ed by Larry Spencer, who is heading up the OSCA Board's efforts to redevelop the Old Firehall, our community centre on Sunnyside Avenue, the Board had a spirited discussion at its February meeting, a discussion which came to three conclusions: 1) the board is determined to pursue the original redevelopment plans calling for both a new addition and a major renovation of the existing space; 2) it also set a goal of having the funding and approvals in place within three years; and 3) the next step is to determine what should be OSCA's portion of the total funding requirements, estimated at over $800,000.
Larry and his committee will return to the Board within the next few months with additional proposals for a fund raising strategy including the desirability of engaging a professional fund-raiser. In the meantime, Councillor Clive Doucet undertook to ensure that the City's capital plan includes renovations for inner city community centres as a specific line item.
On the lighting issue, I noted in last month's column that the City is proposing to remove the one permanent light in Windsor Park and leave only the temporary lighting for the rink in the winter. This has resulted in a flurry of e-mails and phone calls from residents both supportive of the light removal for aesthetic purposes and against it for safety reasons.
The Board decided to get more information about the nature and number of any safety-related incidents that have occurred in the park over the past few years. In addition, we will try to seek the opinion of a lighting expert on possible options that might relief some of the safety concerns while minimizing the discomfort of those wanting a darkened space within our urban environment. A community-wide meeting on the issue, perhaps in the spring, is a possible next step.
Board member, Leo Doyle, raised another safety issue at the park - the risk of serious injury from a collision with the existing (and outdated) steel poles supporting the basketball hoops. Following Leo's recommendation, the Board will write the City to request that the existing equipment be replaced. Failing this, the Board will seek other funding sources to meet the expected cost of approximately $2800 to replace the poles with a more modern and safer version.
The reconstruction of Bank Street between the river and the canal appears to be slated for the spring and summer of 2002. The reconstruction will be major. The entire street will be dug up to replace utility and sewer infrastructure.
To make the most of what will likely be a trying situation, the Board decided to request the City to undertake a 'streetscaping' study, one that would review options for, among other things, lighting, sidewalk design, safety features and aesthetic features. We need to insist on a quality 'rebuild' of our community's main street.
Speaking of Bank Street, several Board members reported being trapped in a gridlock of cars over one of the Winterlude weekends, caused by the new paid parking recently introduced at Lansdowne Park.
Cars on the east side of the street were backed up to Sunnyside Avenue as part of a queue waiting to access the parking lot. And an equally long line of vehicles developed on the west side of the street, extending well into the Glebe. Attempting to escape the grid lock forced cars to move into neighborhood streets unaccustomed to the number and speed of the traffic. Councillor Doucet undertook to look into the problem and report back to us.
Co-chairs Brenda Lee and Anne-Marie Corbett reported on the successful winter carnival that OSCA sponsored in Windsor Park in late January. The event attracted several hundred residents and was supported by dozens of volunteers. Highlighting the event was a new sport, the turkey toss, reportedly scheduled for the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City as a demonstration sport. Anne Marie claimed victory in this event although some of her less-than-charitable colleagues suggested that a lack of clarity over the rules may have somewhat tarnished her gold metal performance.
Two dates to put into your calendar: registration for the OSCA spring programs will take place in the Firehall on Wednesday, March 28 from 7:00 to 8:30 pm and the annual dinner to recognize the hundreds of community volunteers will occur on Saturday, March 31 at the Firehall.
Rebecca Melanson, chair of the St. Margaret Mary School Council, attended our February Board meeting and indicated a desire on her Council's part to forge closer links with the community association. This follows the recent addition to the Board in an ex-officio capacity of Arthur McGregor from the Old Ottawa South business community.
The Board welcomed Rebecca's overture. Its nominating committee, established each spring to develop a slate of candidates for the next year, will need to consider how best to formalize these links and add others, for example, with the Hopewell School Council and with Carleton University.
Pat Kealey has agreed to organize our annual membership drive to take place in the spring. This year we plan to make a concerted effort to capture e-mail addresses and develop a list-serve so that we can inform residents of, among other things, any new or pending land use issues arising in their neighborhoods.