Category Archives: Heron Park News
Heron Park Rink Hours (Winter 2012)
The Heron Park Outdoor Rink officially opens on Wednesday, January 11 at 5pm. Come join your neighbours in celebrating another season of skating and shinny. Free hot chocolate and hotdogs between 6 and 7 pm.
Please contact Colin MacLean at cmaclean_esl@yahoo.com if you would like to arrange a special function at the rink, or if you are interested in having a regular time-slot for skating or shinny.
Heron Park Wading Pool
Annika lays back and beats the heat!
Summer is upon us and the sweltering heat has made our Heron Park Wading Pool a huge draw for families with young children. Once again, the City of Ottawa has provided us with wonderful and caring and FUN staff to monitor pool users and provide plenty of diverting activities and crafts for area youth.
This summer our Park Supervisor is Mackenzie. Her capable colleagues and Park Programmers are Afrah, Kat, Deanna, and Liam.
In addition to ensuring the safety of all pool-enjoying-patrons, the staff in Heron Park organize a wide variety of physical activities, arts and crafts.
Closed on Saturdays! The pool schedule will change in August.
2-3 Bedroom Rental sought for Aug. 1
Looking for a 2 or 3 bedroom apartment in Heron Park for August 1. Please contact Tricia at patricia.mactaggart@ocdsb.ca or phone 613-866-1168. (Tricia is a colleague of mine at the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board. She works downtown and her daughter will be attending Algonquin College. Colin)
Ottawa GOOD FOOD BOX
The Ottawa Good Food Box is a nonprofit community-based program bringing neighbours together to buy a variety of delicious and nutritious fresh fruits and vegetables at wholesale prices. Ashley Lima is the site coordinator for HERON PARK and will be responsible for organizing monthly orders and pick up times for the Good Food Boxes in our area.
Here’s how the GFB program works:
The Ottawa Good Food Box works like a large buying club. Customers must order and pay for their boxes ahead of time.
Order and payment are due to the Site Coordinator (me) by the date listed below. This allows me time to get the group order and payment together to meet The Ottawa Good Food Box Club’s deadlines.
The Ottawa Good Food Box Club cannot accommodate changes to orders, because everything is pre-bought to match the orders.
See http://www.centretownchc.org/gfb/?page_id=10&lang=en for more information.
How to place your orders and/or payment:
Email (ashleysarahlima@yahoo.ca) or phone (613-729-0024) me to place your order and arrange to drop off your payment before the order deadline.
When to phone: between 10am and 8pm (leave a message if I’m not there, I’ll call you back!)
Box pick-up:
Please check your answering machine (or call me) before coming to pick up your box. Occasionally the drivers are behind schedule and the delivery may be delayed. I wouldn’t want you to have to make two trips.
The boxes are delivered on the third Wednesday of each month.
Customer pick-up is between 4 and 7pm
The boxes are the property of the Ottawa Good Food Club and cannot leave the site coordinators site.
Bring your own bags to carry home your produce.
We would love to hear your feedback. If you have any recipe or community information to share in our newsletter please phone 233-4443 ext. 2203.
Important Information
Site Coordinator:
Ashley Lima Phone Number: 613-729-0024
Address: 2-2427 Huntley Ave
Pick-up time: 4:00 – 7:00pm
Pick- up location: Heron Park field house (Clover St.)
Please mark these dates on your calendar!
Order and Pay by: For delivery on:
JUNE 9 JUNE 22
JULY 9 JULY 20
AUGUST 5 AUGUST 17
Continues……
Each month, orders and payments are due by the end of the first week. Each month, orders can be picked up on the third Wednesday.
Attention high school students!
Do you want to get involved with your community and earn community service hours for graduation?
Contact Ashley to find out how you can help with the Good Food Box program in Heron Park!
Heron Park Spring Cleanup – May 7
We’re getting ready for our annual spring cleanup. To sign up as a volunteer, and/or for more information, contact Ashley (ashleysarahlima@yahoo.ca).
Spring Clean-up
Saturday, May 7
9:30am—12:00pm
Volunteers needed!
High school students, earn your community service hours.
Email Ashley (ashleysarahlima@yahoo.ca) to sign up.
Let’s get ready for summer!
As part of Ottawa’s Cleaning the Capital event, Heron Park residents will be out cleaning up our neighbourhood. Come and join us either on your own or with a group!
Dog missing. Feared stolen.
Daisy, a Labrador/Bernese?Burmese? Mountain Dog mix, disappeared from her home at the corner of Clementine and Apolydor Avenue on the morning of Wednesday, March 30th.
She was left outside early Wednesday morning. On a leash. Wearing her collar.
She disappeared at around 6:00 a.m.
A black, 4-door-sedan with tinted windows was seen parked on Apolydor Avenue prior to her disappearance.
Daisy’s collar and leash were found on Ohio Street near Billingswood Manor.
Daisy is a sociable, 5 1/2-month-old puppy. Medium build.
Almost completely black with a bit of white on her throat and chest.
She has some white spots on her hind toes.
Friendly to people and other dogs.
If you have any information about her disappearance or whereabouts, please call Jocelyn (male owner) at 819-328-7666, or e-mail Colin at cmaclean_esl@yahoo.com.
Proposed Changes to Heron Park Transit Service
OCTranspo has released the proposed changes to transit service in Heron Park. They are planning to discontinue route 115 altogether, and re-route the 112 through the northern portion of the 115 route, but then turn onto Heron Road. This means the north half of Heron Park would have more frequent service (via the 112), but the south half will have no service at all.
Details can be found at http://www.octranspo1.com/routes/s_5 including a link to leave feedback on the proposed changes. Leave comments there, and contact our ward councillor David Chernushenko (David.Chernushenko@ottawa.ca or 613-580-2487) to give him your opinion.
Sign the petition against Midway’s new location
Sign the Petition Against Midway Locating
on Kaladar Ave.
More Noise? More Traffic?
More Light Pollution? More Crime?
Midway Family Fun Park is making arrangements to move into our neighbourhood. The planned location is 2477 Kaladar Ave. – the brown warehouse currently occupied by a number of businesses including Celebrity Flooring (see over for map) – and the opening is projected for this coming spring.
Midway’s previous location was near the Canada Science and Technology Museum, at 2370 Lancaster Rd. (people will remember “the place with the castle on top”). The reason for the move is the sale of that building.
What is Midway?
Midway’s owner, Mr. Damien Dee, presented his plans to a meeting of the Heron Park Community Association on the evening of December 7th. He told us Midway’s motto is “fun for the whole family” and its target market is families with children aged 3 to 13, the average being about 8. Mr. Dee further described Midway as follows:
- Indoor Entertainment: arcade games, jungle gym, rock climbing, mini-golf, bumper cars, kiddie train, parent lounge, toddler centre, full restaurant (no alcohol)
- Outdoor Entertainment: go-karts, which Midway operated at previous location, and may be introduced at a later date
- Special Functions: catered birthday parties, summer camps
- Hours: open Fri. & Sat. to 10 p.m., Sun.-Thurs. to 9 p.m., may be closed Tues.& Wed.
- Peak Periods: weekends, summertime, school holidays
- No. of Customers: 500 people at a time during peak periods; 150 parking spaces
- Web Site: http://www.midwayfunpark.com
Why should we be concerned?
While residents don’t have a problem with the business itself, they voiced a number of concerns about the proposed location.
The character of the area would be noticeably affected by the arrival of Midway; it is zoned for light industrial activity and is presently very quiet on weekends and weekday evenings — Midway’s peak hours.
The Midway would increase the noise level in our neighbourhood, from music, early-morning snowplowing, more car and bus traffic, and the outdoor go-kart engines that are planned for the future. Mr. Dee assured all present that noise could be kept to a minimum; residents appeared unconvinced. Other annoyances may include bright outdoor lights, signage, and litter.
Traffic flow on Kaladar is already congested, with slow left-turns at Heron, tractor trailers backing into loading zones, parked cars, and numerous school buses. Residents asked if it is realistic to think that this two-lane street can absorb a further increase in traffic. Mr. Dee offered no answer.
Security: There was a murder in the Midway parking lot 7 years ago. Some people feel that areas with arcades have been used by criminals. In response, Mr. Dee told us that a full security counter will operate at the front, through which all customers pass upon entering and exiting the premises. He noted that Midway has worked very hard to distance itself from the incident and has persisted in the face of bad press where many other businesses would have folded.
Where do things stand?
- Midway is currently using the Kaladar building as storage, and their summer camp flyer (advertised on Facebook and the Ottawa Citizen in February) cites Kaladar as the new location.
- The east side of Kaladar is currently zoned light industrial, which allows for amusement parks like Midway. The west side, and most of the surrounding area, is zoned residential. City staff have called this kind of zoning arrangement ‘outdated’, but say nothing can be done.
- However, the City of Ottawa is currently reviewing the zoning for this area as part of the Bank Street “Community Design Plan”. The plan is scheduled for completion by November 2011 — too late to stop Midway unless we take action now and express our concerns.
What can you do?
- Sign the petition against Midway’s proposed relocation to Kaladar at: http://www.gopetition.com/petition/43385.html
- Learn more about the Bank Street Community Design Plan at http://www.ottawa.ca/residents/public_consult/bank_cdp/index_en.html. This is an opportunity for Heron Park residents to have a say in the vision for Kaladar — including the possibility of rezoning.
- Express your opinion on the opening of Midway in our neighbourhood by contacting our ward councillor David Chernushenko (David.Chernushenko@ottawa.ca or 613-580-2487) and/or the mayor (Jim.Watson@ottawa.ca). Please cc James McLaren, President of the Heron Park Community Association (president@heronpark.ca) on any correspondence.
- Contact president@heronpark.ca to join the Heron Park Midway Google Group and stay informed.
Hockey Day In Ottawa/Hockey Day In Canada
Saturday, February 12 is Hockey Day In Ottawa and Hockey Day In Canada.
As part of the day’s festivities, the Heron Park Rink will be hosting an all-ages shinny game from noon to 2 p.m.
Everyone is welcome!
