CJRO News April 26 to May 2, 2021

Hello, bonjour, and welcome to CJRO News on Carlsbad-Vars Radio. I’m Candice Vetter, reporting from North Russell.

Here’s an update on our station’s expansion.

Due to high winds last Friday the CJRO Radio antenna in Embrun could not be installed on top of the tower beside the Russell Township Hall. The long cable from the tower to the server room inside the building is installed, however, and we are awaiting delivery of the transmitter in May. The antenna should be installed on Friday, April 30th.

Also the stay at home order means the on-air testing of the new transmitter can’t be done by technicians from Industry Canada now. This test must be done before the station can perform a three-week on-air test. This pandemic requirement will delay the launch of CJRO Radio in Embrun by seven to eight weeks.

Due to technical problems with some of our equipment the April 22nd CJRO Radio Bingo will be held on Thursday, April 29th at 7 p.m. Please keep your cards. We are sorry for the inconvenience. The prizes will total $650 for the three games.

On that note we are looking for a student or a computer expert that would be interested in checking our system weekly (updates for Windows and Linux) to help monitor and limit our computer issues.

We at CJRO are about to welcome Sarsfield to our local news family. The Sarsfield Community Association has agreed to host a transmitter and we expect to get both the transmitter and CRTC permission this year. We hope to be broadcasting on 107.9 in Sarsfield sometime in 2022, and I will be interviewing Caroline Etter of Sarsfield on Local First soon.

If you are 40 years old or older you can now book vaccination appointments in pharmacies and primary care settings. The list of pharmacies offering the vaccine is at ontario.ca/pharmacycovidvaccine . There are plenty listed in this area including:

Embrun Remedy's Rx in the grocery store on Notre Dame Street

Seaway Valley Pharmacy in Winchester

Many Shoppers Drug Marts in Ottawa including Bank Street and Innes Road locations

Medici Pharmacy in Navan

Osgoode Pharmacy on Logan Farm Drive in Osgoode

Blossom Park Pharmacy on Bank St.

Paul's Pharmasave in Manotick

Rexall on Beaverwood Road in Manotick

Bridle Path Pharmacy at 4000 Bridle Path Drive Unit 6

Bank Street Pharmacy at 2531-A Bank St.

Good Health Pharmasave at 4188 Spratt Road Unit 2

And several pharmacies on Innes Road, including in big stores.

It’s best to register with several and take the first appointment offered. But pharmacies beg that if you get another appointment elsewhere please cancel the first one. No doses wasted!

Also, be reminded that older individuals can use the Ontario vaccination booking system. Book shots at Ontario.ca/bookvaccine or call 1-833-943-3900 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., seven days a week.

The clinics are at:

• Nepean Sportsplex

• Ruddy Family YMCA-YWCA in Orleans

• Eva James Memorial Community Centre

• Ottawa City Hall

Those with high-risk medical conditions or living in higher-risk neighbourhoods are also eligible. Fill out the questionnaire online to find out if you qualify yet.

To book an appointment, you need your Ontario health card, birth date, postal code, and email address and/or phone number.

I got my first shot last week at the Orleans Y. The process was fast and well organized, and the mood in the building was great. Everyone there was happy, staff were happy to see everyone coming in for their shots and those getting vaccinated were even happier. I had a sore arm and very low fever for a day and a half, along with tiredness, but since then I’ve slept better than I have for over a year.

We have an update on the Canada Post issue in Carlsbad Springs. City Councillor Catherine Kitts has learned that postal codes are not determined by the City as the Carlsbad Springs Community Association had been informed. Postal codes come directly from Canada Post. Michèle Rochette from the City Clerk’s Office sent Kitts an email regarding the 62 addresses which have postal codes from Vars or Navan instead of Carlsbad Springs.

Rochette was informed by Canada Post that Carlsbad Springs is part of the City of Ottawa, not its own municipality, so its delivery routes also serve nearby areas outside the area of Carlsbad Springs. Canada Post also confirmed that fulfilling this request would require changes to a number of delivery routes when it is not necessary and not in Canada Post’s operational interest to do at this time. Their routes in the area are currently optimized to reduce travel distance and improve efficiency for their Delivery Agents, so it would not make sense for Canada Post to embark upon a change that would have negative impacts on route optimization. This is similar across Canada, and even locally, where residents of more rural neighbourhoods like Osgoode, Greely, and others are served by more than one post office because it enables carriers to optimize their delivery routes for efficiency.

Canada Post also said that growth in Carlsbad Springs and Navan will have impacts that may generate route reviews in the future. Reviews are done regularly to adapt to growth.

The Eastern Ontario Agri-food Network is about to launch a new online network that will link local food producers with local customers. The Local Food Portal currently has about 20 vendors and expects about 60 this year and 100 next year. You can see the website at www.agro-on.ca. My interview with Tom Manley, executive director of the network, will be available on Local First next week.

Just in time for Mother’s Day, the Navan-Vars United Church has partnered with Robert Plante Greenhouses to help fundraise to repair its elevator. For every $50 gift card sold by the church, Plante’s will donate $10 to the cause. The gift card orders, called Blooms, are available by emailing nvucfundraising@gmail.com. Pay by cash, cheque or email transfer and pick up at 4228 Navan Road.

South Nation Conservation is seeking help picking up garbage that has accumulated over the winter. Normally SNC would mobilize community volunteers but the Stay-at-Home Order means the annual river clean-ups and SNC’s Cache-In-Trash-Out event were cancelled.

So SNC asks that residents venturing outdoors for recreation and mental health bring along gloves and a garbage bag to pick up trash. SNC has supplies available to borrow, including litter grabbers, safety vests, disposable gloves, and garbage bags. Residents who submit before and after photos to SNC before the Provincial Day of Action on Litter on May 11th may win a prize of local products.

A reminder that next week Piperville Road will be closed in both directions, between Farmers Way and Russell Road, while the bridge over Bearbrook Creek is being replaced. The road will be closed for six to eight months.

CJRO Radio is looking for a Francophone reporter for about ten hours of work per week—a perfect job for someone retired or raising young kids who wants a long-term, part-time position. To apply send a resume to cjrofm@rogers.com.

Do you have news that matters to our area? Has your business been affected by Covid, either for better or for worse? If yes, I’d like to interview you. Contact me by emailing newsCJRO@gmail.com.

I’m Candice Vetter. CJRO – Last on the dial, first for local news. Keep well.