Join the GCA!

It feels like spring is finally here, and there is lots going on at your community association! We are in the middle of our annual membership drive right now. Your support and involvement make our advocacy possible. We had to do the drive virtually for the past two years, so we are looking forward to meeting many of you in person this year. Maybe you have already had a visit from one of our canvassers. Our voice is stronger with your support and input. If you have not yet renewed your membership, please visit our website for information on how to do so (www.glebeca.ca).

The provincial election campaign is underway, and the GCA was pleased to work with the Centretown Citizens Community Association, Dows Lake Residents Association, Glebe Annex Community Association, Old Ottawa East Community Association and Old Ottawa South Community Association to organize an all candidates debate on May 14. If you missed it, the recording is available on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/GlebeCA/). Please make sure to get out and vote in June.

We had a very full board meeting in April. First, we were pleased to welcome a new treasurer to the board – David Kelly. We are thankful to Ahmed Ibrahim and his service to the board for much of this year.

The board passed a motion from the GCA Parks Committee to provide a submission to the City as part of its Parkland Dedication Bylaw Review and Replacement. Overall, these comments emphasized the importance of increasing the amount of green space available to Ottawans living in more densely populated parts of the city. I am thankful to the members of the Parks Committee for their continued engagement and advocacy for the parks in our neighbourhood and across the city.

We spent the bulk of the meeting discussing the City of Ottawa’s proposal to revitalize Lansdowne Park. You can read more about this in Anthony Carricato’s article elsewhere in this issue. The GCA board passed a motion asking that city council delay any decisions on this major proposal until meaningful consultations have taken place with residents across the city. We also highlighted key issues that have yet to be addressed, including transportation and transit, the impact on heritage buildings and on the environment, and the lack of transparency and accountability for the Lansdowne Partnership financial plan.

While we want the decision delayed until after public input, the City’s Finance and Economic Development Committee (FEDCO) approved the project in principle on May 6. Even if that is the case, the GCA will continue to press for transparency and public engagement on the future of Lansdowne. Public land deserves public consultation.

We are very much looking forward to an in-person Great Glebe Garage Sale on Saturday, May 28. We had two years of virtual sales due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and we are not quite “back to normal” yet in terms of the levels of COVID-19 in our community. Please follow public health advice and stay safe. We are looking forward to seeing lots of folks in the neighbourhood. It’s a great chance to enjoy spring weather, connect with neighbours, recycle items to keep them out of landfills and support the Ottawa Food Bank – since the sale began in 1986, we have encouraged participants to donate 10 per cent of their proceeds to the food bank.

Finally, the GCA’s annual general meeting will be held virtually on June 14 at 7 p.m. Please join us! Watch for more details about the meeting, including information about guest speakers, on our website and social media. We will have a few vacancies on the board next year and are always looking for people who would like to be more involved. There are several committees and lots of projects on the go, and all of this is powered by the work of volunteers. If you are interested in becoming more involved, please feel free to contact me (gca@glebeca.ca) or June Creelman, one of the GCA’s vice presidents (vp@glebeca.ca).

Our regular board meetings take place on the fourth Tuesday of most months. Our next meeting will be on May 24 at 7 p.m. over Zoom. If you would like to attend, please contact Janet, the board secretary, at secretary@glebeca.ca.