New Scott Street Connection to the Winter Trail

Kìchì Sìbì Winter Trail Announcement: please help spread the word!

NOW OPEN!! The Scott Street Connector at Tunney’s Pasture!

It is with great pleasure that the Kìchì Sìbì Winter Trail Team can at last announce the opening of its new Scott St. Connector.

This newest groomed addition to the winter trail network is located along the tree-lined western edge of the Tunney’s Pasture site, and establishes a new formal trail access point near the corner of Scott St. and Sir Frederick Banting Driveway. This new trailhead is within easy reach of the neighbourhoods immediately to the south of Scott St, as well as to the Tunney’s LRT station.

Winter Trail users (walkers, skiers, winter bikers) can park in the NW corner, or the SW corner, of the Tunney’s Pasture parking lots any time after 3pm on weekdays, and all day on Saturday & Sunday, except during snow clearance operations.

[Satellite View of the Neighbourhood with Trail Extension in Yellow]
20220120 KitchiSibiWT Scott St Connector Map-Dec 2021.pdf

Should you wish to learn more about the Kìchì Sìbì Winter Trail or how to support it, please visit www.wintertrail.ca. ICYMI, donations are tax deductible.
Continue reading “New Scott Street Connection to the Winter Trail” →

Electronic Waste Collection at Van Lang Field House – January 22, 29

From our city councillor Jeff Leiper’s January 15 2022 newsletter:

Westboro/Westboro Beach electronics waste drop-off

Thanks to Charlotte at Nepean High School who has organized a waste electronics drop-off as part of her environmental science class. The drop-offs will be at the Van Lang field house (29 Van Lang – next to 303 Churchill N.) on January 22 from 1-4 and on January 29 from 11-1:30. They’ll be collecting items such as flash drives, phones, MP3 players, laptops, mic, speakers, DVD players and more. Write to ewastedropoff22@gmail.com with your questions and follow @electronicwastewestboro on Instagram for updates. See the full poster here.

[eWaste Poster - mostly text]

The Passing of Amy Steele (Kempster)

On the night of January 16, Amy Steele (Kempster) passed away at the Colonel By Retirement Home, where she had been residing since mid-2021. Amy, who lived at 118 Clearview Ave. for many years, had been a stalwart leader, whose goal was to help (frequently nudge in the right direction!) Champlain Park and all of Ottawa to become the best places to make a home. During her long lifetime of community engagement, her volunteer positions included President of the CPCA, Co-president of the FCA, and Co-chair of the Greenspace Alliance. Among her many awards were the Mayor’s Award for Volunteer Service in 1999 and the 2014 Lifetime Achievement award from the FCA. In 2014 the CPCA presented Amy with an Award for her 30 years of volunteer service with our community. The Amy’s corner web page is here: https://champlainpark.org/amys-corner/

Amy has always been an inspiration and a passionate defender of neighbourhoods and the environment.

Amy touched many lives. We will miss her.

[Amy Steel (Kempster) in 2012]

Greening the Neighbourhood Podcast

Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2022 18:00:42 -0500
From: DANIEL BUCKLES <dbuckles@sas2.net>

Greening the Neighbourhood

David Paré of Ottawa South has produced a delightful podcast series on “Decarbonizing Ottawa,” that highlights the actions people in our city are taking to do their part to overcome the climate crisis: https://anchor.fm/david-pare

A recent episode (Greening the Neighbourhood) features Champlain Park, starting with the de-paving of a section of Pontiac Avenue and continuing with our wonderful pollinator garden and “tiny forests.” Have listen to this, or other podcats on topics ranging from the National Healing Forests Initiative to Going Electric (pros and cons).

Community Association AGM Draft Agenda – February 1

Final agenda and link to the Zoom webinar is now ready, see https://champlainpark.org/2022/01/24/annual-general-meeting-february-1/

Note that there’s a newer agenda in the AGM poster. The final Agenda and link to the Zoom webinar will be posted on noon on Monday January 24th.

Draft Agenda

Champlain Park Community Association Annual General Meeting

Tuesday, February 1, 2022
7:00 PM via Zoom
Everybody Welcome

Here is a draft of the agenda for the AGM. Please contact the secretary with new items and changes.

Meeting Chair: Nick Xenos

Agenda

  1. Guest Speaker: David Wise, City of Ottawa, Planner and Program Manager, Zoning Unit (30 minutes)
  2. Financial Report from CPCA Finance Committee: Dave Harding (10 minutes)
  3. Election of Board for 2022: Nick Xenos (10 minutes)
  4. Report from City Councillor: Jeff Lieper (30 minutes)
  5. Business Items:
    1. Approval of minutes of previous AGM 27 Jan 2021: Liz Gyalokay (2 minutes)
    2. Reports from the 2020/21 Board (5 minutes each)
      1. Planning and Zoning – Heather Pearl
      2. Environment – Kris Phillips
      3. Rink Update- Dan Wilcock
      4. Communications: Carol Arnason
      5. Social – Nick Xenos
      6. Civic Engagement – Roland Dorsay
      7. Thanks to departing board members – Nick Xenos
    3. Call for volunteers – Lynne Bankier (5 minutes)
    4. Other Business
    5. Adjournment

Community Association Board Meeting Agenda – January 10

Agenda

Champlain Park Community Association (CPCA) Board Meeting

Monday January 10, 2022
7:30 PM via Google Meet
Everybody Welcome

Board meetings will have an open session for community residents to observe business discussions. Non board community members will also be invited to participate at certain times by the chair and there will be “in camera” topics for the board members only. Please contact the secretary via champlainpark@gmail.com to request a link to join the meeting.

Open session

  1. Approval of minutes of Nov 16, 2021 – Liz
  2. Report of interim motions – all
  3. AGM Agenda: – Lynne (agenda for last AGM for reference)
    1. Date: Tuesday Feb 1, 7 pm
    2. Chair: Nick
    3. Report from City Councillor: Jeff Leiper is confirmed
    4. Financial Report from CPCA Finance Committee: Dave Harding
    5. Election of Board for 2022: (need to finalize the slate): Nick
    6. Guest Speaker: David Wise, City of Ottawa, Planner and Program Manager, Zoning Unit is confirmed
    7. Business Items:
      1. Approval of minutes of previous AGM 27 Jan 2021: Liz
      2. Reports:
        1. P&Z – Heather
        2. Environment committee – possibly Kris and others;
        3. Rink – Dan;
        4. Communications – Carol;
        5. Finance – Dave;
        6. Social – Nick;
        7. Thanks to long term members of the Board who are departing: Lynne and Heather
    8. Call for volunteers: ?
  4. Financial Report: discussion of draft report for AGM: Dave – 10 minutes
  5. Other Business
  6. Next Meeting

Agenda last updated at 13:36 on January 9th.

Kichi Sibi Winter Trail – Christmas Tree Reuse

The Kichi Sibi Winter Trail @KichiSibiWT are now collecting unwanted xmas trees for reuse as a wind blocks along the winter trail. Please leave your cleaned Xmas tree of tinsel and anything else at the Remic Rapids Outhouse adjacent to the Remic Rapids parking lot, we only need the tree. At the end of the season these reused xmas trees will be chipped and recycled as mulch.

Many thanks
Kichi Sibi Winter Trail + Champlain ParkTrailhead’s

[Remic Rapids outhouse and Christmas Trees lined up on fence]

Holiday House Decoration Winner

CPCA Holiday Decorating Contest Winner

We are happy to announce that 234 Cowley won the Champlain Park Holiday House Decorating Contest for the second time yet! It was indeed very hard to beat: the front lawn was decorated with snowmen and nutcrackers and strings of colorful lights. Brightly lit wire candy canes hung on the shrub down the driveway, demonstrating the effort put in by the deserving winners on this amazing display. All storeys of the house, along with the garage and the porch, were also festively decorated in the same manner, delighting most passersby.

We thank all those who participated in the contest, both by decorating their house and by voting for their favorite. You truly contributed to sharing the holiday spirit during these unprecedented times.

We would also like to congratulate the deserving winners. They have won a $50 gift certificate good at a Wellington West business of their choice generously donated by the Wellington West BIA.

Thanks again and happy holidays!!

——————-
Eirene and Nick
chparkevents@yahoo.com

Champlain Park Chess Tournament

Join the 2nd annual tournament of the Champlain Park Chess League for the winter/spring. A ladder format will be used, so sign up, then challenge a neighbour to a virtual game of online chess (many online sites exist) and move up the ladder ranking. Top four players will then play off in the spring to crown the champion. Congrats to Andrew O. who won last year!

To sign up, email Nick at chparkevents@yahoo.com

Rules:

  • To move up the ladder you can challenge any player up to 4 ranks above you or anyone anywhere below you. If you win you switch ranks with them on the ladder.
  • To challenge someone, send them an email and choose your chess online website to play (i.e. chess.com). You can choose to play with time limits or not or any other format agreed upon by both players. If there is no agreement then the higher ranked player chooses the format. If the opposing player does not play their turn within 5 days then they default the game (unless both sides agreed to take a break).
  • Each player can only play one game at a time and can turn down challenges without penalty if they are playing someone else.
  • If someone is not playing anyone and turns down 3 challenges in a row then they automatically go to the bottom of the ladder.
  • Top four ranked players in the ladder who have played at least 5 games on May 1 will play a tournament. Format will be #1 plays #4 and #2 plays #3 – in a one-game winner goes to final format. Final 2 winners play each other in a best of 3 final tournament (first one who wins 2 games). The winner of the best of 3 final is crowned the Champlain Park Chess Champion of 2022!