space for them to express themselves. Last school year, we were open from February to June, with an average of seven teens per day. Located on the second floor of Frederick Banting Alternative High School (1453 Stittsville Main Street).
City plans to step up monitoring and protection of wetlands
Last week, City Council passed a “Wetland Omnibus Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendment” due to new evaluation of wetlands west of Stittsville. It was mostly a procedural amendment and it flew right under the radar – but I think it’s worth putting it in context of some big changes happening to wetland regulation in Ontario. Read more…
Frequent transit, by the numbers
Last week, City Council spent almost three hours debating a 5-minute service change to LRT off-peak service. A majority of councillors (included me) voted to keep the current 10-minute headways until we see ridership data that justifies the extra service. I’ve shared the data and numbers here…
Fall tree planting update
Forestry Services’ fall tree planting program is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, October 1st, and will run until mid-November, weather permitting. This includes tree planting in parks, at City facilities, and along streets through Forestry Services’ lifecycle tree planting programs. In this round of planting, 125 trees are being planted through Trees in Trust & Trees in Parks programs. More info…
CONSTRUCTION NOTICE: Abbott Street East near Terry Fox
For the next six weeks, there will be lane reductions and parking restrictions on Abbott Street East between Terry Fox and Cranesbill/Rouncey for installation of utilities. More info here…
Please note that there will be overnight work on Abbott Street East closer to Robert Grant Avenue overnight from Thursday, September 26 to Friday, September 27.
Council approves 2025 budget directions
The budget directions report proposes a municipal tax increase of no more than 2.9 per cent, made up of various levies for the City, Ottawa Public Library, Ottawa Public Health and Ottawa Police Service. The Transit Services budget will be developed with consideration of funding between $0 and $120 million from the federal and provincial governments. More info…
1518 Stittsville Main Street: revised Site Plan Control application
This is an update to “The Station” development just south of the Trans Canada Trail. The applicant is now seeking to revise the approved development to remove the underground parking garage and expand the proposed surface parking area, with the number of apartments reduced to 27. More info…
October 5: Official Naming Ceremony for Alfred McCoy Park
Join us on Saturday, October 5, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. at Alfred McCoy Park for the Commemorative Naming Ceremony in honour of Alfred McCoy and his contributions to the community of Stittsville. The park is at 73 West Ridge Drive. More info…
New Zoning By-Law: fall in-person workshops
This fall, join us for a series of in-person workshops to discuss Ottawa’s New Zoning By-Law. These workshops are designed to engage the community, gather valuable feedback, and ensure that our new Zoning By-law reflects the Official Plan and the needs and aspirations of all residents. Your participation is crucial in shaping the future of our city.
October 1 – Ray Friel Recreation Complex
October 8 – John G Mlacak Community Centre (Kanata)
October 15 – Fred Barrett Arena
October 22 – City Hall
November 5 – Confederation Education Centre
More info here…
Wake Up and check your alarms with Ottawa Fire Services
As part of the fall Wake Up! program, firefighters from Ottawa Fire Services will visit homes across the city next week to ensure smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are present and working. Ontario’s Fire Code requires that homes have a working smoke alarm on each floor and outside each sleeping area. Carbon monoxide alarms are also required outside sleeping areas if the home has an attached garage, a wood stove or a fuel-fired appliance. More info…
Nominations are now open to honour Ottawa’s immigrant entrepreneurs
Each year the City of Ottawa proudly celebrates and recognizes the success and economic contributions of local immigrant entrepreneurs through its annual Immigrant Entrepreneur Awards. If you know an immigrant to Canada who embodies extraordinary entrepreneurial spirit and deserves recognition for their contributions to the Ottawa economy, the City is now accepting nominations. More info…
Committees approve new by-law to reduce vehicle idling
The maximum idling time would be reduced from three minutes to one minute per hour, in line with best practices from Natural Resources Canada and other Ontario municipalities such as Toronto, Kingston and Burlington. When it is colder than zero degrees Celsius or warmer than 27 degrees Celsius, the maximum idling time would be five minutes per hour. The by-law would offer exemptions when idling is necessary for health, safety and proper vehicle function, such as when powering mobile workshops, maintaining temperature for medical reasons, and assisting emergency services. Public transit vehicles would be exempt from the by-law, but other City vehicles would be subject to its requirements. The new rules would come into effect on January 1, 2025 if approved by City Council. More info…
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.
Note that our ward office has moved temporarily to the Stittsville library, while CARDELREC is undergoing roof repairs. Please call or email for an in-person appointment. – Councillor Glen Gower