Growing Things next to the Road?

Just Food have a campaign to allow food growing on city boulevards.

It would allow food plants to be grown on right-of-way boulevards. These areas are the city-owned strips of land that encroach on most city residential front lawns (near a curb or sidewalk) it also includes verge gardens between the sidewalk and the road.

[Illustration of road and houses, showing where the boulevard goes]

Last Thursday the city’s public works and infrastructure committee voted in favour of changing the bylaw to allow growing food on these pieces of land.

A final vote on the bylaw will go to full council next month.

The city’s take on it can be found here: https://engage.ottawa.ca/residential-boulevard-gardening. Just Food have a few changes they’d like to see: https://justfood.ca/bylawupdates – Just Food wants a greater variety of plants while still keeping visibility for road users.

If you either support or oppose the bylaw you can contact Jeff Leiper as soon as possible before the vote goes goes before city council.

Community Association Board Meeting Agenda – March 25

Champlain Park Community Association (CPCA) Board Meeting

Tuesday, March 25, 2025
7:00 PM via Google Meet
Everybody Welcome

Agenda items are limited to 5 minutes unless otherwise requested.

This is a meeting of the CPCA Board of Directors. Champlain Park Community members are welcome to attend, if you would like to propose items for discussion, to ask questions, to organize an event or activity, or to learn more about the issues affecting our community.

Activities and Issues must fall within our community plan/areas of operation in order to be addressed by the CPCA. You can write to the webmaster champlainpark@gmail.com to request a link to join the meeting and/or to connect you with the appropriate Board member for information and guidance including how to submit a Community Project Proposal.

  1. Approval of Minutes
    1. October, January meeting minutes
    2. AGM meeting minutes
  2. Privacy and Posting Meeting Minutes
    Also see appendix I of the bylaws which describes what’s in the minutes.
  3. Interim Motions
    2025 Enviro Educational Activities Approved – Funds TBD
  4. CPCA Budget: Process/Framework – 25 minutes
    1. Discussion on framework for spending CPCA funds.
    2. Nick has provided a draft model to structure the discussion.
    3. Lynne to provide spreadsheet for estimation purposes, definitions and references.
  5. Proposed Zoning By-law, Draft 1, 2
    1. Ottawa community associations have raised many of the same issues regarding the proposed new ZBL. They are getting virtually identical non-answers, or no answers at all, to the issues that they’ve raised. The Federation of Citizens’ Associations is considering options to address this.
    2. Draft 2 released on March 20 & will be presented to Planning & Housing Committee on March 31. The Public may attend the meeting and comment.
    3. Residents who have questions or comments on Draft 2, may contact the new Zoning By-law project team via NewZoning@ottawa.ca or visit the Engage Ottawa page. Public engagement on Draft 2 will occur this spring, including virtual and in-person consultation events.
    4. The final version of the new Zoning By-law, Draft 3, will be presented later this year for Council approval.
  6. Traffic Safety committee – survey and other matters – Bill
  7. Park Committee update – Joanne (10 minutes)
    1. Review the recommendations of committee on proceeding with minor project request. 20250325 Report from Park Committee.pdf
    2. Vote by the board,
  8. Tunney’s Pasture Transportation Plan – Joanne
    The NCC’s Master Plan docs for Tunney’s Pasture are part of their January 23 meeting info.
  9. Champlain Park History Book Update – Alex
    1. Writing progress.
    2. Book release party.
    3. Use of the book as a promotional item?
  10. Use of Google Meet for committee meetings – Bill
  11. Defibrillators – Laurie
  12. Motion: Approve up to $150 to buy refreshments and snacks for the volunteers that will be doing the annual Spring Clean-up. Insured Activity. – Nick
  13. Association Business – Lynne (15 minutes)
    1. Edits to the By-Laws and Articles of Incorporation: Motions
    2. revised CPP process: Info
    3. Financial processes: Info
    4. CPIP Insurance Update: Info
    5. Annual Corporate Return: Info and Motion
    6. Outdoor Rink Contract: Info and Motion
    7. Minutes for Committee Meetings Required by ONCA
    8. Thank you to Leads and Volunteer Teams for KSWT and CP ODR
  14. Other business
  15. Next Meeting

Agenda last updated on March 25 15:42, order of items will likely change. Please contact the secretary to add topics.

Note – Alex is hosting an experimental in-person hybrid meeting at the field house, drop in if you don’t mind sitting around a laptop, though we have hopes of getting the projector working. Or use your own device for the Google Meet video conference (ask champlainpark@gmail.com for the link).

NCC Bike Days revised hours along Kichi Zībī Mīkan

The National Capital Commission has announced the NCC Weekend Bike Days for 2025. The Champlain Park Traffic Safety Committee is pleased to say that the bike days along the Kichi Zībī Mīkan will be on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 8:00 to noon, As per the announcement below, the bike days start on May 10th this year and continue to October 13.

https://ncc-ccn.gc.ca/news/plan-your-summer-staycation-ncc-weekend-bikedays-begin

We hope that by the bikedays ending at noon as opposed to 5:00 pm, we will avoid the congestion problems we have seen over the past couple of years. The Traffic Safety Committee will monitor the situation and report any issues to the NCC, the City or Police as we deem necessary.

As always, traffic safety is the concern of all of us, so if you see something the police need to be aware of, please use the following link to submit a report to the Ottawa Police Service, in the Traffic Complaint category. https://www.ottawapolice.ca/en/reports-and-requests/file-a-report.aspx

Champlain Park Traffic Safety Committee

Rink Closed after a Good Season!

From Paul O. on Facebook on March 6th 2025, with some edits for space:

Hanging up the gear for another year as the Champlain ODR is now closed. Mother Nature has been good to us as we only had to close briefly during one warm spell.

Thanks for all who use our facilities – families, St. Georges School, lunch time old boys hockey, after school kiddies and teenagers at night.

Just want to put out a huge thanks to our tireless crew. Not everyone sees this but there are 3 guys in particular who have put in literally dozens of hours to maintain the ice. My gratitude to Rod, Derek and Long for their dedicated service. Many others deserve thanks including Kevin(s), Stuart, Gerry, Tomas, Andrew and more. And a shout out to Aimee and Emery for organizing all the supervisors who helped organize, shovel and keep things safe – thanks to you all.

Looking forward to another good year in 25/26.

Snow and Sidewalks

For a bit of winter amusement, here are pictures of Daniel Avenue after the recent 60cm snowfall, one part of the avenue has sidewalks, and one doesn’t. Notice how the sidewalk road is hemmed in by snow banks, because the sidewalks prevent the snow from being pushed onto lawns.

[Daniel Avenue South with less Road Space due to Sidewalks]
Southern end of Daniel Avenue, with sidewalks and not much road remaining.
[Daniel Avenue North with more Road Space]
Northern end of Daniel Avenue, with more road space. Cars can even pass here!

And finally, I can hear you complaining to the city that the snow needs to be removed, and a day later we see this:

[Daniel Avenue North with Snow Removal Signs]
Snow Removal Signs Sprouting on Daniel Avenue.

And that’s what winter snow looks like on the streets in our neighbourhood in 2025.

Champlain Park Ping Pong Club – February 20

Hi all,

The second meeting of the Champlain Park community association ping pong club is on this Thursday, 7 to 9 pm. All levels of skill are welcome.

[20250206 First Meeting of the Ping Pong Club at Champlain Park]
First meeting of the Ping Pong Club at the Champlain Park Fieldhouse, February 6, 2025.

A few notes:

  • Kids should be accompanied by adults
  • We now have 3 ping pong tables and a hyperpong table!
  • Bring your paddle & balls but we do have extra paddles and balls.
  • There is no cost but you do have to be a member of the Champlain Park community association: you can sign up at Membership Application

I look forward to seeing you there.

Nick Xenos
chparkevents@yahoo.com

Cancelled: Community Association Board Meeting Agenda – February 25

Too many people are out sick or have to be away on other activities, so we’ve cancelled this meeting. Hope we have time to get through this somewhat large agenda at the next meeting!

Champlain Park Community Association (CPCA) Board Meeting

Tuesday, February 25, 2025
7:00 PM via Google Meet
Everybody Welcome

Agenda items are limited to 5 minutes unless otherwise requested.

This is a meeting of the CPCA Board of Directors. Champlain Park Community members are welcome to attend, if you would like to propose items for discussion, to ask questions, to organize an event or activity, or to learn more about the issues affecting our community.

Activities and Issues must fall within our community plan/areas of operation in order to be addressed by the CPCA. You can write to the webmaster champlainpark@gmail.com to request a link to join the meeting and/or to connect you with the appropriate Board member for information and guidance including how to submit a Community Project Proposal.

  1. Approval of Minutes
    1. October, January meeting minutes
    2. AGM meeting minutes
    3. Discuss privacy issues
    4. Posting meeting minutes
  2. Interim Motions
    2025 Enviro Educational Activities Approved – Funds TBD
  3. Proposed Zoning By-law, Draft 1:
    FCA Planning & Zoning concordance done re: concerns raised by CAs and city responses. Ottawa CAs have raised many of the same issues regarding the proposed new ZBL. They are getting virtually identical non-answers, or no answers at all, to the issues that they’ve raised. FCA is considering options to address this.
  4. Traffic Safety committee – survey and other matters – Bill
  5. Tunney’s Pasture Transportation Plan – Joanne
  6. Champlain Park History Book Update – Alex
  7. Association Business – Lynne
    1. Review revised Objectives for Articles
    2. Brief Orientation to Board Processes, including revised CPP process and reminder about financial processes
    3. CPIP Insurance Update
    4. Annual Corporate Return
    5. Minutes for Committee Meetings Required by ONCA – Suggest brief written/oral summary provided of topics and decisions to attach to or include in Board meeting minutes
    6. Use of Google Meet for committee meetings – Bill
  8. Other business
  9. Next Meeting March 24-27?
    Likely this meeting will include a discussion on spending of some of CPCA funds (Discuss process/framework for how to spend funds – not the final decision on spending).
    Lynne – Circulate the financial report before the next meeting.
    Nick has some thoughts about how to structure the discussion; others invited to share their thoughts on structure also.

Agenda last updated on February 18 17:00. Please contact the secretary to add topics.