Residents share the love at Osgoode AGM

Posted Feb 2, 2012 By Emma Jackson

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EMC News - About 50 residents came out to the Osgoode Village Community Association's annual general meeting on Thursday, Jan. 26, which quickly became a love-in for the village and everyone in it.

Mayor Jim Watson had nothing but kind words for the association, whose members were quick to point out that he is the first Ottawa mayor to ever attend Osgoode's AGM. Watson raved about the Osgoode Lions' efforts to beautify the community and commended the association's annual medieval festival, which had more than 4,000 visitors last summer.

"It's a great initiative. The medieval festival is an old idea but a new concept and it's the only one of its kind in Ottawa. So congratulations to all of the organizers," he said.

Watson also commended Osgoode Councillor Doug Thompson for his successful lobbying efforts for road improvements in the ward, noting that a long list of projects have been approved in the 2012 budget.

"One of the things I heard loud and clear at the Osgoode budget meeting here is that we need to improve the quality of the roads in rural Ottawa, because you don't have transit. Your transit is your roads," he said.

Nepean-Carleton MP Pierre Poilievre and a representative for MPP Lisa MacLeod also heaped on the praise, delaying the meeting 15 minutes while they presented certificates to each association member.

"You have an exceptional community association here," Poilievre said.

"Although the population in Osgoode is not as big as some of the populations I represent in Barrhaven and Nepean, this is by far the most active part of my constituency and I probably attend more events here than the rest of my constituency combined because of the leadership of your local community association, your churches, service clubs and sports associations."

Community police officer Nicole Gorham called the village "Os-Vegas" in her remarks, commending the good works of the Osgoode Youth Association and praising residents for a reduction in snowmobile-related incidents.

The good news continued when real estate agent Jeff Ritskes gave an update on the long-awaited Buckles development, which after 15 years is actually coming to fruition in the next year or so.

"We've been expecting it, we've been wanting it, we've been seeing it, we've been teased with it, and then it goes away. And then it comes back, and then it goes away," he laughed.

He said the developer, Park View Homes, is about two weeks away from fulfilling the demands of the city so that the development can go forward - news that made association president Lori Daneliak cheer out loud and clap her hands. Servicing of the site on the south end of Osgoode off Nixon Drive will hopefully start in June 2012, and the first home could be complete as early as January 2013.

Phase one of the 95-lot South Creek Village will build 45 houses, including "Osgoode's first waterfront properties" along a planned storm water pond, Ritskes said.

The houses will cost about $350,000 and many will be one-level, two-bedroom homes with widened hallways and doorframes to accommodate wheelchairs, walkers and other mobility devices.

Ritskes said there's an immediate need for senior housing in the area, which will only continue to increase.

"There's not a whole lot available in terms of smaller homes. There are some, but they are multi-level," he said.

The community association, Osgoode Lions, and other community groups will host a two-weekend winter carnival across the village beginning Saturday, Feb. 4.

For more information contact Daneliak at lori@magma.ca.




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