Newsletter Date Councillor’s Newsletter June 16, 2017 KEEPING YOU INFORMED Councillor’s View INSIDE THIS ISSUE Prevent Overdoses at Summer Festivals 2 Dear Residents, Stittsville Sanitary Sewer Cleaning Schedule 4 Coyote City Chat Recap 4 This week at City Council and Community and Protective New “Welcome to Stittsville” Sign and Flag Raising 6 Services Committee, Mayor Jim Watson and Emergency Stittsville Community Garage Sales 7 & Protective Services General Manager and Chief Anthony Di Monte provided overviews on Ottawa’s Bicycle Safety 8 efforts in addressing the ongoing issue of opioid misuse Kontinuum 9 OC Transpo Summer Service Changes 12 in the City. Outdoor Ottawa Beaches Opening this Weekend 13 As Chair of Ottawa’s Board of Health, I would like to …and more! reiterate these efforts and provide my appreciation to all of the hardworking emergency services and public health Direction de santé publique, Centre intégré de santé et de employees who are working diligently each and every services sociaux de l'Outaouais. day in the prevention of overdoses. One of the measures being taken to achieve this is As mentioned by Mayor Watson, we need to work providing education and resources regarding the together as a community if we hope to end this public administering of naloxone to the City’s emergency services health crisis. Municipalities are increasingly engaged with including police services and all 45 Ottawa fire stations. federal and provincial governments on developing While OPH and partners are working on the front lines strategies on how best to resolve the issue. Community with education, emergency services continue working members must also play a significant role in talking about behind the scenes in tackling the root of the problem in the issue with their loved ones who may be at risk. their fight to stop the production and importation of illicit street drugs. Our response must be multi-faceted as there is no single overnight solution to address illicit opioid use. A range of With the summer comes new risks but with your active approaches must be utilized including education, engagement, Ottawa can be prepared. Ottawa Public communication, intervention, and remediation. Ottawa Health is working with security companies and festival Public Health (OPH) leads a group of community partners organizers to provide valuable “party safe” information to called the Ottawa Overdose Prevention and Response reduce the risk of accidental overdose. Additionally, over Task Force that together, work to prevent overdoses in 100 local pharmacies are distributing free naloxone kits our communities. Members of the task force include with information on how to administer should you find Ottawa Public Health, Ottawa Paramedic Services, yourself in an at-risk situation this summer. For more Ottawa Police Service, Ottawa Fire Services, OC Transpo, information on naloxone, click here. For a list of The Ottawa Hospital, The Royal Ottawa Hospital, participating pharmacies, click here. Montfort Hospital, Queensway Carleton Hospital, The Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Rideauwood I want to encourage all residents to have a safe and Addictions and Family Services, The Office of the enjoyable summer but to remain conscientious of the risks Regional Coroner, Coalition of Community Health and at hand when potentially exposed to illicit drugs. Resource Centres, Respect Pharmacy, Champlain Local Remember that anything can be laced with illicit fentanyl. Health Integration Network, Ottawa Carleton Detention For more information, I encourage you to visit Centre, Ottawa Carleton Pharmacist Association, stopoverdoseottawa.ca. -Shad Page 2 Keeping You Informed Prevent Overdoses at Summer Parties and Festivals The Ottawa Overdose Prevention and Response Task Force is reminding residents to party safely while celebrating throughout the summer festival season. The Task Force advises that overdoses, whether from drugs, alcohol or a combination of both, are preventable. There is also an increased risk of alcohol and drug-facilitated sexual assaults at large events. Ottawa sees over 30 drug overdose deaths every year, and the number of emergency department visits related to accidental drug overdoses nearly doubled from 2009 to 2015. In Ottawa in 2016, there was an average of 22 emergency department visits per week for life-threatening drug overdoses. To lower the risk of overdose and sexual assault, the Task Force is working with festival organizers, security companies and first aid providers, as well as providing festival goers with safe partying tips. Don’t mix drugs with other substances like alcohol. Using more than one drug at a time increases the risk of overdose. Stay hydrated with water and take breaks from dancing to prevent dehydration and overheating. Don’t accept drinks (even water) from people you don’t know - there is increased risk of alcohol and drug-facilitated sexual assaults at large festivals. Speak up! Don’t be afraid to say you feel unsafe or don’t feel well. Seek help from your friends, first aid providers or festival support staff. Plan a safe ride home before you go out – have a designated driver, plan your bus route or your cab ride before going out. Festival goers who choose to use drugs should: Never use without others present– stay with friends you trust and keep an eye on each other Go slow if you are using a new substance; Know the signs of an overdose and call 911 - an overdose is always a medical emergency; Carry naloxone – it is a medication that can temporarily reverse an opioid overdose; Keeping You Informed Page 3 If you witness an overdose, call 911 immediately. Administer first aid, give naloxone and if you are on festival grounds, send someone to get festival medical staff. The Task Force also reminds festival goers that counterfeit pills in Ottawa have tested positive for fentanyl, which is an opioid that is approximately 50-100 times stronger than morphine. Getting “street drugs” from a non-medical source such as a friend, ordering online, or from a drug dealer is very risky and potentially life-threatening. There is no way to know what is actually in them or how toxic they may be. Partying at festivals doesn't have to include drug use. Festival goers should also be familiar with the signs of an opioid overdose, which include: Breathing will be slow or absent Lips and nails are blue Person is not moving Person may be choking Person will make gurgling or snoring sounds Person can’t be woken up Skin feels cold and clammy Pupils are tiny (also known as pinpoint) The Task Force is working with festival organizers to reduce harms to festival goers, including facilitating training to first aid attendants and other first responders on overdose prevention, opioids and naloxone administration. You can get a take-home naloxone kit for free from pharmacies and other agencies in Ottawa. For more about overdoses and how to prevent them, visit StopOverdoseOttawa.ca Extendicare Long-Term Home Public Consultation The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) is reviewing the issuance of a license undertaking to Extendicare for the development of a replacement long-term care home (currently a 240-bed home located at 2179 Elmira Drive) to 5731 Hazeldean Rd. As part of the licensing process, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care is holding a public consultation meeting on Tuesday, June 27th from 10:00 – 11:00 AM at the Algonquin College Banquet Room, the details of which are attached here. Residents are also welcome to submit their comments in writing prior to the event with subject line “Project #18-017” by mail to: Director under the Long-Term Care Homes Act, 2007 Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care Licensing and Policy Branch 1075 Bay Street, 11th Floor Page 4 Keeping You Informed Toronto, ON, M5S 2B1 Email: [email protected] The public meetings will provide an opportunity for the public to share their feedback with the Ministry who will take it into consideration when making the licensing decision. Representatives from Extendicare will be there and made available for questions from the attendees if there are any. I hope that interested residents take the time to share their thoughts on this project. Stittsville Sanitary Sewer Cleaning Schedule With warmer weather upon us, the City of Ottawa is proceeding to clean out Sanitary Sewers across communities. Upon my office request I have been provided a list of Stittsville streets scheduled for cleaning next week June 19-23 which you can find attached here. In cases where previous backflow may have occurred, affected households should be cognizant to ensure that toilet lids are kept closed during this time. For more information related to the wastewater collection system and system cleaning, please visit http://ottawa.ca/en/residents/water-and-environment/wastewater-and-sewers/wastewater- collection-and-treatment As more updates come regarding the rest of Stittsville, I will be certain to include them in my upcoming weekly electronic newsletters. Coyote Information City Chat Recap On Monday, June 12th, as part of my City Chats as Stittsville Councillor, I had the pleasure of hosting a Coyote Information Session at the Ottawa Public Library along with Dr. Nick Stow from the City’s Planning, Infrastructure & Economic Development Department. Approximately 30 residents were in attendance for the event and Dr. Stow did an excellent job conveying information pertaining to urban coyotes in the context of Stittsville suburban neighbourhoods. Some of the information discussed at greater lengths which was previously provided in my weekly newsletter includes: Keeping You Informed Page 5 Coyotes or “coy-wolves” in our community of Stittsville are considered a very low risk to the safety of residents The animals have likely been in the vicinity of Stittsville for many years and have not created a threat or risk to public safety The presence of coyotes is important to maintain a healthy eco-system and keep the rodent population low and at a healthy rate Coyotes that have been sighted near residents’ homes are most likely scavenging for food.