Blackburn Community Association

May 2025 News

Community Garage Sale

Garage Sale 2025

Join the fun with our annual community garage sale Saturday, May 3 from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM, rain or shine.

Hamlet residents do not need to register or sign up – simply put out a table and join in! Visit the BCA Garage Sale Page for a map of participating homes.

Don't forget to visit the Community Hall (190 Glen Park Drive) during this event as The Mission Store will be setting up in the parking lot and Louis-Riel Grads will be hosting a BBQ on the patio as well as offering more garage sale items, vendor tables, a bake sale, and a free kids craft table inside the Hall.

Seniors Events

Seniors Breakfast Get-Together

Blackburn Seniors (55+) are invited to gather for a great meal, wonderful conversation and lots of laughs on Wednesday, May 7, 2025 at 9:00 AM at Halibut House, 2672 Innes Road

Donations of non-perishable items for the Lifecentre Foodbank would be appreciated.

Please RSVP to Shirley at 613-841-7691 by Monday, May 5th.

Seniors Walk-and-Talk

Please mark your calendars and join other avid walkers at the Bearbrook Road stoplight entrance to Isaiah Scharfe Park (Bush Park) on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 at 1:00 PM.

Walks will proceed rain or shine. Should the weather be unexpectedly bad, please check the BCA Facebook group for updates.

Youth Activities

Board Games & Brunch

Families and youth are invited to gather to have some fun while enjoying a light brunch on Sunday, May 18 from 11 AM to 1:30 PM at the Blackburn Community Hall (190 Glen Park Drive). This event is for kids and youth ages 3 to 17. There will be many board games available to play, but feel free to bring your own! There will also be a team trivia game for a prize which starts at noon! Kids 11 and under must be accompanied by an adult or guardian.

Youth Home Alone Course ($)

Get your kids ready for safety while home alone ahead of the summer! Your child will learn how to be responsible and safe while staying home alone. They will also learn how to build a safety plan including house rules, emergencies, street proofing, common lures and much more. This two-hour Ménard Safety Course for kids ages 8 to 12 years old will be held on Saturday May 24 from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM at the Blackburn Community Hall (190 Glen Park Drive). The cost is $25 per child. Please register your child by sending an email with their name, age and language to youth@blackburnhamlet.ca.

Youth Bike Rodeo

The Blackburn Hamlet Community Association (BCA) will be hosting a Youth Bicycle Rodeo on Saturday, May 24 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM at the Lois Kemp Arena parking lot (200 Glen Park Drive) for children ages 6 to 11. Riders will learn how to wear helmets safely, the importance of knowing their bicycle ABCs (Air in tires; Brakes; and Crank/Chain/Cogs), and safe riding skills like hand signaling, braking and maneuvering through obstacles. The course is taught by an experienced and qualified bicycle instructor. There will be bicycle safety literature, gifts and a Certificate of Achievement for participants. The course is FREE but participants must arrive with a proper fitting helmet and a bicycle in a serviceable condition. To register for this event or volunteer, contact Don Kelly at safety@blackburnhamlet.ca.

Youth Sewing

Come try out this useful skill and see how fun it can be to learn how to make your own knot bag, zippered pouch, and clothes! The final session is being held on Sunday May 25th from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM at the Blackburn Community Hall (190 Glen Park Drive). You can also bring your own project and the instructor Sophie will be your guide to help you complete it. These sessions are free and no materials are required. YOU MUST register in advance by emailing seyseysophie@gmail.com.

Colouring Contest

Kids ages 3 to 12 are invited to submit their entry for the BCA’s Spring coloring contest. All winners will receive a $20 cash prize! Visit blackburnhamlet.ca/contest2025 for more information.

BCA Board Meeting

When: Thursday, May 15, 2025, 7:30 PM to 10:00 PM

Where: Blackburn Community Hall, 190 Glen Park Drive and Online via Zoom

This meeting is open to residents of Blackburn Hamlet in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Email secretary@blackburnhamlet.ca for more information or for the link to the online Zoom call.

sARTurday morning Paint Session

Art Class

We are pleased to announce that Heather Vos, who ran art sessions at the Blackburn Hamlet Community Church prior to the pandemic, will be back in the Hamlet to lead the second sARTurday paint session on Saturday, May 17, 2025 at 9:00 AM at the Blackburn Community Hall, 190 Glen Park Drive.

The fee is $20 per person per session and can be paid directly to Heather on the day of the event. To help ensure Heather has ample supplies for participants, please register your attendance by email at barbara@blackburnhamlet.ca.

May Discovery Café

Discovery Cafe BCA

When: Thursday, May 22, 2025 at 7:00 PM

Where: Blackburn Community Hall, 190 Glen Park Drive

Topic: The Making of a Podcast: “The Interview Dudes”

Speaker: James Charron

Join podcast producer James Charron as he gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of a wonderful podcast: The Interview Dudes.

In June 2019, James`s son Jack and his friends, Nathan, and Ben — all finishing Grade 6 here in Ottawa — decided to launch a podcast. Initially, their goal was simple: to interview their classmates and learn about various career paths. However, with James`s guidance and support, the podcast quickly evolved into something much more remarkable.

The inaugural episode featured James providing listeners with a glimpse into the world of voice acting. As the podcast gained momentum, they secured interviews with prominent figures, including Ottawa's then-Mayor Jim Watson and, notably, Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds.

Their unique approach involved reaching out to potential guests through social media platforms. Over the years, The Interview Dudes expanded their guest list to include scientists, politicians, athletes, musicians, and professionals from the film industry. This diverse range of interviews not only enriched the podcast's content, but also demonstrated that age is no barrier to achieving remarkable feats, with the podcast climbing to the #2 Kids and Family podcast in Canada.

Admission is free, refreshments will be served and people of all ages are invited to attend.

Questions & Suggestions? Please email barbara@blackburnhamlet.ca.

FunFair Corner

Save the date! This year's FunFair runs from June 6th to 8th.

What's new at the Funfair?

Plans are afoot to make this year's fair the best yet and organizers are proud to announce the following new attractions at this year's fair:

Casino Night - this year's fair will host a Casino Night thanks to sponsorship from the Club Optimiste de Blackburn Hamlet. The casino will run Friday night from 7-10pm and include popular games like poker, blackjack and roulette. Please note the event is a fundraiser with an entry fee and there will be prizes for the winners. It is not a cash tournament. More info at blackburnfunfair.ca/casino

D&D One-Shot and MTG tournaments - Get ready for a weekend full of adventure, strategy, and community fun! This year’s fair is adding a unique twist by hosting an epic Dungeons & Dragons one-shot adventure alongside a thrilling Magic: The Gathering Commander Tournament, offering something for every type of gamer. Whether you’re slaying dragons in a medieval fantasy or casting spells in the world of MTG, you’ll find plenty of opportunities to bond with other gamers, cheer for your favorite teams, and explore the booths and attractions that the funfair has to offer. More info here: blackburnfunfair.ca/fantasy

Bored of some attractions in recent years? Then you'll be happy to hear we're mixing things up again this year with some new bouncy options:

3-Lane bungee run - can you reach the end or will you be snapped back?
Interactive hockey - Compete against your friends in skillset games!
Tippy Ladder - Yikes! Can you reach the other side without falling off?
The Big Baller - Can you jump across the giant balls from one side to another or will you . . . wipeout?

Miniputt course - another Funfair first! Saturday's attractions will include a nine-hole mini-putt course laid out in the skateboard park. Will you get a hole in one?

Cornhole tournament - Get that sack in the hole at our cornhole tournament Sunday at the community center. Want to play? More info here: blackburnfunfair.ca/cornhole-tournament/

More free shows - we all love returning acts Little Rays Reptiles and Mojo Magic magician Ben Lavalee - but this year we're adding even more free entertainment:

Stilt walker Luciano Lu will be patrolling the fairgrounds Saturday.
Local comedian Chris Pilsworth and juggler Jean-Guy Beaudry will make you laugh in the arena Sunday
Princess and Superheros will share their story tales in the arena on the weekend

50/50 Raffle - Last year's winner won over $500! Support your local community by purchasing entries to our 50/50 Funfair Raffle at the QR code below.

Barrelhouse - Beatles Tribute - Come groove to their note for note performance of the Abbey Road Album and other Beatles hits. Get a $5 discount with online tickets purchased before the fair at the QR below.

FunFair Digital Sales

Big Yellow Bag fundraiser

For every bag of soil or mulch purchased from Big Yellow Bag using the unique code BCA25, $10 will come right back to the FunFair and customers will save $5 on their order.

Big Yellow Bag FunFair Fundraiser

Questions and comments welcome! Reach out to the fair committee at chair@blackburnfunfair.ca.

Protective Plumbing program

Basement Flood

The City’s Residential Protective Plumbing program has had an upgrade. Through the updated program, eligible homeowners can apply for rebates to install new protective plumbing devices. These devices can prevent sewage or stormwater from entering homes when the sewer’s capacity is exceeded during an extreme weather event.

By making it simple and more affordable for households to install protective plumbing, the City is improving Ottawa’s overall preparedness for extreme weather and reducing the negative impacts of basement flooding. Learn more about the Residential Protective Plumbing program and how to apply at bit.ly/3RCTijz.

New Zoning By-law Draft 2

New Zoning By-law

The second draft of the new Ottawa Zoning By-law was released to the public on March 20, 2025. The focus is on increased density following provincial guidelines and does not consider roads, infrastructure or transit.

A number of years ago, when the neighbourhood classifications were not directly linked to zoning density, Blackburn Hamlet was classed as Outer Urban and Orleans was classed as Suburban. Under the new proposal, Outer Urban neighbourhoods would be allocated higher density zoning. This means that a detached home in Blackburn Hamlet that is currently zoned as R1 would now be zoned as N2 (to allow up to 6 units to be built on a single lot), where a similar R1 property in the neighbouring community of Chapel Hill would be zoned as N1 (up to 4 units to be built on a single property).

If you have concerns about the impact this up-zoning could have on our neighbourood, we urge you to use the feedback options at engage.ottawa.ca/zoning as well as emailing Councillor Dudas and attending any future public engagement sessions.

The BCA is still reviewing these changes and hope to provide more information on our Facebook group and Website soon.

Transportation Master Plan Update

Transportation Master Plan

The Transportation Master Plan project team is pleased to launch the final phase of consultation on the Transportation Master Plan's Capital Infrastructure Plan. The Plan identifies the transit and road networks that are needed to accommodate planned growth and achieve the City’s mobility objectives. It also identifies a subset of projects that should be prioritized for implementation. There is a significant change in this version of the plan as the Cumberland Bus Rapid Transit (Option 7) has been replaced with a transit corridor parallel to Navan Road, Innes Bypass and Innes Road.

You are invited to share your thoughts on the draft Transportation Master Plan's Capital Infrastructure Plan by visiting engage.ottawa.ca/transportation-master-plan. You can also share your concerns with the BCA Transportation Director Robert Long and Councillor Dudas.

Free Home Energy Upgrades!

Visit envirocentre.ca/home-energy-programs for more information.

Contact North: Free Courses & Programs

“Get the training you need, to get the job that you want!”

Contact North is a bilingual, provincially funded non-profit organization that offers residents of Ontario, access to education and job training through online courses and programs from colleges and universities as well as many other vetted organizations, funded by various levels of government.

Our services are entirely free and used by anyone – businesses, corporations or individuals - interested in upgrading their skills, training their employees, completing professional development or changing careers altogether, as we have access to over 50,000 programs and courses, hundreds of which are free!

Whether you need to complete your high school diploma, upgrade your Microsoft skills, get a university degree or simply train your staff in the hospitality industry including for Smart Serve and Food Handler certifications, we can help you find the best avenue to learn - because meaningful employment starts with meaningful training.

Join us at the Blackburn Hamlet branch of the Ottawa Public Library (199 Glen Park Drive) for our next information session on May 15, 2025 at 6:00 PM.