RIVER WARD CITY
COUNCILLOR MARIA McRAE’S REPORT TO
HUNT CLUB COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION
SEPTEMBER 05, 2006
It is my pleasure to all Hunt Club residents to my Annual River Ward Family Fun Day and B.B.Q. at Mooney’s Bay Park.
Date: Monday, September 18, 2006
Time: 4:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Location: Mooney’s Bay Park
2960 Riverside Drive
As they did last year, Outback Steakhouse, located at Bank Street and Hunt Club Road, has stepped up to the plate and will generously provide the food and refreshments for this charitable event. The food and drinks will be available at a nominal cost, on a first come–first served basis, as quantities permit. Thanks to the generous support of those who attended last year, we raised more than $2000.00 in just two hours for this fundraising event in support of the Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa. All monies raised will benefit programs and services in River Ward.
Ottawa Firefighters will be there with a pumper truck and the Fire Safety House. Police Officers and Paramedics will be on hand to display their equipment. DJ Doc Music & Lighting will provide entertainment. Face painting will be made available by Rogers Video located in the Hunt Club Centre Plaza on McCarthy Road. There will be activities for the children and door prizes.
I am pleased to invite all Hunt Club Seniors to my Annual Autumn Tea. The details are as follows:
Date: Friday, September 22, 2006
Time: 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Location: Hunt Club Riverside Community Centre
3320 Paul Anka Drive (at McCarthy Road)
Ottawa’s Singing Policeman, Dominic D’Arcy, will be providing the entertainment. All River Ward seniors are invited to join me for refreshments, snacks, door prizes, and entertainment. Please call my office at 613-580-2486 to reserve your free ticket(s).
Free C.P.R. Training and Tour of Ottawa
Paramedic Service HQ
I am pleased to invite all Hunt Club residents to attend a free CPR and Automated External Defibrillator training offered by the Ottawa Paramedic Service on one of the following dates:
Dates: Saturday, September 16, 2006
(Register by Friday,
September 15, 2006)
Saturday, September 23, 2006
(Register by
Friday, September 22, 2006)
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. – Training
11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. – Tour
Location: Ottawa Paramedic Service H.Q.
2465 Don Reid Drive
Space is limited and these popular sessions will fill up fast. Please contact my office at 613-580-2486 to register for one of these seminars. Note: You must register to participate!
Statistics show that the majority of heart attacks occur in the home and the application of CPR has saved many lives. The purpose of this course is to promote the chain of survival within the community and educate the public on the many skills Ottawa Paramedics provide every day. Off duty Paramedics who are qualified First Aid/CPR instructors and other health care professionals, including lifeguards, will train all those in attendance and certify them in CPR B (adult/child CPR and heart related issues).
I toured the new state-of-the-art City of Ottawa Paramedic Services Headquarters earlier this year. This facility, completed in December 2005, was built under a Public-Private Partnership (P3). Ottawa’s Paramedic Service Headquarters is housed in a barrier-free, secure and disaster-resistant building. Paramedics are deployed from here and all paramedic training takes place here. The facility houses the Paramedic Command Centre where disaster services are coordinated as well as all the activities of the Ottawa Paramedic service team.
Community Safety and Crime Prevention
As many of you are aware, a tragic incident occurred in the Hunt Club community. I wish to assure Hunt Club residents that this does not mean that your community is not safe. I invited representatives from the Ottawa Police, City of Ottawa By-law Services, South Ottawa Neighbourhood Watch Association, the Hunt Club Centre Plaza Safety and Security Committee and the Hunt Club Riverside Recreation Association to attend the Hunt Club Community Organization Board meeting on September 5, 2006 to discuss safety in this area and to share information.
East Division Police have repeatedly told me and stated at public meetings that the Hunt Club area receives more attention from the Police than other neighbourhoods in East Division and that the reason for their high attendance is because my pro-active efforts in respect of community safety and crime prevention. I constantly call on them to address emerging issues or deal with a problem that has arisen, whether it’s a problem of theft, vandalism, graffiti, traffic violations or other Police issues. My other efforts for community safety and crime prevention involve intervention programs and recreation programs for youth. Outreach to our youth is an important and effective crime prevention tool. As well, officers from our Community Police Centre are very active in the Hunt Club community, either on patrol or at a meeting where community safety and crime prevention is being discussed.
While the tragedy occurred in our neighbourhood, this does not mean that Hunt Club is not a safe community. There are problems in the neighbourhood, just like there are in other neighbourhoods throughout the City, and they are being addressed. As you know, community safety and crime prevention has been at the top of my priority list for the past three years, and I have organized public meetings and met countless times with the Police to tackle the issues. I continue to work with the Police, By-law Services, Corporate Security, Neighbourhood Watch, and with the residents and businesses in the community, and I believe that together we are making a difference.
Annual Twyford-Centralla Neighbhourhood Watch Sign-Up and B.B.Q.
I am pleased to report that this annual event, which took place on August 21, 2006, was another success with new families signing up for the Twyford-Centralla Neighbourhood Watch Program. I am grateful to Enbridge Gas for returning this year to barbeque hot dogs and hamburgers, and for bringing along the button-making machine. Thank you also to the Watch Co-ordinating Team, City of Ottawa Bylaw Services, and Ottawa Police Services. Firefighters from Station No. 33 on McCarthy Road also dropped by with a pumper truck and a ladder truck, much to the delight of the children.
This year, I also invited Hydro Ottawa and their Conservation Van to this event. The conservation team distributed information on electricity conservation through the packages that they handed out. This was a popular addition and staff were kept busy answering questions and providing information on how to reduce energy consumption and about electricity conservation initiatives. I received many positive comments from the gathering for bringing the Conservation Van to this event.
Another special guest was Fred McLennan, President of the Hunt Club Community Organization, whom I was pleased to welcome and introduce to the local residents.
I am currently working to establish a new Neighbourhood Watch Program in Hunt Club. I will report further on this initiative.
This business committee, which I initiated following a Town Hall Meeting on Community Safety and Crime Prevention in November 2004 has met regularly since to deal with problems of theft, vandalism and trespassing, and to share information regarding issues at the Hunt Club Centre Plaza.
I am pleased to report that at our recent meeting on August 24, 2006, Quickie Convenience Stores, which owns the property adjacent to the Hunt Club Centre Plaza has joined the committee and will be working in partnership with us on this valuable community partnership initiative.
I remain committed to being accessible, accountable and approachable. Please join me for a personal chat over a cup of tea or coffee.
Date: Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Time: 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Location: Carleton Heights Community Centre
1665 Apeldoorn Avenue
Date: Friday, September 29, 2006
Time: 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Location: Mooney’s Bay Bistro
Riverside Mall, 731 Ridgewood Avenue
In mid-June, a project to combat
street racing was launched in our community. This project included police
officers from East Division Traffic, Neighborhood Officers, Community Police
Center Officers, the Traffic Escort Unit, the Air Support Unit and the
O.P.P. I was in attendance and spent the evening with our police officers
on the road and on site.
In total, 158 vehicles were
stopped and 146 charges were laid.
In addition to my requesting enforcement by the
Ottawa Police Service of the 50km/h speed limit on Plante Drive, I asked
Traffic and Parking Operations staff to investigate the potential for “Stop”
Signs at the following “Yield” controlled intersections.
·
Plante
Drive & Impala Crescent North
·
Plante
Drive & Impala Crescent South
·
Plante Drive &
Condor Drive
·
Plante Drive &
Avocado Street
·
Plante
Drive & Mina Lane
·
Plante
Drive & Bourbon Street
·
Plante
Drive & Sparrow Way
·
Plante Drive &
Waxwing Drive
· Plante Drive & Pattermead Crescent West
Traffic Specialists carried out a review of Plante Drive and provided the following report:
“Plante
Drive is a minor collector roadway and all of the roadways named above are all
local residential roadways and operate with a speed limit of 50 km/h. All are urban two-lane undivided roadways
with forming T-intersections with Plante Drive and are controlled by
"Yield" signs.
Minor roadway
traffic control criteria used by the Department state that the following
measures are appropriate for given safe approach speeds:
"Stop" sign - 0 to 15 km/h.
"Yield" sign - 15 to 25 km/h.
No control measures - 25 km/h or greater.
Sight Distances
Each safe
approach speed corresponds to a specific sight distance. As such, a site investigation was undertaken
to determine the available sight lines, measured from the edge of the through
roadway. In all cases, the sight
distances were either:
Between 15m and 25m from
15m to 25m back from the edge of the through roadway or over 25m from more than
25m back from the edge of Plante Drive.
These values correspond to safe approach speeds of 15 km/h to 25 km/h
and 25 km/h or greater, respectively.
Collision data between January 1, 2003 and January 1, 2006
indicates that no collisions have taken place at any of these four locations.
With these factors in mind, the Department recommends
maintaining all existing "Yield" signs as they are appropriate
traffic control measures given the available sight distances and collision
histories.”
To
address ongoing problems with littering on this gateway to the city, I have
personally asked the Director of Surface Operations to take steps to have two
large “No Littering” signs installed along the Airport Parking.
The
proposed conceptual site plan provides for a three-phased office development
with the grouping of three linked buildings, each of five storeys, oriented to
the Riverside Drive frontage of the property.
Phase I of the development concept includes 16,780 square metres of
office space and surface parking for about 770 vehicles. Phase II includes 13,935 square metres of
office space and garage parking for about 1200 vehicles. Phase III includes 23,225 square metres of
office space and surface parking for about 350 vehicles. Vehicular access is proposed via one
signalized intersection along Riverside Drive just north of the proposed office
buildings. A landscaped corridor links the office buildings to a pavilion at
the edge of the river corridor lands. A
system of landscaped pathways, parking lot islands, terraces and perimeter
spaces is suggested on the landscape concept plan.
Site plan control deals with the
design and layout of a development proposal including such issues as
circulation and parking design, building arrangement, provision of water and sewer
systems, and landscape design. The
intensity of the development including such aspects as the size and height of
buildings, minimum parking requirements, and the permitted uses is already
established by the zoning by-law and is not subject to site plan control
review.
I would appreciate receiving any
comments you may have on this application as soon as possible. Please email me at Maria.McRae@ottawa.ca.
On August 23, 2006, City Council debated the Transportation report that recommended peak hour turn restrictions from Bronson Avenue to Findlay Avenue, which many residents opposed. The majority of Council did not agree with these restrictions and voted against the staff recommendation. However, the Ward Councillor has asked for a reconsideration of this proposal.
The first Fall Cleaning the Capital campaign kicks off this October. I invite you to sign up to give our city a clean sweep this fall. With your help, River Ward can be the cleanest ward in the City.
For the past 13 years, entire communities – including schools, neighbourhood organizations and associations, businesses, families, friends and individuals have taken up the Spring Cleaning the Capital challenge. This past spring, over 53,000 participants completed a record-high 750 cleanup projects. Let’s build on this success and have a great Fall Cleaning the Capital!
It’s easy to take part, all you have to do is select a cleanup location where litter has accumulated over the summer months. It can be a park, woodlot, ravine, shoreline, bus stop, pathway, schoolyard or any public property requiring tidying up. Large or small, all cleanup projects are welcome!
For the fall campaign, the city is concentrating on cleanup efforts along fence lines, naturalized areas, and in other open spaces with tall grass and other vegetation such as a ravine or a field. Other suggested projects include picking up litter from around drainage ditches and catch basins to prevent debris from entering our City’s drainage system.
Once you’ve chosen your cleanup location, you can register online at ottawa.ca or by calling 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401). The campaign runs from Sunday, October 1 to Tuesday, October 31. Registration began September 1, 2006 and continues until the last day of the campaign. Register on or before September 30, 2006 for your chance to win early-bird prizes.
While you are registering you will be asked if you need a cleanup starter kit. Kits are available upon request (while quantities last) and include disposable vinyl gloves, garbage bags, leaf-and-yard waste bags and tips to assist your cleanup project. For more information and to register, visit ottawa.ca or call 3-1-1.
This fall OC Transpo is launching phase two of the campaign, which was originally launched in August 2005. The “If you see something, say something” campaign is a public transit security
awareness program designed to encourage OC Transpo riders to be more vigilant and to report anything suspicious. By engaging the public, we can increase the level of alertness by gaining the participation of thousands of people every day. Together, the public and transit employees can help maintain a safe and secure transit system.
This campaign was developed in response to the need for increased security in light of recent terrorist acts in other cities. In addition to information and training for employees, there was a need for the public to be aware and become involved. The transit rider can play a vital role by being alert to suspicious packages, persons and activities.
This year’s public campaign consists of transit shelter posters and interior bus cards that feature a dog whispering in another dog’s ear. The purpose is to encourage customers to report anything suspicious. The campaign last year featured three penguins, with one wearing brightly coloured shorts, which encouraged customers to look for anything suspicious.
The posters and bus cards will be accompanied by a brochure and information on OC Transpo’s website, which gives customers tips on how to identify suspicious packages, persons or activities, and how to respond.
• Transit Security Control Centre monitors facility alarm systems, CCTV and emergency callboxes 24/7
• Transit Security Controllers dispatch Transit Law Enforcement Officers (TLEOs) and coordinate police, fire and ambulance response to all incidents
• Mobile units available for quick response
• 45 Security TLEO personnel available
• Emergency procedures and protocols for consistent and effective response to all emergencies are in place
• All buses and the O-Train are equipped with two-way radio contact with the Transit Control Centre and mobile vehicles.
• CCTV cameras are located at numerous Transitway stations and several Park & Ride lots. They act as a deterrent to crime and assist in detecting when passengers need help.
• Live monitoring by Transit Security Controllers 24/7 with up-to-date, enhanced displays and tilt and zoom capability.
• GPS equipment is being installed on all buses and trains to aid in precise vehicle locating to assist with a fast response in emergency situations
• 252 buses equipped to date, with entire fleet completed by spring 2007.
• Threat, Risk Impact Analysis – applied to OC Transpo properties
• 2006 training sessions on Terrorist Indicators and Bomb Threat Response
• Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) teaches how station design and environment can enhance safety and security
• Security audits of stations using CPTED principles in cooperation with Women’s Initiatives for Safer Environments (WISE)
• Participation in mock disaster exercises to test and improve transit emergency response
• Managing Change in a Diverse Community training
• “Coach’s Corner” – development of protocols and training for TLEO and Transit Supervisors regarding response to incidents
• Application to Ottawa Police Services for “Special Constable Status” for TLEOs to expand their authority.
• High visibility “Walk & Ride” teams provide a security presence in buses, trains and stations day and night
• 34 Transit Law Enforcement Officers (TLEOs) patrol on foot and in mobile units
• TLEOs enforce transit by-laws, ticket offenders, respond to emergencies and make arrests
• Transit Security controllers monitor activity via CCTV and coordinate response to incidents and emergencies
• Special joint partnerships with Ottawa Police Services are established, as needed, to combat specific problems, such as Project Sweep at South Keys, April 2003
• Adopt-A-Station: TLEOs are responsible for one station that they “adopt” and regularly monitor and report on graffiti, vandalism, lighting, etc.
• Partnership with Ottawa Police for emergency preparedness, special events, crime prevention week, and other security initiatives
• Planning and communication with emergency responders such as Police, Fire and Ambulance to coordinate emergency response
• Regular communications with STO (Société de transport d l’Outaouais), CUTA (Canadian Urban Transit Association) and other transit agencies regarding joint efforts and best practices.
• Transit Security and Transit Operations staff practice together during Emergency Exercises. Such exercises are used to test and train staff on the correct procedures to use for various transit-related emergency situations.
Community Outreach
• School visits, attendance at community information sessions to promote awareness of transit and the Transecure program, and programs and information sessions geared toward education and awareness as a means to prevent incidents
• Transit
Security staff regularly lecture at schools about “Operation Life-Saver” which
is designed to teach students about safety around railway tracks.
• Yellow emergency call boxes strategically located throughout stations and in every elevator
• CCTV cameras monitored by Security
• Station safety audits performed in partnership with police and community groups
• Regular Transitway patrols by Security and Walk & Ride teams
• Mirrors in stairwells to see around corners
• Improved lighting
• Trees and shrubs are trimmed to provide better sight lines
• Night stops at 11 Transitway Stations for improved passenger safety
• Light Rail stations have PA systems linked to Transit Security for emergency use.
Transecure
• OC Transpo employees looking out for the community
• A safe haven in any OC Transpo vehicle
• A 24-hour community watch program on wheels
• A link to police and emergency services. Employees report about 400 Transecure incidents a year - from medical emergencies to accidents, fires, thefts and persons in distress.
Transecure Night Stop
• After 9:00 p.m., operators can stop at another spot along the route closer to someone’s destination
• Night Stop is in effect at eleven Transitway stations so that customers don’t have to wait alone at an isolated stop.
As you
know, in 2003, the City of Ottawa and Ottawa Police Service strengthened their
commitment to road safety by initiating the Integrated Road Safety
Program. The Program's goal is to
reduce traffic fatalities or serious injuries by 30% by the year 2010. In 2004, as part of the strategy, a
campaign-based Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) was initiated
where, on a monthly basis, two initiatives are launched that target specific
traffic offences.
In June
2006, the traffic safety targets were:
improper use of Reserved Transit Lanes and impaired driving. This initiative resulted in 34 by-law
charges of failing to use Reserved Transit Lanes properly and 63 people charged
criminally of impaired driving. The
R.I.D.E. checkpoint that the Integrated Road Safety Program sponsored in
partnership with MADD and the Ottawa Alliance on Impaired Driving, the night of
June 23rd, resulted in approximately 350 drivers checked, one person
charged with impaired driving and four people receiving 12-hour license
suspensions.
In July,
the Integrated Road Safety Program focussed on:
On Ottawa
roads in 2005, 339 pedestrians were injured in traffic collisions, 37 of which
were life-threatening injuries, and five pedestrians were killed (one less than
in 2004). Also shockingly, in 2005, 910
reportable collisions occurred on Ottawa roads due to drivers changing lanes
unsafely. These collisions resulted in 114 injuries, three of them serious, and
two deaths.
Collision
data and pedestrian volumes were used to identify four signalized intersections
inside the central core and three outside the downtown area where it is felt
that our Pedestrian Safety Campaign would be particularly beneficial. The campaign utilizes both education and
enforcement. To better understand how
pedestrian signals operate, Police and City staff provide
guidance
as appropriate and, in some cases, interested parties are provided an
information pamphlet titled "A Helping Hand For Pedestrians". The enforcement component focuses on both
pedestrian violations and motorists violating pedestrian rights.
In July
2006, the traffic safety targets were:
pedestrian safety and unsafe lane changing. This initiative resulted in 49 pedestrian safety-related charges
(includes both pedestrian and motorist offences such as drivers failing to
yield to pedestrians, pedestrians disobeying the “Don’t Walk” signal and
pedestrians failing to walk on the roadway shoulder facing oncoming traffic if
there is
In
August, the Integrated Road Safety Program focussed on:
In
Ottawa, over the past five years, 158 people were injured as a result of
bicycles on sidewalks crashing into pedestrians or other vehicles. Of these 158 injuries, 66 required treatment
at hospital emergency facilities and three were life-threatening. Like last month’s Pedestrian Safety
Campaign, this month’s Sidewalk Cycling Campaign includes both education and enforcement. While the Ottawa Police enforce sidewalk
cycling regulations at particularly problematic locations, avid cyclists
explain to offenders the reasons why sidewalk cycling is dangerous to both
pedestrians and cyclists and make available information on cycling safety
courses offered in the city.
In 2005
alone, 688 reportable collisions occurred on Ottawa roads as a result of
drivers failing to stop for stop signs.
These collisions resulted in 238 injuries, 11 of them long-term, and one
death.
Ottawa
residents have identified the issue of traffic safety as a top priority. The City of Ottawa and Ottawa Police Service
are committed to using available resources to further reduce aggressive driving
and achieve reductions in traffic fatalities and serious injuries.
The
September 2006 STEP is focussing on:
1.
Failing
to stop for school buses, and
2. Red light running.
“Shifting Gears”, two free, 3-hour information sessions for senior motorists, will be taking place in Ottawa on September 29, 2006 at 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. at Ben Franklin Place, 101 Centrepointe Drive. Seniors will learn facts about testing requirements for mature drivers, update their knowledge on the rules of the road, discover how medications and aging can affect driving ability and learn approaches to “giving up the keys”. Free tickets are available at CAA
Travel Centres. In our area, the Centre is located at TownGate Shopping Centre, 2446 Bank Street, telephone 613-636-9696. You may also register by calling 613-820-1890. Seating is limited, so register early.
City
Council approved a proposal to build a permanent memorial to honour Ottawa’s
fallen firefighters. The Ottawa Firefighters
Memorial will provide a permanent reminder of the valuable contributions made
every day by Ottawa firefighters in the line of duty. It will be located on the northeast corner of Festival Plaza
outside City Hall at 110 Laurier Avenue West.
Artist
Louise Carota’s concept features statues of two larger-than-life firefighters
cast in metal. One firefighter carries a victim, while the other sprays real
water from their metal fire hose. The water hits a glass and stainless steel
structure and cascades down the other side, flowing over the
words
“Always Loved - Never Forgotten” engraved into a wall separating upper and
lower reflecting pools of water. The names of Ottawa’s fallen firefighters will
be engraved in granite plaques attached to a retaining wall. Visitors will be
able to sit on benches to contemplate the Memorial and cross an enclosed bridge
to view plaques, photos and other artwork depicting the contributions of
Ottawa’s firefighters.
The Ottawa Firefighters Community
Foundation will raise the necessary funds to cover all costs associated with
the Memorial. Once the
monument is in place, the yearly Ottawa Firefighters March and Memorial Service
will be centered around it. The Foundation hopes to have the money raised and
the Memorial built within a year.