NEWS ARCHIVESMay 7, 2010 Community members receive recognition I would like to congratulate several residents in our community who were recently honoured by the City of Ottawa. Last Thursday evening at City Hall were the 2010 Civic Appreciation Awards. The City recognized 17 volunteers from across Ottawa who work tirelessly and effortlessly, whether it is for the arts, education, environment or sports, to make their respective communities, and Ottawa as a whole, a better place to live. Stittsville was lucky to have two citizens honoured at the ceremony. John Leroux, who was also named the 2010 Roger Griffiths Memorial Citizen of the Year at this year’s Stittsville Appreciation Awards, was the recipient of the Civic Award for Recreation and Sports. When you think of sports and Stittsville, whether it is hockey, ball or boxing, John’s name quickly comes to mind. He has coached, officiated and formed sports clubs in Stittsville. The many players who have had the privilege of working with John have benefited from his passion for sports. Also recognized at the awards ceremony was Megan Ellwood, who was named the Youth Citizen of the Year. Since she was 11-years-old, Megan has been volunteering and working with children, youth and adults with special needs. She is currently studying at Guelph University, and continues to make an impact on many lives. Her goal is to become a special education teacher. Megan has assisted individuals, with or without special needs, in aquatics, music lessons, as a peer helper and guiding. She even participated as a volunteer coach for the Ontario Special Olympics. Both John and Megan are examples of people in our community who work hard and help make Stittsville a great community. I want to congratulate and thank them both for their efforts. The City also held its annual Children’s 9-1-1 Appreciation Awards on the afternoon of May 7 at City Hall. The event recognizes Ottawa youth who use the service effectively. The City continues to educate residents of all ages on how and when to use 9-1-1. They encourage everyone to use 9-1-1 in any situation where a fire, medical emergency or crime-in-progress jeopardizes the safety of people or property. One youngster in our community was honoured, and she is 13-year-old Kelsey Smith, a grade seven student at Goulbourn Middle School. On October 18 2009, Kelsey was travelling with her father when he started experiencing a diabetic reaction and immediately required emergency assistance. Seeing her father in distress, she quickly called 9-1-1 and Communications Officer Isabelle Hebert, from Ottawa Paramedic Service, said Kelsey was very calm and gave all the necessary information needed to help her father. Paramedics arrived and all was well. Kelsey’s quick thinking and effective use of 9-1-1 helped her father, and all of us at the City of Ottawa, and her parents, are proud of her. Hazeldean widening A detour of Stittsville Main Street required for the Hazeldean Road construction project started on May 10 and is expected to take eight weeks. During this time, there will be no access to Stittsville Main Street between Hazeldean Road and Neil Avenue. We ask you make alternative travel arrangements or follow the detour. This detour will direct traffic from Hazeldean Road to access Stittsville Main Street through the former Flea Market lands onto Neil Avenue and then onto Stittsville Main Street. Safe pedestrian access will be provided to the west of the construction area on Stittsville Main Street. This detour will allow the necessary work to proceed in a timely manner and get us the end result sooner. Everyone involved thanks you for your patience and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate and contact Suraj Harish or Mike Wood, the site inspector, at 613-286-9181. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. 2010 Artists and Authors in the Park event The Stittsville Community Association is once again organizing the Artists and Authors in the Park event on Sunday, May 30 from noon to 5pm in the Village Square Park at the intersection of Stittsville Main Street and Abbott Street. The event is becoming a tradition in our community. Local artists and authors are expected to showcase paintings, ceramic works, photos, books and much more. Admission is free. Residents will have a chance to talk to the many artists and writers and learn about their worlds. For more information, contact Metin Akgun by phone at 613-836-5350 or by e-mail at aysemetin@rogers.com. You can also contact Theresa Qadri at 613-620-6245 or by e-mail at theresaq@rogers.com 111 Hartsmere Drive Public Meeting A Site Plan application has been submitted for 111 Hartsmere Drive to build a two-storey public elementary school. I encourage you to attend a public meeting scheduled for May 19 from 7 pm to 9 pm at the Pretty Street Community Centre located at 2 Pretty Street. Plans are available on my website and you can contact myself or Mark Young, the City Planner, at 613-580-2424 x 41396 or e-mail him at Mark.Young@ottawa.ca Apologies for traffic delays I would like to apologize to the residents of Stittsville, specifically those living in the Jackson Trails area for the longer than normal traffic delays on Friday March 10. Due to the miscommunication between the parties involved, the situation was exasperated with only one entrance/exit for residents of Jackson Trails. Once informed, the situation was resolved. We appreciate your patience and understanding in this matter. 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. I welcome your call or e-mail to arrange an appointment. If you are not part of my electronic outreach list and would like to be added, please contact my office to ensure you receive pertinent information concerning our community. |