NEWS ARCHIVESMay 30, 2008 Mayor Larry O’Brien to visit Stittsville Mayor Larry O’Brien, Police Chief Vern White and MPP Norm Sterling are just some of the prominent guests who will be attending ‘Shad’s Park Party.’ Are you joining them? On June 7, my office and I will be holding a Park Party and BBQ for the community at Village Square Park on Stittsville Main Street from 3-7pm. The rain date will be June 8. The Canadian Beef Farmers Association has graciously volunteered their time and will cover a portion of the cost as well as handle the BBQ duties. Members from the local emergency departments will be offering services and educational material for families. This weekend is also giveaway weekend; we will be accepting items that you do not giveaway. We will also have an electronics drop-off for old computer equipment ($20 cost for monitors). As well, we will be accepting donations to the Stittsville Food Bank. I hope you are able to join me at the park to celebrate the summer, and to get to know your neighbours. I look forward to seeing you and your family at the park
on June 7! LRT energized City Council took a major step in developing a new transit vision for the City of Ottawa by approving Option 4 on May 28 by a vote of 19-4. I was one of the 19 Council-members who voted in favour of Option 4. The transit network includes the construction of a tunnel through the downtown core and conversion of the existing Bus Rapid Transitway (BRT) to twin-track electric-powered Light Rail Transit (LRT) between Baseline and Blair stations. The O-Train rail bed will be upgraded to accommodate LRT and extended south to Bowesville, with a direct link added to Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport. Council agreed that the network include LRT service to Scotiabank Place, Place d’Orléans, Trim Road and in the south to the Barrhaven Town Centre once the following criteria have been achieved: development of transit corridors inside the Greenbelt; business case supports return on rail; achievement of minimum density targets; and availability of funding. These extensions will ultimately fulfill Council’s long-term citywide network vision. Meeting these criteria is critical for extending LRT to suburban communities. In the meantime, BRT routes will alleviate traffic congestion during peak periods within our community. Staff will develop an implementation plan for Option 4 as
well as the recommended secondary network. This implementation plan, spanning
the project’s planning window to 2031, will be available for public consultation
in the fall of 2008 followed by City Council’s approval. Independent review takes shape for Carp River As part of the third party review of the Carp River Restoration Plan, a Terms of Reference (ToR) has been prepared to outline the review requirements. I was one of the west-end Councillors who lobbied for this independent review and I fully support its moving forward. The third party review is a critical component to ensuring the modeling error is corrected, and future measures are in place to prevent re-occurrences of similar errors. The completed ToR will be presented to the City's Planning and Environment Committee on June 24. The third party review is expected to take three to four months to complete, including a public information session. The report will then be presented to Council and the next steps will be determined at that time. The objective is to review, validate, re-run and objectively ensure that appropriate hydro-technical modeling and floodplain management practices have been incorporated into the design of the Restoration Plan. The projected flows and water levels, through the third party review, must be applied with confidence to implement the Restoration Project as well as the approved development within Kanata West. I encourage you to visit
www.ottawa.ca/carpriver
to review the ToR and provide your comments. You can also e-mail
carpriver@ottawa.ca directly. Long awaited! On June 2, construction began on the Rothbourne Road realignment, with an expected wrap-up date of the middle of September. The City has awarded the construction contract to Karson Kartage & Konstruction. The proposed construction includes two lanes of rural roadway between the existing Rothbourne Road and Hazeldean Road. During construction, the City will maintain traffic on Hazeldean Road and will try to limit an increase in trucks traffic on the existing Rothbourne Road. During the construction period, nearby residents may find a bit of disturbance or feel vibration due to an increase in truck traffic on the existing Rothbourne Road. Once the realigned section of the Rothbourne Road is completed, the majority of the truck traffic will use the realigned section. Should you have any questions during the construction
period, please contact Project Inspector Hal Scobie at 613-878-1233 or Suraj
Harish, P. Eng., Project Manager at 613-580-2424 ext. 21828. Land Severance for Habitat for Humanity NCR Home An application has been submitted to sever the land at 1212 Carp Road, and if approved this will provide the location for a future Habitat for Humanity NCR home in Stittsville. The applicant plans to retain the existing home and Habitat for Humanity would build on the newly created lot. The site is located on the south side of Carp Road between Neil Avenue and McCooeye Lane. Habitat for Humanity NCR builds homes in partnership with local municipalities, donors, sponsors, volunteers and low income working families. The families must be working and be able to pay a no interest, long-term mortgage. The severance application will be going before the City's Committee of Adjustment on June 18 at 9 a.m. at Ben Franklin Place, 101 Centrepointe Drive in The Chambers. Please contact my office for more information. Protecting our kids The public is invited to attend a special meeting that the Ottawa Police Services Board is hosting on “Protecting Our Kids.” The meeting is part of a new Public Interest Agenda the Board has adopted to enhance community engagement and education about issues of concern to citizens of Ottawa. The meeting will take place on June 12, 2008 in The Chambers at Ben Franklin Place located at 101 Centrepointe Drive, from 7 to 9 p.m. For additional information, please contact Lynn Kennedy at
613-560-1270 or lynn.kennedy@ottawa.ca. Hire a student A summer job is a stepping stone to a future career, and the Service Canada Centre for Youth (SCCY) ready to provide students in our community with an opportunity to gain valuable workplace experience. The SCCY has returned to the Kanata Town Centre, located at 150 Katimavik Road for the duration of the summer. Students will be provided with resources on obtaining employment, including resume and cover letter writing assistance, mock interviews, and access to the government’s job bank. I hope the students and youth of our community are able to
take advantage of everything the SCCY has to offer. The bus is coming back After the overwhelming success of the ‘Fill the Bus’ campaign last December, the Stittsville Food Bank is running this food drive again on June 7. There will be a bus parked outside Brown’s Your Independent Grocer between 9am and 5pm and the goal is to fill the bus with food to help the Food Bank get through the summer. Any donations are welcome, but in particular, the Stittsville Food Bank is short of the following items: cereal, powdered milk, cheese spread, apple sauce, canned potatoes, canned beets, canned mushrooms, peanut butter, canned fruit cocktail, peaches, toothpaste, toilet paper, tissues, soap and shampoo. Mark June 7th on the calendar and be sure to visit Brown’s Your Independent Grocer and take part in the ‘Fill the Bus’ campaign. My ward office also accepts donations on behalf of the
Food Bank Monday, Wednesday and Friday each and every week. “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 or by e-mail at shad.qadri@ottawa.ca. Please note that you can also contact my ward office every Monday and Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and every Wednesday from 1 p.m.-8 p.m. at 613-580-2424 ext. 33440 or 33442. Also, feel free to stop by anytime at 1532 Stittsville Main Street. Sincerely, [ close window ] |
