Category: Community Events

Champlain Park Halloween Fun Run October 29, 2016 at 9:30am

Hello everyone!

Please email me if you have any questions at peterlaughton@rogers.com

This year’s 5th annual run will be held on October 29th  starting at 9:30am meeting at the Play Structure on Carleton Avenue.

The route will be the same as previous years, taking runners aged 5 and over from the start line by the play structure on Carleton Ave. through a trail in the Champlain Woods.

Those aged 4 and under will do a slightly shorter route and should probably be accompanied by a helper.

Candy medals will be given to all participants. Food and drink will be available at the finish line. Nut-free donations welcomed.

Volunteers welcomed! Please sign-up at Genius:

Last year the weather cooperated and the 100 plus kids and adults in attendance managed to raise a record $500 for Right to Play Canada (RTP)

Over the past 4 years, I estimate that we have raised close to $1000.

No registration required. Entry fee by donation (suggested $10 or whatever you can afford). The CPCA will cover the costs of food, drinks, prizes and treats. All proceeds go directly to RTP Canada. Costumes encouraged (something kids can run in).

Run will happen rain or shine (the route may be modified).

Thanks and see you on the 29th,
Pete

Please forward this message to friends who may not have heard.

Please also see Halloween Safety Tips

Friendly Reminder: Park Expansion Opportunity, We need your support!

Community Consultation

 If you can make it, we would really appreciate your support as this can make a difference in determining what will become the final outcome. Thank-you.

Community discussion on possible extension of park land along Pontiac St (between Carleton Ave & Cowley Ave)

When:   Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Time:     7:30pm
Where: Champlain Park Fieldhouse (Champlain Park)

Together with the Champlain Park Community Association (CPCA), Kitchissippi Ward Councillor Jeff Leiper would like to invite you to come and discuss the potential permanent closure of Pontiac Street, between Carleton Ave and Cowley Ave. The street closure would help expand Champlain Park north across Pontiac St and would connect the park with the NCC parkway lands. Further, the street closure would create a connection between the new 16km Sir John A. Macdonald Winter Trail, Champlain Park and the broader community.

Please join us to learn more and to let us know what you think. We look forward to your feedback!

If you cannot attend, please send questions or comments to the following:
CPCA coordinator: Carol Arnason – carol.arnason@ocsb.ca (613) 729-6639
Councillors office:  Jeff Leiper – Jeff.Leiper@ottawa.ca (613) 580-2485

For more information at Kitchissippi Ward website

Park Expansion Opportunity, We need your support!

Community Consultation

Community discussion on possible extension of park land along Pontiac St (between Carleton Ave & Cowley Ave)

When:   Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Time:     7:30pm
Where: Champlain Park Fieldhouse (Champlain Park)

Together with the Champlain Park Community Association (CPCA), Kitchissippi Ward Councillor Jeff Leiper would like to invite you to come and discuss the potential permanent closure of Pontiac Street, between Carleton Ave and Cowley Ave. The street closure would help expand Champlain Park north across Pontiac St and would connect the park with the NCC parkway lands. Further, the street closure would create a connection between the new 16km Sir John A. Macdonald Winter Trail, Champlain Park and the broader community.

Please join us to learn more and to let us know what you think. We look forward to your feedback!

If you cannot attend, please send questions or comments to the following:
CPCA coordinator: Carol Arnason – carol.arnason@ocsb.ca (613) 729-6639
Councillors office:  Jeff Leiper – Jeff.Leiper@ottawa.ca (613) 580-2485

For more information at Kitchissippi Ward website

Fall Activities

Just a reminder that Fall Activities are starting soon. See our home page for the dates and details for Yoga, Garden Club, Aerobic classes and the Bridge Club.

In other news, there’s an executive meeting coming up this Tuesday, August 30th, 7:30pm at the fieldhouse. And finally, marking the end of the season, the wading pool is now closed.

– Alex

Garage Sale – August 27

Some of our neighbours on Patricia are holding a reprise garage sale on Saturday, August 27th, due to the cold and rainy June sale. They encourage others to do the same on that day.

If you’re interested and wish a bit of publicity, send the street address of your sale to the Champlain Park Webmaster (champlainpark@hotmail.ca) and we’ll post a list of garage sale locations closer to the date.

Urban Forest Green Spaces – Community Wide Awareness Meeting – May 19

Are you interested in fostering healthy green spaces and urban forests supporting native plants and wildlife? Are you interested in the recreational enjoyment of nature within the Champlain Park for your family, friends, neighbours and future generations?
CHAMPLAIN_TRAILSThis maybe of interest to you!

Please join us for our first Urban Forest Green Spaces community-wide meeting, where we will outline the community partnership with the NCC and the City of Ottawa and share progress on community-based projects underway in the NCC forest, the Little Woods and our Park. We’ll hear from community representatives of the initiative, the NCC and the City of Ottawa on:

  • What’s happening in the NCC forest bordering our community and the parkway, the Little Woods and our Park.
  • Mapping paths and trees
  • Improving paths with woodchips
  • Planting native trees, shrubs and flowers
Meeting details:
  • Location:  Champlain Park Fieldhouse
  • Time:          7:30 – 9 pm – Thursday evening
  • Date:           May 19, 2016

In order to support the Urban Forest Green Spaces initiatives go to the website at: https://urbanforestgreenspaces.wordpress.com

Spring Cleanup 2016 Summary

Just following up on the Spring Cleanup…

We had a good turnout this year, about 20 people and families signed in and I heard that a team of around 4 people sponsored by Glad came from Wakefield (saw them leaving at the end in their yellow shirts). Glad also provided the garbage bags, looks like we had about the right amount. The same can’t be said for the home baked cookies, which ran out before the baker could have one!

Andrea and Ian seemed to have everything in hand, even down to fridge magnets from the city’s “Tim Hortons Cleaning the Capital” program, beverages for the volunteers, a campaign map and so on. Thanks for setting it up and staffing mission control!

Signing Up and Getting Supplies
20160423_100156_AS_6587 Signing up

Fridge Magnet
20160423_113749_AS_6606 Cleaning the Capital Fridge Magnet

Sticker
20160423_113726_AS_6604 Cleaning the Capital Sticker

Campaign Map with Post-it™ notes claiming work areas
20160423_112401_AS_6602 Campaign Map

I found lots of candy wrappers, plastic cups, cigarette packs, lighters, cigarette butts, plastic bags, beverage cans, plastic water bottles and such things, mostly near the woods at the school. Weirdly, no glass bottles and just one glass fragment. But I also found a few noteworthy items:

First off, an unusual brass Allen Wrench. Usually they’re silver steel. This was in an area on Pontiac with noticable contractor debris, such as electrical wire insulation strippings.
20160423_101306_AS_6588 A rare Brass Allen Wrench

On the opposite corner of the neighbourhood on Patricia, I found this magnifying glass keychain.
20160423_103437_AS_6589 Magnifying Glass

Getting closer to the school area on Patricia, and the woods, here’s yet another glove. Seems to be designed for cartoon characters, with only four fingers.
20160423_105324_AS_6592 One Glove of Many

A blue golf ball stands out on a sunny day (great weather today for working outside).
20160423_105814_AS_6593 Blue Golf Ball

A piece of tile. Wonder where it came from.
20160423_105938_AS_6594 Tile Fragment

This assortment of garbage is brought to you by the letter O. Made of foam.
20160423_110409_AS_6595 Foam Letter O

Close to a school gate is the remains of a lesson on cooking with mud. The felt marker beside the pot is for taking notes? I left this behind since it didn’t seem to be garbage.
20160423_110504_AS_6596 Lesson on Cooking with Mud

I was surprised to see this bow tie. A closer look reveals that it is a hair ribbon accessory.
20160423_110739_AS_6598 Bow Tie Hair Ribbon

One of the lighters I found. Other people were finding them too.
20160423_111043_AS_6599 Cigaratte Lighter

Another team found an antique car leaf spring in the forest. It seems to have been halved with a cutting torch.
20160423_112448_AS_6603 Car Leaf Spring

Ian Reid with the mysterious, helpful people from planet GLAD (via Wakefield). Photo and description courtesy of Andrea Murphy.
20160423 Ian Reid and Glad Team

The final result of all this work is an even larger pile of garbage. Just think how many candy wrappers are there!
20160423_120457_AS_6610 Our Garbage Pile

Thanks everyone for pitching in and cleaning up.

If you have stories or photos of interesting items, I can add them to this post. Send them to champlainpark@hotmail.ca or tweet them to @ChamplainPark.

– Alex

Spring Cleanup 2016 – April 23 Reminder

Just a reminder that the Spring Cleanup is this weekend. Additionally, the NCC forest is now officially part of the cleanup area.

LIFE’S MESSY.

APRIL 23 WE CLEAN IT UP.

Champlain Park is looking for volunteers for our annual Spring Cleanup. The snow is finally melting, and trash accumulated over a long winter has started to appear.

The cleanup, part of the City’s Cleaning the Capital campaign, is a chance for neighbours of all ages – kids, teens, and adults – to get together, say hello, and help spruce up the neighbourhood.

We’ll meet at the fieldhouse on Saturday, April 23 at 10 a.m. Juice, coffee, and cookies will be served. There is a map so that people can choose an area to work on. We’ll wrap up by noon. In case of rain, we’ll meet instead on Sunday, April 24.

The designated cleanup areas are the south side of Premier above the transitway; the boulevard on Northwestern and the path at its north end; and along the fence on Patricia and Pontiac and in the NCC forest between the fence and the parkway. It can also include the area along the river at the foot of Carleton, or any other public spaces you think could use some help.

We recommend wearing pants and long-sleeved shirts, appropriate footwear and gloves. The City will provide garbage bags.

If you have any questions or suggestions, call Andrea Murphy or Ian Reid at 613-715-9504.

Community Garage Sale – June 11

Yes, it’s that time of year again!

Time to buy back all that stuff you sold to your neighbour last year, but at twice the price.

We are planning to hold the community-wide garage sale again this year. As usual, it will be held on the first Saturday in June. Well, maybe not quite the first Saturday, but close to it!

Event date: Saturday June 11, 2016.
Rain date: Should it be pouring rain, the sale is moved to Sunday, June 12.

Residents on Island Park usually hold their garage sale at this time as part of this community-wide bargain hunters dream!

Think about donating a portion of your proceeds to the charity of your choice, or to help support Champlain Park Community Association.

Leftover treasures
If you have leftover treasures when the garage sale ends keep in mind that the Ottawa’s Spring Give Away Weekend will take place the same weekend as the garage sale (both days).

See Rules for setting out at your Leftover Treasures at the “Ottawa’s Spring Give Away Weekend” link provided above.