Mar - OSCA

www.BankDentistry.com
613.241.1010
THE
OSCAR
The Ottawa South Community Association Review
l
New Patients Welcome
Emergency patients seen promptly!
Implant and Prosthetic, Family and Cosmetic,
Children’s and Preventive Dentistry
Dr. Nasrin Saba DDS
Phone: 613.241.1010
1189 Bank Street,
Ottawa, ON, KIS 3X7 Fax: 613.241.0808
Onsite Parking
[email protected]
The Community Voice
YEAR 42, No.3
MARCH 2014
New
Champs
Crowned
PHOTO BY CASSIE HENDRY
By David Wylynko
grad the
you
never had
partying l ike i t’s 1991
No amount of snow, cold, wind or
dull skate blades were going to keep
the Old Ottawa South Moose from
winning the Capital Ward’s annual
april 26, 2014 8-­‐11:30 pm The old firehall $25
Continued on pg 2
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
Fri Feb 28, 15:30 – 20:00 &
Sat, March 1, 9:00 – 14:00
March 4: Summer camps.
March 5: Preschool, child and
youth programs.
March 6: Adult programs.
Wed March 5, 12:00 - 12:45
Wed March 12, 12:00 - 12:45
Wed March 19, 12:00 - 12:45
Ever wished you could redo your prom dance? Now’s your chance! This year’s PROM party is open to those 19 +. It’s a DJ’d event with Quinn’s brew, raffle prizes and a Photo Booth to capture your best 90s Costumes. For tickets and information, please visit www.oldottawasouth.ca.
shinny tournament on January 25th.
But the Glebe Goal-Getters were.
Hopewell PS Children’s Used Book Sale
OSCA Spring and Summer Program
Registration starts online at 20:00 each day
Doors Open for Music: Correspondences,
Southminster
Doors Open for Music: Hispalis - A
Mediterranean Flamenco Jazz Fusion,
Southminster
Doors Open for Music: Fairy Tales in
Music
Wed March 26, 12:00 - 12:45 Doors Open for Music: French Piano
Music, Southminster
Wed March 26, 18:30
Science Cafe: Nadine Wittig, Earth
Sciences - Planet Earth’s Turbulent
Adolescence, Sunnyside Library
Sat March 29, 19:30
Benefit Concert for Ancoura, featuring Big
Soul Project, Southminster
Sat March 29, 20:00 - 21:00
Earth Hour, Take the challenge—turn out
the lights!
To add events or see the latest listings, go to the online calendar at www.oldottawasouth.ca
Official Notice Of The OSCA Annual General Meeting
Tuesday, May 6, 2014, 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Firehall, 260 Sunnyside Avenue
Page 2
THE OSCAR
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MARCH 2014
NEW CHAMPIONS CROWNED AT ANNUAL SHINNY TOURNAMENT
Councillor Chernushenko with the mighty Old Ottawa South Moose.
Continued from pg 2
Living up to their name, the
Goal-Getters beat the Moose in the
round robin 5-3, and then went on to
outduel the defending champion Old
Ottawa East Hosers 8-7 in the final,
claiming their first championship in
the tournament’s seven-year history.
And they did it at the Hosers’ home
PHOTO BY JOHN DANCE
rink, Brantwood Park, in front of a
packed crowd of at least a half dozen
boisterous Hoser supporters.
For the Hosers and the Moose –
and the world of sports in general
– the Goal-Getters’ win was shocking and unprecedented, like the US
men’s gold medal upset in hockey in
the 1980 Olympics.
For the previous six years, the
Hosers and Moose had built a
monumental rivalry, meeting five
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The Councillor drops the puck.
times in the final. The Moose won
twice and the Hosers three times.
The Hosers have won four times in
all, establishing a legacy many sports
commentators have likened to the
Montreal Canadiens of the 1950s, or
the Winnipeg Jets’ domination of the
former World Hockey Association in
the 1970s. Until now.
“It’s the end of an era,” panted one
veteran Moose player after the loss to
the Goal-Getters. “Not sure what era
that is. But it’s the end of it.”
The Capital Ward Cup is a halfday, annual outdoor shinny tournament of four-on-four hockey, which
rotates each year between the communities of Glebe, Heron Park, Old
Ottawa East and Old Ottawa South.
This year, the Moose had great
expectations. Tired of getting hosed
by the Hosers’ young guns, and tired
generally, the team recruited some
young guns of their own. It wasn’t
enough.
After the loss to upstart Glebe,
the snow, cold, wind and dull blades
were suddenly all the rage back in the
warm-up shack. Within no time the
excuses were flying harder than the
snow, and certainly harder than the
shots.
“Who can play hockey in these
conditions,” lamented a veteran
Moose. “That’s why they invented
the beer league: so us old guys could
play indoors.”
The young guns were equally
unhappy. “You want me to go out
there again already,” complained one
young Moose as the call came for the
second game. “I didn’t even sleep
last night. And I got an actual league
game after this.”
“What kind of rink is this?” queried
another, disturbed that Brantwood
Park has no boards for crushing opposing players. “There’s no concession stand. I need coffee.”
The Moose managed to eke out a
win against the Heron Park Hackers,
but couldn’t keep up with the Hosers
in the final game of the round-robin.
The Hosers went to the final only
PHOTO BY CASSIE HENDRY
to get outskated, outshot, outscored
and generally outdated by the GoalGetters.
What was the Goal-Getters secret
weapon? They had some young guns
of their own, including burgeoning
superstar Sophie Verronique.
The Moose are clearly in a slump,
failing to bring the trophy back to
the Firehall for a third consecutive
year. It’s only a matter of time before
the fan base will be crying out for an
overhaul of the coaching staff and
even senior management. Hockey is
a ruthless business.
Next year, the Goal-Getters will
have the chance to defend their
championship on home turf, as the
Capital Ward Cup moves to the
Glebe. It might be played at Lansdowne Park, where excitement over a
new CFL football team and the return
of the junior hockey team, the Ottawa
67s, will set the stage in the run up to
the main event.
Sponsors are lining up. The last
time a hockey game this huge was
played at the Lansdowne was 1904,
when Ottawa outmatched Winnipeg
three games to two for the Stanley
Cup championship.
Indeed, the Cup has generated so
much renewed interest in outdoor
hockey, even the NHL staged two
outdoor games the same weekend to
piggy-back on the momentum. And
a week after the Cup was played,
several parliamentarians – and the
Governor General himself – held the
first annual Canal Classic hockey
game on the Rideau Canal.
The Cup was initiated by former Capital Ward councillor Clive
Doucet. When David Chernushenko
was elected councillor in 2010, he
took up the cause and has done a
terrific job organizing and refereeing
the event ever since. The fine shinny
tradition continues.
David Wylynko is the soon-to-befired manager of the once proud Old
Ottawa South Moose.
THE OSCAR
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Page 3
MARCH 2014
THE
OSCAR
260 Sunnyside Ave, Ottawa Ontario, K1S 0R7
www.OldOttawaSouth.ca/oscar
ISSN: 0715-5476
[email protected]
Editor: Brendan McCoy
[email protected]
Layout and Design Editor: Bess Fraser
Copy Editor: Michael Thibault
Distribution Manager: Larry Ostler
[email protected]
Business Manager: Susanne Ledbetter
[email protected]
Advertising Manager: Gayle Weitzman
[email protected]
OSCAR is printed by Winchester Print
613-327-9080
613-730-1058
(not classy ads)
Volunteer Proofreaders: Lida Towstiak, Maura Giuliani,
Mary Low, Scott Valentine, Roger Williams
The OSCAR is a community paper paid for entirely by advertising.
It is published by the Old Ottawa South Community Association Inc.
(OSCA). Distribution is free to all Old Ottawa South homes and businesses and selected locations in Old Ottawa South, the Glebe and Billings Bridge. Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily of The OSCAR or OSCA.
CONTRIBUTIONS
Contributions should be in electronic format sent by e-mail to oscar@
oldottawasouth.ca in either plain text or WORD format. All submissions
will be acknowledged by e-mail within 48 hours. The Editor has the
final say about style, format and content. The OSCAR Editorial Policy,
and Guidelines for Submissions, are available on the OSCA Website.
Some articles may be posted on the OSCA Website. The OSCAR is
available online at www.oldottawasouth.ca.
FOR DISTRIBUTION INQUIRIES,
call: 613-327-9080 or email: [email protected]
The OSCAR thanks the following people who
brought us to your door this month:
ZONE A1: Kathy Krywicki (Coordinator), Mary Jo Lynch, Kim Barclay, Élie
Cantin Nantel, Wendy Robbins, Jim and Carrol Robb, Becky Sasaki, Kevin
and Stephanie Williams, Christy Griffin.
ZONE B1: Ross Imrie (Coordinator), the Gref- Innes family, the Fegan
family, the Montgomery family, Laurie Morrison, Susanne Ledbetter, Torin
and Konstantine Assal.
ZONE B2: Craig Piche (Coordinator), Pat Eakins, Hayley Atkinson, Leslie
Roston, Patrick Hinton, Lydia Oak, Sandra Garland, John Callan, Diana Carr.
ZONE C1: Laura Johnson (Coordinator), the Williams family, Josh
Rahaman, Jesper Lindeberg, the Dallin-O’Grady family, Declan and Darcy
McCoy, Bruce Grant, and the Woroniuk-Ryan family.
ZONE C2: Craig Piche (Coordinator), Alan McCullough, Charles and Phillip
Kijek, Kit Jenkin, Michel and Christina Bridgeman, Anne Coyle, Melissa
Johnson.
ZONE D1: Mary Hill (Coordinator), Emily Keys, Ekin Kiziltan, Gail
Stewart, Gabe Teramura, Oliver and Claire Waddington, the Sprott family.
ZONE D2: Janet Drysdale (Coordinator), the Adriaanse family, Gaia
Chernushenko, Jacqueline Littlewood, the Rand family, Aidan and Willem
Ray, the Stewart family, and Mary Hill.
ZONE E1: Brian Tansey(Coordinator), Karen Wolfe and Curt Labond, Norah
Hutchinson, Steve Adamson, the Sanger/O’Neil family, Robert Trotter.
ZONE E2: Mary-Ann and Jim Kent, Glen Elder and Lorraine Stewart, the
Hunter family, the Brodkin-Haas family, Allan Paul, Christina Bradley,
Caroline Calvert, Larry Ostler, Chris Berry and Frida Kolster Berry.
ZONE F1: Carol and Ferg O’Connor (Coordinator), Jenny O’Brien, the Stern
family, Ellen Bailie, Paloma and Liliana Ruiz, Peter Kemp, Malachi Winter,
the Goutte family (Joshua, Leo and Alina), Walter and Robbie Engert.
ZONE F2: Pierre Guevremont (Coordinator), Paulette Theriault,
Ryan Zurakowski, Susan McMaster, Paige Raymond, Judy and Pierre
Chamberland, Valerie Dancause, Mary Johnston.
ZONE G: Bernie Zeisig(Coordinator), Claudia and Estelle BourlonAlbarracin, David Lum, Cindy MacLoghlin, Hannah and Emily Blackwell,
Robin and Luke Eriksson.
Echo Drive: Alex Bissel.
Bank Street-Ottawa South: Joan-Foster Jones, Tom Lawson, Paula Archer.
Bank Street-Glebe: Larry Ostler.
NEXT DEADLINE: FRIDAY, MARCH 14
The OSCAR is published eleven times per year. Upcoming deadlines:
March 14 (April issue); April 11 (May issue); May 16 (June issue);
June 13 (July/August issue); August 8 (September issue).
To book an OSCAR ad
call Gayle 730-1058
[email protected]
The Old Firehall
Ottawa South Community Centre
260 Sunnyside Ave, Ottawa Ontario, K1S 0R7
[email protected]
PHONE
613-247-4946
MONDAY TO FRIDAY
6:30 AM TO 9 PM
SATURDAY
8:15 AM TO 5 PM
SUNDAY
9:00 AM TO 5 PM
WHAT’S THAT NUMBER?
Ottawa South Community Centre - The Old Firehall
Ottawa South Community Association (OSCA)
Ottawa Public Library - Sunnyside Branch
Rob Campbell ([email protected])
Kathy Ablett, Catholic Board Trustee
Centretown Community Health Centre
CARLETON UNIVERSITY
CUSA (Carleton U Students Association)
Graduate Students Association
Community Liaison
Mediation Centre
Athletics
CITY HALL
David Chernushenko, City Councillor
([email protected])
Main Number(24 hrs) for all departments
Community Police - non-emergencies
Emergencies only
Serious Crimes
Ottawa Hydro
Streetlight Problems (burned out, always on, flickering)
Brewer Pool
Brewer Arena
City of Ottawa web site - www.city.ottawa.on.ca
247-4946
247-4872
730-1082
730-8128
526-9512
233-5430
520-6688
520-6616
520-3660
520-5765
520-4480
580-2487
3-1-1
236-1222
9-1-1
230-6211
738-6400
3-1-1
247-4938
247-4917
WHAT’S INSIDE
OSCA
LETTERS
PLANNING AND TRAFFIC
POLITICAL
SPORTS
MUSIC
4-5, 9
6
6-7
12-13
19, 26-27
14, 16, 23
FILM REVIEWS
FOOD
LIBRARY
AROUND TOWN
CLASSY ADS, MARKETPLACE
GARDEN CLUB
25
28-29
32-33
33
34
35
Page 4
THE OSCAR
l
MARCH 2014
CHRISTY’S CORNER
Here Comes Spring!
By Christy Savage, OSCA
Executive Director
Spring Programs
The Spring Program Brochure will
be online (oldottawasouth.ca) as of
March 1, and inserted in this issue of
the OSCAR. Don’t forget that Summer Camps will be included in the
brochure!
Registration dates are staggered.
Summer Camps: On-line Tuesday,
March 4, 8:00pm at www.oldottawasouth.ca; in-person Wednesday,
March 5, 9:00am at 260 Sunnyside
avenue.
Preschool / Child / Youth Programs: On-line Wednesday, March 5,
8:00pm; in-person Thursday, March
6, 9:00am.
Adult Programs: On-line Thursday,
March 6, 8:00pm; in-person Friday,
March 7, 9:00am.
After 4 Registration: MondayFriday from 3:00-6:00pm. $170
monthly.
Please note that there will be a
pre-registration for current After 4
for participants and their siblings: in
person only: March 3 – 31. Registration for remaining places starts
Online: Wednesday, April 2 at 8:00
pm. In person: Thursday, April 3 as
of 9:00 am
Registration is on a first come, first
served basis. We encourage you to
register as early as possible to avoid
disappointment. The cost of the
program covers supervision, nutritious snacks, and a variety of arts
and crafts and sports activities daily.
Please note that a payment of $340
(first and last month) will be required
on the day of registration.
New this year: We will be offering
After 4 for JK and SK- Monday –Friday 3:00-6:00pm. $190/monthly
With the addition of full day
kindergarten, the Firehall has you
covered!
For the first time we are offering
specialized after-school care for JK
and SK children. Qualified staff will
provide high quality care with age
appropriate activities for your child
each day after school. We provide
pick up from Hopewell school and
walk the children to St. Margaret
Mary’s Church. A healthy snack
will be provided before the children
engage in a variety of fun activities
including gross motor play, art, stories, and much more. With a dedicated space and skilled staff allowing
for children to unwind after a day at
school, this new program will cater
to the needs of younger children and
aid many in the transition to full day
kindergarten.
OSCA PROGRAM REGISTRATION
OSCA Spring and Summer Registration Dates
March 4: Summer camps.
March 5: Preschool, child and youth programs.
March 6: Adult programs.
Online registration starts at 8:00 pm, in-person
registration the next day at 9:00 am. Look for the
Registration Guide in this OSCAR, or Online at
www.oldottawasouth.ca.
*
Please ensure that you have completed a family profile prior to
registration. You can create your family profile and register at
www.oldottawasouth.ca.
Spring OSCA Dance Party
Back by popular demand……
we will be holding ‘The Grad You
Never Had’ Party on Saturday April
26th from 8:00-11:30pm. This ‘prom
event’ is open to those 19 +. Quinn’s
Brew. Milano’s pizza. Raffle prizes
that include a limo ride home for the
Prom King and Queen. Free Mojo
Photo booth to capture your grad moments and best 90’s costumes. And
yes DJ and videos to boot!!!! We’re
excited about this event, tickets will
sell quickly so be sure to get online
and purchase your grad ticket as soon
as possible!
Registration begins Thursday
March 6th at 8:00pm. Or in person
the next day as of 9:00am.
OSCA Windsor Park Art Show
Sunday, June 8, 2014 10:00 am –
3:00 pm
Join your fellow artists and artisans
in a one-day outdoor show, featuring
over 30 artists and artisans and live
music at this idyllic outdoor setting
overlooking the Rideau River. Please
note all art must be made by the artist registered for the event. Artists
will be contacted after registration
for details of their work and a list of
artists’ details will be posted at www.
oldottawasouth.ca after May 15. This
is a rain or shine event
Windsor Rink- Thank you to our
great volunteers
Heartfelt thanks go out to the
wonderful group of volunteers who
ensured that the Windsor rink ran
smoothly this Winter. To: Cory
Bialowas, Mike Burgener, Alex
Cunningham, Blair Dowden, Dusan
Hoferek, Tonya Hoferek, Jean Lanca,
Gary Lum, Boyd McBride, Drew
McNair, Alan McNaul, Jerome Moisan, Mark Newman, Nick Neuheimer,
Mike O’hare, Michael Taylor, Bernie
Zeisig.
Thanks also go out to Rick Howard
and his ‘bOOSt’ team who looked
after the rink four nights weekly. And
special thanks to Gary Lum for overseeing the proper care of the snow
blowers.
Thanks also to Reg Charette for
volunteering his time to organize all
the attendants (Jason Kelly, Gabe
Delannoy, Mark MacDonald, Ryan
Lum and Erik Melanson) and overseeing the administration and scheduling of the rink for the city.
Calling All Artists:
OSCA Windsor Park Art Show
By Brenda Lee
OSCA proudly presents the third annual OSCA Windsor Park Art Show
on Sunday, June 8th at Windsor Park,
from 10:00am until 4:00pm. This
event features over 30 artists and
artisans, live music and is held in the
idyllic outdoor setting of Windsor
Park overlooking the Rideau River.
With over 35 artists and artisans,
this ever-growing event is a wonderful opportunity for new and established artists to display their art and
to meet fellow artists.
Registration starts on March 5th
online and in person at the Firehall
on March 6th. Registration closes on
May 1st.
All art must be made by the artist
registered for the event. Artists will
be contacted after registration for
details of their work. A list of artist’s
details will be on the OSCA website
after May 15th.
Each 50-dollar space is 10x10 and
artists must provide their own tables,
tents etc. There is no electricity supplied to this site and each artist is
responsible for his or her own cash
and receipts.
See the OSCA program guide for
more information or contact the
OSCA at [email protected].
Please note that this OSCA run
event is not to be confused with the
privately run Old Ottawa South Art
and Music Festival that is held each
September in Windsor Park.
OSCAR DELIVERERS NEEDED - Please contact Distribution Manager Larry Ostler
1) The block including the south side of Hopewell, west side of Grosvenor, north side of Glen, east side of Leonard (48 papers).
2) The block including the north side of Chesley, west side of Harvard, south side of Raleigh and east sides of Wendover and
Warrington, and the triangle including the north side of Raleigh, west side of Harvard and the east side of Warrington (26 papers).
3) The block including the south side of Cameron between Marco and Osborne, west side of Osborne (25 papers).
4. The block including the west side of Rideau River Lane (23 papers).
e-mail [email protected] or phone 613-327-9080
THE OSCAR
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Page 5
MARCH 2014
OSCA PRESIDENT’S REPORT
Developments on the Streets and at OSCA
By Linda Hancock,
OSCA President
Infill development
As another Winterlude comes to a
close, I have, yet again, been reflecting on what a great community we
live in. Where else can you walk for
a few minutes, strap on your skates
and be downtown in no time at all?
Apparently these amenities appeal to
others too. In a recent report on the
web site www.point2homes.com, Old
Ottawa South was listed as the #1
Wealthiest Neighbourhood in Ottawa
by median home asking price. While
the median home price in Ottawa was
$379,000, it was $974,500 in Old Ottawa South. Although Ottawa’s most
luxurious homes are in other communities, the fact that OOS has very few
listings and those homes that are sold
are in a high price range, combined
with the fact that we have very few
condos, led to this ranking.
OOS will remain a desired neighbourhood and, as such, people are
willing to pay the price to move to
our community. When people are
willing to pay the price, developers
and contractors are willing to build
the homes that they will buy. Infill
development was brought up as the
number one issue on people’s minds
when OSCA did our future vision
survey in 2012. In response to the
concerns of Old Ottawa South and
other mature neighbourhoods, a new
city by-law (By-Law No. 2012-147)
was put into place in 2012. This
by-law provides regulations for the
control of low-rise residential development in mature neighbourhoods
– essentially, “the purpose of the
Mature Neighbourhoods Overlay is
to regulate the character of low-rise
residential development in order to
recognize and reflect the established
character of the streetscapes within
the area of the Overlay.” In putting
this by-law into practice, there were
some challenges with the word “character”. In response to a request from
the OMB, an amendment will soon
be proposed which provides 21 defining elements of character. It appears
that, for the most part, this amendment will be good for our community. We will be taking a closer look
over the next month or two. The
OSCA Board is truly thankful for
the efforts of Anna Cuylits who has
taken a leadership role in all of these
discussions.
Official Notice Of The OSCA
Annual General Meeting
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Michael Jenkin Hall
The Old Firehall, 260 Sunnyside Avenue
This is an opportunity for you to turn out and hear what is going on
in your community, and elect the new OSCA Board for 2014-15. A
wine and cheese reception will be held after the meeting to provide an
opportunity for you to meet your neighbours and board members.
Note:
•
If you wish to vote for the OSCA Board you must be an OSCA
member.
If you want to stand for election to become a Board Member you
must also have signed up as a member at least three months before
the AGM.
To become a member visit www.oldottawasouth.ca and click on the
“Join OSCA” button on the main page – its free, and you remain a
member until you cease being a resident of Old Ottawa South!
The Ottawa Safety Council has job opportunities for adult
school crossing guards in our neighbourhood. The pay
rate is $16.06 per shift with full training and equipment
provided. For more information and detailed job post,
please visit their web page: www.ottawasafetycouncil.ca
Strategic Planning Process
In response to staffing cuts by the
City of Ottawa and as a follow up
to our Strategic Planning Process,
OSCA has been busy setting set up to
be as efficient and effective as we can
be. As I have mentioned in previous
columns, we now have 5 core committees – Communications, Special
Events, Planning & Zoning, Program
and Traffic & Safety. We are always
looking for volunteers to assist us in
these areas and others. If you have a
desire to get involved, please contact
us! If you would like to know more
before you commit, please plan on
attending our Annual General Meeting. This year’s AGM will be held
on Tuesday, May 6, from 7:30 pm to
9:30 pm at the Firehall. This is an opportunity for you to learn a bit more
about what OSCA is up to and to
elect the new OSCA Board members
for 2014-15. A wine and cheese reception will be held after the meeting
to provide an opportunity for you
to meet your neighbours and Board
members.
Note: If you wish to vote for
the OSCA Board you must be
an OSCA member. If you wish
to stand for election to become
a Board member you must also
have signed up as a member at
least three months before the
AGM. To become a member
visit www.oldottawasouth.ca
and click on the “Join OSCA”
quick link on the main page –
it’s free!
Want to join the OSCA Board?
Contact the Nomination Committee by calling or e-mailing
the OSCA office at osca@
oldottawasouth.ca or 613-2474872.
Thanks to OSCAR’s
many volunteer writers
and distributors for
helping get the news
to you!
The OSCAR is a self-supporting newspaper,
paid for entirely by advertising, and reliant on
volunteer contributors and distributors.
Thanks to the Dairy Queen for
contributing to our community through
its support of the many
OSCAR volunteers.
Dairy Queen, 1272 Bank Street
738-7146
Page 6
THE OSCAR
l
MARCH 2014
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
The OSCAR welcomes letters on subjects of interest to the community or in response to previous articles. All letters must disclose the name of the writer, as well as their address. Letters
may be edited for length, clarity, and libelous statements. The opinions of the writers are not necessarily those of the newspaper or its editor. Email your letters to [email protected]
Special invitation to OOS
Dear Editor,
Come and see the play “Family in a
Box” at the Glebe Community Centre
on March 26, 27, 28 and 29. It is
community theatre at its finest.
Three thespians living on the same
OOS street are performing. Guess
which of your neighbours/friends are
“acting out” in this production?
Some of us in the play also wrote
different sections of the script during
the winter of 2013.
It’s absolutely the best entertainment value, and the only community
theatre in the area.
Hope to see you at one of the performances.
Mark your calendar now! Don’t
miss out. Buy your tickets and support culture and the arts.
Performances are at the Glebe
Community Centre, Third Ave and
Lyon St. at 7:30pm.
Mary Hill
Leaving Squirrels Homeless
Dear Editor,
We have received a number of calls
from people concerned about the
City of Ottawa’s tree removal and/or
pruning activities and its impact on
squirrels this winter.
One family was distressed to find
a squirrel desperately seeking shelter
on their balcony during the extreme
cold spell. This occurred after the
squirrel’s drey or leaf nest had been
removed when a large tree was
pruned on the property. They wrote
to their city councillor, pointing out
the policy in the City’s Wildlife Strategy Report, approved by council in
July 2013: “During the initial inspection of trees proposed for removal,
Tree Inspectors make note of any
evidence of animal use or potential
habitat. They pass this information
along to the crew assigned to the tree
removal. When the tree removal crew
arrives at the tree, they also inspect
it for adult or juvenile animals. If the
crew finds animals in the tree, then
they leave it undisturbed and move
on to the next tree. The crew will not
return to work on the occupied tree
until both the adults and juveniles
have left. This procedure applies regardless of whether Forestry Services
is removing one or many trees” (my
emphasis).
We wanted to draw this information to your attention in that there
are large numbers of trees in Ottawa
slated for removal due to Emerald
Ash Borer. As you know, the city has
done too little, too late to save a lot
of these trees. Given this and with the
continuation of cold weather and the
fact that there could be newborn baby
squirrels in these nests very soon as
the birthing season for this species
starts as early as February, you might
want to keep an eye out for any occupied dreys and tree removal and/
or pruning work being undertaken in
your area.
Letting your city councillor know
of your concern in such situations
might not only help to save some
squirrels but will ensure that the City
Wildlife Strategy’s positive words
actually get implemented and are not
just so much empty rhetoric.
to a conflict over who actually owns
the land along Bronson Avenue.
Our own Bridge-to-Bridge Group
was formed several years ago as a
neighbourhood response to what we
found was the ‘bleak, open space”
in Tim Leah’s words of the stretch
beside Bronson Avenue. We have
been planting hundreds of trees,
including a row of flowering red and
white fruit trees to try and form a living curtain between our community
and the seven-lane monstrosity that is
Bronson Avenue.
What we have discovered is that
no one City department will ever
take responsibility for anything in the
area. A few years ago, we wanted to
put in a couple of garbage bins, as
it was becoming full of litter. Many
of our twice-yearly tree-plantings
involve removing dozens of garbage
bags from the area. You might think
that it would be easy to get such a
needed and simple item taken care of
by the City of Ottawa.
After going through Parks, Trees,
Landscaping, Maintenance (I am not
making this story up), Traffic, Highways, Snow Removal, Garbage Collection, Recycling and various other
departments, I was referred back to
the Parks Department.
Currently, the green space is
orphaned between the City of Ottawa and its various non-functioning
departments, as well as the NCC and,
possibly, Carleton University. This is
probably the number one challenge
for any long-term legacy project on
the part of the NCC or anyone else.
However, we will monitor the NCC
project plans as best we can and let
the community know as quickly as
possible if there are any new developments.
Donna DuBreuil
Ottawa-Carleton Wildlife Centre
National Capital Legacy Project
By Declan Hill
There will be a National Capital
Legacy Project in Old Ottawa South.
Ummm. Hold on. There might be
a National Capital Legacy Project in
Old Ottawa South.
This is the news from the National
Capital Commission (NCC). Last
week, a group of mid-level bureaucrats from the NCC met with community residents to talk about their
plans to put in a form of gateway or
garden on the green space leading
along Bronson Avenue to the offramp which leads to the Colonel-By
Driveway along the Rideau Canal.
The NCC idea is an ambitious one
- to create some sort of welcoming
vista for arrivals from the airport.
They entitled it ‘Capital Arrivals’.
Myself, Noel Lomer, Kelly Quinn
– of the Bridge to Bridge Environmental Group – and Tim Leah
a board member from the Ottawa
South Community Association met
with the NCC to hear some of their
plans.
They had good sounding ideas and
an attractive set of Power Point images. In their presentation they used
wonderful words like ‘Beautification’, ‘Diversity’ and ‘Legacy’: as
well as inspiring phrases like ‘Transforming the Capital Landscape’,
‘Visual Screening’, ‘Showcasing
Canada’, etc, etc.
Sadly, though all the images in
their presentation were photos from
other cities. It seems that there are
not enough good examples of ‘Beautification’, etc in our own city for the
poor NCC bureaucrats to find.
Full marks, however, should be
given to the NCC for at least coming
up with an original idea. If they can
get it off the ground and they commit to a proper community input it
has the potential to be a wonderful
improvement to both our neighbourhood and city.
My sense from the meeting is that
their plan will take several years to
get off the ground. This is partly due
Declan Hill lives in OOS, and is an
investigative journalist, documentary
maker and academic. He is the author of ‘The Fix: Soccer & Organized
Crime’.
THE OSCAR
l
Page 7
MARCH 2014
LOCAL NEWS
Traffic Updates
By Winnie Pietrykowski
Discussions with the City of Ottawa
continue as representatives from
Old Ottawa South (OOS), the Glebe
Community Association (GCA) and
Old Ottawa East (OOE) continue to
lobby for changes resulting from the
2013 OOS Traffic Survey and presented to the Lansdowne Transportation Advisory Committee (LTAC) in
2013 (see OSCAR November 2013
for recommendations in full).
A presentation to the Transportation Committee is planned for March
and as this article goes to press a
meeting with Mayor Jim Watson is
also scheduled for mid March.
The following outcomes from
recent meetings with the City of
Ottawa will be of particular interest
to those of you following the OOS
traffic file.
Petitions to Change Parking Regulations on Streets Close to Lansdowne
The GCA has identified streets
where it wishes to conduct petitions
requesting changes to parking regulations. For example, Fifth Avenue is
already one hour but residents are
looking for time changes into the
evening and Clarey Avenue residents
are interested in 2 hours, rather than
one.
City staff agreed to look into the
status of the City’s parking permit
“renewal” project to see if a guest
permit parking zone can now be
considered for the Glebe under either
new rules or an exception basis under
the old ones.
In the meantime, the City will
work with the GCA and residents
to complete the petitions necessary
should residents wish to change the
parking rules before Lansdowne
opens. The City agreed to prepare the
petition sheets necessary for this and
to design the petition in such a way
that it captures the request for rule
changes under two scenarios: (1) If
guest parking permits are available
for residents’ guests and (2) if there
is no guest permit parking (i.e. status
quo).
Residents in OOS who want to
consider the petition process to
change parking times on streets
where parking issues are anticipated
can contact Winnie Pietrykowski at
OSCA for more information on this
process.
Signage on Queensway Westbound
for Lansdowne
The City agreed to work with the
province (and NCC where necessary) to provide directional signage
for Lansdowne on the Queensway at
the Metcalfe off-ramp (and then on
Isabella to direct cars to use the QED
to get to Lansdowne). It was noted
that signage would also need to be
provided for the Bronson off-ramp as
an “alternate route to Lansdowne” for
times when the QED is closed. For
the Bronson off-ramp signage would
direct cars to use Imperial-Chamberlain and then Bank Street to get to
Lansdowne.
The Queensway eastbound was not
discussed in any detail, but the GCA
recommends a similar approach:
PHOTO BY IMAGEONE PHOTOGRAPHY
Pedestrian Crossings on Bank
Street
The City has agreed to modify
signal timing on Bank Street in the
Glebe and Old Ottawa South (from
Riverdale/Billings Bridge intersection to Glebe Avenue) to a fixed time
basis, from 7:00 am - 7:00 pm Monday - Friday and on Saturday and
Sunday from 9:00 am - 6:00 pm so
that pedestrians crossing East-West
will automatically get a signal and do
not have to push a button.
Signal timing changes in the Glebe
are expected by end of February and
the review of signal operations for
OOS should be completed in the next
few weeks. Once completed the City
will be in a better position to determine if and when traffic signals can
be operated on a fixed time cycle.
There are some concerns at Aylmer
due to the close proximity of the
traffic signal to the crest of the bridge
over the Rideau Canal.
The Intersection at Sunnyside &
Bank already runs on a fixed time for
the entire day.
By Susan Dallin O’Grady
On Sunday, April 27th, Old Ottawa
South children and teens can “Care
with Hair” by getting their hair cut
to be made into wigs to support
people with cancer or medical conditions which have caused them to
lose their hair. Wigs help to improve
self-image and confidence for people
already struggling with health challenges.
The event is being sponsored by
local salon - the Hair Republic (1093
Bank St.) “We are excited to participate and encourage the next generation the importance of giving back to
the community,” says Hair Republic
owner Michelle Nguyen.
How does it work: The event is
from 11am to 4pm. You can have
8 inches cut and donate to Pantene
www.beautifullengths.ca or 12 inches cut and donate to Angel Hair for
Kids – www.acvf.ca The hair will be
sent by the organizers on your behalf
to make wigs.
All hair cannot have been coloured/treated before and can only
have 5% grey which is why the
focus is on children/teens. Curly hair
can be pulled straight to measure to
the required amount. Haircuts (wash
and style) will cost $20 with 100%
of the proceeds being donated back
to the charity to help make the wigs.
A quick cut (hair must be clean and
dry) with no styling will cost $10.
Please consider getting a fresh cut
for spring and at the same time, help
brighten someone’s day with a hair
donation. Inspiring stories of children who have received donations
can be found at the www.acvf.ca
”meet-our-kids” page. “I’m getting
my hair cut because I want to make a
difference. Please join me and get a
hair cut,” says (my daughter) 9-yearold Anneka Dallin O’Grady.
How to participate: call the Hair
Republic today to make an appointment at: 613-695-0789. When booking, please indicate if you would like
a quick cut or a haircut/style.
Susan lives in Old Ottawa South,
and her daughter Anneka is getting
her hair cut!
Metcalfe signed as the route to Lansdowne -- using Metcalfe to Argyle to
Elgin to QED as the primary route,
and Catherine to Bank as the secondary/alternate route.
Once the signage plan is far enough
advanced the City will circulate to
all stakeholders for comments before
finalizing.
Safe Crossings at CBD & Clegg
and QED & Fifth Avenue
In February, the National Capital Commission (NCC) announced
that, in collaboration with the City
of Ottawa, it would move forward
with planned improvements this Fall
at Queen Elizabeth Driveway and
Fifth Avenue, as part of its efforts to
improve safety and facilitate crossing
for pedestrians crossing the parkways.
The crossing at Colonel By Drive
and Clegg Street will be the next
crossing to be completed, as soon as
funds are available. It is important to
note that the NCC is advancing the
crossing improvements separately
from the footbridge project but is
working closely with the City of Ottawa to align the planned design and
construction.
For more information see www.
capitalward.ca
Page 8
THE OSCAR
l
MARCH 2014
LOCAL NEWS
A Decade of Dining with Carmen
Bank St. just south of Belmont
Ave (but it’s more chic cuisine than
greasy spoon.)
“The fact that we’re still here indicates some success,” says Carmen,
who doesn’t like to brag or be in the
limelight. She feels successful only
when the restaurant is busy. About
25% of the clientele at Carmen’s
are regulars from the neighbourhood. “But that’s still not enough,”
she says. “ Ottawans don’t dine out
as much as people in Toronto and
Montreal. They’re just more conservative.”
Casually creative
She thinks what the customers do
like about Carmen’s, apart from the
interesting menu, “is the ambiance
and that it is casual...and cute...a lot
of people like the fish tank.”
To pick the restaurant’s name, a
friend of Carmen’s threw a few ideas
into a hat and Carmen’s Verandah got
picked (a play on the name of 1940’s
singer Carmen Miranda).
Carmen refers to herself as a cook
because she worries that many people
use the “chef” title without earning it
- “It’s not just a certificate, you have
to give it time and work your way up
the ladder.”
Carmen Letourneau, local resident and restaurateur. PHOTO BY TOM ALFÖLDI
By Tracey Morey
A dozen years ago, noted Ottawa
cook Carmen Letourneau fancied
opening a greasy spoon in her OSS
neighbourhood. There was a family
diner for sale on Bank Street, where
Tim Horton’s now stands. But the
purchaser would have to buy the
adjoining bingo hall.
Instead Carmen’s Veranda was
born 10 years ago last month on
From Teacher to Cookbooks
Carmen Jean Letourneau grew
up in Ottawa and went to teacher’s
college. She taught for five years,
but then she and her partner invested
in the Pigeon Bleu restaurant that is
now the Black Cat on Echo Drive.
Later, Carmen worked at the new Domus kitchen store on the market. “It
was fun and a big learning curve. We
weren’t trained cooks so we learned
from each other. Cookbooks really
started coming out then. We’d try all
the recipes, thereby promoting the
cookbooks.”
After Domus closed, its owner
partnered with Carmen to open a
little shop on the market that sold
vinegars, oils, herbs and spices. Then
she went to the new Paradiso Restaurant uptown on Bank St., which
became very successful, partly due
to Carmen. She partnered again, with
Ken Karook, in establishing Carmen’s.
New Formats
What Carmen looks for in a dish,
or a menu, are “flavors that go together.”
“And the food has to be easy
enough to execute because our
kitchen back there is so small.”
She says it’s also important to
change food format. Last year she got
bored with the restaurant menu and
introduced a Mexican influence (with
every taco and tortilla imaginable).
Carmen’s now also serves Saturday
and Sunday brunch (with French
toast and Texas toast).
She also got tired of posting the
daily menus in chalk on blackboards.
The restaurant went to paper menus,
which freed up the walls for displays
by local artists.
Carmen has lived on Fentiman,
Grosvenor and Belmont Avenues
over the last 30 years. Her three
children went to Hopewell and she
is a big fan of OOS. “What’s not to
like? The vicinity, the parks, the real
community feel. I mean, I live a fiveminute walk from work, but it takes
me 20 minutes to get here because of
all the people who stop to talk along
the way.”
Hopewell Public School to Keep 9 a.m. Start Time
Parents concerned about a rumoured
proposal to have Hopewell children
start school at 9:15 am and end at
3:45 pm can lay their minds at rest.
There will be no changes to the
Hopewell schedule, despite a citywide review of school start- and end-
times, the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority has confirmed.
The Transportation Authority – a
joint agency of the city’s public and
Catholic school boards – is responsible for bussing some 59,700 students
to 220 schools. The Authority is
conducting a city-wide review of its
bus routes and times, with the goal of
saving some $3.4 million. It aims to
PHOTO BY TOM ALFÖLDI
By Kate Jaimet
save the money by having each bus
complete three routes – instead of
just two – to drop-off and pick-up
children from school. However, the
change will mean that some schools
will have to shift their teaching hours
either earlier, or later, to accommodate the new bus schedules. The new
school hours would come into effect
in September 2015.
Earlier this year, the Authority sent out a newsletter to all 220
schools, alerting school administrators that they might face changes to
their school start - and end - times.
Hopewell School Principal Lynn
Watson said she was alarmed when
she learned about the possibility of a
later school day.
“I’m sure you could have seen
the white smoke coming out of this
office,” Watson said. “So I wrote
to the head of Transportation and I
said… 9:15 to 3:45 is too late. Too
late, simply because we are a walking
community and that puts the children
in November, December, January and
part of February often going home in
the dark.”
“It seemed like they listened,” she
added.
Watson said that of 800 students
at Hopewell, approximately 100
take the bus. She added that if the
Transportation Authority is looking
for efficiencies, it might consider
consolidating two of the Hopewell
bus routes into one, since the routes
overlap and the buses do not appear
to be full.
School Board Trustee Rob Campbell said the Board will vote on the
changes proposed by the Transportation Authority later this spring.
Public consultations will be held in
April, May and June. Campbell said
that overall he’s skeptical of later
start times.
“I think a 9:15 time is problematic
for a lot of parents. Most workplaces
expect you to be there at 9:00,” he
said.
THE OSCAR
l
Page 9
MARCH 2014
LOCAL NEWS
Volunteering in Old Ottawa South
By Rosalind Bialowas
“You make a living by what you get.
You make a life by what you give.”
2014 is a great year to volunteer!
Particularly with such a cold weather
start to the year, it’s good to look
for ways to warm the soul. Thinking
back to some recent volunteer experiences, I can see a number of days that
felt brighter, when we volunteered.
What caused that glow?
The OSCA 35th Anniversary
Porch Sale was a good example of
finding that warm and fuzzy feeling.
My youngest daughter, Lara, was
“voluntold” that she was coming
with me, as there wasn’t another
plan for her. But she ended up
thoroughly enjoying selling drinks
at the hot dog stand. It was so much
more fun than she expected. She
saw her friends (some of whom
we had roped into helping with us)
and participated in a role (serving
refreshments) that made her feel
proud and confident. Feeling like
she was really helping; contributing
to something that she was a part
of; was extremely positive. When I
next talked about volunteering at the
Breakfast with Santa, she was very
keen. I was pleased to see how much
her perspective on volunteering had
changed - she had learnt that it comes
with a good feeling, and that feeling
lasts long after the event is over.
When we moved to this neighbourhood over four years ago, I
was impressed with the community
celebrations that we enjoy in Old Ottawa South. Occasions like Fall Fest
provided me with the opportunity to
talk to the other families that I had
been seeing around the neighbourhood. There wasn’t the same program
of events where I lived before; or
that feeling of being part of a “village in the city” when I lived in a
more spread out area. The contrast
made me feel that these events cannot be taken for granted, and I was
impressed by how they were brought
together by the efforts of the community.
As these activities are important
to me, it was rewarding to join the
team that put together the unique
social parties that have been held
at the Firehall. The first one (“The
21 Club”) was to celebrate the new
building, held in 2010; inspired by
the 1920s, we revisited the year that
the Firehall was built. Following the
success of that evening, the group
of volunteers reformed and moved
our theme to the 1960s, with the TV
period drama “Mad Men”. As these
events were such one-off unique
occasions, the next year we left the
decades theme entirely and stepped
into the world of magic with a “Night
Circus” party, from the novel of the
same name. Most recently we were
influenced by James Bond’s 50th
birthday and had an evening of spies
and cocktails. During the planning of
these events I got to know the other
team members much better. Through
these experiences friendships developed, providing not only the reward
of seeing everyone’s enjoyment of
something that we had made, but also
nurturing friendships and connections
that will last long after the party is
over.
Joining OSCA’s Special Events
committee has enabled me to continue to contribute to activities that
bring people together. I have also
learned more about event planning,
and met new people. I can see where
volunteers are needed, and if I can’t
always be on the committee, I know
that I can always volunteer for specific events, as a way of taking part.
I have been drawn to the fizz and
sparkle of the glitzy parties, but I
should mention that there is a different area, where another member of
my family has quietly volunteered.
He has done it in a way that is almost
invisible (like the Elves and the
Shoemaker!) but the results have also
been enjoyed by many. My husband,
Cory, is part of the team that floods
the ice at Windsor park. Hockey, ringette and skating have always meant
a lot to him, and he appreciated all
the times he had ice to play on growing up, so this is an area of interest
that he was keen to devote time to.
He loves the way that the informal
games bring together people of all
ages, and from all over the community, around the hockey we love.
Seeing that enjoyment means even
more when you have contributed to
it. There’s that warm glow again!
All these voluntary activities generate a feeling of belonging. Contributing to something that matters to us,
whilst providing a sense of doing
something worthwhile, meeting new
people and building connections
with friends. Learning new skills,
or improving and sharing old ones.
Motivated by the results of a job that
has made others happy; it strengthens
our ties to the community.
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Page 10
THE OSCAR
l
MARCH 2014
BETWEEN THE BRIDGES BABY
Baby 101
By Heather Lynch
When I first learned I was going to
be a mother, I began to read up on
the many ways to educate a baby,
a toddler, a child. I scoured various
websites and downloaded countless applications to my smartphone
informing me of what educational activities were appropriate for whatever
week, month, year a child happened
to be at the time. When my son was
born this past July, I was determined
to apply my new knowledge with
efforts to read to him, sing to him,
expose him to stories, songs, rhymes,
toys, sights, sounds, tastes. Now that
he is six months of age, my husband
and I have begun the daunting search
for a daycare and prepared for our
first ‘interview’ with a potential
school with all of the anxiety and
nervousness of a student sitting down
to write a university exam. And yet,
as I reflect on my new experiences as
a mother, I cannot help but acknowledge that Logan has taught me way
more than I have taught him. A few
of the many humbling lessons I’ve
learned this past year include:
Don’t apologize for asking for what
you really need
It was a miserable Saturday morning. The streets were covered in a
thick sheen of ice, it was pouring;
it was a good day for staying in bed
and not much else. But Logan and I
had scheduled slots at the gym – a
kickboxing class for me, an hour and
a half in the infant play centre for
him. And so, I scraped off the car,
stuffed him into his snowsuit and off
we went. He settled in to an exersaucer at the play centre, full of smiles
and laughs. I bounded down the hall
to the gymnasium, strapped on my
running shoes, and began to throw
punches and kicks into a punching
bag. Ten minutes into the class, one
of the daycare providers popped her
head in the door of the gymnasium,
waving frantically. “Logan needs
you!” she mouthed. I bolted out of
the gym and back to the play centre,
where my child was crying as if his
entire world had just come to a crushing end. I picked him up and held
him close – and we spent the next 45
minutes rocking in a chair until he
had calmed down enough for us to
get back in the car and go home.
When we were finally back in the
house and he had relaxed somewhat,
I thought to myself how many times
I had apologized, felt remorseful, or
embarrassed, for asking for what I
needed, particularly if those needs
would impact upon someone else,
cause them to alter plans, or to stop
doing something they wanted to be
doing. Yet, as Logan showed me that
day, when you desperately need a
shoulder to cry on – ask for that very
thing. The people who love you most
will be happy to oblige.
Actions speak louder than words
Obviously, my baby can’t talk.
Yet he is able to communicate his
wants, needs, and feelings with
startling precision. A lot of the time
this involves fussing or crying. Yet,
in the middle of one cold winter
night, when I had been up with him
every hour, on the hour, he began to
cry once more. I dutifully, groggily,
padded my way across the hall and in
to his room and picked him up. This
time, however, instead of the usual
fussing until we had settled down to
feed, he placed both his tiny hands on
either side of my face and began to
stroke my cheeks. It could have been
exhaustion-induced delirium but in
that moment I felt with all my heart
that he understood and was grateful
to know that no matter how tired I
was, his cries would always be met
with my arms. He didn’t need words
to tell me – a soft touch and an adoring gaze said everything he needed
me to know.
It doesn’t matter that everyone else
is doing it
Logan slept in a swing for the
first five months of his life. FIVE
MONTHS. In a SWING. I worried
endlessly about what this might do
to his sense of balance, if all the
frightening stories about his head not
moulding to the proper shape by never lying flat were true – what on earth
I was going to do when he finally
outgrew the thing. Every few weeks I
would muster up the will and put the
swing away, determined to get him
to sleep through the night in a crib,
like every other baby. Invariably this
would result in a completely sleepless night, with both of us exhausted
and defeated in the morning. Come
the following night, I would regretfully place him back in his swing and
he would drift peacefully off to sleep.
It seemed an insolvable problem.
On Christmas night, we were in
Montreal visiting my family and
were staying the night. I had packed
up the swing and brought it with
us. When he started to show signs
of being ready for bed, yawning
and rubbing his eyes, I placed him
gently in his swing and started to
creep quietly out of the room. He
started fussing, squirming, kicking
his legs and pumping his little fists
angrily. I picked him back up and
was once again met with big yawns.
I half-heartedly walked towards the
crib my mom had set up for us in the
hope that maybe, someday, Logan
would use it, and set him down. His
tiny legs stretched out as far as they
would go, he flung his hands over his
head and promptly fell in to a deep,
sound sleep. And never spent another
night in the swing. He was ready. It
didn’t matter that every other baby
I had ever met was ready to sleep
in a crib from six weeks of age – he
needed five months. And that was
perfectly fine.
Logan teaches me things about myself and about life every single day. I
am appreciative of some of these lessons more than others, but I do feel I
have gained wisdom and changed in
very fundamental ways, and for that,
I am immeasurably grateful.
Heather Lynch is an Old Ottawa
South resident and a new(ish)mom
See the play “Family in a Box” at the Glebe
Community Centre on March 26-29 at 7:30pm.
Featuring local actors including Mary Hill.
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THE OSCAR
l
Page 11
MARCH 2014
IN MEMORIAM
Philip Clarke (1965-2014)
By Don
Cummer
Some of
us were on
our way to a
hockey weekend
when we heard that
our good friend, Philip
Clarke, had lost his battle
with cancer. For some, the news
cancelled the trip, but for others, this
was the best way to mark his passing
– the way he would have wanted his
wake to be held.
We gathered around the cottage stove and shared what we had
learned. We toasted his memory over
a meal of homemade fetuccine alle
vongole. We hauled out the guitars and harmonicas and sang into
the night, the way we did when he
cheered us on.
And in between: hockey on frozen
lakes, with the wind coming down
through the mountains while the late
afternoon sun illuminates the peaks.
Philip used to love these hockey
weekends.
Philip was a regular at the Thursday night shinny games at Windsor
Park. He played well, and he made
it seem effortless. When tending the
nets, he would block a shot simply
turning his skate blades to the puck.
He played with a whimsical smile on
his face, and watchful, laughing eyes.
At the end of the season, we would
learn what he had been watching and
why he had laughed. He co-hosted an
annual awards night where outlandish trophies were given to various
players, and his commentary on why
each recipient deserved the award
had us all in stitches. He found words
and details
to capture the
endearing features of
his friends and colleagues. This was
never mean-spirited – always something we could all laugh at together.
Philip had a remarkable capacity for friendship. At his funeral, we
were reminded that he was as comfortable in a corporate boardroom as
at the Chesterville demolition derby.
He could take up a thread of conversation months later – showing how
intently he had been listening, and
carefully he had thought about what
had been said. He talked openly and
frankly about his illness. He let us
share that road with him.
Philip had responded to cancer
with all the grace and intelligence
that were his hallmark. He brought
his manager skills to bear with a
three-point agenda.
1. Beat the disease.
2. Push for elimination of Government acceptance of the tobacco
industry.
3. Raise awareness for lung cancer.
For some of us, the last time we
saw him was last November at An
Evening of Hope – a fundraiser in
his honour, where we were reminded
that, even though it kills more people
than other higher-profile cancers
combined, lung cancer receives
less than one percent of private
donations in search of a cure. More
information can be found at www.
lungcancercanada.ca.
And so when the lads met at the
lakeside cottage, Philip was very
much present in our memories and
conversations. He would have been
there. He would have wanted us to
be there. It was the perfect place to
gather to mourn and to celebrate.
We came back down from the
Gatineaus, and on Monday put on
our suits for the visitation. Put them
on again for the funeral on Tuesday,
where the eulogy referred to Philip’s
tremendous love for his family, and
his care and attention for the families of his friends. The community
at large became part of his extended
family. He spent evenings coaching
hockey and helping flood the Windsor Park rink.
The Reverend Mark Whittall
presided at the funeral. Mark used
to play hockey on Thursday nights
before taking on his responsibilities
at St. Alban’s Anglican Church. He
spoke of Philip’s spiritual quest in his
last year – and his ability to use text
messaging to raise profound issues.
Many OSCAR readers will know
Philip through his love and devotion to his family – his beautiful
wife Marianne and three exceptional
children, Emma, Hannah and Patrick.
Others will recall the Halloween
parties and the barbecues, the road
trips to NFL games and evenings out
at Rideau Carleton Raceway. They’ll
remember his service to St. Margaret
Mary’s Church, and the challenging
jobs he was given at the City of
Ottawa and the Government of
Canada.
But when we gather for shinny
on Thursday nights, we’re going to
remember those watchful, laughing
eyes. When someone does something
that elicits a chuckle, we might ask
ourselves, “I wonder what Philip
would have said about that…”
Don Cummer has contributed to
OSCAR many times over the years
– for almost as long as he and his
buddies have been flooding the
Windsor Park rinks.
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Page 12
THE OSCAR
l
MARCH 2014
MP’S REPORT
Canadians Deserve Answers on Government Spying
and Privacy Protections
By Paul Dewar, MP
Many Canadians are rightly
concerned about the alarming reports indicating that the
Communications Security
Establishment of Canada
(CSEC) has collected the
metadata of Canadian travellers at airports through wireless internet. This metadata
includes information such as
the name of everyone who
used the airport Wi-Fi, the
electronic device they used,
and the name of the person
they communicated with.
According to the National
Defence Act, the activities of CSEC shall “not be
directed at Canadians or any
person in Canada.” Despite
repeated questioning from
New Democrats in parliament, the government has so
far refused to say whether it
authorized the CSEC metadata airport operation.
My colleagues and I continue to call for greater transparency regarding CSEC’s
activities and parliamentary
oversight of the organization.
Recently, we tabled a motion in the House of Com-
mons calling on the Minister
of National Defence and the
Chief of CSEC, John Forster,
to appear before the Defence
Committee to respond to the
metadata collection revelations.
In October, New Democrats also introduced a motion calling for the creation
of a parliamentary committee
to determine the appropriate method of oversight for
Canada’s intelligence organizations. Unfortunately, the
Conservative government
did not support this motion,
once again demonstrating
their dismissive attitude to
the concerns expressed by
Canadians regarding the
protection of their privacy,
especially as it relates to
intelligence operations.
This attitude is in line with
the Conservative government’s previous attempts to
introduce their Lawful Access legislation allowing for
unrestricted access to online
data identification without
warrants. Thanks to the over-
whelming opposition and
pressure from civil society
groups and concerned
Canadians, the legislation
did not pass.
As parliamentarians,
it’s our responsibility to
balance public safety and
national security interests
against the privacy rights of
law-abiding Canadians. One
need only look at the treatment of Mr. Maher Arar, who
experienced rendition and
torture in Syria as a result of
faulty intelligence, to understand the absolute importance
of maintaining this balance.
The government’s track
record when it comes to
upholding its responsibility to protect the personal
information and privacy of
Canadians leaves much to
be desired. In 2012, Human
Resources and Skills Development Canada lost a USB
stick containing the personal
information of over 500,000
Canadians. There was no
formal investigation of this
incident until January 2013.
Since the Conservative government has come to power,
the personal information of
over one million Canadians
has been compromised in
over 3,000 privacy breaches.
New Democrats have attempted to bring Canada’s
privacy legislation up to
date with Bill C-475 An
Act to Amend the Personal
Information Protection and
Electronic Documents Act.
The Bill proposed giving the
Privacy Commissioner the
power to make compliance
orders and the Federal Court
the power to impose fines in
cases of non-compliance.
My colleagues and I will
continue to hold the government to account to uphold its
responsibility to protect the
privacy and personal information of Canadians.
MPP’S REPORT
Setting a Fair Minimum Wage in Ontario
By Yasir Naqvi, MPP
The Government of Ontario believes
that hardworking families deserve
fairness, and that businesses in our
province deserve the certainty to plan
for success.
This is why I was proud to join
Premier Kathleen Wynne to announce that we are taking a balanced
approach and responsibly increasing
our province’s minimum wage.
Yasir Naqvi, MPP
Ottawa Centre
Here to help you!
Community Office
109 Catherine Street
Ottawa ON K2P 0P4
T: 613-722-6414 | F: 613-722-6703
[email protected]
www.yasirnaqvimpp.ca
fb facebook.com/yasirnaqvimpp
tw @yasir_naqvi
Minimum wage will increase from
$10.25 to $11 per hour on June 1,
2014. This new rate reflects the rise
in the Consumer Price Index (CPI)
since the last increase in 2010, and is
part of the provincial government’s
commitment to fairness. Increasing the minimum wage will
help improve the standard of living
for hardworking Ontarians across
the province, while ensuring that
businesses have the predictability
necessary to plan for the future. We
are helping people in their everyday
lives, while at the same time supporting a dynamic and innovative
business environment throughout our
province.
Our government will also introduce legislation that would tie future
minimum wage increases to the CPI.
This will ensure the minimum wage
keeps up with the cost of living, and
that increases are predictable for
businesses and families. Under the
proposed legislation, increases would
be announced annually by April 1
and come into effect on October 1.
The proposed legislation would act
on the recommendations of Ontario’s
Minimum Wage Advisory Panel,
which included business, labour,
youth and anti-poverty representatives. The panel held 10 public
consultations across the province,
including one in Ottawa in November, 2013, and received more than
400 submissions from businesses,
labour groups, workers, anti-poverty
advocates, academics, and individual
Ontarians.
Our government is raising the
minimum wage to $11 in Ontario
from $10.25, because we believe
that having a fair minimum wage is
important and we are also ensuring
that moving forward, minimum wage
in Ontario keeps pace with the cost of
living.
It is important to note that increasing minimum wage is one part of our
focus on investing in people, which
includes important programs like
the Ontario Child Benefit, the Trillium Grant, and the introduction of
Full-Day Kindergarten. At $11 an
hour, a single person or a single mom
working full-time will now be living
above the poverty line after taxes.
We believe that $11 an hour is a
good, fair minimum wage and by
making sure that it keeps pace with
the cost of living, Ontario will now
have the highest minimum wage in
Canada. We are very proud that we
are leading in ensuring that hard
working Ontarians who work on
minimum wage are getting a decent
wage.
By establishing a transparent, fair and responsible method
of setting minimum wage in the
future, we are taking politics out of
how minimum wage is determined.
This will provide fairness for Ontario workers and their families, and
predictability and transparency for
our businesses to remain competitive
and succeed.
This is part of the Ontario government’s economic plan to invest in
people, build modern infrastructure,
and support a dynamic and innovative business climate.
For more information, you can visit
www.ontario.ca/labour. Please do not
hesitate to contact me at my Community Office at ynaqvi.mpp.co@liberal.
ola.org or 613-722-6414 if you have
any questions. I look forward to hearing from you.
THE OSCAR
l
Page 13
MARCH 2014
MAYOR’S REPORT
Reforming the National Capital Commission
By Mayor Jim Watson
I have long been an advocate for
reform at the National Capital Commission (NCC) and since being
elected Mayor in 2010 it has only become more apparent to me that this is
an organization that needs to change
or else risk hindering the progress of
our great city.
As a first step toward reform
Mayor Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin of
Gatineau and I recently wrote to
Prime Minister Stephen Harper to
ask that the Mayors of Ottawa and
Gatineau be given the ability to each
name a directly elected representative to the NCC board of directors, to
be nominated by our respective City
Councils.
The key reason for this letter is that
the majority of the NCC’s current
board members are neither from the
National Capital Region nor chosen
by its residents and that should not
be the case. I understand wanting to
bring pan-national representation to
the board, but those who know Ottawa best are those who live here not
those who fly in for board meetings.
It would be a common sense reform
towards accountability to make the
majority of the NCC board members
National Capital residents.
More broadly, I believe that the
NCC needs to refocus its mandate.
Over the past three years as Mayor,
my council colleagues and I have
worked well with the NCC but often
we are discussing the minutia of city
projects such as what types of plants
will be planted at our Light Rapid
Transit (LRT) stations. These are
issues that our city staff members are
more than capable of handling on
their own, while the NCC should be
focused on the large-scale issues of
national significance for which they
are mandated.
Refocusing the NCC’s mandate
could understandably take some
time but I believe that the board of
directors of the NCC can be made
more accountable, and representative
of Ottawa’s interests immediately
should the Prime Minister act on the
recommendation of our joint letter to
him.
The taxpayers of Ottawa and
Gatineau deserve to be represented
at the NCC because the organization’s decisions have direct fi-
nancial implications for them. It is
time for their voices to be heard not
only at the city council table but also
at the NCC board room table, and I
believe that this would be a welcome
first step towards reforming an organization that has lost its way.
Help me convince the Federal Government to bring greater accountability to the NCC by emailing me your
comments at [email protected]
COUNCILLOR’S REPORT
Who’s in Charge of Planning Anyway?
By David Chernushenko,
City Councillor
Planning
A funny thing happened at a recent
Council meeting. A developer’s
rezoning application — supported
at the previous Planning Committee meeting by all but one dissenting
councillor — became a target for
councillors who seemed to want to
demonstrate that they won’t simply
rubber-stamp any development proposal that comes before them. That
this agenda item garnered a surprising eight votes against it (but still 16
in favour) should not be a surprise.
But it was.
How did the state of planning/
development in Ottawa reach this
point? A reasonable person might
expect a pretty standard level of
scrutiny for any application for rezoning or for additional “variances”
(height, reduced setbacks from lot
lines, removal of significant trees,
addition or removal of on-site parking and more). First by City staff,
then the councillor’s office, a local
community association and maybe at
a public meeting. Finally, if required,
it might be reviewed by Planning
Committee and Council or, in certain
circumstances, the Committee of
Adjustment.
The same reasonable person might
expect City staff, ultimately supported by Planning Committee/Council, to inform developers that their
requests will only be granted in exceptional circumstances. This should
be true whether it’s a large company
seeking rezoning, or a resident who
wants a variance to build an addition.
One might expect changes to only
be approved if a strong case can be
made that neighbourhood character will be maintained (e.g. height,
on-site parking, front porches), that
compensatory measures will be taken
(e.g. planting of replacement trees of
a similar type), and that the project
is compatible with the Official Plan
and/or a Community Design Plan.
To some degree, this is happening.
And yet it appears to most reasonable
people that the norm is to approve almost anything developers ask for. In
the rare instance where an application
is rejected, the ultimate indignity is to
then see the Ontario Municipal Board
side with the developer.
How does this happen, and what
can we do about it? It’s easy to list
examples of projects getting full
“official” support, over the vocal
objections of a majority of residents.
It’s harder to explain why, and harder
still to redress the balance. Councillor Diane Holmes, in a recent scathing community paper column, put
much of the blame on a system that
has compromised the judgment and
integrity of the Planning and Growth
Management Department.
I see no clear evidence of unprofessional conduct, but it appears to most
observers that a sort of Stockholm
Syndrome has crept into the planning
and development process. That may
be an exaggeration, but if City planning review staff know that Planning
Committee is likely to approve all but
the most glaringly inappropriate proposals, and that Council will likely
rubber-stamp the decision of Planning Committee, and that the OMB
will ultimately side with a developer
on appeal, is it any wonder that even
the most professional person might
be disinclined to give too much
weight to neighbourhood character,
or apply too strict an interpretation of
the Official Plan?
The solution? First, staff and
Council must complete the work they
have been doing this term to more
definitively and precisely identify the
attributes of neighbourhood character
that should be protected/promoted.
Second, we must approve this work
when it comes before Council this
spring. Third, Council must give staff
a good reason to be firm and consistent in the application of those tools
we have created (or have always
had), by conscientiously supporting
the citizens who elected us.
Developers admit they will find a
way to make a profit under any set
of rules, but that uncertainty is the
biggest waste of everyone’s time and
money.
I will keep working towards improving the certainty that community
interests will be given top priority.
Safer crossings
Good news for anyone who has
ever risked their life to walk, sprint,
cycle or drag children safely across
Queen Elizabeth or Colonel By Dr.:
The NCC and the City of Ottawa
will collaborate to ensure that a new,
signalized crossing is constructed at
Fifth Ave. and QED this summer. The
NCC further promises to add a cross-
ing at Clegg and Colonel By as soon
as funds are available. Though we’d
also like to see the Canal footbridge
built sooner than later, this is a good
start.
Elgin/QED/Pretoria Changes to the triangular intersection
at Elgin, Isabella, Pretoria and Queen
Elizabeth Dr. are meant to make it
safer for pedestrians, cyclists and
drivers. I’ve been hearing that while
initial changes have made east-west
travel safer, they’ve resulted in more
and faster vehicle traffic turning onto
Pretoria from Queen Elizabeth, thus
making it less safe for anyone crossing on foot. In consultation with the
local community association and residents, City staff will soon be proposing modifications aimed at reducing
traffic speed and improving visibility.
Councillor David Chernushenko,
613-580-2487, [email protected], www.capitalward.ca
HEATING, Your rights as a tenant
As we try our best to stay warm this winter season, remember that
as a tenant, you have the right to a working heating system in your
apartment that can maintain a temperature of 20°C throughout your
unit (Property Standards By-Law No. 2013-416, City of Ottawa). If
your unit doesn’t meet this minimum, contact your landlord.
If you need additional help, call 3-1-1.
Page 14
THE OSCAR
l
MARCH 2014
MUSIC
School of Rock
“Maybe,” says Crook, explaining why he plays as Yield. “I
wanted my music and my profession to be separate. I didn’t want
to play in Ottawa as ‘Professor Crook.’ I wanted a separate
identity, persona even, for my
music.” This separation of identities, however, is getting harder
to maintain. One of the classes
Crook teaches at Carleton every
year has 600 students, so current
and former students frequently
recognize him when he plays
around town.
Yield’s music is firmly couched
in the rich traditions of folk and
indie music - reminiscent of artists like Bon Iver and Damien
Rice - with rich and poignant
lyrics. But don’t be fooled into
thinking the music is purely
“folksy” as it also draws influYield, Zeba Crook (L) and Wilhelmus Poirier (R), at an
ence from indie artists like The
Open-Mic night.
PHOTO BY ASHLEY NEWALL
National, Radiohead, and The
Flaming Lips.
By Erik van der Torre
Yield, who has been playing in Ottawa for four
years, has recently been joined on stage
Old Ottawa South resident Zeba Crook is known
by another resident of Old Ottawa South,
as Professor Crook by day, but transforms into
Wilhelmus Poirier, on electric bass. They
singer-songwriter Yield by night. During the day,
have been playing together now for five
Professor Crook is an internationally respected Bibmonths, and despite the age difference, there
lical Scholar who teaches at Carleton University. At
is a real chemistry between the two on stage.
night, Yield has been carving out a presence in the
“Being a singer-songwriter is much more
Ottawa folk and rock scene. And while his daytime
fun with others up there with you, and Will
writing is occupied with working on a scholarly
complements my music so much,” adds Yield.
textbook for Oxford University Press, at night he
The feeling is mutual. When Poirier
writes songs and lyrics. Are Dr. Crook and Yield
decided to enter the Bachelor of Humanities
Old Ottawa South’s own Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?
rather than take a degree in music, he assumed he
would not be playing much music. But at the end
of a course he took with Crook in 2013, he learned
that his professor was a musician. After hearing
Yield play a few times last summer, Poirier let
it be known that he was a bass player. Within a
few weeks they were practicing together, and the
rapport was instant.
So Poirier is a student at Carleton, and Crook is a
professor there. How does that work? Poirier finds
it easy to straddle the two realms, school and music: “At school he’s more of a mentor, but it feels
more mutual to me when we’re playing together,
like more of an equal relationship.” Crook adds:
“I’m aware of the professional boundaries that need
to exist at school. But it’s impossible not to talk
about the music at school, and sometimes to talk
about school while practicing the music.”
Both musicians find great value in the creativity.
“I write the bass lines and it really does feel like
I’m creating. It’s not like the creativity I get to feel
in my studies,” says Poirier. Yield talks about how
that collaboration changes the music he writes. “It’s
not just Will playing along to my songs,” he says.
“Will’s presence itself, his input, and the bass lines
he adds are part of a creative process that changes
the whole song. It turns my songs, into our songs.”
March Special
If Ottawa once had a reputation for being a town
without much of an art scene, it is not the case
today. The music scene here is “burgeoning,” says
Yield. More and more places host live music, many
of them with an appreciation for original music,
and there are more and more musicians vying to
play them.
“There are so many great musicians in this city,”
says Yield, “and lots of great little music communities.” He talks about the Open-Mics (events where
people come to share a few songs) at Quinn’s Pub,
The Lunenburg, and Mugshots. “The number of
serious and talented musicians at these events is
amazing.” Yield notes the number of musicians he
has met on the open-mic scene, and the number of
gigs that have come from them.
Recently, Yield has won every round of a battle
of the bands hosted by The Lunenburg Pub (14
Waller St, at Rideau St.), qualifying for the Champions’ League final on March 7. “I’m very excited.
It is a great honor to be heard by people.” The
winner on that night, chosen by votes on the night,
wins a day in a professional recording studio.
Yield’s music can be heard at ReverbNation
(reverbnation.com/yieldthesinger) and seen on YouTube (youtube.com/yieldottawa).
Erik van der Torre is a stay at home dad and lives
in Old Ottawa South
THE OSCAR
l
Page 15
MARCH 2014
SOUTHSIDE
Register Now at Southside for September 2014!
By Paige Raymond Kovach
Southside’s Early Childhood Educators offer inquiry-based learning
programs for preschool and schoolaged children. There are a variety of
programs available for children and
families running from September
2014 until June 2015.
Ready for Kindergarten! Program
for Children Aged 2 ½ to 4
Building on the success of Southside’s Nursery School, Ready for
Kindergarten is an inquiry-based
learning program that will prepare
your child for successful entry into
full-day kindergarten. Our Registered Early Childhood Educators
bring literacy and numeracy to life
with age-appropriate games, stories,
technology, and crafts. We bring our
learning outdoors to explore science
and enjoy gross-motor activities. We
also develop the self-regulation skills
and abilities that are key for the
easy transition to school. Your child
will experiment, explore, imagine,
engage, and craft with children his or
her age. Ready for Kindergarten runs
from 9 a.m. to noon (with an early
drop-off option starting at 8:30 a.m.
for an additional cost). Subject to
enrollment. There is a $40 registration fee.
Two days per week (Tuesday and
Thursdays) $164 per month
Three days per week (MondayWednesday-Friday) $246 per month
Five days per week $410 per
month
Welcome to the Family Zone
Southside Preschool wants to give
back to our community’s families.
In the fall of 2014 we will offer
free sessions for parents, grandparents and guardians. For an hour and
a half each week, participants meet
to discuss topics relevant to child
development and share information
among themselves and with experts.
September will feature a series of
“meet and greet” sessions where parents can connect with other parents
in the neighbourhood. In October,
Southside will invite health professionals conduct workshops with participants on topics such as nutrition,
behaviour, and guidelines for screen
time. Two weeks in November will
be set aside for participant-driven
topics. Subject to enrollment. Cost Free
In January 2015, we begin fiveweek sessions for the parent/grandparent and four-year-old child who
will be entering kindergarten in
September 2015. They will participate together in hands-on workshops
focusing on school-readiness. These
workshops will reflect the programming and logic of our Ready for
Kindergarten! Program.
Literacy Unit: January 23 - February 19
Southside’s Registered Early
Childhood Educators will introduce
fun and educational ways to bring
literacy into the home. We will tell
stories, sing, play games and create art to help with letter and sound
recognition. Discover the different
ways you can bring reading into your
home life, and literacy strategies to
help your child on his or her path to
reading.
Numeracy/Math Unit: March 26 April 23
Southside’s Registered Early
Childhood Educators will introduce
fun and educational ways to bring
numeracy and math into your home.
Topics will include: measuring, sequencing, patterning, cycles, graphs,
geometry, and size.
Self -Regulation Unit: May 7 June 4
Research has shown children who
are able to self regulate are more
likely to succeed in school (Stuart
Shanker, a philosophy and psychology professor at York University).
Southside’s Registered Early Childhood Educators will show you how
to help your child increase his or
her ability to regulate behavior,
focus attention, follow instructions,
co-operate with teachers and other
children, remember things he or she
needs to do, as well as assess and
reflect on personal strengths, needs,
and interests. Children will learn
strategies to meet needs and achieve
personal goals, be responsible for
their actions, sharpen abilities, and to
use problem-solving skills.
Each unit lasts for five weeks, at
a cost of $80 per unit. Subject to
enrollment.
Kinders After School Program
Southside’s Registered Early
Childhood Educators will walk your
child from Hopewell Avenue Public
School to our Southside program.
Your Home
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Recorded Info Line:
800-663-3897 ID# 6
Together the group will explore
the interests of the children in an
inquiry-based learning environment. In a safe, nurturing class, your
kindergarten child will be encouraged to be creative, active, and
social in accordance with his or her
needs and desires. Students will be
invited to ask questions to provide
the core interactive programming.
For example, a child asks how does
a battery make a clock work, and the
programming may include making a
lemon battery. How long is a whale
shark? This could lead to measuring
out with a meter stick how long a
whale shark is, drawing it on paper,
and measuring how many children it
takes to fill the paper. What happens
when a pumpkin rots? Well, why not
plant a pumpkin in soil and document
what happens. A nutritious snack will
be provided. Kinders After School
Program runs Monday to Friday from
3:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. Part-time
option available. Cost is $280 per
month. Subject to enrollment.
Primary After School Program for
Grades 1-3
A Southside teacher will meet your
child at Hopewell’s Friendship Tree
and walk him or her to our Southside program. Your child can choose
the zone where he or she would like
to spend time. The zones include a
creative zone, game zone, quiet zone,
or active zone. The creative zone
may include arts and crafts, music,
or dramatic play; game zone allows
your child to engage with others with
board or social games; in the quiet
zone they can read, complete homework, or socialize calmly with peers;
in the active zone they can play
games such as balloon volleyball,
scooter hockey or enjoy the outdoors
with gross-motor activities. A nutritious snack will be provided. Primary
After School Program runs Monday
to Friday from 3:30 p.m. until 5:30
p.m. Cost is $280 per month. Parttime option is available. Subject to
enrollment.
To register:
Please visit the website www.
southsidepreschool.ca to download a
registration form. Bring your
completed form, your child’s
immunization records, and prepayment of September’s fee as a
non-refundable deposit to Sharon in
the Southside office located at the
back of Southminster United Church,
15 Aylmer Ave. For more information
call 613-730-5819, or e-mail [email protected].
Southside Where Your Child Will Imagine,
Explore, Engage, and Experiment.
New programs available September 2014 to June 2015!
Ready for Kindergarten - Program for Children Aged 2 ½ to 4
Registered Early Childhood Educators bring literacy and numeracy to life
with age-appropriate games, stories, imaginative play, technology, and crafts.
Available 9 a.m. to noon. Full and part-time options.
Welcome to the Family Zone
Southside hosts sessions for parents, grandparents and guardians to
discuss topics relevant to child development and share information among
themselves and with experts. January 2015, we begin five-week sessions for
the parent/grandparent and four-year-old child who will be entering kindergarten
to participate together in hands-on workshops focusing on school-readiness.
Kinders After School Program
Registered Early Childhood Educators use inquiry-based activities to encourage
Kinders to be creative, active, and social. A nutritious snack will be provided.
Available 3:30 until 5:30 p.m. Full and part-time options.
Primary After School Program for Grades 1-3
A Southside teacher will meet your child at Hopewell’s Friendship Tree and walk
him or her to our Southside program. Your child can choose the zone where
they would like to spend time: the creative zone, game zone, quiet zone, or active
zone. A nutritious snack will be provided. Available 3:30 until 5:30 p.m.
Full and part-time options.
Brokerage
Dan Moloughney, B.Eng.
www.
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613.233.2323
.com
For a complete overview of all the programs, dates and
times, and to register, visit our website.
www.southsidepreschool.ca
613-730-5819
Page 16
THE OSCAR
l
MARCH 2014
FAITH NEWS
Southminster United Church - Body and Soul
By Peter Harder
It has been a long, snowy and cold
winter; a good time perhaps to reflect
on Centre 7 and its “Out-of-theCold” Saturday Suppers, hosted by
Southminster United Church. This
weekly dinner offering began in
1998. It is open to all and children
are welcome. Organizers do not survey guests, or ask for any information about their personal or financial
circumstances. It offers a warm, nonjudgemental space for those who may
be looking for social interaction but
cannot afford a dinner outing. And
the food is great!
Over the past 15 years, Centre 7
has served over 15,000 meals to its
guests. The weekly number is about
65 on average through the twentyone weeks of winter. A team of
volunteers are responsible for set-up,
and take-down, food prep and cooking, greeting, registering and then
serving and socializing with guests,
and clean-up.
I’ve had the pleasure of being a
volunteer for the past number of
years. Our cooking group consists of
my son and his friends - young professionals - for whom this experience
is an expression of their collective
sense of community. This year some
1500 guests will enjoy delicious
meals - appetizers, main course,
veggies, desserts and refreshments.
There is always a vegan/vegetarian
option as well.
The programme is supported
through the joint fundraising efforts of Southminster United, Trinity
Anglican and St. Matthew’s Anglican
churches, and through donations
from other churches and the broader
community. In addition, local merchants have been generous with their
support. For example, for the past
five years, Life of Pie has donated 60
pies a year. And for the past six years
the Clothes Secret has donated funds
from its annual coat sale to Centre 7.
As a special fundraising effort,
and through initial funding from the
Old Ottawa South Community Association, a community cook book
entitled, From our Table to Yours:
Favourite recipes from member of
the Old Ottawa South Community is
now available for $25. If you would
like a copy, drop by the Southminster
Church office. You will enjoy the
delicious and easy to cook recipes.
Also, consider volunteering. Valerie Macintosh (yes, Valerie from the
Clothes Secret) is coordinating the
volunteers and would welcome your
participation. So drop by the shop.
Valerie is enthusiastic about volunteerism. “I like to talk to the people
who come for the dinners”, she says
and see the volunteers, especially the
younger kids for whom this exposure
to volunteering is so important.
I would also like to remind the
Old Ottawa South community of the
“Doors Open for Music at Southminster”. This Wednesday noon hour
concert series began last year and
continues through March. Refresh
your spirit during these weekly 45
minute presentations featuring a
wonderful line-up from Ottawa and
beyond. While the concerts are free
to all, we welcome a freewill offering to cover the costs. The March
5th concert is a program of Mozart,
Schuman and Brahms; March 12 is
a musical fusion of Mediterranean
flamenco and modern jazz including
time tested standards and popular
songs, tunes form ancient Greece,
and original compositions by Stefano
Pando; March 19 is all about Fairy
Tales in Music—Rimsky-Korsakov
and Stravinsky and the 26th ends
with French piano music.
Finally, The Master Piano Recital
Seeking Right Relations: An Invitation to the Community
By Rev. Meg Illman-White
and Anne Whitehurst
As the Canadian Truth and Reconciliation Commission continues its fact
finding across the country and hears
stories that have caused generations
of pain for Canada’s Indigenous
peoples, many Canadians with an
interest in this work have not had the
opportunity to connect and to educate themselves about these issues.
Now residents of the Glebe and Old
Ottawa South and the general public
have the chance to take part in five
evenings which will offer different perspectives on the past and
the future of our relations with our
Aboriginal, First Nations, and Métis
neighbours.
Hosted by the Outreach Committees of Glebe St. James and Southminster United Churches, an educational and inspiring series called
“Seeking Right Relations” will begin
on Monday March 10th at 7 pm.
Below are some of the speakers in
the series:
Monday, March 10th, 7:00 p.m
Becky Mearns from Pangnirtung, Nunavut, is an instructor in the
Area Worship
Services
award-winning Nunavut Sivuniksavut (NS) college program here in Ottawa. Becky will give a presentation
about Inuit history and the impact of
colonialism on Inuit society. She’ll
also speak about the Nunavut Land
Claims Agreement, the creation of
the Nunavut territory, and the challenges facing Inuit today, both in the
north and in the south. She will be
accompanied by students who will
share their culture with performances
that will include songs, drumming,
throat singing and traditional Inuit
games.
Location: Southminster United
Church (15 Aylmer Ave.)
Monday, March 17th, 7:00 p.m.
Rev. James Scott, in 2003, Jamie
became the General Council Officer for Residential Schools for the
United Church where he brings his
commitment to restorative justice,
healing and reconciliation to national policy and programming. He is
actively involved in the implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation
Commission of Canada. Jamie will
share some of his insights about the
past and of hope for the future.
Location: Glebe St. James United
Church (650 Lyon St. S.)
Monday, March 24th, 7:00 p.m.
Ed Bianchi, Program Manager at
KAIROS Canada, will speak about
the laws and policies that govern our
relationships with indigenous peoples, including the Indian Act, and
the United Nations Declaration on
the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Location: Southminster United
Church
Monday March 31st, 7:00 p.m.
Dr. Cindy Blackstock, Executive
Director of the First Nations Child
& Family Caring Society of Canada,
will speak about the welfare of First
Nations children and the case currently before the Human Rights
Tribunal dealing with this concern.
A member of the Gitxsan Nation, Dr.
Blackstock is a passionate advocate
for the well-being of Aboriginal
children.
Location: Glebe St. James United
Church
Monday, April 7th, 7:00 p.m
Gabrielle Fayant, currently
Vice-President of the Odawa Native Friendship Centre, will speak
Series is the latest addition to Ottawa’s performing arts scene. Brainchild of Southminster’s director of
music, Roland Graham, the series
brings outstanding young artists to
our community. The concerts have
been widely acclaimed. The last
two performances of the season take
place this April and May. On April
5th is Elizabeth Schumann. Hailed
by the Washington Post Magazine
for her “deft, relentless and devastatingly good” piano playing, Elizabeth
will treat us to Beethoven’s complete
Opus 27, including the Moonlight
Sonata. And plan to attend the finale
concert on May 24th with pianist
Samuel Deason who will play
Beethoven’s monumental Diabelli
Variations, and interpret contemporary works by Hetu and Dutilleux.
These concerts feature the Heintzman
piano, which Roland has purchased
and is housed in Southminster’s sanctuary. This instrument was formerly
at Massey Hall for many years and
adds to the Old Ottawa South treasures.
Whether it is food or music, Southminster offers our community succor
for body and soul.
about the Idle No More Movement.
Her presentation is entitled: “Sit-in:
Idle-No-More: The Past-The Presence-The Future”. Now in her midtwenties, Gabrielle has shared her
inspiration and enthusiasm on local,
regional and national advisory committees such as the Canadian Commission of UNESCO’s Youth Advisory Group. She has also worked
for a variety of National Aboriginal
organizations.
Location: Southminster United
Church
There will be no admission fee for
these events. Freewill donations will
be gratefully accepted.
For further information:
Glebe St. James United Church: 613236-0617;
www.glebestjames.ca
Southminster United Church, 613730-6874;
www.southminsterunitedchurch.com
Rev. Meg Illman-White is the minister of Southminster United Church
and Anne Whitehurst is a member
of the Local, National, and Global
Outreach Committee at Southminster
United.
Sunnyside Wesleyan Church
58 Grosvenor Avenue (at Sunnyside)
Sunday Worship Services at 9:00 am and 11:00 am
Children’s program offered during worship services.
St Margaret Mary’s Parish
7 Fairbairn (corner of Sunnyside)
Tuesday Evening at 7:00 pm, Friday Daytime at 9:00 am
Sunday Mornings at 9:30 am and 11:30 am
Trinity Anglican Church
1230 Bank St (at Cameron Ave)
Sundays: Holy Eucharist at 8:00 am and 10:00 am
with Church School & Choir.
Southminster United Church
15 Aylmer Avenue (at Bank & the Canal)
Sunday Worship & Kids’ Church: 10:30 am
THE OSCAR
l
Page 17
MARCH 2014
17th OTTAWA SCOUTS
Southminster Scouts Grab Gold at 50th Annual “Klondike Derby”
By Cameron MacKay
Local Scouts from the 17th Ottawa
Troop based at the Southminster
church pushed their “Dragon” sled
to victory at the regional Klondike
Derby on February 8th in Wakefield,
Quebec, edging out tough competition from across the Ottawa-Gatineau
region. The second Southminster
sled, “Deer”, narrowly missed bronze
in a tight fight for a place on the
podium.
First launched in the Ottawa-Gatineau region in 1964 and held annually
since, the day-long Klondike Derby
tests Scouts’ physical endurance and
winter survival skills. Starting early
in the morning and wrapping up near
their own lunches over
small fires.
Victory for the 17th
Southminster Troop in the
intermediate (second year
Scouts) category this year
follows on last year’s gold
place finish in the junior
(first year Scouts) category. This most recent reign
at the top of the intermediate rank breaks a 22-year
Klondike drought for 17th
Ottawa. The Southminster
Scouts won an early-90s
hat trick when they last
took the intermediate gold
from 1990-1992.
Triumph at Klondike
Nicholas Lee, Benjamin Flack, Montgomery Brillinger and Callum MacKay
of the 17th Ottawa Southminster Scouts who won the intermediate category of
the Scouts Klondike Derby on Feb. 8th.
PHOTO BY DAVE STREMES
unteer organization that helps Canadian boys and girls learn life-long
camping and leadership skills. Over
more than 100 years - 82 years at
Southminster United Church - Scouts
Canada has brought adventure, outdoor experience and friendship to 17
million Canadian youth. Registration
for the 17th Ottawa Troop’s 2014-15
year will be advertised in upcoming
issues of OSCAR and on the Scouts
Canada website at www.scouts.ca.
Cameron MacKay is the Troop Scouter for the 17th Southminster Scouts.
17th Ottawa Southminster Scouts and Scout Leaders standing on a
quinzee during a winter camp at Otter Lake in January of this year.
PHOTO BY CAMERON MACKAY
follows on the local Scouts’ successful mid-January winter camping
expedition at Otter Lake, Quebec.
The Scouts hauled their gear to camp
on sleds, built and slept the night in
their own “quinzee” snow shelters,
and cooked their meals outdoors on
traditional kerosene camp stoves. All
Scouts must pass tests and be issued
formal permits to earn the right to use
matches, stoves, knives and axes.
The 17th Ottawa Beavers, Cubs,
Scouts and Venturers are affiliated
with Scouts Canada, a national vol-
Doors Open for Music at Southminster
March 5 concert is a program of Mozart, Schuman and Brahms.
March 12 is a musical fusion of Mediterranean flamenco and modern
jazz including time tested standards and popular songs, tunes form ancient
Greece, and original compositions by Stefano Pando.
March 19 is all about Fairy Tales in Music—Rimsky-Korsakov and
Stravinsky.
March 26 French piano music.
The other 17th Southminster Scouts team of Raphaël Suquet, Colin Halliday,
Declan McCoy and Matthew Doyle who were less than 1 point out of third
place.
PHOTO BY DAVE STREMES
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sundown, Scouts in teams of four to
seven carry food, water and survival
gear on wooden sleds, constructed
by the Scouts themselves in the style
of Klondike gold miners, through a
network of wooded trails. Passing
through 21 skill-testing stations, the
Scouts win points at each stop by
demonstrating teamwork and mastery
of rope climbing, ice rescue, gully
crossing, map & compass use, first
aid and other outdoor skills. All contestants spend the entire day outside,
regardless of conditions, and prepare
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Page 18
THE OSCAR
l
MARCH 2014
PANSY FIRE AND ICE FESTIVAL
The 20th Anniversary: From Back Yard to the Street
Ross Imrie and Francois Savard lead the parade.
PHOTO BY DAVE DRAPEAU
By Matthew Johnson
The weather was cold, but residents
of Pansy Avenue and neighbouring
streets celebrated both fire and ice on
January 25th.
This year brought the 20th
anniversary of the Fire and Ice
Festival, one of two long-standing
parties on the street. While a street
party in summer was an obvious
idea, it took a few years before the
winter party was added as well.
Joe Silverman, one of the original
organizers and still a key participant,
explains that it emerged from his
family’s celebration of Sukkot, the
Jewish festival that commemorates
This is the face
of change.
FALL 2014
the sheltering of the Israelites in the
wilderness. “Typically you go outside
and build a harvest hut, and you’re
obligated to eat as many meals
outside as possible over the eight-day
period,” Silverman said. “We found
out that it was legal to have a fire if
you had a grate on it and a couple of
hot dogs.” That was when they had
the idea to share the event with their
neighbours: “Why don’t we bring the
fire to the middle of the street, in the
middle of winter time?”
Most of the events that take place at
the Fire and Ice have been present
from the beginning: street hockey, a
parade, and a snow slide -- once, in a
year of unusually high snowfall, from
the balcony of #6 to the street. Each
year’s party has a theme that ties
into current events - this year’s was
the Sochi Olympics - and residents
write and perform a play based on the
theme that ends with the preparation
of a “stone soup” on the firepit
grille. (This year’s play imagined
the efforts of Canadian Olympian
Hayley Wickenhauser to bring soup
to a Russian village where all the
vegetables had been confiscated
by Vladimir Putin.) Another longstanding event that’s tied to the
calendar is the recital of the “Ode
to the Haggis,” inspired by the Fire
and Ice’s proximity to Robbie Burns
day. Local businesses also take part,
with Milano Pizzeria feeding hungry
street hockey players, the Ottawa
South Groceteria contributing snacks
and drinks, and the Ottawa Folklore
Centre providing sound equipment.
While some participants have roles
that they play year after year - the
fireworks display, for instance,
or Ross Imrie’s juggling and fireeating - everyone plays a part, and
people who have recently moved
to the street are recruited to help
out. “The essence is to get new
people involved from year to year,”
Silverman said, “so that you can pass
on responsibilities from generation to
generation.”
Now the community is looking
forward to the Pansy Picnic, which
will fall on Father’s Day, June 15th.
Like the Fire and Ice, the Pansy
Picnic will also be celebrating
an anniversary -- its 25th -- and
organizers are hoping that this will be
commemorated by the opening of a
new park on a former Ottawa Hydro
property at Pansy and Woodbine.
While the events at the Fire and Ice
have been largely unchanged over
the years, the organizers have learned
how to avoid some early pitfalls. To
build the firepit, Silverman said, “we
put the metal box on top of bricks.
The first year we didn’t put the bricks
underneath, and for about two or
three days there was a warm circle in
the pavement.”
Has anything else changed? “Early
on, we used to burn Christmas trees,”
Silverman said. “We don’t do that
much anymore.”
Matthew Johnson is a writer and
educator who lives on Pansy Avenue.
His latest book, Irregular Verbs and
Other Stories, will be released in
June.
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Joe Silverman after the Polar Bear dip.
PHOTO BY MEGAN GILLIS
THE OSCAR
l
Page 19
MARCH 2014
Skating
to Sochi!
By Susan Townley
On Saturday, February 15th, the Ottawa Pacers and the Gloucester Concordes speed skating clubs invited
the neighbourhood to join them at the
Brewer Oval for a day of skating and
celebration. The clubs brought speed
skates so that people could try out
this fun and fast Olympic sport. The
Olympics have raised the awareness
of speed skating, and many people
wanted to try this exciting sport for
themselves after seeing our Canadian
athletes winning medals in Sochi. It
was a great way to kick off the Family day weekend, outdoors celebrating winter in our neighbourhood!
A total of 333 skaters participated, including over 200 local speed skaters.
148 skaters borrowed and tried speed
skates. The goal was to skate one lap
for every kilometer of the distance
from Ottawa to Sochi (8,224 laps).
This was more than achieved, and
participants skated an amazing total
of 9,342 laps.
With coffee donations from Bridgehead and homemade hot chocolate
and crepes, everyone enjoyed the
fun-filled day. We were happy to welcome Mayor Jim Watson, Councillors
David Chernushenko and Mathieu
Fleury and MP Royal Galipeau to our
event.
The clubs were also excited to let
everyone know about two young
athletes from the Ottawa area who
were in Sochi skating for Canada.
Vincent de Haitre, just 19 years old,
and Ivanie Blondin, age 23, are both
Gloucester Concordes who grew up
skating at Brewer Oval. While both
focused on short track skating primarily while skating in Ottawa, like
most local speed skaters they participated in long track skating as well.
Both were successful long track skaters, with Vincent being the Ontario
provincial long track champion in
2009. On Saturday, both Vincent and
Ivanie’s parents were presented with
PHOTOS BY GRAEME CHASE
banners celebrating their children’s
amazing accomplishments.
Most residents of Ottawa are not
aware of just how rare the Brewer
Oval is. Brewer Oval is the only
Olympic sized 400-metre oval in
Ontario! Skaters from this area travel
all over the country in order to compete in long track speed skating. The
next closest ovals are in Lake Placid,
New York and Quebec City and both
of those are refrigerated surfaces.
Brewer Oval is an entirely natural ice
surface making it a very rare facility
indeed. The oval and hockey rinks
will be open as long as the winter
weather cooperates, so consider skating at Brewer if you have a chance
to get one last skate in before spring
melts all the ice away.
Susan Townley is a long-time
resident of Old Ottawa South and the
volunteer manager of Brewer Park
oval and hockey rinks.
Come travel the world this March Break!
Tickets only $4.95!
March 11th
MEXICO – Rich Chocolate with Coconut & Rum Gelato
March 12th
NICE – Strawberry & Lemon Sorbet
with St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur
March 13th
MOROCCO – Ras el Hanout Gelato
March 14th
CUBA – Virgin Mojito Sorbet with
freshly squeezed lime & fresh mint
March 15th
THE BAHAMAS – Bahama Mama Sorbet
March 16th
ITALY – Sicilian Dream with Sicilian
Pistachios & Toasted Pine Nuts
Take a Roman Holiday at Stella Luna Gelato Café
1103 Bank Street, Ottawa • 613 523 1116 • www.slgelato.com
Page 20
THE OSCAR
FITNESS
Boost your Brain with Exercise
By Angie Arnold
The notion that physical exercise is
good for mind, body, and spirit is as
old as civilization itself. But current research is turning up surprising
discoveries about the extent of that
connection. Modern neuroimaging
techniques prove that exercise significantly impacts the function—even
the very structure—of our brains.
Study after study shows that exercise
helps to prevent and reverse brain atrophy just as it prevents and reverses
age-related muscle atrophy.
Think shrink
Research out of UCLA reveals that
physical exercise increases growth
factors in the brain that make it easier
to produce new neurons—a process
called neurogenesis. The discovery
that we can affect brain plasticity
is of particular importance because
some areas of the brain begin to lose
nerve tissue and start to shrink once
we reach the age of 30.
For example, the hippocampus—
the centre of learning and memory—
shrinks one to two percent annually
in people without dementia. That
nerve tissue loss is associated with an
increased risk for developing cognitive difficulties. Neurogenesis can
prevent and even reverse this shrinkage, halting the aging process in the
brain.
Similarly, the brain’s “executive
central command” processes and the
regions that support them (like the
prefrontal cortex) are common areas
of substantial age-related deterioration. These processes include scheduling, planning, working memory,
multi-tasking and dealing with
ambiguity.
In their study, “Exercise, Cognition, and the Aging Brain,” Kramer,
Erickson and Colcombe conclude
that the largest positive effects of
exercise on cognition are in these
executive central command processes. So regular exercise improves
our ability to manage the key mental
processes for daily life as we age.
You don’t need to run marathons to
benefit from these brain-boosting effects. A University of Georgia study
shows that just 20 minutes of aerobic
exercise is enough to improve information processing and memory function in adults. Even a modest increase
in exercise, they say, can mean better
KICK START
brain health and a reduced risk of
developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Mind your mood
All this research supports and
extends our understanding of the
antidepressant effects associated with
exercise. In fact, a Stockholm study
that explored the biological causes
of depression showed that new cell
growth in the hippocampus is linked
to the ability to recover from mild
depression more quickly. It’s perhaps
not surprising that the hippocampus
of depressed women can be up to
15% smaller than normal.
In addition to stimulating growth
hormones that help build the brain,
exercise stimulates the sympathetic
nervous system and increases concentrations of certain neurotransmitters—like serotonin and norepinephrine—low levels of which are related
to depression.
In addition, just 30 minutes of
exercise prompts the release of
endorphins. These chemicals ease
the discomfort of prolonged physical
activity (attaching to the same neuron
receptors as morphine or heroin!) and
are often associated with a feeling of
euphoria—like runner’s high. Unfortunately, becoming “addicted” to exercise isn’t as easy as we’d like it to
MARCH 2014
l
be. Statistics Canada reports that just
15% of Canadian adults meet recommended physical activity guidelines.
Pick your prescription
When it comes to maintaining a
sharp mind, flexing your brain with
crossword puzzles won’t be enough
to prevent the shrinkage that is linked
with cognitive decline. Be smart: get
up on your feet! Some researchers
argue that any activity that increases
blood flow to the brain for half an
hour or more will deliver an antiaging brain boost and lift your spirits
in the process.
However, Kramer, Erickson and
Colcombe conclude that a fitness program that combines aerobic exercise,
resistance training, and flexibility
has the biggest impact on cognitive
function improvement. The unique
differences in those three fitness
components, they suggest, encourage the broadest range of neural and
chemical adaptations in the brain.
Which is a rather brainy way of saying “move it or lose it!”
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THE OSCAR
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Page 21
MARCH 2014
SECOND THOUGHTS
Existential Strategy
By Richard Ostrofsky
Watching David Attenborough’s
documentaries on YouTube have set
me thinking about existential strategy
as a concept of biological evolution.
This has been thought to lack intention or volition of any kind, and to
depend entirely on random mutation.
But this view is not entirely correct.
It is true that the necks of giraffes
did not grow longer because they
stretched them upward to reach the
juicy leaves. Lamarck was wrong
about this, where Darwin and his followers got it right: Purely at random,
some leaf eating browsers were born
with genes which gave them longer
necks. Over many generations, the
proto-giraffes with these longer necks
tended to survive and reproduce more
successfully than their shorter-necked
cousins. By contrast, however, the
okapi (a creature of the same family) retained a neck no longer than
that of other browsing creatures like
the zebra, antelope or goat because
it found its fodder closer to the
ground, and did not specialize for
haute cuisine, as the giraffe might
be said to have done. In these cases,
and many similar ones as well, both
anatomy and instinctive behavior patterns were shaped by a fundamental
choice of strategy – not a conscious
choice, to be sure, but just a tendency
to exploit the equipment that one
already has along certain lines. In
this way an element of intentionality,
known as the “Baldwin effect,” really
does figure in the processes of natural
selection. In effect, creatures influence the selection criteria that act on
their randomly varying genes through
their existing “phenotypic plasticity” – the ability of each individual to
modify its anatomy, physiology and
behavior in response to changes in
its environment. By making habitual
choices in response to certain conditions, provided only that these remain
stable, a lineage becomes specialized
for survival under those conditions.
This Baldwin effect figured strikingly not just for giraffes and some
other animals, but for human evolution as well. Lactose tolerance, the
ability of adult humans to digest
milk, has been evolving for about
ten thousand years, since the herding
lifestyle developed and milk became
available as a food for adults. Skin
pigmentation adapted for the intensity of solar radiation in the region
where a human population was living. Populations (like the Sherpa) living at high altitudes became genotypically adapted to survive and function
at high altitudes, breathing thinner
air. It seems likely that the human
brain, as much an exaggeration of
anatomy as the giraffe’s neck, also
evolved through a Baldwin effect,
as proto-human populations became
increasingly dependent on tool-use,
social living, cultural exchange, and
ultimately, on symbolic language.
As with other life forms, then,
what shaped the human genome
and its phenotypical manifestations
was a human strategy for existence.
As African forests dried up, some
proto-humans came down from the
“...having in mind
the patterns of
existence that
became
increasingly typical
for our successful
ancestors while
killing off their less
successful relatives.”
increasingly sparse trees. On the
ground, they faced a whole new set
of problems – solved ultimately by
all the traits that define us as a species. We can speak of the hominist
lifestyle, and of the hominist survival
strategy, having in mind the patterns
of existence that became increasingly
typical for our successful ancestors
while killing off their less successful
relatives. Between the earliest protohuman fossils and modern Homo
sapiens, a number of variations were
tried – a number of different hominist species appeared – one of which
finally overran the planet while the
other branches either were absorbed
through interbreeding or became
extinct. As the fossil record is sparse,
the exact course of human evolution
can probably never be fully known.
Though this is a pity, it really doesn’t
much matter. What we can say with
confidence is that we evolved, and
are still evolving, to implement a
hominist strategy – a way of living –
the full implications of which are still
unclear.
What does it mean to be human?
What can one make of a human life?
In effect, with greater or less awareness, we ponder those questions as
we make significant choices, and
as we raise our children. In a broad
biological sense, it comes down to a
question of existential strategy: what
sort of animal do I propose to be?
Will I browse for food, or scavenge,
or hunt it down on my own? Will I
run from my enemies, or hide from
them, or armor myself against them,
or try to fight them off? And then,
who are my enemies anyhow, and
what do they want with me? And
what sort of nourishment am I looking for, and with what tools or weapons will I take it? What helpers can I
find, and what will I have to give for
their help? Finally, from all this welter of predation and symbiosis, what
sort of order can emerge? All such
questions of natural ecology apply
to the social ecology as well, where
they become foundational commitments of a culture, and of a working
personal identity.
That is the point I want to stress –
the conclusion I have been driving
at. On the bottom line, identity is the
face that people present to each other,
and the way they understand themselves. And at the core of this identity
is what I am calling an existential
strategy, an approach to survival in
the jungle of social life.
The formation of such a strategy
has been elegantly mapped by Erik
Erikson’s “Stages of Psychosocial
Development,” from his book Childhood and Society. Discussion of his
eight stages may be found easily
on the Web, and I will not go into
them here. I only want to say that
the issues that he enumerates – of
trust, autonomy, initiative, industry
etc. (along with their opposites, of
course) combine precisely into a
basic existential strategy – a basic approach to life.
Again, as with the genotype, such
strategies need not be at all conscious. Acts of gallantry or cowardice
or cunning may emerge as if instinctively, given a sufficient trigger.
Often they appear more as a matter
of impulse or reflex than of rational
judgment. One person lives by sheer
hard work; another by street smarts;
another by book learning; another by
charm and salesmanship. Some live
by a simple or naive faith that “God
will provide.”
The beginning of wisdom, I want
to say, is to know what kind of animal you really are. Now at age 71,
this is a lesson that I am still learning.
Richard Ostrofsky’s Second Thoughts
bookstore was a hub of conversation
and contemplation in Old Ottawa
South for many years. He continues
to contribute to the OSCAR from
afar and would welcome feedback
or conversation about his articles at
[email protected]. Further essays and ruminations can be found at
www.secthoughts.com.
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Page 22
THE OSCAR
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MARCH 2014
ABBOTSFORD AT THE GLEBE CENTRE
Going Forward
Abbotsford at the Glebe Centre’s Director of Community Programs,
Janice Bridgewater.
PHOTO BY PATRICIA GOYECHE
By Julie Ireton
The beauty of spending your entire
career helping nurture a seniors’ centre is you know exactly how fulfilling
retirement can be.
This spring, Abbotsford at the
Glebe Centre’s Director of Community Programs, Janice Bridgewater,
will retire. She was first introduced to
Abbotsford House in 1975. Barely out
of high school, she took on a clerical
role, collecting rent cheques from the
elderly residents.
“I fell in love with the people and
the organization. After a while, I
decided to go to university. But I
came back and worked in recreation
programs,” said Bridgewater.
And she never left. Over the years,
Bridgewater helped develop the kind
of recreation and then community
programs now appreciated by Abbotsford members.
“It’s been a thrill to be involved in
shaping how it’s played out.”
One of the programs that Bridgewater is most proud of is the Alzheimer’s
Day Program, which she and her team
started from scratch.
“Hopes, dreams, plans, reviews,
partnerships and trying to make something very good, better in one way
or another,” said Dianne Breton of
Bridgewater’s leadership. Breton and
Bridgewater worked together on several fundraising campaigns. “The start
of the Day-Away program was a good
idea that became great,” she added.
Glebe Centre Executive Director,
Lawrence Grant, says Bridgewater
served the Glebe Centre with dedication and professionalism over her
39-year career.
“Through her strong leadership and
relentless efforts as our first Director
of Community Programs, she built the
Abbotsford programs into the best in
the city,” said Grant.
As Bridgewater moves on to retirement herself, she is concerned that
in the future, more seniors will have
trouble covering the modest fees that
centres like Abbotsford must charge
program participants. “That will be a
challenge,” she said.
But she says she has faith in a
generous community and volunteers
who are getting more creative and
collaborative all the time. She feels
she’s leaving the organization in very
capable hands.
“It’s sad in a way. But that said, I
have tons of plans,” said Bridgewater.
“I’ve been getting certified as a fitness
instructor and teaching at Abbotsford.
I’m excited about that.”
So while she may be moving out of
the administrative office, she’ll still be
hanging around in the multi-purpose
exercise room, visiting and chatting
over a coffee after class.
Janice Bridgewater’s career and
retirement will be properly celebrated
at a party at Abbotsford at the end of
March. Congratulations Janice!
“Tie One On” For Animals
By Barbara Cartwright, CEO
Canadian Federation of Humane Societies
Think carefully, choose wisely, love
deeply – “Choose Adoption” is the
message the Canadian Federation of
Humane Societies (CFHS) is sending
with the launch of their new “Choose
Adoption” ribbon campaign.
When you see a teal-coloured
“Choose Adoption” ribbon tied to a
dog’s leash or collar, it signifies that
the dog wearing it has been lovingly
adopted or that the dog’s companion
fully supports animal adoption.
The impact of adopting a dog
rather than purchasing one cannot be
overstated. The benefits are many, the
drawbacks few, the ripple effect inestimable. Simply put, adopting animals
from shelters or rescue groups helps
save lives.
By placing a “Choose Adoption”
ribbon campaign on your dog’s collar,
you can make Canada a better place
for dogs! Increasing Canada’s animal
adoption in your community will
ultimately lead to a decrease in the
demand for dogs bred in puppy mills.
The term puppy mill generally
refers to a high-volume, sub-standard
dog breeding operation, which sells
purebred or mixed breed dogs, directly or indirectly, to unsuspecting
buyers. These are horrible breeding
operations where dogs are kept in
cramped, filthy cages their whole
lives, deprived of adequate food,
attention, and veterinary care, and
forced to give birth to litter after litter
of puppies.
The CFHS wants the “Choose
Adoption” ribbon campaign to spread
across Canada, dog by dog, community by community until dog parks
across the country are filled with teal
ribbons.
Some of the benefits of animal
adoption are that all reputable humane societies, SPCAs, and rescue
groups conduct temperament tests on
the dogs to ensure they are safe to be
adopted out and are able to match up
adopters with the dog whose personality will best fit their lifestyle and
preferences. Most animals in shelters
have been spayed/neutered and have
their vaccinations up to date. And
everything is included in the shelters’
modest adoption fees.
A dog may end up in a shelter for
many reasons including an unexpected move, allergies or issues with
a landlord; most have nothing to do
with the dog itself.
A single teal “Choose Adoption”
ribbon is all it takes to begin raising awareness. A single teal “Choose
Adoption” ribbon, multiplied many
times over, is what it takes to make it
real. Let’s make Old Ottawa South a
proud animal adoption community!
Learn more about the ribbons at
www.findingfido.ca, a program of
the Canadian Federation of Humane
Societies.
Barbara Cartwright is the CEO of
the Canadian Federation of Humane
Societies, and a proud resident of Old
Ottawa South.
THE OSCAR
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Page 23
MARCH 2014
MUSIC
Benefit Concert for Ancoura Featuring Big Soul Project
By John Gall
What happens when…
…you bring together Big Soul Project Community Gospel Choir and Band with a cause as worthy as Ancoura? You get a joyous benefit concert
in support of creating homes for people living with
a mental illness.
The concert takes place on Saturday evening,
March 29th, at Southminster United Church.
Mental illness leads to alienation, isolation and
homelessness. The fundamental needs of adequate
housing and the presence of a supportive community are often lacking. Ancoura addresses these
needs.
Ancoura was incorporated in 2008 as a not-forprofit registered charity in Ottawa whose mission
is to provide a fulfilling environment for adults
living with a mental illness, through stable housing and a supportive community. It follows the
model of Montreal’s L’Abri en Ville. Volunteers
are at the core of this model, providing a “circle
of friends” with the residents. Ancoura’s work is
carried out through many partnerships, including
faith groups and other community organizations.
To date, five homes have been opened, each with
three residents.
Richard Haughian, President of Ancoura and
long-time resident of Old Ottawa South, has been
the guiding light in his leadership of Ancoura
since its beginnings.
The name Ancoura is characterized by heart
(‘coeur’) – mutual respect, cooperation and care,
courage and encouragement – a belief in the potential for individuals to be empowered to grow;
and all anchored in stable, affordable and longterm housing within a supportive community. In
recognition of their community service, Ancoura
received the 2013 Inspiration Award from The
Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health.
Fundraising is a constant challenge. Through
donations, Ancoura is able to pay the salary of
coordinators, rent an office, pay office expenses
and insurance, and add those little touches that
turn our residences into real homes. Ancoura does
not receive any government funding. This is where
Big Soul Project steps in – to stage a benefit concert for Ancoura.
Ottawa’s vibrant Big Soul Project Community
Gospel Choir and Band has well over 100 choir
and band members. Their aim is to entertain and
inspire audiences with songs of hope, love, joy
and peace, performed with a soulful beat. The
choir has an incredible on-stage energy and is led
by dynamic choir director Roxanne Goodman.
Their music has its roots in gospel, R&B, reggae,
pop and Motown. The choir’s enthusiasm is contagious and dancing in the aisles at their concerts is
always welcomed.
They have performed at Westfest, Bluesfest and
the Black Sheep Inn. Recently they were invited
to be part of the ‘Christmas Lights Across Canada’
show on Parliament Hill. In the fall of 2012, Big
Soul Project performed in the finale with Barbra
Streisand in her ‘Back to Brooklyn Tour’.
The choir’s annual Christmas concert at Dominion Chalmers Church is always sold out, and
this December’s was no exception. A few years
ago, I attended one of their events and was swept
away by their enthusiasm. The proceeds from
their Christmas concert help fund the many benefit
shows they do throughout the year. And Ancoura
is the fortunate recipient of Big Soul Project’s first
concert of 2014.
The driving force behind this fundraiser is First
Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa. A group of
dedicated volunteers from the Church has been
fundraising for Ancoura for several years.
Ancoura also means chorus (chœur) - residents and volunteers united as one voice. It is
said that music brings people together, brings
out the best in human nature - and I believe this
is true because it has brought me closer to my
circle of friends. Friendship and belonging is
the essence of Ancoura, and indeed it is also the
essence of the welcoming and inclusive community that is Old Ottawa South.
Come support Ancoura, raise our voices with
Big Soul Project, and celebrate the coming of
spring. It all happens on Saturday, March 29th,
7:30 p.m. at Southminster United Church.
Tickets are $20 for adults ($25 at the door),
$10 for children under 12, and are available
from the Ottawa Folklore Centre, or by contacting Richard Haughian, 45 Belmont Avenue, at
613-730-5425 or [email protected]
John Gall is a member of Ancoura and the First
Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa.
Many of Big Soul Project’s choir members are also residents of Old Ottawa
South.
PHOTO BY JAKE MORRISON
Page 24
THE OSCAR
Style
ALICE IN WNDRLVND
Alice’s etsy shop name captures her design nature. WNDRLVND, can you say
“wonderful, wandering, wonderland”. Today, Alice is not wandering but zooming to Australia for a 4-month exchange from Ryerson Fashion and Textile Design
to UTS Sydney Australia’s Fashion and Textile program. Alice from Cameron Ave is
homegrown WNDRLVND. Moving from Nova Scotia to Trinidad to Ottawa South may
have influenced Alice’s wonderland spirit. I just asked Alice some critical style questions.
Here are Alice’s responses. Let’s all cheer Alice on. You never know, she might be on the
cover of Vogue or The Rolling Stone some day. Alice did not get to see this style story
before she jetted away, but you can see her designs on etsy, and when she gets home, you
can go ask Alice Young.
What was the first article of clothing you ever designed? When I was 10, I made
myself a horribly ill-fitting miniskirt.
When did you realize you wanted to become a fashion designer? I think it was when
I tried on that skirt, and wondered how I could make it better! I guess that’s the basis for
all forms of design. What’s your favorite part about conceptualizing a design? For me, the most
exciting part is the first sketch; getting an idea onto paper.
How would you define the style your line exemplifies? Free-spirited and
youthful, with worldly influences.
Can you say what is OOS style? I’d say comfort and practicality are
huge!
Where can OSCAR readers buy your clothes? Through my
Etsy shop at www.etsy.com/shop/wndrlvnd
MODEL IS KATE-LYNN
REDDICK / SHOT ON
LOCATION IN OOS ON
CAMERON AVE.
PHOTOS BY ALICE YOUNG
TEXT BY BESS FRASER
l
MARCH 2014
THE OSCAR
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Page 25
MARCH 2014
COMPUTER TRICKS AND TIPS
Why Do I Have to Buy a New Computer All of a Sudden?
By Malcolm and John Harding, of Compu-Home
Despite the attention-seeking headline, the fact is that you probably
DON’T have to rush out and buy a
new computer.
Read on:
Computers are not like refrigerators. (Perhaps this was not earthshaking news to you – but bear with us.)
Since the icebox evolved into an
electric appliance, a refrigerator has
always stuck with the basic purpose
of keeping contents cold. Granted,
now there are some enhancements
like dispensers of water and ice,
but the core assignment of cooling
remains the same.
In contrast, what we demand of
our computers escalates very rapidly.
Twelve years ago, most home users
exchanged some email, browsed the
web a bit, and created documents and
maybe spreadsheets, and that was
just about it. Nowadays, a computer
is the homework, entertainment and
information centre, and in many
homes, it replaces the television,
telephone, library and writing desk.
Speed and the ability to do several
jobs at once are absolutely essential.
Viruses have proliferated immensely
and we assume that our computers will keep themselves protected.
Hard drives are now massive because
they have to be, in order to store our
entire libraries of software, messages, photographs, videos, music
and documents, while jumping from
email to elaborate websites. If a web
page takes longer than 1.5 seconds
to appear, we will probably assume
there is something wrong and look
for something else. Long gone are the
days of turning on your computer in
the morning and going to make a cup
of coffee, hoping the computer would
be ready by the time you came back
from the kitchen.
Operating Systems have to keep
pace. Back in 2002, when Microsoft
introduced Windows XP, it was newfangled and unfamiliar, but in time it
became the most familiar and popular
OS on the planet. Vista, Windows 7
and now Windows 8, have replaced
XP and the time has finally arrived
(April 8 2014) when Microsoft is no
longer supporting it. Because there
are so many Windows XP computers
still in use, it is important for owners
to understand just what that means:
•
•
•
•
ware repair is not likely advisable for a computer of this age.
A rough rule of thumb would
be that anything over $100.00
is probably too much.
At the very least, you should now
do some research and have a proactive plan. It is definitely a luxury to
be able to update while the old computer is still working, because that
makes transferring your data a much
easier job. It is also nice to have the
time to look for a sale on a new machine, or to be able to choose something that is just right, rather than to
have to rush the process because the
old one is suddenly dead and you
need that replacement right away.
Our Blog has a new address, and
it’s much easier to find! Just go to
compu-home.com/blog for an archive
of our columns and lots more techrelated articles. There is a space
right after each item for you to make
comments and suggestions, and ask
questions. You can even sign up for
automatic updates. We hope you will
have a look at compu-home.com/
blog soon or call us at 613-731-5954
to share your opinions and suggest
subjects for future columns.
Your XP computer will continue to turn on and operate just
as it always has. For Microsoft
to withdraw “support” means
simply that there will be no
more updates or improvements
after April 8th.
Third-party software such
as anti-virus utilities and XP
drivers for new printers will
gradually disappear. Websites
will eventually require browsers that are not compatible.
If a computer has XP installed,
that means it is probably too
old to be updated to a newer
OS and it would be too expensive to do that anyway.
Likewise, an expensive hard-
FILM REVIEWS
Omar
Reviewed by Tony Wohlfarth
Omar had its world premiere at the
2013 Cannes Film Festival, where it
won a Special Jury Prize. It is one of
nine finalists nominated for best foreign language film at the 2014 Oscar
Awards ceremony on March 2.
The Israeli occupation of the
West Bank is the setting for Omar,
a gripping drama which is nomi-
nated for an Oscar in the best foreign
language film category.
Omar (played by Adam Bakri) is
a Palestinian baker who routinely
scales Israeli’s separation barrier
to see his girlfriend Nadia (Leem
Lubany). Omar and his friends Tarek
(Eyad Hourani) and Amjad (Samer
Bisharat) train as resistance fighters
and execute a brazen plan to kill an
Israeli soldier. When Omar is arrested
by Israeli authorities, he is offered
a way out and agrees to become an
informer and work for Rami (Waleed
Zuaiter), his contact in the Israeli
intelligence service
When Rami releases Omar from
military detention, both men face
scrutiny for their decisions. Has
Omar agreed to collaborate with
the Israelis? Is Rami’s judgement
clouded by his close relationship with
Omar?
The plot which unfolds is full of
dramatic twists and turns, including a
struggle between the military arms of
Hamas and the Al Aqsa Brigade. The
film portrays the choices the young
men are confronted with living under
military occupation, without judging their decisions. Complicity and
survival go hand in hand, family and
honour mean everything.
Omar is beautifully shot on location in Nazareth and in Nablus.
The cast and the performances are
remarkable, considering they are
non-professional actors and actresses.
Omar is directed (and written) by
Hany Abu-Assad. His previous films
include Paradise Now (2005) and
Rana’s Wedding (2002). Born in Naz-
areth, Israel, the 52 year-old director
now lives in the Netherlands.
Omar has received numerous
international film awards, at Cannes,
Dubai and the Asia Pacific Screen
Awards. The film is set for widespread commercial release on February 21st. For further information, see
http://www.adoptfilms.com/omar.
Tony Wohlfarth is an Ottawa-based
freelance film writer and critic. He
covered the Toronto International
Film Festival for The OSCAR and
can be reached at tonywohlfarth@
gmail.com
Page 26
THE OSCAR
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MARCH 2014
CARLETON SPORTS
Looking Ahead to the Championships
By Joe Scanlon
By the time you read this, some
things will have changed but – as it is
being written – three Carleton teams
are still in the hunt for a Canadian
Interuniversity Sports (CIS) championship.
One team – the men’s basketball
team – is certain to be playing this
month. The male basketball Ravens have won nine of the last 11
CIS championships and – no matter
what happens in the first part of the
post-season – they will be defending
their title at the Canadian Tire Centre
Friday, Saturday and Sunday, March
7, 8 and 9.
There’s a reasonable chance incidentally that the final will be between
Carleton and the second ranked team
in Canada, the University of Ottawa.
Another team – the men’s hockey
team – finished the season with 13
straight wins, steadily moving up
in the rankings and finishing first in
Ontario University Athletics (OUA)
east. The first place team gets home
ice advantage throughout the playoffs, often a key to winning. They
could be heading to their first ever
CIS championship tournament.
A third team – women’s basketball – has had an erratic season. They
started off the regular season by
defeating the defending CIS champions, Windsor, the only team to do so
this season. At one point they were
ranked 10th in Canada. But they have
been plagued by injuries. However,
they qualified for a first round bye in
the playoffs, meaning two consecutive wins would send them to the CIS
women’s basketball championships
for the third time in four years.
While the men’s basketball
championships are in Ottawa, the
women’s basketball championships
are in Windsor and the men’s hockey
championships are in Saskatoon. The
Ontario men’s basketball final is also
away, at Ryerson in Toronto. But the
men’s hockey playoffs involve home
and home series so Carleton men –
if they keep winning – will still be
playing home games in March. The
women’s basketball team may – just
may – be playing the OUA east
championship game at Carleton on
Saturday, March 1st. There is also a
chance the women’s basketball team
will host the OUA bronze medal
game – with the winner going to the
Nationals – at Carleton on Saturday
March 8th.
Men’s Basketball
The last time the Carleton men’s
basketball team lost a regular season
game was in autumn 2012 when
they lost to Windsor at Windsor, in
the first game of the regular season.
Since then, they have been unbeatable against Canadian university
opposition.
The team is led by three players
– two brothers, Philip and Thomas
Scrubb, and Tyson Hinz.
Philip Scrubb has twice been
selected as the outstanding male university basketball player in Canada.
Thomas Scrubb, like his brother, has
been good enough to play internationally for Canada and leads the
team in rebounding. Hinz has been a
star for five consecutive seasons, and
was named the outstanding Canadian
university athlete not just in basketball but in all sports, when he led the
Ravens to a CIS national championship in his second year with the team.
He can score inside and outside and
is a superb passer.
The trio are joined by Kevin
Churchill, who has improved season by season, Clinton SpringerWilliams, a rookie all-star when he
started with Brock, as well as a cast
of back-up players ranging from
Victor Raso, another all-star rookie
who started at McMaster, Gavin
Resch, who has developed season by
season, Connor Wood, a second year
player with a devastating outside shot
and Jean Emmanuel Pierre-Charles,
a towering player inside, already
getting extended playing time in his
second season.
The Ravens look to be well on their
way to another CIS championship.
Men’s Hockey Team
The men’s hockey team started
with a one-sided win over Windsor in
Windsor and then stumbled, winning
and losing during the fall. But once
Christmas passed the male hockey
Ravens have been unbeatable.
Their goalie, Francis Dupuis, has
the best goals-against record in the
country and the Ravens have not
only put together a 13 game winning streak, they have clawed their
way up the OUA east standings by
defeating top 10 teams like McGill,
Queen’s, which had not lost a regular
season game in regulation time until
Carleton defeated them, and finally,
and most importantly Université du
Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR).
That team had defeated Carleton
in the fourth overtime period last
season, one game away from the CIS
championships. UQTR had the longest winning streak in hockey when
Carleton defeated them.
The Ravens finished their regular
season by defeating Laurentian 10-4
and moving into first place.
Most hockey playoffs are two of
three with the team highest in the
standing getting two games at home,
one game away. In hockey, where
there is continual substituting, it is
an enormous advantage to be able
to substitute last since that allows a
team, for example, to match up its
best defensive players against the
other team’s best offensive combination. Since Carleton finished first in
the OUA east they will have two of
three games at home as long as they
can keep winning.
Most important the Ravens have
been winning as a result of team
strength. Only two players – Michael
McNamee and Joe Pleckaitis – are
in the top 50 individual scorers, and
McNamee is 25th. Further, they have
depth. They have had player after
player out with an injury – and several with concussions - but have kept
winning.
This season, for example, the team
lost Brad Albert for the entire season.
Albert was one of the mainstays on
the power play. About a month ago,
in a game against Queen’s, Matthew
Stanisz injured his knee. He was
an all-star last season and runs the
power play. He is probably the team’s
best defenceman. Tim Billingsley,
another defenceman, received what
appeared to be a mild concussion. He
was finally back for the final game
of the regular season. Mike Lomas
has been plagued by injuries since
he joined the Ravens; first one knee,
then the other, then a groin injury
which happened while he was wearing two new braces. He was expected
back for the playoffs.
Women’s Basketball
The women’s basketball team had
a huge turnover from the team that
went to the Nationals last season and
has lost three players since the start
of the season. One, Tauralee Tenn,
decided, after an injury, not to continue playing. Another gave up after a
series of concussions. A third decided
not to stay around as a “red shirt”,
practising but not playing.
Then one of the returnees, Lindsey
Suprunchuk, was injured and out
for several weeks and two others – a
rookie, Heather Lindsay, and a seond
year player, Lindsay Shotbolt –
suffered injuries. Both kept playing
but Shotbolt had some difficulty
handling the ball with a taped right
hand.
Despite that, the women were in
contention throughout the season and
were often alone in first or tied for
first. Several times, when it seemed
they might slip back in the standings after two of their main rivals
– first the University of Ottawa then
Queen’s – also lost, they finished
the regular season tied with Queen’s
for first place, but they were placed
second on goal-differential.
Their success has been based on
the play of Natasha Plaskacz – who
red-shirted last season – a good
three-point shooter and solid defender; rookie McKenzie Sigurdson,
a good ball handler who has settled
in as point guard (which means she
runs the offence); second year player
Shotbolt, the team’s best rebounder;
Stephanie Carr, a rookie who has
gotten better game by game; Suprunchuk, a second year player with a
soft shot from medium range; Abeer
Farhat, a transfer from Algonquin
and the back-up point guard; and the
team’s only real veteran, Elizabeth
Roach, a fifth year player who drives
Continued on pg 27
THE OSCAR
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Page 27
MARCH 2014
THE CARLETON CORNER
Carleton University has many exciting upcoming events, some being the
very first of their kind.
The Faculty of Public Affairs
launched on Feb. 24th the first FPA
Research Month which highlights the
research being conducted within the
faculty, as well as partnerships it has
across campus. The month of activities and events wrap up on March
24th. There are many special events
planned including Author Meets
Readers, a speakers series showcasing authors from the FPA to discuss
their books and interact with readers;
the annual Paul Attallah Lecture featuring popular speaker Jack Halberstam; and a 60th anniversary celebration of the School Public Policy and
Administration with guest speaker
the Honourable Bob Rae.
Carleton is getting ready to host an
international accessibility summit,
as part of its ongoing leadership in
promoting an inclusive community.
Registration for the summit is now
open and available on the summit’s
website. The four-day event will
begin on July 12th and will host
international leaders who will share
their achievements and create new
plans of action. The summit features
many guest speakers including Rick
Hansen, a Canadian paralympian and
philanthropist, who is scheduled to
speak on the last day of the summit.
Continued from pg 26
the basket, shoots threes, brings the
ball up the floor and makes critical
foul shots. Two other players, Marla
Corney and Amanda Niyonkuru, get
limited playing time.
After finishing the season with a
72-31 win over winless Algonquin
and a 59-41 win over Laurentian with
Shotbolt seemingly much recovered
from her hand injury, the women did
clinch a first round bye and a home
playoff. That opened up two routes
to the Nationals. They can win two
consecutive playoff games or they
can win, lose and win if they lose the
OUA east final and have to play in the
bronze medal game. The women have
had trouble putting back-to-back wins
together. For example, they defeated
Toronto 70-49 then, the next night,
lost to Ryerson 68-62. Then the next
weekend, they defeated York 61-50
and the next night, lost to Queen’s
63-58. The good news for them, as
they head into the playoffs, is that they
won’t have to play any more backto-back games unless, and until, they
reach the Nationals.
Fencing
Fencing is one sport in which
Carleton is usually a contender. This
season however the men’s fencing
title went to Queen’s with Toronto
second and McMaster far behind in
There will also be an exhibit called
Avenue of Possibilities which features some of the best accessibility
ideas from around the world.
After an 11-year hiatus, Carleton
Athletics will again be hosting its
Hall of Fame. Three to five names
are expected to be added to the 32
athletes already commemorated in
the Hall and only individual athletes,
donors or administrators can be
nominated. Winners will be selected
in September and then celebrated
during Throwback homecoming
weekend, scheduled for Oct. 17-19.
Meanwhile, Carleton received a
$500,000 Ontario Productivity and
Innovation Fund grant from the
Ontario government, which was part
of an overall $2.15 million given to
Ottawa-area post-secondary institutions. Carleton will use the money
to help develop a teaching certificate
program. The funding will also go
to improving the university’s academic services and financial planning
processes.
Meanwhile, the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs (NPSIA) is hosting former
Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff as
the keynote speaker for this year’s
Soiree Benefit. Organized by NPSIA
students, the charity function raises
awareness about key global issues.
The date of the benefit is March
third. Carleton did win bronze in one
event, foil.
The women fencers who have won
three of the last four OUA titles lost
five of the nine fencers from last
year’s team. They have two fencers back from last season: Adrienne
Sukunda, last year’s sabre champion;
and Isabelle Gauthier, a member of
last year’s épée team which won the
gold medal.
Canadian Interuniversity Sports
Championships
Friday, Saturday and Sunday,
March 7, 8 and 9 is the Men’s basketball championships at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa (Carleton
will be there as host team if the
Ravens don’t qualify by winning the
OUA east semi-final.)
Friday, Saturday and Sunday,
March 14, 15 and 16 is the Women’s
basketball championships at the
University of Windsor (Carleton will
be there if they win the OUA east
final, or qualify by winning the OUA
bronze medal game; they were second seed going into the playoffs.)
Thursday, Friday, Saturday and
Sunday, March 20-23, is the Men’s
hockey championships at University
of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon (Carleton could be there if they win the
OUA east championship: they are top
seed going into the playoffs.)
7th and tickets are available on the
NPSIA website. All proceeds will
go to Heifer International, a charity
dedicated to ending world hunger
and poverty by providing livestock
and training to struggling communities. In addition to a speech from Mr.
Ignatieff, the night promises a reception, dinner and silent auction.
Carleton Corner is written by
Carleton University’s Department
of University Communications. As
your community university, Carleton
has many exciting events of interest to Old Ottawa South. For more
information about upcoming events,
please go to carleton.ca/events.
Page 28
THE OSCAR
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MARCH 2014
TASTY TIDBITS FROM TRILLIUM BAKERY
Kei! Kee-yi! (and Other Random Yells)
By Joceyln LeRoy
originality, technical skill and form.
Following several high kicks and
a complicated whirl of the bo, he
emits a long OSSSSS as he lunges
forward and stretches out his arm.
Then he kneels, lowers the bo, whirls
on his knees and pauses. He rises and
bows to the judges. The spectators
sparring. Robbie moves right in on
his opponent – the big guy of course
– and delivers a strong punch befitSome of these yells and screams
ting a seasoned competitor. Then,
make me jump. I sit on the edge of
OMG, he’s boxing – dancing and
my wooden bench. I hold my breath.
jabbing. I see that Robbie’s evolved
The bo whirls through the air. An anfrom an effective dance of defence
cient martial-arts weapon, the bo is a
to landing aggressive punches. He
six-foot rod tapered at both ends, and
wins three rounds.
now it’s flying around my grandson’s
Looking tired for a
moving body as he carefully permoment, he perks
forms his kata (a series of stances and
up because he’s won
movements of the brown-black level
1st place in all his
of karate).
events, including the
Before I started attending tournaTraditional Kata.
ments, I might have called the bo
Some time after
exercises “baton twirling while doing
this tournament I
martial arts.” Now I know better:
pretend to interview
these moves with the bo are a martial
my grandson on
art and demand considerable skill.
the way to his next
In fact, this “weapon” is dangerous
home-town pracenough to have recently caused an
tice (just down the
OC Transpo driver to remove my
street from Trillium
grandson Robbie from the bus. I hope
Bakery). I try to
that this can be prevented by carrying
glean what motithe bo in a zipped-up case.
vates him to get on
Now, as I watch the competition,
the bus in rain, snow
12-year-old Robbie is up. I’m riveted
or sticky summer
by the powerful sounds coming out
heat; his willingness
of him as he lunges. He was never
to endure sore feet,
a quiet child, but I never dreamed
bruised arms (from
that his voice could shake walls and
the bo training);
curdle blood.
missing game time
Robbie and I are new to the tourna- Robbie’s first tournament in Mississauga, Ont.
and favourite TV
ment circuit. I count the more-thanPHOTO BY SONIA LEROY
programs; and even
thirty moves that he executes with
cheer.
I
can
see
clearly
that
Robbie
foregoing
romps
with his new pup
precision and speed, a veritable
has gained confidence since his first
Percey, who loves to play tag all over
choreography. He’s now compettournament last spring.
the house.
ing in his favourite of three types of
Last
summer
at
our
family
cottage
“What does karate give you?” I
events – the Creative Bo Kata. Here,
I
watched
my
red-haired
grandson
hold
my pretend microphone up to
his task is to create an original series
practice for hours in a small clearing
his chin.
of karate moves. He’s judged on
surrounded by tall pines and
“Self-discipline, self-confidence.
near to the sapphire lake. Drop
We’re like a family: even though we
SUE RAVEN
the bo. Pick it up. Again and
compete, we cheer each other and
PHYS IOTH ERAPY CLINIC
again ‘til his arms shake.
support each other.” This rolled off
OPEN MONDAY TO SATURDAY
Back at the most recent
his tongue with enthusiasm, and a
tournament, the next event is
thoughtful look crossed his face. I
Continuing to help you recover from
Pain, Weakness, Reduced Mobility
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205-194 Main St., Ottawa K1S 1C2
Phone: 613-567-4808 Fax: 613-567-5261
www.sueravenphysio.com
can see how much he’s invested in
karate. And he loves his bos (three
types: carbon-fibre, bamboo and
maple). It’s his thing – just quirky
enough to keep him progressing to
higher and higher levels. “I’m going
to go for World’s,” he declares. With
the dedication I see developing in
him, he just might.
For his dojo’s 30th anniversary celebration, Trillium made a huge cake
decorated with a border of the seven
belts in their rainbow of colours. On
top were 50 gingerbread karate kids,
each with knotted white icing belts
(white being the colour every student
wears during the first level). Everyone got “all sugared up” at the party;
that’s the phrase my hockey-playing
grandsons use after eating lots of
sugar-rich goodies.
All my grandchildren know that
I’m a strong believer in good nutrition for successful performance as
well as everyday consumption. They
are discovering that what you eat
strongly influences how you feel,
that is, how great your energy level
and how your muscles recover after
workout.
At our family New Year’s supper
table one of my grandchildren vowed
to eat less sugar in 2014. It was
Robbie! I often ask my 10- to 15year olds to taste-test recipes we’ve
dreamed up at Trillium. For example,
I tweaked a recipe the bakery used
in the 1980s and 1990s; I offered my
tasters a sugarless, wheatless, dairyfree fudgy square. It was a hit!
So it goes to show that our youngsters will gladly eat nutritious,
appealing foods leading to good
performance with the bo, the pen, the
musical instrument or whatever else
inspires.
Recipe: Fight-to-the-Finish Muscle Drink
Place into a good blender or food processor and
blend until smooth:
• 50% baby spinach
• 1 banana
• 2 pitted dates
• 10 walnut halves
• 1 tbsp flaxseed (any form)
• Almond milk
• 1 tsp honey.
Other healthy snacks for physical endurance are:
A handful of nuts, preferably raw and unsalted
Split dates or prunes – stuffed with cheese
Apple slices with peanut butter
A handful of blueberries, cherries and almonds.
Self-made granola bars (take your favourite granola,
drizzle with chocolate, shape into bars).
NEW PATIENTS WELCOME
Dr Pierre Isabelle
Dr Mathieu Tremblay
GLEBE DENTAL CENTRE
FIFTH AVENUE COURT-EVENING APPOINTMENTS
OPEN MONDAY-FRIDAY
For appointments call 613-234-6405
THE OSCAR
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Page 29
MARCH 2014
RED APRON COOKS
March is Spring and Maple Syrup Month!
By Jennifer Heagle
co-owner of The Red Apron
March is such a fun month. The days
get longer in March and we celebrate
the first day of Spring officially on
Thursday, the 20th. Saturday March
8th, is International Women’s Day –
always cause for celebration at the
Red Apron.
March includes St. Paddy’s day
(Monday March 17th), which presents a great opportunity for a party.
Festivities kick off on Saturday
March 15th with the 32nd Annual St.
Patrick’s Parade. The parade starts
at 11:00am heading west on Laurier
Ave. from Elgin St. Ottawa Food
Bank volunteers will be collecting
non-perishable and cash donations
along the parade route.
In our retail store we will be selling
a local beef & stout meat pie in celebration of this occasion, from Monday the 10th through St. Paddy’s Day.
On the 18th of March we will have
an Irish themed dinner on our fresh
meal menu – available for pre-order.
Visit our website at redapron.ca.
March is also Maple Syrup Month!
You can find a comprehensive list of
sugar bushes in and around town at
the www.justfood.ca, but here are just
a few to start with:
Stanley’s Olde Maple Lane Farm
2452 Yorks Corners Road, Edwards,
613-821-2751, www.stanleysfarm.
com
Cheslock Sugar Bush 224 chemin
de la Savane, Val-des-Monts, Quebec, 819-457-2552, www.cabaneasucrecheslock.ca
Bean Town Ranch 2891 N Plantagenet, Concession 3 Rd Alfred and
Plantagenet, 613-673-5894
Fulton’s Pancake House & Sugar
Bush 291 6th Concession Road, Pakenham, 613-256-3867, www.fultons.
ca
Temple’s Sugar Bush Restaurant &
Venue 1700 Ferguson’s Falls Road,
(County Road #15), Lanark ON, 613253-7000, www.templessugarbush.ca
Vanier Sugar Shack 300 des PèresBlancs Ave., 613-580-2424 ext 32001
or 613-859-6382. Their Maple Sugar
Festival takes place from March 25 to
April 1, 2012, www.museoparc.ca/en.
So get outside this month and shake
off those winter blues. Enjoy fresh air
and eat maple syrup!
Maple Mustard Glazed Breast of
Chicken
4 chicken breasts
Pinch of dried sage
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons coarse grain Dijon
mustard
Fresh sage for garnish
1 small onion diced
1 clove of garlic diced
½ cup of good quality olive oil
1 tbs of butter
¼ cup of good quality balsamic
vinegar
2 tbs maple syrup
1 tbs chopped fresh rosemary and
thyme
4 handfuls of mixed organic greens
Salt and Pepper to taste
1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
Season the breast of chicken with
sage, salt, and pepper. Heat olive oil
in heavy skillet over medium-high
heat. Add chicken and cook until
golden brown on both sides. Transfer to an oven proof baking dish
and cook until internal temperature
reaches 165F, approximately 15 minutes. Leave drippings in skillet.
2. Add broth and maple syrup
to skillet. Boil until syrupy and
thick, about 3 minutes, scraping up
browned bits. Reduce heat to low.
3. Return chicken and any accumulated juices to skillet and cook
until just heated through, about 1
minute. Serve chicken with sauce.
Garnish with fresh sage. Serve with
rice or mashed potatoes
*White Button Mushrooms will
work well for this recipe but you can
also use oyster mushrooms or a mixture of organic mushrooms.
1. Sauté onion and garlic in butter
and 1 tablespoon of olive oil until onions are clear. Add herbs and mushrooms and sauté until the mushrooms
are golden brown. Season with Salt
and Pepper and remove from pan.
Note: Mushrooms like a hot pan
and they don’t like to be crowded,
otherwise they will release a lot of
moisture and not brown.
2. In a medium sized bowl whisk
balsamic, maple, a pinch of salt,
freshly ground pepper and remaining
olive oil. Add to mushroom pan and
heat through until the vinaigrette is
warm.
4. Toss warm Balsamic & Mushroom mixture gently with Organic
Greens and serve immediately.
Sautéed Mushrooms in warm
Maple Balsamic on Organic Greens
300 grams of Mushrooms diced *
A Gluten-Free Utopia in the Nation’s Capital
By Samantha Maloney
It seems as though everyone knows
someone who is eating gluten-free
these days – a sibling or parent, a
cousin, a friend or co-worker. For
some people, it also seems as though
everyone they know is going glutenfree. Yet, according to the Canadian
Celiac Association (CCA), Celiac
Disease affects approximately 1 in
133 Canadians; however, that doesn’t
include those who are gluten sensitive, intolerant, or avoiding it for the
sake of better health. Because problems with gluten damage the small
intestines resulting in poor nutritional absorption and a host of other
problems (for example, diarrhea,
migraines, bloating), the only cure is
to avoid eating gluten altogether – for
life.
I have been living with food allergies, intolerances, and sensitivities
for over 20 years. On the one hand,
it was easier to cope because they hit
me one at a time, and I didn’t need to
eliminate four things at once. When
gluten became an issue, it wasn’t as
much of a shock because I had been
wheat-free for a number of years.
However, coming from a family
where home-baking is enjoyed and
appreciated, I have discovered finding good gluten-free baking a challenge, not to mention very costly.
Believing in being proactive, I then
decided to join forces with a friend,
a former pastry chef, and started Bez
Gluten Free, a home-based glutenfree bakery. The mantra of Bez Gluten Free is ‘gluten-free baking that
tastes just like the real thing’.
While my business has been growing over the years, I have noticed that
while other small gluten-free businesses exist in Ottawa, little is known
about them. Speaking from my own
experience, it can be a struggle to
get the word out there to the public.
Money for advertising isn’t always
available, and word-of-mouth moves
a little slower here in Ottawa for
some reason.
I have long wanted to create an
event where those who are following
a gluten-free lifestyle can browse,
purchase, chat, and learn in a comfortable and relaxing environment.
There are gluten-free expos which
take place throughout the province
and country, but they have bypassed
Ottawa year after year (the only one
to take place was in conjunction with
the CCA’s national conference in
2011). That is all about to change,
though.
The Gluten-Free Utopia in early
April strives to create a truly utopian
environment where the stress of
shopping for gluten-free products
and the asking of endless ingredient
questions will be eased. Visitors
will encounter a variety of vendors
showcasing gluten-free restaurants,
food, spices, baked goods, skin care,
health practitioners, and lifestyles.
Seminars will take place throughout
the day, and visitors can sit in and
watch or actively participate. The
first 500 visitors will also receive
a canvas shopping bag filled with
gluten-free goodies (supplies are
limited), and will have a chance
of winning one of two gluten-free
baskets – full of fabulous g-f finds.
Gluten Free Utopia will be taking
place on April 5, 2014 at the National
Library and Archives at 395 Wellington St, Ottawa from 10am-4pm.
I hope that you will come and find
your own little piece of gluten-free
paradise.
For more information: www.glutenfreeutopia.com, www.facebook.
com/glutenfreeutopia Twitter: @
GF_Utopia
Samantha Maloney is the owner
of Bez Gluten Free, a home-based
gluten-free dedicated bakery here in
Ottawa. She is also the organizer of
the first Gluten-Free Utopia in the
National Capital Region.
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THE OSCAR 4.75 x 3.75” Jan. 2014
Page 30
THE OSCAR
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MARCH 2014
KALEIDOSCOPE KIDS’ BOOKS
Crafter-Noon Activities
By Kelly Harrison
We’re all fairly crafty people here at
Kaleidoscope – Karin is an amazing
baker, I love to knit (though the number of half-finished projects I have
on the go make some members of
my family wonder) and Kim creates
some beautiful paper crafts. If you’re
looking for something to do on a cold
or rainy March Break day (knock
on wood we don’t have any, but one
never knows!) we have some ideas.
Crafts and activity books allow kids
to develop their fine motor skills,
build their self-esteem and discover
and explore their creativity.
Story Writing and Word Play
Keri Smith turned journal-writing
on its ear with Wreck This Journal.
How often are you encouraged to
wreck a book – I’m careful not to
crack the spine or dog-ear a page
to mark my place. Luckily for us,
Smith has produced a number of
creative and fun books. The reader
becomes the author of Finish This
Book. Smith presents a collection of
“strange scattered pages abandoned
in a park” and encourages us to examine the collection of photographs,
maps and artifacts to solve the
mystery behind them. Each book, just
like each creator, is truly wonderful
and unique. The Pocket Scavenger
encourages us to look at objects as
if we’ve never seen them before and
to write their function or story with
those fresh eyes. My favourites are
#37 – Samples of Handwriting From
5 Different People and #22 – A Piece
of a [Jigsaw] Puzzle.
For teen and adult writers 642
Things to Write About encourages
story writing by offering interesting and thought-provoking story
prompts. Created in a single day,
with no advance warning, by the
San Francisco Writers’ Grotto this
book can be used literally by choosing an exercise and doing it or as an
inspiration by reading the ideas and
“let[ting] them wash over you to stir
up your creativity, to remind you that
no, not everything has been written, not every good idea is already
taken by somebody else”. There are
some really great ideas in here. Now,
where’s my paper and pencil …
First published in 1958 Mad Libs
are a silly (adjective) and fun (adjective) way to spend (verb) an afternoon (time of day) but if we were
really Mad Libbing it then we would
say that Mad Libs are a ridiculous
(adjective) and brown (adjective)
way to swim (verb) a tea-time (time
of day). They can be played solo
while a parent is making dinner or
with friends or family for after-dinner
fun. Don’t tell the kids that it’s a
great way to learn about the different
parts of speech!
Doodling and Drawing
Our doodle books cover a number
of different themes such as monsters,
fashion accessories and heroes but
Do You Need a Power of Attorney?
By Rick Sutherland, CLU,
CFP, FDS, R.F.P
In our line of work we are occasionally required to act on the instructions
provided by a third party. In order
to accept instructions from a third
party we must have a duly executed
Power of Attorney (POA). A POA is
a legal document that gives someone
else, the Attorney, the right or legal
authority to act or make decisions on
behalf of another person, the Grantor.
POAs can be for property or for
personal care. For the purposes of
this essay we are specifically referring to the Power of Attorney for
property. The POA can be continuing with no set time limit or it can be
I do have a couple of favourites.
Doodlepedia combines science facts
with doodling so that kids can learn
about G-Force while designing their
own roller coaster, draw their own
space station while learning what is
orbiting the Earth and discover why
sharks have rows of extra teeth and
sketch what’s in the shark’s belly.
The Doodle Circle: A Fill-In Journal for BFFs to Share is perfect for
sleepovers, hanging out after school
or passing a quiet Sunday afternoon.
As the name suggests, it is designed
to be passed around among friends
and encourages dreaming, reflection,
and creativity. When it’s finished, it
can be kept as a wonderful reminder
of what makes a circle of friends so
special.
Graphic novels are one of our
biggest sellers at the store. They
combine an amazing story with some
great art and explore issues such as
friendship, bullying and self-esteem
or can be adventure stories filled with
superheroes or demigods. In Making
Comics, by Scott McCloud, we learn
to create our own comic book or
graphic novel and sharpen our skills
in both storytelling and drawing and
choose words and pictures that communicate together to create a compelling and commanding story.
Crafts
We really enjoy all the titles on
the Klutz kits list. All of the supplies
needed are almost always included
so it’s possible to shop for, choose
non-continuing with a certain time
limit.
Unless the POA has limiting powers it is considered a General Power
of Attorney. In this case the Attorney
may make any decisions on behalf
of the Grantor, except make a will.
When the POA is Limited it is often
dealing with specific assets, a specific
transaction or maybe a certain period
and complete your project all in
one afternoon! We made adorable
Pom-Pom Puppies here at the store
and the cute Clay Charms at home.
We’ve also had fun with their Paper
Airplanes, Nail Style Studio and, of
course, Knitting kits.
Duct tape crafters will enjoy the
181 activities in Tape It & Make It.
Make lunch and beach bags, hats,
jewelry, bookmarks and book covers
(!!), costumes and so much more.
Usborne Day
We’re celebrating Usborne books
and some of their craft ideas on
Monday, March 10th. We’ll be doing
a different activity every couple of
hours here at the store. We’re starting
the day off on a high note at 9:30 by
making and flying paper airplanes,
decorating cookies from 11:30 to
1:30, creating a Crusader’s castle
between 1:30 and 3:30 and finishing
up the day learning magic tricks from
3:30 to 5:30. Drop by any time to
craft it up!
Kelly Harrison is a co-owner of
Kaleidoscope Kids’ Books, a resident
of Old Ottawa South, and the crafter
of many yet-to-be-completed sewing,
knitting and jewelry projects. Kaleidoscope, Ottawa’s only children’s
bookstore, is located at 1018 Bank
Street.
of time. For example, it may be useful to have a limited POA if you will
be out of the country for a period
of time and you want someone else
to act on your behalf to deal with a
pressing matter, such as a real estate
Continued on pg 31
PERSONAL FINANCIAL PLANNING
Are you uncertain about achieving your financial goals?
Call today for your free, confidential, second opinion.
RICK SUTHERLAND, CLU, CFP, FDS, R.F.P.
1276 Wellington Street Ottawa, ON K1Y 3A7
613-798-2421
email: [email protected]
web: www.invested-interest.ca
Mutual funds provided through FundEX Investments Inc.
THE OSCAR
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Page 31
MARCH 2014
FINANCIAL PLANNING
Insurance: a Key Element of Your Financial Strategy
By Bob Jamieson, CFP
Did you know that in nearly half of
Canadian households, the primary
wage earner reported that if he or
she died, surviving family members
would have immediate trouble meeting everyday living expenses or be
unable to cover expenses beyond
only a few months? Life Insurance: Think about what
would happen if you unexpectedly
passed away today. Who would pay
for your funeral and your family’s
monthly bills? Who would pay your
monthly mortgage payment and other
outstanding debts? How would your
children’s future education be funded? And would your family be able to
compensate for your lost paycheque,
which would be gone forever?
It all points to the importance of
insurance, which can provide money
in a timely manner when you need it
to offset lost earnings to your household or business in the event of death
or disability. Quite simply, without
adequate insurance coverage, your
loved ones could face catastrophic
consequences.
You can approach insurance in a
way that you might look at investments: a well constructed insurance
portfolio that contains different types
to address different possibilities and
to match your particular needs.
For example, you may want to
have permanent life insurance solutions to meet requirements that exist
no matter what age you pass away,
such as funeral and burial costs,
and taxes on registered assets and
capital gains. Term insurance solutions might be best used to meet any
particular temporary needs you could
have, such as clearing your mortgage
or replacing your income until your
Continued from page 30
transaction.
The Power of Attorney falls under
provincial jurisdiction and the rules may
vary by province. In Ontario a valid POA
must be in writing and be signed before
two witnesses who must also sign the
Power of Attorney as witnesses. Certain
people cannot be a witness. They are the
Attorney or the Attorney’s spouse, the
Grantor’s spouse, the Grantor’s child, and
any person under 18 years of age.
A Power of Attorney is an important legal responsibility and should be carefully
considered by both the Grantor as well as
the Attorney. Both parties should examine
the POA to ensure they fully understand
the terms, conditions and responsibilities
of the POA. They want to make sure that
the POA is valid and has been drafted according to the applicable provincial jurisdiction. If there is any doubt then professional legal advice should be obtained.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association the risk for dementia doubles every
five years after the age of 65. POAs are
particularly useful when dealing with
seniors who may have developed diminished capacity. In this case the Grantor
will have established a POA where
their child or other person, for example,
becomes responsible to make decisions
regarding their property in the event of
children are old enough to be selfsufficient.
Living Benefits Insurance: You
may not die, but what would happen to protect your family if you’re
unable to work because of disability
or illness. According to the Society
of Actuaries, a 40-year-old in Canada
has a 35-per-cent chance of suffering
a long-term disability lasting 90 days
or longer, making disability and critical illness very important.
You should ask yourself what
coverage your employer provides,
and what are the limitations and
exclusions of that coverage? And
does critical illness insurance make
sense for you to protect you from the
long-term financial impact of suffering a heart attack, stroke, or the onset
of cancer?
And what if you can’t take care of
yourself, but you don’t (or no longer
dementia or other form of cognitive set
back.
When dealing with seniors the key is to
determine when to activate the POA. You
want to make sure that the person has developed diminished capacity to the point
that they cannot, or do not, understand the
implications of the decisions they make.
Certain warning signs may assist when
coming to this decision, such as, inconsistency of verbal communications, memory
loses, gaps in narrative communications,
behavior that is out of the ordinary or being non-communicative.
We recommend that everyone should
consult with their legal professional and
have a Power of Attorney as part of their
estate plan. Without a legally executed
POA there is a lengthy process one must
go through for Statutory Guardianship
over another person’s property in the
event of incapacity. Review your plans
with your loved ones and ensure that your
affairs are in order.
Rick Sutherland has been a resident of
OOS since 1985 and has been a regular
contributor to OSCAR since 1991. The
foregoing is for general information
purposes and is the opinion of the writer.
This information is not intended to
provide personal advice. Please call or
write to Rick Sutherland, to discuss your
particular circumstances or suggest a
topic for future articles at 613-798-2421
or E-mail [email protected].
have) family who are able to provide
that care. This is where Long Term
Care insurance may fill the gap.
These are just a few of the many
insurance-related questions you
should consider in making sure
you have an appropriate insurance
portfolio that’s right for you. With the
recent activities of RRSP season it’s
easy to overlook many of the basics
of your financial strategy. Insurance
is one of those core elements that
should not be neglected. Make sure
you have a detailed discussion with
your financial advisor about your
insurance needs and the different options that are available to you.
If you would like to review your
situation, give me a call at 613-5263030, and I would be pleased to
discuss it with you.
Insurance and annuities are offered
by Edward Jones Insurance Agency
(except in Quebec).
www.edwardjones.com
You’ve Always
Been Self-reliant.
Continue This Trend with
Long-term Care Insurance.
Help protect yourself against the financial challenges of in-home care or a nursing home stay
with long-term care insurance. This insurance can
help protect the assets you’ve worked so hard to
acquire and can help you maintain some financial
independence if you can’t take care of yourself.
We can help you explore long-term care insurance
costs, benefits, limitations, exclusions and available options.
Insurance and annuities are offered by Edward Jones Insurance Agency
(except in Quebec). In Quebec, insurance and annuities are offered by
Edward Jones Insurance Agency (Quebec), Inc.
To learn whether long-term care
insurance makes sense for you, call or
visit your local Edward Jones advisor to
schedule a complimentary appointment.
Bob Jamieson, CFP®
Financial Advisor
.
2211 Riverside Drive
Suite 100
Ottawa, ON K1H 7X5
613-526-3030
REPORTERS NEEDED
The OSCAR is seeking volunteer reporters.
This role involves researching and writing stories about the Old Ottawa South community.
- an interest in local stories and issues
- experience in writing
- ability to meet deadlines
contact the OSCAR Editor, Brendan McCoy, [email protected]
INS-2008A-C
Member – Canadian
Investor Protection Fund
Page 32
THE OSCAR
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MARCH 2014
SUNNYSIDE LIBRARY PROGRAMS
Sunnyside Branch
Ottawa Public Library
1049 Bank Street, Ottawa
613-730-1082,
Adult Services, ext 22
Children’s Services, ext 29
Library Programs
March-April
Children’s Programs
Babytime
For babies and their parents
or caregiver with stories,
rhymes, songs and games.
0-18 months. Drop In.
Tuesdays, 2:15 p.m. (30
min.)
Session 2: March 25 to April
22
Session 3: May 6 to May 27
Toddlertime
For toddlers and a parent
or caregiver with stories,
rhymes, songs and games.
Ages 18-35 months.
Registration is Required.
Choose only one day of the
week from the two options
below:
Tuesdays, 10:15 a.m. (30
min.)
Session 2: March 25 to April
22
Session 3: May 6 to May 27
(registration March 19)
OR
Thursdays, 10:15 a.m. (30
min.)
Session 2: March 27 to April
24
Session 3: May 8 to May29
(registration March 19)
Family Storytime
Stories, rhymes and songs for
preschoolers and a parent or
caregiver. Ages 3-6. Drop In.
Mondays, 2:15 a.m. (30
min.)
March 24 to April 21
May 5 to May 26
Family Storytime
(Bilingual)
Stories, rhymes and songs for
preschoolers, toddlers and a
parent or caregiver. Drop In.
Contes, rimes et chansons
pour les enfants préscolaires,
les tout-petits et un parent ou
gardien.
Wednesdays 10:15 a.m. (30
min.) / mercredi 10h15
March 2 to April 23 / le 2
mars au 23 avril
May 7 to May 28 / le 7 mai à
le 28 mai
Children’s Book
Clubs
Mother-Daughter Book
Club Ages 7-9
A place for girls and the
special women in their lives
to share books. Registration.
The book for March is any
Junie B. Jones by Barbara
Park
Mondays, 7:00 p.m. (60
min.): March 3, April 7, May
5
Mother-Daughter Book
Club Ages 10-12
The book for March is
Divergent by Veronica Roth.
A place for girls and the
special women in their lives
to share books. Registration.
Mondays, 7:00 p.m. (60
min.): March 17, April 14,
May 10
Guysread
Share the love of books. For
boys and a significant adult.
Ages 8-12. Registration.
The book for March is The
Twenty-one Balloons by
William Pène Du Bois
Wednesdays, 7:00 p.m. (60
min.): February 26, March
26, April 30, May
March Break
“You can’t catch me!”
Stories, activities and crafts
featuring tricksters big and
small. Ages 4-6. Drop in
Monday, March 10, 10:15
a.m. (30 min.)
Paper Magic
The surprising power of
paper. Ages 7-12. Drop in.
Monday, March 10, 2:00
p.m. (45 min.)
Abracadabra
Magical stories, activities
and crafts from near and far.
Ages 4-6. Drop in.
Tuesday, March 11, 10:15
a.m. (30 min.)
Now you see it...
Can you trust your senses?
Ages 7-12. Drop in.
Tuesday, March 11, 2:00
p.m. (30 min.)
Storytime magic
Stories, rhymes and songs
for children of all ages and a
parent or caregiver. Family
program. Drop in.
Wednesday, March 12, 10:15
a.m. (30 min.)
Amazement Labs Presents
Amazement Specialist, Chris
Pilsworth, presents the weird,
the wild and the wonderful!
His team, of mad scientists,
has pulled out all the stops
for this show. Featured
demonstrations include the
rubber duck of danger, the
silver hoops of Madagascar
and a live singing bottle! All
these mysteries and other
unbelievable inventions will
leave you flabbergasted!
Ages 4-12.
Wednesday, March 12, 2:00
(60 mins.)
Lego Block Party
Create and build with Lego.
Ages 6-12. Drop in.
Thursday, March 13, 10:15
a.m. (60 min.)
Believe it or not
Fact or fiction? You decide!
Ages 7-12. Drop in
Thursday, March 13, 2:00
p.m. (30 min.)
Wii Game On!
Play Wii Games at the
Library. Ages 6-12. Drop in.
Friday March 14, 2:00 p.m.
Teen Programs
TAG (Teen Advisory
Group) (Ongoing Event)
Sunnyside Teens--join our
new Teen Advisory Group
and have a say in which
programs, activities and
services will be offered to
youth and also help plan and
implement them. Ages 14-18.
To join, stop by the branch.
Look for Teen Programs
presented by Teens: such as
Peer Tutoring plus Drop in
Board Game & Card Game
nights. Meet once a month
on Saturdays at 1:30 p.m. (60
mins.): March 22, April 19,
May 17, June 14
TBC (Teen Book Club)
Love YA fiction? Come
check out Sunnyside’s latest
book club for Teens – you
pick the author, theme or
title, we all read a book and
meet to discuss what we
liked (or didn’t like). Usually
the first Friday of the month.
Ages 12-15. Registration.
The book for April is The
Diviners by Libba Bray.
Fridays, 4:00 p.m. (60 min.):
April 4, May 2, June 6
Writing Workshop for Teens
Join local author to workshop
your writing and learn
tips and tricks, all genres
welcome. Ages 13-17.
Registration.
Mondays, 6:30 p.m. (90
mins.): March 3, March 31,
and May 12
Adult Programs
The Writing Workshop
An opportunity for writers of
fiction, non-fiction, poetry,
and experimental forms to
gather. Our emphasis will
be on developing works-
in-progress for publication.
The workshop will provide
writers with encouragement
and constructive criticism
from their peers. Author/
Facilitator: Michael
F. Stewart: http://
michaelfstewart.com
Mondays, 6:00 p.m. (120
min.): March 17, April 14,
May 26, June 16
Ukrainian Conversation
Join our group led by a
fluent Ukrainian speaker.
Start off with a review of the
Ukrainian alphabet. All are
welcome. Mondays, 7:00
pm (60 min.): March 10, 24,
April 7, 28, May 5, June 2,
23
Conversations Among
Canadians
We will, as usual in this
series, share our experience,
knowledge, reflections
and ideas on a wide range
of topics relevant to life
in Canada, past, present
and future. Topics may
include the environment,
the economy, science and
technology, social wellbeing, even the new findings
about the human brain.
Exploring our own attitudes,
we will be alert for a growing
sense of community and
goodwill among Canadians
at home and with others in
the world, including living
in community with the
land. Making an informal
appreciation of the Canadian
situation, we will continue to
challenge our imaginations
and find our voices, hoping
to offer helpful contributions
around the celebrations of
the 150th anniversary of
Confederation in 2017.
Wednesdays, 2:00 - 4:00 pm
(120 min.): January 8 - June
18
Passionate Pursuits
A new monthly program
highlighting the passionate
pursuits of adults. In March,
Pat Marshall will speak about
her passion for the harp.
Having Irish roots, Pat will
speak about the history of the
harp, especially the Celtic
connection. She will discuss
the different types of harps,
the way in which the harp
has been used for healing as
well as her personal story of
learning, playing and being
healed by the harp. Pat will
also entertain us with some
musical selections on her
Lever harp.
Wednesday, 2:00 pm (60
min.): March 19: Pat
Marshall (harp player)
Science Café with Carleton
University
Explore science through
Carleton University’s popular
Science Cafés. Put on by
the university’s Faculty of
Science, cafés are held every
other Wednesday during the
fall and winter terms. Each
café begins at 6:30 p.m. with
a 20 minute talk by a scientist
followed by a 40 minute
open question and answer
period. Come and join us for
a lively discussion around
a scientific issue of the day.
Be prepared to be informed,
engaged and even amused, as
Carleton’s professors share
their scientific discoveries
with you. Drop in.
Wednesdays, 6:30 pm (60
min.): March 12, 26, April
9, 23
FEDs (Engineering Café
with Carleton University)
Carleton University’s
Engineering Café is a new
initiative by the Faculty of
Engineering and Design.
Each café will feature
a faculty member who
will make a presentation
for approximately 2030 minutes on a topic of
general interest from the
Engineering and Design
world. The presentation
will be followed by a Q&A
period. Refreshments will be
available for you to enjoy.
Drop in.
Wednesdays, 6:30 pm (60
min.): March 5 and April 2
Conversation en français
Improve your spoken French
and meet new friends in a
relaxed setting. Intermediate
level required.
Thursdays, 6:00 pm OR 7:15
pm (60 min.): March 20 –
May 8
Adult Special
Programs
Traditional Chinese
Medicine
In Traditional Chinese
Medicine, meridians connect
all our body parts. Many
body pains or diseases are
the result of meridians being
congested or deficient. This
seminar will introduce you
to meridians in Traditional
Chinese Medicine and show
you how you can keep your
meridians healthy. Presented
by Winnie Fok, a registered
acupuncturist and TCM
Practitioner in Ontario.
THE OSCAR
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Page 33
MARCH 2014
SUNNYSIDE LIBRARY PROGRAMS Continued from page 32
Detoxifying your Body
Join Dr. Ellen Simone,
Naturopathic Doctor, for
this information session on
detoxifying your body using
naturopathic medicine. You
will learn how chemicals
in the environment impact
your health and how to
reduce your exposure to
these toxins. Dr. Simone will
also discuss how to support
your body’s natural ability
to detoxify using nutrition,
herbal medicine, lifestyle
medicine, homeopathy and
acupuncture.
Thursday, March 6, 6:00 pm
(120 min.)
Physical Activity and Your
Health
If there was a pill that
could dramatically reduce
the likelihood of heart
disease, hypertension,
diabetes, osteoporosis and
depression...would you
take it? Most of us would.
Although it’s not a pill,
physical activity has been
shown to have the abovementioned benefits and more.
Come learn about its benefits
and the appropriateness of
certain types of physical
activity over other
types. Presented by Dr.
Chandan Brar of the Glebe
Chiropractic Clinic.
Thursday, March 13, 6:30 pm
(60 min.)
The 5 Secrets to Weight Loss
Want to know the secrets to
fat loss? Maybe you think
you already know what to
do...maybe you can already
come up with a list of 10
things right now that you
could change to reach your
weight loss goals. But what
really works? What’s the best
way to lose weight and keep
it off? Join Patricia JeanVézina, RHN and lifestyle
coach to learn the secrets to
losing fat and keeping it off.
Thursday, March 20, 7:00 pm
(90 min.)
of a home inspector.
Thursday, April 10, 6:30 pm
(60 min.)
Genealogy
Discover the content and use
of this popular genealogy
database and learn some tips
and tricks in this Powerpoint
presentation.
Thursday, March 27, 6:30 pm
(90 min.)
Decluttering for Spring
Get an overview and learn
tips and tricks on how to
organise your surroundings
to gain a better sense of
control, or to prepare for
downsizing, or maybe your
home office needs help—just
in time for spring cleaning!
Presented by Jennifer
Dawson of Adventures in
Organizing.
Thursday, April 17, 7:00 pm
(75 min.)
It’s not what you earn, it’s
what you keep
Learn tax-smart strategies
that will maximize your
after-tax dollars. Presented
by Wade Brown, RBC
Dominion Securities.
Thursday, April 3, 6:30 pm
(60 min.)
Home Inspection Workshop
Nathan Weinstock,
Registered Home Inspector
with AccuChex Inspections,
will lead a workshop on
Home Inspection Tips and
Helpful Hints. This seminar
will be of interest to home
owners, home buyers and
sellers, and those concerned
with new home warranty
issues. You will learn how to
conduct your own inspection,
and how to get the most out
AROUND TOWN
Lessons from my Big Fat
Garden Reno
Come and hear about one
woman’s experiences with
her major garden renovation
-- presented by Rebecca Last,
Master Gardener.
Saturday, April 12, 2:00 pm
(75 min.)
Book Art Exchange
There are books about art
in your library, but did you
know that books can also BE
art? The Ottawa Art Gallery
presents a hands-on creative
workshop on how to create
an artwork in the form of
a book, using an everyday
sticky-note pad. Be a part
of the fun, and be a part of a
city-wide art exchange!
Saturday, April 19, 2:00 pm
(120 min.)
Clicking, Flicking
and Tweeting: Social
Networking Controversy
Friends of the Farm’s (FCEF)
Used Book Drop-Off. Saturday
March 29th from 10am to
3pm. Please note we do not
accept magazines, textbooks or
encyclopaedias. The book drop-off
is located at Building 72 east of the
Prince of Wales roundabout. For
more information contact info@
friendsofthefarm.ca or 613-230-3276
trio, guests select a handcrafted
ceramic bowl and choose from
tasty soups and bread offered by
ten of Ottawa’s great restaurants.
MC Derick Fage is part of the fun
as he leads the called and silent
auctions for ceramic arts from pots to
sculpture. Tickets are $45 and can be
purchased at Il Primo Ristorante on
Preston St. or call 613-792-3721.
Gluten Free Utopia is on April 5 at
Library and Archives Canada. Gluten
Free Utopia will bring together
local businesses and specialists
who know about living gluten-free.
For those who avoid gluten due
to Celiac Disease, an intolerance,
or sensitivity, Gluten Free Utopia
strives to create a world without
limitations. For more information
www.glutenfreeutopia.com, www.
facebook.com/glutenfreeutopia, TEL
613-761-9442.
Heritage Ottawa Wednesday
Evening Lecture Series. At the
Ottawa Public Library Auditorium,
120 Metcalfe Street. 7:00 pm.
Admission: free. Light refreshments
provided.
March 19, The Parliament Hill
Escarpment Promenade: Memories
Reside in Places of Prospect and
Refuge. A proposal to redevelop
the viewing terrace promenade on
Parliament Hill poses fascinating
opportunities for recreating a river
“front garden” for the Parliament
buildings. Lecturer: Walter Kehm
is a practicing landscape architect
whose life long passion has been the
understanding of nature and cultures.
Great Bowls of Fire fundraising
event for the Ottawa Food Bank.
March 8th at the Glebe Community
Centre. To the music of a stringed
The explosion of social
networking websites such as
Flickr, Facebook, blogging
sites and Twitter has raised
more than privacy concerns.
Join the discussion with
Chris Taylor and Jeff Dubois
from the Ottawa PC Users’
Group. Jeff will describe
the value of social media
sites, while Chris will give
the cautions about using
these tools so that you don’t
compromise your computer,
your job, your identity, or
worse.
Thursday, April 24, 6:15 pm
(120 min.)
Adult Book Clubs
Cercle de lecture
Partagez avec nous le plaisir
des livres dans une ambiance
détendue.
Projet de critique littéraire
pour janvier, février et mars.
Les mardis, 18h30 (90 min.):
25 mars, 29 avril, 27 mai, 24
juin
European Book Club
The European Book Club is a
cooperation of the European
Union National Institutes for
Culture (EUNIC) in Ottawa:
the Austrian Cultural Forum,
the Goethe Institute, the
Romanian Cultural Institute,
the Instituto Camoes of
Portugal and the Embassy
of the Republic of Poland.
The EBC aims to promote
European authors and their
works. A book title from an
EU country is selected for
Lady Evelyn 3rd Annual Used
Book Fair. Thursday, Apr 10th Saturday, Apr. 12th
Thursday & Friday 3pm - 9pm,
Saturday 9am - 3pm. Main Foyer,
Lady Evelyn Alternative School, 63
Evelyn Avenue. Featuring our very
popular shopping bargain: “Buy a
bag for $25 and Fill It”
Donations of Used Books: Accepted
Mar 24 - Apr 04. Please no
computer manuals, Reader’s Digest,
encyclopedia or magazines.
Ottawa Brahms Choir under
direction of Denise Hawkins presents
Schubert Mass in G, as well as works
by Schumann, Mendelssohn, Brahms
and more on Sunday April 27, at 3
pm at St. Thomas the Apostle on
2345 Alta Vista Drive. Reception
following. Contact Tel: 819-5688169.
St. Cecilia Singers concert.
Monday, 3 March, 8pm, St Luke’s
Church, 760 Somerset St W. The
St. Cecilia Singers will present
“Alleluia”, a variety of a cappella
discussion each month.
March title: The Accident by
Mihail Sebastian.
Wednesdays, 6:00 pm (120
min.): March 19, April 16,
May 21, June 18
Second Friday Adult Book
Club
Meet new people and join in
stimulating discussions on
selected titles in a friendly
and relaxed atmosphere
every second Friday of the
month. Newcomers are
welcome.
March title: Bury Your Dead
by Louise Penny
Fridays, 2:00 pm (60 min.):
March 14, April 11, May 9,
June 13
Mystery Book Club
Do you enjoy reading
mysteries? Share the
enjoyment of good mysteries
in a relaxed atmosphere. Join
us for discussion every third
Friday of the month.
March title: The Man from
Beijing by Henning Mankell
Fridays, 2:00 pm (60 min.):
March 21, May 16, June 20
Sunnyside Adult Book Club
Join in stimulating
discussions on selected titles
in a friendly and relaxed
atmosphere on the last Friday
of the month.
March title: 419 by Will
Ferguson
Fridays, 2:00 pm (60 min.):
March 28, April 25, May 30
choral music by Schutz, Tallis,
Mendelssohn, Whitacre, Holst
and Britten. Tickets $20 (students
$5) available at the door. www.
stceciliasingers.ca
The Ottawa Bach Choir presents
The Tudors: Hidden Ecstasies
Featuring Byrd: Mass for Four
Voices; Motets and Madrigals by
Byrd, Farmer, Gibbons, Parsons,
Tallis and more. Saturday, March
8, 8:00 pm at Knox Presbyterian
Church, 120 Lisgar Street, Tickets:
Reserved $50, Adults $40, Seniors
$35, Students and Youth $15.
Y Cycle for Strong Kids. On
Sunday March 23, from 10am –
2pm, one hour indoor cycle fitness
challenge. Event registration is $50
and participants are asked to raise
a minimum of $100. Takes place at
the Taggart Family Y, Downtown
Y and Carlingwood Y. For more
information on cyclist perks and
registration details, go to www.
ymcaywca.ca/special-events/
Page 34
THE OSCAR
l
MARCH 2014
CLASSY ADS
CLASSY ADS are free for Old Ottawa South residents (except for businesses or for business activity) and must be submitted by email to [email protected] by
the deadline. Your name and contact information (phone number or email address) must be included. Only your contact info will appear unless you specify otherwise. The
editor retains the right to edit or exclude submissions. The OSCAR takes no responsibility for items, services or accuracy. For business advertising inquiries, call 613-7301058 or email [email protected].
For Rent
For Rent: Light-filled 2
bedroom apartment on the
top floor of a duplex in Old
Ottawa South. This well
maintained unit includes a
private south facing balcony
overlooking a treed yard,
eat-in kitchen, hardwood
floors. Approx. 1000 sq ft.
No smoking please. $1500 +
utilities + parking. Available
immediately. Please email:
[email protected],
or call 613-914-6573 for
more information.
-----------------------------------
For Rent: Cottage, an
hour’s drive from Ottawa,
just outside of beautiful
Perth on the shore of Otty
Lake, is available for rent
for a period of two or three
weeks this summer. Perfect
for 1 to 4 people. There are
two bedrooms, one with a
queen-sized bed and one
with a double bed, and one
bathroom, with all linens
supplied. The kitchen is
well-equipped and there is
an outside barbecue. No
pets or smoking but you
can enjoy the fireplace! A
canoe, rowboat and pedal
boat are moored at the boat
dock! Good fishing. Good
swimming at the front dock.
$850 per week. Contact
Judith at judith_bill@
hotmail.com.
----------------------------------For Sale
For Sale: Carpet, 10.5’ x 8’,
deep red background, gold
pattern, ivory, green and
navy border, $150; 7.3’ x
5.4’ carpet, patterned, wine
red background. Call 613730-0034.
----------------------------------For Sale. Couch and solidwood dresser.
Couch $200, 7’ 4”, gently
used, clean, good condition,
green cloth, non-smoking/nopet home.
Wood dresser $200, width
58” x 30.5” high x 17” deep,
drawers clean and all slide
smoothly. Matching solidwood dresser-top mirror unit
$50, width 48” x 39” high x
7” deep. 613-730-6575.
----------------------------------House For Sale. Three stories
with a finished basement
and third floor, on Bellwood
Ave between Sunnyside
and Belmont. It has three
bedrooms and two full
bathrooms and a mature
garden ready to bloom in the
spring. We are flexible on a
closing date. Call 613-9152421 for more information.
----------------------------------Drive Wanted
Raleigh Street resident seeks
ride weekdays to and/or from
office at Rue Eddy in Hull.
Working hours typically 8 am
to 5 pm. Will share expenses.
Call 613-733-5071.
-----------------------------------
MARKETPLACE
EXTRA-MILE RENOVATIONS
Beautiful Decks, Fences,
Gates & Porches.
Quality Bathrooms & Kitchens.
We also do trim work, plumbing,
electric, installation
of doors & fixtures.
Local Renovator.
Creative Solutions. References.
Please call for an estimate
613-297-8079
MUSIC THERAPY CAN HELP!




Autism & Dementia
Intellectual Challenges
Stress Relief & Healing
Emotional Struggles
Pamela Holm, Accredited Music Therapist
www.DeepSoulSinging.com
Call: 613‐829‐1556
GIBBON’S PAINTING &
DECORATING
Local House Painter - Bonded
With 20 years experience
Customer satisfaction
ALWAYS GUARANTEED
ADVERTISE
For a free estimate please
call Rory 322-0109
Ask about my $25 referral rebate
Book now for your painting needs
in the OSCAR
contact
GAYLE at
oscarads
@oldottawasouth.ca
AVAILABLE: English tutoring
for Academic Purposes
ESL teacher based in OOS available for help
with academic writing
(proof-reading for grammar, punctuation; critical
feedback on content, etc.) from
high school to university levels.
For more details, please call
613-237-7894 or
email [email protected]
THE OSCAR
l
Page 35
MARCH 2014
GARDEN CLUB
An example of Wa
Japanese Gardens
By Colin Ashford
Dressed in traditional Japanese apparel, Rebecca Cragg, President and
Founder of Camellia Teas, (www.camelliaTeas.net) gave the members of
the Old Ottawa South Garden Club
a fascinating and knowledgeable
presentation on Japanese gardens.
Rebecca is a chado (tea ceremony)
practitioner, an Ikebana practitioner
and teacher, and a traditional Japanese landscape painter and teacher.
Her publications include a number of
articles on Japanese gardening and a
book entitled “Interior Zenscaping”
(Blurb, 2009).
In her presentation, Rebecca
covered the principles of Japanese
garden design and how they may be
realized in the Ottawa area. Rebecca
noted that, strictly, a Zen Garden is
a garden in a religious site, but that
zenscaping is a style of landscaping
that reflects the principles of Japanese traditional dry-stone gardening
in a secular setting. Referring to basic
garden design goals (use, function,
time of use, vantage points, and
budget), Rebecca showed how these
goals can be realized using the six
philosophical principles of Japanese
garden design, namely: In and Yo
(balance and harmony); Shibumi
(motion and quoting nature); Shakkei (borrowed scenery or landscape);
Wabi Sabi (withered, simple, rustic);
Yugen (not revealing all at once);
and Wa (overall harmony of the five
preceding principles). Rebecca then
expanded on each of these points. In
and Yo strives to balance Yin — the
feminine — characterized by moon,
angular/sharp lines, winter, rocks,
flowers with Yo — the masculine
— characterized by sun, round/circular, summer, water, and evergreen.
Shibumi — the quotation of nature —
can be realized by tsuboniwa (pocket
PHOTO BY REBECCA CRAGG
gardens) whilst Shakkei can be realized by making use of the existing
view whether this be of a neighbour’s
tree or of Mt. Fuji! Wabi Sabi (rustic)
— may take many years to achieve
(hundreds in the case of some
gardens in Japan). Not revealing all
at once (Yugen) can be achieved by
partially hiding ornaments such as
lanterns behind greenery. By applying these principles, Wa — harmony
— can be achieved in a garden. Rebecca showed members examples of
Japanese-inspired gardens, including
many from Japan itself, but starting
with her own where she has transformed a suburban backyard into the
Camellia House Tranquility Garden.
Rebecca then moved on to discuss
Zen-inspired gardens and their relationship to meditation. Zen-inspired
gardens reflect the traditions of stone
and sand gardens found in Zen Buddhist temples developed in Japan in
the thirteenth century—one of the
earliest being in the city of Kamakura
dating from 1251 AD. Rebecca also
recommended a water feature—no
matter how small—to add to the
tranquility of a garden. After showing
pictures of a number of Zen-inspired
gardens around the world, Rebecca
turned her attention to Roji (tea gardens). Rebecca noted that the purpose
of tea gardens is to create a contrast
between the dusty, busy villages and
towns and the peace of a simple,
green garden and to prepare the mind
for the tea-ceremony experience.
Stepping-stones and the absence of
spiky or flowering plants are important components of a tea garden.
Rebecca’s presentation contained
references to a number of useful
resources including books on Japanese-style gardening, local Japanesestyle gardens, local landscaping
consultants, and sources of rocks and
lanterns. Her presentation is avail-
able from: www.camelliateas.net/
lectures/2014Zenscapingintro.pdf
The next meeting of the Old Ottawa South Garden Club will be on
Tuesday March 11 at 7.00 p.m. at the
Old Ottawa South Community Centre
(The Firehall), 260 Sunnyside Av-
enue, when Master Gardener Edythe
Falconer will discuss ornamental
grasses—recognizing different
grasses, how to care for them, and
intriguing ways of bringing them into
your overall garden design.
From Our Table to Yours
From Our Table to Yours
Favourite recipes from members
of the Old Ottawa South community
From Our Table to Yours is a locally created
cookbook conceived to support The Sunday
Supper Program at St. Margaret Mary Church
and Out of the Cold Saturday Suppers at
Southminster United Church.
This amazing cookbook offers:
•About 300 recipes from Old Ottawa South
residents and restaurants
•Crowd-pleasing recipes from the
church suppers
•Tried-and-true recipes for appetizers,
soups, salads, mains & desserts
Get yours now. $25 each .
All proceeds to support
the supper programs. Get your copy
today at The FIrehall.
[email protected]
613.247.4946
[email protected]
Page 36
THE OSCAR
FROM
INSPIRATION
TO BREATH
TAKING
RESULTS
l
MARCH 2014
REVELSTOKE IS THE
TRUSTED NAME TO BUILD
YOUR CUSTOM HOME
OR RENOVATION
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ALLOW US TO
IMPART OUR
EXPERTISE AND
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building requirements within your
budget.
A CUSTOMIZED HOME
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We offer a free consultation
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T 613.234.5571
F 613.236.6661
BEFORE
[email protected]
www.revelstokedesignandbuild.com
Come and join us for our United States Vacation Property Seminar.
Join the Team at Tracy Arnett Realty along with Expert US Real Estate Agents
Three Day Event - May 26, 27 and 28th
Call 233-4488 or Email
[email protected]
for early registration.
TRACY ARNETT REALTY LTD., BROKERAGE
159 Gilmour Street, Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 0N8 ~ www.tracyarnett.com ~ 613-233-4488
This is not intended to solicit properties already listed for sale