March 5 Newsletter 2021

March 5, 2021 newsletter from Rawlson King, City Councillor for Rideau-Rockcliffe.

International Women’s Day at OPL — Celebrating this month with author events and a local “Sheros” panel 

Ottawa Public Library invites you to a strong and inspiring set of virtual events in celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD) – held annually on March 8, which is when the Library’s IWD programming lifts off. The theme for this year’s IWD is “Sheros”, highlights women and their outstanding achievements during the pandemic.   

OPL has partnered with the Ottawa International Writers Festival (OIWF) to bring you some exciting writers and works you will not want to miss:    

• March 8: Join Koa Beck, author of White Feminist.  
• March 15: Eden Robinson will be discussing her latest release of the Trickster trilogy – Return of the Trickster.  

• March 16: Young Adult (YA) fiction author Jasmin Kaur will discuss her newest novel If I Tell You the Truth.  

Also, on March 24, meet remarkable women from the Ottawa area who will share the story of how they took action during the recent crisis and earned the moniker “Pandemic Shero.” There will be an inspiring live-streamed panel discussion to meet Canadian Sheros and hear about their pandemic-related challenges and how they overcame these challenges to help make a difference to their community.   

Registration is now open. For more information on this program, visit BiblioOttawaLibrary.ca.    

Mois de la Francophonie celebrations are going virtual 

March is the Mois de la Francophonie and, in 2021, City celebrations will be held online. Almost a quarter of Franco-Ontarians call Ottawa home. The City is proud of the impact our Francophone community has had on Ottawa’s past and present, and we look forward to their contributions in shaping our future. Happy Mois de la Francophonie! 

Due to the pandemic, the City’s annual Francophone RendezVous with the Mayor breakfast will be different. The City will hold a Virtual Café RendezVous with the Mayor on Friday, March 19, one day before the Jour de la Francophonie. 

Partnering with l’Association des communautés francophones d'Ottawa, the City will highlight what cultural organizations and other groups are doing to adapt and stay connected during the pandemic. We will also take a few moments to recognize the Jour de la Francophonie! You can enjoy the virtual coffee break via the Mayor’s Facebook page, live on Rogers Cable channel 23 or on their website at 8 am on Friday, March 19. 

If you would like more information on Francophone events, please sign up to receive our electronic newsletter, Francophone events at Ottawa City Hall. 

The City of Ottawa’s spring recreation and culture eGuides are now online 

The City of Ottawa Spring 2021 recreation and culture eGuides are now online offering COVID-modified aquatics, inclusive recreation programming and virtual courses for every interest and age. Aquatics registration is Monday, March 22 at 9 pm and registration for inclusive recreation and virtual programming is on Tuesday, March 23 at 9 pm. 

Aquatics programming is one of the in-person COVID-modified programming options offered this spring in both English and French. Aquatics programming includes: Learn to Swim, Leadership and life-saving certifications, Private lessons, Inclusive recreation swim lessons, Power Swim, and Aqua Fitness.  

City in-person programs and facilities have COVID-19 measures and protocols in place for staff and participant safety.  All programs will operate at reduced capacity to allow for physical distancing. 

Virtual programming will take place in the comfort and convenience of your own home. Spring onto your computer device to learn to strum a new note, heighten your palate to find a good merlot or chardonnay, cook a taste of Tuscany, discover your artistic side, or get your heart pumping. Courses, offered in French and English, include: 

• Fitness – yoga, prenatal yoga, Zumba, older adult exercise, cardio workouts, and martial arts 
• Culinary specialties – Taste of the World cooking and wine tasting  
• Arts – crafts, painting, cartooning and animation 
• Language lessons – Spanish and French 
• Dance – hip hop, contemporary, jazz, belly dancing and ballet 
• Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics LEGO® - junior introduction to robotics, engineering and electronics  
• Music – guitar, ukulele 

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

1. Go to ottawa.ca/recreation or ottawa.ca/virtualprograms and click on the guides. 

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 checkout.  

Follow Ottawa Recreation, Culture and Facilities Facebook page for all the latest news and information on our recreation and arts programs, activities and events.   

Summer Day Camps in Manor Park 

Registration opened this past Monday, March 1, 2021 at 9:00 AM for Summer Day Camps in Manor Park.   

The camps, for ages 4 - 10, will run from June 28 - August 20, 2021 for a total of 8 weeks. Camps run from 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM with the option of extended day from 8:00-9:00 AM and/or 4:00-5:00 PM. They will take place outside and around the Manor Park Community Centre located at 100 Thornwood Road. Manor Park Community Council’s camps are known for their exceptional counsellors, beautiful green spaces, outdoor splash pad, pristine tennis courts, vast sport fields, community gardens - and being all around awesome. Music, sports, art, craft, games, friendships, FUN! They adhere to all pandemic protocol and safety guidance from the Province of Ontario, the City of Ottawa and Ottawa Public Health, resulting in a successful and safe summer season for all. 

Last year sold out quickly. Register early to secure your preferred weeks. 

To register, go to this link. 

Registration has officially opened for the City of Ottawa’s in-person and virtual camps   

March Break has been rescheduled to April, and so the City of Ottawa has moved their popular in-person camps to April and added virtual activities that you can do from home. Check out the April Break Camps eGuides at ottawa.ca/recreation. 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.  

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. In-person programs can be checked out here from today. 
Online, virtual programs offered in both french and english include:  (STEM) exploring robotics and using LEGO® for construction and design, Hip hop dance, Animation, and Visual arts.  Details here. 

Registration is now open! 
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 to ottawa.ca/recreation for 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 – 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. Register with Engage Ottawa to fill out the brief survey available here: https://engage.ottawa.ca/vut. 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. 

Para Transpo Support for COVID-19 Vaccinations

Para Transpo has created access to a temporary COVID-19 Vaccination Trip Reservation telephone line, at 613-842-3600. It will be available to provide dedicated support to Para Transpo customers booking trips to get COVID-19 vaccinations at specific sites. Using the new Para Transpo COVID-19 Vaccination Trip Reservation telephone service, customers will be able to book trips in advance by calling any day, seven days a week, between 10:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. 

Customers are asked to schedule their COVID-19 vaccination appointment with OPH prior to booking a trip on Para Transpo.  

Information regarding the new temporary Para Transpo COVID-19 Vaccination Trip Reservation telephone line will be posted on Twitter at @OC_Transpo and on www.octranspo.com 

The Latest COVID-19 Updates for the City of Ottawa    

• Ottawa remains in the Orange – Restrict zone according to the latest trends in monitoring indicators. The collective goal remains to reduce COVID-19 rates to be able to move to fewer restrictions under the provincial framework and less pressure on the healthcare system. However, rates are no longer decreasing and we are close to “red” category thresholds. Read the latest statement from Dr. Vera Etches here. 
• To date, more than 57,600 doses of vaccines have been administered in Ottawa. 
• The first pop-up vaccination clinic in Ottawa opened at the Albion-Heatherington Recreation Complex. Continuing over the weekend and through subsequent pop-up clinics, the most severely impacted residents will have access to COVID-19 vaccines. Additional pop-up clinics will be rolled out to the remaining high-priority neighbourhoods in the coming weeks. 
• Bookings are available for eligible residents to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and more information on the next pop-up clinics will be shared on Monday, March 8. Kindly take note that call volumes are very high, so please do not call to book an appointment if you are not eligible. Learn more. 
• The City has also announced that vaccination of shelter clients is set to take place in Ottawa. COVID-19 has had a significant impact on Ottawa’s shelter system. The upcoming vaccination of shelter clients is tremendous news for people living and working in shelters. An estimated 860 shelter clients will be vaccinated, starting this week, by Ottawa Inner City Health, working with Ottawa Public Health 

• 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.   
• 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.