Get involved with GCA

Happy September! I hope you had a wonderful summer. We are slowly but surely getting back into our September routines, even if they are a bit different from Septembers in the past.

While there were no Glebe Community Association (GCA) meetings over the summer, there were definitely lots of things happening in our community. Our second virtual Great Glebe Garage Sale wrapped up and we continued our efforts with Operation Come Home, in support of at-risk youth in Ottawa, with two bottle drop-off days. The National Capital Commission opened its bistro at Patterson Creek. The GCA will work with the NCC in the evaluation of this pilot project, so please feel free to be in touch if you have comments you would like us to share with them. We also saw lots of e-scooters in the neighbourhood and I would encourage you to write to the city if you have comments about that pilot program. Finally, the hospital development continues to be in the news. I mentioned in my August column that the GCA board discussed this at our meeting in June and I subsequently sent a letter to City Council to emphasize the need to protect the trees at the site. You can see the letter on our website (glebeca.ca). We will be interested in the City Council discussions on the hospital this fall.

I am looking forward to our next board meeting at the end of September. If you are looking for a new way to be involved in your community, please come and check us out! Our meetings are open and you are very welcome to attend.

Most of our activities are led by our committees. The work of these committees drives our advocacy for our community and I am thankful for the time and energy that folks in our neighbourhood give to this work.

The Education Committee seeks to develop community responses to education-related issues facing Glebe students, schools and residents. It works closely with the schools on initiatives like the Mutchmor Rink.

The Environment Committee works at preserving, enhancing and advocating for our local environment. Members focus on trees, greenspace, energy and reducing our carbon and waste footprints.

The Great Glebe Garage Sale Committee organizes the sale every year, working with the Glebe BIA and the Ottawa Food Bank. Fingers crossed it will be in person in 2022!

The Health, Housing and Social Services Committee advocates on issues like the need for more affordable housing in our neighbourhood and works with other community organizations like Operation Come Home with its bottle drive in support of at-risk youth.

The Heritage Committee has a ton of knowledge about the history of our community. It provides a heritage perspective to our discussions and brings issues to the attention of the GCA, our city councillor and city staff.

Amid continuing considerations about Lansdowne Park, the Lansdowne Committee engages people to advocate for a vibrant Lansdowne Park that is a public gathering place for our community and for people from across the city. We also advocate for the conversations and decision-making processes about Lansdowne to be open and transparent and to be reflective of community consultation.

The Membership Committee organizes our annual membership campaign, which takes place in May. The membership campaign and the area volunteers who serve on the committee are great contacts for you to tell us directly about your priorities for our neighbourhood. All of the area representatives are listed on our website. (If you haven’t yet renewed your membership for this year, you can do that on our website too.)

The Planning Committee considers issues and questions related to planning in the neighbourhood, such as proposed developments and coordinates responses by the GCA. They also led our work with the city to draft the Bank Street Height and Character Study, which proactively sets out a framework for future development in our neighbourhood.

The Parks Committee advocates for our parks and greenspace to ensure they are preserved, maintained and improved. It also advocates for the creation of new greenspace.

The Transportation Committee considers transportation and traffic questions in our neighbourhood and proposes recommendations to the GCA on these issues.

There is a lot going on! Please consider getting involved in one of these groups, if it is of interest. Contact information is on our website, or feel free to send me a note (gca@glebeca.ca) and I can put you in touch with the right person.

If you want to get a sense of what we do, please join us at a board meeting. Our next meeting is on September 28. We meet on the fourth Thursday of the month. For more information, you can contact Janet, the board secretary, at secretary@glebeca.ca.