Sep 03

September 2023 Newsletter

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

Registration is now open for the fall Cleaning the Capital campaign

Nothing is more spectacular than the fall colours in and around Ottawa. This September, help make those views in your community even more enjoyable by registering for Cleaning the Capital.

Thanks to nearly 37,000 participants, the spring campaign was a big success with over 970 projects registered and approximately 30,000 kilograms of waste collected. Since Cleaning the Capital began in 1994, over 1.4 million volunteers have participated, and it is estimated that over 1,000,000 kilograms of waste has been removed from our public spaces.

Registration is now open until Sunday, October 1 and can be easily done online. You can choose from a variety of public spaces to help clean up, such as community parks, roadsides, and shorelines.

Here are some important dates for the fall campaign:

  • Tuesday, August 15: Registration opens
  • Friday, September 15 to Sunday, October 15: Fall Cleaning the Capital campaign
  • Sunday, October 1: Registration closes
  • Tuesday, October 31: Deadline to submit your online cleanup report

Starter cleanup kits are available upon request. To learn more about the campaign or register your project, visit ottawa.ca/clean.

person grilling hamburgers and hot dogs

Community BBQ – September 10

Join us on September 10, 2023, between 11 and 2 for our annual free community BBQ! Golden Fries will be serving lunch, the Girl Guides will host a craft and games table, we’ll have amazing face painting and more.

Find out more on our Facebook event page or write to us at mailto:conventglenorleanswood@gmail.com.

 

Annual General Meeting - Get Involved!

CGOWCA Annual General Meeting – September 18

The Annual General Meeting of the Convent Glen Orléans Wood Community Association will take place in-person (Orléans Wood room at Bob MacQuarrie Recreation Complex) and virtually (on Zoom) on Monday, September 18, 2022, at 7p.m. We are pleased to welcome Lili Miller of Indigenous Roots Orléans as our guest speaker.

Register for the AGM

It is during the AGM that we elect our board members. Two of our board members will begin the second year of their term and three of them will be up for re-election, should they choose.

We are always open to new members joining the board! If you are interested and/or have questions, please write to us at conventglenorleanswood@gmail.com. Interested parties can self-nominate during the AGM, and general members will vote to accept the new members of the board. If you are unable to attend the AGM but would like to nominate yourself, you can do so in writing ahead of the meeting. All residents of Convent Glen and Orléans Wood aged 18 years and over are considered members of the association and have the right to vote at the AGM. Read our bylaws to learn more about our processes.

Blackburn Community Association and Convent Glen Orleans Wood Community Association are co-hosting the Cancer Chase 5K "Chasing the Cure." Sunday September 24th at 975 Orleans blvd at 9:15am. walk and run in support of cancer research. Silent Auction, Raffle Draw and Amusement Area. To register or donate, go to tohf.crowdchange.co/33667

2023 Cancer Chase – September 24

This year, the Blackburn Hamlet Community Association (BCA) and the Convent Glen Orléans Wood Community Association (CGOWCA) are working together to host the Cancer Chase 2023.

Date:  Sunday, September 24th

Location: 975 Orleans Boulevard, near Cairine Wilson High School in Convent Glen.

Activity:  5k walk/run along the Ottawa River and fun for the whole family including a Silent Auction, Raffle and Fun Zone that includes a selfie station. Ottawa Fire Services will be on site allowing young and old to see a Fire Truck up close!

All funds from the Cancer Chase event go directly to cancer research at the Ottawa Hospital via the Ottawa Hospital Foundation (OHF). Last year more than 170 people attended and helped raise over $15,000. The Cancer Chase event has become a vibrant community event that can be enjoyed by the entire family while at the same time supporting a worthwhile cause. This year’s theme is “Chase the Cure”.

How can you help?

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

CGOWCA Bridge Committee Update

Our door-to-door campaign is continuing, and the response from residents continues to be encouraging: the vast majority express firm opposition to the idea of an Ottawa River bridge between Orleans and Greens Creek whose access road would carve up the Greenbelt. The campaign will enter a new phase in September.

Testing of the riverbed, conducted earlier at McLaurin Bay and Lower Duck Island, has moved to Kettle Island, suggesting that the latter location remains an option under active consideration.

We will have an information table at the upcoming CGOWCA BBQ, so please be sure to drop by, get to know us, and get the latest news.

As always, you can turn to our website www.orleansbridge.ca  for information. You can contact us at cgnbridgecommittee@gmail.com.

Parkrun Orleans banner - blue background and logo on a white cloud.

Orléans Parkrun Needs YOU!

Since Parkrun came to Convent Glen / Orléans Wood in 2019, they’ve offered over 150 timed 5k races for runners, joggers, and walkers of all ages. The events take place on Saturday mornings and the start and finish lines are at the beginning of the pathway at the end of Orléans Blvd. They are in need of volunteers! There are a variety of roles and lots more information here: https://www.parkrun.ca/orleans/volunteer/   

How to get involved

  • In advance: If you know in advance that you would like to volunteer (either the next weekend or a future date) please email orleans@parkrun.com and we will be in touch – we’d love to hear from you! Please include your full name and, if you know it, your parkrun ID found on your barcode.
  • On the day: If you’re not sure of your weekend plans and don’t want to commit in advance, just turn up and talk to the volunteers when you arrive – we can never have too many volunteers!
  • Interested in volunteering regularly? You can sign up to receive volunteering emails in your parkrun profile, which you can find here.

Register: If you’ve not yet registered for parkrun, please register here, you can then keep track of your parkrun progress as you work towards the various milestones. You do not need to register separately for volunteering.

Jul 08

July / August 2023 Newsletter

young woman sitting in front of a sunset and making the shape of a heart in front of the sun.

Summer Edition

We are putting out a summer edition again this year to give volunteers a summer break.  Our next edition will be coming out around Labour Day weekend.  Thanks for your support.

The enviro committee standing in front of Orleans Wood Elementary School in celebration of the Pollinator's Paradise sign.

Check out Convent Glen – Orleans Wood’s newest Pollinator Garden!

On Thursday, June 22nd, CGOWCA’s Environment Committee unveiled its latest initiative, the “Pollinator’s Paradise” pollinator garden, in partnership with Ecology Ottawa and Orleans Wood Elementary School!

The committee worked to remove invasive plants, dying shrubs, and non-native species, and replaced them with more than 40 different types of native wildflowers and plants. Pollinator gardens are an example of ways our community can help to create and protect habitats for pollinators to live and thrive and help them in supporting other important ecosystems. This garden also exposes guests to various plants that are important to our environment. It was designed so that it would provide the most benefit for pollinators and support them through their full life cycle with shelter, bare ground for nesting, water, pollen, and nectar. Since native plants naturally grow in this area and are already adapted to the soil and weather here, once they’re established in the garden, they’re very low maintenance. 

A very special thank you to the students at Orleans Wood Elementary School for choosing the name of this garden! This project was made possible with support from Orleans Wood Elementary School’s Principal Dianne Morris, Madame Kim and her students, William van Geest from Ecology Ottawa, the Ottawa Community Foundation, TD Environmental Leaders Program, and TD Friends of the Environment Foundation. 

Are you curious about pollinator gardens? Stop by the front of Orleans Wood Elementary School to see it for yourself! 

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. 

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

CGOWCA Bridge Committee Update

The door-to-door campaign to raise awareness about the federal government’s planned bridge across the Ottawa River just west of Orleans is well and truly underway. Our small army of volunteers has already covered a good part of Convent Glen.

We have all been struck by several aspects of the community’s response so far. Firstly, it is clear that the government’s “zero publicity” policy has been highly effective: the vast majority of the residents we spoke to have no idea that this project even existed. Even those residents who have lived in the area long enough to remember the government’s previous attempt (over ten years ago) were astonished to find that, like a zombie, this ill-conceived idea has lurched back to life. But, very encouragingly, the same vast majority have declared themselves to be utterly opposed to a bridge across the Ottawa River and through the Greenbelt.

This, upon reflection, should surprise no one. Everyone who lives in Orleans is acutely aware of how very green our neighbourhood is, and how enriched it is by its proximity to the Ottawa River and the Greenbelt. This is particularly true of Convent Glen and Orleans Wood.

We appeal to our readers to get more involved if you can. The easiest contribution you can make is to sign a petition against the bridge, which we will soon be posting on our website: www.orleansbridge.ca.  (The website is also a great source of information on the bridge, including a map that graphically conveys how disruptive the bridge would be.)

But the most sure-fire way of mobilizing opposition to the bridge remains knocking on doors, as not everyone is aware of this newsletter. We invite you to swell our small army of door-to-door volunteers to reach all the residents of Convent Glen Orleans Wood and beyond more effectively.  You can reach us at: cgnbridgecommittee@gmail.com.

Thank you, and let’s keep Orleans green!

Yoga in the Park 2023

Event Poster: Yoga in the park. Free. No registration required. Wednesdays at 7pm. July 5, 12, 19, 26 at Decarie Park. August 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30 at Hiawatha Park.
woman standing outside holding an open book. She has long curly brown hair and is wearing glasses, a coat and has a strap from a bag slung on her shoulder.

Pieced Together StoryWalk

The Heart of Orléans BIA is so excited to launch a Pieced Together StoryWalk in The Heart of Orléans BIA on July 8, 2023! Start your adventure at Gloucester Veterinary Hospital at 11AM! Meet local author Timm Holmes (TimmWrites) and hear how Roxy Robin’s story begins! Collect a colouring sheet and have fun making your way through the neighbourhood!

Look for the “Start Your Story Here” sign on the lawn of the Vet’s office for the first page of the StoryWalk. Read or use the QR codes on the posters to watch a storytelling of each page, and then choose what you and Roxy Robin will do next! Can you discover all four different endings?

Event poster: Carivibe July 21-23 2023. Friday July 21st J'ouvert on York at the 27 Club. Saturday July 22nd - Reach the Beach at Petrie Island. Saturday July 22nd - Bam Bam Block Party - life presents x Mexi's. Sunday July 23rd - Mango food and music fest - Byward Market at the Ottawa Sign.

Carivibe Festival

Description from the Heart of Orléans BIA website: Get ready to experience the sights, sounds, and flavours of the Caribbean as the highly anticipated Carivibe Festival returns to Ottawa, Canada July 21-23, 2023.

Carivibe is set to be the biggest and most vibrant celebration of Caribbean culture in the Nation’s Capital.

With its vibrant music, colorful costumes, delicious food, and rich history, the Caribbean is a melting pot of cultures, and Carivibe Festival brings it all to life. Over the three-day festival, attendees will be treated to an authentic menu of Caribbean cuisine, live music, dance performances, and other entertainment acts that represent the Caribbean’s diverse cultural heritage. www.carivibe.com

National Pickleball day event poster. Information contained in article text.

National Pickleball Day Event at Orléans Tennis Club

Description from the Heart of Orléans BIA website: The Orléans Tennis Club will be co-hosting a National Pickleball Day evening with the Ottawa Pickleball Association on Saturday, August 11 from 6-9pm.

This event will be open to the larger community, FREE OF CHARGE (and free cake/snacks), whether you have never played pickleball before, or if you’re an avid player. Instructions/lessons will be available, and extra paddles will be available to borrow. No need to be a member of the Orleans Tennis Club or the Ottawa Pickleball Association. www.orleanstennisclub.ca

photo of a dog

Summer Market at Shenkman

Doggo Cakes and Treats is hosting a summer outdoor market with over 30 vendors.  Free entry, door prizes and dogs welcome.  Come to the Agora Minto-Orléans on July 29th and August 19th at 1pm.

branch with 5 visible turtles resting on it. The turtles are not very large. They are dark green-black. The arms and face have bright yellow stripes and markings.

Family and Friends Guided Tours by Friends of Petrie Island

A tour of the nature trails, with talks about the flora and fauna of the island, its history and geology, and who the Friends of Petrie Island are and what they do.

Prices (Per session)

  • $15 – 1-5 people
  • $20 – More than 5 people
  • $10 – Discounted for members (inquire about becoming a member)

**Bring exact change**

Bilingual instructors available

To register for a program, please complete the form on their website: https://www.petrieisland.org/childrens-nature-programs.  A staff member of Friends of Petrie Island will then contact you.

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.