The long range forecast is calling for
great weather (sunny and mid 20’s) for this year’s picnic next Thursday, July
28 from 4 to 8 p.m. Come to the Sandwell Green Park
(off the Parkway across from the Earl of March High School) – you can park at
the school. This is a green event so we
will have recycling facilities, city drinking water and a special expert-led
scavenger event for children, which focuses on plants in Alice Wilson
Woods.
Feast on barbequed hot dogs, hamburgers and
veggie burgers (while supplies last) while being serenaded by a quartet from
the Kanata Symphony Orchestra. Bring
your lawn chairs and enjoy continuous entertainment – Chris Pilsworth will be
performing his incredible magic show, the Kanata Idol singers will show their
talents again, Pro Style Martial Arts will give a demonstration, Driven Dancers
will dance up a storm and for the first time the local Chinese community will entertain
you as well. Children will love the
bouncies and the petting zoo as well as climbing aboard city equipment used for
roads, parks, fire, police and paramedics.
Many community groups will have displays, including the Library, Client
Service Centre, Kanata Food Cupboard, Fire, Police, the Kanata North Recreation
Complex and new local parks. Coun. Shad Qadri
has again promised to provide the ever-popular snow cones and candy floss.
This is a great opportunity to meet others
from the community and enjoy our short (and this year hot) summer. Teens wanting to earn service hours should
contact my office to sign up for volunteer duties. The Kanata Food Cupboard would appreciate
food donations as their needs continue through the summer. We will be collecting on site financial
donations to fund our youth facilities in the Kanata North Recreation Centre
that will soon be under construction.
March Road Construction
This week traffic was moved onto to the
newly constructed side of March Road and construction relocated to the lanes on
the west side. This will permit work on
finalizing the installation of traffic signals at both Klondike and Maxwell Bridge.
I have asked that every effort be made to have these operational by
early September as the situation at those intersections is unsafe at this time.
Beaver Pond Lands
Thank you to all who came to the public
meeting on July 15 and particularly to those who have followed up with useful
suggestions on how to move forward. I
have ensured that every suggestion is reviewed by staff and where there is an
action that I can undertake, I am following up on each of them personally. I continue to meet with those with
suggestions and those who can help in dealing with these lands and I will be
pursuing all avenues. Since the Supreme
Court has ruled that environmental lands can be developed unless they are
purchased, having public ownership through purchase or land trade remains the
only viable way to ensure that no development occurs. Unfortunately, under Canada Revenue Agency
rules, development companies are not eligible for tax receipts for donations of
land.
The city has sent a list of items that must
be done prior to any tree cutting occurring.
As a result the developer, who is a responsible developer that follows
the rules laid down by the OMB and the city, has postponed the cutting that was
scheduled for this week. They have also
asked for an immediate OMB hearing as they feel they do have a right to
proceed. I do not have a date for that
hearing at this time.
Coming events
July 28. 4th Annual Ward Picnic, Sandwell
Green, the Parkway, 4 to 8 p.m.