Riverview Park Community Association



Riverview Park Community Association

Annual General Meeting 2015 Meeting minutes

Oct 21, 2015, Riverview Alternative Public School

Directors present: Kris Nanda, Alan Landsberg, Paul Puritt, Ad Abidi, Dianne Hoddinott, Carole Moult, Bryan Orendorff, Marilyn Minnes, Jane Rutherford, Heather Dunlop, Shawn Bardell, Anne Stairs

Directors absent: Maureen Collins

Guests: Councillor Jean Cloutier; General Manager of Maplewood, Snjezana Kulic; OC Transpo Nicholas Levesque and Dan Richardson; Pastor Franklin Chouinard from Trinity of The Nazarene Church; Ecology Ottawa, Robb Barnes

1.Called to order at 7:10 p.m.

2. Approval of Agenda

Motion: to adopt agenda moving item Treasurer’s Report after President’s report

Moved to accept Ad Abidi and seconded by Alan Landsberg

Passed

3. Approval of Minutes from 2014 AGM

Motion: Accept the minutes from 2014

Moved: Lynn Bezanson Seconded: Joe Murphy

Passed

4. President’s report :

On behalf of the Riverview Park Community Association (RPCA), I again welcome you to the 2015 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the RPCA.

I am pleased to see so many of you out tonight, especially with the Blue Jays game going on. This meeting is a chance for you to hear what we have been doing over the last year and to share your ideas about how we could improve Riverview Park. You will hear more shortly from the individual committees - we have tried to work hard on your behalf and there have been many positive activities. One area of concern is the need for a new Balena Park skating rink coordinator.

Over the last year, the Board of Directors and other volunteers have been very busy and I would invite Board members to stand up. I certainly could not have carried out my responsibilities and the RPCA would not have functioned without their time and efforts. Everything from attending meetings throughout the City during the day or in the evening, meeting with City officials, reading through detailed schematic drawings of the Alta Vista Corridor Hospital Link, setting up events in the freezing cold and snow, cleaning parks and reaching out to local residents and going around Riverview Park to publicize the Board activities. So please join me in recognizing and thanking them.

Before we hear reports from the individual committees about all their efforts this year let me summarize activities we organize and/or support

a. Our 6th annual holiday carol sing at the Cancer Survivors Park, with candles, song, and hot chocolate we rang in the holiday season (make a note to come to our 7th annual caroling event on, December 11, where we will again have help from Councilor Jean Cloutier and the Maplesoft Centre

b. Another pop up tobogganing frolic – where once again residents (and their dogs) slid down our tobogganing hill in the Alta Vista Corridor – which has enjoyed a final reprieve from road construction

c. Our annual winter Carnival (with hot chocolate and games)

d. the Riverview Park soccer club

e. the Community Garden at Trinity Church of the Nazarene on Braydon/Avalon

b) We remain engaged with local businesses and the Trainyards to ensure that we are in touch with their needs as well as remaining aware of potential developments

c) We advocated on your behalf on issues of concerns to try and get more sidewalks to make Riverview Park more walkable and to reduce the impact of intensification and development on our community.

d) We have also been monitoring what is going to happen to the NDMC lands and the Alta Vista Transportation Corridor. Suffice to say, that even though the Board remains unconvinced that the AVTC Hospital Link is needed, we have had much better communication with the City than in past years. (Meetings with the City Engineer Bruce Kenny and the Open House on the AVTC in September that many of you attended – we have been promised a walk-through next year). In February, during the winter Frolic on the tobogganing Hill, we were able to conduct a walking tour of the Alta Vista Corridor woods with Councilors Cloutier and Chernushenko so they could see firsthand the area that is going to be affected and how it is presently enjoyed and meet many local residents. The walkthrough that City officials have promised for next year will hopefully allow community residents to provide their input on design and landscaping issues, including possible location for berms and planting new trees to mitigate noise and light from the new road

e) We contacted Canada Post regarding the potential location of Community Mailboxes that are scheduled to come into our neighbourhood in 2016, though since our newly reelected MP David McGuinty has stated his opposition to their introduction, perhaps there will be some changes on this issue, now that there is a new federal government taking over. For the time being, though, you may want to pick up some information from our membership table in case you want to contact Canada Post with some ideas/suggestion or comments

f) Speaking of membership, I want to especially thank Heather Dunlop for her hard work in putting together an RPCA Membership Drive. We now have 106 households signed up for 2015-16 (plus those 17 who registered this evening). Those membership cards get you a 5 % discount at RONA (and as result the RPCA has received a couple of hundred $ in the past year). The cards also allow members to get 2 free tickets to the Ottawa Champions Baseball game (thanks again to David Gourlay. With the new overpass over the Queensway, it only takes about 12 minutes to get to the stadium by bike from Knox Crescent! We are also exploring ways in which other local businesses might be able to provide special offers to those with RPCA membership cards – any ideas are welcome (we are also looking for a new membership coordinator)

g) We have also continued to meet and work with other Community Associations on issues of common interest.

h) Our website and email network remain active for sharing information with our residents – if you have not registered to get our updates, please do so!

i) We continued to liaise with our city councilors (Cloutier and Chernushenko) in order to make our views known and to try to affect positive change for our community. Councilor Cloutier and his staff have been making a concerted effort to be in contact with us and they have attended nearly all our monthly board meetings.

j) The RPCA also commissioned a working group to meet with the City and local residents regarding the much-needed and long overdue renovation and upgrade of the Balena Park field house.

With respect to our finances, I am pleased to report that the RPCA is in good shape

So what comes next? Well, in the next year, the RPCA intends to continue our efforts to reduce traffic congestion in our neighbourhood (especially along Industrial, which we would like to see transformed into a “complete street” that is more pedestrian and cyclist friendly and more aesthetically pleasing).

As always, we will continue to provide input to City Council and the Mayor so that your issue concerns are taken into consideration as they make decisions.

But we can always use more help from Riverview Park residents in our activities. The RPCA is your association – it represents you - it is about and for you - and we would like you to have a say in what we do and how we do it.

No matter what your skills and no matter how much time (or how little time) you can offer (even a few hours a month), we hope that you will consider playing a part in the future of our community. One area in particular where we need help is the Coordinator for the Balena Park ice-rink. While Chris Khoury is stepping back after 5 years of serving as coordinator, he has offered to help the new coordinator get started, and there are other volunteers to draw on. But we do need someone to step forward to serve as coordinator if we want the winter programming at Balena to continue.

Speaking of stepping back, every year we see a turn-over in the Board which is natural for a variety of good reasons. This year we are saying goodbye to three of our Directors – Shawn Bardell, Maureen Collins and Heather Dunlop – all of whom will be missed.

Shawn: has brought a sense of dedication and a can-do attitude along with a willingness to step in (along with Engineering expertise, which was invaluable for the Planning and Development Committee, in looking at drawings for the AVTC Hospital Link)

Maureen: has brought her enthusiasm and lots of new ideas to the Board during her time with us.

Heather: has chaired the membership committee among other things and served on the Planning and Development Committee where her passion for improving the community has been demonstrated.

It has been a great privilege to serve as your President over the last year and I am thankful for the support of all the members of the Board – and that of our neighbours in the community. Finally, just a reminder that it is not too late to let your name stand as a Board member when we vote for the 2015-16 RPCA Board in a few minutes.

Thank you.

Respectfully submitted

Kris Nanda President, Riverview Park Community Association

5. Brief Remarks from Elected Officials

David McGuinty has been kind enough to join us this evening from his very busy schedule and offered the following:.

-Thanks to Kris Nanda for his volunteer service to the community. Being a volunteer adds to your quality of life.

-Thanks to the staff at the Ottawa General Hospital upon the occasion of shattering his leg and ankle, the staff were very helpful -

-he is cooperating with Jean Cloutier on the NDMC lands redevelopment

-he is a Canada Post critic and hopes to stop the community mailboxes implementation

-Heron Road Federal Trainng Centre (near St. Pat’s school) is being sold and will be redeveloped. -he’s interested in energy efficiency, sustainable environment, roof gardens

-Canada has a very large infrastructure and is the cleanest economy in world

-Victims of Communism memorial plans in Ottawa will be revisited

-there will be NCC Reform- Minister Catherine McKenna is putting ideas on paper

6. Treasurers Report – Ad Abidi

Submits an unaudited report-finances are reviewed every year – report not ready for tonight due to transition of officers

-accounts were moved from BMO to Alterna

-open weekends, no charge banking, savings of $25-30 per year

-biggest revenue is from City

-we received approximately $200 from RONA from our members presenting their card

Our expenses this year included an open house for the Alta Vista Transportation Corridor and we joined 4 other community associations to host an all-candidates meeting

-we paid $550.00 for directors insurance

-our account stands at $3656.00 with petty cash at $200.00 and a $15,000 GIC with BMO

-Alan Landsberg served as treasurer for 4 years

Motion to accept the two reports: Moved by Orrin Clayton and seconded by Marilyn Minnes

7. Committee Reports

i. Communications Report – Dianne Hoddinott

The Communications committee consists of Sherry McPhail and I. Our goal throughout the year is to keep our neighbours informed of events that are happening within our community as well as larger city events such as development/construction that may affect us all.

This is accomplished in 2 ways. First, we send out an email approximately once a month to over 300 people advising of 2 or 3 upcoming events that may be of interest. Examples could be advertising the Christmas Carole sing, looking for park cleanup volunteers, or information about changes at the Hurdman station.

Our other method of keeping folks informed is by posting information and outside links to our website. We’ve added 32 new posts so far this year, up from last year’s total at this time of about 20. So far in 2015 there have been almost 2500 visitors to the site, with approximately 6,500 views of our pages. In addition to reading the latest post, the majority of people are researching local businesses and reading the Riverview Park Review online. If you would like to be notified right away when there is a new post, please click “Follow” which I believe is in the upper right hand corner.

In the coming year we would like to update/modernize the website to give it a more professional look. Having seen the other Community Associations’ we realized that we need a makeover! So if anyone has any experience in web design please contact Sherry or I and let us know how you can help.

In the coming months and years our neighbourhood will be facing many changes, and with those often come new challenges. We will aim to keep you informed of those: the effect they will have on us as well as well let you know about fun events such as the Winter Carnival and the Easter Egg Hunt.

ii. Parks, Recreation and Environment – Carole Moult

Parks, Recreation & Environment Committee 2014/ 2015 Report

Co-chairs from 2014- until June 2015: Cheryl Khoury and Kim Fisher

Committee Members: Louis Comerton, Janice Dahms, Jane Rutherford, Paul Puritt, Janina Nickus, Kathy Mihill and Carole Moult

Current Co-chairs Oct 2015: Janina Nickus and Carole Moult

The Committee had another successful year. Activities included:

1. Participating in the City of Ottawa Adopt a Park Program by adopting the six local parks. (Alda Burt, Balena, Coronation, Dale, Hutton and Riverview) As part of the participation requirements of the program, the Parks and Recreation Committee organizes spring and fall clean ups of the six Riverview parks.

2. Engaging Blair Court in the Spring Cleaning of the Capital and

Russell Heights for

the Fall Cleaning of the Capital. Over 50 adults and children from

Blair Court worked together in May 2015 to help clean Coronation

Park, while in the Fall of 2014 there were over 50 participants from

Russell Heights who worked together to help clean Alda Burt Park

(behind Dempsey Community Centre). The city provides the cleaning

supplies and the RPCA provides the pizza and juice.

3. Supporting the tree planting at both Blair Court and Russell Heights. The RPCA donated $1500. to both Blair Court and Russell Heights for their tree planting projects and the Parks & Rec Committee encouraged this participation.

4. Coordinating the running of the two ice skating rinks: Dale Park and

Balena Park. Bruce Aho and Chris Khoury each did an excellent job of

looking after the individual rinks. The Parks and Rec Committee

members are the liaisons.

5. Organizing the Annual RPCA Winter Carnival at Balena Park Skating Rink. This committee takes the responsibility for advertising, then providing the hot chocolate, snacks, games and prizes for the Balena

Winter Carnival. Jennifer Sayers looks after organizing the Dale Park Skating Rink Winter Carnival.

6. Supporting the Easter Egg Hunt. Several members of the committee

helped the neighbourhood moms who organized the second annual,

and very successful Easter Egg Hunt in Balena Park.

Goals of the Parks, Recreation and Environment Committee 2015/2016

1. Continue what the committee is currently doing.

2. Recruit new members. Without additional members it will be difficult

iii. Planning and Development – Kris Nanda

Riverview Park Community Association (RPCA) Planning and Development Committee Report for 2014-15 (October 21, 2015 AGM)

During 2014-15, the RPCA Planning and Development (P&D) Committee continued to monitor and provide feedback on proposed developments which might affect the Riverview Park community. It has consciously sought to look not only at local projects, but also at those outside our ward that may have direct or indirect affect on us all. P&D members included Shawn Bardell, Heather Dunlop, Kris Nanda (Chair) Bryan Orendorff, Paul Puritt, and Jim Thompson while other Board members participated at times as well.

We met several times during the year and conducted a fair amount of information sharing and discussions via email at monthly RPCA Board meetings. Articles on P & D issues of interest appear in the community newspaper (Riverview Park Review) – and are available on the RPCA website.

RPCA Board representatives and members of other neighbouring Community Associations take part in the Alta Vista Planning Group (AVPG) meetings which Councilor Cloutier periodically hosts to discuss local development proposals of interest.

The RPCA P& D continues to monitor issues related to construction of the 1.7 km Hospital Link portion of the Alta Vista Transportation Corridor (AVTC), now costing nearly $70 million. With two civil engineers among its members, the P&D Committee has been able to provide more detailed analysis of the technical aspects of this controversial project which have been communicated to Councilor Cloutier and the lead City Engineer. As a result, there have been improved two-way communications with the City on this project which nevertheless remains unpopular with the local community and seemingly contradicts many of the principles the City is putting forward in its Building a Livable Ottawa document (most notably affordability, encouraging the use of other modes of transit besides cars).

The other main local issues that the RPCA has been tracking relate to the intensification and increased commercial and residential development in and around Riverview Park and the need to address the resultant increase in traffic congestion. This is particularly noticeable due to the new businesses opening in the Trainyards, which has led to more traffic along Industrial Avenue and potentially more cut-through traffic through our residential streets. The RPCA’s warnings and recommendations on improving traffic flow along Industrial Avenue and Russell Road have not been followed by the City.

The RPCA continues to advocate for better public transportation (E.g. more bus service) along Industrial and better pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure (e.g. sidewalks and cycling paths) in our neighbourhood and around the City to make it easier for people to reduce the use of their cars and to choose more environmentally friends means of getting around. There have been some successes, but more progress is still needed on proposed sidewalks on south side of Industrial Avenue and on Russell Road between Haig and Coronation.

Another issue involves promoting better pedestrian and cyclist connectivity between Riverview Park and other parts of the City. The opening of the new Coventry bridge over the Queensway leaves the gap between the Trainyards and the Via property as the only missing link for safe pedestrian and cyclist travel between Riverview Park or the Trainyards and Coventry Road (that would also benefit Trainyards customers and staff seeking quick access to the Transitway and future LRT system). With that in mind, the RPCA has been asking other Community Associations to support a planning study to commence by 2016 on this link and be completed by the time the LRT opens in 2018.

The RPCA P &D Committee supports developments that make sense from a community sustainability and quality of life perspective, both within our neighbourhood and elsewhere in the City. We will also be closely following any proposed developments near the Lees and Hurdman LRT stations.

We will continue to work to build bridges beyond the Riverview Park boundaries on items that might benefit our community as well and to work with other Community Associations on issues of mutual interest.

In 2015-16, we will also keep monitoring local developments closely and have asked to be formally involved as RPCA representatives in consultative process on a number of issues, including the following:

* AVTC

* Light Rail

* Trainyards Developments

* Developments current and potential on Hospital Lands

We welcome further input from the Riverview Park Community and from anyone who wishes to join the P & D Committee.

Respectfully submitted by

Kris Nanda

2014-15 Chair,

Riverview Park Community Association Planning and Development Committee

iv. Membership activities Heather Dunlop

1. Membership drive -2nd largest revenue up $300.00 from prior year

2. 17 AGM members added tonight

3. Community Soccer brought in 80 memberships

8. Update on OC Transpo/LRT- Nicholas Levesque/Dan Richardson

There should be a smooth and seamless beginning of the Confederation Line. Dec. 20, the transitway bridge will be closed. There will be an impact on the pedestrian pathway and users will be detoured to the UOttawa pathway. Buses started using the bus lanes on the 417 in June. There is a temporary station at Hurdman but the station will remain open. St. Laurent station is closed on the lower level. There is a transit way lane being built on Industrial Avenue to help buses get to the 417. There will be new routes in December. There is a travel planner on the web site octranspo.ca or go to ottawa.ca and look on the bottom left for the travel planner. Buses will continue to use the LRT station until the train is in operation. At the St. Laurent Shopping Centre, the LRT will be upstairs and buses downstairs. There is a drop off area at Hurdman and sometime in the spring to mid 2016, Hurdman Station will move back to its former location. The pedestrian pathway will be completed in 2018. If you have questions or concerns, call customer service at OC Transpo. 613-842-3600

9. Volunteer Extraordinaire Awards

Kris Nanda asked Bernadette Bailey to come forward to receive her award of appreciation.

There is probably no need to introduce Bernadette Bailey to the readers of our community paper, the Riverview Press Review.  Bernadette writes regularly for  

the paper to keep the community updated about what is happening at the Trinity  

Community Garden.  And almost always, her articles are illustrated with her  

photographs.

 

Bernadette has been instrumental in getting the Trinity Community Garden established back in 2011.  Since then she has worked tirelessly as “chief coordinator” to make the garden as successful as it is today.  Some 35 gardeners, most from our community, in 42 plots are involved in the Trinity Community Garden.

 

Bernadette has demonstrated a combination of leadership and diplomacy in dealing with this large group of gardeners.  She has also encouraged a community dimension to the garden involving the sharing of produce with the local foodbank and the church.

 

For those of you who may not know, the Trinity Community Garden is located at  

the end of Braydon Avenue just behind the Trinity Church.  The RPCA is very pleased to recognize this outstanding volunteer contribution.

Councilor Jean Cloutier presented an second award of appreciation. Jennifer Sayers is well-deserving of the Volunteer Extraordinaire being presented tonight at this October 21st, 2015 Riverview Park Community Association, Annual General Meeting.

Jennifer has lived on Dale Avenue for about 18 years with her husband Bruce Aho, Coordinator of the Dale Park Skating Rink, and a Past Treasurer of the RPCA, and was one of an exceptional group of people who helped create Dale Park into the beautiful oasis that the community enjoys today.

It was in the late 1990s and early 2000s that neighbours got together to plan for the changes that have made Dale Park the distinctive city park that it is today, and Jennifer was an important member of that team. The Dale Park plans included play structures, gardens and a paved pathway, with funds obtained through matching grants with the City of Ottawa.

The goal over each of three years was to raise $7500.00. Winter and summer carnivals were held, and food courts and BBQs were organized, as well as an auction. Moreover, it was Jennifer Sayers and her husband Bruce who offered their backyard for the delivery and storage of any equipment that was needed until the event took place, since their family home that they share with sons Liam and Declan backs on to Dale Park.

Over the years, Jennifer has continued to be the RPCA liaison for the Dale Park clean up for the City of Ottawa’s Adopt-a-Park Program and has encouraged many neighbours to help as well for both the spring and fall ‘Clean the Capital’ Program. Counts of at least 25 participants are not all that unusual for the CAD neighbourhood as they call themselves-standing for Caledon, Alta Vista, and Dale, and it is because of Jennifer’s willingness to coordinate it that the biannual event is such a success.

Jennifer also organizes the Dale Park’s Winter Carnival Pot luck each year by creating a flyer that has people of all ages come together to enjoy the camaraderie and good times of the wonderful skating rink.

Photos of the Dale Park successful events are frequently on display in the Riverview Park Review community paper, that have been taken by Jennifer, her family or one of her extremely supportive friends. Jennifer also delivers the community paper as part of her volunteerism.

Jennifer, may you continue to be an important part of our community for years to come, and we all want to thank you for your many contributions to Riverview Park. Well done.

10. Election of new RPCA Board and officers – Lynn Bezanson

There are 13 board members. We have one new recruit and will open the floor for further nominations. Moved by Orrin Clayton and seconded by Dianne Hoddinott. Lynn invited questions from the floor. Motion to close nominations: moved by Marilyn Minnes and seconded by Carole Moult

Motion to vote: moved by Debra Warkington and seconded by Anna Nitoslawska

11. Brief Remarks from Elected Officials – thank you for putting your trust in us, your Board of Directors

12. Presentation from Ecology Ottawa – Robb Barnes

Robb is the General Manager and has worked at Ecology Ottawa for 1 and ½ years. It is a grass roots volunteer organization. They focus on campaigns for complete streets, the LRT which is critical, green space and watersheds, green infrastructure, run off of water into sewers. They obtained 3,000 signatures against the city allowing sewage into the Ottawa River. They held a clean energy campaign and are watching a pipeline go through the south end of the city. Ottawa is a leader of streets for renewal our of 700 municipalities. There is a gala on November 26 at St. Elias church to raise funds for spring tree planting. They are looking for volunteers for the community or for data input. Robb can be reached at ecologyottawa.ca

13. New Business/ Announcements

Denise Kennedy – The Riverview Park Alternate School requires compost to touch up the flower beds. She is going to plant bulbs with the students. Lynn has offered a bag of compost.

14. Closing Remarks and Adjournment – Thank you all for coming and please consider becoming a Director on the board or being the rink coordinator for Balena Park this winter.

Adjourned: 9:15 p.m.

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