City of Ottawa Accessibility Spotlight - December 2017

Celebration of People Awards

The City of Ottawa is proud to be the lead sponsor of this year’s Celebration of People Awards. The event, established in 2001 through Citizen Advocacy, honours Ottawa-based individuals, businesses and organizations that promote accessibility, inclusion and full community participation by residents with disabilities. The timing of the event is in conjunction with December 3 - the United Nations designated International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The City of Ottawa is also the sponsor of the Celebration of People’s Accessibility Award. This year’s recipient is Kim Kilpatrick, a passionate advocate for people who are blind or visually impaired. Projects she has been instrumental with include the OC Transpo Working Group to implement exterior bus announcements, the National Capital Heavy Construction Association Education Series, testing electronic tools and technology to be used in the City’s public engagement strategy, and as a speaker at a conference for Ontario municipalities on accessible best practices in the built environment. Kim’s easygoing manner and expertise enables others to understand and appreciate accessibility requirements, which in turn, creates more accessibility and inclusion for residents, employees, and visitors. Kudos to our former City Manager, Kent Kirkpatrick, who was honoured at the event and received the 2017 Career Award in recognition of advancing accessibility in Ottawa. The City of Ottawa extends its congratulations to all of the 2017 Celebration of People award recipients! Need help clearing your driveway and/or walkway during the winter? The Snow Go Program can help you! This program is divided into two parts to match your individual needs to the appropriate service. Snow Go program This program helps seniors and people with disabilities looking for help clearing snow from their properties. It matches them with individuals or contractors who will clear snow from private driveways and walkways.  Residents who participate in this program pay a small hourly wage to the individual or contractor removing the snow. Snow Go Assist program This program offers financial help to low-income seniors or persons with disabilities to pay for a portion of their snow removal costs. Approved participants may receive 50% of the cost of snow clearing. The maximum amount of money back is $250 per season. Rural applicants who have a very high cost of snow removal may receive up to 50% of the cost of snow clearing. The maximum amount of money back is $450 per season. This program is on a first come first served basis. Agencies have the ability to limit funds allocated to participants if demand is high. To be eligible for Snow Go Assist program funding, you must prove that you meet all of the program objectives. Applicants must meet the following criteria: Be either a senior or a person with a disability.  A senior is considered any person over the age of 60 years.  For persons with a disability, applicants must be physically unable to clear snow from their private driveway and/or walkway due to their own disability.  Demonstrate you qualify as low income. Low income is defined as an annual income of below $31,500 for a single individual and below $39,200 for a household (two or more persons).  Provide proof of active enrolment in one or more of the following programs: GIS (Guaranteed Income Supplement)\ ODSP (Ontario Disability Support Program)   Canada Pension Plan Disability Benefit   Ontario Works plus proof of disability and/or senior (60 year or older)   Essental Health and Social Supports plus proof of disability and/or senior (60 year or older) Home Help plus proof of disability and/or senior (60 year or older)   Low income senior or person with a disability (proof may be required) Special circumstances may be considered For more information, please discuss with your local community support agency. Ontario Renovates can help with your home repairs For low or fixed-income homeowners who are aging, repairs and upgrades to your house can be costly and daunting. That's where the Ontario Renovates program can help. Run by the City of Ottawa and funded by the Province, the Ontario Renovates program provides funding for eligible homeowners and landlords for necessary repairs and accessibility modifications to support independent living. The program provides funding for eligible applicants up to a maximum amount of $20,000. Eligible homeowners are:  Persons 65 years of age or older People with disabilities Families with a household member who is a senior or person with a disability may be eligible if property value and income criteria are also met. Visit the Ontario Renovates page at ottawa.ca for income requirements. Funding is available to homeowners to upgrade or modify items such as: electrical and heating systems, including chimneys doors and windows foundations, roofs, walls, floors and ceilings plumbing septic systems, well water, and well drilling fire safety cues for doorbells or fire alarms ramps, handrails, chair and bath lifts, height-adjusted countertops The Ontario Renovates program can also assist landlords. The program provides funding to modify existing units or buildings to make them more accessible and in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. Landlords can apply for funding for repairs including: Ramps Handrails Chair and bath lifts Countertops height adjustments Cues for doorbells and fire alarms Want to apply? Complete the form. Funding is available until March 2018.  For more information about the Ontario Renovates program, please call our information line at 613-580-2424 ext. 12300 or email Ontariorenovates@ottawa.ca.  Remember, you can request accessible formats of City public documents and we welcome your disability-related feedback on the accessibility of our services, programs and facilities through the following channels: by phone at 3-1-1 and TTY (613-580-2401); by e-mail to the Accessibility Office at accessibilityoffice@ottawa.ca; and   in person at any of the City’s service locations.

Community skating rink volunteers needed this Sunday, Dec. 17th at 10am

Skating season is nearly here and we need your help to prepare our community rink.

We are looking for volunteers to come out to Kilreen Park on Sunday, December 17^th at 10:00am to help prepare the base ice for the QTSR community skating rink.

How does it work? We need to pack down the snow in the park and build up snow piles around the edges of the rink. We do this with shovels, snowshoes, cross-country skis – you can even pull children’s sleds over the snow to pack it down.

The more people who come out to help, the faster and more fun the process will be. We hope to see you there!

Special Advisory: Winter overnight parking ban lifted

The winter overnight parking ban is now lifted for the City of Ottawa.

Be in the know about snow

Follow us on Twitter @ottawacity to receive updates, or subscribe to our electronic email alerts. If you subscribe to e-Alerts, you will receive notification each time an overnight parking ban is in effect, if the ban continues over more than one night and when the ban has been lifted. The service is free and you can unsubscribe at any time. Sign up today at ottawa.ca.

For more winter parking information, please visit ottawa.ca or call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401).
For more information on City programs and services, visit ottawa.ca or call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401).  You can also connect with us through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Special Advisory: Winter overnight parking ban in effect

Due to weather conditions, a winter overnight parking ban is in effect tonight between 1 a.m. and 7 a.m. across Ottawa. This overnight parking ban will remain in effect until the City announces it has been lifted.

During an overnight parking ban, residents are reminded that there is no parking on city streets so that crews can plow easily and effectively. Vehicles parked on the street during an overnight parking ban may be ticketed and towed. On-street parking permit holders are exempt from this restriction.

Non permit holders can avoid fines by not parking on the street overnight.

Free parking

During winter overnight parking bans, residents will have free access to covered City-owned parking garages. Visit ottawa.ca for more information about which City garages are free during winter overnight parking bans.

Be in the know about snow

Follow us on Twitter @ottawacity to receive updates, or subscribe to our electronic email alerts. If you subscribe to e-Alerts, you will receive notification each time an overnight parking ban is in effect, if the ban continues over more than one night and when the ban has been lifted. The service is free and you can unsubscribe at any time. Sign up today at ottawa.ca.

For more winter parking information, please visit ottawa.ca or call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401).
For more information on City programs and services, visit ottawa.ca or call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401). You can also connect with us through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Next QTSRCA Meeting - Monday, December 11th, 7:30pm at Sonny's

The Queensway Terrace South Ridgeview (QTSR) Community Association will be holding our next monthly meeting on Monday December 11th, 7:30-9:00 and you are welcome to join us.  A copy of the agenda for the meeting is available at this link.

When: Monday, December 11th, 7:30 pm 

Where: Sonny’s Bar and Grill – 1119 Baxter Rd

City of Ottawa Planning and Development

Sparks Street Public Realm Plan - Have your say!

What are the most important things for the City to consider to ensure the future success of Sparks Street? Complete our questionnaire and tell us what you think! As part of developing the Public Realm Plan, the City and its partners are committed to engaging the public about the future of the iconic public space known as the Sparks Street Pedestrian Mall – how should it be used, what should it look like, and how should it be programed. The City is reaching out to: residents business owners landowners surrounding community associations government agencies, and others who may be interested in sharing their perspectives and ideas on the future of Sparks Street.Public engagement will conclude early in 2019 with a report to Finance and Economic Development Committee and Council. The City will post the responses provided on ottawa.ca/sparksstreetplan in 2018 and use the responses to inform the development of the Public Realm Plan.

City Building Forum wrap-up

Thank you to everyone who attended the event or watched Synapcity’s webcast. The responses to the unanswered questions you posed in the panel discussions are posted on this page on Ottawa.ca. Hosted on October 17 by the City of Ottawa in the newly opened expansion of the National Arts Centre, the City Building Forum aimed to create a collaborative networking environment for city-building organizations during this unprecedented period of transformation in our city.

Interested in Infill?

You are invited to attend a meeting with Zoning and Interpretation Staff to learn more about the findings of the monitoring exercise and the proposed changes to the zoning regulations for Monitoring of the Mature Neighbourhoods Zoning Overlay (Infill I) and the Alternative Zoning Provisions in Residential Zones (Infill II). Staff have reviewed residential development applications within the Mature Neighbourhoods Overlay (Wards 14 and 15, and parts of Wards 12, 13 and 17) to determine whether the development fits into the look along the street. For more information, please visit ottawa.ca/infill. Monday December 11, 2017 City Hall, Festival Plaza Boardroom, First Floor, Laurier Entrance 4 to 8 p.m. Presentations at  5 p.m. at 7 p.m.

Herzberg road improvements for cyclists and pedestrians

The City of Ottawa is in the process of designing improvements to Herzberg Road for cyclists and pedestrians from a point approximately 200 m north of March Road to March Road.  The work will correct a gap between existing bike lanes on March Road and existing paved shoulders on Herzberg Road by installing new cycle tracks and add a new sidewalk where it is needed. Residents are invited to review the functional design plan for the project and provide comments to robin.bennett@ottawa.ca before November 30, 2017 Functional design plan [ PDF 335 KB ] PDF opens in a new tab or window This project will introduce a new intersection design termed ‘Protected Intersection’ that is intended to provide maximum comfort and safety for pedestrians and cyclists in this high speed environment.

Message from Ottawa Police Service - Stabbing - East on Baseline

The following message is from Ottawa Police Service:

On December 4, 2017 at approximately 3:10pm the Ottawa Police responded to two males suffering from stab wounds.

One male was located in the Baseline Road and McWaters Road area, who was taken to a hospital for treatment. 

A second male was located on Morrison Drive near Draper Avenue. He was also suffering from stab wounds and taken to hospital for treatment.

The wounds for both men are not considered life threatening at this time.

The Criminal Investigation Section in West Division is investigating the incident. At this time the two injured men are the only involved parties and there are no public safety concerns. 

Petition to Stand up for Community Newspapers led by the Elmvale Acres Community Association (Ward 18 - Alta Vista)

Communities across Ottawa and Ontario took a big hit this week when Postmedia and Torstar announced they were swapping 32 community newspapers and then shutting them down.

Even as the Competition Bureau of Canada declared it would investigate the transaction, Postmedia and Torstar abruptly shut down some of their newly-acquired holdings, including the Orillia Packet & Times, the storied newspaper from Stephen Leacock's Sunshine Sketches of Little Town, which had been in publication since 1870. 

The remaining newspapers are slated for closure in early January 2018, including the Orleans News, the Ottawa East, South and West News, the Nepean/Barrhaven News and the Kanata Kourier-Standard. 

Residents are decrying the impending erasure of their community voice, and have expressed grave concerns for how community events, issues, development projects and the democratic process - will be shared with residents without their locally-dedicated news source.

It's the 11th hour for community journalism. A grassroots-led intervention is desperately needed if we are to preserve our local newspapers, the very fabric of our communities.

In this vein, the Elmvale Acres Community Association (EACA) located in (Ward 18 - Alta Vista) has started a petition calling on the Competition Bureau to intervene in this transaction. Many residents in the ward of Alta Vista have put their support behind this petition and we have the full support of other community associations in the ward including: Canterbury Community Association, Riverview Park and Alta Vista Community Association - but we need your help.  

The petition is approaching 400 signatures and is gaining momentum, but so many residents across Ottawa and Ontario are unaware of its existence.

The EACA is urging you to help spread the word to your communities while there's still time. Our hope is that residents across Ottawa are passionate supporters of their community newspapers and are ready to put their name behind our collective effort to ensure local stories continue to be told. 

Please share this petition link with your contacts, and encourage them to share it with their contacts. If we work together -- communities supporting community journalism -- we might yet save our collective voices.

Petition to Stand up for Community Newspapers

Sincerely,

Kevin Kit - President, Elmvale Acres Community Association

AJ Blauer - Vice-President, Elmvale Acres Community Association

You can reach the EACA by email at elmvaleacresca@gmail.com or visit our website at www.elmvaleacres.org

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the QTSR Community Association AGM!

Our 2018 Board Members are:

Mitsuru Kachi, President
Melissa Fraser-Arnott, Vice President
Kelly Morris, Treasurer
Nancy Cairns, Secretary

Directors At Large:
Barbara Adair
Barbara Lajeunesse
Alison Lynch

Our next meeting will be on Monday, December 11th at 7:30 at Sonny's Bar and Grill on Baxter Rd. The meeting agenda will be posted shortly.