Ottawa River Flood Watch - Volunteers Needed
*** UPDATE: Join me on Thursday April 20 when my staff and I build sandbag walls in Constance Bay and be entered into a draw for my cover band to play a one-hour concert at any private event you want to host this summer. Email me for details ASAP at [email protected] ***
*** UPDATE: West Carleton Disaster Relief is urgently looking for 100 volunteers April 20 and April 21 to fill sandbags and build sandbag walls. See below for a website where you can find out more. ***
We’re issuing this Special Newsletter today in the hopes that Ward 9 residents help support Ottawa residents who are vulnerable to flooding along the Ottawa River.
Severe floods in 2017 and 2019 devastated communities on both sides of the Ottawa River. While we hope that the river doesn’t rise to those historic levels, we have the opportunity to put as many protections in place as possible.
The City of Ottawa is providing sand and sandbags to vulnerable areas. But these communities need a lot of people to get the work done. While flood protection of private, residential properties is the responsibility of homeowners, for most homeowners, that’s an extremely challenging responsibility. When my community of Trend Arlington was flattened by the tornados of 2018, it took an army of volunteers to help do what homeowners could never have managed or afforded on their own.
Our city continues to face an increasing number of weather-related threats. Ward 9 residents know too well what it's like for our homes and communities to be in harm's way from natural disasters, and so I hope that you can lend a hand and help your fellow Ottawa residents. Whether it’s through your skill, time, energy, tools, or donations, I hope that you can make a difference today.
Based on weather forecasts, the Ottawa River is expected to peak this weekend, and so we need to act fast. I've spoken with my colleague, West Carleton-March Councillor Clarke Kelly about the threat to his ward's communities, and their need for volunteers. My staff and I will be building sandbag walls in Constance Bay on Thursday April 20th. We’ll be doing this work thanks to the coordination of West Carleton Disaster Relief (WCRD), a non-profit organization experienced in coordinating disaster response efforts.
The WCRD has stressed that help is needed urgently, and immediately. Here are the ways that you can help immediately:
VOLUNTEER: Ideally, the WCRD is looking for small groups and vehicles who can be deployed to critical locations, whether to fill and transport sandbags, build sandbag walls, assist with pumps and equipment, or help feed volunteers. To register as a volunteer, please go to the WCRD website and click on SIGN UP HERE. Interested residents can also email [email protected]
DONATE: On the WCRD website you’ll see a list of items and equipment that are very helpful for flood relief volunteers. Residents can also donate gas cards which the WCRD will distribute to residents running generators for extended periods of time. To donate a gas card, other gift cards, food or other necessary items please email [email protected]
I’ve always been a big believer in the vital role that volunteers play in a healthy and well-functioning society. Thanks for listening, and I hope to see you out there.
Stay dry,
Sean Devine
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New Ways to Bus: Ward 9 Information Page
Thanks for visiting the Ward 9 information page on OC Transpo's New Ways to Bus (NWTB). This page is designed to provide you with some essential details on how the service changes may impact transit riders in Ward 9, including route adjustments, the rationale behind the changes, and how we have advocated for our residents.
We fully understand that many residents are legitimately frustrated with these changes. Many riders see these adjustments as another cost-cutting measure from OC Transpo, as they continue to face significant financial challenges.
OC Transpo's New Ways to Bus revised route network will focus on frequency, local service in your neighbourhood, and connections to key destinations. Through these many adjustments, OC Transpo's aim is to increase the reliability of our bus route system. Riders will see a shift in the number of downtown-focused bus routes, to routes that improve connections to community hubs and key destinations. Some customers may have to go further to the bus stop, or require additional transfers to buses or trains, or will have longer overall travel times. In addition to fewer Connexion routes, some routes will be retired due to low ridership and to improve connections to new routes and the O-Train. Retired routes will be replaced with alternative service nearby.
For now, the position that Councillor Devine and his team are taking is that we are very sympathetic to those concerns, but that we need to help residents prepare, because these changes are coming soon. New Ways to Bus comes into effect April 27th. What our office is focused on is trying to ensure that our residents are prepared for the change, and monitoring how the new system performs in its initial weeks and months.
New Ways to Bus website
For the most comprehensive information available, OC Transpo has created a dedicated New Ways to Bus website, complete with many useful items, including:
- a New Ways to Bus network map
- information on new signage
- a detailed list of routes that will not change, and routes that will change
New Ways to Bus - Travel Planner
The OC Transpo Travel Planner has now been updated to include the New Ways to Bus routes that take effect April 27th. Try it out! Enter your trip information for a trip that you might take now and then enter the same trip information for a date after April 27th and see what kind of changes there will be.
New Ways to Bus - Ward 9 Bus Routes
You can find specific information on each route in the entire New Ways to Bus network on their new website. Our office has also compiled a series of PDF route maps for all of the Ward 9 bus routes.
Public Information Sessions
OC Transpo has organized a series of community events for residents to meet with OC Transpo staff to ask questions about changes in the New Ways to Bus system. The event that was held on April 4th at the Nepean Sportsplex was poorly attended because OC Transpo did no provide clear information about where the event was taking place. Residents are encouraged to attend other sessions.
Councillor Devine's advocacy for Ward 9
Ever since the first draft of the New Ways to Bus network was rolled out well over a year ago, our office has been engaged with OC Transpo in trying to stop some of proposed changes. It wasn't altogether easy to get concessions, since Council has no authority over OC Transpo's operations. But we managed be successful in some of our attempts, though we were less successful in others. For the sake of transparency, we wanted to provide residents with a summary of our efforts over the last year.
Routes 282/82
- What we won: It's shocking to believe, but in the original draft of the New Ways to Bus network, Route 82 would have seen its service frequency cut down to peak hours only. This would've been devasting to the western part of Ward 9, who are already seeing other decreases in service. After strong advocacy from our office, Route 82 will maintain full-day, seven-days-a-week service. During peak hours, it will connect to Tunney’s Pasture, offering a viable replacement for the discontinued 282 express route.
- What we lost: Unfortunately, Route 282 was removed. While we fought to maintain express service, this decision reflects several lost express routes, due city-wide budget constraints. However, once the LRT Line 1 West extension is complete, riders will be able to take the 82 to Pinecrest Station, for a quicker ride downtown.
Route 173
- What we lost: Route 173 will no longer service Manordale, becoming a local route serving Barrhaven instead. We continue to object to the questionable rational for this decision, as Barrhaven has more than enough routes serving it. We are committed to monitoring the impact of his lost service, in the hopes of restoring something.
Routes 111/112/189
- What we won: When the first draft of the New Ways to Bus network was rolled out, we quickly noticed that the proposed changes to the 111/112 routes meant that there was no longer any bus service on Chesterton Drive, meaning that two schools, an apartment tower, and a large lower-income housing complex would see no service at all. Even worse, Chesterton Drive is on an incline! We pushed hard against this change, which resulted in Route 189 being re-directed to run along the entire length of Chesterton Drive. While this means riders will need to make an additional transfer, it would have been much worse if there was no route there at all.
Routes 89/86
- What we lost: Despite our advocacy, Routes 89 and 86 will see reductions and decreased frequency. We will continue to push for adjustments if transit reliability issues arise.
There are several other changes to service routes in Ward 9, some of which will result in an increased level of service. We'll try to post more information on these changes shortly.
