Author: AGMS

I'm a game programmer, doing pretty much everything (from Wii, Kinect to iPad). On the side, just for fun, I write file systems (for the nifty BeOS/Haiku operating system) and experiment with metadata.

SJAM Winter Trail News

The most recent news is that the Champlain Park Community Association made a $500 donation to support the Sir John A. Macdonald Winter Trail. Our community association co-chair Lynne says:

One of our goals this year is to support the SJAM, an especially important resource for community exercise and recreation with the pandemic making outdoor physically distanced activities critical to a healthy winter.

In this photo from a snowy cold Wednesday morning on October 28th 2020 are Jeff Leiper (our city councillor), Dave Adams (SJAM Winter Trail), and Adrian Bradley (CPCA).

SJAMWinterTrail Thank You from Dave Adams (center). Jeff Leiper (left, city councillor) and Adrian Bradley (right, CPCA)

After the ceremony, we had a look at where the Pontiac curb would be cut (need a 10 foot wide space) with sloping sides to make room for the groomer to continue the ski trail onto the field. Previously we had a seasonal ramp made of wood chips. Continue reading “SJAM Winter Trail News” →

Tree Planting on Northwestern Avenue

Subject: FW: Tree Planting on Northwestern Ave
Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2020 16:28:11 -0400
From: DANIEL BUCKLES <dbuckles@sas2.net>

This fall, the Forest Management Branch of the City of Ottawa is planning to put three new red oaks on the median at Northwestern Ave, and replace one that has not done well. Exact locations noted in the attached map.

[Map of Northwestern Road, Buildings, Trees]
20201017 Tree Planting 20S-38 Northwestern Ave.pdf

City Official Plan Public Presentations

The City of Ottawa is drafting a new Official Plan that will strongly impact the shape of future zoning and development. They have organized a series of virtual presentations that will be of interest to residents of Champlain Park, as we are a rapidly developing neighbourhood, close to two transit stations, bordered by two areas to be developed, Tunney’s Pasture and Scott Street. We will therefore definitely be affected by the Official Plan directions.

Here is a link that invites residents to an important presentation on this topic. Although your CPCA Planning and Zoning and Civic Engagement reps will definitely be tuning in, we will no doubt wish to work with local residents on some issues that will arise out of the directions in the Official Plan, such as zoning and development both within and surrounding our community.
Continue reading “City Official Plan Public Presentations” →

Pollinator Garden Update

Date: Sat, 24 Oct 2020 17:46:11 -0400
From: Daniel Buckles <dbuckles@sas2.net>

[The new pollinator garden at Carleton Avenue and the people behind it]

Thanks! Many neighbours brought leaves to the new pollinator garden, which now has all we need there. The leaves will protect the soil from the coming rains, harbour diverse insects and perhaps some field mice over winter and enrich the soil when more flowering Native plants are added next spring (contact Catherine Shearer and John Arnason, our resident plant specialists, if you have native species to offer: metshag@gmail.com).

More Clean leaves are welcome at our other sites, the Pontiac entrance to the woods across from the school yard and the entrance to the woods on Patricia near Clearview. Leave bags there.

Thanks too to those that brought large stones to the site, which are used to shore up the earth mounds. Thanks to Kris Phillips especially for his initiative and hard work. More stones are still welcome.

The garden will be magnificent.

Daniel Buckles, co-chair
Environment committee, CPCA

Need Leaves for the Pontiac Pollinator Garden

Date: Sat, 17 Oct 2020 16:30:30 -0400
From: DANIEL BUCKLES <dbuckles@sas2.net>

Have leaves, will help

You may have noticed the pollinator garden emerging at Pontiac and the entrance to the river. We want to keep the soil in place and continue to improve it with leaves. Lots of leaves. Please bring bags of “clean” leaves (no roots and bits of plants other than tree leaves) to the area (the Planters at Pontiac) over the next week. We also need them at two other entrances to the Champlain Woods, across from the school on Pontiac and the entrance on Patricia near Clearview, where tree planting this year has continued.

Want to help build up a stone boundary for the pollinator garden? When out in the woods consider bringing stones to the Pontiac location, and add them to the pile in front. They will be used to mark the mound edges and help keep the soil in place.

From your neighbourhood Environment Committee

Tree Action Priorities

Date: Sat, 17 Oct 2020 08:50:55 -0400
From: Daniel Buckles <dbuckles@sas2.net>

Trees, a tree canopy and access to Greenspace are a vital part of our neighborhood. While the City has made some progress in protecting and planting trees, we’re not where we need to be to ensure a healthy urban forest for Ottawa’s future.

Use this link to a blog on priority tree actions prepared by Daniel Buckles and Jennifer Humphries, with contributions from Heather Pearl, for the City-wide network “Community Associations for Environmental Sustainability” (CAFES). It offers Observations and examples relevant to our neighborhood and practical steps you can take to protect and plant trees, or influence policy in the city.
Continue reading “Tree Action Priorities” →