Keep your Canada Day celebrations healthy and safe
Ottawa – Before you celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday, and especially if you’re heading downtown, please review these tips to help keep your Canada Day weekend healthy and safe.
Security
From June 30 to July 2, visitors to Parliament Hill will have to undergo a security screening and a bag check at either of the two tents set up for these purposes. For more information about security and restricted items on Parliament Hill, consult the Parliamentary Protective Service website.
Party safe
Whether you’re going out for a drink or plan to party all night long, know these party safe tips at StopOverdoseOttawa.ca and don’t forget to #MakeItUnforgettable
Plan a safe ride home. Plan how you’ll get home before the party especially if you don’t have a designated driver; plan your free OC Transpo bus route or cab ride in advance. Impaired walking or cycling is not a safe way to get home. Find tips from the Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines on how to reduce your risk.
General safety
- Check the weather forecast and prepare accordingly – including planning ahead where you will seek shelter in adverse weather.
- Know the signs and symptoms of heat illness and take action immediately.
- Drink plenty of water and keep hydrated when active or outdoors.
- Be mindful of food safety before and after handling food.
- Be Sun Smart – wear sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses and light and loose clothing.
- Do not bring glass containers downtown as they may accidently break and cause serious injuries to you or someone else.
- Wear properly fitted and comfortable footwear.
- If you take medication, bring it with you and include a current list of prescribed medications.
- Keep a close eye on children and teach them to stay where they are if they get separated from you.
- Know where the nearest lost-child tent is located.
Water Safety
If you are celebrating Canada Day around water, remember to:
- Always keep children within arm’s reach, in and around water.
- Ensure that children and weaker swimmers wear lifejackets or personal flotation devices (PFD) in and around water.
- Supervise and swim with children only when free of alcohol, drugs and distractions. Know what to do in an emergency, including CPR and calling 9-1-1
Fireworks
- Purchase fireworks from a reputable retailer and follow the label directions.
- Fireworks must be discharged on private property, and by someone 18 years or older.
- Fireworks must not cause danger to or nuisance any person and other property.
- If you are heading downtown to see the fireworks, keep within designated areas only. Fences protect you from danger; do not climb over them to get a better view of the fireworks.
- Fireworks often frighten pets. Leave them in the safety and comfort of home.
More regulations and requirements are listed on the Fireworks By-law on ottawa.ca.
As a reminder Ottawa is smoke-free. There is no safe level of secondhand smoke, even outdoors. Smoking, including the use of water pipes, is prohibited in many public areas. This includes:
- All City property, including parks, playgrounds, beaches, and sports fields.
- All bar and restaurant patios.
- All school and hospital properties.
For more information and tips, visit the Ottawa Public Health blog, ottawa.ca or call 3-1-1.
Street violence affects us all. On June 28, we will take the next steps in refreshing the Ottawa Gang Strategy by holding a public consultation forum. From 2013–16, the Gang Strategy Steering Committee, together with community partners, developed and implemented 12 initiatives to address the problem of street violence. Their four-pillar approach contributed to tangible progress.
As we renew the Strategy, we want to meet the shifting realities of our streets and communities in Ottawa. To do so, we need your input. This public consultation will allow us to hear from a variety of people across Ottawa to find solutions to street violence. Join us for facilitated discussions that will help us collectively address the problem.
Date: June 28, 2017
Time: 6 to 8 p.m.
Location: Jim Durrell Recreation Centre, 1265 Walkley Rd., Ottawa
To register, email us at cpo@ottawa.ca or call 613-580-2424, extension 25393.
If you are unable join us but would still like to contribute, you can help out by taking 10 minutes to complete this survey. The online survey will close on June 30.
Ottawa – The City of Ottawa is warning residents to be aware of door-to-door salespeople posing as water-quality technicians, making false claims about the quality of City drinking water.
These individuals have been known to approach residents to sell water filtration or treatment systems and provide incorrect information pertaining to water quality.
The Ontario Ministry of the Environment has rated Ottawa’s drinking water as being among the safest in the world. In addition, the City has an extensive drinking water quality analysis program.
Residents are reminded that:
- City employees do not contact residents to sell products or services
- Except for emergency situations, home access is scheduled in advance
- City employees carry identification at all times – you have the right to ask for ID
- City employees always travel in City of Ottawa logo-identified marked vehicles
- Should you have concerns or wish to report suspicious visits or calls, please contact 3-1-1
Ottawa Public Health (OPH) has launched a public consultation asking residents, businesses and sports groups to ‘have their say’ on marketing of unhealthy food and beverage to children and youth in our community.
The results of the consultation will help OPH better understand what Ottawa residents think about marketing of unhealthy food and beverages to children and youth in Ottawa and will be used to guide future public health work in this area.
A bilingual survey is now available online until August 14, 2017. In addition to the survey, residents and stakeholders are invited to participate in a Facebook Live chat on Wednesday June 21, 2017. The live chat will run from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., with a special noon hour presentation with guest speaker Mr. Manuel Arango, Director of Health Policy at the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
OPH invites all Ottawa business and industry organizations, and sports and child-focused groups to contact OPH should they wish to participate in a focus group on marketing of unhealthy food and beverages to children and youth. Interested parties can do so by emailing M2CY@ottawa.ca.
Other opportunities to provide feedback on this public consultation include calling the OPH Information Line at 613-580-6744 (TTY: 613-580-9656), written submission via email to M2CY@ottawa.ca, regular mail, and via our social media networks Facebook and Twitter.
For additional information, please visit OttawaPublicHealth.ca or call Ottawa Public Health Information at 613-580-6744 (TTY: 613-580-9656). Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.
Prince of Wales Drive CNM – Project Update June 7, 2017
Work Expected in the Next Two Weeks
Roadway Reconstruction – Strandherd Drive to Fallowfield Road
Roadway reconstruction is scheduled to begin along Prince of Wales, from 480m
north of Strandherd Drive to Fallowfield Road, beginning the evening of Sunday,
June 11th.
This work will require night time construction and nightly closures of northbound
Prince of Wales Drive, from Strandherd Drive to Fallowfield Road.
The night work is required to minimize impacts to commuting traffic during the
day, as well as to meet our construction schedule for completion later this year.
The nightly closures of northbound traffic, between 7pm and 5am, will last up to
six (6) weeks, weather-depending. Work at nights are generally scheduled from
Sunday night to Friday morning of each week, however, please note that the
Contractor intends to work the night of Friday, June 16th. Apart from Friday, June
16th, there will be no northbound traffic closures on Friday or Saturday nights.
The Contractor is required to maintain a minimum of one lane of southbound
traffic along Prince of Wales Drive at all times.
The Contractor is required to maintain a minimum of one lane of traffic in each
direction along Prince of Wales Drive between 5am and 7pm every day.
Fairpark Drive Closure
Fairpark Drive at Prince of Wales Drive (west side of intersection) is scheduled to
be closed nightly during the Prince of Wales Drive northbound traffic closures,
between 7pm and 5am, beginning Sunday, June 11th and ending 5am on Friday
June 16th.
Prince of Wales Drive and Waterbridge Intersection
Roadway reconstruction on the east side of the Prince of Wales Drive (POW)
and Waterbridge Intersection began June 5th. The east side of the intersection
will remain closed until Sunday, June 11th.
Roadway reconstruction on the west side of the POW-Waterbridge intersection
will begin the evening of Sunday, June 11th. This work will require a road closure
of Waterbridge Drive at POW for a duration of one week, weather-permitting.
Local residents are recommended to use Crestway Drive for access during this
closure.
Prince of Wales Drive and Crestway/Heathwood Intersection
Roadway reconstruction on the east side of the Prince of Wales Drive (POW)
and Heathwood Gate Intersection is scheduled to begin Sunday, June 18th. This
work will require a road closure of Heathwood Gate at POW for a duration of one
week, weather-permitting. Local residents are recommended to use Waterbridge
Drive for access during this closure.
Roadway reconstruction on the west side of the Prince of Wales Drive (POW)
and Crestway Drive Intersection is scheduled to begin Sunday, June 25th. This
work will require a road closure of Crestway Drive at POW for a duration of one
week, weather-permitting. Local residents are recommended to use Waterbridge
Drive for access during this closure.
Prince of Wales Drive, between Amberwood Crescent and Deakin Street
Utility companies are currently completing the relocation of the overhead
utility line from the west side of Prince of Wales Drive to the east side.
Work is scheduled to continue until early- July 2017
Looking Ahead:
Hunt Club Road at Riverside Drive (East side of intersection)
Construction is scheduled to begin the week of Sunday, June 19th. The work is
currently scheduled to end Sunday, June 25th.
This work will require nighttime construction.
Prince of Wales Drive and Merivale Road Intersection
Work along Merivale Road at Prince of Wales Drive is scheduled to begin early-
July 2017.
The construction will require a closure of Merivale Road at Prince of Wales Drive
for two weekends.
Prince of Wales Drive, between Amberwood Crescent and Deakin Street
Construction along Prince of Wales Drive, between Amberwood and Deakin, is
scheduled to begin the week of Sunday, June 18th.
Lane reductions will be implemented for the construction.
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