Westboro Beach Community Association

Date – Saturday June 19th
Time – 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. rain or shine
Location – Westboro Beach

The annual beach barbeque is a longstanding tradition that we hope you will attend.  Not only is it a good way to meet your neighbours for an afternoon of fun in the sun (or rain), this is also the WBCA’s primary fundraiser.

The barbecue’s activities are as follows:

• Barbeque
• Book, bake and plant sale
• Scavenger hunt
• Tim Bouma
• Open mike

How can you help?  We need the following volunteers to make the Westboro Beach Opening Barbeque a success. Volunteers:

• Sellers
• Cooks
• Musicians

If you would like to volunteer to work at the Beach Opening Barbeque, contact the WBCA at info.

Traditional barbeque foods such as hamburgers and hotdogs will be available.  For the non-meat eaters, we will be serving veggie burgers this year.  An assortment of pop, juices and water will be available.   We will have tap water that you can fill up using your own water containers. But if you forget to bring your cup, paper cups will be available for 10¢.

Book, Bake and Plant sale – Anyone who wishes to donate books, CDs, videos, baked goods, plants can bring them to the barbeque or drop them off at 272 Atlantis Avenue.

The beach opening is the WBCA’s primary fundraiser and we need your help to make it a success.  No amount of assistance is too large or too small.  We are looking forward to a sunny day and a great turnout.

Memories of winter...

Hello neighbours,

Although it’s a bit late, I wanted to say a few words about the winter bonfire.  While it was certainly cold and windy, between 75 to 100 people showed up sometime during the day.  That was a great turnout.

At first there were only three people on the beach.  The three of us struggled to get the fire lit but once we got the fire going, it blazed away for hours.  Just getting the fire going was chore.  The wind was so strong we had to light the fire behind a table turned on its side.  Once the fire started burning we moved the table and setup the trusty Coleman stove and warmed up the hot chocolate.  Modern technology is not always the best way to go.  I brought my Coleman stove and linked it up to a propane tank.  Unfortunately it did not work.  Luckily Ben brought the tried-and-true Coleman setup that uses white gas.  That setup worked until we ran out of hot chocolate.

Read more…

We were ready for a big clean up of the Beach and our neighbourhood but the forecast is for rain this Saturday. But then how often has it been wrong.

There are areas that need to be cleaned. Notably: along the shoreline, CBC pathway, transitway path, Atlantis Woods, Selby Plains, Van Lang woods, and there may be other areas.

We will try again next Saturday, May 15, 9:30 a.m.; meet at the Beach, but if you have time during the week to do some clean up that will be great.

Garbage bags, yard waste bags, vinyl disposable gloves are available and please help yourself. They will be left on the front porch at 236 Royal Avenue, and don’t forget to take a Cleaning the Capital fridge magnet as well.

Thank you for helping keep our neighbourhood clean.

New stop signs on Churchill

The residents of the area have raised concerns about the safety of the Churchill and Selby intersection which is the location for 3 different school buses to pick up and drop off children every school day.  In addition, residents living in the area with small children and people crossing the street to access the greenspace of Selby plains have complained about the speed of the cars along Churchill avenue.  Many vehicles seem to be non-residents who are lost and driving around at higher speeds.

To address the concerns from the residents about the safety of the intersection, the WBCA requested assistance from the Councillor and the City.  The Councillor’s office and WBCA suggested a 4-way stop at this intersection.

Originally the city proposed adding stop signs on Churchill Avenue, but removing them from Selby Avenue.  Many residents voiced their desire to keep the intersection now as a 4-way stop.

Many thanks to Councillor Christine Leadman and her great team, particularly Fabrice, for working quickly with the city to keep the intersection as a 4-way stop and ensuring safer access for pedestrians from all directions.  Councillor Leadman has once again demonstrated her outstanding support for our community.

The WBCA appreciates the support and understanding of all residents of the area in helping to keep our neighbourhood safe and a great place for everyone to enjoy.  By ensuring a safer access to our greenspace, we aim to encourage the residents and visitors to enjoy these areas.  Lastly, we want to show the NCC, during their period of renewal of their Urban Lands Master Plan, that these areas are used and valuable as greenspace.

Our neighbourhood is home to many residents with interesting activities and remarkable achievements.  In this section, we highlight these people and invite you to share noteworthy accomplishments of yourself or someone else in our community.

In March 2010, the Ottawa Citizen featured our local resident Peter Keilland and his amazing invention, the Scruzol.  As described in the article, Peter improved on the basic screwdriver and developed a unique tool that incorporates many screwdrivers into one  easy to use tool.  Canadian Tire validated the success of his design and product by selling the innovative product in its stores.  Peter is truly an inventor and is currently work on several other projects.

Citizen article about Peter Keilland

If you are interested in the Beach, water quality and the NCC Greenspace (Atlantis Woods and Selby Plains); and if you are interested in having a green and environmentally sustainable neighbourhood, this is a meeting you would be interested in participating.

WBCA Spring General Meeting

Thursday, April 29
7:00 pm
Churchill Seniors Centre, Townhall

Hope to see you there

The National Capital Commission is currently in the process of reviewing its Greenbelt Master Plan and Urban Lands Master Plan, which guides the way the Greenbelt and the Greenspace in the region is used, managed and protected.

With the Selby plains, Westboro beach, bike paths and greenspace along the Ottawa river and various parks and pathways, the Westboro beach community offers our residents, the city and visitors to the National Capital region a unique experience.

The WBCA is reinvigorating its Greenspace Working Committee to work with the NCC and the city of Ottawa in maintaining and preserving our local greenspace and in setting a clear vision for its use, now and in the future.

We are looking for new members to join our group.  We will have a short presentation at the upcoming general meeting this April and welcome all those interested to come out.  If interested please send an email on our website.  More info on the general meeting will be coming soon.

What – Westboro Beach Community Association Winter Bonfire
Where – Westboro Beach

When – February 13/2009 (there is no alternate date)

Westboro Beach Toboggan Hill

Time – 3:00 pm to 5:30 pm

Hello neighbours;

It has been several months since the last WBCA event (Beach closing bonfire) and it is time to get together with friends and neighbours to enjoy the outdoors.  One of the best ways to enjoy the winter is to go tobogganing.  As many of you probably know, there is a nice slope at Westboro beach where many people go tobogganing with family and friends.  If the snow conditions are favourable we can also build snowmen or snow forts.

As anyone who has been tobogganing at Westboro beach knows, it can get quite cold when the wind is blowing off the Ottawa River.  To help warm up after a few runs down the hill, there will be a bonfire and free hot chocolate.  In order to reduce the amount of waste, we are asking people to bring their own mugs for the hot chocolate.

Lets all work together to make this a safe and fun event.  We do not want to have any collisions on the hill.  Before sliding down the hill, please check to ensure that no one is coming up the hill in the area you will be sliding down.  There are plenty of cars travelling west on the Ottawa River Parkway so keep an eye on the kids so they do not climb up the snow bank between the top of hill and the Parkway.  Finally, be sure to keep the kids that are with you from sliding onto the frozen river, playing along the river shoreline or wandering out onto the frozen river.

What can you do to help make this event successful?

• Show up and have a good time.
• Inform you neighbours about the event.
• Contribute wood for a fire.  If you have any firewood you wish to contribute, telephone Peter Bruton at 613 798-0880.
• Bring your own mugs for the hot chocolate.

See you on the hill.

WBCA Executive Council

The WBCA Annual General Meeting will be held on:

Tuesday December 1, 2009
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Churchill Seniors Centre

Our guest speaker will be Alain Miguelez. Alain is a City of Ottawa planner, Program Manager for Inner Urban Development.

Living in the neighbourhood you are well aware of the constant infill development and you may have many questions such as what are the keys to good infill development, or what is a sustainable and livable neighbourhood to mention only a couple.

You will have the opportunity to ask Alain these questions and perhaps discuss ways to create a desirable and sustainable neighbourhood.

Other items on the agenda will include an overview of the past year and discussion on projects for 2010. Elections will also be held. There are still some spots left on the Board and we hope you will consider putting your name forward. If interested please contact us at info and let us know a little bit about yourself.

There will be light refreshments but please bring your own mug. We hope to see you at the AGM.

Date – Saturday, September 12th (no rain date)
Time – 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Location – Westboro Beach

Let’s get together for a bonfire and marshmallow roast–one of our longstanding traditions.  The WBCA will supply marshmallow sticks, marshmallows and the bonfire.  All you need to bring is yourselves, chairs/blankets, and something to drink.

Music will be provided by Canadian performer Russell Levia.

Everyone welcome!