Monday, April 22, 2013

What's Happening in Centretown - April 2013 (CCCA)

Happy Earth Day, everyone!

Today's blog post is a message sent yesterday to the e-mail list of the Centretown Citizens Community Association by CCCA President Jordan Charbonneau. I've added the photos to this version.

I encourage all residents of Centretown to attend the Centretown Community Design Plan consultation meeting tomorrow night at 7pm at Dominion-Chalmers United Church. This will be an important opportunity for CCCA members and other Centretowners to learn more about the deal brokered by the CCCA and some members of the development industry. I should also note that I am on the Board of the CCCA. Of the 6 Board members who voted on this agreement on the second day of the February 2013 CCCA board meeting, I was one of the 4 who voted against (one of whom resigned after the motion was approved later by e-mail). I also remind readers, again in the interest of disclosure, that I work in the office of Councillor Diane Holmes, who has publicly objected to a number of provisions of the CCCA-developer agreement. Lots of information is in the April 2013 edition of the Centretown Buzz

Happy Sunday!

See below for some important information regarding Centretown-related initiatives. More information on events like these as well as general information about the association is available on the CCCA website.

1. Centretown Community Design Plan Consultation

As you will have seen from my email last Wednesday, the CCCA is hosting a public consultation this coming Tuesday, 23 April 2013 on the City's version of the Centretown Community Design Plan (CDP) and the CCCA/developers' joint agreement to modify the CDP. Doors open at Dominion-Chalmers United Church (355 Cooper St.) at 6:30 p.m. The CDP and the proposed agreement will have a lasting effect on the community, so attend and have your say! Note that you can find background information on this file, including comments that the CCCA has submitted to the City, on our website.

Importantly, if you cannot attend Tuesday's meeting, feel free to send your input to me directly. You can do this either by emailing me at this address or phoning me at 613-236-6678. We want as much input from Centretowners as possible, so make sure to take the time to provide your feedback! City Council considers the plan and potential changes on 8 May, so the sooner you can send your feedback, the more useful it will be.

Also, if you can help with the setup for this event, please contact me. We need your help to make this event a success!

2. 2013 Minto Park Sale

Diane Holmes’ office is organizing the 2013 Minto Park Sale for Saturday, 15 June from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., which is a yard sale in Minto Park aimed at those who don't have their own yards, though anyone can take part. Table rentals are $10. To book your table, send an email to mintoparksale@ottawa.ca and include your home address and a contact phone number. Note that you do not need to pay for your table in advance, since the money will be collected on the day of the event.

The CCCA is currently organizing its involvement in this year's event, including our very popular electronic waste collection depot. Let me know if you'd like to volunteer to help!

3. Trees and Greenspace Committee's Jane's Walk

The committee will be holding its 4th annual Jane’s Walk on Sunday, 5 May 2013 at 1:30 p.m. (you can find out more about Jane's Walks on their website). The walk will focus on how parks contribute to the physical, mental and social health of a neighbourhood, starting with an introduction at the Centretown Community Health Centre (420 Cooper St.) and then continuing through the neighbourhood and its parks (Arlington, McNabb and Dundonald). Join us on May 5 but be sure to confirm the details of this walk and the many others by checking the Jane’s Walk website or phoning Bonnie at 613-237-1056.

In addition, on 18 May 2013 from 9 a.m. to noon in Minto Park, the Trees and Greenspace Committee will be selling plants, including Impatiens, Petunias, Geraniums, Marigolds, Begonias, Snapdragons, Portulaca, Pansies, and some cherry tomatoes. The committee will also be part of the Minto Park Sale on 15 June 2013. If you are dividing your plants or have extra seedlings, please consider donating them to the Trees and Greenspace Committee. All proceeds from the plant sales go towards more trees in Centretown. For more information or to arrange pick up of donations, please contact Mavaia at 613-567-7955.

4. Organic Gardening Workshops

Since spring is here (even if winter seems to be tenaciously hanging on!), I thought I'd mention that the Canadian Organic Growers are offering two organic garden workshops this week. The first, on Tuesday, 23 April 2013, is entitled "Organic Principles and Practices in Yard Management". The second, to be held on Thursday, 25 April 2013, is entitled "Organic Herbs in Containers and Composting". The workshops will be held at the National Library and Archives Building (395 Wellington St.) and will cost $15 for adults and $10 for full time students and seniors. If you're interested, visit their website for more information and to register.

Finally, there are two items to note:

CCCA Board Vacancy: Are you interested in getting involved in your community and making a difference? Do you want to work with other members of your community to make Centretown the best place to live, work and play? Then join the Board of the CCCA! There is currently an open position on the Board; if you'd like to put your name forward to fill it, let me know! At its discretion, the Board can appoint an individual to fill the vacancy until the next annual general meeting (likely in October 2013). This is a great way to see if you enjoy being on the Board for a short time so that, come the annual general meeting, you can decide whether you'd like to run in the Board elections to become a full Board member!

Casino Poll Reminder: Don't forget to complete our online poll on the casino issue, which will help inform the CCCA Board in taking a position on the issue. You can access the poll from the main page of our website. You can also complete a paper copy in this month's issue of the Centretown BUZZ and send the results to us!

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Remember, for more information on the CCCA, including its meeting times and dates, see our website. While you're at it, follow us on Twitter!
Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

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Jordan Charbonneau
CCCA president
president@centretowncitizens.ca
www.centretowncitizens.ca
Join the CCCA, follow @CentretownCCA on Twitter, and get on the e-mail list to receive 2-3 updates per month from the CCCA. Note that Images of Centretown is my personal blog and not a blog of the CCCA.

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