The Blackburn Hamlet Community Association and Event communications teams play a key role in connecting and supporting our community. There are many ways of connecting with us online. We’ve tried to make information available from a variety of sources to best suit our members’ different communication styles.
If you have any feedback about our existing platforms or a scoop on a hot up-and-coming new platform we should explore, please let us know at webadmin@blackburnhamlet.ca.
Here is a summary of all the ways we’ll deliver you news and events.
Our Website
Much of the information you may be looking for can be found on the front page of our website. A quick visit can show you the list of the next six community events and links to the most recent blog posts. Links to the BANAR (including an archive dating back to 1967!), our contact list, and other pages are at your fingertips. Drop in often to see what’s new!
Email Newsletter
Perhaps you’re looking for a way to have news delivered as effortlessly as your paper copy of the BANAR. Now, you can have semi-regular summaries of past events, links to the digital copy of the BANAR, reminders of upcoming community events, and notices of BCA meetings delivered right to your inbox. We expect to send a maximum of three emails a month, and you remain in control of your subscription at all times, with a link to unsubscribe included in every issue. Sign up for the newsletter today!
RSS Feed of Blog Posts
You may not have heard of Really Simple Syndication, but those who like it, like it a lot! If you use an RSS reader, you can have a preview of our new blog posts delivered to you immediately when they are posted. Click here for the link to our blog post RSS feed.
Our Events Calendar
You can find a list of the next six community events on our website’s front page and their full descriptions on the events page. You can also use the links provided to make a one-time copy of an event into your own Google Calendar (changes to the event will not be reflected, however). Because those pages are automatically generated by a Google calendar, you can superimpose the calendar of community events over your Google calendar or add it to another calendar application! See the events page for more instructions.
BANAR
The Blackburn Area News And Reports (BANAR) is published and delivered five times a year to Blackburn homes and businesses to celebrate community and provide information on local programs and events.
Social Media Options
There are many community groups with Facebook presences. Here are the most-prominent:
The official BCA Facebook page: The BCA’s Facebook presence, posting only official news from the BCA board. “Like” our page to receive notifications. You can also browse the page without a Facebook account.
The Blackburn Hamlet Facebook community discussion group: Community-generated announcements and discussion. Members are screened to determine they have a connection to the community prior to joining, and there is some moderation on content and discussion. Rules are found in the side board; advertising of businesses must be done only as participation in a monthly business promotion thread created by a moderator. Much of the Facebook page’s and website’s content is cross posted to the discussion group. You can adjust which activity in the group sends you notification in Facebook settings. You must be signed in to Facebook and join the group to participate.
Blackburn Hamlet Business Facebook group: Posts and advertising by businesses located in the Hamlet. Not maintained by the BCA.
Blackburn Hamlet Buy, Sell, and Trade group: An open group for individuals looking to buy, sell, or trade with other local residents. Not maintained by the BCA.
Blackburn Hamlet Transit Riders group: A sub-group of the Ottawa Transit Riders Facebook group for Blackburn Hamlet residents to discuss local transit issues. Not maintained by the BCA.
Blackburn Hamlet Funfair Page: Highlights the activities of our annual 3 day FunFair.
Blackburn Hamlet Cancer Chase Page: Highlights the activities of our annual Cancer Chase – a 5 km walk/run along some of the Greenbelt’s picturesque pathways to raise money for cancer research.
Blackburn Hamlet Gardening & Horticulture: This group is set up as a means to ask for advice, plant / tree identification, landscape design questions, etc and to encourage the distribution of non-invasive, indoor and outdoor plants within the community.
Eastern Ottawa Cycling Community / Communauté de Cyclisme de l’Est d’Ottawa: An open group for residents to discuss cycling in Ottawa.
X (even if you don’t have your own account!)
Follow us @BlackburnOttawa or visit x.com/BlackburnOttawa for reminders of upcoming events, updates to schedules during events, and for news from accounts around the city that we think you’d like to hear.
Follow the Blackburn Hamlet Funfair @BlackburnFair or visit x.com/blackburnfair for highlights and updates of our annual 3 day FunFair.
Follow the Blackburn Hamlet Funfair Instagram for photos, videos, highlights and updates of our annual 3 day FunFair.
Snapchat
Follow the Blackburn Community Association Snapchat for pictures and posts of our events and activities as they happen!
Youtube
Follow the Blackburn Community Association Youtube Channel for videos from our activities.