February 26 Newsletter 2021

February 26, 2021 newsletter from Rawlson King, City Councillor for Rideau-Rockcliffe.

Social Harvest Ottawa is Looking for Volunteers for a New Community Garden Project in our Ward 

Are you passionate about urban gardening? Do you have an interest in managing a community garden at the Rideau-Rockcliffe Community Resource Centre?  

Social Harvest Ottawa is now recruiting volunteers and board members from Ward 13 who can contribute leadership and expertise to this new and exciting project set to launch spring 2021. 
The Rideau Rockcliffe Community Resource Centre Community Garden will be located behind the Social Harvest Greenhouse. They plan to create a relatively small, accessible garden with space for 12 tenants where vegetables and fruit will be grown. The garden's main goal is to improve food security in Ward 13 by fostering a sense of community and increasing access and availability to fresh fruits and vegetables. 

They are currently recruiting for the following positions:  

1.  General Operations Executive  

• responsible for working with stakeholders, coordinating executives and garden members, maintaining waitlists, running registration and ensuring cooperation between everyone in the garden.  

 2. Garden Operations Executive  

• responsible for maintaining the garden's common areas, creating watering schedules if necessary, ensuring organic practices are being used and providing technical support to members. 

3. Finance Executive  

•  responsible for collecting fees, consulting with gardeners on what is needed, buying necessary items, managing any funds from grants or fundraising, determining seasonal budgets, fundraising and applying for grants.   

4. Outreach and Communications Executive  

• responsible for communicating with the public, answering questions about the garden, posting social media content, and organizing events and/or activities and/or workshops.   

To apply please submit this virtual form. For more information email [email protected] or call (613) 745-0073 ext. 132 to reach Social Harvest Ottawa. 

Browse April Break eGuides and register for City’s in-person and virtual camps  

March Break has been rescheduled to April, and so the City of Ottawa has moved our popular in-person camps to April and added virtual activities that you can do from home. Check out the April Break Camps eGuides starting today at ottawa.ca/recreation and get ready to register on Thursday, March 4 at 9 pm.The April Break camps provide interactive in-person and virtual activities in English and French for children and youth between the ages of 6 to 14.  

The virtual offerings allow you to mix and match half-day sessions to pique your child or youth’s interest in the arts or technology. Virtual programs are being offered in both languages and include:  (STEM) exploring robotics and using LEGO® for construction and design, Hip hop dance, Animation, and Visual arts. 

The full-day, in-person day-camps will be offered at select locations throughout the city. These camps provide participants with the opportunity to delve into arts, games and other fun activities – all practiced with physical distancing and safety protocols in place. 

Registration on Thursday, March 4 at 9 pm. Registration is easy. Just sit down with your child and explore the in-person and virtual eGuides for any activities that spark their passion. Then follow these simple steps: 

1. Go toottawa.ca/recreationfor in-person camps and ottawa.ca/virtualprograms for online programs and click on the guide links.  
2. 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. 
3. Add the class to your cart and then proceed through the check out. We’ll email you your receipt. 

Online Engagement Opportunity – Have your say in the Prince of Wales Bridge multi-use pathway 

The City of Ottawa is holding an online engagement until March 8 to present the Prince of Wales Bridge Environmental Assessment study and proposed options for a new interim multi-use pathway. This link would become an interprovincial active transportation crossing over the Ottawa River, where residents would be able to walk, cycle and cross-country ski. 

This online engagement opportunity provides details on the project and an opportunity for residents to provide feedback on the study. Interested participants are encouraged to visit the City’s Prince of Wales Bridge Multi-use Pathway project webpage for further information and to access the online engagement opportunity. 

Online Engagement Opportunity – Survey on Residential Vacant Unit Tax 

The City is looking for feedback from residents as it considers a residential Vacant Unit Tax, which would help the City fund more affordable housing. Fill out the brief survey here – it is quick and easy. The deadline is Wednesday, March 31. 

The Vacant Unit Tax is a secondary tax to the regular property tax. It would be applied to residential properties that remain vacant over an extended period. The tax would help motivate owners to place the vacant residences back on the market for rent or sale, preventing them from falling into disrepair or becoming derelict. 

The funds from this tax would also help to pay for the construction of more affordable homes. Affordable housing remains a key priority for the City to ensure our community remains equitable, inclusive and fiscally resilient.  

For more information about the Residential Vacant Unit Tax please visit https://engage.ottawa.ca/vut.  

The Latest COVID-19 Updates for the City of Ottawa   

• Starting Friday, March 5, pop-up clinics will open in select communities experiencing higher rates of COVID-19 transmission. Locations, hours of operation, and booking information will be available on Monday, March 1. Only residents born in or before 1941 or who are receiving chronic home care services, who live in the identified communities will be able to book an appointment. Eligible residents will be able to book COVID-19 appointments next week. Residents should not call Ottawa Public Health or 311, as no appointments can be booked until then. 
• Read the latest news to find out why Ottawa Public Health is focusing on communities where there is the highest risk of contracting COVID-19 and whether your community is included. 
• Visit the City’s COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution page for more information and check out our FAQs page for answers to questions frequently asked by residents. 
• Ottawa Public Health has launched their updated COVID-19 vaccine page that includes info on the COVID-19 vaccines, answers to your FAQs and information on vaccine distribution in Ottawa. The page will be updated regularly as the vaccine distribution continues.  
• Stay informed of COVID-19 trends in our community by checking out the COVID-19 Dashboard. It is updated daily at 12:30 pm. 
• Once the vaccine supply allows, community clinics will open for other residents born in or before 1941 and residents who are receiving chronic home care services. This is expected to take place later in March. 
• Ottawa Public Health is working with Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health to provide a COVID-19 vaccination clinic for First Nation, Inuit and Métis community members aged 55+ at St-Laurent Complex. Call today to book an appointment: 613-691-5505. You will be asked to provide proof of Indigenous identity/status. Learn more. 

Calling New Edinburgh News Contributors 

New Edinburgh News is now accepting submissions for their upcoming April issue! March 10 is the deadline for submissions for the April 2021 edition of the New Edinburgh News. 
Send in your Letters to the Editor, opinion pieces, news, updates, reviews, profiles and events. The ballpark word count for contributions is a flexible 500 words and photos are welcome (as high-res as possible) but not required.  

Contact [email protected] to discuss the content of your submission, as well as length and deadline. Visit https://www.newedinburgh.ca/new-edinburgh-news/ for more information.