Two new 1st-of-a-kind Life Saving Apps just launched yesterday across Durham Region. Oshawa Fire & Durham Region EMS with sponsors GM Canada & OnStar announced the @PulsePoint mobile phone app that can save lives in Durham Region. They are building a registry that can help you respond to medical emergencies using the PulsePoint RESPOND App & AED App

1. The PulsePoint RESPOND App alerts CPR-trained users when someone in a nearby public place requires CPR for a cardiac arrest. It also lets them know where to find the closest public Automated External Defibrillator (AED). If you are trained in CPR download the app and help save a life!

​2. The PulsePoint AED App signals the location of Defibrillators for cardiac emergencies, Naloxone for overdoses, Epinephrine for life-threatening allergic reactions caused by insect bites, foods, and other causes. Download the app to be in the know where in the Region you can locate these lifesaving resources.

​"Incredible day in Oshawa and Durham Region! @pulsepoint is a key strategy to improve out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival. Today it is up and running. You can help save a life! Please download the app! This is going to provide an opportunity for people who are willing to step in, perform CPR, or find an AED.” - Dr. Randy Wax, Critical Care Physician Lead and President of the Lakeridge Health Medical Staff Association

Kudos to Wayne Small who is making a delegation tomorrow at the Community Services Committee meeting which starts at 1:30 p.m. concerning the lack of a sidewalk accessing the Smart Centre plaza from Coldstream, and the need for an immediate pedestrian crossover as the Bloom Seniors feel very unsafe crossing the road.
Let's hope he inspires the Committee to do the right thing! He gathered a petition with over 60 signatures. As he wrote, the City has a duty of care to improve this traffic area! Seniors require an accessible path of travel. Many new residents who have moved into the Bloom Seniors Residence require walkers. I know this first hand because I attended the official opening of the Bloom a couple weeks ago and brought my mom...she and the ladies at our table spent a few moments comparing their walkers!

The above picture is just one part of the area that extends from Ritson Rd. N. to Townline Rd. N north of Conlin Rd. all stripped of vegetation. 
Oshawa residents travelling Ritson Rd. N and living south of Conlin Rd. have been enduring Ritson and Conlin roads dirt and mud covered as well as residents living in the communities south of Conlin cloaked and choked with an extraordinary amount of dirt and dust. 
Below is my email to senior staff...now awaiting their reply, which I'll post upon receipt.

I’ve received complaints from constituents who are increasingly disturbed by the amount of dust blowing off the vast land area stripped of all vegetation north of Conlin Rd E east of Ritson Rd. and east and west of Harmony Rd.
All the dust swirling around is negatively impacting residents residing in the communities south of Conlin Rd E.
Could you please advise if there has been or can be enforcement of the Dust By-law in this situation to help determine what remedial measures might be undertaken?

Earlier in the summer there was a sweeper parked daily on Ritson Rd. N. where there were dust whiteouts making the problem a real safety issue.

Mud matts, silt fences, water trucks and sweepers may be the normal way of responding with a regular size subdivision..  

But the scale of the land area cleared for the largest development in Oshawa’s history seems to be giving rise to so much dust blowing down on the developed areas south  of Conlin Rd.  The size of the collaborative project  makes the problem difficult to address.

Is there anyone at the City monitoring this situation or is it left up to the Developers to self-regulate?  Who at the City would be making decisions, if any, concerning implementing a plan to see the dust minimized.

Imo, restrictions on the amount of activity on windy days would seem to make sense, but where would that policy be set down, in the subdivision agreement or the Dust By-law?

Thanks for your consideration of the above questions and any information, suggestions you can provide so that I can better inform those Ward 1 residents asking.

​Rosemary

From the By-law: 

The Federal and Provincial Governments proclaimed Monday September 19, 2022 as a National Day of Mourning to mark the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
As posted on the City's website:

City Hall and Service Oshawa closed

Waste Services open No changes to waste collection service

Recreation Facilities opoen City recreation facilities will be open with regular hours of operation for activities and facility permits on Monday, September 19. For additional details, visit the Recreation Facility Status webpage

Oshawa Public Libraries  The Oshawa Public Libraries will be open regular hours on Monday, September 19.

OSCC55+   The OSCC55+ John Street Branch will be open Monday, September 19 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with food service available from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. All other Oshawa Senior Community Centre branches will be closed and all programs and services cancelled.

At the Corporate Services Committee Sept 12, 2022 morning meeting my motion was approved to have in the 1st Q of 2023 a Staff Report reviewing the Short Term Rentals by-law provisions passed by Council in 2020.
​
(As I am not a voting member of that Committee it was introduced for me by Councillor Nicholson.)

To any Oshawans with complaints about the effectiveness of the bylaw changes and enforcement related AirBnB short term rentals in their neighbourhood — now is the time to make your issues known to City Staff, so they can be included in the staff report expected early in 2023. Email clerks@oshawa.ca and copy kmann@oshawa.ca

Imo the by-law does not have enough teeth for satisfactory enforcement. For instance there has been an ongoing situation for the past several weeks where an illegal AirBnB has been operating, It was a quiet court in Ward one, until the absentee landlord began renting it out and almost every weekend the court has been filled with cars and individuals coming and going...creating noise, with the police being called and removing individuals. Even after Oshawa Municipal Licencing and Enforcement officers reported violations to the owners and the owners indicated they would apply for a Short Term Rental license, nothing seems to have changed. Below is a picture of the AirBnB visitors cars chocking up the Court circle Sunday evening Sept 11, 2022,

Recap of current Short Term Rentals (STR) – which include Air BnB operations - regulations which were passed in 2020
They must be registered and comply with specific rules, processes and changes to the Licensing By-law and Zoning By-laws: 

1. STR operators will only be allowed to rent out their principal residence.
2. Rents are not to exceed 28 consecutive days and not for more than 180 total days per year.
3. Operators must buy proper insurance and provide a local contact available 24/7 who can respond to the property within one hour of being contacted, in case of an emergency.
4. A single property cannot be split into more than two rooms and only two people can occupy each room.
5. Operators are required to display a new ‘Visitor’s Code’ with information about relevant Oshawa by-laws to guests.
6. To report an unregistered STR or to file a complaint about any STR, call 905-436-3311 or email service@oshawa.ca.

 

If you would like to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II there is a table with a condolence book in the main lobby at City Hall opposite the Service Oshawa counter. Also there is an on-line link where the City encourage messages to be placed https://forms.oshawa.ca/Corporate-Communications/Condolences-Her-Majesty-Queen-Elizabeth-II?fbclid=IwAR13UKtrTDNFXeFZgkcWhlwtJ6bDWq97DZfC2mqNjM8uT8QYMbhMMZP9Aho


On Monday, Sept 12, 2022,  at a special 8:30 a.m. Council meeting in the Council Chamber in honour of Queen Elizabeth II.
Council passed the following motion: 
Whereas Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II passed away on September 8, 2022;
Whereas Her Majesty was the head of the Commonwealth and Queen of Canada;
Whereas Her Majesty served as the longest-serving monarch in British history;
Whereas Canadians are grateful for Her Majesty’s decades of service to Canada and the Commonwealth and are mourning her death;
Whereas flags have been lowered to half-mast at City Hall and City facilities to honour the memory of Her Majesty;
Whereas Oshawa community members are signing condolence books online at Oshawa.ca or in-person at Oshawa City Hall, Delpark Homes Centre and South Oshawa Community Centre;
Whereas Her Majesty’s funeral will take place on September 19, 2022; and,
Whereas the City of Oshawa Council Committee meeting calendar includes meetings of the Finance Committee and Community Services Committee on this date;
​
Therefore be it resolved:
That the Mayor, on behalf of Council and the City of Oshawa, send an official letter of condolence to the Royal Family, Britain, and the Commonwealth for our collective loss of Her Majesty by way of the Governor General of Canada;
That the Standing Committee meetings scheduled for September 19, 2022 be rescheduled to Tuesday, September 20, 2022; and,
That the Finance Committee meeting take place at 9:30 a.m. and the Community Services Committee take place at 1:30 p.m

Stopped to snap this picture Thurs Sept 8th - Removal of Old Rotary Pool and Change House  on Centre St S. -the next step the public sees at this site will be more exciting of course with the Installation of the New Accessible Pool! and new playground equipment! and new splash pad! But since the pool closed in Sept 2019 it regrettably has been an eyesore. So this was very good to see! ​

This Wed. Sept 7th  is the last day to complete a quick survey that can help improve Oshawa’s free summer parks playground programs for 2023!

Here is a link to the Feedback Form: Https://Www.Surveymonkey.Com/R/Oshawaplaygroundprogram

​See below the kind of questions being asked:

What Types Of Activities Did Your Child Or Children Enjoy Or Would Enjoy The Most While Participating In The Playground Program? Select All That Apply From the Activities List..

What Is Your Preferred Time Of Day For Your Child Or Children To Attend The Playground Program?

What Do You Feel May Present As Barriers To Participating In The Playground Program?

With your help the City can evaluate the summer camp programs, marketing and communications and registration process. Your feedback is appreciated.

Feedback will be received until September 7, 2022. If you prefer to complete the feedback form on paper call Service Oshawa at 905-436-3311 during regular business hours.

Side note:  I posted the above notice of the survey  on a couple community Facebook pages and had a couple comments from residents surprised they had never heard of this program. So I emailed senior staff  Labor Day morning for some stats. They replied very quickly with the following information:
   
1.  The City records the number of visits, specific for each park, with attendance numbers for morning and afternoon sessions and data by day and week.

2. This summer the park locations were reduced due to COVID  and staffing challenges. There were also cancellations on occasion due to heat, rains and the Roger's outage. 

3.  2022 saw 3,603 visits in the Playgrounds program across 12 parks; 6 offered in the morning and 6 in the afternoon.
      2019 saw 4,400 visits across 16 parks
      
 
4. The program is promoted through the activeOshawa guide, on the City's website, a media release at beginning of season, Facebook and once staff get started, they typically sidewalk chalk the immediate area to get the word out.

Oshawa Fire Services Twitter pictures and video clips of the new Fire Services recruits training are good to see. I particularly like the fire mat one blanketing a car fire.

Recently I had a conversation with the IAFF Local 465 V-P Nathan Langille. When asking about the IAFF municipal election candidate survey which I'd heard about but hadn't found in my email in box (see questions below) I mentioned how I liked seeing that Oshawa Fire Services has a fire blanket big enough to cover a car electrical fire.

Nathan mentioned how in addition to car batteries, there is a growing problem with e-scooters lithium ion batteries causing fires. Since the City and Region recently passed approval of the e-scooters pilot program, and e-scooters will be seen in greater numbers around town, it was good of Nathan to share the Fire Engineering August 25, 2022 article concerning this relatively new fire hazard issue.  

www.fireengineering.com/firefighting/nyc-scooter-battery-fires-double-fdny-commissioner-seeks-federal-study/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=fe_daily_newsletter&utm_campaign=2022-08-25

By the way, my answers were affirmative to all six IAFF Local #465 questions to the October 24th Oshawa municipal election candidates. (see below)

1) Will you commit to engaging with this local Executive on issues that affect both firefighter and public safety? Our Association is the representative of the 201 employees that are put their life on the front line every day protecting the City of Oshawa.
2) Have you read the current 2019 Fire Master Plan , the 2018 IAFF Geographic Information System Emergency Response Capabilities Analysis, Oshawa Fire Services Annual Reports (2018-2021), and the current Oshawa Fire Services Staffing Plan, CNCL-22-36 from May 6th, 2022??
3) Are you committed to CNCL 22-36 - 10 year staffing model as a base of public safety investments that you will not go below?
4) Firefighting is inherently dangerous. Unfortunately, the cause of most line of duty deaths is due to work related cancer. Are you committed to investing in the health and safety of Oshawa’s firefighters and working with our Executive to limit exposures to harmful toxins?
5) Do you have any current or past experience working with labour unions?
6) Do you support unions, within the City, to address council through the City delegation process?

Continuing on the topic of City off-road trails - I am very happy to report it is looking like the Harmony Creek trail extension north of Coldstream to the Delpark Homes Centre is nearing completion I snapped this pic last week when I was over at the Bloom Seniors Residence. It was taken just behind the Bloom eastern parking lot chain link fence. Since my first month on Council I've been pressing the City to complete this trail! Some area residents would have received the notification about the project earlier in the summer. See Notice of Construction below.

Btw, the Bloom seniors at 1224 Coldstream Dr. are concerned about
1) the need for a new bus stop - and with the emails and phone conversations I believe there should be one here soon. It could be convenient for others wanting to walk from the bus to the Harmony Creek trail or walk into or out of the Smart Centre Plaza from Coldstream -however as many know, there is no pedestrian path of travel along the Coldstream/Smart Centre driveway. I am still working on the driveway issue and with help from others I believe the problem driveway from Coldstream Dr. beside Smart Centre's water retention pond should and can be improved.

2. The most pressing concern however relates to the need for a Pedestrian Crossover for seniors to walk across Coldstream Dr. safely. With the number of near misses they have witnessed, Bloom residents sent in a petition and letter requesting the City install the Crossover this year, before a tragic accident occurs.

The Coldstream Crossover is actually part of the Harmony Creek Trail Extension Project discussed at the top of this thread. The Crossover will be located a stone's throw from the top picture of the trail construction on the north side of Coldstream, where the trail will connect with the existing trail on the south side. But I'm told the timing of this 1st Pedestrian Crossover on a City of Oshawa local street, may not be completed until spring. I'm still asking for it to be completed ASAP.  Unfortunately Oshawa seems to be lagging behind other Region of Durham municipalities that have installed several Pedestrian Crossovers to improve community safety and promote active transportation.
​

Update Tuesday Sept 7 afternoon: 

Like an Omnibus bill in Parliament, even if there is one or two parts you are not in agreement with, it is very difficult to make amendments ito a Closed Report. You cannot make motions in Closed Session and when back in open session it seems the expectation is that you go along to get along. After the Closed Session adjourned and the Working Group rose to vote in Open Session I made a motion to table one of the 6 agreements contained in the Recommendation. The vote on that was 3 against to my 1 in favour. Then the staff recommendation in Report PORT-22-1 (see below) passed with 3 Yes (the Mayor and the two other Council members of the Working Group) and 1 my 1 vote, No.
​

​CONCEPT ONE summary:
renovation of the entire existing building, creating a 12,000sq.ft. Cultural Hub.
with new added features including a workshop that opens up to a new outdoor space, improved entrance, and signage, wayfinding, and public art.
-conceptual floor plans show there will be space for an auditorium (150 seats), gallery/flexible event space, studios/workshops, admin/offices, service spaces, corridor, and washrooms.
-kind of spaces that will be included:
• Flexible and adaptable studios for visual arts programming.
• An open multi-use gallery that doubles as a shared event space.
• A restored and refreshed exterior with an improved entrance.
• New interior spaces with an open lobby and expanded corridors.


​

CONCEPT TWO summary:
renovation of the entire existing building and new construction of a small addition, creating a 15,000sq.ft. Cultural Hub with new added features including outdoor event space, workshop courtyard, new building entrance along Queen St with welcoming lobby, outdoor space and terraced garden connected to indoor studio, and signage, wayfinding, and public art.
conceptual floor plans show there will be space for an auditorium (150 seats), gallery/flexible event space, studios/workshops, admin/offices, service spaces, corridor, washrooms, and café/lounge.
- kind of spaces that will be included:
• Various sizes of studios for a greater range of artist opportunities.
• Flexible gallery and market hall for community events.
• Bookable shared co-working workshops and meeting rooms.
• Welcoming lobby with cafe and drop-in lounge area.

​

CONCEPT THREE summary:
renovation of the entire existing building and new construction of multiple additions, including a fourth floor, creating a 25,000sq.ft. Cultural Hub. with new added features including outdoor event space, workshop courtyard, new building entrance along Queen St with welcoming lobby, outdoor space and terraced garden connected to indoor studio, signage, wayfinding, and public art, and dedicated space for community organizations and groups.
conceptual floor plans show there will be space for an auditorium (200 seats), gallery/flexible event space, studios/workshops, admin/offices, service spaces, corridor, washrooms, and café/lounge.
• Larger dedicated gallery, studios, and event space for diverse programming.
• Expanded auditorium theatre with new dedicated rehearsal room.
• Permanent spaces for community arts and culture organizations.
• Welcoming lobby with cafe and lounge area for collaborative activities.

​New trees were planted in the Simcoe St. N median today (north of Britannia Ave. to Windfields Farm Dr.) (Picture shows Gingko trees but planting included other varieties too, further north).

Meanwhile elsewhere around the City a number of boulevard trees have been identified as needing to be removed and replaced.
See below  the Forestry Inspection Door Knocker Card one of my constituents received after we called for an inspection.

Among the residents in Ward 1 who reached out to me this summer concerned that the trees on their boulevards were failing, one on Wrenwood mentioned several of the trees on her street appeared in distress. When Forestry staff followed up, in each instance where residents suspected a problem it turned out the trees needed to be removed and replaced. In fact the Wrenwood follow up last week will see eight removed and replaced!

The street tree canopy both beautifies the city and has a positive environmental impact, absorbing Carbon dioxide emissions, which helps to combat climate change. Now, before fall, is a good time to check the condition of your boulevard tree, If a tree appears to be compromised report it  to Service Oshawa by calling 905-436-3311 or by email  to service@oshawa.ca or send CHAT message to  Service.oshawa.ca

​Ribbon Cutting at Oshawa's new BMX Bicycle Park Aug 18, 2020 at 1095 Thornton Rd. N. (just south of the Airport Golf Course, east side of Thornton) was a special event.
​
The highs and lows of the bike track kind of represent the evolution of this bike park becoming a reality. It took a lot of work and soul searching to find the way ahead from the City's  demolition of the unsanctioned Greenland bike jumps in 2021. Much credit for the development of a  phased-in BMX park can be given to BMX enthusiast Steven Lind and Oshawa staff, Commissioner Ron Diskey, Operations Director Mike Saulnier, Parks and Planning  Manager Mitch Wiskel,  Parks Project Manager Alexis Moxley,  Planner, Parks Capital Projects, Dan Harrison and those on Council who saw the merit in making the City-owned fields on Thornton Rd north of Rossland Rd., which had been ignored with nothing but weeds for decades., an active destination place both for youth and adults .

For the track to continue to grow it will require  a steady number of volunteers, But seeing all the smiles and happy BMXers and their families in the bike park for the official opening  it should a great success!

The May 21st high impact storm, referred to as a Derecho, has been described as one of the most impactful storms in Canadian history. Its 120 mph winds resulted in the tragic lost of six lives. Countless trees were uprooted and numerous areas were without power for extended periods. With north Oshawa cell towers down and damaged, many Ward 1 Oshawa residents lost their internet connection. In fact, my home internet, like others in Raglan and Columbus was only fully restored August 3rd

​The day after the May 21st storm Durham paramedics rushed my mother back to the hospital for her second admission that month (and she was back again in June with her heath precarious). As her primary care provider, I was unable to participate in the May 25, 2022 Council meeting, the first and only Council meeting during my term that I've missed.

​Without a home internet connection, since the end of May I stopped updating my website and posting on Twitter and Facebook -it was one of those times when something had to give and stepping away from posting on social media was it.

However City Councillor work,  meetings and conversations with constituents and city staff continued, such as:
-following up on issues with respect to noise complaints, parking violations and road safety
-arranging a community meeting for the Raglan Park design to ensure mature trees would not be removed when locating new amenities
-ensuring trees pruned where branches obscured speed limit sign, and follow up on residents' alerts where boulevard trees need to be removed due to damage and disease
-speaking with residents about possible 3 way stop on Greenhill, and two more 3 way stops on Ormond for traffic calming by Sherwood park and school;
-requesting staff consider 'red and white striped 'tail' board under stop signs for improved visibility, like in Clarington; 
-assist effort to resolve rat infestation situation and illegal backyard chicken problem,
-help raise accessibility awareness with OAAC members at our display table at the Peony Festival in June
-help with the special Columbus community morning Canada Day Event -which was a success again for its 12th annual celebration after missing two years during the Pandemic
​
Best news of all, I am pleased to report my mother's health has improved and boy is it heart warming to see her enjoy fresh corn on the cob!

Internet connection now back on, but unfortunately still unreliable. This is something absolutely needing improvement and I am determined not to be put off - the City and Region not continue to delay addressing Oshawa's inexcusable internet divide. Communities and businesses north of Hwy 407 should not be left behind.  

Today's Community Services Committee meeting brought the good news we've been waiting for — a Community Safety Zone on Raglan Rd. W and E (from Stevenson Rd. N. to just east of Ritson Rd. N.)

The motion is a long one the Mayor moved with input from other Council members and as Jill Monique Coffey, Sharon Vanderven, Tracey Podlowski Kayla Cvancic Mathieu Pat and Bill Forbes know first hand, it is the culmination of a lot of work from the Raglan community and DRPS East Division Constable Gord Dicresce.

The long motion (copied below) will be on the May 24, 2022 Council meeting agenda for final approval by all 11 members of Oshawa Council. Finally this looks to be positive, since at the Community Services Committee meeting today there were 5 Yes votes to part #1 of the motion (the one No vote was by Ward 3 Councillor Brad Marks); and a unanimous committee 6 Yes votes to parts #2-6

Yesterday's Special OSHAWA Council meeting concerning the City's new Neighbourhood Traffic Management Guide (NTMG) began with some hope. After the IBI Group consultant's presentation the motion to go into Committee of the Whole (COW) passed by a slim majority 6 to 5.
(COW meeting rules give members of Council more than the one-five minute standard regular opportunity to ask questions and hear answers. Instead a COW meeting allows one 10 minute Q & A opportunity and a subsequent opportunity for 5 minutes on a second or third round. )

The 6 who approved going into Committee of the Whole for a more fulsome discussion were Councillors McConkey, Neal, Nicolson, Giberson, Hurst, and Kerr.

The 5 who voted against were Mayor Carter, Councillors Chapman, Gray, Marimpietri and Marks"

But my hopes were dashed quickly. Not to bother with all the petty ins and outs of how the discussion seemed to me to be constrained, the way the meeting ended was very telling.

I had a motion to refer the Report back to staff - based on the fact that in March this year Council passed the following motion about automated speed enforcement:

"the City takes no position on Emphasis Area 2, Program 2 (Automated Enforcement) in the Durham Vision Zero Strategy, until such time as the Region’s anticipated report on Automated Enforcement is reviewed by Council."

Regardless of the fact that a motion to refer is always in order, the Mayor insisted, without any real explanation why, that he wanted the vote on the NTMG first before Council rose from the Committee of the Whole, then once out of COW he would allow my referral motion. It made it a joke really. I would not have approved the NTMG, because it was missing key components.

Although the Mayor and Councillor Chapman made a point of going on about how the NTMG is a living document and then could be changed, as I've seen often, once a report is approved it becomes like some gold standard written in stone, forever and a day referred to as 'the Council approved Report'...and then 'reconsideration' votes are required, which involve a 2/3rd majority vote on changes instead of a simple majority vote.

Leaving out any criteria in Oshawa's NTMG for ASE cameras on local roads and the e-scooters which Region Council recently approved on Regional Roads in Oshawa really means this 'update' NTMG is actually not 'updated' but 'stale-dated' already. The new NTMG replaces a 20 year old one. My referral motion seconded by Councillor Neal failed 9-2 It was:
"to refer the NTMG Report to staff to be updated on ASE camera installation on local roads at the meeting when Oshawa Council reviews the Region’s anticipated report on Automated Enforcement is reviewed by Council."

Yes the wording of the referral is awkward, but it includes the wording of the March 'Council takes no position' motion.

So as I said above 'very telling". It indicates the Council 'no position' is not really looking like a 'no position'.

It seems to confirm that this current Council does not want to implement the AES program on Oshawa local-road-Community Safety-Zones. Ajax and Pickering implemented the program last year and AES programs are happening all over Canada to improve speed enforcement. It is well-documented that Speed Kills and ASE cameras decrease speeding. But Oshawa Council in 2022 once again avoided the discussion.

www.ajax.ca/en/business-and-growth/automated-speed-enforcement.aspx?fbclid=IwAR3yw299mN8LhjJ9DsG8zdQ2L3A6vnFKP8lhOvI1tXANYhVJWAkWI8Xl8nc
​