City of Ottawa - Registration dates, Santa Claus and live shows!

 

Winter registration dates

Our winter programs are on their way. The City of Ottawa will be offering fun activities including swimming, skating, fitness, arts, general interest, inclusive recreation, and much more. The City’s virtual programming will also continue for those who wish to enjoy a class from the comfort of their own home. Dates to remember: Wednesday, December 1 – eGuides will be online for you to browse Monday, December 6 at 9 pm – Aquatics registration Wednesday, December 8 at 9 pm – Registration for all other programs.

Virtual calls with Santa

The virtual programming team is bringing the big guy in red straight to your screen! Register today for a ZOOM call with Santa himself. It’s free to register and you will receive a photo from your call to your email. Calls are running now until December 19. Register by visiting ottawa.ca/virtualprograms click on "Activity Search", then advanced search on the left and side and type Santa. Book with your City account or create one and enjoy the magic of the holidays.

Back to Live!

Looking for some live, on-stage entertainment? Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe and Shenkman Arts Centre has launched their 2021-22 season with everything from comedy to music to dance to family shows and much more!

City of Ottawa - Accessibility Spotlight - November 2021

 

United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities Event

The City of Ottawa is hosting an event to celebrate the United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities on Thursday, December 2, 2021 from 10-11:30am. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic, the event will be hosted virtually on Zoom. Please join Deputy Mayor Laura Dudas, City Councillors, senior leaders, staff and residents in observance of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The United Nations theme for 2021 is “Leadership and participation of persons with disabilities toward an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-COVID-19 world.” Deputy Mayor Dudas will provide remarks and a proclamation of observance of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Jeff Willbond, the Director General of the Canadian Human Rights Commission, will then provide an update on the Accessible Canada Act and Jeff Poirier, Acting Director of the Policy, Education, Monitoring and Outreach Branch, of the Ontario Human Rights Commission, will speak to the impacts of COVID-19 on people with disabilities and Human Rights in Ontario.   Please register Online by December 1st at 12:00 p.m. To promote the inclusion of all participants, American Sign Language (ASL), langue des signes québécoise (LSQ) and continuous real-time captioning will be provided for the event. Simultaneous French translation will also be available. When you register, please advise if you require any additional disability-related accommodations to participate in the event.

2021 E-Scooter Pilot Survey

The 2021 e-scooter pilot season ends on November 30th. This year’s end-of-season survey is now available on the City of Ottawa E-scooter webpage. Whether you have used the shared e-scooters or not, please send us your feedback by filling out the survey. The survey deadline is Tuesday, November 30, 2021.

OC Transpo to offer customers unlimited no-charge transit in December

OC Transpo will be offering unlimited no-charge service on all forms of transit (buses, O-Train and Para Transpo) to customers in December, in recognition of the considerable disruption faced by transit users following the suspension of O-Train Line 1 service. OC Transpo is making unlimited no-charge transit in December as easy as possible for customers: From December 1 to 31, fare gates at all O-Train stations will be opened and fare boxes and smartcard readers on all OC Transpo buses will be covered. Monthly December passes will not be sold. Presto customers with auto-renew subscriptions will see a one-cent charge which will be credited back to their account. U-Pass customers or customers with a school board issued pass do not need to tap their card at O-Train stations or on OC Transpo buses. All Para Transpo trips during December will be at no charge. Regular fares continue to apply to transit customers travelling on the Société de transport de l’Outaouais (STO) system. Customers who had a monthly pass on their Presto card in November and U-Pass customers should tap their card as they board but no charges will be applied. Other customers will need to pay the applicable STO fare. Customers who have questions can visit octranspo.com or call 613-560-5000 for more information and can use the OC Transpo Travel Planner to plan their trips.

SnowGo & SnowGo Assist

With the arrival of ice and snow, Ottawa winters can be a challenging time for seniors and people with limited mobility. The City funds two programs, Snow Go and Snow Go Assist, which help seniors and people with disabilities with their snow removal. The City partners with nine community agencies to run these two programs. The Snow Go program vets snow removal workers and matches them with seniors and people with disabilities to get their snow cleared. Residents pay the workers directly for their services. The Snow Go Assist program goes one step further and helps low-income seniors and people with disabilities with the cost of their snow removal. To be eligible for the Snow Go Assist program funding, applicants must: Be a senior of at least 60 years old or a person with a disability Have a low-income and show proof of: Annual income below $31,500 if single and below $39,200 for a household of two persons or more Eligible residents may be reimbursed up to 50 per cent of snow removal costs to a seasonal maximum. To apply, contact the partnering local agency in your area. For a list of these agencies, visit ottawa.ca/snowgo, call 3-1-1 or call 613-580-2400 to contact the City using Canada Video Relay Service (VRS).

City of Ottawa - COVID-19 vaccine bookings to open on Tuesday for five to 11-year-olds

 

Today, the Province announced that starting at 8 am on Tuesday, November 23 Ottawa residents will be able to book vaccine appointments for five to 11-year-olds (born 2016 or earlier) through the provincial booking system. These appointments will be at one of Ottawa Public Health’s seven community clinics. Ottawa Public Health expects to receive vaccine supply this week and more than 60,000 appointments will be available starting Friday, November 26.

Other options for vaccinating five to 11-year-olds include:

• Neighbourhood vaccination hubs – Ottawa Public Health operates 10 neighbourhood vaccination hubs across the city
• After-hours school pop-up vaccination clinics – On December 2, Ottawa Public Health will begin a rotating schedule of 73 after-hours school pop-up vaccination clinics and will post details and clinic schedules on its website later this week
• Pharmacies – over 100 locations across the city are starting to offer vaccines to this age group; find the nearest participating pharmacy for appointment hours and locations
• CHEO – the hospital offers vaccinations to children with medically complex needs
• First Nations, Inuit and Métis community members - Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health will host a clinic at the Richelieu-Vanier Community Centre in partnership with Ottawa Public Health
• Inuit community members – Akausivik Inuit Family Health Team is providing vaccinations for Inuit youth; call 613-740-0999 for more information or to book an appointment
• Mobile teams – Ottawa Public Health will be working with operators of congregate care facilities to administer vaccines on site
• Primary care – primary care physicians will be reaching out directly to their patients if they are offering COVID-19 pediatric vaccines in their offices

Ottawa Public Health is aiming to make vaccination for these young residents and their families as easy and comfortable as possible, with new child-friendly signage and fun stickers to take home. Check the Ottawa Public Health website for tips on how to prepare for your child's appointment, such as giving children a snack beforehand and bringing a comforting toy or music to listen to.

Ottawa Public Health recommends all eligible residents receive two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine to be fully immunized. Parents and guardians who have questions about the vaccine can visit the frequently asked questions webpage.

For more information about COVID-19 vaccines for children aged five to 11, including recommended dose intervals and getting a flu vaccine this season, visit OttawaPublicHealth.ca/ChildCOVID19Vaccine. You can also connect with us through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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.

City of Ottawa - Ottawa Public Health ready for COVID-19 vaccinations for five to 11-year-olds

 

Ottawa Public Health today released more details on its plan to offer COVID-19 vaccines to children ages five to 11. The plan will come into effect after Health Canada authorizes the vaccine for this age group and the Province of Ontario delivers the vaccine supply.

The plan ensures first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine will be available to 77,000 eligible children ages five to 11 living in Ottawa, within four weeks of the vaccine authorization and delivery. By vaccinating our younger residents, we strengthen the entire community’s immunity from COVID-19 and its highly transmissible variants.

Vaccine appointments for children ages five to 11 are not yet available. More information for this age group, including how to book appointments through the provincial booking system, will be coming soon. Clinic locations and hours will also soon be available at OttawaPublicHealth.ca/ChildCOVID19Vaccine. To support children's access to the vaccine, most appointments available through Ottawa Public Health will be protected in the booking system for five to 11-year-olds.

Neighbourhood vaccination hubs and community clinics

Ottawa Public Health will continue to offer immunizations through the existing 10 neighbourhood vaccination hubs, and increase the number of its community clinics from four to seven, operating seven days a week:

• Coming soon – Nepean Sportsplex Curling Rink - 1701 Woodroffe Avenue
• Coming soon – former St. Patrick’s Intermediate School - 1485 Heron Road
• Coming soon – Rideauview Community Centre - 4310 Shore Line Drive
• University of Ottawa – Minto Sports Complex - 801 King Edward Avenue
• JH Putman School – 2051 Bel-Air Drive
• Eva James Memorial Centre – 65 Stonehaven Drive
• Orléans Ruddy Family YMCA-YWCA – 265 Centrum Boulevard

New after-hours school pop-up vaccination clinics

Ottawa Public Health will introduce 73 after-hours school pop-up vaccination clinics on a rotating schedule over a four-week period, with capacity to immunize up to 10,000 children per week.

These school clinics are intended to serve residents of the community where they are located, and appointments are not required. Please check Ottawa Public Health’s website regularly for information about school pop-up clinic locations and hours of operation.

Vaccination clinics with community partners

The Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health, in partnership with Ottawa Public Health, will host a clinic for First Nations, Inuit and Métis community members at Richelieu-Vanier Community Centre.

CHEO will be offering pediatric clinics for children with medically complex needs. Vaccines for children ages five to 11 will also be available through select pharmacies and primary care providers.

Vaccine clinics are family-friendly

Ottawa Public Health is mindful that some children may be anxious and have a fear of needles. Immunizers understand and are trained to help your child have a comfortable experience. Children can bring their favourite stuffed animal and listen to music. Numbing spray is also available to reduce pain at the site where the vaccine is given, and privacy options will be available. There will be child-friendly signage and fun stickers will be given out. Consent by a parent or guardian will be required for COVID-19 vaccination for children aged five to 11. Children will not be vaccinated if their parent or guardian are not present.

For children requiring accessibility support, parents and guardians can go online and complete an accessibility request form once appointments are made available through the provincial booking system.

For more information about COVID-19 vaccines for children aged five to 11, please visit OttawaPublicHealth.ca/ChildCOVID19Vaccine. You can also connect with us through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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.

Ottawa Public Library - All OPL branches will be closed November 11 for Remembrance Day

This is to remind you that all OPL branches will be closed on November 11 for Remembrance Day.  

Branches will return to their regular hours on Friday, November 12.   

Although the branches will be closed during this time, online services are always available on OPL's website.   

Remember, you can enjoy a wide array of virtual programs, and digital collections  anywhere, anytime through the OPL website.