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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2011
Manotick boundaries may shift
Inside COMMUNITY
Residents hear update on village plan review
Young Tommy Glatzmayer has been recognized as being a “Difference Maker.� – Page 3
NEWS
Photo by Dosi Cotroneo
Sounds of the season
Strolling carollers on hand for the Manotick Olde Fashioned Christmas Weekend Dec. 3 added to the charm of the day, delighting crowds both young and old with their beloved Christmas songs. The weekend featured a variety of holiday-themed events in celebration of the festive season.
Greely Elementary School celebrates new playstructure By Dosi Cotroneo
United Way Ottawa wrapped up its annual fundraising campaign earlier this month. – Pages 11 & 16
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EMC News - What started off as a dire situation turned into a day of celebration as staff and students of Greely Elementary School cut the ribbon on their brand new playstructure. “The old playstructure was built in the 1980s and we could get by using it for 15 to 18 children for a short time,� said Helen Jarvis, Greely Elementary principal. “With fullday Kindergarten this year, there are more than 50 students all wanting to access the structure during their lunch hour. It just could no longer accommodate that number of eager active children.� Jarvis explained the Greely Elementary school council, representing approximately 125 families, had been diligently raising funds for a playstructure for over three years. After accessing all the resources they knew of, they arrived to the stage where they had to take their search out to the greater community to work along with them. “An age-appropriate playstructure was an essential component in our commit-
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The staff and students of Greely Elementary School have a lot to be smiling about these days. After much hard work raising funds for their new playstructure, their dream came true as the new playstructure was officially opened on Thursday, Dec. 1. ment to being a healthy and active school,� said Jarvis. Although the school held a number of fundraisers and raised $11,000, an enormous feat considering there are only 200 students enrolled at Greely Elementary, the school council found itself $10,000 short of its goal. Enter residents Marco and Kim Scapillati of Scapillati Flooring. When they learned about the playstructure plight, they kicked into high gear and
donated the $10,000 to make the playstructure project possible. On Nov. 10, the recess bell rang and the children raced outside to enjoy their ďŹ rst playtime on their brand new safe playstructure. “The kids are just loving it,â€? said Jarvis. “Now they have a signiďŹ cantly larger space, fenced in with a play area that includes a garden, sand, and asphalt for chalk games.â€? See School page 2
Geoff Davies
geoff.davies@metroland.com
The Village of Manotick could get slightly smaller in the next few years, residents heard on Dec. 6 at a meeting to discuss the ongoing Village Plan Review. The City of Ottawa is currently reviewing the ofďŹ cial plans for 24 of its 26 villages. The review is intended to inform the next update to the city’s ofďŹ cial plan, scheduled for 2013. Held at the Manotick arena, the meeting was the follow-up to a session in the spring, where city staff asked residents for feedback about their desired direction for the village. One of the issues that needs to be addressed when the plan is updated, residents heard, is a number of disparities between the village’s land use planning documents, and the city’s. As a result, the village could lose, on paper, a sliver of land between River Road and the Rideau River, stretching between BankďŹ eld and Barnsdale Roads. That’s because, while the city’s ofďŹ cial plan designates it as general rural land within the city, the village’s plan identiďŹ es it as belonging to Manotick under the City of Nepean’s ofďŹ cial plan, a document that is no longer relevant. Jeff OstaďŹ chuk, a land use planner with the city, said it’s important to bring the two documents into line, even though shifting the boundary should have little practical impact.
“It’s more of a clean-up and housekeeping thing,â€? OstaďŹ chuk said. City staff is proposing to change the boundary Manotick’s village plan instead of the city’s plan because it is an easier document to amend, he said. At the meeting, some residents decried the move, saying it could interfere with putting in a pathway along that bank of the river. “If you take that out you then lose an absolutely vital linkage,â€? one man said during the presentation. “All that is part of Manotick,â€? he continued. “If you take that out, you’re going to get a lynch mob.â€? Increasing the connectivity of recreational paths within the village was a priority identiďŹ ed in the presentation. OstaďŹ chuk said the local desire for a pathway along this stretch of land has been on the radar of city staff for some time. “It’s not necessarily whether it’s in the village or not, it’s whether the designation allows for a pathway, and that’s something residents should be asking the city,â€? OstaďŹ chuk said. OstaďŹ chuk said if the proposed amendment is made, the land would be designated for general rural use, with the ood plains and unstable slopes identiďŹ ed where present. That designation may permit the creation of a pathway, he said. See Plan page 2
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