_ (via Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority) _ With the recent cold weather and snowfall, lakes, rivers and creeks are beginning to freeze over. Although Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA) does not monitor ice thickness, it is likely that ice cover on the majority of the waterbodies within the watershed is not sufficient to support any type of recreational activity at this time. With temperatures returning to above freezing in the long range forecast, ice conditions are not expected to improve. ...

_ (via Ottawa Police) _ The Gatineau Police Service and Ottawa Police Service’s Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) will focus on following too close and stop sign violations during the month of January. ** _ Following too close _ ** Between 2007 and 2011, following too close was the cause of 24,487 traffic collisions, 6,872 injuries and eight fatalities. ...

[caption id=“attachment_20022” align=“aligncenter” width=“400”] Mr. Loaf by Andrew King[/caption]

From Ottawa Public Health: https://twitter.com/ottawahealth/status/683704947574239233 The months of December, January and February are the coldest months of the Ottawa winter and it’s difficult to avoid the cold weather. Frostbite is defined as damage of the skin from exposure to cold weather. ...

(via the _ Ontario Ministry of Transportation _ ) ** Starting January 1st, 2016 ** , drivers (including cyclists) must stop and yield the whole roadway at: * pedestrian crossovers; and, * at school crossings where there is a crossing guard displaying a school crossing stop sign. ...

“2015 was the first year that Laurier Bike Lane broke through the 400,000 bike rides. Seven of the twelve months were better than any other year. Two months were second best, even with vehicles still parked in the bike lane. July was the busiest month with over 65,000 rides. ...

“No one wants a landfill in their community, but when a corporation convinces government to let that happen, it’s only fair that the affected community receive generous compensation and significant input…” Click on the photo below for the full article. ...

Ottawa Showbox counts down the top local albums of 2015 . It’s a strong list. http://www.ottawashowbox.com/2015/12/top-local-albums-of-2015/

_ (via the NCC) _ With this week’s heavy snowfall, the cross-country ski and snowshoe season is officially open in Gatineau Park, the Capital’s conservation park. Outdoor enthusiasts currently have access to 105 kilometres of ski trails and 43 kilometres of snowshoe trails. ...

_ (via the City of Ottawa) _ Drivers are reminded to pay extra attention to the new bus-only lane recently installed on Industrial Avenue, west of Sandford Fleming Avenue. For traffic safety and best traffic flow, all drivers are reminded to give priority to buses to allow them to merge safely. ...