Jun 10

June 2022 Newsletter

Logo for the play: a hand holding an open book that is being struck by lightning.

A Company of Fools brings The Tempest to Hiawatha Park

Friday June 24, 2022 at 7pm

Pay what you can, suggested donation $20

This live performance has a running time of 90 minutes.  This year’s play is brought to you by 6 actors, and features an original score with live music and their signature cartoon-ish puppets embodying numerous supporting characters.

Who are a Company of Fools?

They are a local, professional theatre company.  Their mandate is to create accessible and interactive performances based on the works of William Shakespeare for all audiences regardless of their geography, income, or age.  This summer, they are touring to over 40 parks in and around Ottawa. 

Check them out at https://fools.ca/

person grilling hamburgers and hot dogs

CGOWCA Annual BBQ!

We’ve started planning our annual community BBQ and we are looking for volunteers to help. Please write to conventglenorléanswood@gmail.com if you’d like to get involved.  Stay up to date on our activities with our Facebook group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/CGOWAssociation

Let's Bike Ottawa logo

Let’s Bike Ottawa!

The weather is improving to make it easier to take part in Let’s Bike Month this June!  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!

Find out more or sign up here: www.letsbike.ca

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.

two women holding hands with arms raised. one woman has a rainbow painted on her skin.

Pride Orléans

Connect with others locally who care about support, respect and inclusiveness for everyone: https://www.facebook.com/groups/258762344501674/about

In Ottawa, Capital Pride hosts a parade in August.  There are events coming up soon too!

  • June 17th – Pride Prom 2022:  Through the Decades — Open to high school students from across the National Capital Region and featuring live music and performances plus a recognition ceremony.  More information here: https://capitalpride.ca/events/pride-prom-2022-through-the-decades/
  • June 22nd – Trey Anthony:  Black Girl in Love (with Herself) — Trey Anthony is a visionary creator, comedian, television writer, and award-winning playwright of international significance. The first African Canadian woman to have her own program on a primetime Canadian network, she is the writer of the critically acclaimed hit play and television show ’Da Kink In My Hair, which put her on the map as a mentor and role model.  More information here: https://capitalpride.ca/events/12548/
person holding a red maple leaf

Canada Day – How to mark the day

We recognize that celebrating Canada Day is problematic for many members of our community because it celebrates the colonization and oppression of the original owners of this land.  If you don’t know about the problematic parts of Canada Day, please learn more here:  https://www.theindigenousfoundation.org/articles/why-you-shouldnt-be-celebrating-canada-day-and-what-to-do-instead.  As stated by the Indigenous Foundation, you might want to use the day as a day of reflection and of mourning.

There are some local events for those who wish to celebrate the day:

May 01

May 2022 Newsletter

Photos from the 2022 Dog Walkathon held on April 30, 2022

Dog Walkathon a Success!

Thank you to everyone who came out for our 4th annual Dog Walkathon on April 30th to raise funds for the Canadian Cancer Society! We surpassed our goal and raised over $1,700! Thanks to Trinity Physio and Barber Stop for their generous donations.

photo of two hikers checking their skin for ticks

Tick Bite Prevention

As we start to spend more time outside in the warmer months, it’s important to protect ourselves from ticks.  Ticks are usually in areas with shade and humidity like:  the woods, shrubby areas, areas with long grass or leaf litter.

There are lots of steps we can take to make it less likely we will pick up ticks when out enjoying our outdoor spaces – wearing long clothes so that skin is covered, wearing insect repellant with DEET on exposed skin, and staying on trails.   The second part of staying safe is to do a tick check when arriving home and to remove any ticks you find as soon as possible. 

You can find more details here:  https://www.parentinginottawa.ca/en/youth/mosquito-and-tick-bites.aspx

photo showing the two sizes of green bins (46L and 80L) and a kitchen catcher.

Green Bin Tips for Spring and Summer

Just because the warmer months are coming, it doesn’t mean that your green bin has to be a stinky, bug-filled mess or that the only answer is to (gasp!) stop using it.  Here are some tips from the City of Ottawa – you can find more here: https://ottawa.ca/en/garbage-and-recycling/green-bin-and-leaf-and-yard-waste

Keep it clean

  1. Line your green bin with flyers, newspaper or yard waste paper bags to help keep it clean.
  2. Reuse a plastic bag such as: bread bags, milk bags, grocery and retail bags etc., for bagging organic waste 
  3. Rinse your green bin with a garden hose from time to time, especially if you don’t line your bin with paper.
  4. Rinse your green bin with lemon juice, vinegar or baking soda to reduce odours and keep bugs out. 
  5. Spray your green bin with cooking oil in the winter to minimize risk of items freezing to the bin and ensure easy removal of waste.
  6. Keeping your meat or fish scraps in the freezer until collection day helps reduce odours.

Keep animals and bugs away

  1. Keep your green bin away from fences and deck railings so that animals can’t get into it.
  2. If you do place your bin near a fence or deck railing, secure it with a bungee cord so it doesn’t get knocked over.
  3. Sprinkling a strong-smelling biodegradable repellent such as vinegar or detergent on your green bin helps keep pests away.
  4. Remember to lock the lid to keep animals out of your green bin.
  5. Capture fruit flies with a bowl of vinegar covered with plastic wrap with several small holes in it. Empty as required.
  6. Put salt or vinegar on maggots to kill them. If maggots appear in the green bin, a fly has laid eggs on some exposed food waste.
  7. Peppermint oil, cayenne pepper, chili pepper or hot sauce can act as anti-gnawing repellents and help deter animals from taking an interest in your green bin.
Engage Ottawa logo

Public Engagement – Have Your Say

The City of Ottawa created Engage Ottawa www.engage.ottawa.ca as a way to make it simple for residents to share their thoughts on various projects, initiatives, and policies that affect everyone.

You can register, and then submit your feedback.  You can sign up for alerts so that you don’t miss out on opportunities. Currently, the following opportunities are available:

a hummingbird drinking from wildflowers

Ways to Green Your Yard and Gardens

It’s almost time to start yard clean up and some avid gardeners are probably already planning out their gardens for 2022.  Have you considered ways to make your yard and garden more environmentally friendly?  Here are some possibilities that might work for you. 

Apr 09

April 2022 Newsletter

decorative banner for Cleaning the Capital

Cleaning the Capital

Every spring and fall, Ottawa residents can help keep their neighbourhood looking great by signing up for Cleaning the Capital.  The City of Ottawa will provide supplies if you register your clean up here or call 311 to register.  Registration is open until April 30, 2022. 

After you do your clean up, if you fill out the report online, you can even win prizes for your efforts.  Once you register, you have until June 15th to submit your report.

Rally your neighbours or go solo to get Convent Glen and Orléans Wood looking ready for spring and summer enjoyment! 

apply for crossing guard jobs at www.crossing-guard.ca

Crossing Guards Urgently Needed!

There is still an urgent need for crossing guards in Convent Glen and Orléans Wood.  Maybe you could help?

Do you love being outside?

Do you have spare time in the morning or afternoon?

You might love being a Crossing Guard!

Shifts are during morning and afternoon school bell times.  The average shift is 40-60 minutes and paid $17 per shift.

It’s a great way to give back to the community!

For more details and to apply please see Crossing-Guard.ca

Poster for dog walkathon - article contains same information

Annual Dog Walkathon 2022 Edition

After a brief hiatus due to the pandemic, our annual Dog Walkathon, in support of the Canadian Cancer Society, is back!  Please join us on Saturday April 30th at 9am.  We’ll meet with our four-legged friends at Hiawatha Park (corner of Voyageur and Voyageur) and do a 3km walk.  Dogs and people of all fitness-levels are welcome!  Everyone will walk at their own pace along the course.  Even if you can’t join us, you can donate here.

photo of a dog

WordPress-Savvy Volunteer Needed

The CGOWCA is looking for a volunteer to help manage and improve our website. The ideal candidate would be fluently bilingual (French and English) and have some experience with the WordPress platform. We estimate that this volunteer role would require between 3 and 7 hours of work per month. Interested? Please send an email to conventglenorleanswood@gmail.com.

photo of a computer, notebook and coffee on a table

Mar 06

March 2022 Newsletter

endorse the campaign at www.startswithhome.ca

Endorse the Starts with Home campaign

Ottawa City Council declared a housing and homelessness emergency in January 2020. You can help to change this by supporting the Starts With Home campaign. It is a non-partisan campaign to build strong public support for Ottawa’s next City Council to take concrete action to solve the housing affordability crisis. You can read the platform here.

The goal is to reach 200+ organization endorsements and 20,000 individual endorsements to demonstrate that affordable housing is a key priority for our community. 

By endorsing the Starts With Home movement, you will join hundreds of neighbours who care about making sure that Ottawa is a city where everyone can have an affordable, appropriate home.

Change starts with us. 

Please join us and endorse the Starts With Home campaign.

apply for crossing guard jobs at www.crossing-guard.ca

Crossing Guards Urgently Needed!

There is an urgent need for crossing guards in Convent Glen and Orléans Wood.  Maybe you could help?

Do you love being outside?

Do you have spare time in the morning or afternoon?

You might love being a Crossing Guard!

Shifts are during morning and afternoon school bell times.  The average shift is 40-60 minutes and paid $17 per shift.

It’s a great way to give back to the community!

For more details and to apply please see Crossing-Guard.ca

image of a woman double exposed

Taking Care of Your Mental Health

Everyone has been dealing with a lot for the last 2 years.  Covid-19 impacts affecting work, school, and social outlets.  The convoy of trucks that occupied many areas of the city for weeks. International conflicts and worries of war.  These layers are on top of all the “regular” stressors that many of us are coping with.  It hasn’t been easy.  We’re not out of the woods yet.

It’s important to do what you can do to look after yourself as you and your neighbours are weathering these stressful times.

Ottawa Public Health also has a whole page of resources specifically targeted to “Responding to Stressful Events” (which we are all doing!): https://www.ottawapublichealth.ca/en/public-health-topics/responding-to-stressful-events.aspx

calculator, pen and words "income tax"

Income Tax Season

It’s almost time to file income tax for 2021.  Did you know that the only way to qualify for benefits like the Ontario Trillium Benefit, or the Guaranteed Income Supplement is by filing your income tax? 

For more information on filing personal income taxes,  check out this site: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/taxes/income-tax/personal-income-tax/get-ready-taxes.html. 

You’ll find information on the following topics:

  • how to get ready for 2021 taxes,
  • key dates for filing 2021 taxes,
  • what to report and claim,
  • updating your information with Canada Revenue Agency, and more!

If you’re wondering about free income tax clinics available locally, please check out this list:

  • Community Pentecostal Church Orléans Tax Clinic – 1825 St Joseph Blvd
    • Open for walk-ins; able to prepare returns for 2021 only; services in English and in French; open to the general public
  • RCCG Faith Chapel Tax Clinic – 4-2181 St Joseph Blvd
    • Open by appointment; able to prepare returns for 2021 and prior years; services in English, Igbo and Yoruba; open to the general public
  • Orléans-Cumberland Community Resource Centre – 613-830-4357 x310
    • Registration required; available to low-income families

Feb 06

February 2022 Newsletter

poster for the CGOWCA snow sculpture contest.

Winter Carnival Update

The board of the CGOWCA has decided to cancel our annual Winter Carnival again this year, due to the risk and uncertainty around the pandemic. (Yes, we’re just as tired of it as you are!)

Instead, we invite you to participate in our Snow Sculpture Contest! There will be two categories: 10 years old and under, and over 10 years old. Create something out of snow, take a picture and share it on our Facebook page with the hashtag #SnowMuchFun. Make sure to specify which category you belong to. We’ll create an album with all of the photos, and voting will take place between February 19 and 21, with the winner of each category being announced on February 21. If you aren’t on Facebook and would like to participate, please send your pictures to conventglenorleanswood@gmail.com before February 19.

image showing the 3 possible sites being considered by the NCC.

New Interprovincial Crossing Committee

Possible new Interprovincial Crossing options being considered by the NCC.

The CGOWCA would like to introduce a new subcommittee of our board: the Interprovincial Crossing Committee.

There has been talk of a sixth interprovincial crossing for many years. Recently, the National Capital Commission’s (NCC) mandate was renewed by the federal government to study interprovincial transportation and the possibility of a new interprovincial crossing. They have since drafted a Long-Term Integrated Interprovincial Crossings Plan, which was approved by the board of the NCC in January 2020.

In the past, when building a new bridge was a serious option, the NCC had narrowed the potential choices to three east end options, two of which would utilize part of Highway 174 and cut through the greenbelt immediately to the west of and bordering on Orléans. One of the stated purposes of this potential new interprovincial crossing is to move heavy truck traffic out of the downtown core.

Many residents expressed concern about the potential impacts of such a bridge on our community, and so we have created a subcommittee to examine the issue. This new committee is being tasked with:

  • Working to better understand the issue of interprovincial transportation and a possible new interprovincial crossing;
  • Providing information to the community at large regarding the impacts of an interprovincial crossing in the East End; and
  • Engage with other stakeholders on this issue.

If you would like to learn more or get involved, please write to conventglenorleanswood@gmail.com

photo of Constable Marc Leroux

Meet our local Community Police Officer

Constable Marc Leroux with the Ottawa Police Service is our area’s community police officer. Here are a few words of introduction from Constable Leroux.

“I work in the community to promote safety, crime prevention and to build the community’s trust in police. I work in partnership with City of Ottawa Councillors, Community Associations and many other community groups and stakeholders. 

I’ve been an officer with Ottawa Police since 2006 and have worked mostly in the East end of Ottawa including Orléans and rural areas. Starting on Patrol, I have also worked as a School Resource Officer for 5 years and have now been working as a Community Police Officer since 2019.

Community Policing is the process by which police and other community members partner to improve community wellbeing, safety and security through joint problem identification, analysis, response and evaluation.

I would like to remind everyone that if you have concerns about the safety of your neighbourhood and require police assistance, please file a report online, or call us at 613-236-1222, extension 7300. For all other questions, please email CSS@ottawapolice.ca. This email is monitored Monday to Friday between 7am and 3pm and our intake coordinators will do their best to respond to your query in a timely manner. For all other emergencies, please dial 911.”