COMMUNITY
Marianne Wilkinson
Your Community Newspaper
Valerie’s Flutter taking flight
Public Meeting on Environmental Issues March 26
Michelle Nash michelle.nash@metroland.com Submitted photo
City Councillor, Kanata North
Valérie Goneau, left, pictured here in 2010 with her brother Éric Goneau, was the inspiration for Valérie’s Flutter Foundation. The foundation is holding an event on March 23 to raise more money for rare cancer research.
PUBLIC MEETING ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES MARCH 26 There has been a great deal of interest and concern about a number of environmental issues in Kanata North, including drainage into the Beaver Pond, the Kizell wetlands, endangered species, protection of the South March Highlands and the impact of development in that area. The City of Ottawa has undertaken a number of studies on these issues and will be presenting information and asking for your feedback at a public meeting being held on Monday, March 26th from 6 to 9 pm (presentation and feedback at 7:30 pm) in the Mlacak Centre. There are three items on the agenda: 1. The results of the Shirley’s and Watts Creek Storm Water study, completed by AECOM in October, 2011, which showed higher water levels in the Kizell and Beaver Pond areas and information on the additional technical work to be undertaken to address the existing capacity issues and how to deal with any additional drainage requirements. 2. The interim report on the Blanding’s Turtle Management Plan that the City was required to undertake as a result of the construction of Terry Fox Drive and information on a conservation plan for the Blanding’s turtles in the South March Highlands. 3. An update on completion of the South March Highlands Conservation Forest Management Plan for City owned lands. Many community members have expressed concern over these items and this will be your opportunity to let City staff and the City’s consultants know about your concerns and your recommendations on how to deal with these issues. I know that many would like this to end up cancelling the KNL subdivision. Since it has Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) approval, the City cannot legally cancel the subdivision approval. However, the development (other than tree removal) cannot proceed until, and unless, the drainage issues are resolved in a manner that would permit the development to occur without causing problems. As this meeting will replace the March Ward Council meeting, the next Ward Council will be on April 23rd.
GOULBOURN FORCED ROAD (GFR) Work to complete the construction of the GFR will recommence later in March, with an October completion date. The remaining works include construction of a roundabout at the Badgely intersection, installation of a sidewalk and retaining wall along the east side of the GFR, near the Keyrock intersection and landscaping along both sides of the roadway. Although this work may result in some inconvenience due to lane reductions, noise, dust and vibration, the end result will be a much improved roadway.
SKATEBOARD PARK DESIGN Work has now begun on construction of the recreation complex on Innovation Drive, with piles currently being driven into the clay as support for the building. A final design component, for the skateboard park, remains. Newline Skateparks Inc. has been contracted to prepare the design and they will be holding a number of consultations with the community before coming up with the final concept design in June. Plan to attend an interactive design workshop proposed for late April, the presentation of the preliminary concept design in late May and the meeting to present the proposed concept in June. The exact dates, times and locations will be on my website once they are confirmed. In the meantime, skateboard enthusiasts can think about what they’d like to see constructed, and then come to the meetings to share their ideas. The intention is to engage both youth and adult skateboarders before summer, so that construction documents and tendering can proceed for a spring 2013 construction.
PFLAG PFLAG Canada has formed a new chapter in Stittsville. PFLAG supports, educates and provides resources to parents, families, friends and colleagues with questions or concerns about gender identity and sexual orientation. Monthly meetings are starting on Tues. March 27th at 7 pm at St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 2 Mulkins Street. For more information contact Jen Kelly at 613-859-0100. 0308.R0011305781 http://www.mariannewildinson.com
Contact me at 613-580-2474, email Marianne.Wilkinson@ottawa.ca, or visit www.mariannewilkinson.com to keep up to date on community matters. 24 Kanata Kourier-Standard EMC - Thursday, March 8, 2012
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The entire complex, now named the Richcraft Recreation Complex - Kanata is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2013.
EMC Community – An upcoming gala at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum will help to raise money and awareness to combat rare forms of cancer. Orleans resident Valérie Goneau was only 20 when she died from chondroblastic osteosarcoma, a rare form of cancer. Her aunt Anne Coulombe, the general manager of Valérie’s Flutter Foundation, said the non-profit organization was founded in the wake of her niece’s death and was inspired by Valérie herself and the strength her family showed during the ordeal. The foundation, Coulombe said, ultimately became a positive distraction for Valérie while she was undergoing cancer treatment. “(The foundation) was a tool that took her mind off of the pain and made her focus on something positive,” she said. The foundation’s Build Your Own Wine Cellar event at the museum, taking place on March 23, offers attendees a chance to win a wine cellar and while helping to raise funds for research into rare forms of cancer. It will be the second big event the foundation has hosted in the past five months. “We wanted a second event to help raise funds, but the major part of this evening will be about awareness, as a foundation we have to spread the word,” said Coulombe. The purpose of the foundation is to educate the community about all cancers, from common types to rare ones like Valérie’s. The wine and cheese event starts at 8:00 p.m., and tickets are $35 per person. People attending are encouraged to bring a bottle of their favourite wine to participate in a raffle contest. The evening will give people a chance to learn more about rare cancers and cancer research with an informative slide show. It was only last October, four months after Valérie died, that the foundation held their first gala, which Coulombe said the foundation will make an annual event. “People thought it would be a memorial event and we tried to stay away from that and in the end, the evening was uplifting, mind you there were a few tear-jerking moments,” she said. That event raised $31,750 and Coulombe said they are hoping for the same success this time. All the money raised goes directly to research at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. For more information on the foundation or how to purchase tickets for the gala, visit www. valeriesflutter.com.