s December 31, the end of my term as your City Councillor, draws nearer, and as the transition to a single tier city continues, I find myself quite busy on a number of initiatives. Though some senior officials have left and many staff have been seconded to work on the transition team, the needs of our communities for city services and council support and representation remain unchanged.
I am very happy to inform the community that a new school-age play structure will be installed in Windsor Park this fall to replace the existing one. My efforts to have the structure moved up on the City's Life Cycle Program replacement priority list have succeeded.
Originally scheduled for 2002, it was moved up to 2001. Recently we were able to find the necessary $15,500 within City budgets to do the project in 2000. I thank City staff for their support and hard work on this. The existing school-age structure will be removed and the new CSA approved structure will be installed according to the latest standards.
Having earlier contributed $2,000 toward the pre-school structure at Windsor, I am pleased that it will be matched by a new play structure for older children.
The water slide replacement for the children's playground at Brewer Park will be installed by the City this year. The original slide, destroyed by vandals in August, was specifically designed and has to be specially ordered.
Last month, I appealed to community members to make a special effort to create a neighbourhood watch for Brewer Park, to prevent future vandalism. My appeal still stands. I have, meanwhile, requested more frequent police surveillance for Brewer Park.
The contra-flow bike lane is in place on the north side of Cameron Avenue, with accompanying signage. It has received a good public response. The proposal was presented by City staff to OSCA in September 1999 and met with community approval.
The intent of the contra-flow lane is to create a safe, efficient means for cyclists to traverse Old Ottawa South both ways via Cameron and to access the bike lane on Seneca, as well as Bronson Avenue and Carleton University.
The rain didn't dampen the spirit of the ECOS - Environment Committee of Ottawa South, and all who attended their September 23 unveiling of the Interpretive Program in Brewer Park near the banks of the Rideau River. I was honoured to be invited to unveil one of the eight interpretive plaques in this excellent program.
Thanks to each member of ECOS and their funding and environmental partners for all their work on this program and other initiatives to restore the Rideau River and its waterways.
All ECOS members are to be commended for their dedication and the amazing professionalism of their projects and the way they have been executed. I urge everyone to visit their website at www.restoretherideau.org
A big thank you to the hundreds who attended the September 26 rally at the Ottawa Carleton District School Board offices on Greenbank Road to protest the recommended closures of nine elementary schools (including Mutchmor) inside the Greenbelt.
I joined parents, children, grand-parents, singles, university students and many others on thedouble decker buses leaving Mutchmor. At OCDSB offices, we were joined by hundreds of others arriving by bus and car to publicly ask the board to delay decisions on the closures until new demographic information becomes available in 2001.
Special thanks must go to the many delegations representing school councils, community associations and various educational, cultural and recreational organizations who made presentations to trustees on September 26 and 28, in defence of the nine schools. They pointed out countless flaws in the provincial funding formula driving the closures.
Representatives from Hopewell, First Avenue and Lady Evelyn schools which will be forced to function over-capacity if Mutchmor closes also spoke against the closures.
All presentations were fact-filled, very professional and deserve to gain the support of a majority of trustees when the closure motion is voted upon on October 23.
All OCDSB trustees are grappling with the divisive effects of the provincial funding formula which pits communities outside the Greenbelt against those inside the Greenbelt.
For too long suburban and rural communities have not been receiving the funding they so desperately require for new schools. Instead, the province has decreed that before they receive any construction funds, the OCDSB must close schools inside the Greenbelt. Beyond this negative "formulated" reality and the in-fighting and confusion it has created, there exists one overriding reality. That is, that communities all across Ottawa-Carleton, be they inside or outside the Greenbelt, must stick together in requesting that the Province provide the very necessary funding now for schools outside the Greenbelt and that such funding not be tied to closure of elementary schools inside the Greenbelt which are operating on average at 86% capacity.
I urge everyone who cares about public education in Ottawa-Carleton,to inform their friends, families and business associates across Ontario of the negative economic and social effects these formula-generated school closures are having and will have on Ottawa-Carleton, and ask them to write the Minister of Education, Janet Ecker, Premier Harris, and provincial MPPs.
Though it is important to lobby OCDSB trustees on this issue, it is absolutely critical to lobby the Provincial Government, and the Minister of Education, who are ultimately responsible, and accountable for this "carrot and stick" formula that they have thrust upon Ottawa-Carleton and its District School Board to administer. For information please contact our OCDSB trustee Lynn Graham at 730-3366.
The current City of Ottawa and the 10 municipalities part of the new city are harmonizing dates, terms and fees for licensing dogs January 1, 2001.
The license fee for a sterilized dog and a dog under six months of age will be $15 beginning with the May 2001 license period. The fee for an unsterilized dog will be $25.
As in the past, service dogs must be licensed, but will continue to be exempt from fees.
Dog-at-Large By-law Number 83-02 will require the leashing or muzzling or both, of a dog that has bitten or attacked a person or domestic animal upon the dog owner being served with a notice pursuant to the by-law. Owners animals may request a hearing before the Animal Control Tribunal to seek repeal or modification of the imposed requirement.
Inez Berg, City Councillor
111 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, Ont, K1N 5A1
Tel: 244-5367 Fax: 244-5373
E-mail: bergi@city.ottawa.on.ca