Ottawa Public Library - Free Wellness Activities for Seniors

 Ottawa Public Library is continuing the popular series of Aging Well Together at the Library: Wellness Fridays programs, offered online by the Library in partnership with City of Ottawa and funded by the City of Ottawa's Older Adult Plan.

The Wellness Fridays for seniors programs are free. They will continue through December!  Programs are held on Zoom in English and in French. We have expanded the series and there are now programs on Wednesday and Thursday mornings, as well as on Friday mornings this fall.  Participants may also join us by phone (via Zoom) if they do not have access to a computer or the internet. Each topic will have a two-part program. Themes for program topics will include drawing, painting, yoga, and journaling, as well a mini-series on keeping your memory fit. 

We have complimentary kits, including supplies and instructions. Registration on the Ottawa Public Library website is required; supplies and spaces are limited, so register early to reserve your spot and your kit! We will e-mail you a week before the program begins to arrange for the pickup location of your kit.  

Registration is open for fall courses:

In English:
Mixed Media Art
Yoga
Imaginative Watercolours
Coloured Pencils
Keeping Your Memory Fit: Strategies to Help Remember Names
Keeping Your Memory Fit: Mnemonic Strategies to Help Boost Memory
Breathe and Flow Meditation and Mindfulness
Keeping Your Memory Fit: Using Visual Thinking to Help Boost Memory
Zen Drawing and Doodling
Art Journaling

In French:
Yoga doux
Pastels d’huile
Aiguisez votre mémoire: Stratégies pour faciliter la mémorisation des noms propres
Dessin à l’aquarelle

These classes are also announced in the Wellness Fridays blog post !

To register, you need an Ottawa Public Library card, which is free to all Ottawa residents.  You can get a temporary card online or call InfoService 613-580-2940.  

For questions, contact us:  WellnessFridays.Vendredissante@ottawa.ca

City of Ottawa - Indoor City recreation centres and cultural facilities will require proof of vaccination

Starting on Wednesday, September 22, proof of full COVID-19 vaccination will be required for those 12 and older to enter City recreation and cultural facilities, with some exceptions identified below.

Upon entering a recreation centre, swimming pool, arena, or theatre venue, a person must have an electronic or hard copy of their vaccination receipt confirming two doses received at least 14 days prior, and a piece of valid identification, such as:

• Driver’s licence
• Health Card
• Passport
• Birth certificate

Without a proof of vaccination, a person cannot access indoor recreational or cultural activities, including:

• Lane and public swims
• Fitness classes – including Aquafit
• Weight/Cardio drop-ins
• Instructional cooking, music or art classes
• Adult sports or drop-in activities
• Theatre or studio performance or cinema
• Rented spaces

Adults who accompany children or youth into a facility for activities – including but not limited to swimming lessons or Learn-to-Skate activities – require proof they have been fully vaccinated.

Residents are reminded to arrive a few minutes earlier before the scheduled session or activity. All COVID-related protocols remain in place – including reservations, capacity limits, masking and physical distancing.

Exceptions

• Organized sports for youth between the ages of 12 and 17, including on ice sports, sport leagues, badminton, table tennis, tennis, ball hockey, martial arts, dance, basketball, swimming lessons, aquatic certification courses or volleyball. However, this youth age group will require proof of vaccination for recreational swims, use of a cardio and weight room or attending an activity or sporting event as a spectator.
• Religious ceremonies, funeral services or wedding ceremonies hosted in City facilities (This does not include any social gatherings occurring before or after these events)
• Brief entry to use the washroom, pick up a participant, seek information or make a payment.

For more information on City programs and services, visit ottawa.ca or call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401)

Rain Ready Ottawa

Rain Ready Ottawa is a pilot program that encourages and supports residents to take action on their property to reduce harmful impacts of rainwater runoff.

Rain Ready Ottawa offers:

• Information on rainwater management projects for your home (see below)
• Home Assessments that offer custom advice and solutions to your rainwater problems (Eligibility requirements apply, learn more at Rain Ready Ottawa Home Assessments (link is external))
• Rebates up to $5,000 to help you install practices that help manage rainwater where it falls (Eligibility requirements apply, learn more at Rain Ready Ottawa project rebates)\

Find out more at the Rain Ready Ottawa website at https://ottawa.ca/en/living-ottawa/environment-conservation-and-climate/protecting-ottawas-waterways/rain-ready-ottawa 

Ottawa Public Library - Tuesday, September 7, 2021 reopening and changes

 Good news! We are pleased to announce that Ottawa Public Library will return to regular pre-pandemic hours in most branches starting Tuesday, September 7, 2021 -- including Sunday hours at 10 branches. Hours are posted at branch entrances and under Hours and location page on the OPL website. 

OPL’s InfoService will also be in operation at those times as of Sunday, September 12 so that cardholders can contact us by phone, email or chat. 

Sunday hours: 

The return to pre-pandemic hours includes Sunday hours at all the branches and services that are normally open on Sunday from 1 pm to 5 pm. These branches and services are:  

• Main 
• Beaverbrook 
• Cumberland 
• Greenboro 
• Nepean Centrepointe 
• Ruth E. Dickinson 
• North Gloucester 
• Orleans 
• Hazeldean 
• Stittsville 
• InfoService 

We are also pleased to announce the reopening of two rural branches, Vernon and Fitzroy Harbour branches, which have been closed since March 2020.  

Be assured that people are required to wear masks in the Library and to maintain a physical distance of at least two metres from others, further to provincial health regulations and to keep the community safe. 

Remember, you can enjoy a wide array ofvirtual programs, and digital collections  anywhere, anytime through theOPL website. 
 
Stay safe! 

Thank you,

Ottawa Public Library

City of Ottawa - Cleaning the Capital

 

Registration is open for the Fall 2021 Cleaning the Capital campaign! 

You can register your clean-up project at Ottawa.ca/clean until September 30. Then, get cleaning between September 13 - October 15: clean-up kits will be made available for pick-up at seven City facilities.

Get together safely with family, friends, or colleagues! This is a great way to re-connect, complete volunteer hours, engage with your community and help keep your neighbourhood beautiful.

Thanks for taking part in the Cleaning the Capital campaign. Please remember to save your registration code to submit one clean-up report for each project you completed by October 31, 2021. 

Fall Cleaning the Capital - Important dates 2021:

August 16, 2021                                               Registration begins 

September 13, 2021 - October 15, 2021          Fall Cleaning the Capital campaign 

September 30, 2021                                         Deadline to register 

October 31, 2021                                              Deadline to submit your online clean-up report

City of Ottawa - COVID-19 vaccination eligibility expanding for youth

 

Children born in 2009 or earlier, who will be turning 12 years old in 2021 are now eligible to get their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Residents have numerous ways to access the vaccine:

• Drop by any vaccination clinic. Visit OttawaPublicHealth.ca to find your nearest clinic or neighbourhood vaccination hub.
• Visit Ontario.ca/bookvaccine to access the provincial booking system or call the provincial vaccine booking line at 1-833-943-3900 between 8 am and 8 pm, seven days a week.
• Visit OttawaPublicHealth.ca or by call 613-691-5505. Multiple languages are available for those using this service.
• Mobile vaccination clinics are available upon request. Mobile vaccination clinics can be requested via an online form at OttawaPublicHealth.ca.
• Vaccination appointments are also available at a local pharmacy.

Residents who require accessibility accommodations are encouraged to complete this Accessibility form prior to their appointment.

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 - Public Health Neighbourhood vaccine hubs now open to all Ottawa residents 12 years and up for 1st and 2nd doses

 

Ottawa Public Health has opened public health neighbourhood vaccine hubs to offer convenient and accessible ways to access COVID-19 vaccines in neighbourhoods across the city.

Residents can access hubs for a first or second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, to ask Public Health nurses questions about COVID-19 vaccines, or to receive more information about vaccines.

Public health neighbourhood vaccine hubs are vaccination locations with Public Health Nurses available in high priority neighbourhoods. These have been established in collaboration with our community health partners, with locations chosen based on discussions with these partners and availability of space. These immunization teams are available to answer questions, provide vaccine information, and vaccinations.

Four hubs are currently operating, with more scheduled to launch this week, and additional locations will be opened over the coming weeks. Please check the Ottawa Public Health website for hub locations and hours of operation, as these will be updated regularly.

This program is another initiative intended to help reduce barriers for residents who have not yet received the vaccine. The hubs will work with community leaders to promote a comfortable, convenient, and easily accessible option for vaccination, as another step towards the goal of ensuring that anyone 12+ in Ottawa who wants a COVID-19 vaccine can get vaccinated.

If you are a resident 12 years or older and need a first or second dose, you can drop-in to any public health neighbourhood vaccination hub. No appointment is needed to receive a vaccine or to speak with a Public Health nurse about COVID-19 vaccines.

There are many appointments available at community clinics for anyone who still needs a vaccine. Visit the provincial booking system or use this tool to find a convenient time and date, or drop-in at any clinic without making an appointment. You can also book an appointment with your local pharmacy.

In addition, workplaces, community organizations, places of worship and other groups can request a mobile vaccination team to administer first and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine on-site, at their own location. 

If you are booked for a vaccination in the Fall, you are encouraged to move your appointment up to take advantage of the many appointments that are available.