Here's what you will need to nominate someone:
Hear from changemakers making a difference in Ottawa and around the world.
Celebrate the impact!
Leave a comment - and if you would like to suggest a changemaker with a Big Idea for our podcast, let us know!
Why Rotary
Watch some fun quick videos from some club members about why they joined Rotary and what keeps them loving that decision!
Note to members: to confirm when you are on duty see the Duty Roster chart. Contact Jean Begin, Linda Flynn or Larry Chop if you can't attend a need a replacement.
Henry Sim, our club's imaginary member and friend, has returned after many years to share some thoughts on Rotary (with a smile)... 
The situation in Lebanon continues to deteriorate and many Lebanese people face a catastrophic situation!
In response, the Rotary clubs of West Ottawa and Montreal Cedars are collaborating to ensure our donated funds meet immediate needs of people in the Beirut communities via local Rotary clubs in Lebanon.
How To Donate:
- Non-members: Use the CanadaHelps page: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/rotary-club-of-west-ottawa-service-fund-inc and select Lebanese Disaster Relief Fund
- Members: donate to our Service Fund by cheque, e-transfer or credit card in the usual manner.
ShelterBox Canada sent us a short video thanking us for our contributions and informing us that we had achieved their "Silver Hero" status.
About ShelterBox Canada:
ShelterBox provides shelter, essential items, and technical assistance to help some of the world’s most vulnerable people recover and rebuild their homes after disaster.
They listen and adapt their support to the needs of each community, working together with those affected by disaster, alongside their supporters and partners. Rotary is a key partner to ShelterBox both in Canada and globally.
Visit R1000.ca for more details about this new club fundraiser for mental health and the RI Foundation.
Register here as an individual or a team and get running / walking!
Donate here to contribute towards our fundraising goal. Funds raised will be used, in part, towards our club's 2025 Mental Health Forum.
Our Club members supported the Rotary Club of Kyiv-Balzac financially to provide Christmas concerts, entertainment and gifts for 500 orphans, refugees, and disabled children in 6 refugee centres during December and early January.
These are children aged 2-15 who were rescued from different parts of the war zone in Ukraine.
| Ottawa Rotary Cash Calendar Winners, January 1 to January 31, 2025 | ||||
| 0154 | $50 | Julie Fejes | Nepean | 01-Jan-25 |
| 3157 | $25 | Nancy Wehlau | Kemptville | 02-Jan-25 |
| 0238 | $25 | Pascale Clifford | Ottawa | 03-Jan-25 |
| 1022 | $25 | Ethel Clarke | North Gower | 04-Jan-25 |
| 0095 | $25 | Bob Hillier | Smiths Falls | 05-Jan-25 |
| 0447 | $100 | Cletus Peters | Ottawa | 06-Jan-25 |
| 1729 | $50 | Shelly Istead | Fitzroy Harbour | 07-Jan-25 |
| 2991 | $20 | Roman Marchenko | Kemptville | 08-Jan-25 |
| 3032 | $25 | Terry Gilhen | Merrickville | 09-Jan-25 |
| 0861 | $50 | Sarah Allard & Graham Therens | Chichester | 10-Jan-25 |
| 1008 | $50 | Gord Charron | North Gower | 11-Jan-25 |
| 3966 | $25 | Barrie & Dorothy Brooking | Minnedosa | 12-Jan-25 |
| 0102 | $50 | Gwen Rousseau | Almonte | 13-Jan-25 |
| 0561 | $25 | Patrick Kelly & Yvonne Malyk | Ottawa | 14-Jan-25 |
| 1856 | $25 | Diane Aubin | Cumberland | 15-Jan-25 |
| 2605 | $50 | Patricia Derks | Chesterville | 16-Jan-25 |
| 2062 | $25 | Ms Jessie Morin | Ottawa | 17-Jan-25 |
| 3964 | $50 | Jiliane Sullivan | Greely | 18-Jan-25 |
| 3101 | $25 | Kevin Leroux | Nepean | 19-Jan-25 |
| 3199 | $50 | Lynn Taylor | Spencerville | 20-Jan-25 |
| 2925 | $25 | Susan Townley | Ottawa | 21-Jan-25 |
| 2750 | $50 | Laura Wagner | Ottawa | 22-Jan-25 |
| 0730 | $25 | Corey Roy | Ottawa | 23-Jan-25 |
| 3887 | $20 | Donna Jones | North Gower | 24-Jan-25 |
| 0835 | $50 | Paul Griffith | Nepean | 25-Jan-25 |
| 1018 | $50 | Anand Watson | North Gower | 26-Jan-25 |
| 0915 | $25 | T. Batchellor | Embrun | 27-Jan-25 |
| 2826 | $20 | Alicja Stys | Nepean | 28-Jan-25 |
| 2484 | $50 | Andre Mickovitch | Griffith | 29-Jan-25 |
| 2220 | $25 | Joelyn Gregory | Kanata | 30-Jan-25 |
| 2493 | $100 | Stan Mathew | Ottawa | 31-Jan-25 |
For more information please go to https://www.ottawarotarycalendar.com/
Thanks to our wonderful Soc and Rec Committee, the upcoming club social events are:
- February 16, 2025 Mushing with Morton 3 - a guided winter hike with Dave followed by an after "Warm Up" party at The Royal Oak (open for all members, whether you hiked or not!) Check our event listing and more details re. gear closer to the event.
- March 2025 St. Patrick’s Celebration, Connor’s Irish Pub
- April 2025 Vanier Sugar Festival
- May 2025 The Royal Mint guided tour plus lunch in the Market
- The Swan on the Rideau - A short drive in the country with lunch on their deck
Once again the 2024 award winners do amazing work in our community (non-Rotarians and Rotarians)! Read more...
Prepared & Positive May 3, 2025 (save the date!)
Our first Prepared & Positive event last Spring was very successful with over 100 people attending and lots of positive feedback. So, we're doing it again!
Free registrations will open March 1 at PreparedandPositive.ca.
Testimonials from 2024...
- "Thank you Marcia and the Rotary Club of West Ottawa for your hard work and for hosting a truly fantastic event."
- "It was well-organized, meaningful, and the language was so accessible. I heard people say they were looking forward to coming back next year."
- "Congratulations to Emily as well for your skillful and thoughtful facilitation, I wish the panel went on for longer!"
- "I appreciate you all for this collaboration, I think it added great value to our community, and in particular, families who were looking for this type of information and guidance." Trisha Islam, United Way Eastern Ontario
If you'd like to help promote the event, please feel free to download and share the "poster".
Jean Holbert-Leighton had the pleasure of presenting Alexandra of the Childrens' Aid Society with a cheque for $1,000.The money will be used by "aging out teenagers" for groceries.
At Changeover dinner President Marcia did a great review of our achievements in the past year. Here's the year in review.
The Club has established four pollinator gardens at the following locations: Broadview Ave. P.S. (2023); Regina St. Alternative School (2022); the Rotary Home (2022); and Rotel (2023). Club members maintain the gardens at Rotel and the Rotary Home and work with the students at Broadview and Regina during the school year and then assume the garden maintenance at the schools throughout the summer months.An incredible success story can be seen in the Bright Future School video. Very worthy of a little of your time to watch!
 Thanks to many Ottawa Area clubs for their donations to rebuild the pergola at Rotel.And thanks to the volunteers who build it and especially Phil Powel-Smith who inspired many to take this project on. |  |
The Rotary Club of West Ottawa (RCWO) partners with other Ottawa area Rotary clubs as well as non-profit organizations in Ottawa to sell and deliver over 5000 chrysanthemums for Thanksgiving. The club members acquire, store, sell, process the orders, map delivery routes, and actually deliver the Mums in time for Thanksgiving!
 | Rotary Club of West Ottawa members Ginette Thomas, Jean Holbert-Leighton and Emilie Gendron joined Shaun Hopkins, Susan Hopkins and Ottawa Bytown members Linas Pilypaitis and Constance McLeese to prepare books for Regina Alternative School and Cambridge Public Schools students. Other helpers included Linda and Don Flynn. In total, 230 books were labelled and put in gift bags for presentation to each student with the book of their choice. |  |
 We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for our members and their family's hard work and dedication during the river cleanup event. Our Earth Day activities included our 1) Great Lakes Watershed cleanup including Rotary's Brewer Park Playground and 2) developing a sustainability information brochure. | |
This is what 64 years of giving looks like! Want to know what happened in the first 50 years? Check out our 50th Anniversary Book
And then check out the next decade in our 60th Anniversary Book
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