In mid-2002, a number of concerned, civic-minded neighbours living in the Fencerow/Leatherwood/Golf Links area decided there were a number of community issues needing to be discussed and addressed. These issues included City of Ottawa recreation matters such as sports, courts, rinks and playgrounds, as well as some school and golf course related problems that needed to be resolved.
Residents designed and printed posters eliciting interest in organizing a community association, and delivered the posters to all the occupied homes in the development. Approximately 60 residents attended that first meeting held in the Upper Room at Loblaws in October 2002.
At that first meeting, two groups were formed to draw up a constitution and bylaws, develop a priority list of urgent issues, and to set up action sub-committees to formally bring the structure of a Community Association to the next meeting.
The key objectives were determined to be the following:
- To act as a community voice in promoting and protecting the interests of the community with respect to the planning and future development of the Stonebridge development and other current or future developments which may be of interest to the community.
- To act as a liaison with key stakeholders such as, but not limited to, school boards, businesses, developers, and various levels of government.
- To support programs which provide for the safety of community residents.
- To communicate to community residents, through various media, local news, events of interest and issues concerning the community: and
- To promote and encourage social/recreational activities in the community.
At the next meeting the first executive was elected, the Constitution and By-Laws adopted, and the rest, as they say, is history, short as it is.
