Rockingham Road Closure
Rockingham Avenue, from Clementine Boulevard to Bank Street will be closed for 5 days – Monday, 19 April 2010 to Friday, 23 April 2010.
The contractor, E. George Brown will require the width of the roadway to do a sanitary/storm sewer repairs.
Local and emergency vehicle access will be maintained. The impact to traffic will be low.
Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact:
Kathleen Meilleur
Work Activity Coordinator
Planning & Growth Management Department
Development Review Suburban Services Branch
Bylaws, Permits & Inspections Unit
100 Constellation – 6th Floor East
tel: 613-580-2424 x 13814
fax: 613-580-2608
kathleen.meilleur@ottawa.ca
Non-Renewable Community Project Funding applications now available
Non-profit community organizations in Ottawa are invited to submit applications for new projects that address Community Project Funding priorities. Eligible organizations can apply for two different streams of funding namely, One-Year Project Funding and Three-Year Project Funding.
Non-Renewable Community Project Funding is available for projects that:
- Increase neighbourhood capacity to enact positive and sustainable change in planning, service delivery, improve health and/or improve safety in accordance with neighbourhood-defined goals.
- Promote the healthy development of children and youth (0-18 years) and their development of competencies through recreation, leisure, cultural and arts activities.
- Increase participation of seniors in physical activities and community life to promote successful aging.
- Support inclusion of people who are low income, at risk, isolated or otherwise marginalized and promote quality of life for the full diversity of residents through activities such as literacy, employment, physical activity and/or participation in cultural programs.
- Promote conditions of equality on the basis of race, ethnicity, income, gender, official language and ability.
More information, including program guidelines and application form, is available at City of Ottawa Client Service Centres and online at ottawa.ca/communityfunding
Application deadline: Thursday, April 8, 2010.
Two information sessions are provided. The schedule is as follows:
| English
Ben Franklin Place, 101 Centrepointe Dr., |
French
Richelieu-Vanier Community Centre, |
If you require special needs accommodation for the information sessions, please contact Julie Tremblay at 613-580-2424, ext. 12513.
For more information on the 2010 Non-Renewable Community Project Funding Program, please contact Rahmat Shahidi at 613-580-2424, ext. 24251.
Community Garden Update
Did you ever notice that snow shovelling seems much easier if you imagine that you are turning the soil in your garden bed, instead? Well, during these chilly winter weeks, a few Heron Parkers have turned their minds to gardening, and submitted an application for City funds to contribute to start-up costs for a community garden in the Heron Park neighbourhood. I’d written about this idea in previous Herald issues, and invited interested participants to get involved in the process.
Our initial vision is to lay out 10 or so individual garden plots, as well as have a children’s garden and a high raised bed for seniors and others who may have trouble kneeling down. We’ve scouted out a few possible vacant public lands, but there are various approvals and tests that need to happen before we know for sure where the site will be. We’ll also talk to the neighbours in the immediate vicinity to identify and address their concerns, and will hold a public meeting to answer questions…and to recruit gardeners and volunteers!
If we do get resources to get the garden off the ground, we’ll post updates on this website, so check back here regularly for details. Email us at garden@heronpark.ca for further details or if you’d like to help out!
- Connie
Coyote!
No doubt you have heard that a coyote has been seen more than once in the Greenboro area.
A resident of Heron Park saw one a week ago near Sawmill Creek, west of Rockingham Ave. This isn’t a reason to panic, but it is a reason to be careful. The creatures most in danger are small animals (cats, small dogs, and of course rabbits and other wildlife).
If anyone has additional information to add, please contact Rosella at rosella.macneil@sympatico.ca or by phone at 613 526-9962.
Heron Park Winter Carnival
HERON PARK
WINTER
CARNIVAL
Saturday, February 13
12:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Heron Park (on Clover)
The Heron Park Community Association invites you to
Celebrate winter with friends and neighbors!
Games! Skating! Broomball! Face painting! Prizes! Pancakes, Chili, Hot dogs, and Hot chocolate!
Kids – come for food, stay for balloons and games.
December 2009 HPCA Meeting Minutes
HPCA Monthly Meeting Minutes – DRAFT
December 8, 2009
Heron Park Community Activity Centre
Present: Connie Berry, Derek Gour, James McLaren, Judy Mordy, Leo Derome,
Lindsey Barr, Rosella Mac Neil (minutes)
Late arrivals: Colin MacLean, Clive Doucet
Regrets: Hijal de Sarkar, Donna Silver, Maritala Robinson
1. Approval of minutes
James McLaren opened the meeting shortly after 7:00; the minutes of the October meeting were approved with a minor amendment. [The minutes from the November AGM should be approved at the 2010 AGM.]
Motion for approval: Connie Berry; Seconded: Rosella Mac Neil; Approved: All
2. Playground fundraising update (Leo Derome)
Of the $560 raised from the Christmas bazaar, the biggest source of revenue was the baked goods. The sale was not as successful as the previous year’s. One reason may be that there was no advertising done this year within the local schools.
Originally, we were told that Heron Park was on the list of play structures to be updated in 2010, based on the City’s Life Cycle programme. We’re not, or at least it is not certain.
Leo, Maritala and Peter Fourney met with Clive and the Parks & Recreation rep Donna Williams. They all felt that the existing structure should be replaced soon: it is falling apart, and is not wheelchair accessible. Clive offered to solicit corporate sponsors, working with us. We will learn where we are on the Life Cycle status in about two weeks. We need this information before the Life Cycle staff member leaves her position, or we’ll be starting over again with the new person.
3. New building proposed for Billings Bridge Plaza
James, Clive and Donna Silver met with the developer of the planned building at Billings Bridge Plaza. He asked for a sidewalk over Sawmill Creek so people can walk from HP to Billings Bridge. He said that HPCA would be wiling to agree to the development if we had improved access to shopping and transit. He suggested that the building be located closer to the Transitway access, which would mean more people from the building would frequent the food court and shops, and it would be a better location for people crossing the parking lots. They liked the suggestion.
4. Herald update (Derek)
Derek talked about the problems with getting interesting articles for the Herald, and enough regular – and early – input. He questioned whether we should continue to produce the paper if the ad revenue doesn’t cover its printing cost. Someone suggested we look into a cheaper way to print it, like reverting to a newsletter format. Others (Rosella, Clive) felt that the regular issue of a community newspaper is very important to the life of the community. The Glebe Report and OSCAR pay their editor about $10K/year and bring in significant ad revenues; the OOS newspaper has no paid editor and is issued irregularly. Clive offered to help financially in 2010 if it is needed to keep it going.
Suggestions for articles for the Spring issue included the house demolition on Clementine and the reasons for it, the improvements to the building at Rockingham and Bank that the McGuinty law firm is moving into (Rosella will write it, Colin will take pictures for it); local bird watching; local history; a community gossip column; local sports (e.g., Bruce Timmermans); local politics; articles for kids.
Lindsey told us she has booked the gym for 8 Saturday mornings in Alta Vista Public School for a kids’ activity. She is charging $75 per child; the programme’s spaces were filled in just a few days, showing strong interest in this kind of activity.
We agreed that articles should be kept short to ensure they are read. Colin suggested promoting the HP rink: the best, and earliest, ice surface last year. ACTION Everyone was asked to submit ideas for articles or columns.
5. Councilor’s report (Clive)
The 7 architects on the City’s review committee have resigned en masse. The Royal Architectural Society, the Ontario Architectural Society and the local architectural society all said we need to have real input that is listened to, and they weren’t.
6. Other business
A) Leo told us about an unpleasant incident that occurred at the end of the Christmas bazaar, when several of the regular card players settled in to play cards at 4:30, despite the fact that Maritala and Leo were cleaning up. They would not leave when asked, and one of them, Bruno, was belligerent and even threatened Maritala.
B) Colin said that we now have new signatories for the HPCA main bank account: Colin and James were added, Rosella was removed.
C) Colin told us the rink agreement with the City has been signed for 09-10. The total revenue for the season is $4700.
The meeting adjourned at 8:55 p.m.
City of Ottawa 55+ Short Story Contest now underway
The City of Ottawa’s 13th annual 55 + Short Story Contest invites submissions of original, unpublished short stories or memoirs of 2000 words or less by Ottawa residents 55 years or older.
Eight entrants will be named to the 2010 Winners Circle, sharing recognition and prize money of $400. They will be recognized at An Afternoon of Readings on Wednesday April 28, 2010 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Heron Seniors’ Centre, 1480 Heron Road.
One of the winning stories will be selected for publication in the spring issue of Forever Young newspaper. Though contestants may submit multiple entries, they will only be eligible to win one prize.
An entry fee of $5 per story is applicable. Deadline for submissions is Monday, March 15, 2010.
This contest is co-sponsored by the Colonel By Retirement Residence and the Forever Young newspaper.
For full contest details, pick up a brochure at any City of Ottawa Client Service Centre or call the Heron Seniors’ Centre at 613-247-4808. ext.1
Le Concours de nouvelles « 55 Plus » de la Ville d’Ottawa est lancé
Ottawa – Les résidents de 55 ans et plus sont invités à soumettre des mémoires ou des nouvelles originales non publiées de 2 000 mots ou moins dans le cadre du 13e concours annuel de nouvelles « 55 Plus » de la Ville d’Ottawa.
Huit finalistes seront nommés au Cercle des gagnants de 2010, partageant reconnaissance et des prix en argent de 400 $. Ils seront reconnus lors d’Un après-midi de lecture qui aura lieu le mercredi 28 avril 2010 de 13 h à 16 h au Centre des aînés Heron, 1480, chemin Heron.
Un des récits gagnants sera sélectionné pour publication dans la revue Forever Young du printemps. Bien que les candidats puissent soumettre plusieurs nouvelles, ils ne sont admissibles qu’à un seul prix.
Des droits d’inscription de 5 $ par nouvelle sont exigés et la date limite des soumissions est fixée au 15 mars 2010. Le concours est commandité par la Colonel By Retirement Residence et la revue Forever Young.
Afin d’obtenir tous les détails concernant le concours, veuillez prendre une brochure dans un des centres du service à la clientèle ou appeler le Centre des aînés Heron au 613-247-4808, poste 1.
What’s All The Fuss About a New Playstructure?
If you want a clear answer to this question – come and find out!
Be a part of the decision making process!
Be a community builder!
All Heron Parkers are encouraged to attend this week’s meeting on Tuesday, January 12th at 7pm in order to hear a proposed idea for our Community Park. We will hear from Bruce Sudds from Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds . He will give us information on the playground we could have in Heron Park. [There are two choices we’re looking into.]
Whether you have young children or not, anything that provides the children of our neighbourhood with a healthy, active form of entertainment will, over time, benefit the entire neighbourhood.
You can stay just for this topic (the first on the agenda) or for as long as you like. Our meetings usually finish between 8:30 and 9.
Dog feces not an acceptable material for green bin
Ottawa – The City of Ottawa has recently been informed by Orgaworld Canada that their current Ministry of Environment Certificate of Approval issued by the Ministry of the Environment for their composting facility does not include dog feces as an acceptable material.
The certificate does allow for the receipt and handling of other small pet feces, as long as it is included as a part of cat litter and small animal bedding materials.
This announcement is being made at this time in order to avoid this material being included by residents as a part of their organics materials intended for eventual processing at the Orgaworld facility beginning on January 27, 2010.
It will also be necessary to make changes to the City’s Solid Waste By-law eliminating the acceptability of this material. This will be done at the next Council meeting.
The City reminds residents to use green bins safely. While green bin manufacturer, Norseman Plastics, says there have been no reported incidents of children being injured in their lockable green bins, each unit does contain a message that says “Warning! Suffocation hazard. Do not allow children to play inside this container.”
- 30 -
For more information:
Media contact
613-580-2450
Public inquiries
3-1-1
Pour diffusion immédiate
Le 11 janvier 2010
Les excréments de chien ne sont pas acceptés dans les bacs verts
Ottawa – La Ville d’Ottawa a récemment été avisée par Orgaworld Canada que le Certificat d’approbation actuel du ministère de l’Environnement délivré par le ministère de l’Environnement pour son installation de compostage ne comprenait pas les excréments de chien dans sa liste des matières acceptables.
Le certificat permet la collecte et la manipulation d’excréments d’autres petits animaux, en autant qu’ils font partie de la litière pour chat ou pour petits animaux.
Cet avis vous est transmis afin d’éviter que ces excréments ne se retrouvent dans les bacs de déchets organiques des résidents et qu’ils ne soient envoyés à l’installation Orgaworld aux fins de traitement à compter du 27 janvier 2010.
Il est également nécessaire d’apporter des changements au Règlement municipal sur les déchets solides de la Ville, pour éliminer l’acceptabilité des excréments de chien. Ces modifications seront apportées lors de la prochaine réunion du Conseil.
La Ville rappelle aux résidents d’être vigilants avec leur bac vert. Bien que le fabricant de bacs verts, Norseman Plastics, n’ait rapporté aucun incident lié à un enfant blessé par un des bacs verts verrouillables, chaque article contient un message d’avertissement sur lequel on peut lire « Attention! Danger de suffocation. Ne pas laisser les enfants jouer à l’intérieur du bac ».
Winter 2009 President’s Report
By James McLaren
As former Vice President, I am now President because Kelly Thomas has decided to resign. In an effort to avoid following the example of other vice presidents who took over, I will try not to act like a klutz or explode any atomic bombs. (If you don’t get that joke, go google “Gerald Ford” and “Lyndon Johnson”.)
Our meetings will be moving to the second Tuesday of the month. I encourage people to come to the meetings and get involved in the community. It would be great to see more new people coming out. You can also explore our fabulously updated web site at heronpark.ca. Here you can read and comment on articles and events of recent interest. You can also contact me (president@heronpark.ca) directly. I would be very interested to hear residents’ opinions about what’s good and what’s not good about Heron Park and about the city services we receive (or don’t receive). Your community association is your first line of contact with city government and your best avenue of support if you are having problems with the city or, for example, with some development that is happening in your area.
We sponsor important services that you can read more about elsewhere in the Herald, such as the Wednesday Night Program, the outdoor rink, and the Playgroup. We are working hard to raise funds to build a new playstructure in the park and so far have raised over $6000. More than all this, I hope that the Heron Park Community Association can be a fun way to get to know your neighbours and join in interesting events without leaving your community.
The owners of Billings Bridge Plaza are planning to build a new 11-storey office building between the mall and the transitway. This is higher than the zoning currently allows at the site, but we have told them we do not object to the height on the condition that pedestrian links from Bank St and Data Centre Road to the mall are improved when the new building is constructed. We might even get a walkway directly across Sawmill Creek from the corner of Ohio and Clementine to the transit station! This would be nice – people could get to the transitway quickly instead of waiting for the bus or going all the way down the hill on Bank St and through the mall. I think that the extra height would be a small price to pay to get these links.
