The 50th celebration at the Stittsville Library branch of the Ottawa Public Library saw hundreds of residents and guests flow through the library on November 23rd. There were activities for all ages and the celebratory cake was definitely enjoyed by all. Councillor Gower shares his favourite stories of his experiences at the library. In addition to last week’s information, he also shares further in-depth details on the the City’s proposed 2025 budget and what Stittsville residents can expect should the proposed budget be approved. The new ‘Sports Hall of Fame’ will be celebrated on November 28th and the public are invited to attend at the CARDELRec Complex-Goulbourn. Four new inductees will be unveiled at the event that starts at 7:00pm with the doors opening at 6:30pm. An upcoming City sponsored Repair Café will be held on November 30 from 10am – 2pm at the Tony Graham Recreation Complex in Kanata. The Stittsville Village Association is still seeking volunteers for the Parade of Lights on December 7th. If you need assistance, reach out to the Councillor at the contact information below.
The Stittsville library’s 50th anniversary
A busy day at the Stittsville branch of the Ottawa Public Library on Saturday as hundreds of people dropped in to help celebrate its 50th anniversary. Library CEO (and Stittsville resident) Sonia Bebbington gave a speech as part of the special ceremonies, and Library Board Chair Matt Luloff was there with his family for the Rock the Arts puppet show.
We were also joined by many past and present staff members, trustees, and volunteers who have played such a big role in the library’s half century of success. Lesley McKay has shared an excellent history of the library at stittsvillecentral.ca, from early discussions in the 1960s to the construction of the modern building in the 1990s.
I have two favourite library stories from the past few years: One is the role the library played during the pandemic. A few weeks into the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020, the library started offering “store-front” service for residents to pick up books on hold or return items to the library. I was there one day and saw senior stop by. She picked up her book and spent several minutes chatting with library staff. “It’s her only social outing now,” staff told me later. “She takes the bus here every week, checks out a few books, and chats with us at the table.”
Then there was Cheickné, a new arrival in Canada from eastern Africa. He would visit the library every day to use the computer to look for a job. Tracy, one of the staff at the library, introduced us and we discovered we both spoke French. We kept in touch by email. A few weeks later, Cheickné emailed me with bittersweet news: He was leaving Stittsville but had found a job in Montreal in the financial sector. “Could you please send me Tracy’s e-mail,” he wrote. “I want to thank her for her support and help during my stay in Stittsville.”
There are countless more stories like these from the past 50 years. Stittsville’s library has been the centre of so many connections and activities for residents of all ages and backgrounds. It goes way beyond books!
Thank you to all of the staff and volunteers for your service to our community!
More about the 2025 Draft City Budget
Building on some information that I shared last week, City Council continues to debate and deliberate on the 2025 budget. Some more info about Stittsville projects that are proposed to be funded:
- $10.4-million to start the upgrade of Carp Road in 2025. That money will be used for land acquisition and the start of construction work. Then in 2026, there is another $56.6-million representing the balance of the project cost. We expect the project to take 2-3 years to complete.
- There’s $2.3-million for 22 new firefighters who will work out of Station 81 on Stittsville Main Street, alongside the current volunteers
- There’s $739,000 to begin detailed design and construction of Fernbank District Park (near Abbott and the Trans Canada Trail, east of Robert Grant Avenue). Construction could begin late 2025 but more likely early 2026.
- $430,000 for the completion of the Johnwoods sidewalk improvements, between Alon and Hazeldean.
- $150,000 for playground equipment at Crossway Park in the Connections neighbourhood
- $87,500 for road safety measures in Stittsville
There are a lot of city-wide investments that will benefit Stittsville as well, including:
- $2.4-million to hire 23 new paramedics, and $600,000 to procure two new vehicles to help address rising response volumes.
- $1.3-million for 10 new By-law and Regulatory Service staff and eight new by-law vehicles to improve response times.
- An 11% increase in the OC Transpo budget to support new LRT extensions, improve reliability, and enhance Para Transpo services. That includes $75-million for bus replacements and a $12.9-million increase in Transit fleet maintenance to support service reliability.
- $22.9-million to support construction of 565 new affordable homes and supportive housing by non-profit housing providers.
- $450,000 to support free drop-in activities for children and youth at City facilities through Free Play.
- $245.1-million for integrated rehabilitation projects and make sure city road infrastructure remains in good working order.
- $10.5-million for new cycling infrastructure and multi-use paths.
- $3.1-million for emerging natural area management including funds to secure and conserve important greenspaces and environmental lands.
- $2.8-million for generators in recreation facilities and fire stations for climate resiliency.
- $30.8-million to support more than 100 non-profit social service agencies to address the root causes of poverty.
- $18-million for road safety initiatives, including increased investments in pedestrian crossovers, Pedestrian Access and Intersection Ramping Program, and new traffic control devices programs.
- $16-million through the Ontario-Ottawa agreement to address safety issues downtown and on transit.
- $2.3-million for tree planting programs across the City.
You can find more information about the City budget at ottawa.ca/budget/ or visit my web site at www.glengower.ca/tag/budget-2025/ for the latest budget information, including updates from Monday’s Transit Commission meeting.
NOVEMBER 28: Stittsville Sports Hall of Fame Ceremony
The Stittsville Sports Hall of Fame has been refreshed and relaunched! Committee members have been working hard behind the scenes to refurbish the previous plaques and relocating them to CARDELREC Recreational Centre. A formal ceremony to unveil the Stittsville Sports Hall of Fame and its four new inductees is happening on Thursday, November 28 at 7:00pm at CARDELREC (1500 Shea Road). Community members are welcome to attend the ceremony. Please RSVP by contacting my office at glen.gower@ottawa.ca or call 613-580-2476. For more information please contact Bob Mills at rhbobmills@gmail.com.
NOVEMBER 30: Last City sponsored Repair Café of the year and the Waste Explorer
Join us for our fourth and final, City sponsored Repair Café of the year on November 30 from 10am to 2pm at the Tony Graham Recreation Complex, Hall A (100 Charlie Rogers Place). Skilled fixers and menders from the Ottawa Tool Library will be on hand to repair electronics, clothing, small appliances, jewelry, and more – all free of charge! Enjoy complimentary tea, coffee, and snacks (please bring your own mug).
While waste reduction is key, waste diversion also decreases curbside garbage and will help extend the life of our Trail Waste Facility Landfill. The first step is knowing the best option for disposal, including what items are accepted in our recycling and green bin programs. The Waste Explorer tool makes it easy – just search for an item to see the correct disposal method.
Stittsville Village Association Parade of Lights on Saturday, December 7
The SVA is still looking for a dozen more volunteers for supervising intersections/driveways for the Parade of Lights on December 7 from 5:30pm-9pm. All volunteers will be provided pizza before the parade, sponsored by Papa Johns in Stittsville.
All volunteers must be a minimum 15 years of age or be accompanied by an adult if younger. Volunteer hours can be signed for this event.
Time of Event: 6pm-8pm (approximately)
Time volunteers needed: 5:30pm-9pm & 9pm-11pm for clean up crew
To sign up as a volunteer, please click here to fill out this form.
For more information about the parade, visit www.stittsvilleva.com
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