October 2026 Newsletter

2026 Community BBQ Recap

Thanks to everyone who came out for the Community BBQ this year, according to Golden Fries we were at least 400 people.

Special thanks to our main sponsor Worry Free Snowblowing, to Golden Fries for providing lunch and to Dominion City for their donation of cases of City Seltzer. Also a big thank you to Savvy Party for providing lawn games and many of the canopies used at the booths.

Attendees at the Community BBQ also had the opportunity to receive some face painting by LynneART, learn about environmental matters with members of the CGOWCA Environment Committee and CAFES Ottawa, chat with staff from MPP Stephen Blais’ office, and leave their bikes safely attended at the Bike Valet provided by EnviroCentre.

Finally, a round of applause to Jason Yin, who provided wonderful music throughout the entire event, even during the five minutes of light rain. Despite the overcast weather, our spirits were not dampened, and the community came out in large numbers to celebrate the end of summer and the beginning of fall activities.

So I hear we have a rat problem…

Environment Committee

Written by Angie Caunce-Paull

The health concerns associated with rat infestations are credible. Rats can spread bacteria and parasites, with the greatest risk occurring when they enter homes or other living spaces and contaminate food, surfaces, or stored materials.

Bridge Committee – October 2026 Update

We are pleased to report that progress continues to be made toward building a sixth bridge across the Ottawa River at Kettle Island. Such progress allows us to be increasingly secure in the knowledge that our Greenbelt will remain untouched.

Follow the link below for recent news

From Rob Attrell, Board Director and Outreach Committee Chair

I’m Writing A Book! Check out New Suburbs (newburbs.com)

Follow the journey at TheNewOrleans.ca.

OpenPane Window and Door Replacement – New Sponsor

OpenPane replaces windows and doors for homeowners across Orléans and the rest of Ottawa. The owner handles every quote personally, and every installation is done by an installer with more than 20 years of experience. Clear written quotes, clean installs, no pressure. Book a free estimate at openpane.ca or call 613-902-0890.

Volunteer Opportunities

We have a ton of ongoing opportunities to get involved, please have a look at the full list (linked). Please reach out to [email protected] if you’re interested.

• Volunteering to organize Upcoming Events
  • Community Yoga (Monthly September to May)
  • Hallowe’en Costumed Bike Parade (October 31)
  • Christmas Lights Block Party (December)
  • Weekend School Gym Drop-ins (Fall-Winter-Spring)
• Volunteer Coordinator
  • Send regular updates to volunteer group about new and upcoming opportunities
  • Help event planners find volunteers
  • Help recruit new community volunteers
• Events Coordinator
  • Keep track of upcoming events with leads
  • Make sure events have a poster, date/time, RSVPs, booking, etc.
• A/V Expert/Coordinator
  • Someone that can help out with in-person events that need video or sound to help set things up
  • Can give advice for possible purchases in this area
• Local Experts/Coordinators
  • We’d love to hear from you if you are interested in representing your specific area’s interests within the community association. Our boundaries include Convent Glen North and South, as well as Orleans Wood and everything north of St Joseph and west of Place d’Orléans, and we hear from some parts of the community much more than others.
• School Parent Council Liaisons
  • If you’re affiliated with a parent council, in the community we’d love to be in touch to coordinate events where appropriate.
• Graphic Designer
  • If you have a strong eye for design or visuals, we’d love your help putting together graphics for community promotion or advertising community events.
  • We have been using Canva for design, so experience with that program would certainly be helpful.
  • Tasks we’d be looking for help with include the following:
    • Help us to create posters, flyers, and other materials for events
    • Support graphic design needs like logos or other graphics.

Submit Your Photos Today

The Photo and Video Archive is our attempt at a community-owned, locally-sourced repository of high-quality visuals. By building this crowdsourced repository, we are creating a shared resource that belongs to the neighbourhood.

We are looking for “stock-style” photos and/or video that captures the everyday reality of our corner of Orléans. This includes the beauty of our ravines and river paths, but also the mundane—the intersections we cross, the homes we live in, and the ways we move through the community. You could look to capture something you really love or something you seek to improve. This media allows us to make our perspective visible to the rest of the city.

Contribute Knowledge to your Community

Our new forum is designed to let community residents break out of the algorithmic traps of social media and contribute to a shared knowledge base that reflects community needs and sentiment.

Built using Discourse community software, the CGOW Forum is an online public square for a variety of topics important to our neighbourhoods, and you can even navigate and read the forum without an account.

We now have almost 300 members and our newsletter reaches over 650 people each month.

We’re hoping to get your help to register your friends and neighbours in the community by running a membership drive, featuring ✨prizes✨ for residents who encourage the most new signups (provided those people are residents living inside our Geographical Boundaries).

If you aren’t already a CA member, join today! You can still participate if you’re a brand new member.

Orléans Community Network

The Orléans Community Network is a way for different organizations and community groups to keep in touch, share information, events, and best practices, and unite in advocacy on relevant issues. It’s also a great way for residents to find and get in touch with community groups that are active in Orléans.

To have your organization included in the network, reach out to [email protected] with the name of the organization, its website, and a main contact email address.

CGOW Community Network

The Convent Glen Orléans Wood (CGOW) Community Network is a dedicated way for volunteer groups, schools, and local organizations right here in Convent Glen and Orléans Wood to communicate and collaborate. Powered by your Convent Glen Orléans Wood Community Association, our mission is to foster a more connected, informed, and collaborative neighbourhood. We believe that by making it easier for us all to communicate and work together, we can strengthen the tight-knit bonds that make our community a truly special place to live.

To have your organization included in the network, send an email to [email protected] and let us know the organization’s name, website, and a central contact email address.

CA Board of Directors Meeting – October 14 – 7:30 PM

Every month, the Board of Directors of the Community Association holds a meeting to discuss ongoing community association matters. If you’d like to bring up something the board should discuss, send us an email at [email protected].

You can also see minutes from previous board meetings here, to see what we’ve been chatting about: Board Meeting Minutes.