Archive for the ‘Community Events and Information’ Category:

Renaud Otten Ottawa real estate team helps 300 families for Christmas

In the real estate field, it’s quite easy to take for granted the notion of access to housing. Since most of the people and clients we work with on a daily basis have the means to afford a home, it becomes a ‘given’. In our typical work week, we may help a first time home-buyer find the perfect starter condo; maybe we’ll assist a growing family in making the transition to a larger space; or, perhaps, we’ll help sell the home of an elderly couple looking to downsize after their children have ‘left the nest’. Our daily vernacular consists of industry-speak relating to the beauty and comfort of our houses:  vaulted ceilings, quality stonework, spacious bedrooms…the list goes on.

And so it becomes a challenge to remember how lucky we are and how important it is to spread that luck to those who need it most. In previous years, the Renaud-Otten Team has thanked past clients by sending them a token of our appreciation in the form of a Christmas CD. This year, however, we wanted to do something that would both add value to our past clients and make a difference in our community. Therefore, in lieu of holiday souvenirs that add value only to us, we have arranged to feed 300 families on Christmas Day through the Shepherd’s of Good Hope and their excellent “Feed a Family of 4 for a Day” program.

This holiday season, the Ray Otten and the Team would like to extend thanks to all of our past, present, and future clients. We hope this donation on your behalf is as valuable to you as it is to those who need it most. Furthermore, should you wish to donate, details can be found here at: http://shepherdsofgoodhope.myshopify.com/products/feed-a-family-of-4-for-a-day

All our best in 2012.

Sincerely,

Ray Otten and the Team

Halloween is not even over yet, and Christmas craft fairs are popping up everywhere!  Starting tomorrow, the Halloween decorations will be down and the Xmas decorations will be up. 

Here are a couple of upcoming craft shows, for those of you who want to get a head start on the next holiday season:

• November 4-5: Handmade Harvest Holiday Craft Show at the Almonte Old Town Hall
• Friday from 4-9 and Saturday from 10-4
• November 5-6: Wakefield Christmas Craft Fair at Ski Vorlage in Wakefield, Quebec
• Saturday and Sunday from 10-4
• November 5:  All Saints Craft Fair at 5115 Kanata Avenue in support of the Kanata Food Cupboard
• Saturday from 9-3
• November 5: Richmond Public School’s Craft Fair
• Saturday from 10-3
• November 5: St. Helen’s Anglican Church Old Fashioned CHristmas Bazaar at 1234 Prestone Drive, Orleans
• Saturday from 9-2
• November 6, 13 and 20: Christmas Craft and Gift Show at the RA Centre, 2451 Riverside Drive, Ottawa
• Sundays from 10-4

Boo and ho ho ho all in one week!

As always, we are your resource for all things Ottawa – including real estate!  For questions or assistance on buying or selling your Ottawa area home, contact one of our professional sales representatives at 613-288-0090 or visit our Ottawa real estate website.

Halloween is fast approaching and there are lots of fun activities to do during the month of October.

The long Thanksgiving weekend weather forecast looks absolutely beautiful!  A great chance to enjoy the scenery of Fall’s changing colors and perhaps visit one of our local pumpkin patches.

Some local Ottawa events include:

• October 7-30: Spooky wagon ride at Cannamore Orchard
• September 24-October 31: Pumpkin Festival at Proulx Farm
• October 1-31: Haunting season at Sanuders Farm
• October 14-31: Haunted Walk in Ottawa
• October 22: Ottawa Zombie Walk
• October 29-30: Barnyard Halloween at Canada Agricultural Museum

For more details on these and other fun Halloween events in and around the Ottawa area, visit http://ottawastart.com/halloween.php

Have fun!

As always, we are here for more than just fun stuff….

If you need information about local market trends, buying or selling an Ottawa home, visit our Ottawa real estate website, or contact one of our professional sales representatives at 613-288-0090.

Well, today is the first day of summer – yahoo!  The kids are getting anxious to be finished with school and the parents are anxious to see the report cards!

Here are some events to check out over the next couple of months:

• The International Jazz Festival runs from June 23 – July 3 and features many wonderfully talented musicians such as Diana Krall, Wynton Marsalis, Herbie Hancock, Smokey Robinson and many more.  There are free events as well as paid events.  Be sure to enjoy some Jazz as summer heats up!  Details at http://www.ottawajazzfestival.com/

Scotiabank Place has a variety of upcoming events:

• Cirque de Soleil: Quidam from June 22 – 30
• Katy Perry on July 3
• Josh Grobin on July 22
• The Wiggles on July 26
• New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys on August 4
• Lil Wayne on August 16
• Keith Urban on September 9
• WWE presents Monday Night Raw on September 12

As you can see, there is something for everyone!  Lots to see and do in the Nation’s Capital! 

Also, don’t forget about Sunday Bike Days, where the following streets are closed to vehicular traffic from 9am-1pm during the summer (Victoria Day to Labour Day):

• Ottawa River Parkway
• Colonel By Drive
• Rockcliffe Parkway

Check out the NCC website for more detailed description of the road closures as well as road closures in Gatineau Park.

Stay tuned next week for a listing of Canada Day activities not to be missed!

As always, feel free to contact us with any of your real estate questions or concerns at 613-288-0090.  Our professional sales representatives would be happy to provide any assistance they can.

Now that Winterlude is over, you may be looking for something to do this weekend. We are hosting a number of open houses in the Ottawa area on both Saturday, February 26 and Sunday, February 27.

Visit our Ottawa real estate website’s Open Houses web page for details on each of our upcoming open houses, including:

• photo of the property
• address of the property
• details of the open house date and time
• link to a web page with more details, photos, virtual tours and a feature sheet of the property.

Come out and see us this weekend. If you don’t see the right house or condo for you and your family, we will find it for you!

Have a great weekend!

Winterlude has officially arrived!  For the next three weekends, you can get out and enjoy all that Canada’s winter has to offer, right in your backyard.

Take the family for a visit to Snowflake Kingdom at Jacques Cartier Park to see the Snow Hog family, various acts of entertainment, craft stations, snow and ice slides and more!

Visit Confederation Park for world class ice sculptures, Crystal Garden.  Which one will be your faviourite?

Of course, spend some time on the Rideau Canal, the world’s longest skating rink, all the way from Dow’s Lake Pavillion to the Rideau Centre.  If you don’t have skates, you can rent them, as well as sleighs for pushing those in your family who are not able to skate the length of the canal.  There is always something going on, from photos taken, draws for trips, snack giveaways and don’t forget the hot chocolate and beaver tails! They are definitely a true Canadian winter tradition.

So, have fun enjoying all that Ottawa has to offer!  If you are yearing for the sun, don’t worry – the groundhog did not see its shadow and spring is just around the corner!

We all know Ottawa is a great place to live, but now the Province of Ontario has given us another reason why – we have the purest air in southern Ontario!

The EMC report last week that an air quality report was issued by the Province of Ontario listing the best and the worst cities in the Province with respect to air pollutants.

Ottawa ranked near the top for the entire Province and the best of all of the southern Ontario cities.  Sudbury and Petawawa had the best in the Province, while Windsor and Sarnia had the worst.  For the complete report, visit:

http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/publications/8035e.pdf

On October 25, 2010, there will be a municipal election, where you can vote for your choice of mayor and councellors.  Voting will take place from10:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m.  To find the location of your election polling station, visit:

https://app02.ottawa.ca/election2010Pollingstation/search-polling-station.jsf

Simply enter your street name and number into the form and click search.

For a list of all of the candidates by ward, together with the mayoral candidates and school trustee candidates, visit the following link:

http://www.ottawa.ca/city_hall/elections/nominations/index_en.html

Make sure to get out and vote – your vote will make a difference.

The Renaud Otten Team is proud to have completed a “Going Green” course and would like to pass on some tips to you.

Fall has arrived and, with it, school lunches, packaged foods, raking leaves, falling pine cones, and more.   Those of us concerned with protecting the environment are looking for ways to cut down on the trash we create. 

If school lunches are now part of your daily routine, keep in mind that many schools in the Ottawa area are making their classrooms “green”, meaning that they are not allowing children to throw their trash away in the school trash bins.  Instead, children are required to bring it back home again.

Instead of stocking up on snack bags, cases of bottled water or juice boxes and sandwich bags, try purchasing a some permanent containers.  Sandwich-sized and snack-sized containers are found at Walmart and even the dollar store.

Instead of buying individual sized yogurt, try buying large containers of yogurt and scooping some into a small plastic or metal container with a screw lid (so it doesn’t easily spill in a lunch bag).

Instead of stocking up on plastic cutlery, send traditional cutlery.  If you are worried about your child losing your stainless steel silverware, try buying some inexpensive cutlery at the dollar store or Walmart.  Your kids will feel special being given “real” cutlery instead of the same old plastic stuff!

If you have any other “green” suggestions for environmentally-friendly school lunches, let us know.

As always, we are here to help with any real estate questions you may have at 613-288-2455.  Or, visit our Ottawa real estate website for more environmentally-friendly tips, such as “5 Ways to Green Your Home”.

The Ottawa Chamber Music Festival starts on July 24th and runs through to August 7th, 2010.  If you enjoy classical music, the festival will be featuring professional musicians from all over the world!

Ottawa Chamber Music Festival website and list of performances

We are your resource for Ottawa events and activities.  If you live in the Kanata area, check out our Kanata real estate and event blog.

Have a great week!