RURAL CONNECTIONS" Newsletter - September 2009

Articles:

• Community Environmental Day at Cumberland Farmers' Market
• Fall Fair Season in rural Ottawa
• Bringing More Tourists To Piece Of Canadian History
• Farm Innovation Program Supports Commercialization of Innovative Research
• Advisory Committees and Boards - Volunteers Needed
• 2009 Fall Cleaning the Capital
• Review of the Rate Structure for Drinking Water, Sanitary and Storm Water Services
• Canadian Agricultural Loans Act (CALA) Program 

Community Environmental Day at Cumberland Farmers' Market

Do your part to keep the City of Ottawa clean and green. Community Environmental Day allows residents to bring items for reuse, recycle and to find out about upcoming waste diversion programs and other City community programs.  Join City of Ottawa Councillor Rob Jellett who will kick off our second Community Environmental Day at 9:30 a.m.

Date: Saturday, September 19
Time: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Location: Cumberland Farmers' Market, R.J. Kennedy Arena, 1115 Dunning Road
www.cumberlandfarmersmarket.ca www.cumberlandfarmersmarket.ca

Items that we will accept:
Scrap metal including any metal such as copper, aluminium, steel, lead, fridges, air conditioners, lead acid batteries, plumbing fixtures, electrical wires, etc.  NO electronic waste will be accepted. Used clothing drop-off. Non-rechargeable battery drop-off

Items that you can take home:
FREE compost! Bring your own container (roughly the size of a recycling box) and haul some of it away for your lawn, garden and flower beds 

FREE Compost Bags

The 2009 Community Environmental Day needs your participation. Bring your unwanted items to the Cumberland Farmers’ Market and leave behind a cleaner, greener city.

Fall Fair Season in rural Ottawa

It's fall fair season in rural Ottawa with upcoming exhibitions across the City.  New this year - the Rural Affairs Office will be onsite with an information booth at each of these events.

Richmond Fair -www.richmondfair.ca - September 17 to September 20
Carp Fair -www.carpfair.ca - September 24 to September 27
Metcalfe Fair - www.metcalfefair.comwww.carpfair.ca  - October 1 to October 4

To learn more about other great events in rural Ottawa or to submit an event of your own, visit Rural Connections at www.ottawa.ca/rural

The Diefenbunker Cold War Museum in Carp will soon be able to attract more visitors and create new jobs. Through funding provided by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Rural Economic Development Program, the museum will be retrofited with fire protection and safety improvements. These improvements will allow the museum, which currently sees 25,000 visitors per year, to double its expected visitation within three to five years. Three permanent positions and four to seven part time/seasonal positions at the museum will be created through this investment. Local businesses within the surrounding rural area will also benefit from increased tourism.

This project is receiving over $385,000 through the Rural Economic Development Program, which invests in community-based projects in three priority areas: revitalized communities and downtowns, enhanced skills training, and improved access to health care services. The secret bunker, nicknamed after John Diefenbaker, was built to protect the federal government from nuclear attack during the Cold War.

Learn more about The Diefenbunker - Canada’s Cold War Museum: www.diefenbunker.ca

Quicker access to new farm technology for Ontario farmers and producers will help them be more responsive to changing market demands and increase their competitiveness. The Growing Forward Farm Innovation Program will provide funding for research and testing on new technology used on farms.

The program is open to commodity organizations that are not supply managed and/or farmers partnering with any commodity organizations. Applications for this year's grants are now open: www.adaptcouncil.org/index.php.

The Farm Innovation Program is part of the Innovation and Science Suite of programs under Growing Forward, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative that runs until 2013. More than $12.5 million is available under the Farm Innovation Program, which is delivered by the Agricultural Adaptation Council. The Growing Forward agreement commits $1.3 billion in government funding for non-business risk management (non-BRM) cost-shared programs across the country. For more information: www.news.ontario.ca//omafra/en/2009/08/farmers-to-have-greater-access-to-new-technology.html.

Advisory Committees and Boards - Volunteers Needed

You can make a difference by becoming a volunteer member of a City advisory committee or board. Advisory committees and boards provide advice to City Council and contribute to the development of policies, programs and initiatives. If you are willing to give some of your time each month, the whole community can benefit greatly from your expertise, enthusiasm and involvement.

Which advisory committees need volunteers?
Accessibility; Arts, Heritage and Culture; Business; Environmental; Equity and Diversity; French Language Services; Health and Social Services; Local Architectural Conservation; Ottawa Forests and Greenspace; Parks and Recreation; Pedestrian and Transit; Poverty Issues; Roads and Cycling; Rural Issues; Seniors.

Which boards need volunteers?
Cumberland Heritage Village Museum Board; Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority;
Ottawa Municipal Campground Authority; Pineview Municipal Golf Club Board of Management; Mohr’s Landing / Quyon Port Authority; Property Standards; Rideau Valley Conservation Authority; South Nation Conservation Authority

Who is eligible?
Residents of the City of Ottawa who are 18 years of age or older are eligible for appointment. Membership will, as much as possible, reflect Ottawa’s diversity and demographics in such areas as gender, official language, geographic representation, race and disability. Participants may be eligible for re-imbursement of some out-of-pocket expenses pursuant to the Participation Expense Policy.

What are my responsibilities as a committee or board member?
Members serve terms of one, two, three and four years, with a maximum of two consecutive terms on the same committee. Meetings are generally held once a month, mostly in the evening, however members are encouraged to participate in one or more subcommittee/working group meetings. The City’s Participation Expense Policy can help cover members’ costs for child care, parking, bus fare and mileage.

How do I get more information?
If you want more information on the selection process, or on the mandate and function of a specific committee or board, contact Jamie Lalonde at 613-580-2424, ext. 28717, (TTY: 613-580-2401) or by e-mail at committees@ottawa.ca or please consult the information on our website at www.ottawa.ca/city_hall/mayor_council/advisory_committees/committees/index_en.html

How do I apply?
There are two ways to apply:

• Submit a résumé or detailed letter outlining how the committee(s) or board(s) would benefit from your membership, and how your work, education, hobby and/or volunteer experience are relevant to its mandate; or
• Fill out and submit an application form. Complete the form online, print, sign, date and then mail to Jamie Lalonde at the address below. You can also get a copy of the application form at any Client Service Centre, any branch of the Ottawa Public Library, or at the Open Houses.

If you are applying to more than one committee/board, please indicate your preference(s). Remember to include your home address and an e-mail address or telephone number where you can be reached. All applications must be received by Friday, September 18, 2009 and should be directed to: Jamie Lalonde, City Clerk’s Branch, City of Ottawa, 110 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1. Fax: 613-580-9609. E-mail: committees@ottawa.ca

2009 Fall Cleaning the Capital

Registration is now open for the 4th Annual Fall Cleaning the Capital campaign. Register online at www.ottawa.ca/clean or call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401).

Join the City’s Fall Cleaning the Capital team and give your neighbourhood a clean sweep! It’s that time once again! Time to get out there and join thousands of community volunteers for the 4th Annual Fall Cleaning the Capital Campaign. Over the past 3 years, nearly 45,000 volunteers have worked alongside City staff in this cleanup event.

The campaign runs from Tuesday, September 15 to Thursday, October 15. For more information and to register, visit www.ottawa.ca/clean  or call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401). Early Bird registration runs until September 14. Register today and be a part of the Fall Cleaning the Capital volunteer team working together to help keep Ottawa clean, green, graffiti free and litter free!

The proposed changes have the potential to affect all landowners in the City of Ottawa.

The City is reviewing the method used to recover costs for the delivery of drinking water, sanitary and storm water services. At the June 23rd Planning & Environment Committee meeting, options were tabled. These options are undergoing public review until the end of September 2009.

In addition to the current rate structure, three alternative rate structures were identified, which include the following changes:

• The water rate and the sewer rate will differ according to the actual costs incurred to deliver those services. (i.e. the sewer rate would no longer be a 100 percent surcharge applied to the water rate).

• A new “base charge” would be introduced. The purpose of the base charge is to recover service costs that are not related to the amount of water a customer uses, for example meter reading and billing services. The fire service charge would be included in the new base charge.

The key difference between the three options is how storm water costs are recovered. The proposed rate structure change is intended to be rate neutral; and improve revenue stability, rate transparency and fairness.

As part of the public review process, the City is hosting five public information sessions:

September 15th 3 - 8 p.m. - Manotick Hall - 5572 Doctor Leach Drive
September 22nd 5 - 8 p.m. - Nepean Sportsplex Hall B - 1701 Woodroffe Avenue
September 22nd 5 - 8 p.m. - Kanata Recreation Complex, Upper Hall - 100 Walter Baker Place
September 23rd 5 - 8 p.m. - St. Laurent Complex, Winter Room - 525 Côté Street
September 23rd 5 - 8 p.m. - Jim Durrell Recreation Centre, Ellwood Hall - 1265 Walkley Road

Public participation is an important part of the consultation process. Representatives of the City of Ottawa will be available to discuss the proposed options, answer questions and receive public feedback.

If you have any comments or questions regarding the options under consideration, please visit:  www.ottawa.ca/ratestudy or contact the Project Manager at 613-580-2424 ext 23307 or via ratestudy@ottawa.ca

The Canadian Agricultural Loans Act (CALA) program is a Government of Canada financial loan guarantee program that gives farmers easier access to credit. Farmers can use these loans to establish, improve, and develop farms; while Agricultural co-operatives may also access loans to process, distribute, or market the products of farming.

The CALA program builds on and replaces the previous Farm Improvement and Marketing Co-operative Loans Act (FIMCLA) program, which has helped farming operations grow their businesses by guaranteeing loans issued through financial institutions since 1988.

Through the CALA, the Government of Canada is supporting the renewal of the agricultural sector and enabling co-operatives to better seize market opportunities.

Program Highlights:

Farmers eligible for a CALA loan guarantee include:

· Existing farmers
· Beginning/start-up farmers (i.e. less than six years of farming
· Farmers taking over the family farm
· Agricultural co-operatives with a majority (50% + 1) farmer membership

The maximum loan is:

· $500,000 for land and the construction or improvement of buildings.
· $350,000 for all other loan purposes.
· The aggregate loan limit for any one farmer is $500,000.
· $3 million for agricultural co-operatives with the Minister's approval.

For more information, contact your financial institution, call the CALA toll-free line at 1-888-346-2511 or e-mail fgp-pgf@agr.gc.cafgp-pgf@agr.gc.ca