NEWS COLUMNS

Diane Deans’ Column in the EMC Ottawa South Edition - February 3, 2012

Student Volunteer Opportunity

Are you looking to fill school volunteer hours or want to get an idea of what it’s like to work in a City Councillor’s office? If so, I am currently looking for student volunteers from our ward and would love to hear from you. The tasks can range from helping out in the office with mailing and filing, to getting involved during our community events. If this sounds like something you would enjoy please contact me, providing information about yourself, by email at diane.deans@ottawa.ca.

City of Ottawa 2012 Summer Student Employment Program

Registration for the City of Ottawa’s 2012 Summer Student Employment Program will open next week! The recruitment campaign will run from February 6th to March 9th, 2012 and can provide students over the age of 16 and who are enrolled in a secondary or post-secondary program or institution with an opportunity to gain valuable working experience.  For more details please visit Ottawa.ca/careers.

City of Ottawa Young at Art Exhibition 2012

The City of Ottawa is inviting young artists to enter Young at Art 2012 - the citywide artist exhibition for youth. This program provides creative and talented youth an opportunity to showcase and celebrate their artistry in a citywide event. Works selected will be displayed in Ottawa community galleries and recognized for outstanding work at award ceremonies around the city. Applications are now available for young Ottawa artists between 12 and 19 years of. For more information on forms and guidelines check out Ottawa.ca/youngatart. The deadline for submissions is Friday, March 4 at 4 p.m.

Winter Festivities

Here are a few events taking place in our community and around the city this month that will help you get out, stay active, and have fun!

• The Heatherington Winter Festival is being held on February 11th from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Heatherington Park located at 1560 Heatherington Road. 

• The South Keys Greenboro Community Association’s Winter Carnival will be held on Monday, February 20th from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Pushman Park, 1270 Pebble Road.

• The Fairlea Winterfest will be held this year on February 18th from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Fairlea Park located at 2989 Fairlea Crescent.  

• The Rink of Dreams at Ottawa City Hall, located at 110 Laurier Ave West, has officially opened. You can enjoy this free skating facility from November to March, with the change hut being open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. For full details please visit ottawa.ca.

• The 34th annual Winterlude starts this weekend. Winterlude is a great way to get out and enjoy the many winter events Ottawa has to offer people of all ages. For detailed information on events please visit http://www.canadascapital.gc.ca/celebrate/winterlude

 Ottawa Public Library Bookmobile

The Ottawa Public Library Bookmobile visits Blossom Park, 2950 Bank Street, on Tuesdays from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and the Robert Bateman School, 1250 Blohm Drive, on Wednesdays from 9:15 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. This is a great way to check out a wide range of library materials for both adults and children.  Staff can help you choose an item from the bookmobile or from any library branch and have it sent to our local bookmobile stop.

Green Bin Tip: After pick up, spray your green bin with light cooking oil. This will minimize the risk of items freezing to the bin and ensure easy removal of waste during the winter months.

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Diane Deans’ Column in the EMC Ottawa South Edition - January 19, 2012

Winter fun at Ottawa’s Outdoor Rinks

If you’re looking for a fun way to stay active this winter try heading to one of the many outdoor rinks located around Ottawa. You can enjoy a family skate, practice your skills, or join in on a pick-up hockey game. For a bit more excitement you can also participate in the 3rd annual Hockey Day in Ottawa happening on February 12, 2012 at your local outdoor rink in support of our community volunteers. For more information, and other special events you can visit the Recreation and Culture section of ottawa.ca or call the Seasonal Recreation line at 613-580-2590. Residents can also stay up to date on information regarding rink conditions and reports by visiting ottawarinkconditions.ca.

March Break Programs

Spring is just around the corner and it’s time to start thinking about plans for your children for the March Break. Registration has begun for the wide variety of programs the City of Ottawa will host for those students who are on break from school during the week of March 12-16. Qualified and enthusiastic staff will help your children experience dancing, sports, crafts, leadership training and so much more. You can find more information on the March Break Programs located near you and registration details by checking out the March Break recreation guide found in the Recreation and Culture section of ottawa.ca.

City of Ottawa 2012 Summer Student Employment Program

Recruitment for the City of Ottawa’s 2012 Summer Student Employment Program will begin in early February. Students over the age of 16 and who are enrolled in a secondary or post-secondary program or institutions of higher learning on a full-time or part-time basis can apply for a number of different positions with the City. The Summer Student Employment Program is a great opportunity to gain valuable work experience and enhance academic goals. For more information and to view available opportunities, please visit ottawa.ca/careers.

Seeking donations for family affected by fire

As you may be aware, on January 3rd an accidental fire caused damage to three homes on Downpatrick Road in our community. I have learned that Ms. Carmen Mayer and her daughter have lost their home and all personal belongings as a result of this fire. Ms. Mayer would be grateful for any donations to help begin to re-establish her household. Small item donations can be dropped off at the Extended Stay Hotel at 141 Cooper Street (613-236-7500). Your community support is greatly appreciated and will make a huge impact on the lives of these individuals.

Green Bin Tip: Looking for a way to make taking care of your green bin more fun? Why not create a fitted kitchen container liner out of old newspapers; a simple origami instruction sheet can be found in the Garbage & Recycling section of ottawa.ca.

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Diane Deans’ Column in the EMC Ottawa South Edition - January 5, 2012

Bus Service Improvements as a result of $5.5 million funding increase

An increase in service hours on OC Transpo bus routes began in December and will continue in January to address the growing demand and number of riders on the system. Please take note of the changes that have been made within the Gloucester-Southgate area. Route #143 from Conroy/Johnston to the Greenboro Station will see two additional trips during the evenings at 16:56 and 18:56, while route #114 will see the addition of articulated buses during key times to increase capacity.

New Year and New Activities at the Greenboro District Library

Looking to get involved in some new activities this year? Try checking out the Greenboro District Library for offered classes and programs. There are craft, reading, writing, and homework help groups for the children and resume building and financial planning for teens and adults. For an extra bit of adventure remember that your library card can also be used to borrow passes that offer families free admission to a network of local museums including the Canadian Museum of Civilization, Canadian War Museum, and the Canadian Museum of Nature. For more information on any of the programs offered please visit the library directly or visit http://biblioottawalibrary.ca/en/main/program.

Seeking comments and Public Working Group members – Blossom Park East Transportation Study

Last month, the City of Ottawa and I hosted a public meeting at the Greenboro Community Centre to discuss a transportation study requested by residents that will be undertaken in Blossom Park East, the community bounded by St. Barbara Avenue to the north, Conroy Road to the east, Queensdale Avenue to the south and Bank Street to the west. The purpose of the study is to provide City staff with a better understanding of the traffic-related safety issues in the community, and to develop solutions to these issues that are both attainable and affordable in the long-term. At this time, City staff are collecting comments and want to hear from residents about the traffic-related safety issues observed in the community. City staff are also looking for residents in the study area who would like to participate in a Public Working Group that will work with them to provide a community perspective as the study progresses. Please visit www.ottawa.ca/blossomparkeast, or contact my office at 613-580-2480 or diane.deans@ottawa.ca for more information and to provide your comments.

Garbage Collection and Disposing of your Christmas tree

Just a reminder that during the winter months, waste material must be free of snow and ice, be kept at ground level, and be visible to collection drivers.  Your Christmas trees will be collected on your regular garbage day. Please take note that trees will not be collected if they are wrapped in plastic, frozen to the ground, or if all decorations have not been removed. To find out when trees are being collected in your area visit http://ottawa.ca/garbage_recycle/garbage/index_en.html or check your collection calendar.

Green Bin Tip: Think green this season by tossing Holiday Leftovers in your green bin. Items that can be included in are turkey, popcorn, paper plates and napkins, as well as organic wreaths, poinsettias and tree boughs.

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Diane Deans’ Column in the EMC Ottawa South Edition - December 8, 2011

Public Meeting: Blossom Park East Transportation Study Kick-off  – Dec. 13

I am pleased to announce that the City of Ottawa has approved my request, on behalf of residents, for an Area Traffic Management Study in the Blossom Park East community.  The area under study is bounded by St. Barbara Avenue to the north, Conroy Road to the east, Queensdale Avenue to the south and Bank Street to the west. The study will be officially launched with the City of Ottawa hosting a public meeting on Tuesday, December 13 at 7:00 p.m. in Meeting Rooms A & B at the Greenboro Community Centre, located at 363 Lorry Greenberg Drive. A formal presentation by the Project Manager will begin at 7:30 p.m. Please join me in a meeting with City Staff to hear your transportation concerns and to solicit your participation in a public working group. Should you not be able to attend the meeting, presentation materials will be posted on the City’s website following the meeting at www.ottawa.ca/BlossomParkEast. You can also contact my office at diane.deans@ottawa.ca or 613-580-2480 for more information. I look forward to seeing you on December 13th.

Good news for Gloucester-Southgate in the 2012 Budget

On November 30, City Council approved the 2012 Budget with a sustainable tax increase of 2.39%, a continued freeze on fees for City recreation programs and a transit-fare increase averaging 2.5%. In addition, as Chair of the Transit Commission, I am pleased to report that City Council also approved the Transit Commission’s Budget, which includes an additional $5.5 million investment for OC Transpo to add 66,000 service hours to address bus overcrowding and service to cover the 6% growth in transit ridership on our transit system.  The budget also includes good news for Gloucester-Southgate Ward. On behalf of the residents in our ward, I worked hard to secure funding for the following projects:  

• funding for the design work for an upgraded Sawmill Creek Pool and Community Centre, which will get the project construction ready
• new splash pad for Fairlea Park
• new traffic improvements at the Albion Road and Johnston Road intersection
• pedestrian safety improvements at the Bank Street and Cahill Drive/Dazé Street intersection
• road resurfacing of Stevenage Drive from east of Swansea Crescent East to west of Swansea Crescent West in 2012 and Tapiola Crescent in 2013
• funding for the road engineering design work to renew Rastila Crescent, Esson Street, Fontenay Crescent, Clearwater Crescent and Kodiak Street
• replacement of the elevator systems on the west platforms of the Greenboro and the South Keys Transitway Stations

Should you have any questions regarding the above projects, please do not hesitate to contact my office.  This has been a great year serving you, and I will continue to advocate for our ward at the Council table. Please feel free to share your comments and ideas with me on how we can continue to improve our community at diane.deans@ottawa.ca or 613-580-2480.

City Works Yard under construction – Conroy Road at Thurston Drive

I continue to receive numerous inquiries regarding the construction on the east side of Conroy Road at the intersection of Conroy Road and Thurston Drive. The City of Ottawa is building a new Works Yard to replace the current Yard on Heatherington Road, which has reached the end of its lifecycle. To date, the concrete foundation for the buildings on site, as well as the back fill are almost completed. In addition, we can expect to see the structural steel frames being constructed starting the week of December 5th. City staff would like to advise residents that traffic disruptions and lane closures may occur on Conroy Road in front of the site due to a road cut that is required to connect water, sewer and hydro service to the new Works Yard. It is anticipated that the new Works Yard will be fully constructed by 2012, and will better serve the growing needs of our city.

Green Bin Tip: Alternate layers of food waste with layers of dry waste (e.g. leaves, dead plants, sawdust, wood shavings).

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