BCA Board Meeting
2025-11-20 19:30 - 22:00 (America/Toronto) | Blackburn Community Hall, 190 Glen Park Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K2B 5A3, Canada
This in person meeting is open to residents of Blackburn Hamlet in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Email secretary@blackburnhamlet.ca for more information.

Seniors Lunch at Portugalos
2025-11-21 12:00 - 14:00 | Portugalos Restaurant, 2A-110 Bearbrook Road, Gloucester, Ontario, K1B 5R2, Canada
RSVP to Shirley at 613-841-7691 and provide choice for main menu (chicken, salmon, bifana (pork sandwich) or vegetarian pasta)

Discovery Café (Free event)
2025-11-27 19:00 - 20:30 | Blackburn Community Hall, 190 Glen Park Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K2B 5A3, Canada
Breaking the myth: Are our rivers safe for swimming? – Dr. Banu Örmeci
When: Thursday, November 27, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Where: Blackburn Community Hall, 190 Glen Park Drive
Every year, questions are raised about the water quality in the Rideau River and whether it is safe for swimming and other recreational activities. This summer, Dr. Örmeci`s research lab tested water quality at five key neighbourhoods along the Rideau River. This was grassroots, community-driven effort to understand the river’s health and answer a simple question: Is the Rideau River safe for swimming and recreation? The team covered the cost of all testing as a public service. In this presentation, Dr. Örmeci will discuss the results of the testing and why it is important to protect our local rivers and keep them swimmable. The project has had nationwide media coverage, including in Maclean’s, on CBC radio and TV, on CTV and in the Ottawa Citizen.
Dr. Banu Örmeci received her MS and PhD degrees from Duke University (USA). She is a Full Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Carleton University, the Jarislowsky Chair in Water and Global Health, and the Director of the Carleton Global Water Institute. Her research program is directly related to the protection of public health and the environment, aiming to offer solutions not only to global problems but also to specific issues faced in Canada. She received over 30 prestigious research, teaching, outreach and mentoring awards.
Admission is free, people of all ages are welcome, and refreshments will be served.
Hope to see you there!
Questions & Suggestions? Please email barbara@blackburnhamlet.ca.

Dance-a-Thon Food Drive
2025-11-28 18:30 - 21:00 | Blackburn Community Hall, 190 Glen Park Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K2B 5A3, Canada
All ages Friday November 28th from 6:30pm to 9pm at the Blackburn Community Hall.
Join us for a fun-filled Dance-a-Thon with Just Dance on the projector to support the Blackburn Food Bank! Kids and parents are invited to dance the night away while helping local families in need this holiday season. Bring non-perishable food items to donate—for every item you bring, you’ll get to request a song or earn a raffle ticket for great prizes!
Let’s come together to celebrate, enjoy some refreshments, dance, and make a difference before the holidays!

Blackburn Seniors Breakfast Get-together
2025-12-03 09:00 - 11:00 | Halibut House, 2672 Innes Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1B 4Z5, Canada
When: Wednesday, December 3, 2025 at 9:00 AM
Where: Halibut House, 2672 Innes Road in Blackburn Hamlet
Blackburn Seniors (55+) are invited to gather for a great meal, wonderful conversation and lots of laughs.
Ample parking is available. Guests are welcome.
For questions or to RSVP, please email seniors@blackburnhamlet.ca.
Hope to see you there.

Santa's Pancake Breakfast 2025
2025-12-06 08:30 - 12:00 | Blackburn Community Hall, 190 Glen Park Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K2B 5A3, Canada
The annual Blackburn Hamlet Community Association (BCA) Santa Pancake Breakfast will be held on December 6 at our Community Centre. There is Free Admission for the family, if a BCA Member, and a charge of $10 per family, if not a BCA Member. You may purchase your BCA Membership at the door, please cash only. Or, you can purchase your membership by going to the BCA website and completing the membership application form. Remember, the BCA membership fee helps support the various activities of the BCA, such as the Santa Breakfast.
To meet the high demand for this event this year’s Santa’s Pancake Breakfast will have 4 separate Sittings: 8:15, 9:15, 10:15 and 11:15 am. Registration is required for all 4 Sittings. You may register for the breakfast at safety@blackburnhamlet.ca.
Everything will be the same at all 4 Sittings, including food, music, and the Star of the event, the Big Guy in the Red Suit, handing out gifts and Christmas delights. Of course, there will be buttermilk pancakes, delicious sausages and other delicacies for everyone to enjoy.
We look forward to seeing you on December 6.

Youth Holiday Arts & Crafts
2025-12-13 10:00 - 13:00 | Blackburn Community Hall, 190 Glen Park Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K2B 5A3, Canada
Saturday December 13th from 10:30am to 1:00pm at the Blackburn Community Hall.
Kids and youth of all ages are invited to come by the Blackburn Hall and use their creativity and holiday spirit to create various holiday themed crafts! Kids 10 and under must be accompanied by an adult.

Community Christmas Tree
2025-12-13 17:00 - 18:30 | Blackburn Pharmacy, 2575 Innes Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1B 3K1, Canada
This year’s lighting of the Blackburn Community Christmas Tree will be held on December 13. The tree, with its array of decorations, will be positioned directly in front of the Blackburn Pharmacy, located at 2575 Innes Road (intersection of Southpark & Innes). This year’s theme is “The joy of Family”.
Our Tree Lighting event is a wonderful community tradition that brings neighbours, families, and friends together to celebrate the start of the holiday season. While the official lighting is planned for 5:30pm on December 13 we encourage everyone to be onsite before the lighting so as to enjoy the festive atmosphere. We will have gifts for the children, the music of Christmas carols, snacks for all ages and the delicious taste of hot chocolate, courtesy of our Councillor Laura Dudas.
There will be limited parking in the area and we ask that you use the parking area at École Sainte-Marie.
We look forward to seeing everyone on December 13.

Seniors Potluck Dinner
2025-12-13 17:00 - 21:00 | Blackburn Community Hall, 190 Glen Park Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K2B 5A3, Canada
❄️Let it Snow❄️
Potluck Dinner followed by entertainment and door prizes
Donations at the door will be received (cash or cheque) to the Snowsuit Fund.

Family Pizza and Holiday Movie Night
2025-12-23 18:00 - 20:30 | Blackburn Community Hall, 190 Glen Park Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K2B 5A3, Canada
All ages Monday December 23rd from 6pm to 8:30pm at the Blackburn Community Hall.
Looking for something to do during the Holidays and need a break? Take your family to the Hall for a pizza party and a holiday movie! Please register for your free slice of pizza and a drink by sending an email to youth@blackburnhamlet.ca include total of kids (4-12) and adults (13+). Popcorn will also be provided. You are invited to bring your blankets, cozies, or chairs if you want to be extra comfortable.

Kids Bingo
2025-12-26 15:00 - 16:30 | Blackburn Community Hall, 190 Glen Park Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K2B 5A3, Canada
Ages 8 – 17, Friday, December 26th from 3pm to 4:30pm at the Blackburn Community Hall.
Bring your kids to the Community Hall for Kids bingo! There will be prizes for winners. Kids 10 and under must be accompanied by an adult.

Youth “Paint Night”
2025-12-28 13:00 - 15:00 | Blackburn Community Hall, 190 Glen Park Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K2B 5A3, Canada
Ages 7-17, Sunday December 28th at 1pm at the Blackburn Community Hall.
Register for free to participate in 1 of 2 guided painting sessions by sending an email to youth@blackburnhamlet.ca Please indicate the name of the participant and the age (Ages 10 and under must be accompanied by an adult).

Do you like games? Let’s PLAY!!
2025-12-30 18:30 - 20:30 | Blackburn Community Hall, 190 Glen Park Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K2B 5A3, Canada
Ages 9-17 Tuesday, December 30th from 6:30pm to 8:30pm at the Blackburn Community Hall.
Older kids and teens are invited to come hang out and play some board games with your friends, we will also have video games (Nintendo Switch, N64, Wii) and snacks for you to enjoy.

Kids Yoga
2026-01-03 11:00 - 12:00 | Blackburn Community Hall, 190 Glen Park Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K2B 5A3, Canada
Ages 6 – 12 Saturday, January 3rd from 11am to noon at the Blackburn Community Hall.
Ready to feel refreshed before the end of the holidays? Start the New Year off right and participate in kids yoga at the Hall. Enjoy a fruit juice or smoothie when the yoga ends before heading home. *Please arrive on time. Bring your own yoga mat or towel. Ages 10 and under must be accompanied by an adult.

Blackburn Seniors Breakfast Get-together
2026-01-07 09:00 - 11:00 | Halibut House, 2672 Innes Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1B 4Z5, Canada
When: Wednesday, January 7, 2026 at 9:00 AM
Where: Halibut House, 2672 Innes Road in Blackburn Hamlet
Blackburn Seniors (55+) are invited to gather for a great meal, wonderful conversation and lots of laughs. As usual, we will collect at the breakfast non-perishable goods or cash donations for the Life Centre Food Bank.
Please email seniors@blackburnhamlet.ca if you wish to attend by January 5th as this has become a popular event and space is limited.

BCA Virtual Board Meeting
2026-01-15 19:30 - 22:00, 2026-02-19 19:30 - 22:00 | Online
This Zoom meeting is open to residents of Blackburn Hamlet in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Email secretary@blackburnhamlet.ca for meeting details.

Hockey Day in the Hamlet 2026
2026-01-17 11:00 - 15:00 | Norman Johnston Rink, 2401 Cleroux Crescent, Gloucester, Ontario, K1W 1A1, Canada
This year’s Hockey Day in the Hamlet will be held on January 17 at the Norman Johnson outdoor rink. This is a change of dates from previous years. The new date allows for more choice of Ottawa 67 hockey games. 10 Pairs of Free tickets will be handed out to participants. Efforts are underway to also have free tickets to the Ottawa Charge of the PWHL.
Activities will start at 11:00 AM and continue until 3:00 PM. There will be a hockey skills and demonstrations on the main rink while an assortment of different activities will be held for on the Puddle Rink beside the main rink. Of course, there will be hot dogs & hamburgers, with toys, such as miniature hockey sticks.
If you would like to volunteer to help with the on-ice activities please contact Don Kelly at safety@blackburnhamlet.ca.

Discovery Café (Free event)
2026-01-22 19:00 - 20:30 | Blackburn Community Hall, 190 Glen Park Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K2B 5A3, Canada
Eggs with a side of PFAS: the unseen legacy of forever chemicals in our Great Lakes’ aquatic life cycles ̶ Geneviève Haché
When: Thursday, January 22, 2026 at 7:00 PM
Where: Blackburn Community Hall, 190 Glen Park Drive
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are man-made chemicals present all around us. They make our pans nonstick, our clothes and makeup waterproof and our containers greaseproof. After decades of use, PFAS have now contaminated every corner of our planet. Their tough chemical bonds and resilience have earned them the name “forever chemicals”, but what does this nickname imply?
In the Great Lakes, PFAS contamination runs so deep that female fish unknowingly transfer some of their PFAS body load to their eggs through a process called “maternal transfer”. In other words, PFAS are present in fish eggs before they start to develop. As luck would have it, PFAS happen to be toxic to cells. If we know that PFAS are toxic, then how does their presence affect the development of fish embryos?
Come join us as we discuss PFAS contamination of our Great Lakes and our fish, how we got here in the first place, what this means for the future of our environment and how we can stay safe as consumers.
Geneviève Haché is a first-year PhD student in Chemical and Environmental Toxicology at Carleton University. She studies the effects of toxic pollutants on the environment, human health and animal health. Outside the lab, Geneviève is a big nerd for language learning, especially for Japanese and Mandarin Chinese, and loves fantasy tabletop games like Magic the Gathering and Dungeons and Dragons. Geneviève can also be found jamming out with the National Capital Concert band, hanging out with her cats and coaching gymnastics to kids and adults at Kazam Gymnastics.
Admission is free, people of all ages are welcome, and refreshments will be served.
Hope to see you there!
Questions & Suggestions? Please email barbara@blackburnhamlet.ca.

Blackburn Seniors Breakfast Get-together
2026-02-04 09:00 - 11:00 | Halibut House, 2672 Innes Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1B 4Z5, Canada
When: Wednesday, February 4, 2026 at 9:00 AM
Where: Halibut House, 2672 Innes Road in Blackburn Hamlet
Blackburn Seniors (55+) are invited to gather for a great meal, wonderful conversation and lots of laughs. As usual, we will collect at the breakfast non-perishable goods or cash donations for the Life Centre Food Bank.
If you wish to attend, please call Shirley at 613-841-7691 by February 2nd. This has become a popular event and space is limited.

Discovery Café (Free event)
2026-02-26 19:00 - 20:30 | Blackburn Community Hall, 190 Glen Park Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K2B 5A3, Canada
The Future of Wireless Communications Networks: A Foresight towards 2050 – Dr. Halim Yanikomeroglu
When: Thursday, February 26, 2026 at 7:00 PM
Where: Blackburn Community Hall, 190 Glen Park Drive
Mobile communications and the Internet are among the two revolutionary technological achievements of the 20th century, with transformative impacts on our lives and society. With one-quarter of the 21st century behind us, the two paradigms with separate origins have become tightly intertwined. Most people access the Internet through their mobile devices most of the time. Today, Internet access implicitly means mobile Internet, making connectivity essential everywhere. The immersed connectivity of humans, robots, and all sorts of devices is expected to become part of our natural lives; as such, ubiquitous connectivity is required.
The humanity will demonstrate its full potential in every dimension (economic prosperity, wellbeing, equal opportunity, environmental, and more), when the communities get access to ultra-high-speed connectivity in a sustainable, reliable, resilient, intelligent, green/clean/eco-friendly, secure, ubiquitous, and affordable manner.
Towards that end, in this seminar, we will explore how wireless networks are expected to evolve towards 2050 with terrestrial and non-terrestrial (space and near-space/stratosphere) segments.
Dr. Halim Yanikomeroglu is a Chancellor’s Professor at Carleton University, Canada, and the Founding Director of Carleton-NTN (Non-Terrestrial Networks) Lab. His research covers many aspects of communications technologies with emphasis on wireless networks. He is a Fellow of several scholarly societies, including IEEE, the Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC), the Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE), and the Asia-Pacific Artificial Intelligence Association (AAIA); he served as a Distinguished Speaker for the IEEE Communications Society and the IEEE Vehicular Technology Society. He has coauthored 700+ peer-reviewed research papers including ~350 papers in 33 different IEEE journals; these publications have received 31,000+ citations. He gives around 25 invited seminars, keynotes, panel talks, and tutorials every year. He has had extensive collaboration with industry which resulted in 42 granted patents and successful technology transfer. He supervised or hosted in his lab 180 postgraduate highly qualified personnel. He served as the General Chair, Technical Program Chair, and Steering Committee Chair/Member of several major international IEEE conferences as well as in the editorial boards of several IEEE periodicals. He is currently serving in various leadership roles in the IEEE. Dr. Yanikomeroglu received several awards for his research, teaching, and service. He holds a PhD degree in electrical and computer engineering from University of Toronto.
Admission is free, refreshments will be served and people of all ages are invited to attend.
Questions & Suggestions? Please email barbara@blackburnhamlet.ca.

Seniors Lunch at Portugalos
2026-02-27 12:00 - 14:00 | Portugalos Restaurant, 2A-110 Bearbrook Road, Gloucester, Ontario, K1B 5R2, Canada
If you wish to attend, please call Shirley at 613-841-7691.

Games and Goodies
2026-02-28 11:30 - 13:30 | Blackburn Community Hall, 190 Glen Park Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K2B 5A3, Canada
Kids, Youth, and their Families
Saturday February 28th 11:30am – 1:30pm
Blackburn Community Hall
Kids, youth and their parents are invited to join us at the hall where there will be a variety of board games available to play, as well as a few video games! Refreshments will be provided.

Blackburn Seniors Breakfast Get-together
2026-03-04 09:00 - 11:00 | Halibut House, 2672 Innes Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1B 4Z5, Canada
When: Wednesday, March 4, 2026 at 9:00 AM
Where: Halibut House, 2672 Innes Road in Blackburn Hamlet
Blackburn Seniors (55+) are invited to gather for a great meal, wonderful conversation and lots of laughs. As usual, we will collect at the breakfast non-perishable goods or cash donations for the Life Centre Food Bank.
If you wish to attend, please call Shirley at 613-841-7691 by March 2nd. This has become a popular event and space is limited.

BCA Annual General Meeting
2026-03-12 19:00 - 22:00 | Blackburn Community Hall, 190 Glen Park Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K2B 5A3, Canada
The BCA AGM will be held in-person at the Community Hall (190 Glen Park Drive) on Thursday, March 12, 2026. Doors open at 7:00 PM for refreshments and voter registration. Meeting starts at 7:30 PM. Participation is open to all residents of Blackburn Hamlet, however, only residents who have renewed their BCA membership at least seven (7) days prior to the meeting are eligible to vote (https://blackburnhamlet.ca/about/bca-membership/).
The main areas of discussion at the AGM will be:

Vote to approve the 2025 AGM Minutes
Presentation of our 2025 financial statements and 2026 budget
Vote to appoint Kelly Huibers McNeely Chartered Professional Accountants as Accountants for the 2026 financial year
Vote to approve changes to our updated not for profit purpose statement
Review of our 2025 activities
Election of the board (President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, 11 Directors)

Documents for this AGM will be posted in early March.
Agenda
https://blackburnhamlet.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/BCA_agenda_2026-03-12.pdf
Draft Minutes from the March 20, 2025 Annual General Meeting
https://blackburnhamlet.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/BCA_minutes_2025-03-20-AGM.pdf
2025 Financial Report
2026 Budget
Updated BCA not-for-profit purpose statement
https://blackburnhamlet.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/BCA-Purpose-2026-revision.pdf
2025 Summary Video
https://youtu.be/w_zyUi1_iuk?si=KJwFDLiWtw_sNzDy
BCA Board Roles
https://blackburnhamlet.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/BCA-Roles-2021.pdf
BCA By-law
https://blackburnhamlet.ca/about/bca-by-law/

Board Elections

Voting Members must be present at the Members’ meeting
Members must have paid for membership at least 7 days prior to the AGM
Voting is restricted to two adults (18 years or older) per household
Associate Members are not entitled to vote on the election of the Directors
Candidates must be BCA Members or Associate members and nominated and seconded by BCA Members
If there is only one candidate for President, Vice-President, Treasurer or Secretary, the candidate will be elected without a vote unless there is an objection raised
If there are 11 or fewer candidates for Director, the candidates will be elected without a vote unless there is an objection raised
If a written vote is required, the President shall appoint a Member of the BCA to conduct the voting
Portfolio Chairs / Co-Chairs will be determined at a board meeting after the AGM.

We look forward to your active participation in this year’s AGM!
Blackburn Community Association

Kids and Youth Karaoke
2026-03-14 12:30 - 15:00 | Blackburn Community Hall, 190 Glen Park Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K2B 5A3, Canada
Saturday March 14th 12:30pm – 3pm
Blackburn Community Hall
Grab the mic and shine! This karaoke event is for kids and youth of all ages. No experience needed— whether singing solo or with friends, it’s all about fun! Kids 10 and under must be accompanied by an adult.

Kids and Youth Zumba class
2026-03-16 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-03-18 16:30 - 17:30 | Blackburn Community Hall, 190 Glen Park Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K2B 5A3, Canada
Blackburn Community Hall
Monday March 16th 2pm – 2:45pm
Wednesday March 18th 4:30pm – 5:15pm
Kids Zumba (Ages 7+) is a high-energy dance party full of fun music that combines aerobic exercises with fun and easy-to-follow moves! Parents are welcome to join in with their kids. Children 10 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Come dance, laugh, and move together!

Seniors Lunch and Trivia at Blackburn Arms
2026-03-20 13:00 - 16:00 | Blackburn Arms Pub, 2586 Innes Rd, Gloucester, Ontario, K1B 4Z6, Canada
Hey Seniors, come and join us for an afternoon of food, laughter and skill-testing, head-scratching questions!
Blackburn Arms trivia master Conrad will be leading us in the question rounds, so gather your friends, put together a team of four or six, and join the fun.
No team? No problem! Just come to the pub and we will find a team for you.
Please RSVP to Shirley at 613-841-7691 by Wednesday, March 18, 2026.

Blackburn Seniors Walk & Talk
2026-03-25 13:00 - 14:00 | Isaiah Scharfe Park, 41 Bearbrook Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1B 3H4, Canada
Join your local community for a stroll in the neighbourhood (2km and 3km circuits)
When: Wednesday March 25, 2026 @ 1:00 PM
Where: Meet at the Bearbrook entrance to Isaiah Scarfe Park
What to expect: Meet new people, enjoy the outdoors and support mental wellbeing together. Everyone welcome, including pets, kids and families.
