June 30 Newsletter 2022

June 30, 2022 newsletter from Rawlson King, City Councillor for Rideau-Rockcliffe.

With the upcoming long weekend, the City is working to ensure that by-laws are observed in order to have a safe Canada Day. The long weekend also means that there will be many impacts concerning regular schedules and traffic. Additionally, residents are advised that a motor-vehicle control zone will be in effect in the downtown core until July 4. A map of the control zone can be consulted in thisnewsletter. I am wary of this weekend’s events and extremely cognizant of the fact that such events could trigger fear and anxiety. As one of the more affected wards during the illegal occupation this past winter, residents know firsthand how stressful and dire the situation became. The safety and security of residents remains my top priority. If you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed, please reach out and speak to someone. For mental health services and supports, please visit OttawaPublicHealth.ca/StressfulEvents. 

City ensures by-laws observed for safe and respectful Canada Day 

The City of Ottawa is ensuring Canada Day weekend, running from Wednesday, June 29 to Sunday, July 3, remains safe and respectful for all residents and visitors. This will include enforcement of all by-laws regarding noise, litter, fireworks, and on-street parking and stopping. 

Ticketing and towing 

The City of Ottawa By-law and Regulatory Services (BLRS) will have Officers out on the streets ensuring all parking regulations are observed by residents and visitors. All vehicles found failing to observe the no-stopping zones will be ticketed and towed. Parking time limits and no parking zones outside the centre core will also be strictly enforced. 

Ensuring all other by-laws observed 

In addition to parking violations, BLRS Officers will ensure all City of Ottawa by-laws are obeyed by residents and visitors:  

• No unnecessary motor-vehicle or other noise, including speakers or shouting 
• No unnecessary motor-vehicle idling 
• No encumbering a sidewalk or roadway by any means, including setting up tents or other illegal structures 
• No public urination and defecation 
• No open air fires 
• No littering 
• Discharging of fireworks – contravening any regulations under Fireworks By-Law. 

Tickets will be issued to any individual in violation of any City of Ottawa by-law. Fines for many of these municipal by-law violations have been recently raised to $1,000. 

It is important to note fireworks cannot be discharged in public areas and spaces – including streets and parks. They are only permitted for individual use on private property two times per year: Canada Day and Victoria Day, and the day before and after those days. Both City by-law and provincial law strictly prohibit the use and sales of firecrackers (See fireworks regulations PSA). 

Traffic impacts 

The Ottawa Police Service and the City of Ottawa have created a motor-vehicle control zone in the downtown area, which will be in effect from today, June 29, until Monday, July 4. No motor vehicles involved in any event (rally, protest, demonstration) are permitted inside this zone. However, the roads are not closed. Residential and business through traffic, as well as pedestrians, cyclists and public transit are permitted. Some road closures will take place on July 1. Traffic delays are expected, please ahead. Visit the Canada Day page on ottawa.ca for the latest information. 

Traffic updates 

Residents can continue to check our online traffic map and the City of Ottawa’s traffic Twitter account for up-to-date information on traffic delays and disruptions. 

OC Transpo updates 

Canada Day is a busy day for transit. Wherever you are heading, give yourself plenty of time and use OC Transpo’s Travel Planner to plan your trip.  

For more information on OC Transpo’s no-charge Canada Day service, visit octranspo.com or call 613-560-5000. You can also connect with OC Transpo through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  

City Hall 

City Hall and its underground municipal parking facility will be closed to the public from 5 pm on Thursday, June 30 until 6 am on Monday, July 4.   

Ottawa is a safe and inclusive city for everyone 

While the City of Ottawa respects the fundamental right to protest, the City is responsible for ensuring residents and visitors feel safe in our community. Canada Day is a celebration of our people and values. The City upholds those values: a diversity of minds, perspectives, cultures and lived experiences, and denounces any displays of hate and racism. 

Sometimes we see people who disregard these same values, and this can affect everyone differently. If you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed, please reach out and speak to someone. For mental health services and supports, please visit OttawaPublicHealth.ca/StressfulEvents. 

OC Transpo no charge service on Canada Day 

OC Transpo is the best way to travel to LeBreton Flats on Canada Day, with no-charge service all day on O-Train Line 1, buses and Para Transpo. Extra service will be running throughout the day and into the evening. OC Transpo is excited to take you to the party and wants to make sure you know how to get there and back home with ease! 

OC Transpo’s Travel Planner is the best way to plan your trip. 

Leave early and arrive on time at LeBreton Flats  

• July 1 is a busy day for transit so give yourself plenty of time. 
• Based on the Government of Canada’s plans for events at LeBreton Flats, take O-Train Line 1 or a bus to Lyon Station and walk to the event site entrance via Wellington Street. 
• Customers travelling on Para Transpo to LeBreton Flats on Canada Day will be dropped off at a pre-designated location at LeBreton Flats, Pimisi Station or Place Des Festivals (Gatineau). 
• The Société de transport de l’Outaouais (STO) will be providing service at no charge on July 1, and it is the only option to get to and from Gatineau. For more information on STO service, visit sto.ca. 
• Only customers with accessibility needs should use Pimisi Station to access the LeBreton Flats event site via Booth Street according to the Government of Canada’s plans. Visit canada.ca/canada-day for information about who can use this site entrance. 
• Some detours will be in effect downtown due to road closures. Check octranspo.com for the latest detour information. 
• Use the Travel Planner to plan your trip on Canada Day. 

After the LeBreton Flats fireworks 

• Customers travelling eastbound can take O-Train Line 1 service at Pimisi Station. Convenient connections are available at Hurdman, St-Laurent and Blair stations to many bus routes. 
• Customers travelling westbound, including those destined to Tunney’s Pasture Station, will be directed to bus service on Routes 57, 61, 62, 63, 74 or 75 on Albert Street at Booth Street. 
• Customers travelling on Para Transpo will be picked up at a pre-designated location at LeBreton Flats, Pimisi Station or Place Des Festivals (Gatineau). 
• To reduce crowding at Pimisi Station, O-Train Line 1 will bypass Pimisi Station when travelling westbound after the fireworks. 
• To manage the large number of customers using transit, queue lines for eastbound rail service will be in place along Booth Street and marked with special signage. There will be a designated queue line for customers with accessibility needs. Westbound bus customers and pedestrians will use the west side of Booth Street to access Albert Street. OC Transpo staff will be available to help direct customers.  
• Customers also have the option to walk to Lyon or Parliament stations and take the train east or west.  
• At Lyon Station and Parliament Station, entrances will be designated by direction of travel on the train. Customers should follow the signage onsite.   
• Detailed information and diagrams about travelling to and from Canada Day events are available at octranspo.com. 

For more information on Canada Day service, visit octranspo.com or call 613-560-5000. You can also connect with OC Transpo through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

REMINDER — Canada Day schedule changes 

The City of Ottawa would like to remind residents of the following schedule changes and impacts to City services for the Canada Day holiday on Friday, July 1.  

Client Service Centres 

• The City’s 3-1-1 Contact Centre will be open for urgent matters only. Please visit ottawa.ca/311 for more information. 
• The Client Services Centres at Ottawa City Hall, Ben Franklin Place, 580 Terry Fox Drive, 255 Centrum Boulevard and the City’s Provincial Offences Court at 100 Constellation Drive will be closed. 
• The Business Licensing Centre at 735 Industrial Avenue will be closed. 

Green bin, recycling and garbage collection 

• There will be no curbside green bin, recycling, garbage or bulky item collection on Friday, July 1. Friday’s collection will take place on Saturday, July 2. 
• Multi-residential recycling container and green bin collection will also be delayed the following week by one day for the remainder of the week. Multi-residential garbage containers will be collected on the regular scheduled day.  
• The Trail Waste Facility will be open on Friday, July 1.  

Parking 

• All City parking regulations and restrictions apply. 
• New event-related parking and stopping restrictions will be posted downtown and in other areas of the City where events are scheduled to occur. These parking restrictions will be in effect until the signage is removed.  Please check for signage before parking your vehicle. Failure to adhere to these restrictions may result in a ticked and tow. 

Transit service 

• Public transit is the best way to get around on Canada Day, especially since OC Transpo offers no-charge service all day on O-Train Line 1, buses and Para Transpo. Use OC Transpo’s Travel Planner to plan your trip.  
• OC Transpo bus service will operate on a Sunday schedule, with additional buses available to provide more capacity on busy routes throughout the day where needed, and later evening service on many routes. 
• O-Train Line 1 will operate on a special Canada Day schedule and run from 6 am on Friday, July 1, to 2 am on Saturday, July 2, with increased evening frequency.  
• Line 2 replacement buses will operate on a special Canada Day schedule with service extended to 1 am on Saturday, July 2.  
• After the fireworks at LeBreton Flats, transit service to many parts of Ottawa will be available from Pimisi Station on Booth Street.  
  • If you’re travelling east or south, take O-Train Line 1 to Hurdman, St-Laurent or Blair stations and connect to one of many bus routes to continue your trip home. 
  • For those travelling west, take a bus on Albert Street at Booth Street that will take you to Ottawa West, Nepean, Barrhaven, Kanata or Stittsville.  
• O-Train service after the fireworks will also be available from Lyon, Parliament, and Rideau stations. 
• OC Transpo Customer Service (613-560-5000) will be open from 7 am to 9 pm. 
• OC Transpo’s Rideau Centre Customer Service Centre will be open from 10 am to 6 pm. You can book an appointment in advance using OC Transpo’s new Virtual Line.   
  • All other OC Transpo Customer Service Centres are currently closed. 
• OC Transpo Lost and Found (Heartwood House) will be closed on Friday, July 1.  
• For Para Transpo Services: 
  • Para Transpo will operate on a holiday service on Friday, July 1, with extended service until 2:30 am (2 am for rural trips). Reservations will be accepted for up to 2 am (1 am for rural trips). 
  • Regular bookings on Friday, July 1, are automatically cancelled.  
  • Customers can book trips for Canada Day starting on Friday, June 24, by calling 613-560-5000 or using My Para Transpo.  
  • Customers travelling on Para Transpo to LeBreton Flats on Canada Day will be picked up and dropped off at a pre-designated location at LeBreton Flats, Pimisi Station or Place Des Festivals (Gatineau). 
  • The Taxi Coupon phone line will be closed. 
  • Reservations can be made and cancelled online at 613-560-5000. 
  • The reservations phone line will be open from 7 am to 5 pm, while the trip information and cancellation line will be open from 6 am to 3 am.  
• For more information on Canada Day service, visit octranspo.com or call (613) 560-5000. You can also connect with OC Transpo through Facebook,Twitter and Instagram.  

Recreation and cultural services 

• Wading pools, indoor pools, outdoor pools, arenas as well as recreation and fitness centres will operate on modified schedules. Please check ottawa.ca for details.   
• Splash Pads are open.  
• Beaches at Mooney’s Bay, Britannia and Petrie Island are open and supervised between 11 am and 7 pm.   
• Most art centres and museums will be closed on Friday, July 1. Please check with the centre or museum directly for details.   
• Shenkman Arts Centre and Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe are closed on Friday, July 1.    
• The City of Ottawa Archives and Gallery 112 will be closed on Friday, July 1. 

Ottawa Public Health 

• All COVID-19 vaccination clinics will be closed on Friday, July 1. Visit the OPH COVID-19 Vaccine page for alternative vaccination clinic hours and availability.  
• Visit the OPH COVID-19 Testing page for testing centre and care clinic hours and availability. 
• The Ottawa Public Health COVID-19 Vaccine Booking Line will be closed on Friday, July 1. 
• The Sexual Health Clinic and satellite clinics will be closed. 
• The Site program office and supervised consumption services at 179 Clarence Street will be closed. The Site mobile van will operate from 5 pm to 11:30 pm. 
• The Ottawa Public Health Information Centre and COVID-19 Information Line will be closed on Friday, July 1. 
• Dental clinics will be closed. 

Community and Social Services 

• The Tom Brown respite centre at 141 Bayview Station Road will be closed on Friday, July 1. 
• The Bernard Grandmaître respite centre at 309 McArthur Avenue will be closed on Friday, July 1.   

Municipal child care services 

• All municipal child care centres will be closed. 

Library Services 

• All Ottawa Public Library branches will be closed on Friday, July 1. Virtual services, loans and programs can be accessed on the Ottawa Public Library website. 

Poster Contest in celebration of Overbrook's 100th Anniversary   

A 100th anniversary is special. It only happens once! So, that's why the Overbrook 100th Anniversary Planning Committee announced a poster contest for "Overbrookies" to mark our 100th Anniversary. Perhaps you have seen the poster advertising the contest in local elementary and high schools, at the Overbrook Community Centre, and elsewhere around the neighbourhood. 

Subject for your poster? Anything that you think is memorable about Overbrook going from house to house gathering candies on Halloween, a baseball game, building snow forts in winter, snowball fights, scenes of the Rideau River or of colored leaves on the trees in the fall, a scene of the past history of Overbrook, playing street hockey, Overbrook's community gardens, friends skipping rope or skateboarding, or eating ice cream, Beaver Tails or anything else you do or see in Overbrook. The only limit is your own imagination. 

You can paint your poster, use coloured pencils, pastels, crayons or you can use cutouts and paste them on your poster. 

How big can the posters be? You choose! Any size will work. 

Prizes will be awarded for the following age groups: 

• 8 years of age and under; 
• 9 to 13 years of age; 
• 14 to 20 years of age; and 
• 21 years of age and over. 

All posters entered into the contest will be displayed in the Overbook Community Centre. You can enter a poster on your own, or two or three people can produce a poster together. The poster entries will remain on display for the rest of Overbrook's 100th Anniversary year. Make sure that you put your name and your age on your poster in the bottom right-hand corner. And, on the back of the poster, please put your name, street address, telephone number and email address (if you have one). 

You can find poster contest rules here, or you can ask for a copy at the Welcome Desk at the Overbrook Community Centre, 33 Quill Street, Ottawa. 

We have lots of prizes for the winning entries in every age group. The best prize of all, of course, will be having all the posters by Overbrookies on display in the Overbook Community Centre. 

Bring your completed poster to the front desk of the Overbrook Community Centre no later than July 9. You may, of course, bring it sooner if you wish. 

Winners of the poster contest will be announced on Overbrook Day on August 6, and prizes will be distributed to winners at that time. 

Montreal Road Revitalization 

Work activities planned for the next two weeks (June 27 to July 8) include: 

• Montreal Road/Granville Street intersection underground sewer pipe — The underground work at the Montreal Road/Granville intersection has shifted to the south side of the road and the north side curb lane is open westbound traffic. The work involves replacement of a segment of the sanitary sewer and watermain that will continue in July.   
• Lafontaine to St. Laurent Boulevard curb construction — The curb on the south side of Montreal Road between Lafontaine and St Laurent is now complete with the exception of segments that require hand work which will be completed over the next two weeks. Crews have started start placing granulars and preparing the surface for the cycle track and sidewalk behind the curb. Road paving of the south side of Montreal Road between de L’Eglise and St. Laurent was completed last week.   
• North River Road multi-use-path (MUP) — The MUP work on the west side of North River Road from Montreal Road to south of Tudor Place is now complete including railing installation.  Paving of the final asphalt lift on North River Road was completed week.  Bricks for the area between the MUP and the road curb are on backorder and should be arriving in late July for installation.  
• Utility and telecommunications — Underground utility work and placement of telecom ducts to allow for hydro pole burial is continuing on the south side of Montreal Road between Lafontaine Avenue and de L’Eglise Street. 
• Landscaping and streetscaping North River Road to Mona Avenue —Landscape and street furniture installation is continuing, including the installation of bike racks, benches and garbage receptacles. Shrub planting in the numerous low-lying concrete planters has also started. Removal of the existing Dupuis Plaza hard landscaping is completed, and crews have started grading the surface for installation of pavers. 
• Vanier Parkway at Montreal Road – Milling of the existing Vanier Parkway asphalt surface is tentatively scheduled for two nights late next week. The purpose of the milling is to remove the top asphalt surface and replace with a new asphalt overlay later in July. 
• Hydro Ottawa pole topping — Hydro Ottawa tentatively reschedule the removal of their overhead cables between de L’Eglise to Lajoie from Monday, July 11 to Friday, July 15. This will be a significant undertaking requiring numerous crews that include removal of the top 1/3 of the pole.  On Monday, July 11 and potentially Tuesday, July 12, Lacasse will have to be closed at Montreal Road while Hydro Ottawa crews remove the overhead cable. All traffic, including buses, will be detoured to Lajoie Street for the duration of the work (see graphic below). Complete removal of the hydro poles will be undertaken later this year once all telecom overhead wires are replaced by underground cables.