Spring Will Bring Some Changes To Rural Ottawa Communities

By David Brown, Rideau-Jock Councillor

Spring is here! Maybe, almost… With so many new neighbours in our ward, I wanted to share a few reminders of what it means to live in rural Ottawa and highlight some of the changes are coming to our communities.

We have experienced some wild weather, but at some point soon, residents are going to see farmers in their fields plowing, cultivating, spreading manure and planting crops. It’s one of the busiest times of year for farmers. As planting season starts, please be mindful of the heavy equipment on our roads. Always exercise caution when trying to pass and please ensure you leave yourself some extra time just in case you end up behind a slow-moving piece of equipment.

My office receives several dozen calls each year when the unmistakable aroma of manure begins to circulate through the air. Although sometimes unpleasant, it is a normal farm practice and doesn’t last long.

We are fortunate enough to live in an area that has been feeding cities for more than a century and a half. Most residents in the City are not as fortunate as we are in rural Ottawa to live in communities that grow the food which ends up on our plates. To the farmers that grow our food and feed our cities, thank you!

For those that might not be aware, our villages are served by volunteer firefighters who live, work and volunteer in our communities. Volunteer firefighters are always on call and respond to emergencies when they arise.

Each volunteer firefighter has a flashing green light in their personal vehicle which they turn on when responding to an emergency. If you see this flashing green light approaching you, please pull off to the right side of the road and allow them to pass by the same way you already pull over when you see flashing emergency lights. Time is critical and these local heroes are on their way to someone in need.

On Saturday, March 30th from 8:30am to noon at the Manotick fire station, our local volunteer firefighters are hosting a Pancake Breakfast for our community. Just one more way they give back to our community.

Many joke that Canada has two seasons: winter and construction. As spring arrives, so too will the hundreds of construction workers as the City continues with its infrastructure work.

Our ward faired very well in the 2024 budget with $42 Million in infrastructure dollars and 23 projects either in the queue or beginning this year. My office will continue to share construction updates with each community through our newsletter or if you have a specific question, please contact my office directly through email at ward21@ottawa.ca or by phone at 613-580-2491.

In addition, this spring residents will see the reinstatement of many traffic calming measures in our communities and the roll out of new measures. Our ward is receiving $75,000 in new traffic calming investments, including speed boards, flexstakes, road markings and more, all designed to slow drivers down and keep our communities safer.

As always, if there is something you believe I can help with, please reach out and ask. My team and I are always here to help.

See you at the Pancake Breakfast on March 30th!