NEWS ARCHIVESJuly 3, 2009 Public Meeting: vandalism, break-ins and disturbances I recently held a public safety meeting with several senior Police officers and by-law officers to discuss ongoing issues and disturbances on our pathways and in our parks and an increase in home and car break-ins and vandalism. Ottawa Police Staff Sergeant Jim Devine, who was present at the meeting, urged residents to report any suspicious activity to police as the calls are recorded and entered into a police database, which creates target areas, or ‘hot spots,’ allowing police to focus on these areas. Further, a steady stream of calls from residents indicates on-going issues, and Police can allocate the necessary resources to combat the issue; however, if the incidents are not being reported, the problem falls through the cracks. There is an 11pm curfew in City parks every night and a curfew for youths 16 years and younger who are without a parent/guardian on City streets. Parents are responsible for their minor children and Police advise parents to read and be familiar with the Parental Responsibility Act. Noise concerns after 11pm, such as a loud party, is considered a by-law concern and should be reported by either calling 311 or e-mailing 311@ottawa.ca. Staff will log your details and provide them on to by-law personnel. However, drinking, drug-use or fighting in a park would be considered a Police issue and should be immediately reported. There are several ways to keep your house and car less attractive to criminals. Police remind residents to keep windows, doors, garage doors and cars locked. As well, do not leave the garage door opener in your car in plain view. Police are currently dispatched from the Greenbank Road detachment. However, a new Police Station is being constructed on Huntmar Road, opening next year. Until then, residents are welcome to stop into the Community Police office located at 95 Abbeyhill Drive and speak to Police personally. The Police offer many programs that can assist in safeguarding
our community. For more information, please visit
www.ottawapolice.ca.
Limiting the spread of the H1N1 virus at summer camps Ottawa Public Health is asking summer camp operators and parents to be attentive towards the novel H1N1 flu virus and help take some simple precautions to reduce the spread this summer. While the majority of laboratory-confirmed cases have been mild in nature, children and youth have made up more than half of the confirmed cases. It is important that parents and camp counsellors are cognizant of symptoms, and encourage practices that limit the spread of the virus, such as good hand washing habits and cough etiquette. Parents should keep children at home when they display flu-like symptoms - such as fever, chills, cough, sore throat, head and muscle aches, and possibly vomiting or diarrhea. An ill child at home should have limited contact with other family members and friends. Once the fever is gone and the child is feeling better, participation in camp activities can start again. At all times, children should be discouraged from sharing personal items such as straws, water bottles, and mouth protectors. For both day and overnight camp operators, the parents’
daytime and evening contact numbers should be registered. To help monitor and
prevent the spread of the novel H1N1 virus, parents are asked to report any
absence to the camp operators, letting them know of their child's symptoms. Camp
operators who see an absentee rate greater than 10 per cent due to illness are
asked to notify Ottawa Public Health at 613-580-6744. Schools out – now what? Crime Prevention Ottawa has released helpful information targeted at the youth of our community who are now entering their summer vacation. I encourage parents to share this information with their children. For many teens, a job will be a launching pad for the rest of the summer. I encourage teens to visit www.ottawa.ca, www.youthconnect.ca, and www.youth.gc.ca for employment opportunities at all three levels of government and in other areas. For those students in need of volunteer hours, visit www.volunteerottawa.ca for openings. Parents should also visit the City’s website for information on summer camps. Drop-ins centres, such as those offered by the Boys’ and Girls’ Club of Ottawa, offer flexibility in programming. Many day programs in the City are subsidized. For more information, visit www.parentsresource.on.ca. I hope these resource tools are good stepping-stones for the
parents and children of our community. Have a safe and enjoyable summer
vacation. Seniors’ breakfast: a great start to Canada Day Thank you to all of those who participated in my annual Seniors’ Canada Day breakfast. It was a terrific way to start Canada Day. More than 250 local residents packed the Stittsville firehall to enjoy a delicious buffet breakfast provided by Nate’s Delicatessen. Dave Smith, the owner of Nate’s who makes a special visit to Stittsville each year for Canada Day, still can’t get over how much coffee is consumed – no wonder the line-up at Tim Horton’s is so long. The Schmodkas, a local singing troupe comprised of four talented ladies from right hear in Stittsville, sang some old favourites and unearthed some long-forgotten patriotic tunes, including an old ESSO gas jingle. A big thank you to our local volunteer firefighters who not only opened their doors for the event, but generously assisted in ensuring the morning ran smoothly. Their commitment and dedication to our community is unparalleled. Thank you once again to all of those who helped make this a
great morning. I look forward to doing it again next year. Canada Day celebrations in Stittsville I want to thank and congratulate the Stittsville Village Association and its team of volunteers for organizing the celebrations of Canada’s 142nd birthday in Stittsville. Under blue skies, the community came out to celebrate in huge
numbers. The turnout was appreciated by the organizing committee as well as the
local entertainment, whole also volunteered their time. The bus is back On July 18, the Stittsville Food Bank will hold its annual "Fill-the-Bus" food drive in front of Brown's Independent Grocer. Residents of Stittsville are being asked to help the SFB get through the summer by making food donations to fill an OC Transpo bus. The drive will start at 9am and continue until 5pm. All donations are welcome but most needed items are: powdered
milk; cereal; tinned fruits; tinned vegetables; peanut butter; cheese whiz;
apple sauce and toiletries. One-day depot for household hazardous waste The City of Ottawa is hosting a one-day household hazardous waste depot on July 12. The depot will be held from 9am-4pm at the Kanata Business Park, located at 411 Legget Drive. Please be advised that only household hazardous waste will be
accepted to a maximum of 100 litres. For a complete listing of acceptable
household hazardous waste, visit
www.ottawa.ca/hhw. Always listening and acting on your concerns As your Councillor, I always welcome your keen input and ideas on how we can sustain and improve Stittsville. Please contact our office anytime by phone at 613-580-2476 or by e-mail at Shad.Qadri@ottawa.ca. My ward office is located in the Goulbourn Recreation Complex, located at 1500 Shea Road. The hours of operation are Mondays 9-2pm, Wednesdays 3-8pm, Fridays 9-5pm, and Saturday 9-1pm. Please do not hesitate to pay us a visit. |