BCA Newsletter January 2026

January 2026 News

BCA Bites

In addition to funds raised from selling Memberships and running the Community Hall, the BCA also receives grants from the Friends of the Mer Bleue and the City of Ottawa, which provides the BCA with Rinks and Recreation grants that are used to fund the outdoor Rinks and many of our activities throughout the year.

Neighbourhood Watch

Neighbourhood Watch Blackburn Hamlet

Christmas and the holidays often mean shopping and gift items left inside vehicles. These can be easy targets for thieves, so please lock any items out of sight inside the trunk of vehicles and stay vigilant.

Reported Crime in the Hamlet over the past month shows on the Ottawa Police Crime Mapping Tool as the following:

3 Theft Under $5000 incidents (Cleroux Cres, Glen Park Drive, Eastpark Drive)
1 Assault at Louis Riel High School
1 Mischief (Damage to Property) under $5000 Blackburn Shoppes Mall at Bearbrook and Innes

Always report any crime or attempted crime to Ottawa Police through the following contacts:

For a life-threatening emergency or crime in progress, call 911.
If you need to file a non-emergency police report, report online or call our Police Reporting Unit at 613-236-1222, extension 7300. Our Police Reporting Unit is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Between 8:30 p.m. and 10 a.m., if you need to file a report, please call 613-236-1222. You can also report crime anonymously through Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or through https://crimestoppers.ca

Good news from from the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre this month showed some progress against those who would defraud over the internet. From December 8 to 11, 2025, partners from more than 25 organizations came together as part of Maple Disruption 2025, an operational sprint coordinated by the RCMP's National Cybercrime Coordination Centre (NC3) and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC). This sprint targeted and disrupted the tools that fraudsters and cybercriminals rely on to commit crimes. Full Details can be found on the RCMP News site.

In other news, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) continues to receive reports about employment frauds. Victims are being solicited with fraudulent job offers through text message, WhatsApp, email, Messenger, and social media ads. These job offers may use the names of real companies but are fake. Victims are tricked into making deposits or sending cryptocurrency and are unable to recover their money. Overall reported losses to employment fraud have skyrocketed in recent years. In 2022, Canadians reported $7.3 million in losses. This increased to $49 million in 2024. Unfortunately, the trend is continuing in 2025. In the first nine months of 2025 alone, victims have already reported $46.5 million in losses. These numbers show that job fraud is growing quickly, and fraudsters are targeting more Canadians than ever before. Make yourselves aware of scams and frauds within the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website. Being aware helps to prevent falling victim to these crimes.

To promote safe and responsible celebrations, the Ottawa Police has launched its RIDE (Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere) program. If you plan to consume alcohol or cannabis, make arrangements for a safe way home.

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We have approximately 250 Blackburn Hamlet residents who have signed up for Neighbourhood Watch notifications and are always looking to increase the membership. You can become a member by completing the form at blackburnhamlet.ca/our-work/safety/neighbourhood-watch/.

Kids Yoga

When: Saturday, January 3, 2026 at 11:00 AM

Where: Community Hall, 190 Glen Park Drive

Who: Ages 6 – 12

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.

Seniors Breakfast

Blackburn Seniors Breakfast

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

Virtual Board Meeting

The January 15 and February 19 BCA Board meetings will be held using Zoom. If you would like to join the call, please send an email to secretary@blackburnhamlet.ca.

Hockey Day

Hockey Day in Blackburn Hamlet

When: Saturday, January 17, 2026 from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Where: Norman Johnston Rink, 2401 Cleroux Crescent

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 11am and continue until 3pm. 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

When: Thursday, January 22, 2026 at 7:00 PM

Where: Blackburn Community Hall, 190 Glen Park Drive

Topic: Eggs with a side of PFAS: the unseen legacy of forever chemicals in our Great Lakes’ aquatic life cycles

Speaker: Geneviève Haché

Additional information is available at blackburnhamlet.ca/260122.

Admission is free, people of all ages are welcome, and refreshments will be served.

Hope to see you there!

Accessible Ottawa Award

Super Kyle Humphrey Accessible Ottawa Award

Please join us in congratulating Super Kyle Humphrey, the BCA’s Director of Accessibility & Transit, on this well-earned Accessible Ottawa Award! Kyle’s passion and advocacy continue to make our city more accessible, inclusive, and aware of the challenges faced by people with disabilities.

FunFair Volunteers Needed!

Blackburn FunFair

The annual Blackburn Funfair is already looking ahead to the summer and wants to grow its volunteer sponsorship team. Come help make a difference by contacting local businesses asking for financial donations or Silent Auction items for this year's fair. Volunteer some time at your own pace and convenience in the spring of 2026 to help our community grow!

Sponsorship not your thing but interested in helping out in other ways? New volunteers are always welcome!

Reach out to chair Steve Vesely for more information at chair@blackburnfunfair.ca

Upcoming Events @ Aspira Bearbrook

Blackburn Art Group
Groupe artistique de Blackburn

Make some time for your art!

The Blackburn Art Group welcomes artists to work on their own projects in a group of friendly, like-minded people.

Where: Blackburn Community Centre

When: 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Jan 8 & 22
Feb 5 & 19
Mar 5 & 19
Apr 2 &16 & 30
May 14 & 28

Cost: $40 per person annually, for 17 afternoon sessions.

Materials: Everyone brings their own supplies and works on their own projects. Note: No instruction is provided, members work quietly on their own, and help each other as requested.

Information: Phone Camille at 613-741-6783

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Faite du temps pour vos créations artistiques

Le groupe artistique de Blackburn accueilli les artistes qui désir travaillé sur leur propre projet parmi des gens amicales du même genre.

Où: la salle communautaire de Blackburn Hamlet

Quand: De 13hrs à 16hrs

janvier 8 & 22
février 5 & 19
mars 5 & 19
avril 2 &16 & 30
mai 14 & 28

Coût: 40$ annuellement par personne, pour 17 séances en après-midi.

Matériaux: Tout le monde apporte leurs propres approvisionnements d’art et travail sur leur propre projets. Notez: Aucun instruction est donné, les membres travaillent seul et tranquillement. Parfois, un va aider l’autre, au besoin.

Renseignements: Appelez Camille au 613-741-6783