September 17 Newsletter

September 17, 2021 newsletter from Rawlson King, City Councillor for Rideau-Rockcliffe.

This weekend marks the last few days of what is officially summer and I encourage residents to get outside and make the most of the beautiful weather. As many students have recently returned to in person classes after many months of hybrid or fully online learning and disrupted activities, parents may be wondering about routine immunizations that could not take place. Ottawa Public Health is making routine and catch-up immunizations available at community clinics for eligible children and youth. Find out more about how to book an appointment for your child in the first item in this newsletter. The COVID-19 vaccine continues to be readily available to all those ages 12 and up who want it. There is currently an ongoing public health neighbourhood vaccination hub at Rideau High School and an upcoming mobile vaccine clinic next Friday at St. Laurent Shopping Centre.

Residents near Pond Street have noted increased amounts of cars parking on neighbouring streets. In mid-August a survey was distributed to affected streets in order to implement a seasonal parking ban similar to what is already in place on Pond Street. A positive response rate of at least 65 percent will be required to implement the ban. Earlier this summer, the small pedestrian bridge at the end of Blasdell Avenue was removed by NCC due to health and safety concerns. Our office reached out to NCC immediately and confirmed that they plan to rebuild the bridge. Although timelines are still being determined, NCC is currently in the planning phase of the project. I would like to highlight an upcoming opportunity for residents to provide their feedback on the Hemlock pumping station upgrades. Residents can register to participate in a virtual public information session on Thursday, September 23, at 7pm. Comments and feedback can also be sent in beforehand and up until October 7, 2021.

Finally, I would like to note a few upcoming events in the community. This weekend, Rideau Sports Centre is hosting both an open house on Saturday, September 18 and an outdoor market on Sunday, September 19. Come and see all they have to offer! Also on Sunday, September 19, is a free community corn roast at St. Charles Market on Beechwood. I will be there along with Councillor Fleury, so be sure to stop by and say hello!

Routine and catch-up immunizations available at Ottawa Public Health community clinics for eligible children and youth

Ottawa Public Health is expanding immunization services offered at its four community vaccination clinics to include routine and catch-up immunizations for eligible children and youth.

In addition to providing COVID-19 vaccines for people born in 2009 or earlier, starting Friday, September 17, the four community clinic locations will offer, by appointment only, publicly funded immunizations for eligible children and youth aged 0-17 years old. This also includes catch-up school-based immunizations for students in grades 7 to 12 who did not receive vaccines at school during the school year.

Routine vaccinations are an essential health service. Learn more about which routine vaccines are recommended for babies and toddlers (birth to three years), children age four to 11, and school-based immunizations for youth age 12 to 18.

Contact your child’s health care provider or check your child’s online immunization records for their immunization status.

Eligibility for child and youth immunizations at community clinics

If your child has a primary health care provider, such as a doctor or nurse practitioner, please contact them for your child’s routine immunizations. However, if your child’s primary health care provider is not currently offering routine immunizations due to COVID-19, or if your child does not have a primary care provider, they are eligible to receive routine immunizations at a community clinic.

The following groups are eligible to receive routine and catch-up school immunizations at Ottawa Public Health community clinics:

• Children/youth who are newcomers to Canada
• Children/youth without an OHIP card
• Children/youth who do not have a primary provider care, such as a doctor or nurse practitioner
• Youth in grades 9 to 12 who have not completed their school-based vaccine series normally administered at school in grade 7 (hepatitis B, human papillomavirus (HPV) and meningococcal conjugate vaccine)
• Youth in grades 7 or 8 who are unable to attend their school clinic. Information on school clinics is available on Parenting in Ottawa.

School immunization program restarting for students in grades 7 and up

After a temporary pause to the school-based immunization program during the 2020/2021 school year due to COVID-19, Ottawa Public Health has restarted its publicly funded school immunization program for the 2021/2022 school year to protect students in grades 7 and up from hepatitis B, human papillomavirus (HPV), and meningococcal disease. Information on school clinics is available on Parenting in Ottawa.

Book an appointment for routine and catch-up immunizations

If your child is eligible, make an appointment for them to receive their routine immunizations or to get caught up on their immunizations at a community clinic using the Ottawa Public Health immunization online booking system. Drop-ins will not be accepted for these vaccines.

Please stay home and reschedule your child’s appointment if you have any COVID-19 symptoms or are feeling unwell, even if your symptoms are mild.

Community clinic locations and hours

The four community clinics are open between 12:45 pm and 7 pm, Tuesday to Friday, and between 9:45 am and 4 pm on Saturdays and are located at:

• Eva James Community Centre - 65 Stonehaven Drive
• Ruddy Family YMCA-YWCA, Orléans - 265 Centrum Boulevard
• Minto Sports Complex at University of Ottawa - 801 King Edward Avenue
• H. Putman Public School - 2051 Bel-Air Drive

Mobile Vaccine Clinic at St. Laurent Shopping Centre

Date: Friday, September 24, 2021

Location: St Laurent Shopping Centre, 1200 St Laurent Blvd, K1K 3B8

Time: 12pm - 4pm

Public Health Neighbourhood Vaccination Hub 

Location: Rideau High School 

Address: 815 St. Laurent Blvd 

Hours of operation: Wednesday and Friday from 10 am – 4 pm, Thursday from 1 pm – 7 pm 

No appointment needed. 

Please note that the clinic closes from 12pm to 1pm on Wednesday and Friday and from 3:30pm to 4:30pm on Thursday to allow for breaks.

Have questions about the vaccine? We have answers! A public health nurse is available if you just want to come in and ask questions or get more information about COVID vaccines. 

Parking near the Pond

Residents close to The Pond are seriously affected by the number of visitors looking for parking in the area, and pedestrian safety is also an issue. Some parking restrictions were implemented this year, and further measures are currently under consideration. Neighbours in the general area need to be aware of the problems and what is being done, as visitors may search for parking on streets further away.

In early Spring, residents of Pond Street requested that the City restrict parking along most of the street. Following a survey of residents, the parking restriction was put in place in early summer. Residents of neighbouring streets raised concerns about a spill-over effect, with cars finding alternate parking on their streets. The City undertook the drafting of another survey for residents of the affected streets, which include McNabb, part of Lakeway and the section of Pond (mainly along Iraq Embassy property) not covered by the existing restriction. The original request was for a seasonal parking limit of one hour between 9am and 3pm, but in July residents revised their request to a seasonal parking ban between 9am and 3pm (as on Pond Street). In mid-August the survey was distributed to residents.

Please note that the survey is only of residents of the streets involved. A positive response rate of 65 percent or higher is required for the parking restriction to be implemented.

Blasdell Avenue Bridge

Earlier this summer the small pedestrian bridge at the end of Blasdell Avenue was removed by the NCC over health and safety concerns. While the bridge was well used by the community it was neither constructed nor maintained by the NCC, and the structure had become unstable. Although our office was not informed that the bridge was being removed before the work took place, I immediately reached out to and met with NCC staff and confirmed that they are planning on installing a new bridge in this location. The timelines are still being determined but they have begun the planning phase for the project. 

As the entirety of the land in question is the jurisdiction of the NCC, my office cannot direct the project, but the meeting with NCC staff was very positive. The community use of this informal pathway has been noted and is included in the NCC Capital Pathway Strategic Plan, which is the long-term goal network for the NCC. However, they will not be waiting for the pathway work to progress concurrently with the bridge. The NCC will take the lead on notifying the community as the project progresses, though I will include any updates through my communication channels (newsletter, Web site and social media).

Hemlock Pumping Station Upgrades

The City of Ottawa invites you to review and provide comments on the Hemlock Pumping Station Upgrades Project between September 23 and October 7, 2021. Information can be submitted by email or by phone to the contact below.

A virtual public information session is being held on Thursday September 23, 2021 at 7 pm. Please register, if you wish to participate.

The City has a proactive communications approach. The project team will update you on the project using different methods to communicate including letters and posting information on Ottawa.ca.

What: The City is undertaking design to upgrade and update features at the Hemlock Pumping Station by installing a new bypass chamber and sluice gates in maintenance holes outside of the station to enhance sewage flows, replacing the pumps, valves and piping in the existing wet well and metering chamber, replacing electrical components inside the station and rehabilitating concrete, ladders and gratings outside the station.

Why: The upgrade to the station is required to enhance maintenance features at the station and renew components of the station that have reached their end of life.

Where: 751 Hillsdale Road

When: The current project schedule is as follows:

• Design completion: fall 2021
• Construction start: winter 2022
• Substantial completion: winter 2023
• Final completion: winter 2023

Who: The City of Ottawa will retain the contractor after completion of design.

For further information about this project and/or to submit comments on the project, please contact the City project manager:

Jeff de Laat, P.Eng.
Senior Engineer, Infrastructure Projects
Design and Construction - Facilities
100 Constellation Drive, Ottawa, ON K2G 6J8
Tel: 613-580-2424, ext. 21916

Rideau Sports Centre: Open House and Outdoor Market 

The Rideau Sports Centre will be hosting two special events this weekend. On Saturday September 18 from 10am to 4pm, stop by the centre to take part in their open house and sample the many different programs they offer. Check out the full lineup here. On Sunday September 19 from 10am to 2pm, stop by the outdoor market which will host an array of local vendors. The full lineup of vendors and goods that will be available can be viewed here. 

RSC OPEN HOUSE on Saturday September 18, 10am-4pm

• Yoga and Fitness classes for Adults (some free)
• Multi-Sport Activities for Kids and Adults (some free)
• Tennis Program-sampler (free) 3-4pm, must sign up in advance
• Live Music (free) 12pm-2pm
• The Bridge restaurant open 9am-9pm for breakfast, lunch and dinner

RSC OUTDOOR MARKET on Sunday September 19, 10am-2pm

• All event is outdoors!
• 24 vendors coming
• Covid regulations in place (masks must be worn)
• The Bridge restaurant open 9am-9pm for breakfast, lunch and dinner

Corn Roast at St. Charles Market

This Sunday, September 19, at 4pm, join Councillors King and Fleury at St. Charles Market on Beechwood for a free community corn roast to celebrate the start of fall. For this event we have partnered with the Vanier BIA and Beechwood Market.

Montreal Road Revitalization

Please find below a two-week update (Monday, September 13 to Friday, September 24) for the Montreal Road Revitalization project. The work activities planned for the next two weeks will include:

• Vanier Parkway/Montreal Road intersection– Work is scheduled to begin on Saturday, September 18 in the southwest quadrant of the intersection that will require closure of the east-west crosswalk on the south side of the intersection for four to five weeks. The work will be fairly extensive, similar to the construction that took place in the southeast quadrant that required lane closures on the Vanier Parkway and Montreal Road with police directing traffic at times. Paver stone work will resume. 

• North River Road to Vanier Parkway – The sidewalk on both the north and south sides of Montreal Road is complete except for sections near hydro poles at the North River Road/Montreal Road intersection. The hydro poles will be removed once new streetlights are installed which is scheduled for this fall. The North River Road/Montreal Road intersection will be completed next year. 

• Vanier Parkway to Marier Avenue– The northside concrete curb, base asphalt, sidewalk and the asphalt cycle track are complete for this section. The curb and sidewalk on the south side is also complete except for several concrete panels. Tree cells have also been installed and installation of hard landscaping and the cycle track will follow. The concrete sidewalk at Emond Street has been installed. In the coming weeks, crews will begin laying paver stones that form the basis of the Emond Street plaza.

• Marier Avenue to Lafontaine Avenue– Most of the sidewalk has been constructed on the north side of Montreal Road from Marier Avenue to Bradley Avenue. Sidewalk construction on Bradley Avenue will be wrapping up this week. Like the Emond Street plaza, paver stone work will be starting on Bradley Avenue in the coming weeks. Over the next two weeks, crews will be pouring concrete sidewalk on the south side between Altha Avenue and Mona Avenue. Underground utility and electrical work are continuing on the south side between Marier Avenue and Altha Avenue. 

• Lafontaine Avenue to de l’Église Street – Underground sewer and catch basin work continues. The north side of Montreal Road between Lafontaine Avenue and Cantin Street has been paved.The south side of Montreal Road from Ducharme Boulevard to de L’Eglise Street has been paved. Water services, fire hydrant and catch basin installations is occurring on the north side between Cantin Street and de l’Eglise Street over the next two weeks.

• De l’Église Street to St. Laurent Boulevard – Excavations for new sanitary sewers and the watermain are continuing at de L’Eglise Street with crews working east towards St. Laurent Boulevard. 

• Continued traffic impacts and road closures – Montreal Road is reduced to one westbound lane from Vanier Parkway to St. Laurent Boulevard. Lane reductions on Montreal Road and Vanier Parkway will start Saturday, September 18 while work is ongoing in the southwest quadrant of the Vanier Parkway/Montreal Road intersection. All streets are closed between Vanier Parkway and St. Laurent Boulevard, except for Olmstead Street, Marier Avenue, Granville Street/Lafontaine Avenue and Cantin Street. Traffic calming flex posts installed along Lafontaine Avenue, Deschamps Boulevard and Montfort Street have been restored with additional reinforcing which should limit issues with cars detaching the flexposts from the asphalt.

• Month-long construction outlook – Underground and aboveground work continues between Vanier Parkway and St. Laurent Boulevard. The curbs and sidewalk on the south side between Vanier Parkway and Olmstead Street are nearing completion. Over the next month, concrete work will focus on the south side between Bégin Street and Mona Avenue where certain sections are already in place. Road paving will take place on the south side of Montreal Road, east of the Vanier Parkway to Olmstead Street. Work on North River Road, including installation of permanent traffic calming measures and dedicated pedestrian crossings, is tentatively planned to start within the next month. City crews will be installing new traffic signals at Cantin Street, Lacasse Avenue, Hannah Street and Cody Avenue starting this week and continuing until the end of September. Some pedestrian movement across the intersections will be disrupted while crews are working during the day. Paver stone work is scheduled to start on the Emond Street and Bradley Avenue plazas.  

• Hydro update – Hydro Ottawa removed their overhead power line between North River Road and Vanier Parkway on the weekend of July 17. Before the hydro poles can be fully removed, the new streetlights must be installed and energized. Complete removal of the poles will happen towards the end of the summer.