NEWS ARCHIVES
September 14, 2007
Dear residents,
Moving Forward on Transit
Council has set the wheels in motion to begin improving
Ottawa’s transit system.
Last week we approved the environmental assessment (EA) on
the downtown light rail tunnel, which would run for approximately 3 km between
the University of Ottawa and Lebreton Flats.
I voted to proceed with the EA and feel this is an
important step forward for our City. Another positive aspect of this approved EA
is that we can begin to utilize the findings of the Mayor’s Task Force on
Transportation. To view this complete vision for Ottawa’s transit future please
visit
http://www.moving-ottawa.ca.
We also passed a motion to have City staff review the
usage of roundabouts instead of traffic lights. I feel that roundabouts are a
preferable method of handling intersections and also better for our environment.
As always, I encourage you to contact me and share your
thoughts on how we as a Council can reach the goal of providing residents with a
first-class, efficient transit system.
Drainage By-law Approved
Council approved a new Drainage By-Law that will be put in
place to help residents with any problems experienced due to obstruction of
drains, ditches and lot grades.
Currently the City is working to prepare public education
material, which will address a number of factors including the homeowner’s
responsibility to ensure changes to your drainage do not affect that of your
neighbours and the importance of proper drainage on private properties. Please
be assured I will post this information on my website for you as soon as it
becomes available.
Support our Troops
Last week the City came out strong in support for our
troops.
The vast majority of Councillors voted to approve the
motion put forward by my colleague Councillor Glenn Brooks which authorizes the
use of "Support Our Troops" decals on all City vehicles. This motion was passed
on a vote of 20-2 with an amendment stating that this does not serve as
Council's support of the war in Afghanistan. Furthermore, the motion also
expresses our support of Ottawa Police Chief Vernon White's decision to
display this same decal on all police vehicles.
For me, this decision was a great opportunity for our City
to show strong public support to the people who risk their lives daily for all
Canadians. I proudly wear a "Support Our Troops" pin every day and feel this is
a good way to support the families of men and women serving our county.
IC&I 3R Forum
A form focusing on Industrial, Commercial and
Institutional (IC&I) waste is being held on Sept. 21 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at
the Nepean Sportsplex, located at 1701 Woodroffe Ave.
Staff from the Utilities Branch at the City of Ottawa will
be on hand to provide participants with information regarding IC&I waste
management. This presentation will be followed by an open discussion on the
variety of options we have to help divert waste from our City’s landfills.
I encourage you to attend this very important forum and
provide your key input and ideas. If you are unable to attend, please be assured
I will make all presentation information available to our community through my
column and website.
Ward Office Opening
Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate the grand
opening of my new ward office this past weekend.
I look forward to serving all of you in this convenient
location, located at 1532 Stittsville Main Street. I have established that we
will be open every Monday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and every Wednesday and Friday
from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Please provide our office with feedback on these hours so
they can be adjusted if necessary to suit your needs. Please note that my City
Hall office will remain open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Provincial Election
With the upcoming provincial election, we all have the
opportunity to make wise decisions when we cast our votes on Oct. 10.
I encourage you to question candidates on a number of
issues that affect not only our community but all residents of Ontario. As you
will read in my letter to the editor this week, I have created
a form letter on
my website and this is one way you can help send a strong message from our
community.
In this letter, I have posed several questions including
where each candidate stands on the proposed expansion of the Carp Road landfill,
which is a huge priority for our community. It is also important that we learn
more on each candidate’s thoughts on a number of issues including health care,
education and downloading of services.
To access this form letter please visit
http://www.shadqadri.com/provform.htm For more information on the provincial
election and the voting process please visit
http://www.elections.on.ca/en-ca.
Hazeldean Road Construction
Construction is now underway for the signalized
intersection located at Stittsville Main Street and Hazeldean Road.
I understand that the community is concerned with the
safety of this area and I request your patience and understanding as the
construction team works towards completion of this project.
Please ensure that you reduce your speeds through this
area and exercise extreme caution during construction. I will keep our community
updated as this process continues.
Fernbank Community Design Plan
On Sept. 24 a Fernbank Community Design Plan roundtable
discussion will be taking place from 7-9:30 p.m. in Coliseum Rooms C & D at
Scotiabank Place, located at 1000 Palladium Dr. in Kanata.
This roundtable will provide an opportunity for residents
to give input on the preferred land use concept plan, and the preferred
alternative transportation designs and infrastructure alternatives. Members of
the public will also have the opportunity to review the draft demonstration
plan. To confirm your participation, for more information or to be added to the
project mailing list, please contact Myles Mahon, City Community Planner:
Myles.Mahon@ottawa.ca or 613-580-2424 ext. 27817.
Clarification
In last week’s column, I noted that our community’s new
adult crossing guard, located at the intersection of Harry Douglas Drive and
Sweetnam Drive, will be working to ensure children are safe crossing the road
every school day from 8 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The Ottawa Safety Council has recently informed me that the guard will in fact
be working 8:20 am to 8:50 am and 3:05 p.m. to 3:35 p.m. in this location. I
apologize for any confusion this has caused.
“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-Kanata West. Please contact
our office anytime by phone at 613-580-2476, by email at
shad.qadri@ottawa.ca or visit my
website at www.shadqadri.com.
Sincerely,
Councillor Shad Qadri
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