November quickly flew past and it is hard to believe that we are now in December. This week, Councillor Glen is sharing information on his actions to see a Primary Care Health Hub come to Stittsville. He has introduced a Notice of Motion at City Council that is proposed to go for a vote on December 11th. He reminds residents of the upcoming Parade of Lights taking place on December 7th. This past Thursday evening the Councillor attended a ceremony for the newly renamed and refurbished ‘Stittsville Sports Hall of Fame’ at which four new members were inducted and their plaques added to the Hall. He reminds residents to drive sober this holiday season – the Ottawa Police will be conducting their annual Festive RIDE program; the three-item garbage limit final phase begins this week; information on the OC Transpo approved $856-million draft budget; vehicle maximum idling times are changing in 2025. And, as always, if you require assistance with an issue, reach out to the Councillor’s office at the contact details below.
Improving access to primary care in Stittsville
Last week I introduced a Notice of Motion at City Council about bringing a Primary Care Health Hub to Kanata-Stittsville.
I hear all the time from residents who are having trouble accessing a doctor or nurse practitioner. A 2023 report from Ottawa Public Health estimated that over 150,000 people in Ottawa cannot access primary care, and this access gap disproportionately affects new Canadians, Indigenous communities, and other vulnerable groups.
Premier Doug Ford recently appointed Dr. Jane Philpott to lead an action team with a mandate to ensure that every person in Ontario has a primary care provider in the next five years. Dr. Philpott published a book earlier this year called Health for All, where she outlines a vision for what healthcare could look like in Canada: “…primary care in Canada should function like public schools. Access to public school is one of the most universal social services standards that Canadians can count on. No one is left out,” she writes. “If we can design and implement universal access to public education, we can do the same for primary care. This should be our rallying cry.”
A local group of doctors has submitted an application to the Ministry of Health for provincial funding to establish a Family Health Team (FHT) in Kanata-Stittsville. Similar projects in other municipalities have been successful in attracting physicians, registered nurses, and other health care professionals, allowing them to quickly scale up primary care access in their communities. The project in Kanata-Stittsville would provide multi-disciplinary care to nearly 50,000 residents in the west end and across Ottawa.
I’d like to use part of a large piece of municipal land located at 1655 Maple Grove Road in Stittsville to house a health hub that would be home to this FHT. There are a number of steps required to determine if the land is suitable for the building, and to work through the finances and legalities of making the land available for community medical use.
My motion would start that review process, with a report coming back to committee and council in the next few months. It’s an important formal step towards establishing better access to primary care in our community. City Council will vote on the motion on December 11.
Stittsville Village Association Parade of Lights on Saturday, December 7
The Stittsville Parade of Lights takes place December 7, 2024, beginning at 6:00 pm and running along Stittsville Main Street from Brown’s YIG to Carleton Cathcart Street. Please note: Stittsville Main Street will close to traffic at 5:45 pm.
The SVA’s annual Parade of Lights is a community favourite, drawing thousands of spectators along the Stittsville Main Street parade route. Each year, dozens of beautifully decorated community floats set the tone for Santa’s much-anticipated arrival at the end of the parade. Merry makers are also encouraged to stay for the lighting of Village Square Park, and to share in some hot chocolate, cookies, musical entertainment, and a visit with Santa immediately following the parade. For more information about the parade, visit www.stittsvilleva.com.
Stittsville Sports Hall of Fame 2024 induction ceremony
Past and present inductees attended a special ceremony last week to celebrate the re-launch of the Stittsville Sports Hall of Fame at CARDELREC.
First established decades ago as the Goulbourn Sports Wall of Fame, plaques honouring Stittsville’s greatest athletes, coaches, and officials have adorned the walls at Johnny Leroux Arena. Now, the original plaques have been refurbished, the “wall” has become a “hall”, and it has a new home at CARDELREC.
On Thursday night, four new members were inducted:
- Matt Bradley (hockey)
- Jack Fan (figure skating)
- Justin Phillips (football)
- Erica Wiebe (wrestling)
The four were joined by family, coaches, and previous inductees for a special ceremony. Thank you to organizers Allan Ryan and Bob Mills, along with the selection committee and volunteers, for re-launching the program and organizing the event. See more photos here…
Festive RIDE 2024: Drive sober this holiday season
This holiday season, the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) will be conducting RIDE (Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere) programs and is reminding drivers to celebrate responsibly and keep our roads safe. Year to date, we have seen 752 drivers charged with impaired driving related offences, 299 of those charges were as a result of calls to 9-1-1. In 2024, as of early November, there were 12 fatal or life-threatening collisions where alcohol or drugs were determined to be a factor (of the 195 collisions). If you are going to consume alcohol or cannabis, plan a safe ride home, like a designated driver, a taxi, rideshare or public transit. More info…
Final phase of the three-item garbage limit starts this week
Any garbage above the three-item garbage limit must be placed in a City of Ottawa yellow bag. Items above the limit that are not in a yellow bag will be left behind with a courtesy tag indicating the limit. Thanks to everyone for your co-operation so far. Did you know: Studies show that more than half of waste set out on garbage day can be recycled, composted or even reused. For tips on how to reduce, re-use, and recycle your waste, click here…
The 2025 Draft Budget for OC Transpo
Our Transit Commission spent over eight hours last week hearing delegations, asking questions, and discussing the numbers. In the end we approved an $856-million budget, up 11.4% from 2024. There are new investments for rail operators and bus maintenance personnel to improve reliability; increases in Para Transpo service including replacement of mini-buses; purchasing new electric buses; and additional funding from the provincial government for more special constables to ensure safety. No service cuts are proposed in this year’s budget. More info here…
Vehicle idling times changing to improve air quality
Starting in 2025, the maximum idling times for vehicles in Ottawa are changing to help make Ottawa’s air cleaner. Idling times for vehicles on public and private property are set in the City’s Idling Control By-law. Earlier this fall, City Council approved changes to take effect on Wednesday, January 1, 2025. Read more…
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