QTSR Community Association - December Meeting to be held on Dec. 10th, 2018, 7:30-8:30pm

The Queensway Terrace South Ridgeview (QTSR) Community Association will be holding our next monthly meeting on Monday December 10th, 7:30-8:30pm and you are welcome to join us.  A copy of the agenda for the meeting is available at this link.

When: Monday, December 10th, 7:30 pm 

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

City of Ottawa - Recreation and Cultural Programs

Work For The City of Ottawa

The City of Ottawa needs qualified Aquafit Instructors! If you’re looking for a way to get started with the City and take the first step towards a meaningful career in recreation, look no further that our Aquafit Instructor Certification programs. Enjoy skating and want to serve your community? Become a public skating attendant!

Winter Registration

Snow? Bring it on! The nation’s capital doesn’t let winter slow us down. This is when we get to enjoy skating, skiing and curling. Tune up your skills and enjoy the frozen winter terrain of your choice. Even we have to admit it: some days are just a bit too cold to be out there. When the temperature plummets, keep the cold at bay with hundreds of indoor classes and activities to choose from. Make your time inside exciting by indulging your creative side and exploring what the Arts Centres have to offer.

Gift Certificates

Let your loved ones choose their fun with a City of Ottawa Recreation and Culture gift certificate. With hundreds of camps, classes and activities to choose from, give them the best gift ever!

Fitness - Head Start On Your Resolution

The holidays are often full of hearty meals and desserts...and while there’s nothing wrong with a little festive indulgence here and there, why not include your 2019 fitness goals as part of your holiday enthusiasm? Choose from swimming, gyms, instructor-led classes or an all-inclusive membership. Enjoy affordable, convenient and flexible fitness programs for you and everyone in your family.

Active Living Club - Outdoor Recreation for Adults 50+

Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean you have to stay inside. The Active Living Club has an amazing membership available to all residents 50+ years young. If you share our love of snowshoeing, cross country skiing and the outdoors in general, consider spending your winter exploring the Ottawa and Gatineau regions with our qualified and enthusiastic guides!

Cross Country Ski School

No need to go to the mountain, ski right here in the city. Mooney’s Bay Park has 5 kms of perfectly maintained cross country ski trails located in the heart of Ottawa. On December 10, find out everything you need to know about the Mooney’s Bay Ski Centre at our open house and hear us talk about everything from equipment to lessons while you meet our instructors and enjoy a warm beverage!

Children’s Services Parent Survey

Do you have children 0–12 years old? The City of Ottawa wants to hear about your child care needs and experiences. Your feedback will help shape child care services in Ottawa. Take the survey by December 16, 2018. You could win one of 2 iPads!

I Love To

Many families in Ottawa have difficulty registering their children in sports and recreational programs because of financial restrictions or because there are few opportunities for their children who have physical or developmental challenges. All children should experience playing Canada’s favourite sport! As a part of the I Love to Play Hockey program, participants learn basic hockey skills such as stick handling, puck control, passing, receiving and shooting in addition to the rules of the game. Community partners and children walk to neighbourhood outdoor rinks for lessons. Children and youth are outfitted with skates, helmets and sticks. At the completion of lessons, a special event takes place at the Canadian Tire Centre. For more information, please contact Mike Lalonde; 613-809-1158 or 613 580-2424 ext. 27673

The December Big Band Dance at Ron Kolbus

Get dressed up and join us for the Winter Ball at Ron Kolbus featuring the swinging sounds of The Pharaohs. December 6 is a night you won’t want to miss. Find out everything you need to know and register here!

Community Galleries December

Atrium Judi Miller and Wendy Quirt - November 23, 2018 to January 9, 2019 | Occurring Naturally – Flora and Fauna from the Capital Region Trinity Mario Cerroni - November 22, 2018 to January 8, 2019 | Double Vision

Holiday shows

Meridian Theatres at Centerpointe JW-Jones and Friends - Home For The Holidays The Celtic Tenors Shenkman Arts Centre Twin Flames 8th Annual New Year’s Eve Comedy Night

QTSR Community Association AGM

2018 Annual General Meeting

Please come to our community association's annual general meeting where we will review the past year's events and nominate and elect a new executive board for the coming year.

The role of board members is to promote and protect the interests of our neighbourhood and organize inclusive events which help to build a sense of community.

Date: Sunday November 25th, 2018
Time: 1:30 to 3:00 pm
Where: Pinecrest Recreation Complex, 2250 Torquay Drive

City of Ottawa - Cycling in the City - October 2018

Rideau Canal Crossing, Fifth Avenue to Clegg Street - Flora Footbridge

Through the summer, construction of the pedestrian and cycling bridge between Fifth Avenue and Clegg Street moved to focus on those elements above the waterline. Using the temporary gravel pads surrounding the in-water piers, a mobile crane was used to lift the two steel V-shaped piers into place. The support beams were craned into place in July, and the concrete bridge deck was poured in mid-August. Construction remains on schedule for completion in August 2019; over the fall months, crews will work on installing the railings and begin work on the earthen embankment required for the west ramp. Also in July, Council approved the name of the bridge as ‘Passerelle Flora Footbridge’, after Flora MacDonald, a pioneering female Canadian politician. You can read more about Flora MacDonald on the City’s website.

Bank Street Underpass at Riverside Drive

Construction of an underpass of Bank Street at Riverside Drive began in late September. Construction of this project was planned to begin earlier this year; however due to the presence of nesting barn swallows underneath Billings Bridge, the start was delayed. This joint-project between the National Capital Commission (NCC) and the City of Ottawa is being undertaken in response to safety concerns where the Rideau River Eastern multi-use pathway crosses Bank Street at the intersection of Riverside Drive. A new multi-use use pathway underpass of Bank Street will be built, similar to the same type of facility along the Rideau River Western multi-use pathway on the northern bank of the Rideau River. A 3m-wide pathway will be constructed; due to the headroom restriction of the existing Billings Bridge the pathway will be partially built below the 2-year high-water mark, and as such could be closed at certain times. The surface connections via the Riverside Drive intersection will remain in place allowing connection to the road network and as an alternate route for travel during times when the underpass is inaccessible due to flooding.

Trillium Pathway Phase 3

Construction of the final phase of the planned Trillium Line pathway began in August, between Carling Avenue and Prince of Wales Drive. This work, which is well-advanced, will upgrade the existing stone-dust pathway to a 3m-wide asphalt pathway adjacent to the rail-line, with an additional multi-use pathway segment running east-west on the northside of Prince of Wales Drive between the O-Train corridor and Dow’s Lake. Once fully completed this pathway will address a missing link between two major cycling routes (the Rideau Canal Western Pathway and the Trillium Line Pathway), as well as improving access to the Carling O-Train station. More information can be found on the project webpage.

Bay Street Cycle Track

With the major changes to transit operations coming to Ottawa (Ready for Rail), there will be a number of changes to cycling routes in the vicinity of some light rail transit (LRT) stations. One such change is in the downtown core where the City will remove approximately 80m of painted-bike lane on southbound Lyon Street between Queen Street and Albert Street. To address this removal, the City is planning to create a contraflow southbound cycling facility on Bay Street. Raised cycle tracks in both the northbound and southbound directions are planned for Bay Street, between Wellington Street and Laurier Ave, a distance of approximately 400m. This facility will provide a better connection to the east-west bikeway on Laurier Avenue, as well as to the existing bike lanes on Wellington Street and the Portage Bridge, improving the overall quality and comfort of facilities for cyclists travelling to and from the west.   You can review the proposed plan for Bay Street on the City’s website. Construction of this project is planned to begin in 2019.

Laurier Avenue Safety Review

The Laurier Avenue Segregated Bike Lane Safety Review, completed in August 2017, focused on the safety of cyclists, pedestrians and motorists travelling through the Laurier Avenue corridor. The review showed that since the opening of the segregated lanes in 2011, collisions involving pedestrians have been reduced by 50%, while the collision rate involving cyclists has fallen by 30%. There has also been a 10% reduction in motor vehicle collisions. The review also recommended a number of safety measures to be implemented over the short and long-term. Since August 2017, the City of Ottawa has been implementing the short-term recommendations. These have included refreshing, and increasing the use of, green pavement markings throughout the corridor, and installing separate bike signals at all signalized intersections and implementing a 5-second advance. More detailed information and ongoing steps are detailed on the City’s website.

Urban Bike Routes - Self Guided Tours

The City of Ottawa has added six new urban routes to its self guided bicycle tours webpage. These routes offer a range of attractions for recreational cyclists exploring inside the greenbelt; highlights include Ottawa’s diverse waterfront, nearby Gatineau Park, and interesting neighbourhoods such as Westboro and Little Italy. The six urban routes are an addition to the nine self-guided routes through Ottawa’s rural landscapes. Make it your goal to try one of the City’s nine rural routes this fall; visit the webpage for more information.

Summer Roundup

Elsewhere around the City, construction was underway on several other projects through the summer including: Extension of the Woodroffe Avenue multi-use pathway between Longfields Drive and Stoneway Drive in Barrhaven, Enhancement to the pedestrian crossing of Colonel By between the Corkstown Bridge and uOttawa to add a legal cycling crossing, known as a cross-ride Reconfiguration of McArthur Avenue to add buffered bike-lanes between St. Laurent Boulevard and North River Road Reconstruction of the intersection of Donald St and St. Laurent Boulevard as a ‘protected intersection’ to address safety concerns. Other recent protected intersection examples include Fisher Avenue at Dynes Road and Longfields Drive at Chapman Mills Drive.

Next QTSR Community Association Meeting - Monday, October 15th, 7:30pm at Sonny's

The Queensway Terrace South Ridgeview (QTSR) Community Association will be holding our next monthly meeting on Monday October 15th, 7:30-9:00 and you are welcome to join us.  A copy of the agenda for the meeting will be posted soon.

When: Monday, October 15th, 7:30 pm 

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

City of Ottawa Museums - October 2018

Trick or Swim or Skate for Halloween

This October, you can get 10 tickets for $10 and give local trick-or-treaters a healthy alternative to candy! Each ticket can be redeemed during any regularly scheduled public and family swim or skate at City pools and select arenas! Check out the list of locations where you can purchase tickets.

Halloween in the City

This month, be sure to check out one of the many Halloween events happening in your area! We’ve got everything from pumpkin carving to zombie invasions to keep things spooky and fun!

    Minto Recreation Complex - Barrhaven: Halloween Event
    Workshop: Zombie 101
    The 4th Annual Lansdowne Park Pumpkin Derby
    Halloween at Hunt Club-Riverside Park Community Centre
    Overbrook Community Centre’s Spine-Tingling Soirée
    Pumpkin Patch Workshop Eva James
    Halloween at Goulbourn Recreation Complex
    Greenboro Community Centre’s Spooktacular Halloween Party

Public Skating

Just like walking, running or swimming, ice skating offers a great cardio (and Canadian) workout! Use our convenient search tool to find locations and times in your area for public and family skating sessions. We also offer a wide range of instructional programs for all levels. So whether you are learning to skate or want to develop figure skating, speed or power skating skills, we’ve got you covered!

Call for artists - community galleries

You still have a few more days to apply to have your art featured in one of our four community galleries! It’s a great way to get your art out there and build a connection to your local artistic community. The deadline for submissions is Friday October 5, 2018.

Aquatics Instructors

We’re looking for enthusiastic and hard working candidates to join our aquatics team! Check out everything you need to know about working for aquatics at one of the next screening sessions.

Girls and Women in Sports

Living a balanced, active and healthy life is important!  Join one of our girls only sports leagues! Girls aged 12-17 are invited to come out in a safe and inclusive environment to learn the fundamentals of basketball, soccer or volleyball. We also have women’s leagues and programs for the more experienced athletes too. To find out more details email gws-ffs@ottawa.ca!

Consider Eva James for your next birthday party

Plan a birthday party that won’t destroy your house or your budget! Many City of Ottawa recreation facilities offer flexible birthday party packages. These fun, safe and affordable options will help you throw a fabulous and stress-free party! Picture it: your guests arrive and start the party with swimming, sports, skating, dancing or art, and finish in a private party room with a well-equipped kitchen. An unforgettable experience your child and guests won’t soon forget! Some facilities, like the west end’s Eva James Memorial Community Centre, even offer party planning services. To find out more about planning a birthday party with the City, visit ottawa.ca.

Workshops for Fall

Don’t get spooked by a challenge! Whether it’s learning techniques behind singing, creating your very own animated short, drawing a portrait from a model or moving and drumming with African drums – the arts centres have something for you this October. Visit ottawa.ca to explore the opportunities in the arts at a location near you.

The Civic Events Funding deadline is soon

The City of Ottawa is still looking for candidates for the Civic Events Funding Program. If you’re planning a not-for-profit community event, you could be eligible for up to $3,000 dollars in funding. Events must be open to the public and family and community-friendly. Hurry up and apply, the deadline is October 10!

Nepean Seniors Rec Centre Open House

Come visit us at the Nepean Seniors Recreation Centre Open House for program displays, demonstrations and refreshments. Enjoy entertainment by the Golden Oldies Tap Dance Performance Group and Silvertones. Become a Centre member, or renew your annual membership for $26.25. Everyone is welcome!

City of Ottawa Elections are Monday October 22, 2018

The City of Ottawa’s municipal election is fast approaching and it’s important to get out and vote. Up for elections are the positions of mayor, city councillors and school board trustees. Visit ottawa.ca to find out everything you need to know about the candidates, registering to vote, and/or where your polling station is located.

City of Ottawa - Who to Call

Know who to call
There are 3 key numbers in Ottawa to call for help and information. These numbers may be confusing, especially to newcomers, immigrants and vulnerable seniors. Take a few minutes to review these numbers with the seniors you know and work with.

Help them make the right call:

• 911 for life-threatening emergencies: fire, medical, or crime in progress.

• 311 for any questions on services provided by the City of Ottawa: garbage and recycling, recreation programs, emergency and social services, property tax bill, transit, etc.

• 211 for information on government and community based health and social services: housing, elder abuse, meals for seniors and people with disabilities, etc.

Order your "Who to call" Neighbourhood Toolkit fridge magnets in English, French, Chinese, Arabic, Somali, Russian, Farsi and Spanish. To order your free fridge magnets, email Crime Prevention Ottawa at cpo@ottawa.ca.

Additionally, you can order free 211 promotional materials.

September QTSR Meeting Cancelled

The QTSR meeting scheduled for Monday, September 17th has been cancelled. Our next meeting will be in October 2018.

Thank you!

City of Ottawa Accessibility Spotlight

New for the 2018 Municipal Elections Para Transpo customers can reserve their trip to and from a voting place 48 hours in advance. Contact Para Transpo at 613-741-4390 for more information or call 613-244-7272 to book your trip.

OC Transpo’s interior and exterior bus announcement systems improve transit accessibility for everyone – and they work better with your help

It has been more than a year since OC Transpo launched its exterior bus announcements and for many customers this new technology has positively transformed their transit-riding experience. Generated from a speaker located outside the front door, OC Transpo buses automatically and audibly announce, in both official languages, the same information seen on the bus destination sign – namely, the route and destination of the bus at the stop. "When there were no exterior bus announcements, I often depended on other people at the stop to tell me when my bus arrived," said Kim Kilpatrick, one of several stakeholders and community members who worked collaboratively with OC Transpo on the introduction of the announcements. "But, since the exterior announcements began, I now listen for the tone and the announcement, and know that I am boarding the right bus. It has made taking the bus much less stressful." For OC Transpo, the implementation of exterior bus announcements was the next logical phase in the evolution of its stop announcement system. In 2011, the transit agency completed the installation of the interior next-stop announcements on all of its buses, which proved to be universally beneficial to all customers – whether one was partially sighted or blind, unable to gaze out a window due to frost buildup, or immersed in an interesting book. However, as with any technology, there are times when the interior or exterior announcements unexpectedly stop working. In these instances, OC Transpo looks to its Operators and its customers to let them know. "Our stop announcement systems are not perfect. There are times when the technology unexpectedly malfunctions, such as when a speaker needs to be replaced or when the bus location is not tracking properly" said David Pepper, OC Transpo’s Manager of Customer Services. "If customers notice that the system is not working or not loud enough, we encourage them to let the Operator know. With all the activity on the bus, the Operator may not have noticed, so pointing it out will alert them to the problem. And, if customers don’t feel comfortable speaking to the Operator, we ask them to please contact OC Transpo – noting the bus route, destination, time, direction and, if possible, the bus number."      Once an Operator or customer reports a problem with the interior or exterior announcements system, that information is provided to OC Transpo staff, who then investigate and make the necessary repairs to the equipment or the tracking system. These repairs ensure that all customers, of all abilities, get the information they need when riding the bus. To report an issue with a bus’s exterior or interior announcements, or any other transit accessibility feature, customers may contact OC Transpo Customer Relations at 613-741-4390 (TTY 613-741-5280), or fill in an online feedback form at octranspo.com.

Accessibility Advisory Committee

Beginning in November, the City of Ottawa will be recruiting residents to serve on the Accessibility Advisory Committee. The mandate of the Accessibility Advisory Committee is to fulfill the duties of a Municipal Accessibility Advisory Committee as outlined in the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and to provide advice to Council on programs, policies and services provided to persons with disabilities and seniors. Make a difference in your community by becoming a volunteer member. The City could greatly benefit from your expertise and knowledge. For more information: contact Carole Legault at 613-580-2424, ext. 28934, (TTY: 613-580-2401) or by email at committees@ottawa.ca.