Like many of you in the community, I have been following the news concerning the roundabout currently under construction at the intersection of Jeanne d’Arc and Fortune/Vineyard very closely. Last week, I spoke with Kyle Delaney, the project manager for the city of Ottawa, to ask for a clearer picture of the design of the roundabout which has been a hot topic of debate in the community.
I think there is a lot the city has got right with this considered design, and I think they have provided a diverse set of clear evidence for the decisions made so far in the traffic study, road safety audit, and FAQ documents listed on the project website.
Check out the detailed design for the intersection as it will appear when the project is complete next year. I hadn’t seen the layout of the intersection to such a level of detail, and I feel a lot better about it now.
CGOWCA is holding a virtual Members Meeting on Monday September 9th at 7pm. During this meeting we will be reviewing and calling for approval of amendments to our bylaws, which are required to comply with the new Ontario Not for Profit Corporations Act. A copy of these draft bylaws can be found on our website (New Bylaws 2024). Any CGOWCA member is allowed to attend this meeting.
A member is any resident who is 18+ years old that residents in our catchment area, or a property or business owner whose property or business is situated within our catchment area. Residents wishing to attend should email us at conventglenorleanswood@gmail.com with their name and residential address. Property or business owners who wish to attend should provide us with the address of their property or business that is within our catchment area.
On Sunday, September 8, 2024 from 11 AM – 2 PM, there will be a community BBQ by Golden Fries on the Convent Glen Shopping Center. There will be lots of fun and activities for the family.
Catch up on the rules of the road around schools and crosswalks as school gets back in session this fall.
Cheryl Turpin, morning crossing guard at Convent Glen Catholic School shares some great info about keeping kids safe around the roads near our schools. Cheryl has also provided some details from the City about ongoing construction at Jeanne d’Arc and Fortune as work on the roundabout begins.
Article: Nadia Ouellette, CGOWCA Environment Committee Photo credit: Dave Keys
Fall is upon us, and we will soon witness the migration of the Monarch butterfly. From September to October, Eastern Monarchs begin their long migration from Canada to Mexico. These amazing insects will fly over 4000 km (2500 miles) to central Mexico. On average they can fly 100 miles per day and one single Monarch was documented to fly 250 miles in one day!
The CGOWCA environmental subcommittee invites you to an information talk on Monarch gardens.
Please join us in hosting the Monarch Teacher Network’s presentation on “Creating a Monarch Garden”
Want to learn more about this amazing butterfly and how your garden can help? It’s not too late to add plants to this year’s garden or to design next year’s garden.
Please join us!
When? Thursday September 26th, 7:30 pm Where? Hall A at Bob Macquarrie Recreation Complex Cost? Free! Donations will be welcome
CGOWCA Annual General Meeting – September 24th at 7 PM
September 24th, 2024 at 7:00 PM / Bob MacQuarrie – Hall G
Participants are encouraged to arrive 15 minutes early to get settled and start the meeting promptly.
We hope you have all had a thoroughly enjoyable and restful summer.
While recent news (please see the Latest News: Federal Budget section on the first page of our website, www.nogreenbeltbridge.com) suggests that the Greenbelt bridge project is on hold, experience has taught us to remain vigilant: this very project was declared abandoned in 2013, but then was quietly reinitiated in 2022 (see our website’s History tab). With this sobering realization in mind, we are continuing our awareness-raising campaign so that, should the federal government suddenly announce its intention to move forward with a bridge across the Ottawa River and through the eastern Greenbelt, we would be able to immediately and convincingly show that the entire community is already opposed to it.
Stay tuned or, better yet, get involved. You can reach the Bridge Committee at cgnbridgecommittee@gmail.com. You are welcome to add your name to our database so that we can better keep you in the loop.
Volunteer for the Board of Directors
We are seeking individuals looking to give back to their community by joining the CGOWCA Board of Directors. If you are interested in volunteering, please send an email to conventglenorleanswood@gmail.com by September 3rd.
Directors attend one Board meeting per month, lasting approximately 1.5 hours. In addition, Directors get to help shape the future of the Association by actively managing the Association’s business. For example, you could help plan and implement initiatives related to our Strategic Plan, such as a communication strategy, fundraising, or signing up other volunteers. Or, you could help by planning local community events.
The number of hours per month each Director volunteers above and beyond attending Board meetings is determined by that Director.
A Special Thank You to Outgoing Newsletter Editor Frances Childs
After several years as the organizing force behind this newsletter, Fran has decided to step away to pursue other volunteer opportunities.
We are so very grateful for all of Fran’s hard work over the years and we wish her the best of luck!
Send in Local Stories
Is there something going on in the community (events, interesting news, something else) that you think other members of the community may want to see, email conventglenorleanswood@gmail.com with the information. This year, we are trying out publishing on the website more frequently and using the monthly newsletter to curate highlights from the community. We can’t promise to post everything, but we will do our best.
The Convent Glen Orleans Wood Community Association is holding its Annual General Meeting on September 24th in Hall G at the Bob MacQuarrie Recreation Complex at 7pm. Please send an email to conventglenorleanswood@gmail.com to register. The agenda can be found below. People are encouraged to arrive 15 mins early to get situated and to fill out their membership forms.
Article: Nadia Ouellette, CGOWCA Environment Committee Photo credit: Dave Keys
Fall is upon us, and we will soon witness the migration of the Monarch butterfly. From September to October, Eastern Monarchs begin their long migration from Canada to Mexico. These amazing insects will fly over 4000 km (2500 miles) to central Mexico. On average they can fly 100 miles per day and one single Monarch was documented to fly 250 miles in one day!
There are typically four to five generations of Monarchs per year. The fall adult population, tasked with this long journey to Mexico, can live up to nine months. They live over winter as adults then lay eggs in Mexico. These eggs become generation one, who will migrate north and lay new generations of eggs along the way. This is considered one of the marvels of nature as these insects are migrating long distances to a land they have never seen before. They inherently know which direction to travel.
Unfortunately, the population of this majestic insect has declined by 90% since the 1990s. Agriculture and urban development have destroyed habitat and food required to sustain the travelling Monarchs. Heavy use of herbicides and pesticides are also destroying the plants needed to feed Monarch’s and killing the insects themselves.
What can we do? As with most butterflies, the caterpillar stage can only eat from specific plants. The host plant for the Monarch is milkweed. Ontario is lucky to have a variety of beautiful native milkweeds. To help preserve the Monarch, it’s important to plant milkweeds in your garden. Having other native plants available to feed the adult butterfly is also important for their survival.
Creating a Monarch Garden | Monarch Teacher Network Presentation
Thursday, September 26, 2024 at 7:30 PM / Hall A, Bob Macquarrie Rec Complex FREE (Donations welcome)
We are pleased to announce that we are hosting The Monarch Teacher Network for a lecture on “Creating a Monarch Garden”. Please join us Thursday September 26th, 7:30 pm at Bob MacQuarrie, Hall A for a complementary community discussion on how your garden can help the Monarch.
