KANATA NORTH NEWS

Marianne Wilkinson Councillor, Kanata North POSTPONEMENT OF PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE ON DRAINAGE & BLANDING TURTLES
The meeting on the drainage study for Watts Creek and Shirleys Brook and the one on Blanding Turtles has been postponed due to the need to complete some of the information required. I will let you know as soon as I have the next date fully confirmed.

SCHOOLS FOR KANATA NORTH

The announcement of funding for three public schools in Kanata North was welcome news. The province has provided the funds for a new elementary school (site not yet announced), a 10 room addition to South March Public School and an addition to the Earl of March High School for grades 7 & 8. I will be working with the School Board to ensure that they receive all municipal approvals and permits as quickly as possible. Once I receive the site plan application for each project I will provide an opportunity for the residents to review the plans and make suggestions.

EQUESTRIAN PARK
I was delighted to hear that the Wesley Clover Foundation (WCF), the charitable Foundation of the Terry Matthews family, had been chosen to take over the lease for the Equestrian Park and Campground in the Greenbelt adjacent to Kanata North. The WCF will establish an outdoor recreation and learning centre that promotes health and education through connections with nature and the outdoors. Key components are the Ian Millar Equestrian School and a World Class Equestrian Event Facility; a Trail Riding Centre; a pre-school program (introducing young children to nature); and an Outdoor Sports and Recreation Centre (including field and trail sports). The Equestrian Park was first established by a group from both Kanata and Nepean, operated by Nepean until amalgamation and then by the City of Ottawa. Last year City staff recommended that the City no longer run the facility and the lease with the NCC expired at the end of 2012. This new proposal will ensure that local riding activities can be maintained and enhanced and offers exciting new opportunities. The foundation has indicated that it is committed to supporting advances in healthcare research, promoting excellence in education and creating the next generation of entrepreneurs. A key focus is also the creation of activities that enhance the welfare of our local community. I am looking forward to what it will bring to our area.

PRESTO
The City distributed 10,000 presto cards to interested regular transit users as a means of further evaluating the system. For the new Presto card holders, it is important to note, you need to load money (e-purse) or a bus pass on your card to use it to ride on OC Transpo. Find more details on the PRESTO website at prestocard.ca or by calling 1-877-378-6123. More cards will be distributed in a few months and I will provide the details when I receive more information.

COMMUNITY NOTICES
Human Library at the Hazeldean Branch, 50 Castlefrank from 11 am 3 pm, Saturday January 26th. Connect one-on-one with individuals who have diverse life experiences, stories, and knowledge. Just like borrowing a book from the library, take out a human book and have a conversation for approximately 20 minutes. The Kanata Centrum Post Office is closing at the end of business on February 15, 2013. The City is putting winter parking restrictions (No Parking Anytime Dec. 1st to March 31st) on the south side of the north leg of Applecross Cres. This is in order to ensure that emergency vehicles can access the street. Students looking for a summer job can apply at the City until February 7th. Details are available at ottawa.ca. I have a position for one summer student to apply, email me your resume. Childrens entertainer Tante Caroline at the Nepean Centrepointe Library (101 Centrepointe) Sunday, January 27 at 2:00 p.m. This bilingual free event features songs, puppets and stories. Ottawa Public Healths four week group program to help people quit smoking, starts Jan. 29th at City Hall from noon 1:30 pm. Information at 613-580-6744 or healthsante@ottawa.ca Endangered Species Contest for students in Canadian schools from the Sierra Club, www.sierraclub.ca with competitions for Grades 1-4 and 5-8. The deadline is Feb. 28th.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Wednesday, January 29, Kick off of Official Plan & Master Transportation Plan review Friday, February 1, Opening of Winterlude, Saturday pancake breakfast at City Hall Tuesday, February 19, Beaverbrook Library closes for reconstruction and addition