(Councillor Glen Gower is at the Village Square Park rink that is groomed by Scott Phellan, SMHA and other Stittsville volunteers.)
Monday has brought us a winter wonderland with perhaps more to come on Wednesday, so get outside and enjoy the activities we have been missing – sledding, skiing, snowshoeing, skating and so much more. Nice to see Councillor Gower getting out, finally, for his cross-crountry ski, but he was also working – writing this week’s updates in his column for us. There are many updates the Councillor is addressing, here are a few highlights: garbage collection being delayed, COVID vaccines, feedback requested on the Transportation Master Plan, the upcoming Anti-Racism Strategy Town Hall, the public meeting this week on 1927 Maple Grove and much more.
Thank you for your patience after Monday’s massive snow storm! I’m glad to finally get some snow so that I can head out cross-country skiing.
A reminder that waste collection was cancelled on Monday due to the storm, and as a result, collection for all residents will be delayed by one day for the remainder of the week.
Make sure you sign up to get alerts any time a winter parking ban is called. You can download the City of Ottawa app on their Android or Apple, or sign up for email alerts at ottawa.ca/winter. (Did you know: During winter weather parking bans, residents will have access to select OC Transpo park and rides as well as certain recreation centres. Visit ottawa.ca/winter for more information about which City facilities are available.)
If your street or sidewalk still needs attention from City snow crews, please call 3-1-1.
COVID-19 vaccine update
No appointment is necessary to get a 1st, 2nd or 3rd dose at one of the community vaccination clinics. Drop-ins are welcome throughout the week. The Eva James Centre in Bridlewood (Kanata) is the closest location to Stittsville. Check ottawapublichealth.ca for hours and wait times. You can still book an appointment in advance as well.
As of Friday morning, according to Ottawa’s COVID-19 vaccine dashboard:
- 90% of residents ages 12+ have had two doses.
- 50% of eligible residents have had a booster shot.
- 65% of kids ages 5-11 have had at least 1 dose.
Our goal is to have all residents of long term care homes and retirement homes with a 4th dose by end of January.
Immunization is the best way that we can keep ourselves and our community healthy, so that we don’t overwhelm our health care systems and can keep our essential services up and running. Thanks to everyone in Stittsville for doing your part.
Please remember to BE KIND and BE PATIENT as we continue to work through this!
We’re looking for your feedback on the Transportation Master Plan
Last summer, we asked for your help to identify missing links in Stittsville for cyclists and pedestrians (aka “active transportation”). This was part of the City of Ottawa’s ongoing work to update the Transportation Master Plan (TMP), the document that guides day-to-day transportation planning and operations as well as future capital and operating budgets. The City wants your help to prioritize and evaluate the candidate projects. Click here for info…
Staff have also posted more than 70 proposed policies for the new TMP that will guide our transportation decisions and investments over the next 25 years. Click here see the policies and offer your feedback…
Anti-Racism Strategy public town hall
This year, the City of Ottawa will develop its first Anti-Racism Strategy, which will include strategic actions, key performance indicators and expected outcomes to confront systemic racism in Ottawa’s systems and structures. To help inform the strategy, the Anti-Racism Secretariat is holding a virtual resident town hall on Thursday, January 20. More info & registration here…
City prepares Residential Vacant Unit Tax for 2023
The City is planning to implement a Residential Vacant Unit Tax (VUT) in 2023 based upon the occupancy status of a residential property. The proposed framework states that a residential property that is not the owner’s principal address and is vacant for more than 184 days during the calendar year could be subject to the new vacancy tax. Read more…
Public meeting on January 20 – 1927 Maple Grove
The City of Ottawa will hold a Public Meeting on Thursday at 6pm through Zoom to discuss this proposed plan of subdivision. We encourage you to attend to learn more about the project, ask questions, and provide feedback directly to the applicant and city planning staff. Read more…
Temporary pandemic hours at the Stittsville library
The Stittsville branch remains open with revised hours:
- Monday: 10 am – 6 pm
- Tuesday: 1 pm – 8 pm
- Wednesday: 10 am – 6 pm
- Thursday: 1 pm – 8 pm
- Friday, Saturday, and Sunday hours remain the same.
For more info visit biblioottawalibrary.ca
Ontario Health East Region Patient and Family Advisory Council Opportunity
The Council wants to better understand your health care experiences, needs and priorities. You can play an important role in shaping how our province designs and delivers health care that meets the needs of your community and improves people’s health care experiences. They are looking for 12-15 Ontarians from the East region to join our Council who represent our region’s diverse communities. More info: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/OHEastPFAC
Volunteers needed – Breast Cancer Society of Canada
Breast Cancer Society of Canada is establishing Volunteer Regional Branches in communities across Canada. They’re bringing together people who understand the importance of breast cancer research and who want to volunteer their time to help support our work. Branch Members work closely with volunteers, donors and community partners to promote awareness of breast cancer and the importance of breast cancer research. More info: https://bcsc.ca/get-involved/volunteer/
Job opening – Education & Training Representative, Richmond Online Learning Centre
As Ontario’s community-based bilingual distance education and training network, Contact North | Contact Nord helps underserved residents in 1,300 small, rural, remote, Indigenous and Francophone communities access education and training without leaving their communities. We provide services in English and French. Contact North | Contact Nord is seeking a positive, energetic and organized individual to fill a part time position as an Education & Training Representative in Richmond. More info: www.contactnorth.ca.
OWAA “All Things Abstract”
The Ottawa West Arts Association is excited to announce our new exhibition, “All Things Abstract”. At the moment, this exhibition is only virtual due to COVID-19 restrictions at CARDELREC, but it will move onto the walls of the OWAA Gallery when possible. Here is a link to the online slideshow: https://owaa.ca/all-things-abstract/
Get in touch!
My team and I are working every day to answer your questions and connect residents with the resources they need. If we can help in any way, please email me at glen.gower@ottawa.ca or leave a voicemail at 613-580-2476. NEW: Message us on WhatsApp at 613-277-0193. – Councillor Glen Gower