PLANNING APPLICATION INFORMATION NOW ONLINE

It is now possible to go to the City of Ottawa website and see what proposals for development have been made for your area. The information on the website includes the location, a brief description of what is proposed, what stage the application has reached and the name of the planner with her or his contact information. 

The information can be found at ottawa.ca/devapps.

Putting information about planning applications on line where people can easily see it responds to a long-standing request from residents and councillors. With the impact development can have on a neighbourhood, people want to know how planning applications will affect them. Now, when people see a sign announcing that a planning proposal has been made for a property in their neighbourhood, they can get details immediately.

People can search for applications by community (i.e. Kanata) or by street.

The website only includes applications submitted after February 1, 2008. This means older applications like the applications from Urbandale to build several hundred homes along Stonehaven will not be on the website.

2008 GIVEAWAY WEEKENDS SET

After the success of last years Giveaway Days, this year there will be two Giveaway Weekends. The days are June 7th and 8th and October 25th and 26th.

Giveaway Weekends are based on the idea that others may have a use for goods that we no longer need. Instead of throwing out our old cds, furniture or other items, putting them on the curb on Giveaway Weekend allows people who want them to pick them up.
It also reduces that waste going to our landfills and that saves all of us money.

Details can be found at http://www.ottawa.ca/city_services/recycling_garbage/giveaway/index_en.html.

FOUR SIDED POOL FENCING SAVES LIVES

Seven out of 10 drownings or near drownings of children under five occurred in private pools. A common problem is that, while pools have to be fenced on three sides, often there is no barrier between a house and a pool.

Even if it is only adults living in the home, there can be children visiting or a home may be sold to parents with children.

Between 1999 and 2006, 74 children who drowned or almost drowned were brought to the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO). 12 died. For this reason CHEO is urging pool owners to ensure that any pool that is more than two feet deep, is surrounded by a fence on all sides. 

A.Y. JACKSON STUDENTS PROMOTE AWARENESS OF FAIR TRADE AT CITY HALL

It was great to see A. Y. Jackson students handing out information on fair trade and selling fair trade goods. Funds went to Coffee Kids, a group that helps young children on coffee plantations in Ethiopia go to school instead of having to work in the fields. The event succeeded in raising both funds and awareness of fair trade.

WORKING FULL-TIME FOR KANATA SOUTH

I appreciate the chance to hear from you about issues affecting our community. You can reach me at 580-2752 (office), 580-2762 (fax), www.feltmateforkanata.com or peggy.feltmate@ottawa.ca