A friendly reminder Monday is Victoria Day, so waste collection next week will be delayed one day to Wednesday in Barrhaven East. Readers of the newsletter from other wards may have different collection days. 

Every year since 2011, Volunteer Ottawa has hosted the VOscars to recognize individuals, organizations, and businesses who have made a difference in the community. It’s thanks to the dedication of volunteers that so many organizations exist in Ottawa.

Many locations across Barrhaven East to receive trees as spring planting season begins! Yesterday marked the beginning of the City’s 2024 spring tree planting season. A total of 116 trees of various native species will be planted across Barrhaven East this spring,

Municipal ball diamonds and sports fields are expected to open on time this year on 1 May (ball diamonds) and 15 May (other sports fields). Given the dry winter, staff are looking into the possibility of opening the other sports fields earlier than 15 May. Please don’t use the fields before they are open to avoid damaging them.

On Saturday, I was joined by Councillor Hill, MPP MacLeod, MP Arya, and many others in the community to officially open The Salvation Army’s new building at 102 Bill Leathem. There’s no doubt that it will become a valuable community hub and gathering space for everybody, and I’m chuffed to have them as a new neighbour.

I spent a few hours in Lancaster, Ontario (east of Cornwall) yesterday to watch the eclipse with my wife’s family. What an unforgettable experience! Other than the darkness, most striking to me was the temperature change as the darkness set in. 

Regular readers may recall I raised the issue of weeds in the gaps and cracks of our sidewalks and curbs last year, and my general surprise about the fact there’s no formal program to maintain them.

We’re hoping to make our community more friendly to older adults by adding sidewalk benches where they are needed most. Know a location in need? Also, here’s a summary of schedule changes to City services Good Friday through Easter Monday.

On Sunday, I attended the funeral of the Wickramasinghe family and Gamini Amarakoon, a family friend, whose lives were cut short two weeks ago. The ceremony was sombre and peaceful, as their family, friends, and strangers from across the city said goodbye.

Off-peak lane reductions began yesterday on southbound Woodroffe Avenue (towards Barrhaven) from just north of David Drive to just south of Norice Street in College Ward.

New partial right-on-red prohibition: Right turns on red are now partially prohibited for motorists turning from Stoneway (Farm Boy end) to northbound Woodroffe towards Fallowfield. The restriction is effective Fridays from noon to 3:00 pm only.

I hope you had a great family day yesterday. Let’s talk garbage: The city-owned Trail Waste Landfill site could be full by 2034 if we do nothing about it. City staff say we can prevent that with a “Zero Waste Ottawa” vision, which can be “achieved through progressive, collective and innovative action” – whatever that means.

After last week’s lengthy newsletter, I thought I’d bring you something a little more lighthearted this week. Next Monday is Family Day and there’s no shortage of things to do.

When Councillor Hill and I hosted a virtual town hall, the feedbac, suggestions, and concerns were taken from the town hall and helped guide staff and us to create the latest proposal, effective January 2024. Public feedback mostly focused on three major themes—accountability, connectivity, and reliability.

The first full Council meeting of 2024 included a discussion which turned lively. Back in November 2023, Katasa Group, a Gatineau-based residential and commercial rental property developer and manager, sought approval for a zoning by-law amendment to construct two buildings at the southwest corner of Carling and Bronson.

Residents who commute via Woodroffe Avenue (and eagle-eyed transit riders) may have noticed a work crew set up in the southbound shoulder south of Slack Road.

Thank you to the many residents who reached out with compliments, concerns, and general feedback about the snow clearing that followed. Although there were many positives from the operation, it’s arguably been overshadowed by several delays and deficiencies.

A few eagle-eyed residents have noticed our new logo, which was quietly introduced over the new year. It’s a cleaner design, keeps all the text within the shape, and gives a nod to the origins of our community when it was first developed by the former City of Nepean.

I always get weirdly nostalgic for the year that was every Christmas season, and what a unique year 2023 has been for me personally!

Staff and I have had several conversations about ways to move towards a more proactive strategy of taking care of curbside Vegetation.