April 28, 2023 newsletter from Rawlson King, City Councillor for Rideau-Rockcliffe.
A Message from Councillor King
City staff told Council this week that the provincial government has not been transparent in explaining its changes to homelessness funding after Ottawa was allocated less than $1 million more in new additional money this year. In response to this situation Mayor Mark Sutcliffe has written to Ontario Premier Doug Ford asking him to revisit the amount of funding Ottawa is receiving through provincial homelessness programs.
The City is asking for homelessness funding that is similar to Toronto's on a per capita basis so that Ottawa can continue to address its housing and homelessness emergency. The City should be receiving in excess of $60 million per year, instead of the $43 million it is receiving from the Province to date.
Mayor Sutcliffe wrote: "We have recently learned that Ottawa will receive $845,100 of this funding, while Toronto will receive $48 million. That's almost 60 times as much, despite Toronto's population being approximately three times larger than Ottawa. Based on Toronto's allocation, Ottawa's share should be in the range of at least $16 to $18 million."
Due to this $18 million funding gap from the provincial government for homeless supports, I encourage you to become involved in the #OttawaNeedsMore campaign being organized by the Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa. The organization has launched a letter writing campaign which you can participate in: www.endhomelessnessottawa.ca/ottawaneedsmore_campaign
Because the homeless crisis is taking a devastating toll on families and communities, undermining a healthy and prosperous city and province, I seconded the legislation in the last term that declared a housing and homelessness emergency.
I also moved a successful motion at Council on March 8, 2023 asking the provincial government to urgently acknowledge that homelessness in Ontario is a social, economic, and health crisis and to commit to ending homelessness in Ontario. The motion requested the provincial government to work with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and a broad range of community, health, Indigenous and economic partners to develop, resource, and implement a province-wide action plan to eliminate homelessness. You can watch my introduction of the motion here: youtu.be/I2pI2QblzH4
I will continue to work with my Council and municipal colleagues around the province to address the growing threat of homelessness by advocating for more affordable housing and by improving social services. Despite provincial funding challenges, we will continue to explore investments in non-market housing, enabling land trusts and helping diverse communities provide culturally responsive affordable housing.
Your Councillor in the Community
I attended the Vanier BIA's board meeting on April 28 where the conversation was focused on identifying solutions for our local Mainstreets with regards to safety, security, housing and economic development. I participated in this important opportunity along with BIA board members, community organization representatives, community members, City staff, Ottawa-Vanier MP Mona Fortier, Ottawa-Vanier MPP Lucille Collard and developers.
Thank you to the Overbrook Community Association for inviting me to say a few words during your annual general meeting the evening of April 27. Congratulations to the new and returning directors. Thank you to the departing directors for their tireless dedication in support of the Overbrook community.
Happy to celebrate the completion of the Federal Economic Development Agency's My Main Street Local Business Accelerator Program with the Ottawa Coalition of Business Improvement Areas on April 27. Fifty small businesses in Ottawa received investments to a total of $500,000 through the My Main Street program.
Rideau-Rockcliffe News, Events and Engagement Opportunities
Sip & Shop Monthly Market in Manor Park - April 29
Manor Park Community Council and Ottawa Street Markets Present their monthly Sip & Shop Market where you can experience a fully licensed, local shopping experience right here in Manor Park. Sip on local craft beers and Ontario VQA wine while shopping a selection of curated local goods & products from local vendors each month.
From eco-friendly products, handmade jewelry, wool socks, art prints, wooden products, to farm fresh produce and baked goods. Fresh doughnuts and perogies - plus delicious soft pretzels and more! Prepared food available on site for an easy late lunch or dinner! Craft beer from Dominion City, Bicycle Craft Brewery and Shillow Beer Co. Happening: Saturday, April 29, from 3 to 7 pm at 1805 Gaspe Ave. Free parking on site. Full Details Here
Overbrook’s Rideau River centennial kiosk project
Rockcliffe Park Spring Book Drive - April 30
Rockcliffe Park Spring Book Sale volunteers will host their first Book Drive of 2023 on April 30 from 11 am to 3 pm. Please start preparing those gently used English and French books. Remember to place your books in wine-sized boxes. On April 30, put the boxes in your trunk and head over to the Rockcliffe Park Library/Community Centre parking lot, located at 380 Springfield Road. Enter from Springfield and volunteers will guide you. No need to exit your car. Just pop open the trunk and volunteers will remove your books. All proceeds raised during the Spring Book Sale will support the library. For details or to enquire, please click here.
Lindenlea Community Association
May 13th 2023
Park Clean Up and Barbecue
Name the Blasdell Bridge! Share Your Name Suggestions by May 3
Stanley Avenue Watermain Replacement & Resurfacing Project - late April/early May
Preliminary work is now underway and full construction will begin in May. This work is being conducted to replace the watermain infrastructure and full depth replacement of the road.
What: The Stanley Avenue Watermain Renewal and Resurfacing project will involve the replacement of watermains, water service lines, roadway, sidewalk, and streetscape/landscape treatments within the City’s right of ways.
Street improvements will include speed humps, AODA upgrades (TWSI and depressions), sidewalk widening, and new signage as required for the improvements.
Why: The existing watermain and road infrastructure is aging and needs to be replaced.
When: The construction will commence in late April/ early May 2023, subject to weather conditions, and will run through to the end of 2023.
Where: Construction activities will occur along Stanley Avenue from Sussex Drive to Union Street, with some work occurring between Union Street and Queen Victoria Street.
Who: The City of Ottawa has retained contractor, Louis W. Bray Construction Ltd., to complete the work.
For details, please click here.
Free Dental Screenings at the Rideau Community Hub - May 12 and June 9
Ottawa Public Health hosts free dental screenings at its Neighbourhood Wellness Hubs. Drop by the Rideau Community Hub in Room 101 at 815 St. Laurent Blvd. on May 12 and June 9, between 10:30 am and 4:14 pm. Looking for a dentist? Need help accessing dental care? Interested in a free dental screening at Neighbourhood Health and Wellness Hubs? Click here for more information or call the Ottawa Public Health Dental Information Line at 613-580-2424 ext. 23510.
Manor Park Community Council Spring Sports for Kids - May 13
The Manor Park Community Council hosts its Spring Sports for Kids! Sessions will start with skills & drills designed to meet your child's age and skill level, all while promoting physical literacy. Skills and drills will transition quickly into games, games, games! All MPCC sports programs for children are proudly co-ed and welcome players from all neighbourhoods, abilities, and skill levels. We hope you’ll get active with us outside this spring in Manor Park.
Starting May 13, 2023; 100 Thornwood Road
Visit manorpark.ca for details and to register.
City of Ottawa News, Events, Meetings and Engagement Opportunities
Wellington Street Reopens April 28
The City announces Wellington Street, between Elgin and Bank streets, will reopen again to traffic, starting the afternoon of Friday, April 28. Since Council’s decision earlier this year to re-open the street, the City has installed a new temporary bike lane with flex posts to separate the bike lane. Single traffic lane will be in place in each direction at that time. Work will continue in the following weeks. The City will complete the installation of green thermoplastic material in certain areas along Wellington Street to demarcate bus stops, loading zones and accesses. As well, green supersharrows will be installed on the approach and egress of the bike lane.
Ice Storm Cleanup Operations Continue
The City is still hard at work with the clean up from the April 6 ice storm – which damaged many trees across the area. This cleanup is a multiweek response and the patience and cooperation of residents is greatly appreciated. Residents can help support our clean-up efforts by ensuring only storm debris or regular leaf-and-yard waste are left on the curb. Our storm recovery operations have experienced some delays due to many residents leaving other spring clean-up brush at the curb – mixed in with the larger storm debris. Residents are reminded that other brush, leaves and other yard waste should be placed in brown yard bags and left on the curb for the weekly leaf-and-yard waste collection. It’s also important to remember that the leaf-and-yard collection trucks do not pick up the larger storm-related debris – including branches, logs and brush. When they go by your home, don’t call 3-1-1. The storm-related debris are handled by City’s wood-chipping operators.
On-street chipping and debris collection
This week our Forestry crews joined Roads crews in our on-street wood chipping and debris collection operations. Solid Waste is also offering trucks when they can. Crews will be doing one pass. As of yesterday, Alta Vista has been completed. Over the next two weeks crews will be working from the Ottawa River to Baseline and St. Laurent to Moodie. They will start on these borders and work their way in. On-street chipping is set to begin on Monday in the Rockcliffe and Beacon Hill areas.
Some of the debris that’s been collected as part of recent recovery efforts has been turned into woodchips and is available to residents – free of charge – at the following locations:
- Navan Memorial Centre, 1295 Colonial Road
- Nepean Sportsplex, 1701 Woodroffe Avenue (Minto sports field parking lot, between Minto field and Hamilton baseball diamond)
- Sandy Hill Arena, 60 Mann Avenue (southwest corner, on the fenced-in side of the property)
- Kanata Recreation Complex, 100 Charlie Rogers Place
- Jim Durrell Recreation Centre, 1265 Walkley Road
- Stuart Holmes Arena, 5660 Osgoode Main Street
- Larry Robinson Arena, 2785 8th Line Road, Metcalfe Yards
- 2145 Roger Stevens Drive
- 4244 Rideau Valley Drive
Visit ottawa.ca for the updated list of locations. You need to bring your own shovel and containers. And to ensure your safety, wear the appropriate footwear and gloves.
Learning Opportunity - Navigating Our City: A Civic Education from Synapcity - April 30
Sunday, April 30, 12 to 5 pm
Ben Franklin Place
Join Synapcity as they explore Civic Education in Navigating Our City, an interactive event dedicated to helping citizens learn how to navigate our civic infrastructure, understand organizations working in the city, and ultimately create positive change in their communities. The event will include several panel discussions, breakout workshops, Q&A sessions and more. Click here to register.
OC Transpo News
- Part of O-Train Line 1 tunnel to close for maintenance assessment
- OC Transpo makes it easier to pay your fare on Para Transpo
- OC Transpo spring service schedule now in effect
- Customer satisfaction surveys - share your feedback by April 30
Ottawa Public Health - Respiratory Virus Dashboard - Updated Weekly
Ottawa Public Health launches Mental Health, Addictions and Substance Use Health Community dashboard
Idling Control By-law education campaign launches
Wildlife Speaker Series - Tick Talk - May 2
Solid Waste Master Plan Update
Learning Opportunity - Synapcity Sessions Spotlights Ottawa's Tree Canopy - May 11
Synapcity Sessions is back, this time spotlighting Ottawa’s Tree Canopy. Joined by CAFES Ottawa, Forêt Capital Forest, Greenspace Alliance of Canada’s Capital and Treefest Ottawa, this session will feature the work that is being done to preserve and ultimately grow Ottawa’s Tree Canopy. Hear about neighborhood campaigns, awareness raising initiatives, tree planting initiatives, forestation issues, greenspace campaigns and more. The event will feature presentations, break out sessions and a panel discussion. Click here to reserve your spot.
The Canadian Tulip Legacy is a nationally registered charity that commemorates the sacrifice of more than 7,500 Canadian soldiers in the liberation of the Netherlands while celebrating the only royal personage ever born on Canadian soil, Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet, and the resulting gift of tulips from the grateful Dutch to all Canadians. More than one million tulips in Canada’s national capital region are planted and cared for by the National Capital Commission, Canada’s official gardener. This tulip tradition has lasted since the end of the Second World War and has grown into the largest public tulip display on the planet. The Canadian Tulip Festival presents this stunning floral showcase to the world, inviting guests from across the globe to experience Canada’s Capital every spring. Click here for details.
City of Ottawa budget survey - open until May 24
Share your ideas on how we can all build our resilience to the impacts of climate change
Ottawa is expected to get much warmer and wetter over the coming decades, with more very hot days, intense rainfall and extreme weather events. Preparing for climate change will require everyone to take action to protect ourselves and our environment.
Ottawa's Climate Change and Resiliency Team is looking for your feedback on how we can all prepare for some of the key climate impacts:
Your ideas will be used to inform the City’s Climate Resiliency Strategy. To share your ideas visit the Climate Resiliency Strategy page on Engage Ottawa.
Get Involved! New Zoning By-law Discussion Papers and Survey
Emergency Services News
➤ Dr. Gail Beck appointed to the Ottawa Police Services Board; elected as Chair
At a special meeting of the Ottawa Police Services Board on April 28, 2023, Board member Dr. Gail Beck was elected as Chair for the remainder of 2023. Chair Beck was appointed to the Board in the role of Public Member at City Council’s April 26 meeting.
“I look forward to the opportunity to serve this community as Chair of the Ottawa Police Services Board. My focus will be to facilitate the discussions necessary to improve policing in the city and to ensure that the work of the Board is completed impartially,” stated Chair Beck. “In my experience, a Chair’s leadership is best accomplished when they are a servant of the Board and its stakeholders.”
For more information, please click here.
City Council and Committee News
For meeting agendas, please visit ottawa.ca/agendas or call 3-1-1.
For information on how to participate in individual meetings, please consult the specific meeting’s agenda at ottawa.ca/agendas.
To watch the meetings on Youtube, please click here.
- Finance and Corporate Services Committee - May 2 at 9:30 am
- Planning and Housing Committee - May 3 at 9:30 am
- Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee - May 4 at 10 am
- The City is holding a public technical briefing on proposed changes to its curbside garbage collection program on Thursday, May 4 at 1 pm, in person at City Hall. A period for questions from Councillors and media will follow. Click here for details.
- Built Heritage Committee - May 9 at 9:30 am