Jun 04

June 2023 Newsletter

A group photo from the 2022 walkathon when the group was on Radisson walking towards the pathway. In the photo you can see about 30 people and a number of dogs walking together.

Thank You!


Thank you to everyone that joined us at our 5th Annual Dog Walkathon, a fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society.  This was a great event for the community to come together, have some fun, and raise a bit of money for cancer research.  Thanks to Laura Dudas for helping with this event, and to Easy Breezy Dog Training for donating some great training books for our raffle.  We raised $270 for cancer research. 

If you would like to contribute, it’s not too late!  You can still donate online:  https://fundraisemyway.cancer.ca/campaign/CGOWCA-Dog-Walkathon

a photograph of the blue sky with a few scattered white clouds dotting the blue.

Spare Our Air – Don’t let Vehicles Idle

The City is launching a new campaign to remind drivers about the idling control by-law. The idling of diesel and gas-powered vehicles emits pollutants into the air we breathe, causes odours, generates noise and contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.

The City’s idling control by-law prohibits most drivers from idling their vehicles for more than three minutes in a 60-minute period when the temperature is between 5°C and 27°C. Idling is allowed below 5°C and above 27°C to ensure that an occupied vehicle’s interior can be heated or cooled.

Some vehicles are permitted to idle longer under some circumstances, such as emergency vehicles, transit buses, transit support vehicles, farm vehicles and vehicles required to remain motionless because of an emergency, traffic, weather condition or mechanical problem.

Visit www.ottawa.ca/spareourair  to find tips on how to avoid idling.

Let's Bike Ottawa logo which has a green bicycle.

June is Let’s Bike Month

Let’s Bike Month is an annual campaign that encourages people to try cycling as a fun and healthy transportation option. Participants in the campaign:

  • Win prizes
  • Save money
  • Get access to free resources
  • See the GHG averted by choosing to bike
  • Have fun!

Whether you want to try biking for the first time, use the campaign to encourage your employer to support alternative commuting options, or encourage others in your life to give it a try, Let’s Bike Month provides the resources and motivation to help!

Let’s Bike Month, an EnviroCentre initiative, is made possible with the support of local businesses, sponsors and our partnership with the City of Ottawa.  Find out more here: www.letsbike.ca

A photo of two community members working on the pollinator garden in front of Orleans Wood Elementary School. They are wearing hats and gardening gloves. They have shovels in their hands and there are pots of plants around them.
A photo of the supplies for the job including cubes of soil and three flats of plants.

Orleans Wood Elementary School Pollinator Garden

Creating habitats for pollinators such as bees, insects and birds is vital for all our gardens and global agriculture, but not all plants or gardens make ideal homes for them. Native wildflowers are the best food and homes for pollinators.

The CGOWCA’s Environment Committee has partnered with Ecology Ottawa and Orleans Wood Elementary School to create a new pollinator garden in our neighborhood. Committee volunteers have been working hard to remove dying shrubs, invasive plants, and non-native species, and are planting native wildflowers in the school’s garden. We are also replacing grass with native plants, which benefits us all! 

The garden will help teachers share learning on natural sciences and encourage students to better understand how to protect the local ecosystem. The students are also excited to name the garden and watch it grow! 

Thank you to Ecology Ottawa for your generous contribution, and to Orleans Wood Elementary for your commitment and support!

Would you like to help with future projects like this? Join the CGOWCA’s Environment Committee! Email us for more information at ConventGlenOrleansWood@gmail.com

A person wearing white pants and a white tank top who has a rolled up blue yoga mat rolled up and in their arm. They are standing in a park with green grass.

Yoga in the Park is back for 2023!

It’s back for another season!  Save these dates in your calendars now and join us for a free outdoor yoga session.  We’ll meet each Wednesday evening at 7 during July and August.

  • July 5, 12, 19 & 26 at Décarie Park
  • August 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 at Hiawatha Park
aerial photo of interprovincial bridges crossing the Ottawa river / photo aérienne des ponts interprovinciaux traversant la rivière des Outaouais

CGOWCA Bridge Committee Update

As promised last month, our door-to-door campaign – to raise awareness about the federal government’s planned bridge across the Ottawa River just west of Orleans – has begun. We’re starting in Convent Glen, the neighbourhood nearest the prospective bridge, then moving into Orleans Wood and beyond. Expect a volunteer (a neighbour whose face you may even recognize!) to be ringing your bell, wearing a badge, and bearing information.

This is an issue that threatens to greatly undermine quality of life in Orleans, whether you live near the bridge’s planned route across the river and through the Greenbelt or not. Every resident of Orleans (not to mention Cumberland and Rockland) who uses Regional Road 174 (and who doesn’t?) will encounter an additional 25,000+ cars a day that will be joining the highway just east of Montreal Road, and the municipality has no plans or funds to ease this congestion by widening the roadway.

If you feel stirred to action by your conversation with our volunteer or after reading the handout, you’re more than welcome to join the team. The more of us there are, the quicker we can reach all stakeholders – and we all have a stake in this issue.

See you soon!

An overhead perspective photo of a highway. There are multiple lanes of traffic but only a few cars. The cars are moving so fast that they look like a blur.

From Matthew Luloff’s Newsletter – Interactive Traffic Map

Did you know that the City of Ottawa has an interactive traffic map to help residents travel around the city and navigate ongoing traffic impacts?
 
This map provides residents with real time information about road closures related to construction, incidents and events.
 
Going forward, all Stage 2 LRT construction related impacts will be reflected in this map, so that residents can get real time information about lane and ramp closures and can plan their travels accordingly.
 
You can consult the interactive traffic map here: https://traffic.ottawa.ca/map/?lang=en
 
In addition to the map, residents can continue to use these resources for information about upcoming and ongoing traffic impacts:
 
City of Ottawa weekly traffic PSA

 Stage 2 LRT – Active public notices 

May 08

May 2023 Newsletter

Worry Free Snowblowing inc logo www.wfsnow.com

Thank you to Worry Free!

The CGOWCA would like to express our gratitude to Worry Free for clearing our outdoor rink after every large snowfall. Your help has been invaluable this rink season.

A heartfelt thank you as well to all of our rink volunteers whose dedication and love of community shine through every winter. We appreciate you!

A woman sitting in front of a computer at a table. She is leaning forward with her chin resting on her hand and smiling directly at the camera. She has shoulder-length black curly hair. She is wearing a green short sleeved shirt and glasses.

WE NEED YOUR INPUT – CGOWCA Survey!

How can the Community Association better serve your needs? How can public transportation be improved in our community? What kinds of events do you want to see in the area?

The Convent Glen Orléans Wood Community Association (CGOWCA) is surveying residents to better understand what issues are most important to them. The survey responses will be used to shape the association’s multi-year strategic plan.

Please fill in this 3 minute survey about your neighbourhood.

ABOUT CGOWCA

The Convent Glen Orléans Wood Community Association represents the interests of those residing in the catchment area which is bordered by the National Capital Greenbelt to the west, the Ottawa River to the north, Champlain St. to the east and St. Joseph Blvd. to the south. We endeavor to share relevant information with residents about local issues and organize community events.

Questions? Email conventglenorleanswood@gmail.com

Poster text: CGOWCA Annual Dog Walkaton on Saturday May 27 2023 from 9am to 11am at Hiawatha Park. Proceeds raised go to the Canadian Cancer Society. Donate the day of or online. 3 kms of fun for all.

Dog walkathon

Bring your pup to Hiawatha Park (corner of Voyageur and Voyageur) on Saturday May 27th at 9am for a fundraising walk.  Proceeds go to the Canadian Cancer Society.  The route is about 3km and can be tackled at any pace.  If you don’t have a dog but enjoy walking with them, this is your chance! We hope to see you there.

For those who cannot attend, but want to donate, you may do that here: https://fundraisemyway.cancer.ca/index.cfm?fuseaction=donordrive.personalCampaign&participantID=2051

A photo of a card that says "Happy Mother's Day" sitting in front of a gold flower pot with a plan with lilac coloured flowers. In front of the card is a teacup filled with coffee sitting on a saucer. Both are white. Beside the cup and saucer are 2 pink and 1 green macaron cookies.

Mother’s Day is May 14th

For those who want to celebrate a mother in their lives, here are some ways to spend some quality time with that special person. 

Nature loving moms will want to get outside – here are some options:

  • Mother’s Day for the Queen Bee – Geesbees Honey Company is hosting at their farm at 538 River Road.  Treat your queen bee to an unforgettable experience at their honey farm! Your bee-loved mother will love the visit as both an enjoyable outing and a chance to learn about the fascinating world of bees and their queen.  They’ll be hosting special demonstrations about the queen bee throughout the day, which you can enjoy from their screened gazebo while watching the bees flying in and out of the beehives. https://www.geesbees.ca/event-details/mothers-day-for-the-queen-bee-1
  • Weekend Bikedays start on Saturday May 13th – so head over to the Parkway over the Mother’s Day weekend to cycle, walk, run or roll.  Today, NCC Weekend Bikedays provide about 17 kilometres of parkways to thousands of visitors, who enjoy seeing the Capital Region from a different perspective and in a fun and environmentally friendly way.  https://ncc-ccn.gc.ca/events/weekend-bikedays
    • Go for a Walk and look for birds, plants and animals. There are many free apps that you can use to help identify the things you see. Many of the apps allow you to log your sightings to help scientists and conservationists as a citizen scientist! Not all require a smart phone – some also have a website where you can log observations when you get home.

For active folks, there are some runs and walks you could join:

Event Poster text: Ottawa Farmers' Market Outdoor market season 2023. Landsdowne - Aberdeen Square on Sundays from May 7 to October 29 from 9am to 3pm. Westboro at Byron Linear Park on Saturdays from May 20 to Oct 28 from 9am to 3pm. Barrhaven at the Nepean Woods Park & Ride on Sundays from May 28 to October 29 from 10am to 2pm. Orléans at the Ray Friel Complex on Thursdays from May 25 to October 26 from 11am to 4pm.

Ottawa Farmers’ Market returns to Orléans

From May 25th to October 26th, head to Ray Friel Complex on Thursdays between 11am and 4pm to grab local produce and market goodies.  https://ottawafarmersmarket.ca/orleans-market/

aerial photo of interprovincial bridges crossing the Ottawa river / photo aérienne des ponts interprovinciaux traversant la rivière des Outaouais

Bridge Committee Update

As we finally emerge from winter’s deep freeze, everything is astir, and the Bridge Committee is no exception. This month, we are launching our door-to-door campaign in the neighbourhood to ensure that no one remains unaware of a federal government proposal to build a bridge across the Ottawa River and through the Greenbelt at the western edge of Orléans. Our volunteers will be wearing badges for easy recognition, and will be distributing printed information on the harmful consequences the bridge would have on the community and the environment:

  • destruction of the Greenbelt on the Ontario side and of extensive wetlands on the Quebec side
  • further traffic saturation on Regional Road 174 and “the split”, already strained by ongoing development in Orleans and points east.

Residents will also be invited to get involved in various ways – by contacting their government representatives, attending public meetings, etc. – to clearly convey to the government that this proposal is not supported by the community.

We look forward to meeting neighbourhood residents in person, and to working together to preserve the rare gem in which we live!

8 community members who are part of the Environment Committee standing with the enormous pile of garbage and recycling that they gathered during the CGOWCA Cleaning the Capital event on Earth Day.

Environment Committee Update

On Earth Day, April 22nd, CGOWCA’s Environment Committee hosted a “Cleaning the Capital” neighbourhood clean-up.

Over 90 community members pitched in to collect over 100 bags of waste and recycling from parks, paths, and green spaces throughout our community. The efforts of this group have helped keep our community clean and helped prevent trash from making its way into green spaces and waterways. 

Thank you to our sponsors, and to all the community members who came out. Your support made this event a big success! We look forward to seeing you at our next event. 

Pictured, members of the Environment Committee with some of the waste collected throughout the event. 

If you want to join our committee, please email conventglenorleanswood@gmail.com.

Apr 10

April 2023 Newsletter

Photo of a person wearing black shorts and a blue t-shirt who is walking on grass. They are holding a white garbage bag and a tool to pick up litter. Photo d'une personne portant un short noir et un t-shirt bleu qui marche sur l'herbe. Elle tient un sac poubelle blanc et un outil pour ramasser les déchets.

We invite you to join us for Earth Day!

The Convent Glen-Orléans Wood Community Association’s Environment Committee is running a ‘Cleaning the Capital’ event on Earth Day – Saturday, April 22, 2023. Check out our event page on Facebook.

Each spring and fall, residents across the Ottawa area volunteer to clean and beautify their neighbourhoods as part of the Cleaning the Capital Program.

All are welcome (all ages and all abilities)! We will provide clean-up supplies like garbage bags, nitrile gloves, and recycling bags starting at 9 a.m. at Cairine Wilson Secondary School. You can come as a group, or individuals. We will have some ideas of areas we think need cleaning up but participants can also choose to clean their own streets or parks nearest their homes.

After the clean-up, we will thank our volunteers and community members with free refreshments and a raffle at Cairine Wilson Secondary School between 12pm-2pm.

This is an excellent opportunity for students to earn volunteer hours. Please bring a printed form for organizers to sign.

If the event is rained out, it will be rescheduled for Sunday, April 23rd.

RSVP to the event on Facebook: https://facebook.com/events/s/earth-day-cleaning-the-capital/137080929121093/

If you are interested in purchasing a sponsorship package, or donating a prize for our raffle, please contact ConventGlenOrleansWood@gmail.com. Please also write to us if you require any accommodations during the event.

We hope you can join us make our community a cleaner, greener place!

Logo banner for 2023 Cleaning the Capital Campaign. The image has stylized icons of trees and park benches in greens and blues.

30th Anniversary of Cleaning the Capital

Registration opened on March 15th! Join the thousands of community volunteers who demonstrate their civic pride by taking an active role in keeping our city clean and green. This year, we are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Cleaning the Capital campaign.

Register your cleanup project by May 1st. Then, get cleaning any time between April 15th and May 31st. Cleanup kits which include garbage bags, recycling bags, and gloves will be available for pick up at 10 City of Ottawa facilities, three more than years past.

Important Cleanup Project tips:

  • If you can, please take all collected waste/litter back home and set it out on your regularly scheduled waste collection day. Remember to respect the 6-item limit. Visit Garbage and Recycling for more information.
  • If you can’t take it home, or if you have collected large quantities of waste/litter, please contact the Cleaning the Capital team at cleaning@ottawa.ca (email is preferred) or 613-580-2424 ext. 13458 on the day of your clean up so that we can arrange for on-site pick up. Remember to provide your registration number, quantity of bags, exact pickup location, and a photo of the waste/litter you have collected. Please note: Waste/litter pick-up will occur during regular business hours (Monday to Friday). Pick-up requests submitted on weekends will be actioned on the next business day.
  • Leave the leaves! Leaves should be left in open spaces that are maintained by the City, including parks and an in all naturalized and natural areas. Fallen leaves provide food and shelter for many species of butterflies and bees.
  • Save your registration code to submit the online Cleanup Report for each project you completed by June 15, 2023. Cleanup reports help staff measure the impact of this campaign.

Important dates for 2023:

  • March 15 – Registration opens
  • April 15 to May 31 – Cleaning the Capital Spring campaign
  • April 22 – Earth Day
  • May 1 – Last day to register your cleanup project
  • June 15 – Deadline to submit your cleanup report online
aerial photo of interprovincial bridges crossing the Ottawa river / photo aérienne des ponts interprovinciaux traversant la rivière des Outaouais

Updates from the Bridge Committee

The Bridge Committee continues to work towards a Door-to-Door Campaign to inform the community about the consequences of an Interprovincial Bridge being built in the east end of Ottawa. This is a huge undertaking, and we are taking it very seriously because we are keenly aware of what is at stake. Many volunteers will be needed to share the workload, and volunteers will ideally be knocking on the doors of their friends and neighbours. If you are interested in helping out with that project or anything else, please contact us at CGNbridgecommittee@gmail.com .

One concern we will be discussing with the community is the impact of adding 25,700 vehicles daily to highway 174 should a bridge be erected in the Greenbelt. Imagine that, after the traffic jams we have seen when just one lane of the highway was closed recently due to work on the LRT. We must remember that widening the highway isn’t part of the bridge plan; that will fall to the city, which does not have the funds for that work. Our lives in the east end will be changed for sure!

Stay informed! Find the Coalition to Stop the Bridge on Facebook and participate by supporting this Door-to-Door campaign. For more information, please check out the Bridge Committee’s webpage.

Workshop poster: Mark your calendar! A workshop on the City's Transportation Master Plan. Saturday April 15th from 9am to 2pm (to be confirmed). At the Jack Purcell Community Centre off Elgin Street near Lewis Street. Poster includes logos of supporting organizations: CAWI, Ecology Ottawa, Peoples Official Plan coalition, Federation of Citizen's Associations of Ottawa, and CAFES.

Transportation Master Plan Workshop

A number of organizations are coming together to organize a workshop on the city’s Transportation Master Plan. It is tentatively planned for Saturday, April 15th from 9 to 2 at the Jack Purcell Community Centre off Elgin Street, near Lewis Street.

Keep an eye on Ecology Ottawa’s Facebook page for updates.

A photograph of a road surface with at least 3 potholes. The potholes are filled with water and the surface of the road looks wet. It looks like the road surface has been patched because the road surface has different textures. / Une photographie d'un revêtement routier comportant au moins 3 nids-de-poule. Les nids-de-poule sont remplis d'eau et la surface de la route semble humide. On a l'impression que la surface de la route a été rapiécée parce qu'elle présente des textures différentes.

Tips for Pothole Season

Spring is a rough time for the City’s roads as ice melts and potholes appear to multiply.

Please call 3-1-1 if the pothole issue is related to the following:

  • Construction activity (square or rectangular cut in road)
  • An immediate hazard to people or property
  • Personal accessibility
  • A traffic-related issue (such as traffic signals or traffic signs)

For all emergency requests call 3-1-1. If this service is not available to you please call 613-580-2400. All other Service Requests will be triaged and addressed as operations allow.

You can also report potholes online via ServiceOttawa which even allows you to upload photos – here’s a direct link to the pothole reporting form:

https://so311.serviceottawa.ca/selfserve/?reqId=2000164&lang=en&form=Road_Maint_Surface.Pothole

National Volunteer Week: Volunteers strengthen the fabric of communities with a photo of an older woman receiving a side hug from a younger woman.

National Volunteer Week

April 16th to 22nd is National Volunteer Week for 2023.

The National Volunteer Week theme for 2023 is Volunteering Weaves Us Together. This reveals the importance of volunteering to the strength and vibrancy of our communities through the interconnected actions we take to support one another. These diverse forms of sharing our time, talent and energy strengthen the fabric of our community.

Through volunteering we experience our interconnectedness, making our lives more meaningful. Getting involved in various ways, we find friendship, develop trust, and link our relationships. Threading these connections, we come to belong as we contribute towards the same goals.

Knowing our volunteer contributions are valued and meaningful creates a greater sense of purpose and dedication. From helping build a home, cleaning up a park, or coaching a sports team to cooking for an ill friend, checking in on a neighbour, or helping a stranger cross the street, each action we take impacts our community’s overall wellness, now and for future generations.

During National Volunteer Week 2023, we celebrate our collective impact: through our kindness, generosity and commitment to volunteering, we weave our lives together.

The CGOWCA is run entirely by volunteers including the Board of Directors, the Community Rink Team, the monthly Newsletter, the website, and our events. Thank you to each of you.

Mar 12

March 2023 Newsletter

a wide photo of about 20 people enjoying the outdoors and the games in the snow at the winter carnival / une grande photo d'environ 20 personnes profitant du plein air et des jeux dans la neige lors du carnaval d'hiver
a person playing with a jumbo jenga game outdoors in the snow at the winter carnival / une personne jouant avec un jeu de jenga jumbo en plein air dans la neige lors du carnaval d'hiver
a final completed snowman at the winter carnival. it is made of three snow boulders, it is painted with food colouring, and has branches to make a face, arms and a crown. / un bonhomme de neige terminé au carnaval d'hiver. il est fait de trois blocs de neige, il est peint avec du colorant alimentaire, et a des branches pour faire un visage, des bras et une couronne.

Family Day Winter Carnival

Thank you to everyone who came out to our Family Day Winter Carnival on February 19! It was lovely to see so many of you enjoying the rink, games, hot chocolate and Taffy.

Thank you to Councillor Dudas for co-hosting this event with us. We look forward to making this an annual tradition.

A hand, palm up, holding a small plant seedling. The background is blurred but it appears as though they are outside. / Une main, paume vers le haut, tenant un petit plant. L'arrière-plan est flou mais on a l'impression qu'ils sont à l'extérieur.

Save the date: Earth Day Event 

Mark your calendars! The CGOWCA Environment Committee invites you to a ‘Cleaning the Capital’ event on Saturday, April 22nd 9am – 3pm. Stay tuned for more details next month!

Poster for Orléans Transit Forum. Share your concerns! Ottawa Transit Riders are invited to Bob MacQuarrie Recreation Complext - Hall H at 1490 Youville Drive on March 25th from 1pm to 4pm. / Affiche du Forum sur le transport en commun d'Orléans. Partagez vos préoccupations ! Les usagers du transport en commun d'Ottawa sont invités au Complexe récréatif Bob MacQuarrie - Hall H au 1490, promenade Youville, le 25 mars de 13 h à 16 h.

Orléans Transit Forum

On March 25th, the Ottawa Transit Riders will host a forum for residents to talk transit. Come join us. We want to hear about your frustrations – which buses are cancelled often, which ones are often over-crowded?

We want to hear solutions too. Would you re-instate express buses? Are there routes that need more capacity? Are there destinations in Orléans that need more service?

Sign up here on Eventbrite so we know how many cookies to buy. 

  • Saturday March 25th
  • 1pm to 4pm
  • Bob MacQuarrie Recreation Complex – 1490 Youville Drive 

Transit is an essential service – let’s make it a priority for this new council.

aerial photo of interprovincial bridges crossing the Ottawa river / photo aérienne des ponts interprovinciaux traversant la rivière des Outaouais

Update from the Bridge Committee

The Bridge Committee got some press recently when Radio-Canada interviewed a few members as part of a story about East Enders becoming vocal against an interprovincial bridge in the Greenbelt! It was a positive step forward for our committee in its efforts to bring awareness of the issue to the community. (Available in French only)

Plans for a widespread information campaign continue to be the focus of the CGOWCA Bridge Committee. People who live in the east end need to know that a bridge through the greenbelt would have disastrous consequences for residents who travel to and from downtown Ottawa and beyond due to the influx of 25,700 additional vehicles that would be travelling daily along our already over capacity highway 174. They also need to understand that a bridge the size of the MacDonald Cartier Bridge could be running through our greenbelt a few hundred metres from the homes in Convent Glen North. Volunteers are needed to get this project organized and/or to visit their own neighbours to discuss how the bridge will impact our community and what people can do to help prevent that from happening. To find out more, we can be reached at CGNbridgecommittee@gmail.com.

Many folks from Convent Glen attended the recent NCC Public Meeting about the Sir George Etienne Cartier Parkway Park and, while impressed with the plans for the park, were dismayed that the NCC wasn’t prepared to discuss the bridge, or the conflict seen by the community in planning for a bridge and a park in the same place.

Councillor Matt Luloff’s recent article in the Ottawa Citizen has generated a lot of discussion in the community.  It is good to know that our representatives are backing us. A positive meeting was had with Marie France Lalonde, and she has reaffirmed her opposition to a bridge. We will be discussing how we can work together to oppose a bridge that will have serious consequences for our community.

For more information about the bridge visit our page on the CGOWCA’s website: https://www.conventglenorleanswood.com/interprovincial-crossing/

A bee collecting pollen on a clump of dandelion flowers. / Abeille récoltant du pollen sur une touffe de fleurs de pissenlit.

Native Plants & Pollinator Gardens at Home

Nadia Ouellette, CGOWCA Environment Committee

Have you heard talk of native plant gardening and pollinators? Curious what all the fuss is about?

There are many benefits to planting native plants in your garden! Native plants come in all shapes and sizes and bring beauty to our yards. They are instrumental in the fight against pollinator decline and dying songbird populations. They sequester carbon and reduce rainwater runoff. Edible species add variety to our diets and ease strain on our wallets. Since native plants evolved for our climate and soil conditions, they won’t need to be babied with additional watering and fertilizer. They are better for your back, your wallet and the environment!

Why should we care about pollinators? 

You’ve probably heard that the Monarch butterfly is endangered. In fact, in the past four decades we have also lost 45% of all invertebrates. Pollinators, such as bees, butterflies, flies, beetles, moths, and hummingbirds, visit flowers to drink nectar and in so doing move pollen from one plant to another. Plants need pollinators to carry their pollen to other plants in order to reproduce, which means producing seeds, fruits, and the next generation of plants. One of every four bites of food we eat is thanks to the free labour of pollinators. The United States estimates that native pollinators provide three billion dollars of annual service to the economy. 

Ok, but isn’t my garden already helping? 

Most native bees are considered pollen specialists and only use pollen from specific plants. Native butterflies have co-evolved with native plants over millennia and most caterpillars only eat leaves of one species of plant. You may be aware that the Monarch caterpillar only survives by eating leaves of milkweed plants. Monarch butterflies will continue to struggle unless we regenerate native milkweed in our urban areas. Are you aware that the Giant Swallowtail caterpillar has only two Ontario host plants? One of them, the Common hoptree, is a species at risk in Ontario. These caterpillars play a vital role in feeding baby birds and are necessary for our songbird population. Plants from Asia or Europe do not help our local ecosystem.

Consider the species of plants on your property. Most, if not all, are cultivated plants (cultivars) bred for traits that appeal to humans, not pollinators, and are not originally found in our area. Take a moment to look at your garden when it is in bloom, do you see bees and hummingbirds feeding? If you are looking to add native plants that attract pollinators don’t go to the big box stores, they will mostly have cultivars and non-native species. Choose a native plant nursery or a landscaper such as: 

Want to learn more?

Want to help?

The CGOWCA Environment Committee is looking for teachers or parents who can help establish pollinator gardens at local schools. We are creating pollinator gardens in local parks and will be needing volunteers to help us.  Want to get involved or learn more? Reach out to our committee chair, Cassandra Polyzou at ecopolyzou@gmail.com. 

Feb 04

February 2023 Newsletter

Worry Free Snowblowing inc logo www.wfsnow.com

Outdoor Rink at St. Moritz

A giant thank you to Worry Free Snowblowing for helping clear our outdoor rink! 

Our team of volunteers is working very hard on the rink! Contact us at conventglenorleanswood@gmail.com if you are interested in helping out.

snowman figurine holding a cup of steaming hot chocolate while outside in the snow

Family Day Winter Carnival

Join the CGOWCA and Ward 2 Councillor Laura Dudas for an afternoon of outdoor fun for the family! We’ll be serving hot chocolate (bring your own mug!) and maple taffy, and there will be plenty of games.
Bring your skates to take advantage of our outdoor rink, maintained by our exceptional group of volunteers.

  • When: Monday February 20th
  • What time: 1pm to 3pm
  • Where: Jeanne d’Arc Park (1155 St. Moritz)

RSVP to the Facebook event for updates and reminders.
In case of inclement weather such as rain, the event will take place on February 19th instead.

photo of a small pink flower with many green leaves that is growing up between the cracks of paving stones

Resources from Know What do Do:  Hope, Help and Strength when Faced with Suicide

For those of you who were not able to attend the webinar the CGOWCA coordinated earlier this month, the link to the full video is here on Suicide Prevention Ottawa’s YouTube page where you can also access previous recordings such as the presentation about the Skills for Safer Living program.

If these tools could be helpful to other people that you know or support, consider passing them along by sharing Suicide Prevention Ottawa’s Livestream of the webinar on your Facebook page or through other mediums.

For those who don’t have time to watch the whole webinar:

  • Click here to view the presentation by Jenna Wray, Engagement Coordinator at Centre for Suicide Prevention who shares how to talk about suicide with someone you are worried about.
  • Click here to view the presentation by Yolaine Roberge, Peer Supporter with the Skills for Safer Living program who talks about how to be more successful when asking for help as a person who struggles with suicide.
  • Click here to view the presentation by Brittany Oremush, Public Health Nurse at Ottawa Public Health who talks about local resources that are available in Ottawa.
aerial photo of Ottawa's interprovincial bridges

Update from the Bridge Committee

The Bridge Committee is working hard to gather accurate and up-to-date information about the process and progress of the decision for the placement of the Sixth Crossing in the East End. So far, neither the National Capital Commission (NCC) or Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) have answered our questions. A very candid meeting with Marie France Lalonde, MP for Orléans, yielded that a decision could be made in about a year. For folks who have seen the barges on the Ottawa River, which have been collecting samples for the studies, the barges will reappear in the Spring to do more testing.
 
We were able to obtain a full copy of the NCC’s Refresh Document and are studying it in detail. What concerns us most is the fact that while Kettle Island is still the preferred option, McLaurin Bay (also referred to as Option 7, which has the Bridge running through the Greenbelt next to Convent Glen) seems to be favoured as well. In collaboration with the Environmental Committee, we continue to plan for a widespread information campaign in the weeks to come.
 
Something you and your neighbours can do to help now, is to participate in NCC’s online consultation regarding the Sir George Etienne parkway prior to an open house. It is a good way to ensure the decision makers know the east end is strong in its desire to protect and sustain the eastern greenbelt – what is left of it.

photograph of the full moon with some cloud cover

Ski Under the Full Moon 

Join us for an evening of skiing, hot chocolate, camaraderie, and more at our Moonlight Ski event! Bring your Nordic skis, a reusable mug, a headlamp (if available), and make sure to dress warmly. All ages and skill levels are welcome.  You can register on Facebook for updates and reminders.

Groomers from Ski Heritage East will be out in advance, and the trails will be set for both classic and skate skiing.  The event is hosted by the Convent Glen Orléans Wood Community Association with support from Ski Heritage East and Ward 2 Councillor Laura Dudas.·        

  • WHEN: Sunday Feb. 5th at 7:00pm (Full moon) **·        
  • WHERE: Meet at Roy G. Hobbs Community Centre (109 Larch Crescent). Free parking and indoor washrooms available.·        
  • WHAT TO BRING: Nordic skis, warm clothes, headlamp (if you have one), reflective clothing, reusable mug

OTHER DETAILS: This event will take place during a full moon, but the trails will still be dimly lit so we suggest folks bring a headlamp if they can. Participants are invited to bring friends and family to join the fun! Hot chocolate and snacks will be served, so bring a reusable mug to be kind to Mother Earth.

**If we have inclement weather, we will postpone to Mon. Feb. 6th at 7:00pm

photograph of a person wearing a blue winter coat, red mittens and red purse who is holding a snowball shaped like a heart

Show Your Community Some Love! 

From the CGOWCA Environment Committee

This Valentine’s Day, consider four new practices that are better for the environment—and are sure to make your Valentine swoon!

Getting dressed up? Dress more consciously.  The clothes we buy and wear impact the environment. Choose natural, organic fibres as much as possible from ethical brands. Check your neighbourhood’s “Buy Nothing” Group for previously-loved articles of clothing for all ages, shapes, and sizes—100% free! Many thrift stores in our community sell quality clothing and use proceeds to help support local charities. 10 Stylish Ways to Dress More Consciously

Taking a dreamy winter walk? Contribute to citizen science.The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) needs our community’s help identifying trees, shrubs, and wildlife tracks in the winter snow. You and your Valentine can record your findings on a free app as you sip hot cocoa, walk along gorgeous neighbourhood trails, and enjoy the crisp air. No one does romance quite as well as Mother Nature! Take the NCC’s challenge to “Explore a Winter Wonderland” and enter to win a prize pack! 

Going on a dinner date? Eat seasonal and local produce.You can reduce the environmental footprint of your food while eating well and supporting Orléans’ best farmers. Not only is less energy required for growing and transporting seasonal, local produce, but February’s fruits and veggies shine in soups, stews, and the following recipes: Potato-Leek Galettes, Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, Apple Loaf Cake

Shopping for someone special? Source ethically-made, local gifts. February is Black History Month! Show some love to these Black-owned, environmentally-friendly businesses in our city this Valentine’s Day: Enfematic – Cruelty-free, plant-based candles and scrumptious bath + body products. Handmade in Ottawa with 100% natural and organic ingredients. Local Leaves – A sister duo with a love of plants, who sells and delivers within the Ottawa area. They also create and ship custom, hand-painted pots, paintings, prints, crafts and graphics from Koukatelier, using reused or recycled materials. To offset shipping, a portion of funds is reinvested in tree-planting initiatives. Izere Coffee – Community-minded mother-daughter team offering roasts from light to dark. They bring a taste of their native Burundi to Canada and have done some fun collaborations with breweries to make coffee beer in Ottawa!