This week Councillor Gower provides his 91st community update since being elected – it is also his last during the municipal election blackout period from August 25 until October 24, 2022. Below the Councillor has a fountain of information on upcoming events; a link to an article on Stittsville’s John Curry Memorial Youth of the Year – Lara Sweidan; read more about the volunteers of Lee Boltwood Park; the Derecho storm clean-up; outdoor rink volunteers needed; time to register for Cleaning the Capital; preventing car thefts; wild parsnip; construction updates; and, the need for volunteer crossing guards.
Upcoming events in our community
There’s a lot happening in Stittsville over the next few weeks – here are a few events that we’re looking forward to:
- Saturday, August 27: Stittsville Sweet Corn Festival. 10am-3pm at the Holy Spirit Church parking lot on Shea Road. More info…
- Saturday, August 27: Bollywood Outdoor Family Movie Night, with activities starting at 6:30pm. Front lawn of Holy Spirit Parish (1489 Shea Road). Bring a donation for the Food Bank. Presented by Jameel Insurance. More info…
- Wednesday, September 14: Rotary Club Tree Giveaway at Bell Rotary Peace Park (1751 Stittsville Main near Cherry), 4:30pm-7:30pm. More info…
- Sunday, September 24: Butter Tart Festival, presented by Stittsville Market at the Barn. 6154 Abbott Street, 9am-1pm. More info…
- Wednesday, September 28: A Company of Fools presents Hamlet at Alexander Grove. More info at fools.ca
- Friday, October 21: Kiwanis Club of Kanata-Stittsville presents the Kids for Kids Talent Showcase. Auditions are now open, contact glynn.kneebone@kiwanis-kanatastittsville.ca for details.
Municipal election blackout period
The City’s Election-Related Resources Policy prohibits councillors who are seeking re-election in a municipal election from using their office budgets to sponsor newsletters, advertisements, flyers or householders during the 60-day period leading up to and including voting day, with very few exceptions. I will not be publishing my weekly columns from August 25 up to and including October 24. My office will remain open to help with resident inquiries.
Making difference: Lara Sweidan
Lara Sweidan, a grade 12 student at South Carleton High School, has already accumulated 165 hours of community service – and she is not done yet! Lara received Stittsville’s John Curry Memorial Youth of the Year Award in June for her outstanding service to the community. She has learned to make a difference by fostering a sense of civic responsibility. Read more about Lara in our “Making A Difference” series…
Local gardeners are growing at Lee Boltwood Park
There’s a lot of work that goes into maintaining the new pollinator garden at the recently-commemorated Lee Boltwood Park. It began with tireless efforts from Stittsville-Goulbourn Horticultural Society volunteer Arlene Sheppard to research the native plants, then plan and schedule the work to seed them. Now, every week, Arlene—along with more volunteers like Gloria and Glenda—spend hours weeding, watering, and fertilizing the soil. You can see the results growing beautifully. Read more about the garden and volunteers…
The latest derecho storm response update
Since the beginning of distribution on July 8, 1,750 cubic yards of woodchips have been delivered to seven City sites. Residents have picked up the equivalent of 64,545 standard garden mulch bags, creating a beneficial re-use of tree debris from the storm on May 21. Read more, including information about stump removal plans…
A call for rink volunteers
We’re looking for volunteers to help out at neighbourhood rinks across Stittsville, including two new rink locations at Joe Lewis Park (Potter’s Key) and Mark Yakabuski Park (Fernbank Crossing). If you’d like to help or need more information, please email glen.gower@ottawa.ca.
Registration is open now for the Cleaning the Capital Fall Campaign
Registration for this year’s Cleaning the Capital Fall campaign starts August 15, for cleanup projects taking place between September 15 and October 15. Find more information at ottawa.ca/clean. Last sping we had more volunteer groups than any other community in Ottawa participate in this program. Let’s see if we can keep that trend going this fall!
Ottawa Police tips on preventing car thefts
With several recent vehicle thefts on our area, Ottawa Police have shared some tips and advice on how you can protect your vehicle. Click here…
We also hosted an information session back in June with our community police officer. The video has some good info about what cars are being targeted and how the thieves are operating. Click here…
Managing wild parsnip
Over 935 lane kilometres of roadsides/pathways and over 200 locations of parkland were treated this year as part of the 2022 Wild Parsnip Program. The goal is to reduce the growth of wild parsnip in highly infested areas while ensuring that environmentally sensitive areas and public safety are not adversely impacted. Additional herbicide application may be applied to some locations again this fall. For additional information on wild parsnip—including tips on avoiding and managing the plant—please click here…
Construction updates
- Culvert repair work continues on Jonathan Pack Street. The road remains closed near Beverly with detours in place for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists. More info…
- Repaving and sidewalk repair work has resumed on Abbott Street and Hobin Street. This work was delayed due a strike and was originally planned to be wrapped up prior to the start of school. Crews are working to finish the work as soon as possible, and have safety measures in place to ensure safety while the work continues. Please use an alternative route if you can.
- Maple Grove Road is scheduled to re-open later this week from Warmstone to Cento. More info…
- Beginning in August, the City of Ottawa will start construction for the installation of traffic calming measures on Fringewood Drive. More info here…
- Blasting continues in the Idylea neighbourhood near Fernbank and Liard. More info here..
Staffing Shortage: Dire need for crossing guards across Ottawa
Crossing Guards play an important role in keeping the most vulnerable road user, children, safe in school zones. As the upcoming school year draws closer, the Ottawa Safety Council (OSC) – the employer of Crossing Guards across the Nation’s Capital – is concerned about the serious staffing shortages it is facing. Help the Ottawa Safety Council keep children safe by helping us get the word out about this important and rewarding part-time job in the community. Crossing Guards protect our future leaders as they get to and from school. Find out more at http://www.crossing-guard.ca.
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. You can also message us on WhatsApp at 613-277-0193. – Councillor Glen Gower