Hi neighbour,
I can’t believe it’s already May! The month of April just flew by, and I’m looking forward to May flowers, spring teas, and garage sale season. Be sure to check out this week’s events section for lots of great concerts, theatre performances, neighbourhood clean ups, and many more opportunities to get out and meet your neighbours this month.
Mother Elm Tree and the Ottawa Citizen
Some of you may have seen Bay Ward resident and tree-enthusiast Tom Marcantonio on the front page of the Ottawa Citizen earlier this week. You may need to sign in to read the full article, but it’s a great story highlighting Tom’s work to commemorate the iconic Mother Elm Tree in Wood Park. The tree was cut down as part of LRT construction along the Byron Linear Park, and Tom preserved two slices of the tree. Last month at Council, I passed a motion to convert a section of the tree into a piece of furniture for shared community use. The plan is to have the pieces converted into tables for use at the Carlingwood Library. I’ll share updates and photos as soon as the project is complete.
National Day of Mourning: April 28
On Tuesday, April 28th, I attended a ceremony at Vincent Massey Park for the National Day of Mourning: a day to remember and honour lives lost or injured due to a workplace tragedy. It’s also an opportunity for officials from the federal, provincial, and municipal government, as well as the private sector, to renew their commitment to keeping all employees safe on the job. This year especially, Peter Clark was in our thoughts, a dedicated Crossing Guard who was killed in the line of duty protecting children crossing the street. This tragic event underlines the risks of speeding and aggressive driving on our streets.
ecording now available: Public Info Session on the Beachburg Rail Corridor Multiuse Trail
Thanks to everyone who attended the virtual public information session on the Beachburg Rail Corridor Multiuse Trail this week, I really appreciated the input and perspectives that were shared, and I’m looking forward to working with city staff and community members to see this project come to life. If you weren’t able to attend, a recording of the session is available on Youtube. The City will be accepting feedback on this project until Friday, May 22, 2026. For more information, you can check out the project site on the City’s website.
Finally, thanks to everyone who came out to my informal coffee chat yesterday! I always love meeting folks in person, and I learned a lot from the discussion and questions with the city’s Forestry Services employee. Stay tuned for another coffee chat soon.
Read the full newsletter for more news and events across Bay Ward!
