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Monday, April 11, 2011

Upcoming events in Centretown - April 2011

The following message was sent to the CCCA's e-mail announcement list early this morning, announcing upcoming events. Contact ccca@centretowncitizens.ca to be among the first to receive CCCA e-mail updates a couple times per month.



Dear CCCA members and followers, There's quite the variety of activities for all interests coming up, all of which are free! Without further ado...


Monday, April 11, 2011, 5:30 pm
CCCA Planning & Development Review Committee

Ottawa City Hall (Richmond Room, 2nd floor)

The PDR Committee will be hearing a presentation on the latest version of the redevelopment plans for the Christ Church/Cathedral Hill site. (See the planning applications at http://app01.ottawa.ca/postingplans/appDetails.jsf?lang=en&appId=__7F453W and some background at http://centretown.blogspot.com/2011/03/walk-around-christ-church.html).

The committee will also prepare the CCCA's responses to other developments we've already heard of, and we'll talk about City consultations on policies for digital billboards and for Cultural Heritage Impact Assessments.


Community All-Candidates Meeting - Help needed!

The CCCA is looking to host an all-candidates meeting for Ottawa-Centre candidates in the May 2, 2011 federal election, along with the Dalhousie and Glebe Community Associations, and the Centretown Community Health Centre and the CCOC. Given how soon the election is coming, if you can help with organizing this event please contact ccca@centretowncitizens.ca ASAP! It can only happen if enough people step forward to help organize it!


Tuesday, April 12, 2011, 5:30 pm
CCCA Transportation Committee

Meet at Bridgehead on Elgin and MacLaren

The CCCA's Transportation Committee meets monthly to discuss transportation issues affecting Centretown and drafting CCCA positions on specific transportation issues. The committee meets at Bridgehead on Elgin and MacLaren, and moves to another location if there isn't space there.


Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Ottawa City Council Meeting - detailed minutes, patios

watch live online at http://www.ottawa.ca

City Council has been moving in the shadows a lot lately. Many motions are being presented at Committee meetings and considered at the same meeting, giving no opportunity for public input, since the public can't speak at Council meetings. One recent example was a report to the Finance and Economic Development Committee (FEDCO) with a recommendation to receive the report, and instead the committee voted on a motion tabled at the meeting to do away with detailed minutes. These details are crucial for understanding why previous decisions were made and to avoid repeating previous mistakes, as I explained in my letter to Council (a copy of which is at http://centretown.blogspot.com/2011/04/dont-let-council-scrap-detailed-minutes.html). There is still an opportunity for Council to keep detailed minutes at Wednesday's meeting.

I also presented on behalf of the CCCA at last week's meeting of the City's Transportation Committee about patio encroachments on public property, explaining to the committee the social contract which residents have that is being broken by the City by overriding its policy not to allow patios within 30m of a residential zone. Unfortunately, a majority of councillors seem not to appreciate what it's like to not be able to open your windows for the whole summer because of noise every night on nearby patios.


Centretown Buzz comes out on Friday Carriers wanted!
www.centretownbuzz.com

Frank Appleyard, the new editor of the Centretown Buzz (the community newspaper jointly owned by the CCCA and DCA) has already started making major changes to the newspaper and its website. I've seen the proofs and they're top-notch! Look for the April edition to be out on Friday, now with colour!

Your help is needed to get the Buzz out to our neighbours. Contact editor@centretownbuzz.com if you can spare an hour a month helping to spread the news!


Tuesday, April 19, 2011, 7pm
CCCA regular meeting


Ottawa City Hall (Honeywell Room) The CCCA's monthly Board meeting is on April 19. With a federal election on everyone's mind and an agenda less packed with urgent planning matters, the meeting shouldn't be nearly as long as the March meeting, where everyone learned a lot.


Wednesday, April 20, 2011, 7pm
Heritage Ottawa lecture: "Ottawa's Capitol Theatre: Paradise Lost"

Ottawa Public Library Auditorium, 120 Metcalfe (lower level)

You may recall the grand Capitol Theatre which was demolished in the 1970s. Alice Groves, award-winning author, educator and multi-disciplinary artist will be speak on Ottawa's erstwhile Capitol Theatre: its architectural magnificence, its role in the community, its premature, unfortunate demise and its cultural significance. This is part of Heritage Ottawa's monthly lecture series.


Monday, May 2, 2011, 9:30am-9:30pm
General Election


Remember to do your part and vote in the federal election on May 2, 2011!


Thursday, May 5, 2011, 5-7pm
Public meeting on community benefits in exchange for increased height and density

Ottawa City Hall (room TBD)

If you've been following the discussions on "Section 37," you know that this planning tool requires input from the community to determine what facilities are needed that the City can negotiate for when developers seek increased height and density. Toronto has been doing this for over a decade and has gotten hundreds of millions of dollars of community benefits from such agreements. This public meeting will help inform your community association and your representatives at City Hall what you want to see.


Saturday, May 7, 2011 and Sunday, May 8, 2011
Jane's Walk Ottawa

All across Ottawa--including Centretown!

Jane's Walks, named for the late New York/Toronto urbanist Jane Jacobs, are an annual ritual where volunteers give walking tours of all different parts of the city. Ottawa's Jane's Walk (http://www.janeswalkottawa.ca) is in its fourth year. The CCCA's Trees & Greenspace Committee did a walk in previous years, and this year I've proposed a walk along Bronson Avenue to highlight the past, present, and potential future for what was once--and what could again be--a pleasant urban street. If the walk goes ahead (which will be on the Sunday morning), I'll talk about various developments along Bronson, and the goals and progress of the ongoing Rescue Bronson Avenue campaign (www.RescueBronson.ca). I hope we'll see you out there!


Saturday, June 18, 2011, 8am-2pm
Minto Park Sale and BBQ

Minto Park, Elgin and Gilmour

For the third year in a row, the CCCA will be participating in the Minto Park Sale (formerly the "No-Yard Yard Sale"): our Trees & Greenspace Committee will have its annual plant sale and I'll be back behind the grill for the annual fundraiser barbecue from 11am-1pm. Proceeds from table rentals at the Minto Park Sale and a portion of the proceeds from the BBQ will go to the Centretown Emergency Food Centre. If you would like to book a table or would like to help organize, promote, or set up the sale, please contact 613-580-2484 or mintoparksale@ottawa.ca. To help with the CCCA's BBQ, please contact ccca@centretowncitizens.ca


The CCCA's communications committee is hard at work preparing a refresh of the CCCA website and communications materials for this year's membership campaigns. Keep an eye out for them, or contact the CCCA to get involved!

As always, please share this message with people who will be interested in it, and encourage your friends and neighbours to join the CCCA to support our efforts. For your convenience, a downloadable membership form is on the CCCA website at www.centretowncitizens.ca

Thank you for your contributions to making Centretown a great place to live!

Cheers,
Charles Akben-Marchand
President
Centretown Citizens Community Association (CCCA)
www.CentretownCitizens.ca

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