Many people start to retreat indoors and subconsciously begin the act of hibernating this time of year as the temperature starts to get cooler and the day light hours get shorter. Winter is not too far off and for some this time of year can be tough. Throw COVID restrictions into the mix and people will be feeling cabin fever well before February.
My colleague Councillor Riley Brockington and I are quite concerned about the serious physical and mental health challenges that face our residents this coming season and believe that outdoor recreation can contribute to peoples better overall well being. For this reason, we will be presenting a motion at City Council this coming Wednesday, October 28th asking the City of Ottawa to collaborate messaging with Ottawa Public Health to communicate the physical and psychological merits of outdoor recreational winter activities and the variety of outdoor recreational winter activities and resources that are available in Ottawa like skiing and snowshoeing trails, outdoor community rinks, walking/hiking trails, and toboggan hills. And that the City explore options on how to create additional sport, recreation and cultural opportunities outdoors in response to COVID-19.
Last year, I supported a fantastic group of volunteers as they made the Britannia Winter Trail a reality. The same team has started work on a longer and better trail for this winter.
Be kind, stay well, stay safe and always be #COVIDWise
