Jeanne D’Arc Park Ice Rink
For those of you looking for a little outdoor exercise this winter, our community outdoor ice rink (located at 1155 St. Moritz behind Convent Glen school) will be operating again this season.
Last winter, conditions were immaculate thanks to our fantastic group of volunteers led by Jeff Fennessy. This group was out scraping and flooding the ice almost every night. Help clearing the rink is always welcome and appreciated after a snowfall! Fun fact: last season, they were able to keep the ice up longer and in better condition than the Rideau Canal Skateway!
There are lights on at night and for those looking to learn or skate quietly, a puddle rink is located on the north side of the main rink. Benches and nets are provided by the City of Ottawa.
COVID-19 protocols will be posted to the side boards regularly by the City and will be updated as we move forward. Ice conditions are also updated on the crowd-sourced website Ottawa Rinks as well as the CGOWCA Facebook page. Looking forward to another great winter at the outdoor rink!
More Trees for Orléans!
The city is running a survey to find out if and where to plant trees in the open space between the Ottawa River and Voyageur Drive. If you believe in trees as carbon sinks or providing shade for passersby, reducing erosion or providing habitat for wildlife, you should make you voice count by completing that short survey at: https://engage.ottawa.ca/ottawa-river-pathway/survey_tools/potential-future-reforestation-along-the-ottawa-river-pathway.
The deadline is Tuesday December 7th.
The Snowy Season is upon us!
Snow clearing guidelines
We’ve already seen a few flakes, let’s review some key information about snow clearing from the City of Ottawa. Guidance for clearing snow from your own property:
- Do not push snow and ice on the street, sidewalk or park.
- Keep fire hydrants free of snow.
- Use wood, plastic or fibreglass driveway markers, which should be no larger than a hockey stick.
- Open catch basins or drains in front of your property when the weather becomes mild.
- Catch basins are identified by a yellow “T” bar painted on the roadway.
A snow windrow is a pile of snow that accumulates at the end of driveways and on the sides of streets during plowing. It is the responsibility of the homeowner to remove their own driveway windrows.
What are Snow Removal Service Standards in the City, and What if They aren’t Met?
If your sidewalk has not been cleared 48 hours after the end of a snowfall, please call 3-1-1. The City does not clear snow from driveways or private sidewalks leading to a residence.
What do You Need to Remember about Winter Driving?
The Canada Safety Council has 9 steps to drive safer in winter conditions. You can read the whole article here: https://canadasafetycouncil.org/winter-driving-tips/
Here are three of our favourite tips from the list:
Drive smoothly and slowly
- Don’t make any abrupt turns or stops when driving. Doing so will often cause your vehicle to lose control and skid.
- Driving too quickly is the main cause of winter collisions. Be sure to drive slowly and carefully on snow and ice covered roads.
Don’t tailgate
- Tailgating becomes much worse in winter weather. Stopping takes much longer on snowy and icy roads than on dry pavement, so be sure to leave enough room between your vehicle and the one in front of you.
Pay attention.
- Manoeuvres are more difficult to make in the snow. Be sure to anticipate what your next move is going to be to give yourself lots of room for turns and stopping.
‘Tis the Season for Giving
Whatever holiday you celebrate, this is often a time of year when people think of ways to give back to their community in some way. Sometimes it’s informal support for friends or family, and other times it might be donating items or money to a local organization. Here are a few ideas if you are looking to donate items or money:
- Orléans-Cumberland Community Resource Centre
- The annual Christmas Program is running, which allows you to sponsor a family, provide a gift or make a food donation.
- Did you know that the Ottawa Food Bank can stretch your dollars further? Consider donating funds instead of nonperishable food if you are able.
- Minwaashin Lodge
- You can donate through CanadaHelps or e-transfer.
- They are currently looking for donations of personal hygiene products, diapers and formula. Please contact Ida at info@minlodge.com or at (613) 741 5590 for more information.
- Royal Canadian Legion – Orléans Branch 632
- Community Compassion Centre
- You can donate to their Food Bank here or by dropping donations off at 1825 St Joseph Blvd weekdays between 9:00am and 2:00pm. Learn more here: https://cpcorleans.ca/foodbank/
- Sonshine Families
- Eastern Ottawa Community Resource Centre
- Volunteer to wrap gifts at St Laurent
- Donations welcome through CanadaHelps
- Helping With Furniture
- To see which types of items they are needing most, check here: https://www.hwfottawa.org/eng/give-furniture
- Donations – HWF has no paid staff, so all funds go directly to covering essential expenses.
Ski Heritage East Grooms a Path to Your Doorstep
Don’t fear the coming Winter, get out and enjoy it. Research has shown that our sense of well-being and peace of mind dramatically improve with outdoor physical activity. The Ski Heritage East Trail is a multi-purpose winter recreation trail, groomed past your doorstep.
This 40km trail is professionally groomed for classic and skate skiing, snowshoeing, fat biking and, of course, walking. Beginning at the Aviation Museum parking lot, it sweeps across the field, dipping down to follow the scenic Ottawa River to Green’s Creek. There it climbs up to the upper-level pathway and continues to Radisson in Orléans. There is a brief 500m stretch of road, after which the Trail continues uninterrupted to Trim Road, on the edge of Petrie Island. Parking is readily accessible at many points along the Trail.
While people have bushwhacked a ski trail along the River for many years, Ski Heritage East began grooming with equipment in 2017. Initially a 7km Trail serving primarily Orléans and groomed once a week, the Trail has expanded dramatically, is now groomed 3 – 4 times a week and serves many more communities, including Beacon Hill, Manor Park and Rockcliffe. In the 2020/21 season, the number of users exploded from approximately 35,000 to 75,000, indicating an increasing awareness of this recreational jewel.
The backbone of our operation is our group of volunteer groomers. These hardy souls are on the Trail with our workhorse snowmobiles and Ginzu Groomers, often before you are awake. If you do see them on the Trail, please wave hello.
Ski Heritage East is a volunteer community organization that funds its operations through a mix of government support – the City and NCC combine to provide approximately 50% of our funding – private donations through our GoFundMePage, and business and organization sponsorships. Current sponsors in your community include, Councillor Matt Luloff, real estate agents Jean Richer (Keller Williams) and Jacques Bedard (Remax), Dental Docs and more. To learn more about sponsorship, write to us at skiheritage.east@gmail.com.
Please lend us your support and enjoy the Trail!
Ski Heritage East
Twitter: @skiheritageeast
