Get to know your Board of Directors

A new board was elected at the September 18, 2017 Annual General Meeting. The previous board hosted a social event to encourage community members who wanted to know more about the CGOWCA to come out and meet current board members and get more information. All 4 new board members came out to this session, so clearly it was a success! This year’s Board is made up of four returning members including Miranda Gray (President), Karen Chow, Nick Gadbois, and Christine Williams.  There are four new members including Gary Bradshaw (Vice President), Mireille Brownhill (Treasurer), Fran Childs (Secretary) and Louise McLaren. You can see board members’ bios here.

Mark your calendars

At the first board meeting, members discussed ideas for events the CGOWCA could organize or champion in the coming year. Watch out for more information on the upcoming events. The Community Association’s Facebook Group is one of the best ways to get news about events:

• Carolling – December 2017 – spread some cheer to seniors living at Bruyère and other localseniors’ residences who may not have loved ones near by this season.
• Winter Carnival – February 19, 2018 (Family Day) from 10am to 2pm – come meet your neighbours and take part in some fun winter games and activities.
• Bike Rodeo – early spring 2018 –get some safety training while dusting off your bicycle for the season.
• Dog walk-a- thon – April 28, 2018 – strut your stuff with your pooch and raise money for charity at the same time! Last year, participants walked the Voyageur loop.
• Community Garage Sale – spring 2018 – why not make some money after that spring cleaning? We will aim to sync our date with other Orleans community associations.
• Picnic in the park – summer 2018 – let’s enjoy one of the many green spaces in our backyard with some outdoor games and activities
• Yoga in the park – summer 2018 – sun salutations anyone? Bring your yoga mat and enjoy an instructor led, outdoor yoga class.
• Pumpkin parade – October 2018 – Carve those pumpkins and bring them out to be admired by your neighbours!

Help Groom the Trail

An exciting new recreational opportunity will soon be available to east-end Ottawa residents. An 8 km section of the Ottawa River pathway will be groomed from Green’s Creek in the west to Trim Road in the east. This will enable both classic and skate cross country skiers, as well as snowshoers, pedestrians and dog walkers to enjoy this scenic route along the Ottawa River.

A pilot project was launched in March 2017 with the full cooperation of the NCC, City of Ottawa and especially, Councillor Bob Monette. The pilot proved a great success and Convent Glen/Orléans Wood residents are keen to see the full roll-out this winter. Your Community Association has been an active supporter and will continue to work in partnership with Ski Heritage East to create a wealth of winter activity possibilities for carnivals, races and events. To make this project sustainable, organizers are seeking funding from the City and crowd-funding. You can donate through their GoFundMe campaign at: https://www.gofundme.com/help-groom-the-trail

You can also help by contacting Bob Monette (bob.monette@ottawa.ca) and Mayor Jim Watson (jim.watson@ottawa.ca) to express your support. Ask your friends and neighbours to do the same. Community support counts for a lot. Check out their new Facebook page at Ski Heritage East and give them a “Like”!

For more information or to ask about volunteer opportunities, please contact Ski Heritage East at skiheritage.east@gmail.com.