The Mums for Thanksgiving fundraiser for 2025 has been officially launched! Please print of the poster to promote the campaign. Read some of the testimonials from past campaigns.
Financial Readiness Forum for Youth
Saturday, August 23, 2025 9:00AM - 4:00PM
360 Albert St. Suite 200, Ottawa
In partnership with Youth Ottawa.
Click the image to register.
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!
Free Online English Literacy
Literacy Lasts a Lifetime!
Reading and writing are fundamental skills we all need. Our club's literacy portal hosts the Free Reading Program – a fun, complete, professional K to grade 6 level program that meets English curriculum guidelines and has no ads, or pop-ups. Great for ESL, after school help, home schooling, children with learning disabilities, and more.
Contact us if you would like a demo or more information. Or, simply click below to create your own free classroom and get started! And, please share with us if you've got a story about how the Free Reading Program has had an impact!!
Why Rotary
Watch some fun quick videos from some club members about why they joined Rotary and what keeps them loving that decision!
Henry Sim, our club's imaginary member and friend, has returned after many years to share some thoughts on Rotary (with a smile)... 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.
Rotary Club of West Ottawa members Dawn Straka, Linda Roehrl and Linda Flynn joined Shaun Hopkins, Susan Hopkins and Ottawa Bytown member Iris Bradley and her friend to prepare gift bags of books for Regina Alternative School and Cambridge Public Schools students. For Regina A.S., 191 books were labelled and put in gift bags for presentation to each student with the book of their choice.
If you are paying anything by e-transfer you need to know where to send the funds.
Please set up 3 different payees on your bank account as follows:
1. RCWO General Fund with email address rcwo7040@gmail.com
- for Christmas lunch, Tuesday lunch, annual dues, happy dollars, awards event
2. RCWO Service Fund Inc. with email address westottawarotaryclub@gmail.com
- for any donations to RI Foundation, Community Service, International Service, special projects e.g. Ukraine or Lebanon assistance, mums sales, calendar ads
3. RCWO Lottery Account with email address rcwocalendars@gmail.com
- for calendar sales only - amount must be divisive by $20
And if you are still not sure call Dave Morton (613-862-4396) or Linda Flynn (613-723-1772) before you do the e-transfer.
Larry Chop presented Westboro Food Bank with a donation of $2,000 to mitigate asbestos in their facility. More pictures can be seen at Larry's Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/100001866130180/posts/pfbid02RKDZDGFNEbs88Bthbdg8v4vUoPuPy7Uvc1BzN3SBc23LCNXJiZ5QVxctBJgyQ2nPl/?app=fbl
Here is their note of thanks:
"Larry....thank you to you and the rest of your Rotary folk Rotary Club Of West Ottawa for this incredibly wonderful news!
Now our work begins, but I know that we will find solutions to every challenge. This is such a wonderful opportunity for us to move forward with a project that increases safety for our volunteers and food bank neighbours.
Many, many thanks,
Martine Dore
Westboro Region Food"
Both Youth Services Bureau and the Children's' Aid Society received cheques for $1,000. Your Rotary Cash Calendar dollars at work.
Elizabeth Dekker (CAS) and Jean Holbert-Leighton (RCWO)
Patti Murphy, YSB and Dave Morton (RCWO)
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.
Once again the 2025 award winners do amazing work in our community (non-Rotarians and Rotarians)! Read more...
Ottawa Rotary Calendar Winners, June 1 to June 30, 2025 | ||||
| Ticket # | Amount | Name | City | Win Date |
| 498 | $25 | Brian Sheehan | Kars | 01-Jun-25 |
| 77 | $100 | Heather Allaert | Carleton Place | 02-Jun-25 |
| 1206 | $25 | Diane Whalen | Nepean | 03-Jun-25 |
| 356 | $1,000 | Jonathon and Alaina Roche | Kanata | 03-Jun-25 |
| 2437 | $50 | Gerald Parlee | Ottawa | 04-Jun-25 |
| 3315 | $25 | Liliane Gondo | Kanata | 05-Jun-25 |
| 1354 | $20 | Don & Kelly Lynn Etmanskie | Golden Lake | 06-Jun-25 |
| 502 | $25 | Reg Smith | North Gower | 07-Jun-25 |
| 2975 | $20 | Terry Flake | Kemptville | 08-Jun-25 |
| 2018 | $25 | Brenda Labra | Chichester | 09-Jun-25 |
| 3958 | $50 | Greg Covey | Ottawa | 10-Jun-25 |
| 90 | $50 | Matt Ellis | Georgetown | 11-Jun-25 |
| 2215 | $25 | Jill Jones | Kanata | 12-Jun-25 |
| 616 | $25 | Olga's Deli | Ottawa | 13-Jun-25 |
| 678 | $50 | Verena Schleich | Vineland | 14-Jun-25 |
| 2427 | $25 | Burten Osome | Stittsville | 15-Jun-25 |
| 3669 | $50 | Ella Box | Renfrew | 16-Jun-25 |
| 1384 | $50 | Ken Mitchell | Nepean | 17-Jun-25 |
| 1003 | $25 | Domenic Reitano | Kars | 18-Jun-25 |
| 2995 | $50 | Denis Berube | Kemptville | 19-Jun-25 |
| 3119 | $25 | Debbie MacDougall | Kemptville | 20-Jun-25 |
| 3429 | $20 | Mrs. Pamela Romhild | Quispamsis | 21-Jun-25 |
| 1785 | $50 | Aly Richer | Gloucester | 22-Jun-25 |
| 3002 | $25 | Don Gilpin | Oxford Mills | 23-Jun-25 |
| 3518 | $100 | Susan Dennett | Kemptville | 24-Jun-25 |
| 2306 | $25 | Ryan & Bailie Love | Ottawa | 25-Jun-25 |
| 2742 | $20 | Violet MacLean | Ottawa | 26-Jun-25 |
| 3132 | $50 | Kris Beking | Oxford Station | 27-Jun-25 |
| 1540 | $25 | Richard Vanloon | Ottawa | 28-Jun-25 |
| 27 | $50 | Merv Shirley | Nepean | 29-Jun-25 |
| 1621 | $50 | Marie Poste | Ottawa | 30-Jun-25 |
For more information please go to https://www.ottawarotarycalendar.com/
Enjoy this short video of students at Bright Future School learning about conservation and the environment with a focus on water.
Mathew House was the recipient of a $1,000 cheque from our Community Service budget presented by RCWO Treasurer, Dave Morton (on right). Your Rotary Cash Calendar purchase at work!
Prepared & Positive
May 3, 2025
May 3, 2025
Our Prepared & Positive event in early May once again made quite an impact with the many parents and community organizations attending! If you're curious who spoke and their topics, check out the registration website at PreparedandPositive.ca.
A big thank you to our great speakers / presenters and to the many partners, many of which had a table at the Information Showcase and were able to provide more information and guidance to the attendees.
Testimonials...
- "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.”
- "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."
Thanks to our wonderful Soc and Rec Committee, the upcoming club social events are:
- May 21, 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
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.
Once again the 2024 award winners do amazing work in our community (non-Rotarians and Rotarians)! Read more...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!
 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
Ottawa, ON K2A 1S3
Canada