August 7 Newsletter 2020

August 7, 2020 newsletter from Rawlson King, City Councillor for Rideau-Rockcliffe.

COVID Alert App

COVID Alert helps us break the cycle of infection. The app can let people know of possible exposures before any symptoms appear.

That way, we can take care of ourselves and protect our communities.

Your privacy is protected

COVID Alert does not use GPS or track your location.

It has no way of knowing:

• Your location.
• Your name or address.
• Your phone's contacts.
• Your health information.
• The health information of anyone you're near.

Nobody will get any information about you or the time you were near them. Learn more about how COVID Alert protects your privacy.

How it works

• The app uses Bluetooth to exchange random codes with nearby phones.
• Every day, it checks a list of random codes from people who tell the app they tested positive.
• If you've been near one of those codes in the past 14 days, you'll get a notification.

More about how COVID Alert works

The app runs in the background and will not interrupt your activities.

Whenever you're near someone else with COVID Alert, both phones exchange random codes every 5 minutes.

The random codes change often and cannot be used to identify you.

What's an exposure?

The app estimates how near people are by the strength of Bluetooth signals.

If you're closer than 2 metres for more than 15 minutes, the app will record an exposure.

Getting a positive test

If someone with the app is diagnosed with COVID-19, they can choose to upload the random codes their phone sent. The codes go into a central server.

The server only gets the codes. It does not get any information about the person.

Looking for exposures

Every day, whenever it has an Internet connection, your phone will get a list of the random codes from people who reported a diagnosis.

If it finds codes that match, the app notifies you that you've been exposed and explains what to do next.

Development at 89 Beechwood Avenue

Many residents have written to me about the proposed development at 89-97 Beechwood Avenue. Having taken the time to examine resident comments concerning the proposal, I agree with you that removal of commercial space on Beechwood Avenue at grade is unacceptable. I concur with the community’s assessment that “the elimination of street-oriented commercial space contravenes the City’s Urban Design Guidelines for Traditional Mainstreets; ignores the terms of reference for development along Beechwood Avenue as articulated in the Beechwood Community Design Plan; and contradicts the conditions which staff recommended to Council in 2016 upon which Council approved the rezoning changes.”

I believe we cannot aspire to a revitalized Beechwood Avenue if an entire block of our traditional main street loses commercial space. As a result, I will be seeking to reach an agreement before hand with the developer through a robust conversation. I will be advocating for the three units facing Beechwood Avenue on the ground floor be removed from the revised plan, and for them to be replaced with commercial space for rent, which I believe is vital to the animation of the streetscape.

You can read my full response to residents here:

https://www.rideau-rockcliffe.ca/89_beechwood_avenue

Save the Date!

Ottawa Public Health (OPH) is hosting a virtual panel to discuss findings stemming from the Mental Health of Ottawa’s Black Community Research Study.  

OPH undertook the study fall of 2018 to explore the experiences of Ottawa’s African, Caribbean and Black (ACB) community in relation to mental health and to identify strategies to improve services for this population.  

Panelists will discuss the effectiveness of the research’s recommendations in improving the status of ACB mental health in Ottawa. 

Panelists include:

• Vera Etches, Medical Officer of Health
• Chief Peter Sloly, Ottawa Chief of Police
• Councillor Rawlson King, Ward 13 Rideau-Rockcliffe, City of Ottawa
• Camille Williams-Taylor, Director of Education, Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
• Sheila James, Diversity & Inclusion Specialist, Human Resources Department

Please submit questions by Monday August 10 to [email protected]

Date: Thursday August 13, 2020

Time: 9:00 to 11:30

Virtual session: Participants can join the discussion over YouTube. Participants are welcome to submit questions for discussion on the Facebook Live event.

Road Closure

Hemlock Road will be closed from Bareille Road to Wanaki Road, from Tuesday, 11 August to Monday, 31 August. Work is being done to complete the installation of new sanitary, storm and water mains for Wateridge Village.