WVCA Newsletter: Fall 2022

 (Sent 27 October at 2:02 p.m. to all subscribers) 

If you missed our October meeting… 

The Byron path Pumpkin Path will be lit up again on the evening of November 1st, 2022. (Photo of past event: Bradley Amson)  

 

The Wellington Village Community Association and several community members met online on October 20th, 2022, to discuss the exciting events and issues that we will engage in over the coming months.

Exciting news–the City’s transaction of purchase has been finalized on 115 Spencer! A new City of Ottawa park will be created on the site - a huge win for local residents and the entire WV community. We know that many important steps are in the works at the City–assigning a project manager, clearing permits for demolition, and working with forestry on tree identification and preservation–but in the meantime, it’s important to let us know if you’d like to stay informed about any opportunities for resident input on decision-making. Consultations with the Kitchissippi Ward councillor and neighbours will likely begin soon and carry on into 2023. Please indicate your interest by sending an email to wvca.park@gmail.com.

The Pumpkin Parade is back! Byron Path will once again be all aglow on November 1st, as this popular tradition returns to our neighbourhood. There are many ways to take part, from contributing your carved  Jack-O-Lanterns, donating tealight candles, or arriving just before dark to help with spacing & lighting up the path. We especially encourage early risers to join us the morning of Nov 2nd to help the Wellington West BIA in piling and loading the spent pumpkins. These highly-appreciated volunteers are rewarded with the satisfaction of knowing they are helping to fill the tummies of the happy pigs at Maple Hill Urban Farm with Wellington Village pumpkins (and rumour has it, early morning volunteers will get to fill their own tummies with some local treats as well).  It’s a whinny win win! 

Read more about the Pumpkin Parade & Volunteer details here. 

Special event, “Welcoming New Citizens to the Canadian Family.” This in-person event, hosted by our MP, Yasir Naqvi, was attended by WVCA president, Anne Murray. The celebratory event gave new Canadian citizens of the Ottawa Centre community a chance to connect with longstanding community members, and we are always pleased to have Wellington Village included in these gatherings. “Welcome, neighbours!”

Tunney’s Pasture redevelopment, neighbourhood art installations, and meeting space for the WVCA were all topics of discussion that will require our attention through the fall. Please reach out if you would like to learn more or offer your involvement. 

Website or social media savvy? Interested in event planning? Our Community Association needs you! Please be in touch if you can help lend a hand in bettering this great community; even as a one-off contribution. Email: president@wvca.ca

 

 Coming up in Wellington Village… 

• Early engagement on the new park space in WV

• WVCA Holiday event 

• Introduction of the WVCA to our newly elected councilor and mayor. While the Municipal election took place after our last meeting, the WVCA extends our congratulations to our re-elected city councillor, Jeff Leiper, and Ottawa’s new mayor, Mark Sutcliffe
   

Calls to action… 

• As mentioned, the WVCA needs more community volunteers, especially those with website expertise or interest in event planning. Please reach out to get involved! 

• The WVCA needs a new location to meet each month. Do you know of a space? Let us know! 

• Membership funds–You’re already a member just by living within the boundaries!  As always, we appreciate your support to help us run events and engage with residents. While $10 is the suggested membership fee, the WVCA appreciates donations of any amount. 

       E-transfer to:  wvca.ottawa.treasurer@gmail.com

• Spread the news! Please share this newsletter with Wellington Village neighbours. Those interested can also sign up on the landing page of our website. 

 

Join us at our next meeting!

November 17, 7PM. Location TBD. Reach out via the President’s email below if you’d like to attend or consider becoming a member of our WVCA Board. 

 

Find us here: 

e: president@wvca.ca

w: www.wvca.ca

f: @WVCAOTTAWA

t: @theWVCA

We’re better together!

Be prepared for municipal election day, October 24

 Be prepared for municipal election day, October 24

 

 

 

Voting in the municipal election shapes our community, it’s the level of government that has the biggest presence in our day-to-day lives—with the responsibility for social services, roads and sidewalks, our parks and recreational spaces, library services, police services, and much more. 

 

At the same time, voting in municipal elections can seem more daunting than federal or provincial elections, because it involves researching the candidates running for mayor, councillor and school trustee all at once. Fear not: there are handy references to help.

 

The City of Ottawa website lets you look up all the candidates for these three races in our ward and school zone all at once — complete with links to their campaign sites — simply by inserting your street address. 

The site also offers information on voter eligibility, and additional information for voters (on accessibility, identification, where and how to vote, et cetera).

 

The information is no further away than your keyboard so that when voting day rolls around on Monday, October 24, you’ll be ready to go to the polling booth.

Let’s get out and vote, Wellington Village!

 

Find us here: 

e: president@wvca.ca

w: www.wvca.ca

f: WVCAOTTAWA

t: @theWVCA

 

 

WVCA Board Meeting (virtual) - Thursday October 20th at 7 p.m.

Good day,

The WVCA is holding its next board meeting this coming Thursday evening, October 20th, at 7:00 p.m. 

Meeting location: Virtual (Google Meet: https://meet.google.com/top-egzj-dye)

General Assembly (7-730): 
- Welcome new members, roundtable and introductions
- General updates including:
    * Updates on the Parkette

    * Municipal election

    * New concerns

Community/members-at-large may drop off the call
- Updates:

    * Treasurers' report 
    * Meetings attended (K9)
    * Newcomers' Event hosted by Yasir Yaqvi
    * Communications updates: newsletter + stats, opportunity for a new website, agenda for upcoming topics
    * Discuss Committees + elect Directors 

Previous meeting minutes can be found in the "Meetings" tab of our website.

WVCA Newsletter: October 2022

 (Sent 12 October 10:23 a.m. to all subscribers) 

If you missed our September meeting… 

 

With the chill in the air signaling the arrival of fall, the WVCA met on September 22, 2022, to discuss the activities and concerns that will hold our focus over the coming months.

The WVCA welcomes a new President! Local resident Anne Murray has stepped into the role, replacing Dave Allston. Thank you Anne! And while we have filled the roles of Treasurer, Secretary, and Communications, we do need more members to round out our work, especially on topics of development, fundraising, promotion and event planning. Please reach out to us if you’d like to pitch in. 

Smirle Avenue was discussed, namely resident concerns about the new bridge to Tunney’s Pasture. The WVCA is still not privy to the full plans for the redevelopment of the Tunney’s campus but we do believe that the new bridge will serve as a main connection to the redesigned community, with a route leading directly north to the Parkway. Our group decided to defer this topic until after the municipal election takes place on Oct 24th, and then meet with our councillor to discuss options.   

We highlighted the expected closing date of the City’s acquisition of 115 Spencer. We would like to plan a celebratory neighbourhood gathering when it happens, later this fall. We also plan to start compiling ideas for the space, to be done in consultation with the Kitchissippi Ward councillor, and neighbours over the winter and into 2023. Further, we will continue to voice our immediate concern around and interest in protecting the two mature boundary trees. The house demolition date is uncertain but there is an indication that it could take place before the snow flies. 

Coyotes! We know that local coyote sightings have increased, especially in the park areas near the Ottawa River and the property surrounding Tunney’s. With thanks to our neighbours in Champlain Park we can share these useful steps you should take if you interact with, see, or hear of resident encounters with coyotes: 

We continue to follow the Mizrahi development nearing completion at 1451 Wellington, and the promised “Rockhurst Parkette” that is planned for the space (on the western border where several towering evergreens once stood). Our WVCA has reached out to Mizrahi twice earlier in 2022 for details, with no reply. We encourage surrounding residents with an interest in this topic to reach out to us.  

Neighbour requests regarding development are a constant theme of our meetings so we agreed to review our WVCA Code of Conduct (for developers) and re-share it with our members. Importantly, the WVCA would like to recruit more Board members with a passion / expertise in themes surrounding development, infill, Ottawa’s Community Design Plan (CDP), zoning etc. Please reach out to us. 
 

Coming up in Wellington Village… 

• Pumpkin Parade! The WVCA would like to do more to help promote & run this popular annual event. Please reach out if you are keen. 

• Stay tuned! We should soon be celebrating a local City land acquisition! 

• We plan to engage with a newly elected councilor and mayor
   

Calls to action… 

• The WVCA needs more community volunteers, please reach out to get involved! 

• The WVCA is also researching a new location to meet each month. Do you know of a space? Let us know! 

• As always, we appreciate your membership funds. While $10 is the suggested membership fee, the WVCA would appreciate your donation of any amount. 

       E-transfer to:  wvca.ottawa.treasurer@gmail.com
 

Our next meeting is… 

October 20. Location TBD. Just reach out via the President’s email below, if you’d like to attend. 

 

Find us here: 

e: president@wvca.ca

w: www.wvca.ca

f: @WVCAOTTAWA

t: @theWVCA
 

We’re better together!