ike in many downtown neighborhoods, members of the OSCA Board expressed their opposition to proposed school closures by passing a motion at the September meeting, calling for:
The Old Ottawa South community is fortunate in not having its two schools - Hopewell and St. Margaret Mary - on any proposed closure list, at least for the moment. Nonetheless, the OSCA Board wanted to express solidarity with other communities under fire like the Glebe, where board staff have recommended the closure of Mutchmor.
Further, should Mutchmor or other inner city schools close, our community will be adversely affected by increased crowding at Hopewell, more traffic in the neighborhood and potentially reduced community use of Hopewell.
Many thanks to Catherine Hyde, the chair of the Hopewell School Council, for helping us prepare the motion and for explaining some of the complicated issues surrounding school closures.
Among community associations, OSCA has been a pioneer in developing its own community-based web site. And there have been some notable achievements.
For example, The OSCAR is available on-line and ECOS, our environmental committee has just constructed a new site focusing on the redevelopment of the Rideau River. Nonetheless, our website initiatives have not been without their problems.
Board leadership has been lacking at times. The site is not visually attractive, at least by current standards. Further, we have had difficulties keeping content current and interesting. And finally, the site has not attracted much support or interest from the local business community.
Sue Potter, an Old Ottawa South resident who manages a consulting practice that includes information management, has volunteered to chair a board committee charged with recommending how the original vision of the site - to become a vibrant portal to the Old Ottawa South community - can be realized.
Sue's committee expects to report by the end of the year. If you have any ideas for Sue and her colleagues, you can reach her at spotter@comnet.ca.
Fresh from its recent success at organizing the Porch Sale, our irrepressible Program Committee has now set its sights on the Christmas season with a new event to be entitled Songs, Cider and Sleigh Rides. To occur on December 14, the event will also announce the winners of our second annual Christmas Lights contest. (See article by Brenda Lee in this edition.)
Further details will be forthcoming in the next issue of The OSCAR but it is never too early to buy those lights and make your plans.
Councillor Clive Doucet has announced his intention to form a group from Capital Ward to help develop a position on the future development of the Park. The idea is to be proactive rather than wait for the new City's vision for the facility, a vision which will no doubt surface at some point. OSCA will name a representative to this group within the next few weeks.
A common position among community associations will require widespread support among their members to have an impact. So expect to hear more about this initiative in the near future.
To deal effectively with cross-cutting issues like Lansdowne Park and growing traffic problems, OSCA requires strong, vibrant allies in neighboring communities. Ottawa East could use some volunteers to help them in their membership drive. If interested, please call Geoff Nimmo, Secretary of the Ottawa EastCommunity Association, at 234-2702.
Mark November 9 on your calendar as the night of OSCA's AGM. This event is an important one in the Board's stewardship to the community as it reports on the past year's activities and announces priorities for the current year. Further, it is an opportunity for members in good standing of the Association (those residents of Old Ottawa South who have paid their membership dues) to elect a new Board.
Anyone interested in serving on the Board or one of its committees can call me at 730-0069. Finally, it's a not-to-be-missed occasion to have a glass of wine and gossip with neighbors about community happenings. Candidates for the upcoming municipal elections (voting is on November 13) should be there in force. So join us at 7:30 at the Old Firehall.