April 30 Newsletter 2021

April 30, 2021 newsletter from Rawlson King, City Councillor for Rideau-Rockcliffe.

Ward 12 & 13 Cycling, Pedestrian and Active Transportation Town Hall

I was happy to announce on April 22, this Earth Day, with Councillor Mathieu Fleury that both of our offices will be holding a joint cycling, pedestrian and active transportation town hall for Wards 12 and 13 on May 5th at 7 pm.

Please RSVP at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZItc--gqz4oHdZRvxQyVJVnmDPPulxpg7fp and submit ideas at https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=PQPM34ffbkyhuI6qc_G3LiO7CpVcIc5JiYRos3U5KklUNkFXVFNaNU9aUDNSNTFUVEFHMTQ4QUZOSS4u.

COVID-19 Vaccine Update 

• More appointments available on the province’s online registration system. 
• Age limit lowered to 45 for individuals in “hot spot” communities. 
• Vaccinations in high-priority neighbourhoods continue to be the City’s focus. 
• Licenced child care workers eligible starting Thursday. 

• Pregnant individuals can now pre-register online. 

Have your say on the proposed Better Homes Loan Program   

The City of Ottawa is developing a proposed Better Homes Loan program to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Ottawa. Through the proposed Better Homes Loan program, Ottawa homeowners could get a low-interest loan of up to 10 per cent of the value of their home to cover the cost of home energy improvements. Measures eligible for financing will likely include insulation, window and door replacements, heat pumps and solar panels.  

City of Ottawa staff are currently finalizing the program details and would like to get feedback from residents, homeowners, contractors, community groups and organizations on details of the program including:  

• Energy efficiency measures eligible for financing  
• Eligibility requirements  
• The proposed application process   

Find out more about the Better Homes Loan program and provide your input by completing the survey. 

They Govern Initiative 

Equal Voice National Capital Region (EVNCR) invites young women, girls, gender-diverse and gender non-binary youth in Ottawa to become City Councillors for the day through our new program, They Govern. If you, or someone you know, is interested in city issues, or has a passion for politics and civic engagement, this program is a great opportunity.   
 
The goal of They Govern is to provide participants with hands-on experience in municipal politics. Participants will get the chance to debate issues important to our city during a mock city council meeting and will also hear from municipal leaders about their own experiences.   
 
The program will take place on Saturday, May 15, 2021. To ensure the safety of all participants, this event will be held online.   
 
Those interested must fill out an application in order to participate. Note that applicants must: 

• self-identify as women/girls and/or gender-diverse and/or gender non-conforming and/or gender non-binary. 
• be a student of high school age within Ottawa. 
• be fully available on May 15, 2021. 

If you have any questions about They Govern, the application process or EVNCR, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected] 

Summer eGuides now online to help plan ahead 

With sights set on better days ahead, the City’s Summer eGuides are now online. Offered in English and French, peruse our COVID-modified summer camps, outdoor activities and virtual offerings. Registration takes place online starting Wednesday, May 5 at 9 pm.  

The start of in-person camps and activities will be subject to the prevailing COVID-19 restrictions being relaxed sufficiently to allow for the program to operate. However, it is important to provide residents enough lead time, especially parents and guardians, to plan for this summer. 

COVID-19 modified in-person programming at select locations 

• Low-ratio summer camps: Fun and creative physically distanced sports, games and crafts for children and youth between the ages of 4 and 12. Activities will be held outdoors whenever possible and enhanced safety measures will be in place. 
• Outdoor recreation activities: Cycling and tennis for children and adults.  
• Inclusive recreation activities: Activities for children, youth and adults with disabilities. 

Virtual online programs 

The popularity and convenience of virtual programming has made it a permanent fixture in future offerings, including summer.  

• Virtual summer camps: Mix and match half-day sessions to pique your child or youth’s interest in the arts and technology. Programs include:  
• Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) exploring robotics and using LEGO® for construction and design 
• Dance  
• Music  
• Animation  
• Visual arts   
• Virtual fitness programs for adults: Yoga, Pilates, Zumba and tai chi, among others 

Registration on May 5 is easy. Explore the eGuides to select the program that interests you and follow these simple steps: 

1. Go to ottawa.ca/recreation and click on the eGuides. 

1. Click the relevant barcode – it will take you to join.ottawa.ca and the course page, with details about the number of spaces available, fees and dates.  

1. Add the class to your cart and then proceed through the checkout. We’ll email you your receipt. 

Montreal Road Revitalization Update 

Please find below a two-week update (April 26 to May 7) for the Montreal Road Revitalization project. The work activities planned for the next two weeks will include: 

• Vanier Parkway/Montreal Road intersection – Crews are tentatively scheduled to start work at the south leg of the intersection that will include installing underground traffic signal infrastructure, reconstructing the median, and building the road box. The work will last several weeks and will require lane closures on Vanier Parkway. The City and Contractor are looking to expedite the work and take advantage of reduced traffic impacts as a result of the lower traffic volumes. 
• Vanier Parkway to de l’Église Street – Excavations are underway and/or will be starting along several sections including: Dupuis Street, Emond Street, Bradley Avenue, Hannah Street, Lajoie Street, Mona Avenue and Lafontaine Avenue. The work focuses on underground construction, including electrical ducts, sewer replacement and underground utilities. Some installation of underground tree soil cells will also take place. No watermain shuts are expected for the next two weeks. Any water shuts are communicated at least 24 hours in advance. 
• De l’Église Street to St. Laurent Boulevard – Excavations are scheduled to start first week of May that will require closing de l’Église Street at Montreal Road. Watermain work, including commissioning a 150 m section of pipe east of St. Laurent Boulevard, is underway. 
• Adjustments to bus and vehicle detour – Some minor adjustments have taken place and will continue over the next month along Montreal Road, the bus detour route as well as McArthur Avenue. The adjustments include reinforcing road closures at certain streets, additional signage, signal timing adjustments and pavement markings. Over the next month or so, we expect some congestion and cut-through traffic as residents and commuters navigate the detour and discover the numerous side street closures, as well as the closure of eastbound Montreal Road at all intersections. Once traffic patterns are established, we anticipate the majority of vehicle traffic will follow the detour or use an alternative route, such as Highway 417, to bypass Montreal Road.   

Construction Notice 

This notice is to advise that construction in your neighbourhood will be starting in May. This work is being conducted to complete the drainage improvements that commenced last year. 

What: The planned work includes topsoil, sod and pavement markings. 

Why: The planned work is to address recurring drainage issues. 

When: The City is planning to start the construction work in May 2021. It is expected that construction will last approximately 2 weeks. 

Where: Wingham Place between Blasdell Avenue and the dead end.