The
O•S•C•A•R
©
The Community Voice of Old Ottawa South
Year 40, No. 5
The Ottawa South Community Association Review
OSCA Names New Executive Director
By Michael Jenkin
A
s many of you know, the OSCA Board
has been involved in an intensive search
for a new Executive Director to manage
its operations and programming. The search is
now over and the Board has chosen as the winning
candidate Ms. Christy Savage. Christy will start
working with Deirdre McQuillan, our current
Executive Director on June 5th. Deirdre will be
retiring from her position at the end of June after
some 20 years of service with OSCA.
Christy Savage has worked in the field of
recreation and children’s programs, both in
Canada and Europe, for over 25 years. She has
built an extensive experience base in recreation
and enrichment; community outreach; and special
events and fundraising.
Having grown up in Europe and Canada,
Christy spent her high school years in Ottawa,
attending St Pius X high school, before going to
Montreal for university. After graduating from
Concordia University with a BA in Anthropology,
Christy came back to Ottawa to pursue graduate
studies in Cultural Anthropology and Mediation
at Carleton University.
Upon her return to Montreal, Christy quickly
got involved with community programs and
began working as a coordinator for the Westmount
YMCA. Soon after she was approached by a local
parent’s group to plan and launch a recreational/
enrichment program for elementary school
aged children. For the past 15 years Christy has
remained in Notre Dame de Grace (NDG) as the
Executive Director of the Willingdon Extended
Day Program, while continuing her community
involvement by volunteering on local boards.
During that time she also graduated with a BA
specialization in Psychology, and is currently
completing a certificate in Non Profit Management
at Mount Royal University.
As a former Carleton student Christy
is familiar with Old Ottawa South and the
community. Christy noted “I was particularly
attracted to Old Ottawa South because of the
many similarities between it and the community
of Notre Dame de Grace where I have lived
and worked for the last 25 years.” Somewhat
wistfully, she observed that “ leaving NDG is
going to be difficult for me, but I am very much
looking forward to the opportunity to get to know
Old Ottawa South better, get actively involved,
and help the people who live here build the kind
of community they want and deserve.”
MAY 2012
Winning candidate Ms. Christy Savage
OSCA Annual General
Meeting
Tuesday, May 1
Main Hall of the Firehall,
7:00 p.m
Welcoming Smiles to the Neighbourhood!
By Sheryl Bennett-Wilson
W
hen Dr. Nasrin Saba went
looking for a location for
her own dental practice,
she did a lot of research. She wanted
a neighbourhood she could serve and a
location with good street visibility. Dr.
Saba was already familiar with the Old
Ottawa South neighbourhood as her
oldest daughter had attended Hopewell.
She realized that the area was in need
of a dental office so she decided to
set up her practice somewhere on this
part of Bank Street. She looked at
the neighbourhood’s habits and was
impressed with the fact that residents
like to walk to neighbourhood
businesses and best of all, that Old
Ottawa South residents are very loyal
and supportive of local businesses. Dr.
Saba decided that she really wanted
to be part of the neighbourhood. So
when the opportunity arose for the
location vacated by Serious Cheese,
she grabbed it.
Dr. Saba and her family arrived in
Ottawa in 2006. They had been living in
Toronto since 2000 while both she and
her husband were at school. Dr. Saba
and her husband, Dr. Hamid Dabir are
both graduates of university in Iran.
They both trained in Canada with Dr.
Saba graduating from the University
of Toronto in 2006. Her husband, Dr.
Dabir is a radiologist and is training
to become a neuroradiologist at the
Ottawa Hospital. Although they still
have relatives in Toronto, the family
loves Ottawa. Eldest daughter Anita is
graduating soon and Armita is in grade
three. Dr. Saba worked in Orleans
when she arrived, but always knew
she wanted to set up her own practice
– and now she has, as a neighbourhood
dentist!
You’ll be impressed with Bank
Street Dentistry and Dr. Saba’s offices.
The tranquil, organic-feeling green
wall in the waiting area is amazingly
soothing. Jennie, the receptionist
makes you feel welcome with a
cheery smile and behind the scene is
Marie, Dr. Saba’s warm and friendly
Dental Assistant. Dr. Saba has gone
to great lengths to make sure her office
is environmentally friendly. In the
decorating, she made sure only waterbased paints were used and the floor is
beautiful natural porcelain. No charts
or paper here! All records are stored
digitally on the computer systems. To
reduce radiation exposure for patients
and produce better images, the office
uses digital radiography that also
eliminates the use of chemicals. The
dry vacuum system saves thousands
of gallons of water each year and
a Mercury Waste Water Separator
has been installed at the end of the
suction lines – that means the majority
of mercury from the dental office is
NOT dumped into the sewer. And
Dr. Nasrin Saba, with one of her daughters and her staff
you’ll be notified about an up-coming
appointment by email – much more
convenient and saves paper. Dr. Saba’s
office is definitely being kind to the
environment!
If your child or children are ready
for their first dental appointment, Dr.
Saba enjoys dealing with kids. She
says it’s really important to get them
started going to the dentist at an early
age, so they feel comfortable with it.
It’s also a great way to get them into
the habit of brushing often! Whether
you’re looking for a family dentist,
or even some cosmetic ‘smile’
enhancement, Dr. Saba just might be
the neighbourhood dentist you’ve
been looking for! And as much as
dentistry has progressed in the last few
years, Dr. Saba says the old standards
still apply – brush after meals, floss
and see your dentist regularly. You
can find Bank Street Dentistry at 1189
Bank Street, right across from Patty’s
Pub. Call 613-241-1010 or email
info@bankdentistry.com to make an
appointment. Drop in and say hello –
Dr. Saba, Jennie and Marie are ready
with welcoming smiles!
Welcome to the Old Ottawa South
Neighbourhood Dr. Saba!
Page 2
The OSCAR
- OUR 40th YEAR
MAY 2012
The OSCAR
MAY 2012
OSCAR
The
The OTTAWA SOUTH COMMUNITY
ASSOCIATION REVIEW
260 Sunnyside Ave, Ottawa Ontario, K1S 0R7
www.OldOttawaSouth.ca/oscar
oscar@oldottawasouth.ca
Editor: Mary Anne Thompson
oscar@oldottawasouth.ca
Distribution Manager: Larry Ostler
Business Manager: Susanne Ledbetter
ledbetter@sympatico.ca
Advertising Manager: Gayle Weitzman
oscarads@oldottawasouth.ca
OSCAR is printed by Winchester Print
Page 3
- OUR 40th YEAR
613-327-9080
613-730-1058
(not classy ads)
NEXT DEADLINE: FRIDAY, MAY 11
The OSCAR is a community association paper paid for entirely by advertising. It is published for the 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. The editor retains the right to edit
and include articles submitted for publication.
CONTRIBUTIONS
Contributions should be in electronic format sent either by e-mail to
oscar@oldottawasouth.ca in either plain text or WORD format, or as
a printed copy delivered to the Firehall office, 260 Sunnyside Avenue.
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Moving away from Old Ottawa South? Know someone who would like
to receive The OSCAR? We will send The OSCAR for one year for just
$40 to Canadian addresses (including foreign service) and $80 outside
of Canada. Drop us a letter with your name, address, postal code and
country. Please include a check made out to The OSCAR.
SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS
The OSCAR is sponsored entirely from advertising. Our advertisers are
often not aware that you are from Old Ottawa South when you patronize them. Make the effort to let them know that you saw their ad in The
OSCAR. They will be glad to know and The OSCAR will benefit from
their support. If you know of someone providing a service in the community, tell them about The OSCAR. Our rates are reasonable.
FUTURE OSCAR DEADLINES
May 11 (June issue); June 8 (July/August issue); August 10 (September
issue).
FOR DISTRIBUTION INQUIRIES,
CALL 613-327-9080
or email: larryostler@gmail.com The OSCAR thanks
the following people who brought us to your door this
month:
ZONE A1: Kathy Krywicki (Coordinator), Mary Jo Lynch, Brian Eames
and Kim Barclay, Wendy Robbins, Jim and Carrol Robb, Terri-Lee Lefebvre,
Becky Sasaki, Kevin and Stephanie Williams.
ZONE B1: Ross Imrie (Coordinator), Family Gref- Innes, Gabriela
Gref-Innes and Fiona Fagan, the Montgomery family, Laurie Morrison,
Susanne Ledbetter, Torin & Konstantine Assal.
ZONE B2: Craig Piche (Coordinator), Pat Eakins, Hayley Atkinson, Leslie
Roston, Melissa Johnson, Lydia Oak, Sandra Garland and John Callan &
Diana Carr
ZONE C1: Laura Johnson (Coordinator), the Williams family, Josh
Rahaman, Jesper Lindeberg, Jeff Pouw, Brendan 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, Patrick
Hinton.
ZONE D1: Mary Hill (Coordinator), Emily Keys, the Lascelles family, Gail
Stewart, Gabe Teramura, Oliver Waddington, Franklin-Flack family, 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/ Curt Labond, Norah
Hutchinson, Steve Adamson, the Sanger/O’Neil family, John Sutherland
ZONE E2: Chris Berry (Coordinator), Mary-Ann Kent, Glen Elder and
Lorraine Stewart, the Hunter family, Brodkin-Haas family, Allan Paul,
Christina Bradley, Caroline Calvert, Larry Ostler.
ZONE F1: Carol and Ferg O’Connor (Coordinator), Jenny O’Brien, the Stern
family, Ellen Bailie, Dante and Bianca Ruiz, Peter Kemp, Kelly Haggart and
Taiyan Roberts, Goutte family (Joshua, Leo and Alina), Walter and Robbie
Engert.
ZONE F2: Bea Bol (Coordinator), Paulette Theriault, Ryan Zurakowski,
Susan McMaster, Paige Raymond, Pierre Guevremont, Judy and Pierre
Chamberland, Valerie Dancause.
ZONE G: Bernie Zeisig(Coordinator), Claudia and Estelle BourlonAlbarracin, David Lum, Cindy MacLoghlin, Hannah and Emily Blackwell,
Katya and Mikka Zeisig.
Echo Drive: Alex Bissel.
Bank Street-Ottawa South: Rob Cook, Tom Lawson, Paula Archer.
Bank Street-Glebe: Larry Ostler.
Alta Vista Branch Library: Larry Ostler
The Old Firehall
Ottawa South Community Centre
osca@oldottawasouth.ca
HOURS
PHONE 613 247-4946
MONDAY TO THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
9 AM TO 9 PM
9 AM TO 6 PM
9 AM TO 1 PM*
CLOSED
*Open only when programs are operating, please call first.
WHAT’S THAT NUMBER?
Ottawa South Community Centre - The Old Firehall
Ottawa South Community Association (OSCA)
Ottawa Public Library - Sunnyside Branch
Rob Campbell - Rob.Campbell@OCDSB.ca
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
(david.chernushenko@ottawa.ca)
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
Page 4
The OSCAR
- OUR 40th YEAR
MAY 2012
Brief Notes
From the Firehall
MAY 2012 at the Firehall
1st Annual Spring Windsor Park
Art Show
The Ottawa South Community
Associations 1st Annual Spring
Windsor Park Art Show will take
place on Sunday, June 17 at Windsor
Park.
A wide variety of artisans will
have their creations on display as
well as local Foodies selling their
delectable snacks. A BBQ will also
be set for lunch.
Music will be a big part of the
event with performance by Spencer
Scharf, Darcy Middaugh and Friends,
Charles DeLint & MaryAnn Harris
and Social Butterfly.
Windsor Park is located just
south of Riverdale Ave. in between
Windsor Ave and Belmont Ave. If
you are an artist please call for space
availability 613-247-4946.
OSCA Spring Soccer
Our recreation spring league
is dependent on community parent
volunteers for its success. If your
child is registered in the program and
you can help as a coach, assistant
coach or convener please register
on-line at www.oldottawasouth.ca or
contact Deirdre McQuillan at 613247-4872 or osca@oldottawasouth.ca
Job Opportunity
We are also looking for a
Shack Manager for the league. The
position pays $400 per season and
requires being on site during league
scheduled game days on Tuesday and
Thursdays from 6:15pm – 8:15pm as
well as Saturdays 9:30am – 11:30am.
For details please contact Deirdre
McQuillan at osca@oldottawasouth.
ca or 613-247-4872.
Summer Camps
We have been overwhelmed by
the response to our summer camps
with many full or near full. Please
call for space availability 613-2474946.
Our camps are anchored by a
strong group of recreation leaders
including Darcy Middaugh, Dave Ho,
Steve Winsor and Aletha Phillips.
We will be adding new camps to the
Summer 2012 roster in our Summer
Brochure which will be included in
the June issue of OSCAR so stay
tuned.
After Four 2012-2013
Registration for 80 available
spaces starts Wednesday, June
6, 2012, 8:00 pm, online www.
oldottawasouth.ca and in-person at
the Firehall. The program is designed
for children entering Sr. Kindergarten
up to 12 years of age. 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 is $160.00
per month. This covers the cost
of supervision and activities each
day. The program runs Monday to
Friday, 3:30pm - 6:00pm (except
for holidays) for the duration of the
school year. We require an immediate
payment of $160 on June 6, 2012 and
a deferred payment of $160 payable
on September 4, 2012. This will
cover the first and last month of the
program. For more information call
(613) 247-4946
Cardio Fitness Room
Old Ottawa South’s best kept
secret and a great place to work out
with treadmills elliptical trainer’s
cardio bikes and free weights. We
have everything you need to keep fit.
Drop in for a tour and membership
details.
Summer Program Brochure
Other than our summer camps we
will be offering fitness, yoga, pilates,
pottery classes before summer,
Babysitting Certification course and
a few other surprises. Check the June
issue of OSCAR for our Summer
Program Brochure for all the details.
Fantastic Audience Response to Sirens of the Firehall Concert Series
By Lisa Drouillard
T
here has hardly been a moment to report back
on each of the concerts in OSCA’s Sirens of
the Firehall concert series, until the last of
these events was wrapped up. The three concerts in
the series included baroque ensemble Aradia, Renee
Yoxon’s jazz trio, and the Sarah Burnell celtic Band.
This eclectic line-up attracted a range of audiences
and each concert had its own unique vibe. What
was encouraging to me, however, was the feedback
from a few guests who had made a point of coming
out to all of the concerts in the series. These music
lovers clearly wanted to show that there is an appetite
for quality live music in the relaxed community
environment we can offer at the Firehall.
Aradia’s Cappricio Stravagante concert took
place on February 25, warming up a chilly Winter’s
evening with their engaging approach to Baroque
music. The venue was perfect for chamber music
and allowed the artists and director Kevin Mallon to
talk with the audience about the works, their unique
period instruments and their histories. Former OSCA
Board member Pierre Gratton gave an entertaining
reading of the poem by John Donne, which was
set to music in Aradia’s newly commissioned work
by Canadian composer Chris Meyer. Overall, the
concert presentation set the record straight on a few
notions about taking part in a baroque music concert:
that works hundreds of years old can be weird
and innovative as well as beautiful; that a baroque
program can include brand new works; and, that
poetry and history can be woven into the mix to very
entertaining effect!
Renee Yoxon’s jazz ensemble helped us
welcome Spring to the Firehall at the end of March
with lyric beauty and inspired playing. Renee has
really shifted her singing career into high gear such
that it was hard to pin her down for a chat for our
OSCAR piece given her performing schedule! Her
stage presence and the ease with which the ensemble
covered a wide repertoire of jazz standards, swing
tunes and melancholy ballads were evidence of the
chops that come with gigging every week. That
jazz guitarist Rob Martin and bassist Marc Fraser
play together a lot was also made very clear by their
intuitive communication on stage and inspired solos.
Renee and these musicians have a very good time
when performing and we were all very glad to be
guests at that party.
We are just arranging the last details of our last
concert in the series – The Sarah Burnell Celtic band
– but interest in this last performance has been high
from the start. Perhaps our years of Lobster Suppers,
our Folk Walk of Fame, or Sarah’s roots in Ottawa
as a Canterbury fiddle star have all helped generate a
great buzz. No matter the reasons for the interest, it is
clear that Sarah won’t end this series with a whimper.
Many participants in these concerts have asked
about the chances of making such a series a routine
occurrence at the Firehall. It’s a question that
requires a group response. Audience feedback has
been very encouraging and all of the musicians were
really pleased with the turnout and reception at these
events. There is also no shortage of OOS connections
to musical ensembles who can bring high quality
performances to the Firehall. To make this work
over the long term would definitely require the help
of an engaged committee of volunteers interested in
planning, promoting and staging these events. If this
sounds like fun to you, or at least worth the price of
admission to concerts in your community, do send
notice of your interest to me at leucodendron@gmail.
com, or reach members of the OSCA board through
the oldottawasouth.ca website. The Sirens Series
was an excellent start to new cultural programming
at the Firehall, but we need YOU if there is to be a
Season Two!
The OSCAR
MAY 2012
- OUR 40th YEAR
Page 5
OSCA PRESIDENT’S REPORT
New OSCA Executive Director, AGM, Year in Review
By Michael Jenkin
New OSCA Executive Director
Appointed
I
am pleased to be able to announce
that your Board search committee
has chosen a successful candidate
from the competition we held earlier
this year to select a new Executive
Director for OSCA. Ms. Christy
Savage, the current Executive
Director of the Willingdon Extended
Day Program in central Montreal,
will be starting with us on June 5 and
working with Deirdre McQuillan, our
retiring Executive Director, during
June to understand all our activities
and procedures. Deirdre will be
retiring from her position at the end of
June when Christy will take over from
her. There is an article in this issue of
the OSCAR (see page 1) about Christy
where you can read more details
about her experience and background.
Please join me in welcoming Christy
to OSCA and the Community Centre.
I would also like to take this
opportunity to thank the Board
members who participated on the
search committee: Anna Sundin, Steve
Mennill, David Law and Michaela
Tokarski, for all their many hours
of hard work sorting through the 98
applications we received, selecting a
short list of 15 for telephone interviews
and interviewing the four finalists and
their references. It was a lot of work,
but in the end we managed to get an
excellent candidate from a very strong
field on finalists.
Search for a New OSCAR Editor
We are also in the process of
choosing a new editor for OSCAR
given Mary Anne Thompson’s
planned move from Ottawa this
summer. Applications closed the
middle of April and the selection
committee, headed by Michaela
Tokarski, has been hard at work
doing a preliminary assessment of
the 30 or so applications we received
and has already chosen a short list of
people to interview by telephone. A
smaller group of candidates will be
subsequently interviewed in-person.
So far we are on track to announce a
new editor by early June, if not sooner.
OSCA Annual General Meeting –
Tuesday, May 1
Once again I would like to remind
you to come out to our AGM on
Tuesday May 1. The meeting starts
at 7:30 p.m. and lasts until about 9:00
p.m. and will take place at the Firehall
in the main Community Hall. The
Nominating Committee under Mike
Lascelles has been hard at work and
has come up with a strong list of new
candidates to serve on the Board.
This will be an exceptional year for
renewal of the Board because of the
16 members who served this year six
are retiring, so hopefully we will have
many new and eager faces to help
with our work in the coming year.
As is our custom, after the
reports by our committee chairs and
executive officers and the election of
the new Board, we will be holding a
wine and cheese to welcome the new
Board members and provide you with
an opportunity to meet the Board and
socialize with neighbours.
The Year in Review and a Look
Ahead
It is customary for the President
in the final column of their term
to provide a short overview of the
significant issues the Board has dealt
with over the last year and what it
portends for the future.
As has been the case over the
past several years the Board has
been coping with two very different
sets of issues: how to respond to the
increasing pressures on the physical
development of the community
and how to effectively manage the
services we provide to the residents of
Old Ottawa South.
On the former front we have
had a number of successes. After
many years of lobbying by OSCA
and OSWATCH and after a very
significant effort of community
consultation, the Sunnyside traffic
management plan has been approved.
It will, when implemented, make a
significant contribution to improving
the safety of this critical connector
road in our community, linking as it
does the increasingly congested northsouth arterials of Bronson, Bank,
and via Riverdale, Main Street. The
additional good news on this front
is that according to our Councillor’s
office is that over the next couple of
years funding will likely be available
to implement the construction of the
physical elements of the plan.
Second, the recently developed
infill guidelines that we, again, lobbied
hard for, are going forward to Council
shortly for approval. While not all
we would have wanted, and while the
development industry is obviously
not entirely supportive of them, the
guidelines will make a significant
contribution to a major problem we
are facing which is poorly designed
infill housing that intrudes on the
privacy and amenity of neighbours,
and ruins our streetscapes.
Of course many challenges
remain. The pace and force of property
development and traffic growth will
continue and we have areas in our
community where these pressures will
be acutely felt. They include: infill
housing developments all through
the community, new commercial
development on Bank Street, and
conflicts among drivers, pedestrians
and cyclists in sensitive areas such as
the Bank and Sunnyside intersection –
one of the busiest pedestrian crossings
outside the city centre.
On our service and community
support role, we are doing very well;
we sponsored a record number of
special events this past year from
our traditional events in City parks
such as the winter carnival and fall
fest, to dances and music concerts.
Our programming activities are
growing by leaps and bounds and
our new fitness room is a welcome
addition to the community’s fitness
infrastructure. Over the last year and
a half that we have been back in the
renovated Firehall we have run very
healthy surpluses on our programming
activities and significantly increased
enrolments in them. As a consequence
the Board, at its regular April meeting,
approved a policy to devote a
significant share of our programming
surpluses to a capital reserve to invest
in new equipment and facilities at the
Firehall. With the addition of a new
full time executive director we will
have more capacity to professionally
manage our program operations and
build a pool of volunteers to help us
with a diverse range of programming
and community events.
But challenges remain. As we
expand our programming activities, the
level of due diligence and supervision
needs to increase and the partnership
agreement that City wants to sign with
us will place additional pressures on
us in terms of administrative costs
and potentially the need for additional
staff resources. None the less the
evidence is clear that residents in this
community value and appreciate our
programming and we will endeavour
to meet those expectations as fully as
we can.
This has been a year of significant
achievements and I think with careful
management and dedicated work
on the part of Board and committee
members we can look forward to
many more in the years ahead.
Sunnyside Village Old Ottawa South Business Improvement Area in the Works!
By Danielle Kuczer
T
he Steering Committee for
the formation of the proposed
Business Improvement Area
in Old Ottawa South has been hard at
work to make it a reality.
I have been advising businesses
and entrepreneurs in various capacities
for the last 15 years, and it is a passion
of mine to help them achieve success
with their business. As a resident of
Old Ottawa South, I have noticed the
gradual decline of the retail landscape
in our community and a trend toward
a high rate of turnover of stores in the
last few years. This has become a
concern not only to me but for many
others in the community at large.
The retail landscape between the
Rideau Canal and the Rideau River
is currently not achieving its full
potential as a thriving and dynamic
commercial area.
I’ve long hoped a BIA would
be formed between the bridges, and
finally found myself with the time
to do the research and to see if there
were like-minded people on board.
As it turned out the timing was
perfect, I talked to business owners
and discovered many have wanted
to see a BIA formed in Old Ottawa
South but didn’t have the time to
do it themselves. As the volunteer
Project Manager for the formation of
the proposed Sunnyside Village Old
Ottawa South BIA, I am excited to let
you know that we are getting closer to
making it happen!
Business Improvement Areas
are an important component of
any effort to enhance and maintain
the vibrancy of a main street and
community. A BIA would provide
an organized and focused approach
to revitalize and maintain Old
Ottawa South as a dynamic and
thriving neighbourhood, and to
promote the area as a business
and shopping destination. If you
would like to learn more about
what a Business Improvement
Area would do for the community,
property owners and business
owners are invited to learn about
the proposed formation of the
Sunnyside Village Old Ottawa
South BIA at a meeting which will
be held on:
Wednesday, May 9 at 7:309:00pm
Old Ottawa South Community
Centre, The Old Firehall
260 Sunnyside Ave.
Refreshments and cookies will
be provided.
For further information please
contact:
Danielle Kuczer
SunnysideVillageOOSBIA@
bell.net
The OSCAR - OUR 40th YEAR
Page 6
MAY 2012
MAYOR’S MONTHLY COLUMN
Youth Summit
By Jim Watson,
Mayor of Ottawa
I
n October 2011, I held a Seniors
Summit to discuss the issues facing
our City’s seniors. During the
election campaign, I had promised to
hold a Seniors Summit during my first
year in office and I kept that promise
with an event that was both educational
and informative for those who attended.
Now in year two of my mandate, I
am hosting a day-long Youth Summit
on October 12, 2012 at City Hall along
with the honorary chair of the event,
Councillor Mathieu Fleury.
The Youth Summit aims to provide
a forum for youth (ages 16-25) to speak
freely about issues they are concerned
about and encourage information
sharing among all participants. There
will be guest speakers and information
sessions for those in attendance but
a special focus will be placed on
hearing from our youth to learn what is
important to them.
Our City boasts three universities,
two colleges, and many high schools.
From these groups and others I want
to draw a diverse group to the Youth
Summit so that they can tell us about
the challenges they face, learn about
how the City can help, and help us go
forward with a better understanding of
how we at City Hall can improve our
services for Ottawa’s youth.
The planning of this summit is
already underway with a steering
committee
meeting
regularly.
Registration will open up later this
summer and I expect that spots will go
fast so keep an eye on www.ottawa.
ca for news on the event or follow the
City on Twitter at @ottawacity (@
ottawaville en français).
Just as we want to interact with
youth on the day of the summit, so too
do we want to hear from you in the leadup to the summit. If you have any ideas
for potential guest speakers, topics for
discussion, or just something you think
would work well as part of the summit,
please email youth@ottawa.ca
or
jeunesse@ottawa.ca.
they pay to be in operas to help smaller
opera companies stay afloat.”
The CCOs approach to casting
and publicizing its first season made
the most new media. Whereas opera
has a reputation of being an archaic art
form, its appeal to younger audiences is
apparent in the increasing numbers of
opera program applicants and increased
festival participation. The CCO has also
capitalized on the interest in auditions
as entertainment, with the popularity
of shows like Idol, America’s got
Talent and Bathroom Divas. They used
online auditions and voting through
social media to cast young artists.
In this process, CapitalCityOpera.
ca got 39,500 page views in 7 days
from the voting period of March 10
to 17 - engaging both newcomers and
established figures in the opera world,
such as Gil Wechsler from the Met.
The casting process also gave a big
kickstart to the promotions for the new
opera company, by capturing the energy
and networks of the singers to boost the
profile of the company and its inaugural
season.
With a range of different venues
in Ottawa for an opera, the CCO chose
our Mayfair Theatre. I asked Rory why.
“Lee Demarbre is a great guy and was
very accommodating and excited to hear
that opera was a possibility in his theatre
… I wanted more comfortable seating
than church pews for people watching
our shows and I also wanted a laid back
atmosphere for the opera newbie. We
are “Jeans Allowed Opera”.
The CCO’s first production will be
La Boheme. The work was chosen as
a work that could connect with a broad
audience. “The libretto consists of
themes like love, jealousy, camaraderie,
betrayal, loyalty and ultimately loss set
with a group of four friends and two
couples that are artists and idealists in
19 century Paris.”
The young opera company has
been strongly supported by the help of
local businessman Bart Tecter, who has
supported the venture financially and
organizationally. As you can imagine,
the company will be looking for more
help from interested volunteers to
contribute to the promotions, event
coordination and administration, the
things all arts companies need.
New arts initiatives take an
enormous amount of energy to get
started, but McGlynn seems buoyed
by the prospect of changing the arts
landscape in Ottawa: “I now get to put
on operas that I love and hire singers
that are passionate and eager … I hope
the public sees this company and its
chosen venue as an alternative to the
video broadcasts and more expensive
opera companies. “
Capital City Opera Comes to the Mayfair!
By Lisa Drouillard
A
new and innovative opera
company will launch its first
season at the Mayfair Theatre
May 29 and 30. I met up with the Capitol
City Opera’s (CCO) founder to ask him
about his motivations and hopes for this
bold new initiative. Rory McGlynn is
a singer himself with a background in
musical theatre. After singing opera
professionally in Toronto for a few
years, he found a lot of roadblocks for
young singers looking for opportunities
to develop their repertoire in lead
roles. “I wanted to create a company
that supported young artists and those
that couldn’t break into the union for
whatever reasons” says McGlynn,
“these singers love the art form so much
The Mayfair Theatre will host
Capital City Opera’s production of
Puccini’s La Boheme at 7pm May 29
and 30 Tickets are available at the
Leading Note on Elgin, or you can have
them delivered to you by calling 613421-1325. For more information go to
CapitolCityOpera.ca
Come out to
The Tracy Arnett Realty Hike for
Hospice on May 6 and support
The Hospice at May Court
J
oin us for our spring fundraiser,
Hike for Hospice on May 6, 2012,
in support of The Hospice at May
Court. Hike along the streets of Ottawa
South in an effort to raise funds and
awareness for The Hospice at May
Court.
The Tracy Arnett Realty Hike
for Hospice is The Hospice’s second
largest annual fundraiser, and this year
marks the tenth anniversary of the hike.
People are asked to gather pledges and
then hike to raise awareness for hospice
palliative care.
“Hospice palliative care is currently
under funded and under recognized,”
says Dave Hogberg, Executive Director
for The Hospice at May Court, “Our
fundraising goal for this hike is to bring
in $120,000 for The Hospice.”
Registration for the Hike is $25 –
this covers a shirt, coffee and snacks,
lunch, entertainment, and a day with
friends and family supporting a
noteworthy cause. The expected turn
out is about 400 hikers, with 100 per
cent of the proceeds raised by hikers
going towards funding The Hospice’s
four major programs: Home Support,
Day Hospice, Residential Care, and
Family Support.
“The hike really is a great
opportunity to raise funds for our
programs here at The Hospice, while
bringing the community together for a
great morning,” says Dave Hogberg,
“we’re looking forward to seeing
everyone, and are so grateful for our
committed supporters.”
The OSCAR
MAY 2012
- OUR 40th YEAR
Page 7
CITY COUNCILLOR’S REPORT
Litter bugs, Safer Bridges Update, BIA For Old Ottawa South,
Lansdowne Transportation Advisory Committee, & CPR scam
Litter bugs me!
E
very spring, litter shows its
ugly face in our parks, streets
and even our front yards.
Maintenance crews, along with caring
residents and business owners, will
clean up much of it. But a lot of litter
still goes untouched, and it’s a yearround problem. Accumulated litter
hurts property values, civic pride and
tourism.
I will keep participating in spring
clean-ups and encourage everyone to do
the same. But I’m going a step further:
Instead of muttering to myself about
the litter, I’ll personally make sure my
block stays clean year-round. I’ll pick
up whatever lands in front of my house,
I’ll take occasional “litter walks” with
a bag and some gloves, and I’ll make
a point of keeping the contents of my
blue and black boxes from blowing
away (the biggest source of accidental
litter) by putting the heaviest items on
top. Care to join me?
Safer Bridges update
In late March, many residents
participated in my Safer Bridges for
All public meeting to discuss ways to
address the dangers of biking on the
Bank Street Bridge (over the Rideau
Canal) and Billings Bridge (over the
Rideau River). The meeting confirmed
my belief that the bridges are major
obstacles to less-confident cyclists, and
that way too many cyclists ride on the
sidewalk because they feel unsafe on
the road.
My conclusion is that predictability
is the major issue. Pedestrians know
the sidewalk is the right place to be,
but neither cyclists nor motorists are
entirely sure where bikes should be,
or who has the right of way. Existing
“Share the Road” signs do little to help.
Since segregated lanes are not
possible on the heritage Bank Street
Bridge and still some years away on
the Billings Bridge, we need to start by
improving clarity and predictability:
• It is always illegal to ride a
bicycle on the sidewalk. If you are not
comfortable on the road, you should
dismount and walk.
• Cyclists always have the right to
ride on the road.
• Both cyclists and motorists must
follow the rules of the road, a.k.a. the
Highway Traffic Act. By law, you must
remain behind a slower vehicle until it
is safe to pass, and must then do so by
completely changing lanes until you are
far enough ahead.
When every driver and cyclist is
aware of these rules, we’ll have clarity.
When everyone obeys them, we’ll have
predictability.
For its part, the City of Ottawa
will soon introduce clearer signage
and road markings to deter motorists
from dangerously straddling lanes
or squeezing past cyclists within the
same lane. The “Share the Road” signs
will be replaced with new signs that
indicate single-file driving/riding and
have a brief message along the lines of
“Change lanes to pass”. New “sharrow”
lane markers will indicate where cyclists
should be. We’re also launching a public
awareness and media campaign.
It’s important to note that these
changes won’t take away motorists’
rights; they simply reaffirm existing
rules. Nor should they delay drivers. In
light traffic, it’s easy to change lanes to
pass without slowing down. In heavy
traffic, a vehicle may have to stay
behind a cyclist for part or all of the
bridge crossing, but that’s unlikely to
Theatre Pipe Organs
For Sale Or Donation
1. Wurlitzer, 2 manual 9 ranks,
French style console. Originally
installed in 1933 in the Regent theatre,
Bournemouth, England. Opened by
Reginald Foort, it was the first TPO to
be broadcast by the BBC. Complete,
26 pipes need repairs. Percussions and
toys. Can supply details of ranks. Needs
a control system. 220 volts single phase
blower, 3 HP. Suitable for a theatre or
church of 1000 seats.
2. Robert Morton, 2 manual,
6 ranks. White painted console.
Came from a theatre in Bellingham,
Washington State. Originally 5 ranks,
I added a clarinet. Pipework complete.
Extra regulator and tremulant available
for the clarinet. Some percussions and
toys. Control system in console. Can
supply details of ranks. 220 volt single
phase blower, 3 HP. Would make a good
home installation.
3. Robert-Morton, 3 manual
8 ranks. Walnut finished mahogany
console. Originally from a theatre in
Glendale, California. Has a Peterson
control system. Some percussions and
toys. Suitable for a small theatre of 400
seats, or a home installation. 220 volt 3
phase blower, 7.5 HP. Currently installed
in the O’Brien theatre in Renfrew.
4. American Photoplayer Model 39
pit organ, consists of two cabinets with 3
ranks of pipes,percussions and toys, and
a central console with 2 manuals and
two roll players in a spool box. Blower
supplies vacuum and pressure, no motor,
recommend 3 to 5 HP. Control system
is in the console. Belongs in a musical
instrument museum.
The pipework for these organs is
currently erected on the chests, in dry
storage. Console are in dry storage.
Recipients will be responsible for
removing the organs, crating, etc.
Contact Ross C Robinson at 613731-0815, or <restorer@ncf.ca>
affect the total length of the trip.
BIA for Old Ottawa South
I’m pleased to lend support to a
growing group of business owners who
are passionate about improving the
fortunes of all the shops, restaurants and
service providers in our community.
They’ve already taken many of the
required steps towards creating the
Sunnyside Village Old Ottawa South
Business Improvement Area.
And just in time, in my view.
Our merchants are already competing
with attractive districts like the Glebe,
Westboro and Preston Street; soon
they’ll be up against a redeveloped
Lansdowne Park.
There will be an important public
meeting on Wednesday, May 9, 7:30
p.m. at the Old Firehall. Business and
property owners within the proposed
BIA can learn more about the process,
the benefits and the costs of forming a
BIA.
Lansdowne Transportation Advisory
Committee
Council-approved
plans
for
redeveloping Lansdowne Park are going
to bring significant traffic and parking
challenges to Old Ottawa South and
other neighbourhoods nearby. There
are many issues still to be resolved, and
community concern is high.
To work through these challenges
as possible, and to come up with an
effective monitoring program and
a set of practical responses, I have
created the Lansdowne Transportation
Advisory Committee (LTAC). OSCA
will be represented, along with other
local community associations and
groups whose voices need to be heard. I
expect the LTAC to meet regularly over
the next two to three years to advise
the City on how best to anticipate and
respond to transportation challenges.
CPR scam
Beware of phone and doorstep
appeals to sign up for first aid and CPR
courses. Before paying for any course,
ask for the full name and contact
information of the organization, then
verify that these are legitimate. Don’t
pay for a course that will never happen!
Councillor David Chernushenko
613-580-2487 | David.
Chernushenko@Ottawa.ca
www.capitalward.ca
Page 8
The OSCAR
- OUR 40th YEAR
MAY 2012
2011’2012 OSCA Novice Basketball Season
T
he OSCA Novice Basketball
team, aka the « Mighty
Midgets», had a fun filled
season
of
games,
practices,
scrimmages, tournaments, and pizza. Some players came to the team with
little basketball experience but quickly
ramped skill development. Some of
the highlights of the year included
playing an intra-squad game during
the half time at a Carleton Raven›s
Men›s basketball game. The Ravens
Nest was abuzz with live play by play
commentary and cheering fans and
the Mighty Midgets were all smiles. One of our practices was enriched
by the presence of Paul Armstrong,
Technical Director of the Shooting
Stars, who provided the players and
coaches with excellent guidance. The
Mighty Midgets hosted a tournament
(Top) WEBL year-end
tournament -Coaches (Left
from right) : Chris Spiteri,
Matthew MacDonald, and
Hugh Cheetman
Players (Left to
Right):Max, Pat, Isabel,
Nick, Malachi, Nicholas,
Aidan, Malcolm, Liam
(Kneeling), Jesper (Horizontal), Angus (missing)
(Left) At Hopewell PS
(Right) At Carleton’s
Raven’s Men’ basketball
game
in early 2012 that was attended by
several WEBL (West End Basketball
League) teams and the Shooting
Stars. The tournament offered our
players the opportunity to sharpen
their basketball skills in a friendly and
competitive environment. As part
of the WEBL, the Mighty Midgets
travelled to Stittsville to play against
teams from Almonte, Goulbourn, Kanata, and the Ottawa Philippine
Basketball Association . We finished
the regular season respectably, with
3 wins and 2 losses. The Mighty
Midgets saved their best performance
for last as we went undefeated (3-0)
at the Year End WEBL Tournament. It was remarkable journey witnessing
the players progress and develop a
love for the game of basketball.
MAY 2012
By Don Cummer
I
t’s that time of year again -when the natives of Old Ottawa
South don their colourful ethnic
costumes and gather at Windsor Park
for the annual cleanup known as the
“pick-a-poo harvest.” From Riverdale
to the river bank and from Brighton
Beach to Linda Thom park, you can
hear them sing their folkloric songs,
passed down from generation to
generation:
“Jump down, turn around
Pick a bale of dog poop.
Jump down, turn around
Pick a bale a day.”
The origins of the festival are
lost in time, but legend has it that
dog-owners first assembled in the
Spring to make sure that any doggie
deposits left unnoticed in the dark
winter months were cleaned up after
the snow melted.
The OSCAR
- OUR 40th YEAR
Page 9
Fifteenth Annual Harvest
The annual pick-a-poo harvest
has no set date, but is called at the
discretion of the organizing committee
from the Windsor Pups dogwalking group. This year, a spate of
unseasonably warm weather tempted
the organizers to make the call before
the hockey boards were even down.
Mother Nature has a way of laughing
at the foibles of humans and, on the
day of the event, had returned the
temperatures to late-March chills.
“This is the first year that we
harvested with the hockey boards up,”
Brian Tansey observed. “It’s also the
first year we’ve had to work around
remaining patches of snow.”
Meanwhile, in another part of the
forest, other residents of Old Ottawa
South used the annual spring cleanup
to do battle with the Manitoba maples
which, if left unchecked, would
choke off other plant life along the
riverbank. “We’ve been trying to cut
them back for years,” says Gary Lum,
“but they’re as resilient as the forever-
detested rat.”
Gary gave special commendation
to Brian Burton for risking life and
limb, attached to a rope on the slopes
of the Pump House site. “Linda Thom
and her band of hardy neighbours did
an outstanding job of cleaning up the
garbage between the Pump House and
the Bank Street Bridge. That’s where
you see a lot of garbage dropped
carelessly by passers-by.”
After two hours of work, the
volunteers had assembled about 165
BEUs of raked leaves, yard waste and
trimmed branches at various stations
along the pathways. (The BEU is a
“bag equivalent unit” – a measurement
we have invented to keep track of how
much has been cleaned up. One full
paper garden-waste bag counts as
a BEU. So does a stack of pruned
branches that would otherwise fill a
bag.)Between 40 and 50 dog owners
turned out again this year for the
cleanup. “The weather was chillier
that usual, with rain threatening at
any moment,” said Peter Wells, “but
the Windsor Pups are a hearty lot.
They’re not going to let inclement
weather hold them back, any more
than they’re going to balk at cleaning
up after their dogs. All in all,” he said,
“it was yet another exceptional crappy
event…”
For many years, Zoscha the
Wonder Dog chronicled the annual
harvest in her OSCAR column, and
served as the Alan Lomax of the
folk songs of the harvesters. Among
them was the ballad of the legendary
poop-picker, John Henry, and his
race against the steam-driven pooppicking machine.
“When John Henry was a little boy
The first words his lips did tell,
Was, ‘I’m gonna be a poop-pickin’
man,
‘Cause I got no sense of smell,
Lord, Lord,
I got no sense of smell.’”
Help shape Old Ottawa South: Join the 2012-13 OSCA Board
By Mike Lascelles and
Gwen Gall
T
he Old Ottawa South Community Association, OSCA,
Board has achieved laudable
results in the past few years including
its crowning achievement: the renovation and expansion of the Firehall.
The Board is about to undergo a sea
change as many long-serving members, including much of the Executive, will step down either this May or
next year.
Also, OSCA is about to lose its
stellar Executive Director – Deirdre
McQuillan – as well as its incomparable OSCAR Editor – Mary Anne
Thompson. Of course, we are currently recruiting people to replace Deirdre
and Mary Anne; however, things are
going to be different and much savvy
will be lost. Did we mention that the
2012-13 OSCA Board must negotiate
a new and quite different agreement
with the City spelling out how we
will operate in the years ahead? Also,
we’ll likely experience a spike in proposed developments that will challenge us to be creative, flexible, yet
vigilant to preserve the best features,
and appropriate scale, in Old Ottawa
South. And, we need to get serious
about greening the community. What
all this means is that the times they are
a changing big time and so the new
OSCA Board has to get crackin’ to get
the community leadership job done.
So starting this May, we must replenish and rejuvenate the Board to
empower a new generation of dynamic community leaders to create and
implement their vision of our community in the years ahead. That’s the
poetry of it; the prose is that we need
a few good women and men to step
forward to serve on the OSCA 201213 Board and help lead us into a new
era of effective OSCA community
service. It will not be a cake walk and
it’s possible that the timid might be
scared off. We would quickly add, dig
deep and tap into your inner strength.
And, if you are still hesitant, don’t be
shy: we’ll help you.
Here’s what the OSCA Board
nominating committee (Gwen Gall,
Valerie McIntosh, Lisa Drouillard,
and Mike Lascelles) has done so far.
We’ve identified 6 or 7 people to fill
that many vacancies on our 16+ person Board. If it’s business as usual,
our work is done. But we’ve got miles
to go before we sleep because we’re
still lacking one or two key people
who will help lead key committees
such as Special Events or pitch in on
Guide Dogs
Need Your Used Stamps
Saving stamps from old stamped
envelopes for Canadian Guide Dogs
for the Blind is one way to help them
“stamp” their way to a profitable
future.
• Cut or tear the stamps from the
envelope (but not too close)
• Either drop them off at the
training Centre in Manotick, or put
them in an envelope and mail to:
Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind
4120 Rideau Valley Drive North
P.O. Box 280
Manotick, Ontario
K4M 1A3
(613) 692-7777
CGDB collects all types of
used stamps, special issues, regular
stamps, Canadian and foreign stamps.
Finance issues. Oh, and if you’re a
born leader who can guide OSCA in
the years ahead, do we have room for
you!
We hope you have the right stuff
and are itching to make Old Ottawa
South even better by serving, and
ideally leading, OSCA. If you are,
please contact us by Monday April 16,
2012. Just email us at nomination@
oldottawasouth.ca, or, if you prefer to
discuss things beforehand, call Mike
Lascelles at (613) 737-6480.
See you all at the OSCA AGM on
May 1, 2012 at the Firehall.
The OSCAR
Page 10
- OUR 40th YEAR
MAY 2012
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 the address and phone number. Lettters 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 oscar@oldottawasouth.ca or leave in print at the Firehall.
A
CPR Scam
few months ago I was
contacted a couple of times
by somebody, who I don’t
remember introducing herself
by name, who mentioned that
people in our neighbourhood were
interested in having a CPR/First
Aid course in our neighbourhood.
Because I’ve done courses like
that in the past, I’m interested in
refreshing my skills and said that I
would like to take such a course. I
was told I would be contacted.
Two weeks ago, Saturday,
March 31, a man who calls himself
Dave, came to my house as I was
leaving. He mentioned my name
and wanted to explain the CPR
course to me, but needed more
time than I had, he said. Because
he was a volunteer for a non-profit
organisation, he could come back
and so he did on Tuesday, April 3.
In the meantime I had heard
that this might be a typical CPR
scam, and that the police was
investigating such scams, so when
he came back, I tried to keep him at
the door while a friend phoned the
police. “Volunteer Dave” became
suddenly very rushed and before I
could ask for his ID he rushed off in
a car. I passed the license plate on
Kudos For OSCAR & “Between the Bridges”
to the police, who told me that they
could not do anything, because it is
not illegal to solicit at the door.
This Dave gave me a little
square piece of paper with the name
of this “non-profit organisation” ,
communitycpr.net.
On the site are links, e.g. with
the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
Because four friends in our
neighbourhood had CPR solicitors,
who said they were calling on
behalf of the Heart & Stroke
Foundation, I checked with the
Heart & Stroke community rep
who denied any such connection
and who was well aware of these
type of scams in the past. Potential
participants pay up front and when
they arrive at the place where the
course is given, nobody is there,
or a multiple day course is not
completed.
I also checked with the Red
Cross and they deny any connection
or knowledge of communitycpr.net
The name might change, but as
usual: buyer beware!
Last year Westborough was
“hit”, CTV did a feature on that, and
now it’s our neighbourhoods’ turn.
Anneke R.
I may not agree with what you have to say, but I
will defend to the death, your right to say it. ....
Voltaire
I
am writing to express (belatedly)
my appreciation to those who are
responsible for the publication
of both the OSCAR newspaper, and
the on-line publication “Between the
Bridges”.
These first-class publications allow
us residents of OOS to be fully informed,
in a timely manner, on the important
issues affecting our neighbourhood.
This is essential if we are to remain a
vibrant neighbourhood, and ensures
that we can be collectively involved in
the determining the future and character
of our neighbourhood.
As well, these publications also
provide us with engaging human interest
stories, informative articles, and opinion
pieces, so that after reading we are left
with a pretty complete and invaluable
perspective on our community.
We are genuinely fortunate to have
neighbours, many of whom volunteer
their time, who are willing to put
such effort and care into making these
publications available to us.
John Ambridge
OSCAR Sole Source for Lansdowne Plans?
I
have found the regular updates
and explanations about the
planning situation for the future of
Lansdowne Park to be most excellent
and comprehensive and have followed
the events with dismay. The OSCAR
seems to be the only source for more
detailed information about the plans
for Lansdowne. It seems that the major
newspapers only focus on the stadium
plans, not the whole design or the
financial arrangements. When reading
the articles, I often wonder if having
them only in the OSCAR is a little
like preaching to the choir. It seems to
me that these excellent articles should
appear in other Ottawa papers and be
read by a broader range of city denizens.
If it is not possible to get articles into
the major papers, what about the EMC
News, Vistas, and other regional papers?
I see three areas that have not been well
covered in the media that may be of
great interest to city taxpayers, as listed
below in possibly increasing order of
interest/ impact:
1. The total scope of the design
2. The lack of a competitive process
3. The private condos/ hotel on what was
public property and their heights versus
the general area and zoning regulations
4. The financial implications on the
city taxpayers for future years’ budgets
Sincerely, Irene Shumada
Send your comments to
oscar@oldottawasouth.ca
or drop them off at
the Firehall
260 Sunnyside Ave
Area Worship Services
Sunnyside Wesleyan Church
58 Grosvenor Avenue
(at Sunnyside)
Sunday Worship Services at
9am & 11am (one service at
10am May 22 - Sept 4)
Children’s program offered
during worship services.
St Margaret Mary’s Parish
7 Fairbairn
(corner of Sunnyside)
Tuesday Evening at 7PM
Friday Daytime at 12:15PM
Saturday Evening at 5PM
Sunday Mornings at 9:30AM
and 11:30PM
Trinity Anglican Church
1230 Bank St
(at Cameron Ave)
Sundays: Holy Eucharist at 8
and 10am
with Church School and Choir
(9:30 in July and August)
Southminster United Church
15 Aylmer Avenue
(at Bank & the Canal)
Sunday Worship
10:30 a.m. (9:30 a.m. July &
August)
Sunday School
During worship, September May
Glebe Minyan
Jewish Renewal Community
612 Bank Street at Strathcona,
613.867.5505
Spiritual Leader:
Anna Maranta,
glebeminyan@gmail.com
Shabbat: Fridays May 11, 25
and June 8
Glebe Shul
Orthodox Jewish Community
302 Fifth Avenue,
www.glebeshul.com
Rabbi Michael Goldstein,
glebeshul@gmail.com
The OSCAR
MAY 2012
- OUR 40th YEAR
Page 11
Remembering Friends and Loved Ones
T
Hommage à mon amie
Joan Molnar
hroughout the ages, poets have praised the value of
friendship as one of the most precious experiences in
a lifetime. Friendship has been compared to nature’s
unique richness: colours of the rainbow, beauty of the flower,
morning mist, a gentle breeze. Friendship resembles life
itself, simple, yet so profound and mysterious… I met my
friend Joan by chance, nearly 28 years ago right in front of
my house, on Cameron Avenue. It all started with a new mom
and a soon-to-be mom connecting over the excitement and
the challenges of motherhood. What followed was a beautiful
friendship that blossomed despite different life paths, busy
family lives and crazy schedules. Years went by quickly for
two busy moms trying to juggle life’s tasks, yet trying to stay
in touch whenever possible. How precious were these too
brief moments of sharing hopes and concerns over a cup of
tea! All that mattered then was taking the time to listen, to
understand, to laugh, to make the best out of every situation.
Time seemed to stop for a little while, rainy days were full
of sunshine, problems got smaller, the future looked brighter
and life was a great adventure despite its fragility… Sadly,
I lost my sweet friend last February, on Valentine’s Day at
the May Court, on the same street I met her, back in 1984…
Joan was an inspiring, caring, generous and sensitive
person, a flower of tenderness. In the last couple of years, she
showed an admirable and immense courage facing illness
with great serenity, never stopping to care for people around
her. How sad it is to lose such a true gem, yet how privileged
I was to have her as a friend, a marvellous friend.
As was beautifully expressed by the poet Kahlil Gibran
in The Prophet:
“And in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter,
and sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things the
heart finds its morning and is refreshed.ˮ
Adieu belle amie.
Linda Déziel-Blais
G
Gi Gi Amine (The Trusted One)
en Eva “Gee Gee” ROBINSON
(nee Frederick) – Passed away at the
Ottawa General Hospital on March 28,
2012 at the age of 77. She was born on August
21, 1934 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and raised in
Tipton, Iowa. Gen Eva is the loving daughter
of the late Bert and Helen Frederick. She will
be deeply missed by her adoring husband Ross.
Gee Gee began her study of dance at a very
young age with The Rae Studio in Davenport,
Iowa, beginning with Ballet and including
Hawiian & Spanish, tap, acrobatics, and baton
twirling. Voice lessons were also included to
round out her theatrical background. (Louraina
Burch Singers).
At thirteen she began teaching dance in
her own Studio, and became a member of the
National Association of Dance and Affiliated
Artists, (NADAA), where she learned more
ethnic dance.
Upon completing high school she joined
professional dance groups: The Tanzarettes in
Chicago, then The Helen Parker Dancers, The
Winged Victory Chorus, The International
Lucky Girls, where she was choreographer,
the Gene Autry Road Show, and The Vocal
Lovelies, doing musicals. After this in 1958 she
moved to Canada to set up her own performing
group & Gee Gee’s Studio of Ottawa. Time was
spent teaching The Rough Rider Majorettes,
becoming a workshop instructor, a contest
director, and registered judge with NBTA,
USTA, ISMA, & TU; working in both the US
and Canada kept her on the move.
In 1970 Gee Gee became a devotee of
Middle Eastern dance. Associated with Dr. Paul
Monty of N.Y. International Dance Seminars,
Inc., Studied with Serena, Morroco, Dalena,
Dalia, Ozeal, Ibrahem Farar and many other
famous instructors both at their studios and
workshops. She also toured Morroco, Greece,
Crete, Portugal, Spain, Egypt, and Turkey to
study and dance.
Gee Gee has been teaching for the Ottawa
Carleton Board of Education since 1975.
She was also president of OMEDA, director,
choreographer and costumer for Shen Dance
plus performing professionally, and teaching
workshops in US and Canada.
With over 7 decades of dancing, it wasn’t
until just recently that she retired in 2004. She
will be sadly missed by her family and friends.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
M
A Gift To Our Nation’s Capital
any in Ottawa are aware that
a well known and historic
public commons known
as Lansdowne Park has been in need
of rejuvenation for some time.
There is also great awareness of
the public conflict on how the City has
planned to award the entire contract to
land developers on a sole source basis.
Rather than being celebrated, the
talk of rejuvenation of the park has
been mired in over four years of delay
and legal challenges.
What would have prevented all of
this?
A simple 90 day
competitive procurement process.
This would have prevented
litigation, assured best value for the
citizen taxpayer, legitimized any
winner, accelerated development and
united our city.
Fortunately this option is still
available.
Sole Source not available:
confirmed by the court.
It is important to understand that
collectively we have arrived at this
point in time over a mistaken belief
by the City that only the developer
group can deliver the service of the
CFL franchise and that there was no
alternative. While clearly there is no dispute
about the tentative CFL franchise
ownership, the service of the team
can be delivered by any proposal that
offers a City of Ottawa stadium.
This was supported at a recent
court hearing in Toronto where the
court did not dispute that the service of
CFL can be delivered by any proposal
that brings with it a City of Ottawa
stadium on agreeable terms.
Just as importantly the court
confirmed that there was an alternative.
The Alternative
The alternative that many in
our nation’s capital do not know is
that there is a second proposal for
Lansdowne Park and it has been
available for almost two years.
It is called the Lansdowne Park
Conservancy, a non-profit proposal
that respects and surpasses all
policy direction for the park, including
a world class stadium.
How it is different from a private
developer proposal is that under the
Conservancy proposal the park is
kept 100% public, promoting local
small business - not chains, promoting
local farmers - not imported produce,
promoting arts and culture and of
course sports and recreation and all
the while keeping our heritage and the
traditions of the site.
The court and the City also
accepted as fact and did not dispute
that the sole source proposal will be
over $300M in taxpayer loss and that
the Lansdowne Park Conservancy will
yield the city an over $200M surplus.
Moving Forward So how do we end this
divisiveness and create unity?
No one is denying our elected
city officials the right to make policy
decisions.
The policy for the park is clear and
straightforward with 1. A stadium
2. A green space
3. A retail model
4. A management model.
It is time to bring unity to our
city with the one thing that has been
missing all along:
A fair, open and competitive
procurement process at Lansdowne
Park. Let this be the gift to our Nation›s
Capital.
Sincerely,
John Ernest Martin
Coordinator, Coordonnateur
Lansdowne Park Conservancy
Conservation du parc Lansdowne
613.898.1284
Page 12
The OSCAR
- OUR 40th YEAR
MAY 2012
BACKYARD NATURALIST
A Case of Nest Envy?
By Linda Burr
W
hen it comes to finding
choice real estate in Old
Ottawa South, the best
locations are in high demand. This
seems to hold true for birds as well as
people. Our front porch was the scene
of something resembling high-stakes
“bidding”, and the winners this year
came as a surprise.
Last May, we were delighted that
a pair of robins built a lovely nest on
a ledge under the eaves of our front
porch. In a matter of days, the robins’
nest was completed, the eggs were
laid and mother robin was sitting on
them day and night.
It was a choice location, all right.
Protected from the rain and hot sun by
the porch roof, the nest sat on a ledge
just wide enough to accommodate its
tidy proportions. It also provided us a
front-row view from the living room
window of all their nesting activities.
We were thrilled to be playing host
to this pair of robins, and we tracked
their progress daily. Every night
before I went to bed, I checked to see
if mother robin was still there (she
always was).
To avoid startling the robins, we
decided to keep our front window
curtains drawn almost shut for the
duration of the nesting. This had the
effect of casting our living room into
a state of perpetual gloom, as only a
narrow gap of light entered between
the curtains. But it seemed worth the
temporary inconvenience because we
were able to keep tabs on the robins
through the gap, yet move around in
the living room without worrying that
we were disturbing them. We also
avoided using half the porch where
the robins were nesting.
In the opposite corner of the
porch is another ledge which is rather
narrower, making potential nestbuilding a little trickier. This less
desirable but still attractive location
drew the attention of a pair of house
finches – sparrow-sized birds that are
Robin Nest 2011
common in the neighbourhood. The
male appears pink as though dipped in
cherry juice and he has a cheery song.
This pair of house finches must
have decided that the robins’ situation
looked pretty sweet. We had never
had any birds nest under our porch
before, let alone two different pairs!
I can only imagine that the finches
were a pair of copycats with serious
nest envy. Until then, I always thought
that birds instinctively “knew” how to
build a nest. But this pair must have
missed out on Nest-Building 101.
They brought all kinds of grasses
and other suitable materials to the
ledge, and then tried for several
frenzied minutes to arrange them
in a somewhat nest-like manner. (If
you’ve ever tried to make a nest, you
can sympathize with their difficulty.)
After a few minutes, the whole heap of
tangled mess would fall off the ledge
onto the porch below. Undaunted by
these failures, they went and collected
more nest material, but it always
ended with the same result.
At first I found it comical to
watch these two inept birds as they
persisted in trying to discover the art
of getting a bunch of grass to stick
together. Every few days I swept a big
pile of all the fallen bits off the porch.
Try as they might, they just couldn’t
figure out how to get that nest to hang
together. I thought surely they would
give up. But no, this clueless couple
continued in this manner for several
weeks. It was becoming agonizing to
watch and starting to stress me out.
Meanwhile, the robins’ brood had
hatched and the parents were busily
feeding four hungry baby robins.
At about this same time, the finches
finally gave up. I can only imagine
how discouraging it must have been
for them to see the super –successful
robins and their nice nest producing
all those healthy youngsters. I was
relieved the finches had stopped, and
all my attention was now on those
baby robins.
We watched as they quickly
grew and grew until it seemed there
wasn’t room for all of them in the nest
anymore. Finally one night in early
June, the mother robin didn’t return
to the nest, although she was nearby.
That must have been the signal, for the
next day, the baby robins left the nest
one by one and flew up into the tree on
our front lawn. The mother and father
robin were there to coax them along.
That was the last we ever saw of them.
With a sense of relief I opened the
curtains to let in the light. We occupied
the porch fully then, putting out the
planters of flowers and arranging the
outdoor furniture for the rest of the
summer.
Fast forward to April 2012.
The sturdy robins’ nest survived the
winter, still anchored in place on its
ledge under the porch. And once again
it’s occupied, but this time not by
robins. There’s a much smaller bird’s
head peeking over the rim of the
nest. A female house finch is sitting
in it now, keeping warm five lovely
light blue eggs. And the male house
finch can be heard singing loudly and
cheerfully from the tree in the front
garden. Could it be the same pair? I’d
like to think it is.
So it would seem that if you can’t
get the real estate you want the first
time around, just wait a year and see
whether the occupants move out. At
any rate, we are once again enjoying
the show, although the curtains in the
living room are drawn nearly shut
once again and half the porch is offlimits.
Linda Burr lives in Old Ottawa
South and is a biologist and avid
backyard naturalist.
House finch nest 2012 with eggs.
Photo by Jophn Calvert
OSCAR Needs
Volunteers
For Monthly
Distribution in
OOS
The OSCAR
MAY 2012
- OUR 40th YEAR
Page 13
BOOK REVIEW
The Beauty of Humanity Movement by Camilla Gibb
Publisher: Anchor Canada (July
26 2011) 352 pp
ISBN: 978-0385663236
Reviewed by:
Friederike Knabe
O
ld Man Hung makes the best
pho in the city and done so for
decades...” The city is Hanoi
and “pho” the national Vietnamese
dish. It is a flavourful broth poured
over a mix of herbs, vegetables,
vermicelli and meat (if there is any).
In this novel, pho plays an essential
role: the soup comes close to being a
companion character, echoing the ups
and down of its cook’s circumstances.
The story of the pho-making
cook/seller and his popular soup are
not only at the centre of events, they
are also insightful illustrations of
life in North Vietnam as it changed
over time, from external occupations
and inner societal upheavals, to the
first cautious touches of freedoms.
Award winning Canadian author,
Camilla Gibb, highly praised for her
novel, “Sweetness in the Belly”, set
primarily in Ethiopia, excels here
with a heart-warming account that
brings us close to a cross-section
of Vietnamese people and the city
of Hanoi. Beautifully crafted, the
author paints a colourful canvass that
depicts Hung’s life, complemented in
broad strokes by portraits of people
he cares or cared about. The human
interest story is interwoven with
and set against the political changes
that North Vietnamese people lived
through over much of the last century.
Nonetheless, the novel is “between
bitter and sweet”, just like Hung’s
pho...
I was immediately taken by
Gibb’s portrayal of the city’s
atmosphere that is as vivid as her
depictions of the individual characters
that make up Old Man Hung’s inner
circle: his disappeared friend, the
poet and political activist Dao, his
adopted family of Binh and his son
Tu. Convincingly the author also
describes life for people at society’s
margins: slum dwellers, who are
surviving like Hung at the edge of a
dirty pond. Among them is young Lan,
who lives with her grandmother in
the neighbouring shack and to whom
Hung passes on all what he himself
has learned in his younger years from
Dao and his friends... Hung had not
always been reduced to selling his
pho at street corners from a rickety
old cart... he trained with his uncle
and later took over his pho place.
The shop became as much a favourite
hang-out for the loyal early breakfast
crowd as for a group of writers,
artists and intellectuals, who debated
the ins and outs of the country’s
future after it had freed itself from
French occupation. They formed the
“Beauty of Humanity Movement”, an
imagined group, inspired by reality.
The freedoms were short-lived,
however, and the Movement was
scattered, some disappeared, others
were deported… Hung became the
living memory of the movement.
The rich scents that rise from
Old Man Hung’s pot of pho during
its hours of preparation and later, as
he sets up his temporary stall under a
bridge or along a busy road, attract a
long line of dedicated followers every
early morning. The evocation of the
smells is so vivid that as a reader you
can easily imagine getting a whiff
of them while turning the page. The
pho’s ingredients and flavours change,
sometimes they are poorer, sometimes
richer, depending on the raw materials
available to Hung. It is one effective
way for Gibb to convey the economic
woes that people like Hung had to
endure. At the same time, Gibb
brings us insights into the human
capacity for love and friendship,
endurance and hope, set against a
faintly touched upon backdrop of
Doors Open Ottawa 2012
Gives Locals The Key To Their City
By Vanessa Burguete
D
idn’t get the chance to
tour the awe-inspiring
architecture of Embassy
of Algeria or the Royal College of
Physicians and Surgeons during
last year’s Doors Open Ottawa
event? Well don’t fret; these sites
and over 100 more are waiting for
visitors of all ages to come by again
this year for a sneak-peek of what’s
inside.
For those who aren’t familiar
with Doors Open Ottawa, it’s
a free unique annual event that
provides access to the city’s most
architecturally, historically, and
functionally interesting buildings,
many of which are not normally
open to the public.
In 2002 Doors Open Ottawa
was born and since then, it has
attracted over 60,000 attendees
each year.
“I read an article in the Toronto
Star twelve years ago about their
first Doors Open event and decided
we should try that here in Ottawa,”
says Linda Russell, Volunteer CoChair of the Doors Open Advisory
Council. “The mayor agreed and
we’ve had Doors Open Ottawa ever
since.” “We were so excited on that
first day eleven years ago, I raced
from building to building to make
sure everything was working well,”
says Russell.
Her excitement is re-ignited
every year on the first weekend in
June when urban and rural spaces
from Carp to Cumberland and
everywhere in between open their
doors for this event. Embassies,
places of worship, museums,
architectural firms, green buildings,
artist’s studios, and science labs are
open for discovery!
There are several new
buildings that will be participating
in this year’s event including the
new and energy efficient Ottawa
Humane Society, the Official
Residence of the South African
High Commission, and the Official
Residence of the Ambassador of
Sweden.
“It’s the simplicity of the event
that’s part of its appeal – buildings
from across the city open their
doors, show off their stuff for
one weekend every year, and it’s
free. Simple, but powerful,” says
Russell. While Russell was visiting
the Supreme Court last year, one
visitor commented: “it’s like my
textbooks are coming alive.”
Don’t miss out on your chance
to discover your local heritage,
architecture, and design on
Saturday June 2 and Sunday June
3 during the 11th edition of Doors
Open Ottawa.
For more information about
Doors Open Ottawa contact the
event manager at: 613-580-9674.
New building announcements
will be made on Twitter @
doorsopenottawa and Facebook,
or visit the website in early May
www.ottawa.ca/doorsopen.
Vietnam’s difficult recent history.
We are taken back and forth as
Old Man Hung reveals his past to
us, his poor peasant childhood, his
friends, lost to the Party’s crude and
cruel policies. Much is written with
hindsight so that today’s Vietnam,
where life has changed much for the
better, is giving hope to Hung and his
friends so that the beauty of humanity
movements can re-appear and maybe
even thrive.
Memories and dreams are
triggered for Hung by the appearance
of Maggie, a young Vietnamese
woman raised in the United States,
who has come back to Hanoi to
trace her father’s whereabouts and
is searching for answers as to what
might have happened to him. Hung is
well-known in Hanoi and it does not
take long before Maggie tracks him
down, but will his memory be sharp
enough to help her? Gibb develops
this narrative thread very subtly and
in small doses, giving the reader time
to take in the various other aspects of
this heartwarming novel. A book to
read slowly, and as some friends told
me, more than once, to pick up more
beauty and subtleties in the story.
Page 14
The OSCAR
- OUR 40th YEAR
MAY 2012
Squirrel Talk
Il était une fois un arbre...
Par Tania & Michaël
D
epuis toujours l’arbre fascine
et ce, qu’il soit feuillu : le
bouleau, le chêne, le frêne ou
l’érable, ou bien conifère : le sapin,
le pin ou l’épicéa. L’être humain a
développé, au fil des siècles, une
relation bien particulière avec ce
végétal. Sous toutes sortes de mythes,
de vocables. Qui a eu la chance de se
retrouver au pied d’un arbre millénaire
comprend toute l’admiration et le
respect que l’on peut ressentir face
à celui-ci. Il a traversé tellement
d’époques, de guerres peut-être et
croisé une centaine de générations
d’êtres humains. Fascinant! Pas besoin
d’aller très loin pour trouver ces êtres à
part, on trouve des cèdres anciens âgés
de plus de 1 500 ans dans l’escarpement
du Niagara dans le Parc national
de Péninsule-Bruce et, bien sûr, en
Colombie Britannique, on retrouve la
forêt ancienne de Prince George avec
ces cèdres géants millénaires.
De tous les thèmes symboliques,
l’arbre est l’un dès plus riche, dès plus
ancien et dès plus utilisé. L’histoire la
plus connue est certes celle de l’Éden.
La Genèse 2 :4 mentionne que : Dieu
place dans le jardin d’Éden l’arbre de
la Connaissance du Bien et du mal et
l’arbre de la vie au milieu. En chine,
l’Arbre Kien Mou se dresse au centre du
monde. À son pied, il n’y a ni ombre ni
écho. Il a neuf branches et neuf racines,
par lesquelles il touche aux neuf cieux
et aux neuf sources, séjour des morts.
L’arbre Hom, en Iran, est à la fois arbre
et source. Ses pieds s’enfoncent au
sein de la terre, sa cime est baignée de
vapeurs d’eau qui retombent en rosée
dans la vallée. L’arbre de la Boddhi à
pour racine Brahma, (le créateur de
tout ce qui existe) pour tronc Shiva, (la
destruction et la méditation) et pour
branches Vishnou (l’organisateur du
monde). C’est sous son ombre qu’eut
lieu l’illumination du Bouddha. Sans
compter notre préféré, le chêne de
Merlin. Ce fameux chêne qui aurait
poussé au coin des rues Oak Lane et
Priory Street à Carmarthen à South
Whales, lieu supposé de la naissance
de Merlin.
Les arbres ont donc toujours été
entourés d’une auréole de respect, d’une
valeur symbolique de puissance, de
protection. Qu’est devenu aujourd’hui
This tree and house in Po Lin Monastery help to support each other.
Photo by Lara Thompson
ce symbole? Au son des scies que
l’on entend désormais partout dans
cette ville et dans la banlieue, je dirais
qu’il a disparu. Disparu des intérêts et
priorités publiques au profit, peut-être,
des entrepreneurs (contractors). Par
contre, pour les gens en général, les
citoyens, beaucoup tiennent encore à
leurs arbres.
Nous sommes parfois prêt à
prendre les grands moyens pour sauver
un arbre ou pour tenter de le sauver.
De fiers protecteurs s’y attachent afin
d’en éviter la coupe, d’autres tentent
de faire changer les lois et règlements,
d’autres, les regardent et les admirent,
tout simplement. Nous nous rappelons
de l’histoire du chêne de Brighton
Beach à OOS. Le OSCAR de
septembre 2011 mentionnait d’ailleurs
: “On the evening of Tuesday, August
16, well over a hundred people came
out to Brighton Beach to say goodbye
to the oak tree, which has watched over
the neighbourhood for more than two
hundred years. Over the course of the
next day, dozens of people came by to
watch as city forestry staff cut down
the tree.”
En marchant le long du canal où
dans les rues de OOS ou n’importe
quel quartier de la ville, les souches,
dépassant du sol, sont choses
communes, les odeurs de bois coupé
ne sont que trop fréquentes. Tous ces
bouts de troncs coupés ? Trop vieux?
Dangereux ? Cache-t-il la vue ... sur
le voisin ou du lac? Empêche-t-il de
construire le condo de luxe sur un bout
de terre qui vaut une fortune surtout
après avoir été vendu par certains
agents immobiliers? L’émondeur doitil justifier son contrat ? Avez-vous vu
aussi toutes ces magnifiques coupes en
V faites à nos arbres afin de permettre
aux fils électriques de ne pas être
encombrés ? On s’étonne de voir des
branches tomber au premier vent suite
à cette fragilisation du végétal. Qu’estce qu’on fait à Ottawa? On coupe, on
cherche chaque bout de terre propre à
y construire des condos de luxe. On
détruit l’immortel bien encré dans sa
terre pour construire l’éphémère, le
cheap à gros dollars qui au moindre
changement de saison, fendillera dans
tous ces recoins et qui ne durera certes
pas 100 ans.
Chaque ville qui se respecte a son
règlement municipal sur la protection
des arbres urbains ou plutôt sur les
règlements entourant leur abattage.
Ottawa possède ses règlements:
Règlement N° 2006-279 sur la
protection et l’entretien des arbres et
des espaces naturels dans les biensfonds municipaux et le Règlement
Nº 2009 200 sur la protection des
arbres situés sur des propriétés
privées dans la zone urbaine, précise
que « Les personnes qui possèdent
une propriété urbaine de plus d’un
hectare sont tenues de produire un
rapport sur la conservation des arbres
approuvé par la Ville pour pouvoir
abattre un arbre dont le tronc mesure
10 centimètres de diamètre ou plus.
Quant aux personnes qui possèdent
une propriété urbaine d’un hectare
ou moins seront tenues d’obtenir un
permis afin d’abattre un arbre distinctif
dont le tronc mesure plus de 50
centimètres de diamètre. La demande
de permis devra s’accompagner du
rapport d’un arboriculteur expliquant
pourquoi l’arbre doit être abattu »
etc... etc... Selon ce que l’on sait, la
ville attribue assez facilement aux
développeurs ces permis d’abattage.
À Ottawa, nous sommes encore bien
loin d’une Charte de l’arbre urbain tel
que celui de la ville de la biodiversité
par excellence, Montpellier, en France.
Afin de préserver la richesse et la
diversité de son patrimoine arboré,
la Ville de Montpellier s’est doté
en 1996 d’une charte destiné aux
entrepreneurs, aux preneurs de décision
de la ville et au public en général,
définissant les protections légales, des
recommandations sur les pratiques
d’entretien des arbres, les protections
physiques à mettre en place lors de
travaux à proximité et la politique
d’accroissement et de diversification
du patrimoine arboré.
Au delà de leur utilité symbolique
ou sociale, qu’ils soient situés en ville
ou à la campagne, les arbres ont leur
utilité pratique. En milieu urbain, les
avantages des arbres sont multiples.
Ils permettent à la fois un équilibre
hydrologique, de diminuer les gaz
à effet de serre en plus de favoriser
une qualité de vie. Un site intéressant
soulève tous les avantages des arbres
en
ville:
http://arboquebec.com/
importance. Ils permettent de “lutter
contre l’érosion des sols, très fréquentes
en milieu urbain due notamment
aux travaux de construction et au
piétinement”. Ils agissent aussi comme
modérateur de chaleur en réduisant
les besoins en climatisation dans une
mesure pouvant aller jusqu’à 30 pour
cent et ce, en donnant de l’ombre
aux résidences et aux entreprises. Ils
consomment du dioxyde de carbone
et rejettent de l’oxygène dans l’air.
Ce qui permet d’améliorer la qualité
et de l’air. Voir aussi le site Internet
suivant sur les avantages des forêts
urbaines: http://www.treecanada.ca/
publications/trivia_f.htm .
Finalement, qu’il soit mon chêne
de Merlin ou mon arbre d’Éden,
“l’arbre en milieu urbain est une source
de bien-être physique et de santé
mentale des citadins, en contribuant
par sa présence à l’amélioration de la
qualité de vie. Les arbres et arbustes
donnent une dimension humaine à la
ville et au paysage urbain.” (www.
arboquebec.com) S’asseoir en dessous
pour rêver, s’y balancer pour s’amuser,
le photographier pour se rappeler...
Connaissez-vous un arbre à
sauver? Écrivez-nous à : taniamich@
gmail.com
The OSCAR
MAY 2012
- OUR 40th YEAR
A HARD DAY’S PLAY
Well, That’s Refreshing!
By Mary P.
I
have a New Baby, just started a month ago. New Baby is a delight. She
has been cheerful pretty much from the get-go. No clingy-ness, very few
howls of outrage or misery at drop-off, and those that do occur are easily
soothed. Her default seems to be “curious and interested”. What’s not to
love??
Today, though, New Baby looks a little out of sorts when she arrives in
mummy’s arms. Both their normally cheerful faces are out of kilter. Baby
looks solemn-bordering-on-grumpy, and mother has tension lines around
blue-shadowed eyes. Not a good morning, I’m guessing.
“Not a good morning,” Mum informs me.
She thrusts baby at me. This is not standard. Usually mum holds baby for
a minute or two while we chat, and hands baby over only as she is leaving.
(This as per my instructions. Far less misery all round that way.) I’m thinking
mum has reached her tipping point, poor thing.
New Baby, beginning from a baseline of grumpy, and now startled to be
in my arms so abruptly, bursts into howls of outrage.
“She’s had a rough, rough morning,” Mummy informs me over the
ruckus. “I’ve never seen her so bad, ever! She woke up at five, and it’s been
cling, cling, cling ever since. She wouldn’t let us put her down for a second.”
We ascertain there’s no apparent health issue. No fever, no snottiness,
bowels normal, no rashes.
It’s probably teeth, mum suggests, and I agree.
In truth, I don’t have any strong feeling re: the teething. But at this age?
It’s always “probably teeth”. If you can’t figure out what the heck else to
blame it on, teeth are a pretty fair bet, since they spend much of the first two
and a half years of their lives teething.
So if mum needs a reason, we can blame it on teeth. Why not? Could
very well be. (Or not.)
Mum leans in to her red-faced daughter. “Have a good day, hon,” and
plants a kiss on the sweaty head. She looks up at me. “To tell the truth, I’m
kind of happy to be leaving her right now.” Her glance falls to her stillroaring daughter. She kisses the now-snotty nose. “Cheer up today, missie, or
I might just not come back!”
I burst out laughing. “Nothing like a mother’s unconditional love!”
Mum laughs with me, and the lines of tension around her eyes ease. She
heads off to her nice, quiet office. I’m pretty sure I detect a visible bounce in
her step.
I like the frank parents. Parents who can admit when their child is being a
pill, parents who can admit when they’ve had about enough of it, parents who
can admit that they don’t always enjoy this whole parenting gig, even when
the child’s not being objectionable.
Parents who don’t expect perfection of themselves don’t expect perfection
of me. Parents like that can laugh at the child’s foibles, don’t get tied up in
knots if another child hits a milestone first, or if their child goes home with a
bump, a bruise, or (heaven forbid, but it does happen) a bite. They don’t get
all angsty or competitive. Parents like that are just… easier.
I like New Baby’s mummy!
Sudoku
Sudoku Solution on page 16
To complete
the puzzle:
1. all rows
must contain
digits 1 to 9
only once
2. all columns
must contain
the digits 1 to 9
only once.
3. each of the
nine boxes
must contain
the digits 1 to 9
only once
Page 15
Page 16
The OSCAR
- OUR 40th YEAR
MAY 2012
Cercle de lecture L’Amicale
tant de vie s’égare par Andrée Lacelle
Par Jean-Claude Dubé
Les Éditions du Vermillon, 305, St.
Patrick, Ottawa
ISBN 978-1-897058-57-2
L
e 11 avril, 2012, le Cercle
de lecture l’Amicale a eu le
grand plaisir d’accueillir une
poète ottavienne de renom : Andrée
Lacelle. En plus de nous entretenir
sur son recueil de poésie tant de
vie s’égare, prix Trillium 1995, les
membres de Cercle de lecture furent
comblés d’entendre les sages propos
de l’auteure sur la poésie, sur sa vie et
sur l’art d’écrire. Andrée Lacelle est
une femme érudite d’une très grande
sensibilité avec beaucoup d’expertise
dans la vaste gamme des émotions de
l’âme humaine.
François Paré, poète émérite,
professeur titulaire et directeur du
département des études françaises à
l’Université de Waterloo (Ontario)
déclare que « la poésie est le cœur
de la littérature franco-ontarienne
contemporaine ». Andrée Lacelle
est complètement d’accord avec lui.
Selon elle, la poésie est un chant qui
vient de l’âme. C’est le genre des
origines, celui qui précède les autres
genres littéraires
Dès son enfance, l’être humain sait
s’exprimer vocalement avec cadence.
Que se soient des énoncés d’amour,
de joie, de crainte, de guerre ou de
prière, l’humain donne une tonalité
et un rythme dans ses échanges
verbaux avec ses semblables. Avant
qu’il ne sache lire et écrire, l’être
humain civilisé était poète. Homère,
de la Grèce antique, racontait des
évènements historiques accompagné
d’une lyre : la naissance de la poésie
lyrique. Il en était ainsi avec les
troubadours du Moyen-Âge aussi
bien qu’avec les narrateurs anciens de
l’Asie, de l’Afrique et de l’Amérique.
L’humain est naturellement poète.
D’après Andrée Lacelle, la poésie
est le début de la parole. C’est un mode
d’expression qui s’ouvre sur tout, sur
la conscience totale et qui permet de
dire des choses qu’on ne peut dire
autrement. C’est aussi une façon de
court-circuiter les paroles ordinaires
car souvent nous ne savons pas dire ce
que nous ressentons. La poésie permet
aussi de se déplacer entre le rêve et
le réel, chacun selon sa mesure. Il ne
faut pas marginaliser la poésie car, en
fait, la réalité est remplie de rêves qui
se sont concrétisés.
Comme toutes les œuvres
littéraires du genre, le recueil tant
de vie s’égare d’Andrée Lacelle
doit être lu en plusieurs séances. Au
début et pendant plusieurs jours, il
est mieux de l’ouvrir au hasard et
d’y lire quelques vers à haute voix.
Plus tard, on entreprend une lecture
ordonnée et parlée pour y entendre
et capter les subtilités des mots, des
espaces et du rythme. C’est ainsi que
nous pouvons entrer dans l’intimité de
l’auteure, dans son voyage intérieur
pour s’instruire sur ses sentiments
envers elle-même et envers ceux avec
lesquels elle s’associe.
Il faut bien comprendre que ce
recueil d’Andrée Lacelle est une
œuvre d’amour. En entrant dans son
intimité, nous découvrons un profond
sentiment de tendresse, d’affection
et d’attachement que l’auteure porte
envers une ou plusieurs personnes. Ses
mots sont sobres, limpides, presque
pudiques mais nous y trouvons cet état
d’âme manifestant plus qu’un simple
sentiment amical ou romantique. Il
nous semble entendre le soupir d’une
passion étouffée par les murs de la
vie.
Les deux éléments essentiels
à la poésie sont donc présents : une
auteure qui croit ce qu’elle dit et nous,
lecteurs, qui croyons ce qu’elle dit.
tant de vie s’égare d’ Andrée
Lacelle est composé d’une cinquante
de poèmes répartis en quatre groupes
de pensées connexes. Le premier
« L’humeur du monde » nous prépare
à l’état d’âme de l’auteure. Il y a un
passé plein de richesses et un désir de
se relancer:
« faut-il en arriver là
où l’ancre s’amarre sans rien
annoncer
à l’insu du temps
et le temps n’a rien à cacher »
Dans le deuxième groupe de
poèmes « Les choses claires », nous
trouvons un désir de faire table rase et
de recommencer à neuf :
« assis à la table des songes clairs
l’enfant voyage
la tête hors-les-murs
et le cœur sous les comble s»
ainsi que :
« les toits de la ville méditent le
clair de lune »
Le troisième groupe porte le nom
du titre du recueil : « Tant de vie
s’égare ». Nous y décelons une âme
meurtrie:
« tout près de minuit
de moins en moins proche de moi
plus réglée que la vie
je me dissipe charnelle
tout près de minuit »
ainsi que :
« …et l’adorable doux et bon plus
jamais ne revient »
Le dernier groupe de poèmes
« Entre peur et mémoire» est teinté
d’un certain fatalisme et d’une finalité
sans regrets :
« à travers la vie et le rêve de la
vie…
… il y a la promesse du ferment
extrême »
ainsi que :
« le cœur sculpteur martèle des
ébauches d’anges »
Comme un enfant qui rêve
beaucoup et qui croit énormément,
Andrée Lacelle n’a jamais cessé de
rêver et de croire. Née à Hawkesbury
en Ontario, Andrée était la plus jeune
de cinq enfants. Très jeune, elle
écrivait au son et à douze ans, elle a
commencé à garder un carnet de bord
qui lui permit de toujours rester en
contact avec ses émotions. Tour à tour
enseignante et traductrice à Ottawa,
Andrée Lacelle publia son premier
recueil de poésie en 1979.
Tant de vie s’égare mérita le Prix
Trillium de l’Ontario ainsi que le prix
de poésie de l’Alliance française en
1995. Ce recueil fut aussi finaliste
pour le Prix du Gouverneur général
du Canada et le prix du Livre de la
Ville d’Ottawa en plus de mériter
le Premier prix de poésie de la
société Radio-Canada. En plus des
six recueils de poésie à son nom,
Andrée Lacelle a écrit un recueil de
poèmes comptines « Bobikoki »,
fut critique littéraire à TFO, devint
auteure d’un dialogue radio-théàtre à
Radio Canada, fut nommée écrivaine
en résidence au département des
Lettres françaises de l’Université
d’Ottawa. Avec trois collègues, elle
prépare présentement une anthologie
mondiale de la poésie féminine
francophone contemporaine : pas
d’ici, pas d’ailleurs. Cette anthologie
paraîtra bientôt en France, publiée par
la maison Voix d’encre.
Andrée Lacelle nous a confié
maints secrets sur sa vie, son art
et la poésie, surtout dans le milieu
franco-ontarien. Cette rencontre
de L’Amicale a été ravissante et
enrichissante, à la fois.
La prochaine et dernière rencontre
du Cercle de lecture L’Amicale pour
l’an 2011-2012 aura lieu le mardi 8
mai prochain. Nous porterons notre
attention sur le récit autobiographique
«Nomade « de la plume de Mila
Younes,
ottavienne
d’origine
algérienne. Ce livre, finaliste du Prix
du livre de la Ville d’Ottawa en 2008
est la suite de Ma mère, ma fille, ma
sœur qui a reçu le Prix du livre de la
Ville d’Ottawa en 2004. Mila Younes
sera avec nous et elle participera à
la discussion. La rencontre aura lieu
à 19h au sous-sol de la bibliothèque
Sunnyside d’Ottawa, rue Bank. Venez
nombreux, il n’y a aucun frais.
Sudoku Solution
Sudoku Puzzle is on page 15
MAY 2012
Page 17
NOTES FROM THE GARDEN CLUB
By Colin Ashford
and Kristin Kendall
Club
Gardening for the Busy Gardener
F
or the final meeting of the
season, the members of the Old
Ottawa South Garden Cub were
treated to a fascinating presentation
by Mary Reid, owner of the Green
Thumb Garden Centre (www.
greenthumbgarden.ca). Mary, a selfconfessed reformed banker, started
her business in 1996 and uses both her
gardening and business skills at Green
Thumb.
The theme of Mary’s presentation
was saving time for the busy gardener
and she pointed out that the techniques
she would be describing may not
necessarily be the classic ones—but,
she assured the meeting, they would
work. First, starting in the spring, she
Dwarf Daffodils
nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium)
is generally lower that that of synthetic
fertilizers.
Mary offered a number of
strategies for controlling weeds.
Firstly, corn gluten is good for
controlling weeds like crabgrass that
propagate by seed, whereas annuals
like Lambsquarters can be decapitated
Fall Crocus
recommended some varieties of spring
bulbs (Dwarf daffodils, Wild tulips,
Snowdrops, and Crocus) that need
no deadheading nor look unsightly
as they die down. She also passed
on a tip to help deter squirrels from
nipping the tips of tulips: put a saucer
of water for the squirrels to drink
because it is the moisture in the tulip
stalks that the squirrels are after. (She
also recommended chicken manure
and bloodmeal as other deterrents).
Another time saver is to plant fall
crocus—they bloom both in the fall
and the spring. They can either be
planted in the garden in the spring or
fall, or planted in pots in the fall for
subsequent planting out in the spring.
As with other bulbs, any foliage
must be left to die off naturally. By
judiciously selecting plants (Crocus,
Daffodils, Tulips, Peonies, Day lilies,
Black-eyed Susan, Sedum, and lastly,
hardy Chrysanthemums or Asters)
Mary explained one could have ninety
days of blooms in the garden.
For transplanting or planting
new plants from the nursery, Mary
recommended that plants be well
watered-in: watered every day for
two weeks and thereafter once a week
for the season. Mary recommended
organic fertilizers although their
content (indicated by the three
numbers specifying the proportions of
with a Dutch hoe; but perennials
like Dandelions have to be pulled
up. Traditional lawns of Kentucky
bluegrass can be very demanding on
time (and water); Mary recommended
Eco-Lawn (www.theecolawn.com)
a drought-tolerant, low maintenance
mixture of seven Fescues that will
do well in most light conditions.
Overseeding a lawn with Dutch
white clover is another eco-friendly
approach to lawns although Mary
warned that it can be difficult to get
the clover established. For both lawns
and gardens, Mary recommended top
dressing with a quarter inch of soil.
Surprisingly, buying less than three
cubic yards of soil is cheaper by the
bag than by the truckload. She also
noted the availability of freeze-dried
top dressing that is a real time-saver.
Traditional compost can also be used
as top dressing.
After the break, Mary turned her
attention to containers, recommending
the use of potting soil mixed with
fertilizer in containers rather than
regular soil. She explained that it
is not necessary to replace soil in
containers every year, but rather to
top-up containers as required and add
fertilizer at the same time. Using the
mixture of soil and fertilizer means
that, during that growing season,
no further feeding of the plants is
required. She suggested the use of a
pop bottle with holes in the neck or
ceramic “plant nannies” for automatic
watering of plants in containers.
Perennial plants in containers larger
that three feet cubed can be successful
over wintered outside whereas plants
in smaller containers should be
brought inside for the winter.
The use of soaker hoses, timers,
and rain barrels is a great time saver
as are mulches; mulches not only
conserve moisture (and thus reduce
the need for watering) but also
control weeds. Mary pointed out that
gardens need to be weeded before
mulching, and that there has to be
enough moisture present in the soil for
mulching to be effective.
Mary contended that putting the
garden to bed for the winter need not
be onerous: cut back most herbaceous
perennials to about 2 inches above the
ground when you (or they) are ready;
leave evergreen perennials such as
Candy tuft and Japanese spurge alone;
or even leave perennials such as Globe
thistle and Maiden hair grass to feed
the birds or for winter interest in the
garden. Young trees can be protected
during the winter from attack by
rabbits by using plastic tree wrap or
rodent repellent. Woody perennials
should be watered once a week until
the ground freezes and then wrapped
in an open-topped wrapping to avoid
desiccation during the winter.
Pruning of dead, diseased, or
dangerous shrub branches (and
suckers) can be done at any time, but
pruning most woody perennials such
Maiden Hair Grass
as Lilac and Weigela should be done
just after the plants have flowered.
In summary, Mary noted that
gardening need not be onerous or timeconsuming and, indeed, gardeners
should take the time to enjoy their
gardens
This was the last meeting of the
Garden Club for the 2011—2012
season. However, we will be having our
annual Spring Perennial Exchange—
Good Plants, Good Deals on May 12.
Bring potted and labelled perennial
plants to exchange. Set up starts at
9:30 a.m., exchange starts at 10 a.m.,
sale of remaining plants follows. At
Brewer Park near the shelter at the
children’s playground.
We are planning an exciting
program for 2012—2013; it will be
advertised later in the year in OSCAR.
Weigela
Page 18
The OSCAR
- OUR 40th YEAR
MAY 2012
Brighton Beach Memories
Left to right Mike Hooper, Alice
Arnason, Del Smith (Head guard)
By Paige Raymond Kovach
L
orna Stoddart taught many
Old Ottawa South youngsters
to swim at Brighton Beach.
Starting at 13 and throughout her
teen years, she was one of the team
of lifeguards that ensured safety and
fun at the popular summer spot.
The beach was a busy place in
the 50s and 60s. There are no traces
now of the cinderblock building that
doubled as the ticket office, change
room and bathroom. Back then there
were bike racks, and the whole beach
area was enclosed by a fence.
Lorna taught swimming lessons
every morning to local children. The
guards had the children lie back on
the grassy lawn to teach them their
frog kicks, perfect arm motions,
and talk about safety. She had taken
swimming lessons at Brighton Beach
herself and had attained her bronze
and silver levels there.
“It is very different guarding in a
place where you can’t see the bottom.
I was told watch heads, when one goes
down, make sure the same one comes
up. There was never an incident, no
drowning, when I was there,” said
Lorna.
The guard chair was set in the
middle of the beach, about three or
four feet up, like a big table with a
chair in the middle. There was smaller
one lower down. And a long dock that
stuck out into the river. There were
booms to keep the children corralled
in a specific area under the watchful
eyes of the lifeguards. There were also
three rafts, one to the left, one to the
right, and one in the middle, as well
as a diving platform. Intermediate
swimmers could swim out to the rafts.
“The first few summers I got
badly burned, we didn’t know
anything about the dangers of the sun
then, we put baby oil on ourselves,”
said Lorna.
The lifeguards got to know each
other very well and became good
friends. They each went to separate
high schools so Brighton Beach was
their connection to each other every
summer.
She was encouraged to work
as a lifeguard by Lillian Kitteridge,
Clean up day left to right..Dave robertson, Del Smith and Bob Butterworth
another Old Ottawa South resident,
who organized the swimming at
Brighton Beach. Lillian had attained
the level of a gold medallion, one of
the few in Canada, which meant she
had saved a life.
But summers at Brighton Beach
weren’t all lessons and perfecting
strokes: in the afternoon the beach
was open to play. Mike Hoper and Dave Robertson in front of the main guard stand
MAY 2012
S
The OSCAR
- OUR 40th YEAR
Page 19
Kaleidoscope Kids’ Books
It’s raining Cats and Dogs – Books!
pring is here with its profusion
of flowers and sunshine, and
those of us with cute wellies
enjoy those inevitable rainy days
too. Just the right time of year to let
your animals out of the house to start
digging up the grass and eating your
tulips (is that only my house?). After
the mud tracks of April, May is a
welcome respite for pet owners. Let’s
celebrate with some books about cats
and dogs!
Dogs
Dogs by Emily Gravett showcases
dogs of all sorts in her award-winning
illustrative style and comes in board
book or paperback. The book details
all the types of dogs that the narrator
loves – big and small, stroppy and
soppy, good and bad dogs. What type
of dog is best loved? As we learn
unexpectedly at the end of the book,
it’s any dog that won’t chase the cat
who has been telling this tale to us.
For an upscale story about a suitwearing dog who can drive, read, ski
and play chess, check out Douglas
by G.N. Hargreaves. With all of the
many things Douglas can do, it’s hard
to believe that he’s unable to wag
his tail! Apparently, to be able to
wag, you need to know how to have
fun – luckily, a little bird arrives on
the scene to help Douglas figure this
out. Cartoony illustrations and over
20 stickers in the back of the book –
a great read for kids who think they
know what dogs like to do…
New on the shelves is what we
are sure will become a classic – Silly
Doggy by Adam Stower tells the
story of Lily, who has always wanted
a dog and one day looks out into her
yard and finds that one has magically
appeared. Her silly doggy is big,
brown and hairy, with four legs, a tail
and a big, wet nose. Lily, of course,
wants to keep the dog, but her mother
suggests this might be someone’s pet
and she should make a “Found” sign
in case. In addition to a drawing of
the dog, Lily also describes some
key attributes: this dog is no good
at tricks, terrible at playing fetch,
never does what you tell him and his
favourite thing is belly scratches. Lily
hopes no one will see her sign, but
the very next day, someone from the
local zoo drops by – to pick up their
missing bear…
As a cycle of life book, Dog
Breath by Carolyn Beck, illustrated
how to give Kitty a bath (a several
step process, according to Uncle
Murray), a birthday party with feline
guests, or a baby being brought home
by Kitty’s owners, kids and adults
will be laughing out loud by the end
of each of these chapter books.
Meerkat Mail by Emily Gravett
is not technically a book about cats,
by Brooke Kerrigan, is a loving
tribute to a child’s memorable
mischievous pet. A comfy dog bed,
a red rubber ball, a favourite bone: a
collection of images left behind stirs
up fond memories, both poignant and
humourous, of a child’s best friend.
This is a lovely family resource to
help kids talk about loss.
Beginning readers are likely
familiar with Biscuit by Alyssa Satin
Capucilli. With simple sentences
and word repeats to help readers
learn common terms, these tales of a
rambunctious puppy and his family
will have kids and parents smiling
together.
Cats
Lynley Dodd writes about both
dogs (Hairy Maclary is a naughty
dog) and cats (Slinky Malinki is a
badly behaving cat). Slinky Malinki
steals things from clothes pegs to
slipper, from a sausage string to a
clock… Told in rhyme, each book
of Slinki Malinki’s adventures has
young readers wondering what that
cat will do next!
For beginning readers, Splat the
Cat books by Rob Scotton help kids
learn to read while enjoying some of
Splat’s zany adventures. From baking
a cake to singing at the Parent’s night
at his school, Splat keeps readers
entertained while learning sound
families for the words they’re reading.
Splat has unruly black hair and googly
eyes; the art in the books helps kids
understand and enjoy the stories.
A classic book with the
quintessential tricky cat, Dr. Suess’
Cat in the Hat has been enjoyed by
generations of readers. This oversized
cat in his oversized hat arrive on a
cold rainy day and turn the afternoon
into a madcap adventure that nearly
wrecks the house in the process …
A great spontaneous escapade with
the text we love and the trademark
Seussian illustrations that have been
enjoyed since its publication in 1957!
In the early chapter world, nothing
beats Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel for
hysterical pictures and witty, tongue-
in-cheek explanations of cat behaviour.
Whether it’s an instructional guide on
but it’s one of my favourites, so I’ve
included it here too. Sunny, who lives
in the Kalahari Desert, decides that
it’s too crowded and too hot, and he
sets off to find the “perfect” place to
live. On his travels around the world,
visiting distant cousin mongeese,
Sunny sends his family a series of
post cards that detail his adventures.
Great illustrations and a sneaky jackal
in the background too!
This is just a small collection of the
menagerie of animal stories waiting to
be adopted here at Kaleidoscope. And
no poop to scoop….
Page 20
W
hose brilliant [I use
that word such that it is
dripping with as much
sarcasm and disdain as I can muster...
which is a lot] idea is it to spend
the two months after the Academy
Awards releasing nothing but dramas
[often tediously heartfelt] and light
comedies [crammed so full of
poignancy and “meaning” it makes
me ill to even think about]. I can
only watch so much drivel before I
need to watch something sheerly fun
and entertaining...I like a balance:
intelligent and insightful [not that
Hollywood manages that very often]
followed by brutal revenge driven
violence [woohoo!]. Alas, it is not
to be, but despite my general disgust
for the releasing schedule at this
time of year I still managed to find
some films that are worth the time
they take to watch. So below are
a few of the titles that captured my
interest [and yes, I’m aware of the
irony of my selections...three dramas
and a comedy...sigh...but they’re
all exceptions to my general rule of
“comedies and dramas suck”]. These
titles, and thousands upon thousands
more, are available for rent at your
local DVD/BLU-RAY store Tundra
Moving Pictures, 435 Sunnyside @
Seneca.
The OSCAR
MAY 2012
TheTundra Review
[near constant disappointment is
my lot in life when it comes to
the current “age” of cinema], but
despite that “Afghan Luke” remained
an entertaining, fascinating, and
absurd road trip through the bizzaro
world that is Afghanistan [which
is a beautiful country in a postapocalyptic wasteland sort of way]. Following a disillusioned and cynical
journalist as he wanders through an
incredibly SNAFU/FUBAR world,
the viewer is treated to moments of
dark comedy, social commentary,
and a general sense of the absurdity
of the world [and I love absurdity,
and irony, and cynicism, and dark
comedy...etc]. This should have been
a better film [as with so many films,
sigh], but despite its flaws [it never
quite gets its tone and atmosphere
right, and, in all fairness, I wanted
more dark comedy than existential
drama], the movie was good [read:
worth my time to watch...which is a
step above most films, which aren’t
worth my time to watch...] - it has
some brilliant moments and hilarious
dialogue, and keeps pushing its roadtrip story forward through strange
encounters with odd-ball characters
and surreal situations.
“Atlas Shrugged, part One” -
“Afghan Luke” -
I really wanted this to be “Fear
and Loathing in Afghanistan” and
I’ll admit that I was disappointed
that it never lived up to this hope
- OUR 40th YEAR
I’ve never read the book, and my
knowledge of Rand is all secondtier and derived as much from
Bioshock [brilliant critique of the
inevitable consequences of Rand’s
philosophy - in the form of a video
game...that I’ve played through at
least 3 times...100% completion I
might add...as if that means anything
to any of you...sigh] as from early
philosophy courses I sat through in
university a long, long time ago. The
timeliness of this film is unsettling
to say the least, and at its core is
a critique of modern society that
is disturbingly accurate [though
completely one-sided] and a mix
of anti-political / anti-bureaucratic
rhetoric that can border on stifling
[very heavy-handed and cynical...
almost more cynical than my own
perspective on things, which made
me feel like I wasn’t living up to my
full cynical potential]. Yet, at the
heart of the story is a very human
problem - that of creation, social
interaction, greed...and parasitism. The film has some short-comings [it’s
an independent production funded
by a wealthy financier - talk about
self-serving propaganda], but it’s a
fascinating story, and I’m certainly
looking forward to watching the
second-half when it gets released
[and I plan to read the book by then...
hopefully, after Catch-22, which
I’ve been told will suit my sense of
humour].
“J. Edgar” -
I’m not really a fan of biopics [they
tend to be about people I could
really care less about, and they’re
generally tedious and extremely bias
about their subject] but I’m always
willing to give Clint Eastwood the
benefit of the doubt [he’s a fantastic
director - except for “Flags of Our
Fathers,” which was atrociously
boring and very badly acted]. I’m
also willing to watch most DiCaprio
films [despite the fact he seems like
a slimy untrustworthy douchbag...
yeah, personal bias, I know, other
people think he’s “dreamy”, but
they’re wrong] because he seems
to have a damn good agent who
consistently picks roles that DiCaprio
suits. “J. Edgar” is no exception
for either of them: it’s an intelligent
multi-layered look at a complex
character whom [grammar brain-fart,
I couldn’t decide between “who”
and “whom”] both director and actor
portray carefully so as to examine
the individual without passing
judgement, a task which they leave to
the viewer. It’s impossible to speak to
the factual veracity of the film [and
only an idiot denies that Hollywood
like to flaunt its dramatic license],
but as a character study it’s probably
one of the most interesting films I’ve
ever seen.
“Johnny English Reborn”
is, well, hilarious [although, since I
generally dislike comedies - they’re
predictable and often have crappy
endings with tedious “moral”
messages worked in with as much
grace as a duck stuffed into a turkey
- I’m not sure how much weight
should be given to my opinion]. Rowan Atkinson recreates a character
that was fun the first time around, but
ages him appropriately and redefines
him as a rare mix of competence,
intelligence, bad luck and...well...
bumblingness. An endearing
character [he’s just so likable] put
into an absurd situation is the basis
of a surprising large number of
comedies, but it doesn’t alway work. Thankfully, in this case, it works
perfectly, and we’re treated to a fun
and funny film with entertaining
action sequences and an amusingly
dastardly villain [always a necessity good villains are becoming harder to
find sadly, probably thanks to all the
silly villains in comic book movies].
From the pre-order lists, the
upcoming month should satisfy
some of my cravings for action and
violence, along with some more
interesting smaller titles, if for no
other reason than I’m running out of
teen melodrama TV series to watch
[just finished “Vampire Diaries”
and “The OC” - both thoroughly
entertaining...sadly]. If you’re
looking for a list of our weekly new
releases or trailers of new films
we really like please check out our
Facebook page, just google:
“facebook tundra moving pictures”
Reviews courtesy of Chris
Whitehead.
MAY 2012
The OSCAR
Page 21
- OUR 40th YEAR
AFTER THOUGHTS
The World System as an Ecology of Suggestions
from Richard Ostrofsky
of Second Thoughts Bookstore
(now closed)
www.secthoughts.com
quill@travel-net.com
M
y column this month will
be fairly academic but not
unbearably so, I hope. The
concepts at point seem to me of general
interest, and worth some effort by the
lay public to understand. Briefly, I want
to link Immanuel Wallerstein’s ‘worldsystems analysis’ to Gregory Bateson’s
concept of an ‘ecology of mind,’ and
suggest how the resulting paradigm
offers a new approach both to political
economy and to ethnography – the
detailed description and explanation
of lifestyles in a given community of
interest. Entries for all these terms are
available on Wikipedia, for example,
but I will try to make this piece about
them clear and self-contained from this
point on. The key idea is that human
groups and their lifestyles should not
be studied in isolation from one another
(nor from the anthropologists who study
them) as static structures, but as interrelated systems evolving in relationship
to one another, and to an ecological
context that includes them all.
Anthropology has been in a pickle
for some years now because the pristine
‘cultures’ that it traditionally worked
with – e.g. in Samoa, New Guinea or the
jungles of South America – no longer
exist, if indeed they ever did. Every one
of the communities thought to live by
such a culture had a history of contacts
with other peoples and ways of life.
All have had, and still have, significant
contact with the modern world, if only
with the explorers who found them,
and with the anthropologists who
studied them. Most have been subject
to missionaries, traders and colonial
adminis-trators as well. Thus, none of
them is truly ‘pristine,’ or structurally
self-contained. All are much more like
the urban ghetto (or wealthy, gated
community) of interest to sociologists
than like the primitive tribes studied by
Margaret Mead.
Responding to this situation,
Immanuel Wallerstein and others
have developed the concept of a
‘world-system,’ with any number of
sub-systems of varying collective
mentalities or ‘mindsets,’ at varying
levels of wealth, autonomy, political
power, technological sophistication,
and so forth. There is only one such
system today – the global one – and
many scholars and ordinary people
would like to understand it, as honestly
as possible. Herewith some of the
conclusions that have been reached,
following this world-system approach.
The first point is that supposedly
‘free’ market transactions are (at best)
an ideal special case, and (at worst)
a matter of self-serving ideology. In
fact, all transactions (economic and
otherwise) occur within relationships
of relative power, even when the
parties are legally equal. All such
transactions are negotiated, tacitly or
explicitly, between parties in differing
circumstances, with different levels
of need to come to an agreement. The
employer and the worker, vendor and
customer, husband and wife, parent
and child are just examples of such
asymmetrical relationships between
parties with differing needs, desires and
‘mindsets,’ and with differing options if
no agreement is reached.
This last point is the most
important. In any such negotiation
and in the relationship (if any) that
follows, power is held by the party
that cares least whether they can reach
agreement or not. In a ‘buyer’s market’
the customer knows that he can always
find other vendors to sell him what
he wants. He walks away if the price
does not come down. In a seller’s
market, the vendor knows that he can
find other customers and raises his
price accordingly. A similar “law of
supply and demand” holds when the
transaction is not strictly economic,
and when the price is not just a matter
of dollars and cents. The negotiation
and the contract (if any) that follows is
always conditioned by the party who
needs agreement least.
For this reason (if nothing else),
power has tended to flow toward centers
of technological and organizational
sophistication which could find their
raw materials, their workers and
their customers wherever. The world
system as a whole has tended to selforganize around a core where such
power is concentrated, dominating
a much poorer, weaker periphery
which supplies (relatively cheap)
raw materials, and has to purchase
(relatively expensive) finished goods.
Of course, the terms of trade between
Spring Melodies
performed by the Ottawa Regional Youth Choir
under the direction of Kevin Reeves, with guests,
the Ottawa Children’s Choir,
on Saturday, May 12, 2012, 7:30 p.m.
at the Canadian Martyrs Church,
100 Main Street.
Admission at the door: Adults: $20; Students: $10;
Children under 12: Free
core and periphery are influenced also
by non-economic factors, notably
military power, ideological rhetoric,
advertising and so forth. In any specific
negotiation, factors like these must
help to shape the outcome – as will the
‘mindset’ of the parties concerned.
And here the notion of a suggestion
ecology will enter. By definition,
mindset is the cognitive repertoire of
concepts, beliefs, desires, and whatever,
that people bring to the situtions they
encounter. People are influenced and
cued in various ways by the suggestions
put to them – by significant others
or by advertising commercials, for
example. They weigh and decide
amongst the competing suggestions of
their present situation in light of their
respective mindsets – their repertoires
of suggestions received and accepted
in the past. Each such repertoire is
actually a dynamic system, analogous
to the ecologies of nature in some ways:
the whole repertoire must be consistent
with itself, and may be invaded by new
and powerful suggestions at any time.
Wallerstein’s ‘world system’ is
comprised of numerous sub-systems
and ultimately of individuals, each
with mindset of its own. The economic
relationships and power relationships
amongst such entities can be conceived
and analyzed according to the ‘terms
of trade’ between them. A fine-grained
analysis of these relationships and
terms will abstract from the goods
exchanged and the specific transactions
negotated between them, and will seek
to describe and account for the over-all
quality of their relationship and for the
‘balance of power’ amongst its parties.
To do this it will describe and analyze
their negotiations as an exchange
and weighing of suggestions to one
another, seeing the outcome as a kind
of ecological balance – self-consistent
and fairly stable in the ideal case, but
more-or-less volatile in detail. In such
negotiations, the suggestions in play are
of many kinds: offers to trade, threats,
seductions and self-justifying rhetoric
are probably the most important.
This paradigm of ‘suggestion
ecology’ has interesting implications not
just for the social sciences, but for sane
political activists and for the ordinary,
concerned citizen. It leads us to think
and write about a world of embedded,
mutually interacting communities,
each with its mindset, its suggestion
ecology. In this way, anthropological
structuralism is retooled into a kind of
cognitive systems analysis: the concept
of ‘mindset’ becomes mutable and
dynamic while remaining something
that communities and whole societies
can share. We see that a group’s common
‘mindset’ can be coherent, adaptive and
fairly stable, but also deeply incoherent,
conflicted and maladaptive. Both
ethnography and political economy
adapt accord-ingly. We find ourselves
talking about something larger than
the global economy: the coherence,
competence and sanity of the global
mind.
Page 22
The OSCAR
- OUR 40th YEAR
MAY 2012
A Wonderful 8-Days in Paris
By Marilyn Brown
(Dancey)
M
y daughter, a family friend
and myself planned a trip
to Paris for September of
2009. When the time finally came, we
were all very excited and headed out
for our overnight flight to Frankfurt,
Germany and then on to De Gaul
Airport in Paris. We took a taxi to
our hotel, the Pullman Tour Eiffel,
18 Rue Sufferen. We were a little too
early to get into our rooms, so decided
to sit and wait in the Lounge. All of a
sudden, I looked out the window and
discovered we were only a block and
a half away from the Eiffel Tower.
What a bonus, and a great landmark
on any of our trips, we always knew
where we were once we spotted it.
We finally got into our rooms and
freshened up, changed and headed out
for our pre-booked O Chateau Wine
Tasting, across from the Louvre. It had
been Madame de Pompadour’s 17th
Century Wine Cellar and was attached
through a tunnel to the Louvre. We
tasted some great French Wines, met
other tourists from Canada, the States
and other places. Had a ‘fun’ time,
and of course bought some wines to
bring home.
After that, we ambled along and
found a great Café/Wine Bar which
had been a 1940’s Smoking Lounge
close to the Louvre in the Palais Royal
neighbourhood.
Of course now,
smoking is banned. It is said to have
been frequented by Hemmingway and
the likes.
Back to our hotel and ate at a
fantastic little café across the street
called Chez Ribe. It was a pleasant
surprise to find the food was great, as
opposed to some of the tales we had
heard before leaving home. Off to
bed for an early start next morning.
On Day 2, we had the Buffet
Breakfast in the hotel and hailed
a taxi to take us to Pere Lachaise
Cemetery. It is the largest cemetery
in Paris. The land had belonged to
Pere de la Chaise, Confessor to King
Louis the XIV. Such celebrities as
Jim Morrison, Oscar Wild, Edith Piaf,
Chopin, Moliere, Proust, and Maria
Callas, to name a few are buried there.
Some of the family Crypts, which
were in all sizes, had beautiful stained
glass, alters, kneeling benches and
candle holders. Oscar Wild’s huge
gravestone was covered with lipstick
kisses from his female admirers. Jim
Morrison’s grave was very plain and
had been fenced off, with beautiful
fresh flowers arranged, and thrown on
it. There had been a bust of him that
had been stolen, and that is why it is
now fenced, and has a security guard
posted. We spent half the day at the
Cemetery and then walked about
a block to A La Renaissance Café,
located at 41 rue du Repose. Once
again, a good meal, good service in
very pleasant surroundings which had
many artefacts from days gone by.
After our lunch, we taxied back to the
Eiffel Tower. Anne and Karren got a
lot of fantastic pictures from different
angles, and underneath the tower as
well as Statues, the Seine, and an old
fashioned Carrousel.
We walked back to our favourite
little Chez Ribe Restaurant/Bar where
it was great to relax, people watch,
feed the pigeons and pass the time until
supper. We heard a lot of cheering,
horns honking, etc., and a large group
of men and women on bicycles passed
by. Karren took pictures, and we
finally saw a sign that said ‘London
to Paris Cycle Race’. Amazing! Also
watched a lot of tourists going by
in Horse Drawn Carriages. We had
supper, and once it turned dark, the
Eiffel Tower is lit up beautifully, but
every hour on the hour, they put it on
‘Sparkle’ for 5 minutes. Beautiful
in the day, amazing at night, but on
sparkle, it’s ‘spectacular’.
On our third day, we had our City
Tour. First stop was Notre Dame
- the beautiful Gothic Church with
amazing carvings and statues, and
world renowned for its Gargoyles and
Flying Buttresses. We arrived at 10
a.m., and it was Sunday, while Mass
was taking place. We were surprised
that there were so few people in
attendance. We couldn’t use our
flash, and had to be very quiet. The
Relics of the Passion of Christ had
been kept in Sainte Chapelle. These
included the fragment of the Holy
Cross and the Crown of Thorns, but
they had been melted down during the
Revolution and the remaining ones are
now kept in the treasury of the Notre
Dame Cathedral. We continued on
our bus tour and drove by many of the
main sites of Paris such as the Gare
du Nord, the entrance to the Jardin
Luxembourg, the Sorbonne, etc., that
we would visit further during our
stay. We ended at the Eiffel Tower
and proceeded to the 2nd floor where
we lined up to buy our tickets to take
the elevator to the top. We spent
quite a bit of time there, the view
was fantastic from all the angles, but
I didn’t like the feeling of the tower
‘swaying’.
After a bit of shopping in the
Tower Souvenir Shop, we flagged a
taxi and returned to Isle du Cite for
lunch at Le Soleil D’Or before going
to Sainte Chapelle. It is a gem of high
Gothic architecture. It had been the
seat of Royal Power from the 10th to
the 14th Century. The stained glass
has no words wonderful enough to
describe it. Ste. Chapelle is now used
for concerts and of course, tours. At
the end of our tour, we bought our 2
day Paris Pass (Museums). Tomorrow
we are off to the Louvre.
As mentioned, our 4th day’s first
stop is the Louvre. It had started out
as a 12th Century fortress. Once
inside, we saw the Venus de Milo, the
Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory (190
BC). Beautiful ceilings, you didn’t
know whether to look at the Art pieces
or the ceilings. It would take a solid
two months to see everything. We did
see the Trojan Horse, and pieces in the
Etruscan Gallery, as well as King Tut
and many other Egyptian pieces, such
as the Louvre dungeons, etc. The
glass Pyramid that has been added
more recently and can be viewed
from the outside and the inside, is
actually very beautiful. We bought
a lot of Souvenirs at the Louvre shop
including the whole set of CDs of
Edith Piaff. Then, into Le Carousel
du Louvre for lunch - best fast food
service and menus I have ever seen.
We settled for a Quiche. After lunch,
into one of the most organized, clean,
scented washrooms I have ever seen
in all my travels. Now, back onto the
Hop On/Hop Off Bus.
We caught the bus right at the
Louvre, and our first stop that we got
off was on the Champs Elysees. We
couldn’t resist the Monoprix, which
is considered the Dollar Store of
Paris. Did a lot of window shopping,
browsed the Café’s and chose one for
a cold drink. Back on to the Hop On/
Hop Off to our hotel area for supper
that night at another outdoor café, Le
Beaujolais. It is so nice to be able to
eat a meal, or stop for a drink at these
outdoor café’s and not be bothered by
any insects. We could even leave our
windows open all night and not worry
about moths, etc. Creepy crawlers
are not on my likeable list at home or
while travelling.
On our 5th day, we had breakfast
in the outdoor garden of our hotel.
We enjoyed our leisurely walk
through the pretty park with a small
pond beside the Eiffel Tower. We fed
the birds and the ducks, and visited
with many little dogs that were out
for their morning walks. We got to
the main road and boarded the Hop
on/Hop off for the second day, which
was headed to the Opera Garnier.
This Paris Opera had been the setting
for the famous novel of the Phantom
of the Opera. We toured it from top
to bottom and it was marvellous marble staircases with brass railings,
beautiful chandeliers, carved wooden
panelling, etc. It was built in 1875.
Afterwards we went for a snack and
refreshments at the famous ‘Café de
la Paix’ nearby. Our next stop on the
bus was Place de la Concorde. This is
where the Guillotine was set up in days
past. It now has an Egyptian Obelisk
and beautiful fountains, which was
more to my liking. You can gaze
down the Champs Elysee and see the
Arc de Triomphe at the far end. Back
on the bus and our next stop was right
at the Arc. It had been commissioned
in 1806 by Emperor Napoleon. After
viewing the Grave of the Unknown
Soldier, and other touristy attractions
in that area, we stopped for lunch on
Avenue Victor Hugo. The Hop on/
Hop off was finished so we took a
cab to the Montmartre area. We did
a lot of shopping as the souvenir
shops were one after another in this
famous section of Paris which had
been frequented by artists, including
Toulouse Lautrec. We had supper at
the Café Montmartre and then headed
on another block or so to Sacre Coeur
Basilica, but it had just closed for the
night. It’s a beautiful Byzantine style
church set up high on a hill, accessible
by stairs or a funicular/elevator. We
passed by Moulin Rouge on our way
home, and I had bought a lovely ink
sketch of it.
After breakfast on our 6th day, we
had to meet our tour bus at the Statue
of Joan of Arc at Place des Pyramid to
head out to Giverny to visit Monet’s
house and gardens. The gardens were
beautiful and while he lived, he and
his children maintained all of them by
themselves. We saw the little Japanese
bridge over the Water Lily’s from one
of his famous paintings. His house
was tiny, especially for the amount
of people that lived in it, but well
looked after as a museum, with all
Cont’d on next page
MAY 2012
The OSCAR
- OUR 40th YEAR
Page 23
Wonderful 8-Days .... Cont’d from previous page
the skinny little side streets, window
shopping and browsing. There were
other book sellers, souvenir hawkers,
and many oil and water colour
paintings for sale along our route.
We then boarded out Boat Cruise on
the Bateaux Mouches for our cruise
down the River Seine under the many
beautiful bridges with their Golden
statues. Back to our Chez Ribe for
supper, and to start packing up for
our early rising tomorrow.
Our 8th day, and we had to
be up and out for 4 a.m., for the
long trek home. It was a welcome
holiday. Unknown to Karren and I,
Anne had picked up two of the Water
Colours, one of the Eiffel Tower and
one of Notre Dame, and had them
framed as gifts for us at Christmas.
A wonderful trip, and although we
covered a lot - we barely scratched
the surface.
Marilyn Brown (nee Dancey) grew up
in Old Ottawa South and is now back
in the Ottawa South
neighbourhood
Le Moulin de Fourges - beautiful little restaurant in French countryside
his furnishings just the way they had
been. Then a tour of the little village
of Giverny, where we wondered if
the bus was going to make it through
some of the narrow little streets. You
could physically reach out and touch
the walls of houses, etc., from either
side of the bus if the windows were
open. The little Church was beautiful.
We were heading now to Moulin des
Fourges, which had been converted to
a restaurant. Beautiful setting, lovely
meal, great travel companions and
to make everything even better, the
wine flowed like water. This was all
included in the Tour, which was paid
for by my daughter as a Christmas
present for the preceding year.
Lunch over, we were back on
the bus headed to the Palace of
Versailles. It had been the Royal
Chateau of Louis the XIV, from the
1600’s. Once again, the gardens
here were beautifully laid out,,with
paths taking you to the vast areas of
sculptured evergreens, flowers, etc.
Then, we were taken inside the Royal
Apartments where we saw the Hall of
Mirrors, the Queen’s Bed Chamber,
the Royal Art collection. To feast our
eyes on such luxury! Back on the
bus for our return to Paris for supper
and bed.
On our 7th day we headed out to
the Rodin Museum after breakfast.
It had been Rodin’s mansion and
gardens. We saw ‘The Thinker’, in
the garden, the ‘Gates of Hell’, ‘The
Kiss’ and many other of his famous
pieces. It was really nice, not rushed
or crowded so we could wind down
and do it at our own speed - which
was beginning to slow down a bit.
We travelled back to Notre
Dame, where they have the
Archeological Crypts in front. It
has the ruins of the Roman town
Lutece - the Roman settlement before
Paris. A lot of old Roman ruins down
there. Then we crossed one of the
little bridges and found Shakespeare
& Company Book Store. They have
books from all ages, all topics,
but are mainly famous because of
authors like Ernest Hemmingway
and other famous writers that used
to congregate there. In fact, I
noticed that the owner, who had a
little apartment upstairs, and was
quite old, just died last summer. He
hired students from the University
to classify the books, and they
would spend all nights, reading and
classifying them. He was supposed
to have had a dog, and there was
one outside the day we went with
his food and water dishes, and he
greeted every one that came near. I
don’t know if he was the one and
the same. Then we wandered along
Oscar Wilde’s gravestone in Pere Lachaise Cemetery, PAris
Chateau Wine Tasting in PAris
Page 24
The OSCAR
- OUR 40th YEAR
MAY 2012
5 Tips For Capturing The Perfect Flower Photograph
By Richard Weintrager
it’s always best to take a moment and
look beyond the subject and at the full
composition. TIP: Bring something with you
such as a beautiful piece of fabric to
alter or contain the background.
TIME: All perennials, especially
tulips, are fleeting. It seems that
one day they are budding and then
suddenly the petals are on the ground
and the season is over.
As a flower grows and blooms it
goes through many remarkable stages. The bud of a tulip can be as sensual
as the full petals. Explore it all. One
of my favourite photographs is one I
took long after natural decay had set
in.
T
here is no better place to be in the
spring than in Old Ottawa South. To be in this community is truly
sublime; to be here as a photographer
can be divine. Having grown up in the city I
am more than familiar with its secret
passageways, the freedoms and hidden
gems found at the ground at my own
feet. After seasons of strolling the
streets of OOS, two years ago I made
the choice to move here permanently
with my family. Naturally, I brought
my camera. There are a lot of flower photos
out there – a lot. Here are five
essential tips for moving your
flower photograph from ordinary to
extraordinary.
LIGHT – Natural light illuminating
a flower can make all the difference
between a photograph that is simple
to one that is something simply
exceptional. On a typical sunny day,
midday can be the toughest time to
capture a photo. The sun can make
everything appear harsh even with the
use of filters. I find that the evening
or morning, when sun is at a greater
angle and the shadows are longer, is
the best light. Additionally, you can
get great photos on an overcast day
when the light is more diffuse and
dynamic. And if you’re going to the
Tulip Festival, you may even avoid
Cameron Succlent
some of the crowds!
TIP: One of my favourite times to
take photos is after a storm. The light
tends to be incomparable, and water
on flower petals does amazing things
in a photograph.
BACKGROUND – We’ve all done it,
set up the most amazing photograph
and then taken it; but when we’re back
home or in the studio reviewing the
image we see a person in the edge of
the frame scratching at their bum. We
were so focused on our subject that
we forgot to look at what is in the rest
of the viewfinder! Fortunately, with
Photoshop and other editing programs
we can delete these “fails”. However,
Harvard Railroad Vine
Activity: Take a picture of a
flower in your garden or on the street
every day for a week. Observe the
changes. Celebrate each difference. FEARLESSNESS: The photographs
I’m most attracted to are the ones
with compositions I might never have
thought about. Experiment with your
depth of focus and change your angle
– stand close, stand far away, shoot
up, shoot down, shoot sideways. With
digital cameras it’s so easy to delete
the photos you don’t like. Activity: Take 25 different photos
of the same flower. This will open up
your mind and your eyes to looking
beyond the flower. LOOK: Flowers have marvelous
balance
and
often
surprising
symmetry. When I find balance in a
photograph of a flower I’ve explored,
I realize right there I am getting closer
to the thing itself. Take time with
your subject. Move around the flower,
observe a single flower from different
angles and see how it’s balanced. Think botany, if you wish. Think
engineering. Look how it physically
is where it is. Activity: Take time to observe
your flower subject through your own
eyes and not just the viewfinder. Take
a series of close-up photos of each part
of the flower – the petals, the leaves,
the pistils and the stamens. See what
you discover. As a professional photographer I
can help you immortalize your garden. Contact me about my personal garden
photography packages, or view
my portfolio on my newest blog
http://welustdesign.blogspot.ca/, on
facebook (Welust Design), or contact
me directly at welustdesign@hotmail.
com or 613-842-7922. Windsor Orchid
TRINITY ANGLICAN CHURCH
Wildflower Datura at Tundra Video
COME EARLY TO THE GREAT
TRINITY BOOK SALE, Saturday, May 5
Book lovers have had to really rub elbows at past book sales at Trinity
Church in the confined space of the Chapel – but on Saturday, May 5th,
books will be spread all over Bender Hall. At Frosty’s Fair last November,
there just wasn’t room for all the books collected to be put out in the Chapel.
All these, plus the many more collected since, can be perused in comfort novels, mysteries(lots of mysteries!), classics, romances, ‘book club books’,
cookbooks, gardening and craft books, books for children, CDs, etc. The
sale starts at 9.30 a.m. and runs to 3 p.m. Trinity Church is at 1230 Bank
Street, at Cameron Avenue. Come early for the best choice!
OLD FASHIONED CHURCH
RUMMAGE SALE on Saturday, June 2.
Doing your spring cleaning? Bring any jewellery, household items in
good condition, and clean, gently used clothing, linens and toys, to Trinity
Church for the Old Fashioned Rummage sale the first weekend in June. Call
the Church Office at 613-733-7536 for best drop off times.
Submitted by Sue Cherry
The OSCAR
MAY 2012
- OUR 40th YEAR
Hello Brewer
By Tara Simpson
Ottawa Farmers’ Market, Events Coordinator
T
he Ottawa Farmers’ Market Season Opens on May 6 at Brewer Park.
On April 15, the Ottawa Farmers’ Market said goodbye to the original
Cattle Castle by hosting an early spring market at Lansdowne Park.
While Lansdowne Park is under construction, the market will be held at Brewer
Park in Old Ottawa South.
“Our April 15 market marked a turning point in the history of both the Ottawa
Farmers Market and the community, said Robin Turner, President of the Ottawa
Farmers’ Market Association. We opened our very first farmers’ market here at
Lansdowne Park in 2006 with 19 vendors. With the support of the community,
we’ve now grown to three locations across the city and over 100 vendors.”
With farmers, and vendors of locally-grown and locally-made food coming
from within 100 kilometres of Ottawa, the markets promote healthy eating and
the local farmers who feed us. The markets also support the local economy –
farmers, chefs, crafts people and entertainers – while providing the public an
opportunity to get outside, learn about local food and culture, and to buy the
freshest, local products the season has to offer directly from the people who
produce it.
Many of Ottawa’s favourite local artisans got their start at the Ottawa
Farmers’ Markets. Suzie-Q Donuts just opened their first location in Hintonburg
this year to rave reviews after selling their plum cardamom donuts, among
others, at the market. Pascales All Natural Ice Cream is sold in …..
On Sunday, May 6th the season opens at the market’s new location at Brewer
Park across from Carleton University on Sloan Avenue. As a haven for families,
pet owners and athletes with lots of green space, waterfront, biking paths, sport
fields, baseball diamonds, a splash pad and multiple play structures, Brewer
Park offers an exciting market location just 2 kilometres from Lansdowne. Just
a few weeks later, the market at Bayshore opens on May 16; and the Orleans
Market at Centrum Plaza opens May 18.
This year, the Ottawa Farmers’ Market has also hired new staff to assist with
the growing markets and to offer culinary events to showcase the season’s freshest
ingredients. The market will be hosting local chefs, artisans and organizations
influencing the local food movement, and well, dancing on our tastebuds. Local
chefs will provide recipes, cooking demonstrations and samples at the market
while local artisans will show visitors the tips and tricks of the trade.
While many are sad to see the Ottawa Farmers’ Market leave Lansdowne
Park, with the new location, favourite vendors and a few new ones, and a host
of new and engaging events, the market will be a highlight of the summer. See
you at the market.
Ottawa Farmers’ Market at Brewer Park
Sundays, from May 6, 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM
The Market at Bayshore Shopping Centre
Wednesdays, from May 16, 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Orleans Market at Centrum Plaza
Fridays, from May 18, 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
For more details, including What’s in Season and our vendor
profiles, visit the market online at www.ottawafarmersmarket.
ca and follow on Twitter @OttawaFarmMkt.
To book an OSCAR ad
call Gayle
730-1058
oscarads@oldottawasouth.ca
Page 25
Page 26
The OSCAR
MAY 2012
- OUR 40th YEAR
OSCA Windsor Park Art Show
By Brenda Lee
M
ark your calendars for Sunday, June 17
for the first annual OSCA Windsor Park
Art Show! Our first ever, this event
will be held at Windsor Park, from 10 - 4 and will
feature a community BBQ, live music and over 30
artists and their original creations.
We have our musical line up confirmed and it is an
exciting and eclectic group.
From 11- 12 Spencer Scharf will be playing -some of you may remember Spencer from the last
Fall Fest. He is a young man with an amazing voice
and stage presence that is definitely at the beginning
of a promising musical career.
Next, from 12-1 we have Social Butterfly,
an acoustic duet from Ottawa. Get a preview
of their sound at http://www.reverbnation.com/
socialbutterfly.
A very Joni Mitchell, meet
Fleetwood Mac kind of sound.
From 1-2 we have the Firehall’s own Darcy
Middaugh and Friends. Darcy is well known for the
programs he runs at the Firehall, but he has another
side. His music is always a hit with young and old
alike and we are thrilled that he has agreed to join
us.
From 2-3 we have Charles de Lint and
MaryAnn Harris. Charles and MaryAnn lived
in OOS for years and some of you know Charles
from his fantasy novels, many of which were set in
OOS. MaryAnn is a musician on her own, and has
Shop Your Local
recently collaborated with Charles on the CD, Old
Blue Truck. It has a folk /rockabilly sound that will
have the crowds on their feet! Check it out at www.
charlesdelint.com.
The BBQ will be held from 11-2, and will
feature hot dogs, sausages, and drinks for sale.
There will also be vendors at the site selling their
food options.
Registration for artists begins on April 20
and a complete list of vendors will be up on the
website (www.oldottawasouth.ca) as of May 15.
We are looking forward to being able to provide
an opportunity for the many amazing artists in our
area to showcase their work and also to give the
community a chance to see what a large variety of
art is available and to be able to see it all in one big
area. I love big art sales for just this reason, it gives
me a chance to really know what is out there and to
buy some things I would never have seen otherwise.
So come on out, enjoy some time with your
friends and neighbours, celebrate Father’s Day,
dance, eat, shop and make merry! Summer will
almost be upon us and what a great way to bring
it in! Family, friends, community….all the good
things that OOS has to offer!
See you there!
For more information
or to volunteer
please call 613 2474946
or check out the website at
By Michaela
www.oldottawasouth.ca
On Saturday , April 14th the Firehall was filled
with area artists displaying their unique creations.
Many took advantage of the opportunity to do some
early Mother’s Day /Spring shopping.
Look for the next batch of artists and their
work at our OSCA Windsor Park Art Show on June
17th at Windsor Park.
Keeping our Kids Safe Online
Tokarski
Creekside
Communications
E
very generation’s parents
try to instil “street smarts”
in their children. Today’s
parents are the first to need to extend
those “street” smarts to cyberspace.
Are you ready?
You don’t have to be a
cybernaut to keep up with the pace
of technological change, not to
mention all the things that can go
sideways online. The best thing
for parents to do is to take a deep
breath, keep their heads and tap into
the following safety tips – and their
own common sense.
Besides sore backs from
slouching and bugged-out eyes
from too much screen time, the risk
to families’ safety and health from
Internet-use fall under two main
categories: technological risks and
behavioural risks.
Technological risks result from
vulnerabilities in your computer’s
programs and hardware from
external threats like viruses and
getting hacked.
Behavioural risks result from
the decisions that we make when
we’re online, whether we’re 7, 47
or 77 years old. Ultimately, it’s up
to parents to protect households
from both kinds of threats – the
good news is this can be done fairly
easily.
Tech threats – Three tips to
stay safe
The starting place for adults
wanting to keep their kids safe
online is by protecting the
technology itself. Here are 3
essential ways to do that:
• Fight viruses! Keep your
virus
protection
and
antimalware software up-to-date.
• Stay current! Update your Internet
browsing software to help avoid
known security threats. Software
makers often provide updates to
address and repair known problems
that could compromise your
software.
• Halt! Who goes there! What’s the
password? Make sure your wireless
router and wireless network are
secured with passwords using
protocols like WEP, WPA or WPA2. If you’re really concerned about
others accessing the Internet over
your wireless network, you can
add an additional layer of security
on many routers that requires you
to personally approve a device
before it can access the Internet
through that network. Looking to
go even further? You can set the
router to hide the network’s SSID
so that when people are looking for
networks in your area, they can’t
see yours (though there are ways
around this).
Peace, Googling, and Good
Conduct – Teaching Smart Online
Skills to Young Kids
We have to think of online
space as fundamentally social
space. And just like we teach our
children to behave in certain ways
when they’re in face-to-face social
settings, we now need to adapt those
teachings when they are online.
Clearly, these teachings will
vary based on age, but here are some
good habits for parents and young
children to cultivate together:
Keep it out in the open. It might
seem obvious, but set up a computer
station in a common area like the
kitchen, family room or living room.
Explore side by side. Stay with
them when they’re surfing the web.
Keep an eye on what they’re doing!
It’s easy for children to click links
that can quickly take them places
they don’t want to go.
Set phasers to “fun”! Turn
parental controls on in your Internet
Browser (Internet Explorer, Safari,
Cont’d on next page
The OSCAR
MAY 2012
- OUR 40th YEAR
Page 27
CARLETON CORNER
C
arleton was pleased to have His
Excellency the Right Honourable
David Johnston, Governor
General of Canada, host the inaugural
Governor General’s Roundtable on
Volunteerism and Philanthropy at the
university on Monday, April 16. The
event was held by Carleton’s School
of Public Policy and Administration in
collaboration with Volunteer Canada.
The roundtable examined the impact
of professional practices in volunteer
engagement. Following the Governor
General’s address, Volunteer Canada
will introduce the 2012 edition of
their Canadian Code for Volunteer
Involvement.
Mechanical
and
aerospace
engineering students at Carleton have
built a hybrid race car that will perform
against international universities in
a competition in the United States
this spring. The Formula Hybrid
International Competition will take
place at the New Hampshire Motor
Speedway from April 30 to May 3,
2012. This is the first year that Carleton
will take part in the competition. The
car was built from the ground up by a
group of 21 students working under the
guidance of Carleton faculty members.
The Formula Hybrid project is one of
several fourth-year engineering projects
available to mechanical and aerospace
engineering students as a mandatory
full-year course. Each student is
assigned a specific component or
system while working in collaboration
with other team members.
Carleton University Ravens men’s
basketball head coach Dave Smart
has been appointed to coach Britain’s
men’s under-20 team in June and July
to prepare it for the European men’s
junior B championship in Bulgaria.
He is replacing Tim Lewis, who has
coached the team from 2006-2011,
but has moved onto the senior men’s
team to prepare for the 2012 Summer
Olympic Games in London. Smart has
coached the Ravens to eight Canadian
Interuniversity Sport titles in the past 10
years and has won four coach-of-theyear awards. He is expected to stay on
as coach of the Ravens for the 2012-‘13
season.
The Royal Canadian Geographical
Society has honoured Carleton’s
Christopher Burn for his contribution
as vice-president of the society.
He was presented with the Queen
Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal,
given to outstanding Canadians who
have contributed to Canada through
their service and achievements. Burn
was closely affiliated with the society
for 10 years and served as its vicepresident for five. He has been a part
of Carleton’s Department of Geography
and Environmental Studies since 1992.
His research centres on the impact of
climate change on permafrost terrain.
He has been studying frozen ground
for nearly 30 years and has an immense
amount of experience conducting
research in Canada’s north. For the past
three decades, Burn has been dividing
his time between central Yukon and the
western Arctic. He holds an NSERC
Northern Research Chair. He is the editor
of a new book, entitled Herschel Island
Qikiqtaryuk: A Natural and Cultural
History of Yukon’s Arctic Island, which
features a substantial representation
of authors with Northern origins. It
was released at the International Polar
Year Conference in Montreal on April
23, 2012.
By Katimavik volunteers
at the Sunnyside house in
Ottawa South
considered a Canadian rite of passage.
Meeting people of all backgrounds
from the same country gives first-hand
perspective of how vast and diverse this
country is – even the food we prepare
is quite different! However, we all have
one common ground: a drive to make a
difference.
A large aspect of Katimavik is
volunteering. Program volunteers are
challenged individually to be in new
situations and to be around new people
daily while providing a service to the
community. The theme for our program
is “Eco-citizenship and Active Living”
meaning that all of our work placements
have related values and initiatives. Our
volunteer work placements range from
the YMCA to Ottawa Riverkeeper to
Otesha. We were shocked and proud to
hear that during the first three months
of our program, 33 volunteers in this
region (including Katimavik volunteers
in Vanier and Gatineau) had already
volunteered over 15,000 hours – and we
still have 3 months to go!
Other than our regular daily
volunteering, we also give back to
the community at public events. This
month, half a dozen of us (while the
other half worked on other initiatives)
spent some time in the kitchen for one
of the last Out of the Cold Dinners at a
nearby church. The ovens were heated
and veggies battered! It was very
rewarding to see how much great food
we had made and distributed by the
evening. We also like to mingle with
the community during family events,
such as ones at the sugar shack. At these
events we greeted parents and their
children; facilitated arts and crafts, built
snow forts and lent a hand serving the
traditional syrup pancakes. We have
also participated in selling the famous
50\50 raffle tickets during Senators’
Carleton Corner is written by
Carleton University’s Department of
University Communications. As your
community university, Carleton hosts
many exciting events of interest to
Ottawa South. For more information
about upcoming events, please go to
carleton.ca/events.
Katimavik is Creating Well-Rounded Canadians
T
he reality of the Katimavik
experience, meaning “meeting
place” in Inuktitut, begins on
day one. Our Katimavik group consists
of eleven volunteers and one project
leader. All of us come from a different
place in Canada, from Sorrento, BC,
across to Cap Pele, New Brunswick.
We have Anglophone, Francophone and
Acadian roots. It is certainly a unique
experience that we believe could be
Cont’d on page 29
Keeping Our Kids Safe ... Cont’d from previous page
Google Chrome, Firefox etc.) to help
screen against inappropriate content.
If you’re not sure how to set these up,
you can search in Google for “parental
controls” and your Internet Browser’s
name for instructions.
Listen to them, and stay connected,
no matter their age. Children often want
to share stories of the games they’re
playing – and who they’re playing
them with. This is a good thing, so pay
attention. Soon enough, your child may
stop sharing their online lives with you
so freely – so work at staying close and
connected as they navigate this brave
new world of kid-oriented “multiplayer” games and social space. Listen
for any signs of bullying or coercive
conduct. And of course, listen for any
plans to “meet” in real life!
Beware “in app” purchases. Be
sure to click the setting so children
can’t purchase games online without
re-entering the password, on tablets
especially. It’s not uncommon for
children to rack up hundreds of dollars
in real charges, thinking they are
playing with game money. This of
course can be reversed and resolved by
online retailers, but save yourself the
headache!
The teenage years: When things
really get “social”
Here’s where it can get hairy for
parents, and where youth can really put
the “social” in social media. Access to
online devices of all kinds increases
exponentially as children grow into
their teenage years, and the simple truth
is you can’t always be there to protect
them.
Having said that, parents weren’t
born yesterday either, so muster your
best interpersonal skills and try out
some of the following:
• Tread lightly. Staying “close
and connected” can be challenging
sometimes, so often a gentle approach
is best. If you want to broach the subject
of young people getting into trouble
online, try being inquisitive before
being judgemental. You’ll get further
asking open-ended questions than
issuing warnings and condemnations.
• Think security. Teach your teen
about creating strong, secure passwords.
Did you know that a password such
as
“Janelovestoswim42timesaday!”
is much harder to crack than
“J1zqw%d#”? It’s also much easier for
you to remember!
• Diversify your security portfolio.
Teach your teen about using different
passwords for different things.
Changing up your passwords makes it
harder for a potential hacker or thief to
break into everything all at once.
• No phishing! Talk to your teen
about phishing scams. Phishing is a
technique used by scammers to try to
get you to send personal or financial
data. Teach them to watch for the
hooks, so they don’t fall for the bait.
• Stop, watch and listen! Remind
your teen that they can stop and think
before they perform an action online
that may be potentially harmful. If they
aren’t sure, they should ask someone. If
you’d like to be the one they ask, then
see what you can do to be available and
approachable. Again, staying close and
connected is the best bet here.
• Be a scambuster. Show your teen
how to check if something is a scam.
There are websites out there that can
help such as: fraud.org or scambusters.
org.
• One last thing, for all of us. Don’t
click “remember this password” if
you’re browsing the web on someone
else’s computer. This gives them your
password! Log out when you’re finished
using someone else’s computer.
Cultivate mindfulness – online
and off
Your children’s best tool to stay
safe online is their brain! It’s important
to help them learn to think critically,
exercise common sense, and learn about
tools and techniques that they can use
to make surfing the web safer, whatever
the device.
And parents’ best tool is staying
close and connected – even in (cyber)
space!
Page 28
The OSCAR
- OUR 40th YEAR
MAY 2012
Red Apron Cooks
M
ay is always a busy time at
the Red Apron, but this year
will be especially busy. We
kick off the month with Bon Appétit
on May 1 at the Capital Exhibition
Centre. This brand new, state-of-the-art
conference centre promises attendees
shorter lines, more seating, and more
parking. For the last 16 years, this
event has been benefiting organizations
like the Boys & Girls Club, Meals on
Wheels, Operation Come Home, and
many, many more. It’s always a fun
night and we hope to see you there.
On the 3rd of May we are
celebrating our first year in our new
location. We have been polling our
customers to find out what their all-time
favourite Red Apron meal is and on the
3rd of May we will be serving that meal
up for those customers signed up for the
Fresh Meal Service. We promise it will
be very special.
On Sunday May 6th we continue
our Gold Level Sponsorship of the
10th annual Hike for Hospice. From
9:00 am to noon, Hikers follow a 5 km
hike through the streets of Old Ottawa
South, starting and ending on the
grounds of The Hospice at May Court.
The Red Apron will be supplying lunch
to all Hikers featuring items from our
new ‘Lunch Service’. There will be
music, reptiles, face painting, and
belly dancers. To get involved, visit
hospicemaycourt.com.
In case that’s not enough, Sunday
May 13 is Mother’s Day. As mothers
ourselves, we feel that this is a
particularly important day of the year an opportunity to ‘thank Mom’ for all
she does. We have stocked our shelves
with lovely treats and treasures that will
make it easy for you to let Mom know
how much you appreciate all she does.
We have even baked a special cake!
Drop in and visit our store. We would
be happy to help you assemble a gift
box.
The really exciting news this May
is that the Ottawa Farmer’s Market
is moving to our community! On
Sunday May 6, and every Sunday until
November 18, from 8am to 3pm, you
can stock up on local produce, baked
goods, and much more. The market
will be located on Sloan Ave. just south
of Sunnyside & Bronson, parallel to
Bronson right across from Carleton
University. The Glebe’s loss will be our
gain so get out and show your support!
Local asparagus will be some
of the earliest produce we see at the
market, along with rhubarb, followed
by strawberries. Our recipes this month
will focus on these early crops.
For more information on the Red
Apron Dinner Service or Gourmet Food
Shoppe, visit www.redapron.ca or call
us at 613-695-0417.
Pasta with Peas, Asparagus and
Double Smoked Bacon
8 oz dry pasta See Note 1
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup whipping cream
1 bunch asparagus
1 cup shelled green peas (may
substitute frozen, thawed)
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or tarragon
leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
¼ pound Double Smoked Bacon –
cubed (Piggy Market’s is the best!)
salt and fresh ground black pepper to
taste
Preparation:
Bring a pot of salted water to a
boil and cook the pasta according to
directions. While the pasta is cooking
prepare the sauce as follows. I
In a large saucepan cook the bacon
on medium heat until golden. Remove
bacon and set aside. Add the garlic
and Asparagus. Cook for 1-2 minute.
Remove Asparagus and set aside. Add
the stock, cream, lemon zest and turn
heat up to high. When it begins to boil,
add the peas and continue cooking
for about 3 minutes. Turn off heat.
Drain the pasta (do not rinse), and add
back to the pot. Pour in the sauce and
mix to coat the pasta. Add the lemon
juice, basil, Parmesan, asparagus,
salt and pepper. Toss again and serve
immediately – garnish with double
smoked bacon. If your grill is on,
consider grilling the asparagus lightly
tossed in oil first. The flavour is
delicious!
Variations: You can top this lovely
pasta with grilled chicken or fish, or
serve it beside a grilled steak.
Note
1:
We
recently
introduced Morelli Organic Pastas from
Italy. We have four varieties in our retail
store: Whole Wheat Ricciolina, Tacconi
Pasta with Wheat Germ, 100% Spelt
Tagliatelle and 100% corn Linguine.
We have tested this pasta a couple
of different ways and have found the
flavour and texture to be outstanding.
It is nice to find a good quality organic
pasta made with healthy ingredients
that cooks up to a tender and flavourful
al-dente!
Maple Lemon Lavender Scones
For this recipe we are using organic
Red Fife flour, which was locally grown
and milled by CIPM. This flour was
featured recently in an Ottawa Citizen
article where we provided a recipe. If
you can’t get Red Fife, then substitute
with all-purpose whole-wheat flour.
I think that this scone would be
lovely served with fresh strawberries, or
rhubarb compote (or both), and a dollop
of whipped cream. Make a batch for
your mother this Mother’s Day!
4 cups Red Fife Flour
1.5 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
¾ pounds butter, chilled & cubed
4 eggs
¾ cups cream (35%)
½ cups maple syrup
juice from 1 lemon
zest from 1 lemon
2 teaspoons of organic lavender buds.
Whisk together all of the dry
ingredients until combined. Cut the
butter into small pieces and work into
the flour by hand until the mixture
resembles small peas. Tip: we often
do this step in a food processor on the
pulse setting but be careful not to over
mix.
Whisk the eggs with the cream and
maple syrup & lemon juice. Make a
well in the flour mixture and pour in the
liquid. Add the zest & lavender. Fold
gently until combined. Do no over-mix.
Scoop out the dough onto a baking
sheet lined with parchment paper using
a ½ cup scoop.
Bake at 325 degrees for 30 to 40
minutes or until golden brown. Test
centre for doneness using a toothpick.
All ovens cook differently so baking
time can vary significantly.
While scones are still warm, you
can drizzle with a little bit of maple
syrup or sprinkle with maple sugar.
Ottawa Tennis and Lawn Bowling Club - A hidden jewel in the heart of Old Ottawa South
R
ich in history and steeped in tradition, the
Ottawa Tennis and Lawn Bowling Club is the
oldest tennis club in Ottawa. Established in
1881, the Ottawa Lawn Tennis Club was originally
situated on Elgin Street between Lisgar and Cooper
(where Knox Presbyterian now stands). It remained at
that location until 1887 and then moved no less than
four times before landing at 176 Cameron where it has
remained since 1923. Nestled between Brewer Park,
the Rideau River and the quiet residential street of
Cameron Ave – the club is almost hidden and many
people are unaware of its presence.
With the early history and traditions of lawn
tennis – known as a past time for the rich or socially
connected – you would be forgiven for thinking of
OTLBC as a stodgy old exclusive club. But that could
not be further from the truth.
The Club has grown from its original 35 members
to nearly 700 members, forgone the white only
tennis attire and made a concerted effort to welcome
families. Over the years the Club has transformed into
a vibrant and welcoming summer “cottage in the city”
for hundreds of families from Old Ottawa South, the
Glebe and surrounding neighborhoods.
Members are able to participate in the numerous
social round robins offered daily or challenge their
tennis skills with more competitive ladder matches
and tournaments. Juniors get introduced to tennis
with “right sized equipment, soft slow-bounce balls
and modified court and nets so they learn to enjoy the
game quickly.
But it is not all about tennis – though the 18 clay
tennis courts dominate the site. There is a lovely pool
surrounded by grassed enclosure perfect for relaxing
with a book or a refreshing swim. On hot summer
days and evenings, the pool is alive with frolicking
children and families looking to cool off.
More recently the club added four beach volleyball
courts on one of the old lawn bowling greens, which
had not been in use for several years following a
steady decline in lawn bowling membership. The
benefit of this partnership is that most evenings the
volleyball courts are available to the Ottawa
Sports and Social Club for their summer
volleyball leagues. This means that Ottawa
residents from across the city get to sample
the club’s wonderful atmosphere and OTLBC
members can enjoy beach volleyball when not
in use by OSSC .
Social life at the club has always been
a major feature and benefit of membership.
And why not, there is nothing better than
sharing a beverage or snack with friends after
a match. The Club’s café and bar – known
as the Cameron Avenue Café – is situated
on the upper deck of the historic clubhouse
overlooking the courts and it has become
Cont’d on page 33
The OSCAR
MAY 2012
Page 29
- OUR 40th YEAR
More Music at Southminster United Church
By Margaret Macpherson
S
aturday March 3 was the occasion
or yet another fabulous concert at
Southminster. This lovely venue was
the perfect setting for an evening dedicated
to Baroque music, specifically to the works
of J. S. Bach. The two soloists were Roland
Graham, piano, and Octavie DostalerLalonde, cello.
First, Roland Graham played the lovely
Prelude and Fugue in E-flat minor, with its
hauntingly slow and beautiful prelude. This
work, familiar to lovers of the 48 prelude and
fugues of Bach, was immediately appreciated
by the substantial audience present for the
concert. The prelude has that universal
appeal, its minor key and slow beautiful
theme evoking perhaps loneliness, grandeur
and resignation all in the same breath. Roland
followed with the English suite no. 5 for
keyboard solo, which shows a variety of
virtuosic and lyrical Baroque dances. His
fellow young artist for the evening, Octavie
Dostaler- Lalonde then presented the suite for
solo cello no. 2 in D minor, a work similar
to the keyboard suite, having the same dance
movements, but for the string instrument.
Her playing mesmerized the audience with
its combination of her artistry and the beauty
of the solo instrument, the cello, with its dark
tenor range and singing voice. The program
concluded with the two artists playing the
sonata for cello and piano No. 1 in G major.
This work was originally for two flutes, viola
da gamba and harpsichord continuo, and its
presentation by the two young players formed
a fitting conclusion to the evening of music
by the great master, Bach.
The concert was well attended by 150
people.
Proceeds were contributed to
Southminster’s outreach programs which
include 4 AA groups, a mood disorders and
parents’ lifeline support groups, as well as
our well known Saturday Out-of-the-Cold
Suppers, offered in collaboration with other
area churches.
Our neighbourhood in Old Ottawa South
is very fortunate to have these opportunities
to hear live music, especially by such
wonderful young Canadian players. Both
award winning musicians have trained in the
Ottawa/Montreal region, and are contributing
actively to the Canadian music scene, Octavie
as a performer, and Roland as a performer
and composer, in multiple genres, classical,
choral music and jazz. Thousands of hours
of dedicated work go into these performances
which keep the traditions of live music,
real music for real audiences, alive. Our
community should be grateful and we should
also support the upcoming concerts – such
as the Chopin Piano Concertos event June 2.
Margaret Macpherson is a musician & piano
teacher, resident of Old Ottawa South and
member of Southminster United Church.
Roland Graham
Roland Graham came to Southminster as
music director in late 2009 from Montreal where he
continues as artistic director of the Verdun Music
Society (VCMS). He is a skilled organist, pianist,
composer, teacher and choir director with a Masters
in Music from the Université de Montreal and an
undergraduate degree in music from the University of
Ottawa. His connections in the music worlds of both
Ottawa and Montreal have inspired the collaboration
for the concerts in March.
J.S. Bach performed by Roland Graham &
Octavie Dostaler- Lalonde at Southminster
United Church. Photo by David Wong
Katimavik .... Cont’d from page 27
games. The organizations and charities that
facilitate the raffle always need some more
enthusiastic people to sell tickets and cheer on
the home team, which we did as a whole team:
GO SEN’S GO!
In addition to the volunteering opportunities
we do, we make sure a portion of our time is also
used to discover cultural venues like museums,
sustainability-related workshops or neat social
justice talks. Finally, we push to make room in
our busy schedules for working out, whether
it is at the YMCA, or just replacing regular
transportation by running or biking. The change
it brings to our lives is exciting, and each day
has its share of surprises!
Another aspect of Katimavik we especially
enjoy is billeting. It is a 10 day experience,
where we live one-on-one with a family in the
community.
“My billeting experience was awesome,”
says Celine, a volunteer from Cap Pele, New
Brunswick, “I lived on McLeod Street with
a family of 4. I had the opportunity to share
daily activities with a big-city-family. My billet
family was really involved with the YMCA, so
not only was I there during the day for work but
also during the evenings with my billet family.
Through this experience, I had an insight on
how it would be if I had two kids of my own.
During my billeting period I would put the kids
to bed, play sports and even bake cookies with
them! It was a very refreshing time.”
We have one more billeting period left in
our program. In May we will each be placed
at an environmentally friendly organic plant or
produce farm in the region. During this time,
we will not be attending our regular work
placements, as we will be fully immersed in
learning about sustainable food production.
Katimavik is an incredible opportunity for
youth to get work experience, life experience,
build their résumés and gain insight into what
fields they are interested in. It is a good way to
discover Canada and build lasting relationships.
Volunteers come away with work and life skills
that they can use for the rest of their lives.
If you know someone between the ages of
17 and 21, whether they are interested in taking
a gap year or in need of a structured adventure,
tell them to visit www.katimavik.org and GET
A LIFE!
Chopin Piano Concertos June 2 2012
7:30pm Southminster United Church
Attend the two piano concertos by Frédéric
Chopin peformed by Mikolaj Warszynski & Zuzana
Simurdova from Montreal with String Quartet. This
concert will feature a Weber grand piano, fabricated
in 1875, courtesy of Alan Whatmough from Pianocraft.
For more information contact 613-730-6874.
Page 30
The OSCAR
- OUR 40th YEAR
MAY 2012
M.P.P. OTTAWA CENTRE
2012 Ontario Budget: Strong Action for Ontario
By Yasir Naqvi,
MPP Ottawa Centre
B
uilding a stronger Ontario
requires strong action and the
right choices.
The 2012 Ontario Budget lays out
the government’s five-year plan to keep
Ontario on track to balance the budget
by 2017-18, while protecting education
and health care in Ottawa.
The single most important step
we can take to grow our economy is to
balance the budget. A balanced budget
will make the economy stronger and
better able to create jobs, while keeping
education and health care strong.
We will keep full day kindergarten
for our early learners and protect small
class sizes. By making these choices,
we will protect 20,000 education jobs.
We remain committed to the 30% Off
Ontario Tuition grant for eligible fulltime undergraduate university and
college students, and we will continue
to move forward with building new
libraries at Carleton University and
the University of Ottawa. A strong
education system will keep Ontario
competitive in a demanding global
economy.
We will keep wait times short for
key surgeries and reform our health
care system to provide the right care,
at the right time and in the right place.
The government remains committed to
health care in Ottawa and will move
forward with the planned redevelopment
of the Ottawa Heart Institute, expanding
Queensway Carleton Hospital and the
Hawksbury Hospital and building the
Orleans Health Hub. A strong health
care system will ensure our workforce
in Ontario is healthy and productive.
To help create jobs and spur
economic growth in Ottawa, the
government is moving forward with
planned infrastructure projects including
fixing “the Split” on the Queensway and
completing the Hunt Club interchange.
Our $600 million commitment to Ottawa
light rail transit is firm. Additionally, the
Eastern Ontario Development Fund will
continue to provide essential support to
entrepreneurs in our region, spurring
economic development.
The status quo is not an option.
We all have a role to play to meet our
goals. Our government is making the
right choices that speak to the needs of
all Ontario families. These choices will
achieve the highest value for their hardearned tax dollars.
To meet the goal of a balanced
budget, our plan includes maintaining
a low rate of growth in spending.
The government will achieve this by
transforming the way it delivers the
vital public services that Ontarians
have come to rely on by making
service delivery more efficient and cost
effective.
The plan includes $17.7 billion in
savings and actions to contain costs over
three years while increasing revenues
by $4.4 billion without raising taxes.
That means the accumulated deficit will
be $22.1 billion lower in 2014-15 than
if no action were taken.
Our
government’s
five-year
plan will keep Ontario on track. The
McGuinty government has beaten its
deficit forecasts for a third year in a row
and will continue its strong record of
beating fiscal targets.
The choices we are making are the
right choices for today’s challenges.
They are fair, balanced and reasonable.
Success will take time and an
unwavering commitment – but we will
get there, together.
For more information about
the 2012 Ontario Budget, please
visit
www.ontario.ca/budget
or
www.yasirnaqvimpp.ca, or call my
Community Office at 613-722-6414.
Yasir Naqvi, MPP
Ottawa Centre
THE WINDSOR CHRONICLE PART 33
Construction
For nearly eight years, from
February 2000 to August 2008, OSCAR
carried a monthly column, The Windsor
Chronicles, written by Zoscha the
Wonder Dog. Zoscha became something
of a celebrity in our neighbourhood, and
her observations on the passing scene,
from a canine perspective, attracted her
share of loyal readers as well as critics.
OSCAR is reprinting some of
Zoscha’s musings from eight years ago.
The editors have annotated where we
feel that today’s readers may need to
be informed of references that may no
longer be remembered by readers today,
or where recent scholarship has shed
further light on the world described in
the Windsor Chronicles..
April 2003
Dear Boomer,
T
he weather gets warmer. The Pup
has his bicycle out -- still with
the training wheels on. Maybe
this summer your pup will get a bicycle
as well, so you’ll learn there are certain
advantages, and one disadvantage.
One advantage is that we spend
more time in Windsor Park. The
Pup wants to practice riding his bike
several times a day. This means taking
a few runs along the pathways before
gravitating toward the swings and the
play structures. Taken all together, it
adds up to more quantity of Windsor
Park moments.
And it improves the quality of
Windsor Park moments as well. When
the Pup’s cycling around the river path,
Alpha leaves me to sniff around at my
leisure. When we get to the swings,
there’s lots of opportunities for ball
tossing -- and lots of other humanoids
who, I know, want nothing more than to
throw a ball for an eager doggie.
So lots of advantages. But the
disadvantage is a certain shortness of
temper in Alpha when he tries to herd
the Pup, his bicycle, and me across
Riverdale Avenue to get to the park.
It’s bad enough most years. This
year, Alpha is testier than usual – and
the traffic is enough to give even a
dog of fortitude and ambition pause to
reconsider whether it’s worth trying to
cross Riverdale Avenue.
What’s gotten into this crazy world?
The stream of traffic is unrelenting. The
humanoids seem very grumpy indeed.
The only things that cheers them up is
to see one of those cars with the flashing
lights chase another car down the street.
(1)
Our friend Jacob the German
Shepherd tells me that he and his FemAlpha were almost hit the other day
while they crossed the street. It didn’t
seem to matter that they were at the
cross walk and there was a stop sign.
A car ploughed through nonetheless,
passing the car that had stopped for
the pedestrians, and nearly clipped the
pedestrians as it rushed by. I’m hearing
more of these stories in the afternoon
romps in the Park.
Bank
Street
has
become
transformed in recent weeks as well.
Lots of new smells. Lots of big holes
where the humanoids try to bury these
huge blue bones. You gotta hand it to
humanoids: when they decide to bury a
bone, they don’t go for half measures.
(2)
I’m able to keep a close eye on the
developments on Bank Street because
Alpha brings me along when he meets
with the neighbours to complain about
what is happening on Riverdale. These
meetings take place nearly every day,
which is a good thing for a dog who
wants to go out into the world and be
seen.
Alpha and the neighbours meet at
different coffee shops. I’m becoming
quite a connoisseur of which ones I like
best. Some let you sit and wait at the
front door. Others don’t. Some give
you overhead protection against April
showers; at others, you sit and look
miserable as your fur grows more wet.
At some, you end up tied to trees and
can sniff the tidings of doggies who
have been there before you; at others,
you’re tied to a parking meter with no
scent but the dust of street construction.
(3)
So when I hear Alpha talking
with the neighbours about how they
want these streets to look when the
construction is all finished, I’m all for it.
I think we should submit our wish list
as well. A fire hydrant on every corner.
More trees so that the concrete will be
cooler in the summer, and there’ll be
enough squirrels to keep us entertained.
Grassy strips between the sidewalks
and the curbs, so that when we piddle,
it soaks into the earth and doesn’t run
across the sidewalk. And how about
doggie-treat dispensers at every crosswalk?(4)
“Take back control of our
neighbourhood streets,” I keep hearing
Alpha say. I couldn’t agree more. Let
the motto be: “This neighbourhood is
going to the dogs!”
Watching the cars and the world
go by,
Zoscha
(1) Calista McCaffrey, “A Dog’s
Eye View; Zoscha and the world of Old
Ottawa South,” Carleton University
Review, Summer, 2009, notes that
Ottawa traffic police sometimes wait at
the corner of Riverdale and Cameron to
catch motorists who run the stop signs.
(2) In her unpublished Master’s
thesis, A Dog’s Eye View, Zoscha and
Windsor, (Carleton University, 2010),
Monica Tardif reveals that Bank Street
was under construction during spring
and summer of 2003. She concludes
that the “huge blue bones” were, in fact,
water mains.
(3) Tardif, op. cit., lists the possible
Bank Street coffee shops referred
to at that time as the Second Cup at
Sunnyside, Starbucks at Hopewell,
and Tim Horton’s near Riverdale. At
the time of her thesis she observed that
dogs continued to wait patiently outside
Starbucks.
(4) Zoscha wrote this article before
doggie boutique stores such as “Wag”
and “Global Pet Foods” opened on
Bank Street. No doubt she would have
approved.
The OSCAR
MAY 2012
- OUR 40th YEAR
Page 31
Local Veterinarian - Dr. Emily Black
“Jimmy’s Down The Well?” And Other Famous Conversations With Pets
S
ome of the best conversations
I have on a daily basis are with
animals, my own and those of
others. Now these aren’t simply me
talking to the animals, these are fullfledged conversations where I provide
both sides of the dialogue. I’ve done
this for as long as I can remember.
Sometimes, at work, when I’m
conducting an exam, I choose to keep
the conversation exclusively in my
head as I feel the owner (never the pet
of course) will be unreceptive. More
times than not however, the entire
dialogue comes right on out. It’s good
for a laugh and generally pets are quite
funny even if they do use a lot of cuss
words!
My favourite talking to pets story
revolves around two important ladies
in my life; my old dog Boo and my
best friend (also a vet) Liz. One day,
Liz came over to run errands and she
walked into the front door. As usual
Boo came to meet her and she said “Hi
Boo, How are you today” Boo didn’t
answer. Liz was visibly shocked!
Normally, I provide a running dialogue
of response, translating obviously the
subconscious messages from the dog! I
hadn’t and both parties were obviously
affected.
Before you all ask, all the animals
have different voices. Bulldogs (I grew
up with those) have their own voice,
Boo had hers (she was exceptionally
clever but had the mouth of a sailor)
and our new dog Sid, a beautiful Red
Heeler, has a totally different voice (all
I’m going to say is it’s a good thing he’s
pretty!). Two of my cats have their own
voices, the third is so chatty she doesn’t
need me to speak for her.
So, for this month’s article I decided
to do a little perusal of the scientific
research, stuff they didn’t teach us in
vet school.
Apparently when we talk to animals
we talk very similarly to the way we
talk to babies. The psychological
explanation being for both we choose
the best modality for talking to” limited
and inattentive addressees”. This hardly
seems fair to the pets! We use a high
pitched voice, repetitive grammatically
acceptable words and present-tense
verbs. When talking to animals, our
sentences tend to be shorter, with more
orders but less questions.
I must admit bears very little
By Susan B.
similarity to the way I talk to pets !
Interestingly a study out of Hungary
found that owners felt their dogs obeyed
them and therefore demonstrated
understanding under all circumstances
31% of the time. This number leaps to
an astonishing 53% when the context is
right. My pretty dog knows something
is happening, he’s ready! He just doesn’t
know what it is!
As for cats, the famous saying still
holds – a dog will come when called, a
cat will take a message and get back to
you!
Now here is an interesting
offshoot to the conversation with pets’
understanding of language. Dog owners
report higher satisfaction with their
emotional, social and physical states,
while cats have been proven to alleviate
negative moods but are unlikely to
promote positive moods. I’d say this
is pretty good. I think it’s because you
can talk it out with them, and they listen
really well and always have really sage
things to contribute to the conversation!
It’s like having your very own therapist,
right there sitting on your chest!
Recent studies reported in the
journal Science revolve around a
Dr. Emily Black owns Centretown
Veterinary Hospital and is herself
owned by three cats and a dog.
Scoliosis Awareness
L
ast summer, two Ottawa-area teenagers
volunteered to lead the Curvy Girls Scoliosis
Support Group of Ottawa, a new chapter of
Curvy Girls, an organisation founded in the United
States in 2006. Curvy Girls Scoliosis Support Group
of Ottawa has been working to promote awareness
of scoliosis in Ottawa as well as to provide a forum
for those affected by this spinal condition. Group
members participated in an information night at
CHEO this past February, and they are currently
planning a Scoliosis Awareness Walk for June 2
(see links below). Given that many parents are
not familiar with scoliosis, much less aware of its
potential severity, there is certainly a need for such
public education.
When my daughter was diagnosed with
Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis three years ago, I
knew something about the condition; however, I
knew very little about treatment options. I soon came
to realise how fortunate we were to have a family
doctor who checks for scoliosis during his younger
patients’ routine annual physical examinations—not
all doctors do. The early diagnosis meant that we
could pursue a conservative management plan of
bracing and scoliosis-specific physiotherapy.
Scoliosis is generally defined as a lateral
curvature or deviation of the spine that measures more
than 10 degrees. When moderate or severe, scoliosis
may be associated with chronic back pain, reduced
lung capacity, compromised internal-organ function,
and significant physical deformity. Its most common
form is Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS), the
term “idiopathic” indicating that the etiology (its
cause / origin) is unknown. While this condition—
which is found in 2-4% of the population—affects
both girls and boys, severe cases of progressive
scoliosis are seen much more often in girls. AIS can
develop quickly at the onset of puberty, so regular
monitoring is necessary to track the changes in the
affected spine. Typically, if the curve progresses
behaviour common in three year old
children termed “Fast-mapping” which
allows a child to form quick and rough
hypotheses about the meaning of a new
word the first time they hear or see
it. This article showed that a border
collie named Rico was able to perform
above the level of a three year old in
similar tasks having not only mastered
understanding of 200 distinct words but
also being able to embrace concepts such
as “When I’m asked to get something
I’ve never heard of, it must be the thing
I’ve never seen” reliably 70% of the
time. A statistic many spouses would
be jealous of! As for cat’s we are still
waiting for a reply.
So here’s the thing, if you enjoy
talking to your pet, do it, it’s good
for you and I can guarantee your pets
enjoy it, but do them a favor, try longer
sentences with less orders! They are
capable of so much more than we give
them credit for!
beyond 25 degrees, bracing is recommended until
the individual reaches skeletal maturity. (Patients
are encouraged to remain physically active, but they
may be expected to wear the brace for 16-20 hours
per day.) Surgery becomes the main treatment option
when curves exceed 50 degrees.
Early diagnosis, then, is crucial to treatments
designed to slow or stop the progression of the curve.
In my daughter’s case, a brace was prescribed when
her curve progressed from 21 degrees to 36 degrees
in a six-month period. (We followed the protocol
of a hospital visit every six months; had we known
how aggressive the curve would be, we could have
started bracing earlier.) Because there is no required
screening in schools or doctors’ offices, many
curves go undetected until they are greater than 40
degrees—and therefore approaching the threshold
for spinal-fusion surgery. Parents and guardians can
check for signs of scoliosis themselves using the
Adam’s Forward Bend Test. In this test, the examiner
stands behind the child and looks for asymmetries
in the back when the child bends forward. One
common sign is the presence of a “rib hump” (how
my daughter despises that term!) Such a test is not a
substitute for a medical examination, of course, but
it can signal the need for a professional assessment.
Deciding on a treatment plan can be a difficult
and sometimes confusing process for patients and
their parents or guardians. Several types of braces
have been developed for the treatment of scoliosis.
A simple online search will find references to the
Boston, Charleston, Spine-Cor, and Rigo-SystemChêneau braces—to name just four. The existence
of these different designs does not mean, however,
that all options are available at any one health-care
facility. Scoliosis-specific physiotherapy (e.g. the
Schroth Method) is not available in all communities.
Moreover, the challenges are not limited to the
physical treatment: think of the adolescent girl who
is told that she has to wear a brace 16-20 hours per
day.
One of the goals of The Curvy Girls Scoliosis
Support Group of Ottawa is to provide individuals
and families the opportunity to share information and
to address the myriad issues associated with scoliosis,
whether physical, emotional, or just practical—
clothing, for instance, becomes a major concern for
brace-wearers already concerned with body image.
For more information on the group and the upcoming
Scoliosis Awareness Walk, go to the website <http://
www.curvygirlsscoliosis.com>, the Facebook page,
or e-mail curvygirlsottawa@gmail.com.
Page 32
By Tammy Giuliani
Owner of Stella Luna Gelato Café
1103 Bank Street
slgelato.com
I
’ve been struggling for weeks,
trying to come up with a unique
idea for an article for this edition of
the OSCAR. I kept waiting for that one
exceptional experience that would ignite
the fire within and inspire me. What I
discovered instead was the extraordinary
in a thousand ordinary moments.
Over the past few months, we’ve
had the exceptional good fortune to be
the object of some favourable media
reviews - Regional Contact, CTV Live at
Noon with Leanne Cusack, and Ottawa
Magazine to name a few. Ottawans have
welcomed Stella Luna into their busy
lives. In the April edition of Ottawa
Magazine, Shawna Wagman referred to
places such as ours as the “third space”
– a term coined by American sociologist,
Ray Oldenburg. The “third space” refers
to an informal gathering space that
anchors community life and is separate
from the two usual social environments
– work and home. Before reading
Wagman’s article, I had never heard the
term. We unknowingly had created the
popular “third space” by just relying
on some good old- fashioned common
sense.
In an era of big box stores and frenetic
lifestyles, it’s no surprise that people
crave a space in which to slow down and
bask in the warmth of human interaction.
That’s exactly what Alessandro and I
were looking for pre-Stella Luna. We
The OSCAR
- OUR 40th YEAR
MAY 2012
A Thousand Ordinary Moments
followed a recipe that is more about
common sense than it is about a trendy
catch phrase - people want a place where
they can briefly slip away from reality.
It shouldn’t be too far or too expensive;
you should be able to get a treat and feel
like you’ve gotten good value for your
money; you should feel as comfortable
with your kids as you are without them;
and you should always be welcomed by
a warm smile from happy people who
are genuinely glad to see you. After all is said and done, the
ordinary moments in our day are the
most extraordinary. There is no “aahaa”
moment … simply an abundance of small
and gratifying experiences. Standing
beside a raging torrent of water as it
cascades down a mountainside might
take your breath away. Yet, lying beside
a meandering creek, listening to water
trickle over rocks weathered by time, is
just as marvelous, if not better.
Our extraordinary moments come
from patrons telling us that visiting Stella
Luna is like a stroll down memory lane,
reminding them of a recent trip to Italy.
Or from the two-year-old who trailed
behind the staff last week, following
them into the kitchen, stopping to marvel
over fresh, brightly coloured lemons
and oranges, her grin illuminating the
shop and mesmerizing the staff. On
another occasion, our Barista Vanessa
paused to strike up a conversation with
a woman who’d stopped for a bite to
eat. Before the women left, she took
Vanessa aside to explain what a difficult
day she’d had, and how that brief time
she’d spent chatting had made her feel
so much better. There’s the “Gelato
Virgins”… and the thrill of watching
their expressions when they take their
first lick of a decadent, creamy chocolate
or a nutty, sensuous pistachio! There are
moments when parents bring little ones
in for their very first ice-cream (ahem …
they mean gelato, but I’ll let it slip!) …
cameras aimed to capture the impact of
that first taste … chocolate moustaches
and ear-to-ear grins now frozen in time.
One of my favourite stories comes
from my daughter’s vocal coach who
recounted how a friend of hers had met
up with someone on an online dating
site. Before making plans, they did some
leg work and looked up Urban Spoon’s
“Most Romantic Restaurants”. She was
excited to report that they’d chosen a
quaint space called Stella Luna for their
very first rendezvous.
In February, we had a serendipitous
moment. Leanne Cusack, who was soon
to host a live broadcast from Stella
Luna, called to announce that she’d just
been to a dinner party with an adorable
couple who’d been married for more
than 60 years. She was so inspired that
she invited them to appear alongside us
on the Valentine’s Day Special … gelato,
passion, romance … it was going to be
decadent! Valentine’s Day rolled around
and in strolled the long-enamoured
couple – who I instantly recognized as
Mr. and Mrs. Henrick from Chelsea. The
Henricks have a beautiful farm in Old
Chelsea - rolling hills and a centuryold stone farmhouse – the kind of space
you dream about when you contemplate
running away from the city. The Henricks
were no strangers to our family, as we
had spent almost a decade raising our
children in Chelsea. Our kids had grown
up running through their back fields and
climbing on their hay bales. We’d “trick
or treated” at their home at Halloween
and were always invited into the kitchen
where a stash of candied treasure lay on
their big, wooden table. Years later, time
found us sitting around a different table
– this time at Stella Luna sharing a tea
and talking about love, friendship, and
the secret to a successful marriage.
Since opening Stella Luna almost
nine months ago we’ve experienced,
time and time over, links to our past.
Like the day last summer when I found
myself staring across the gelato display
into the familiar eyes of Mr. Art Brimley
– who outfitted me in my very first pair
of shoes circa 1967 – they were fiery red
patent Mary Jane’s. Mr. Brimley owned
Sagar’s Shoe Store (now Starbucks).
Who would have thought that, more than
45 years later, I’d be setting up shop
across the street!
Last month an old friend strolled in
out of the blue. She and I had worked
together briefly back in 1985, before I
had moved to Italy. At the time, she was
a starving university student and I had
just returned from my first trip to Italy,
head over heels in love. The only thing
standing between me and the love of my
life was a $3,000 bank loan! My heart
was exploding with the passion of one
newly in love and I was desperate to find
a way to pay off that loan and get back
on a plane! So I boldly marched into the
busiest and most popular restaurant of its
time in the Byward Market and “fibbed”
my way into a waitressing job. Cheryl
was assigned to train me but, before
starting my first shift, I pulled her aside
and confessed that I had never lifted a
tray in my life. I told her that I was madly
in love with an Italian guy I had just met
mere weeks ago and absolutely HAD to
get back to Italy as quickly as possible.
Cheryl did a good job and, three months
later, I was on a plane destined for Rome.
Before she walked into Stella Luna last
month, I hadn’t seen her since my last
shift back in 1985.
In early February, we had the
pleasure of hosting a book-signing event
with Luca Spaghetti – who some of us
know from Liz Gilbert’s international
best seller Eat, Pray, Love. That
evening, we discovered that Luca grew
up about 3 kilometres from Alessandro’s
childhood home and that Luca’s uncle
owns a restaurant not far from where the
Giuliani pub was located. In fact, when
in Rome for our wedding, my family had
dinner at Luca’s uncle’s restaurant! And,
as if that wasn’t coincidence enough,
Jim Sherman (owner of Perfect Books
on Elgin Street) who was on hand for
the book-signing event, took one look at
Alessandro and realized that they knew
each other from way back when we first
returned to Ottawa from Rome. My
brother-in-law had invited Alessandro
to join the Jovial Fishing Club where
Jim had been a member for years. He
remembered meeting Alessandro, green
and fresh off the plane, way up in the
back country, as they hauled lumber
across the lake to rebuild a centuryold cabin. Alessandro had been asked
to manoeuver a wheelbarrow filled
with heavy, wet sand down the dock ...
he made it about 3 feet, when he lost
control, sending the load tumbling into
the lake. To the jeers and teasing of the
men around, Alessandro calmly replied
in his thick-as-molasses Italian accent,
“In Italy I am used to working with my
brain, not with my hands”.
Back on a cold January morning,
the phone rang at the shop. On the other
end of the receiver I heard “it’s TSN’s
Off the Record calling from Toronto …
do you do grilled cheese?” Not sure what
Off the Record was, but intrigued, I told
them I could do anything their hearts
desired. So TSN sent a guy in a taxi,
racing down the canal from the Chateau
Laurier all the way to Stella Luna’s
to pick up five custom-made, grilled
cheese sandwiches. Without a florescent
orange, processed cheese slice in sight,
we designed a gourmet panini worthy of
the NHL – Provolone, Friulano, thinly
sliced Parmigiano, with a dab of grated
Pecorino Romano, grilled to perfection.
Later that day, an email arrived with a
link to Michael Landsberg’s Off the
Record on TSN, featuring an interview
with the Philadelphia Flyers’ Claude
Giroux. Towards the end of the interview,
Landsberg whipped out a silver-covered
platter and presented Giroux with a gift
… our custom-designed Stella Luna
grilled cheese! The interview wrapped
up with Giroux chowing down on our
panini, mumbling through a mouthful of
food “mmmm, it’s pretty good”. Stella
Luna shoots … and scores with this one!
Stella Luna has become for us
a place to forge new friendships and
reconnect with old acquaintances. Every
day, we are presented with opportunities
that allow us to make a difference in the
lives of others. While I was waiting for
the “aahaa moment” for this article, I
realized instead that it is the thousand
ordinary moments that make life
extraordinary.
The OSCAR
MAY 2012
- OUR 40th YEAR
Page 33
OCDSB TRUSTEE REPORT
Some Good News Stories
By Rob Campbell
M
y columns are not exactly
cotton-ball sales pieces
as my readers will know.
I mean to set out as best I can in this
small space some of the more important
issues for your knowledge and possible
engagement. However it is important,
occasionally, to provide some balance
and to report on some of the truly big
successes we are having as well. This
column then is unabashedly about a
variety of District good news stories.
More classically ‘interesting’ items
we continue to struggle with will be
reported on in subsequent columns.
First, we are now, likely will be for
some time, and have now been for about
two years, a slow ‘growth’ District in
Ontario. Board watchers will recall some
tumultuous years of student population
contraction which put extra pressure
on budgets and raised questions about
school accommodations. We have not
moved to close any downtown schools
now for some years. Our over all
funding slowly goes up with our slowly
increasing student numbers. Right now
indeed, we are only one of six school
boards in Ontario, out of 72, which are
growing. While we continue to have
very real budget challenges, we have
also consciously taken greater control
of our budgets, and have balanced the
budget the last couple of years with a
small surplus.
Though I really do resist the EQAO
score ranking madness as artificial and
partial - it really is not whole child
thinking, many do look to them as a
guide in terms of how school districts
are doing. Our board, the last three
years, has been amongst the fastest
improving boards anywhere in Ontario,
if not the fastest improving. We are
now consistently above provincial
averages in most dimensions and
continuing to improve. A lot of
this can be credited to a continued
focus on professional development
opportunities, our continued funding
of a large team of instructional coaches
to support teachers and principals, a
focus on sustained supports to teachers
and students in other ways in spite of
budget pressures, and an invitation to
and willingness of all of our school
staff to develop as creative and collegial
learning communities.
When it comes to EQAO equity
gaps, re gender, immigrant language
barriers, special education students, we
certainly have a ways to go: we have
become provincial leaders in these
areas as well, with some of the smallest
equity gaps anywhere in Ontario and it
remains a focus as part of the Board’s
shiny new multi-year strategic plan it
recently committed to.
It is very hard for a large ship
(about 70K students) to rise above a
provincial average or to see significant
sustained improvements. All of these
continued various EQAO successes
have been noticed and Board staff
have played host to visiting European
educators and been asked to present
at Ministry-organized conferences in
Ontario and also in Europe. We have
been attracting a lot of interest this way
and are becoming known as a leading
edge Board in Ontario others want
increasingly to come work for as well.
Our students have been shortchanged for years as well when it comes
to student transportation provision. The
Board has recently charted a reliable
path forward which should lead us
to sustained funding increases in this
area and hopefully allow us, perhaps
as soon as two years from now, to start
to offer transportation to high school
students far from their schools inside
the Greenbelt as well, which we simply
have not been able to afford for many
years. This is very exciting.
At a governance level, the Board has
Found in Canal
By Paige Raymond Kovach
E
ver wondered what happened to the
stuff in the Canal that shouldn’t be
there? OSCAR asked the folks at Parks
Canada.
What interesting things does your staff
find in the canal to get it ready for navigation?
Bikes? Shopping carts? Bottles? Garbage?
Every year we find much the same type
of rubbish in the Rideau Canal: Beer bottles,
bikes, shopping carts, garbage and garbage
bags full of garbage, television sets, lazy boy
recliners, couches, engine blocks, Christmas
trees, brooms, shovels, old tires, batteries, road
construction signs, old clothing, etc.
What is the strangest thing you ever found?
Staff once found a fishing boat sunk at
the bottom of Manotick Dam. So far this year
an 18 foot camping trailer has been the most
unique item found in the canal and it will be
challenging to remove.
What do you do with the stuff you find?
When are you planning to do the clean-up
work?
Clean up has already begun. In Ottawa,
as part of Parks Canada’s agreement with the
NCC over use of the canal for the Skateway,
the NCC is responsible for the clean up of the
canal between Ottawa and Hartwell Locks,
but Parks Canada retains responsibility for
clean-up of the lock stations in this area. As
you can imagine the debris removed from the
canal is not in a usable state and Parks Canada
will recycle and dispose of hazardous items
following proper waste handling and disposal
procedures.
When do you add water and when does the
canal open for navigation?
Parks Canada will begin to slowly raise
water levels on the Rideau Canal about the third
week of April, and navigation depths should
be achieved along the full 202km length of
the canal in early May. The Rideau Canal will
open for navigation Friday May 18th. (Victoria
Day weekend). Seasonal lockage and mooring
permits can now be purchased online and are
available at www.parkscanada.ca/ekiosk.
also been investing a lot in facilitators
and in many many discussions around
improved decision-making flows and
Board culture. We have a new Director
of Education we have a lot of faith in
also. An ad hoc Trustee-led Committee
recently reported (see last column)
on further improvements which
might be made to special education
provision. We have new focuses on
English language learners, the arts, and
aboriginal supports. And, with the fruits
of a (controversial) student census, and
now staff census, starting to roll in the
next couple of years, we will be in an
even better position to target needs and
opportunities.
In short, around the Board table,
though very real and very serious
challenges remain and will continue
to pop up, and sometimes passionate
debate will continue to occur around
the issues, it really does seem to me that
a general sense has developed that we
really are for now a Board on the move.
If you have a suggestion or a
concern, or would like to be added to
my e-newsletter list, then please contact
me via rob@ocdsbzone9.ca or at 3237803. Meeting and document info
available at www.ocdsb.ca
OTLBC ... cont’d from page 28
aimportant fixture in the community. Always open to the public
– many families regularly pay a visit for the popular Friday
barbeques and weekend breakfasts and others come for the
weekly Wednesday pub night where the atmosphere is always
lively and energetic. Many of our tennis and volleyball players
replenish their fluids with a pint or enjoy a healthy pub fare while
enjoying the cool summer breezes.
The OTLBC also offers summer camps that provide a great
mix of tennis, other outdoor sports and lots of fun for children
ages 6-13. Over the course of the eight weeks of summer over
300 children enjoy the enriched, safe and playful environment
while making lasting friendships with fellow campers and staff.
Members of the OTLBC coined the phrase “our cottage in
the city” because the comfortable and easy camaraderie that
develops between members is a bond that grows with each year
and can last a lifetime. When you add it all up – OTLBC retains
the charm of an old fashioned country club setting with the rich
friendships and welcoming atmosphere of your neighborhood
park. It doesn’t get much better than that.
To book an OSCAR ad
call Gayle 730-1058
oscarads@oldottawasouth.ca
The OSCAR
Page 34
- OUR 40th YEAR
MAY 2012
OCCSB TRUSTEE REPORT
“PUTTING STUDENTS FIRST”
Kathy Ablett, R.N.
Trustee Zone 9
Capital/River Wards
Telephone: 526-9512
Catholic Education Foundation
EduGala
Come join us for the seventh
annual CEFO benefit dinner, auction
& cabaret May 3rd, 2012. Remember
this unique event sold out last year
and there was a waiting list, so book
early!!!!
If you have questions regarding
ticket orders, please contact CEFO
Board Member Karen Delaney
at 613-831-4567, or by e-mail at
karenldelaney@hotmail.com.
All proceeds from this and all
previous highly successful Galas have
and will continue to go to CEFO’s
“Helping to Alleviate Poverty in Our
Schools” program.
Hope to see you there!!!
Catholic Education Week
Catholic Education Week is an
opportunity to celebrate our schools’
excellence, faith and community.
This is the time to highlight all the
wonderful educational experiences
and activities that our schools are
already doing! Catholic Education
Week begins on Sunday, May 7 and
ends on Friday, May 11, 2012. The
theme for Education week this year
is Catholic Education: ‘Walking in
the Light of Christ’. Please check
with your school for a list of activities
planned for this special week.
Immaculata High School
Immaculata High School Principal
Danielle Novak will receive the
Director of Education Commendation
Award at the Education Week Mass at
Notre Dame Basilica on Tuesday, May
8 at 7 pm. Congratulations Danielle!
Also during Education Week
Immaculata with celebrate with an
Arts Night (May 9) and a spaghetti
supper followed by a Silent Auction.
Please contact Immaculata for dates
and times.
Corpus Christi
At Corpus Christi School, spring
also means lots of great music. In
April, the school hosted TJ Wheeler,
an internationally known musician as
part of the Council-sponsored ‘Music
to My Ears’ program. TJ provided
music workshops and programming
to all the students in the school and
performed a concert for students
and parents as part of his ‘week in
residence’ at Corpus.
Nurses Corner: May is Physical
Activity Month. Help Kids Get
Active! Celebrate physical activity
month by getting kids moving every
day in May! Kids need to do physical
activities that make them sweat and
breathe hard, like bike riding and ice
skating, every day. Kids also need to
do activities that help build muscles
and bones, like playing on monkey
bars and skipping.
Physical activity can help kids:
• Improve their health
• Do better in school
• Improve their mood
• Learn new skills.
Did you know families can
borrow pedometers from Ottawa
Public Libraries?
To find out
more information about borrowing
pedometers as a way to stay active, go
to ottawalibrary.ca
For more information about
physical activity call Ottawa Public
Health at 613 580-6744 or go to www.
ottawa.ca/health
Board Spiritual Theme 2012 – 2013
The Board’s new spiritual theme
is “By our works, we show our faith.”
This new theme calls us to live our
faith fully and to recognize that all we
do is born out of our life as children
of God and is based on James 2: 1618. This theme will provide a sound
basis for actions, service and prayer
at schools. The past two years the
Board’s theme has been ‘Though
Many We Are One Body in Christ.”
If, at any time, I can be of
assistance to you please do not hesitate
to call me at 526-9512.
Sincerely,
Kathy Ablett
“Your Trustee”
Learning About
How Ottawa Kids Think
By Kimberly Connolly
A
re you fascinated by how much children change from the time
they’re three-years-old to the time they’re six? You’re not alone!
The members of the Children’s Representational Development
Lab (CRDL) at Carleton University are too. They are a group of
enthusiastic researchers who are interested in learning more about how
children’s thinking changes throughout the preschool and childhood
years.
“We are called the Children’s Representational Development Lab
because we study how young children understand different kinds of
representations. We’re interested in what children know about symbolic
representations like words, numbers, and pictures and how they can stand
for ideas and concepts, or for actual objects in the world - the way the
pictures on a map stand for the location of buildings and streets. We’re
also interested in what children know about other people’s knowledge
and intentions, which are considered mental representations.” says Dr.
Deepthi Kamawar, head of the Children’s Representational Development
Lab (CRDL) at Carleton University. “The researchers in my group,
undergraduate and graduate students, use stories and games like those
many kids are familiar with – such as Memory and Simon Says – to
help them figure out more about how kids learn to use different symbols
and representational systems. Representational understanding can be
anything from using symbols on a map to find stickers hidden in a room,
to keeping track of what different story characters know or do not know
about story events.” said the Ottawa Professor.
For instance, Andrea Astle, a PhD student in Kamawar’s lab, is
looking into how children design and produce symbols and legends to
help them find items in a memory game. She has children create a legend
with crayons to keep track of where different toys belong, and then later
has them use their legends to put the toys away. “The different symbol
elements they use in their legends, like the colours and shapes of the toys,
tells us a lot about how children’s symbolic understanding develops”
says Andrea, “We are really interested in the kinds of things that kids
think are important to include in their legends, and the kinds of things
that they may leave out!”
To look at kids’ ability to consider more than one property of an object,
Gal Podjarny (another PhD student in the lab) is using picture cards.
Cont’d on page 37
The OSCAR
MAY 2012
Southside
By Paige Raymond Kovach
Southside Board Member
S
- OUR 40th YEAR
Page 35
Southside Preschool Plans for its Future
outhside Preschool currently offers programming
for children aged two to nine and serves about
100 Old Ottawa South families. It has been
a part of our community for over 30 years. The
current provincial government plans to make full-day
kindergarten available for all schools and at Hopewell
Avenue Public School full-day kindergarten will begin
in September 2014.
This political reality required that the Southside
Preschool Board review its current programs, its
business model, and plan for the future without its
Kinders programs. This was obviously a serious
challenge to the organization, and the goal was to keep
Southside in existence and vibrant for Old Ottawa South
families.
In other communities, such as Barrhaven, where
full-day kindergarten already exists, all programming
for children aged four and five has been drastically
reduced or has simply ceased.
In February, the Southside Board unanimously
adopted a three-year plan to help ease the transition
for Southside into this new educational and economic
reality. The focus of Southside’s programming will
shift towards revitalizing and developing the nursery
school, focusing on curriculum development for the
community’s youngest children, as well as continuing to
offer an engaging and improved After School Program
for Hopewell students.
Starting this past fall, Southside educators began the
process of implementing a new curriculum that is childcentred and interest-driven. It builds on the relationship
that already exists with the Early Childhood Educator
and the children, and moves away from a focus on toys,
equipment and pre-planned or repetitive structures and
activities. Early Childhood Educators are interactive
with children during ‘play’ in order to develop activities
that increase skills geared to the interests of the child.
The child is at the centre of learning. Programming
is more spontaneous, far less linear, and focuses on
implementing a particular interest through a range
of pedagogical activities geared to different learning
objectives.
“For example, the educator would notice children
asking a lot of questions about the changes in the
weather, so she would lead activities about spring,” said
Joanne Iob, Southside Director.
“As she talks about spring, she realizes everyone is
fascinated by bees. So she would take this interest and
focus on it using the different areas of skill development.
The first activity may be building a beehive with the big
blocks. They would talk about building the beehive, and
it would be used as a tool for expressive and receptive
language development, and the children would develop
their large muscle group and co-operative play in the
building process. The children may need to use their
problem solving skills with the large group social
interaction surrounding the building.”
“The class may decide to include preparing a
special snack with honey to enhance further language
skills while utilizing their sense of taste, sight, touch.”
“The children decide that they need bees to live in
the beehive so they would proceed to the free art shelf
to make bees (depending on the skill level, the educator
may have tracers for the children and an example of a
bee), this process would enhance the fine motor skills by
using the pincer grasp to hold a pencil, using the scissors
and gluing the pieces together. The activity would
also increase the children’s expressive imaginative
development.”
“Moving to the book area the educator would read
a book about bees sparking more language development
and pre-reading skills in distinguishing the letter that
bee begins with. This may open a dialogue about other
things that begin with ‘B’ or the letter that begins their
name. Counting the bees (pre-math) and making a chart
on what the children know about bees would lead to
songs and perhaps ending our time with the children
using their imagination by pretending to be bees, “ said
Joanne.
“Our now 6-year-old son Finley has been at
Southside for two years, beginning with his junior
kindergarten year at Hopewell,” said Julie Greene,
mother of two.
“Since he spends the majority of his day at Southside,
most of the news we get about his days springs from his
activities at Southside. Like many children of this age,
our son does not provide us with a fulsome report on
his days, so I have to reply on snippets of conversation
to understand what he is focused on at “school” (which
includes Southside).”
“Over the last two years I have definitely noted new
topics areas entering Fin’s conversation – he tells us
little facts about the weather, the planets or insects, as
what he has learned gets applied to our home, something
we see in the car, or on our neighborhood walks,” said
Julie. “I distinctly recall the time he dropped the word
‘chrysalis’ into our conversation, and that’s when I
knew that they were studying the lifecycle of a butterfly
at school – although Fin certainly didn’t describe is that
way!”
“Lately I have ascertained that they are focused on
hockey at Southside right now – a topic of great interest
to all the kids there, relevant given the 67s and Sens playoff runs and almost certainly organically derived from
the children’s own interest in the sport and its heroes.
I understand from Fin that they have experienced and
learned about hockey both through stories, magazines
and discussions – as well as trying out their
skills in a paper-based/sock-feet game, as well
as learning to set up a hockey rink and follow the
rules of the game. Their discussions also covered
violence in hockey and I got to probe around how
Fin feels about seeing fighting in this game.”
“I will say that while we don’t get a daily
report on what Fin has learned in school that
day, I have learned to listen between the lines of
conversational snippets that are sometimes -- but
not always – connected to our current context or
conversation so that we can understand what he
is working on, how we can enhance learning at
home or apply what he has learned to our context.
For this is truly how learning happens!”
“Fin is always thrilled to run into Southside
each morning, no doubt in large part due to the
caring and committed staff there, who understand
that every child gets excited about different
things and learn in different ways. I never feel
that Fin is missing out on learning opportunities
that full-day kindergarten can provide, as I know
Southside is very focused on learning through
play – a nice transition between pre-school and
Grade 1.”
Southside’s Early Childhood Educators will
also note a child’s attainment of a milestone on
the Tree of Success. It is a visual tool for the
children, educators and parents to monitor the
skills achieved by each child throughout the
school year.
“The markers on our tree are Social,
Self-Help, Manners, Problem Solving, Task
Completion, Pre-Reading, Pre-Math, Language,
Fine and Gross Motor and Respect. When the
child masters a skill, his or her name is added
onto the branch of the tree,”
said Joanne.
“We also inform parents
of our daily interactions with
their children using picture
boards, newsletters (updated
on our web site www.
southsidepreschool.ca), our
programming chart, Tree
of Success, and educators’
conversations directly with
parents and caregivers at
drop-off or pick-up.”
Staff are currently
being trained in the new
curriculum and it is being
implemented in stages over
the next two years.
In addition, there are
also plans to explore and
develop further nursery school age programming
options involving expanded age groups and/or hours
of care, workshops and speakers for parents and
caregivers, and adding the Family Zone, a drop-in for
parents and their children once a week with an Early
Childhood Educator on-site to facilitate learning and
answer any questions that the parent may want to ask. For the After School Program, in addition to adapting
the new curriculum for the older age group, a variety of
“rejuvenation” strategies are being explored including
homework supervision, community involvement, longer
term projects, and specialty days centred on science,
weather or math.
All of these adaptations (and more) are being
tested and refined during the next two years to enable
the renewed and improved programs to “hit the ground
running” in fall 2014. It will be a busy two years of
development and exploration, but one that the teachers
and board are excited about.
Southside families save the date
The famous end-of-year barbecue at Brewer Park
will be held on Tuesday, June 26, 2012 at 5:30 p.m.
Families are encouraged to bring their own drinks.
Please look for sign-up sheets for pot-luck foods on the
notice boards outside the classrooms soon. As always,
Joanne assures that the weather will be fabulous! See
you there!
Page 36
The OSCAR
MAY 2012
- OUR 40th YEAR
MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT OTTAWA CENTRE
2012 Budget Fails to Address the Needs of Canadians
By Paul Dewar
C
anadians should be concerned
about the recent Conservative
budget. It was supposed to
create jobs and invest in economic
growth. Instead, it cuts over $5 billion
in funding to public services and
programs, lacks any job creation plan
and fails to take action in areas that
are critical to achieving prosperity
for all Canadians, such as working to
eliminate poverty and creating more
affordable housing options.
For seniors, changes in Old Age
Security (OAS) and the Guaranteed
Income Supplement (GIS) means
they must work two extra years
before claiming their pension. The
government has argued that the current
OAS system is unsustainable. This is
not the case. Both the Parliamentary
Budget Officer and the government’s
own Actuarial Reports have confirmed
that despite the increase in the number
of baby boomers retiring, the program
is sustainable. New Democrats have
consistently argued against regressive
changes to OAS-GIS like those in the
budget, as they will hurt the poorest
seniors. Instead, we want retirement
income security strengthened through
initiatives like expansion of CPP.
The government’s decision to
change the health transfer funding
formula will cost Ontario $24 billion in
health care funding creating longer wait
times and fewer doctors and nurses.
It will also open the door to greater
privatization of our health care system.
Cuts
to
CBC/Radio-Canada,
Environment
Canada,
Natural
Resources, immigration settlement,
health care transfers, Aboriginal Affairs
and Northern Development and more
will have serious implications for
the environment, culture, education,
poverty reduction and health care.
New Democrats and Canadians
have already voiced their opposition to
the elimination of Katimavik and the
Community Access Program (CAP).
Katimavik was a youth exchange and
volunteer experience program created
in 1977 by the federal government to
equip youth with new skills, knowledge
and experience through placements in
communities across Canada. When the
youth unemployment rate in Canada
continues to remain in the double digits,
it’s short sighted of the government to
cut programs that help youth increase
their transferable skills.
The CAP provided computers and
internet access at community sites
across Canada. These sites helped to
bridge the digital divide, especially
by increasing accessibility for those
who are unable to afford a computer or
the internet. The decision to eliminate
CAP will negatively impact the most
vulnerable communities who rely on
these sites for job searches, information
sharing and educational opportunities.
I am also concerned about what did
not appear in the budget. Most notable
is the lack of a job creation plan. In
fact, budget cuts could result in a loss
of 50,000 jobs in the public and private
sectors combined. Cuts to the public
sector will have a great effect on local
economies as public sector workers
support private sector businesses and
economic growth through their own
spending.
It’s evident that the impact of this
budget will be felt both in rural and urban
areas. Cities are effectively ignored
with no money allocated for transit and
affordable housing. Adequate funding
in these areas helps ensure our cities are
vibrant, liveable places for everyone
yet under the Conservative plan they
are neglected leaving Canadians to live
with the consequences.
There is an alternative to the
federal government’s fiscal approach.
My colleagues and I have been calling
for the Conservatives to increase
targeted incentives to create good jobs,
protect retirement security and provide
the stable funding necessary to allow
provinces to hire more doctors and
nurses. New Democrats would like to
see a commitment from the government
to reduce the small business tax rate
from 11% to 9%, which will help boost
local economies. We would also like
to see the government bring back the
popular ecoEnergy retrofit program to
help Canadians make their homes more
energy efficient, which reduces heating
and electricity costs and our overall
environmental foot print.
New Democrats will not support this
budget unless significant amendments
are made as it fails to build a secure,
prosperous future for all Canadians. We
will oppose regressive cutbacks while
working to ensure the priorities of job
creation, retirement income security,
and adequate funding for health care
are addressed.
Tasty Tidbits from Trillium Bakery
Gratitude
By Jocelyn LeRoy
L
ife isn’t measured by the number of breaths we
take but by the moments that take our breath
away”
While napping on the comfortable leather couch
back at the Smyth Road Weight-loss Spa (as lastmonth’s OSCAR David calls the hospital), my eye
catches some small lettering high on the wall over a
life-like painting of iris. I look around this “family
room” and discover on another wall, cut-out silver
letters that say “Love,” “Family,” “Dream.”
Behind a flourishing green plant draping over a
tall cabinet, a Tuscan-looking picture of sunlit fruit
and vegetable stands flanked by a row of mossy trees
shines forth, giving a vibrant cheerfulness to the room.
The fourth wall has a framed Monet print of gardens
bordering flagstone paths meandering toward a forest
of pale Spring green trees.
Oh, and there’s a small framed print of three
children with wobbly ankles on ice, clutching hockey
sticks. Their skates are laced only half-way up.
Any of these wall adornments, if coming to life,
would take your breath away. They beckon your
imagination to melt into their moment in time. Which
is also eternal – it’s a sort of Zen experience.
I am always inspired by those who can imagine
golden moments among even the most terrible lifechanging events.
My eyes fall upon a small typed paragraph titled
“Alan’s Dream,” describing a deceased leukemia
patient’s creation of this refuge from the sterile and
sometimes intimidating hospital atmosphere. I’ll bet
there was a golden moment for Alan and his family,
friends and hospital staff at the finish line of “Alan’s
Run,” witnessed by those who cared so much for Alan
and his dream. The moment of absorbing this legacy
he left is now part of my ever-expanding reservoir of
moments that take my breath away.
Back in the bakery, where lately I haven’t
been as often as usual, the customers love to let
me know “you’re never there,” as if, as they say in
Newfoundland, “I looked in the bakery and there she
was – gone!”
Oh well, kudos go to our staff, all of whom have
stepped up to the plate during the last few weeks and
months. They deserve bunches of flowers, bowls of
chocolate and a million or so dollars for their caring
and care-taking of Trillium.
The plates are filled with hot cross buns. We
share delightful moments of eye-rolling, lipsmacking pleasure, watching customers of
all ages biting into our yummy Easter treats.
Hilarious moments show up, too. There
are two adorable three-year-old twins who
regularly shop at Trillium. Tiny they are,
but they come barreling in chattering a mile
a minute, discussing with each other what
they want. They both look me in the eye
(way up!) and articulately describe the
cookies they have chosen. They’re too
short to see the cookies on the shelf, but
they know what they’re after. Everyone in
the room takes a pause of delight as these
tiny tykes negotiate the big step, precious purchase
in hand. They chatter excitedly about what they love
about their cookies.
If we don’t stop and enjoy the moment regularly,
smell the roses or the bread or the cookies, what do
we have instead? A grind…ennui…flatness, or, even
worse, a downward spiral into the memories of our
negative experiences.
It’s easy to live moment by moment in our bakery
because it’s a cauldron of activity. Surprises come
out of the ovens. (A new twist of flavour and texture
absolutely requires a bit of savouring.) Even when
a customer recounts an intense experience, these
moments remain with us. And when customers tell us
how much they appreciate what we do, we remember.
When I drop something on the floor – molasses is
lovely! – or my sifter filled with icing sugar explodes
and flies everywhere, white powdery sweetness covers
the whole counter and my shoes. These are moments
that mark a career. There’s the moment when Gail
shouts “Wait!” as I’m going out the door; she picks
the icing off my collar or cheek. “Now you can go,”
she says.
Ten years ago at Easter I said goodbye to my
mother forever. Six months later I felt her with me
on a gusty, sunny canoe trip in Algonquin Park, in the
windswept pines, on the sparkling water, and in the
bow of my canoe. “Of course it should be green,”
says mom. Now, any green canoe moment reminds
me of this.
And here’s another: the moment my six-year-old
adopted daughter touched my knee and whispered,
“bonsoir, mama.” And her sister lifted her shirt to
proudly show me her bandage covering a horrific
wound, received in a land far away and besieged by
drought. It was our first meeting, first greeting.
I still feel “wow” when I let these moments in and
have them stay awhile.
MAY 2012
The OSCAR
- OUR 40th YEAR
Page 37
COMPUTER TRICKS AND TIPS
What the Heck is Web 2.0?
By Malcolm and John Harding, of
Compu-Home
F
or the better part of a decade
now we have been hearing
about Web 2.0 usually with the
blithe assumption that we know what
it means. To us, Web 2.0 is simply
a reference to the fact that that the
Internet is evolving from a medium of
broadcasting, to one of participation.
Instead of passively reading or viewing
web pages, and learning from the
content or just enjoying it, we now have
the opportunity to interact with the web
environment. We can react online, or
create and post our own content much
more easily than we could in the past.
It has been observed that Web 2.0
is not an entirely new concept, but just
a part of the evolution of the web. After
all, you are “participating” in a website
when you type a search term into
Google, or log into your email website
and read and reply to a message.
Anyone who reads newspapers online
is familiar with the ubiquitous boxes
below the articles and columns, inviting
readers to weigh in on the subject, and
perhaps this is not the place to comment
on the crude and drooling nature of
some of the contributions in online
publications where the “contributions”
are not moderated. Fortunately, this
sort of thing is in the minority.
Let’s consider the example of the
online encyclopedia Wikipedia, which
is an entirely collaborative effort. It is
not difficult to register as a contributor
to Wikipedia and that allows one to post
new articles, or even to edit or modify
existing ones under some circumstances.
This loose arrangement might make it
natural for us to be suspicious about the
accuracy of the resource, (and lots of
us lamented the passing of the printed
Encyclopedia Britannica last week)
but the fact is that repeated tests have
proved a very competitive level of
accuracy in Wikipedia when compared
with traditional printed versions. Let’s
not forget as well, that a printed work
might easily be months or years old
before it arrives in your home, while the
online version might have been updated
a few minutes ago.
Blogs (web logs) are another
example of the increasingly interactive
nature of the web. Anyone with
a personal, political, religious or
business-related reason to post a
public journal can easily sign up for
the web space to do just that – no
html or gobbledygook programming
experience required. Commercial blog
sites, such as Blogger from Google,
share the main characteristics of most
of the rest of the Web 2.0 services, in
that they are (1) free and (2) very easy
to set up and use, with typing being the
only skill required. Some people are
one-time bloggers, recording a vacation
trip or special experience to share, while
others have been faithfully maintaining
their blogs with daily entries for many
years. Some open up their blogs to
contributions from readers, while others
choose not to go there. Do you suppose
Samuel Pepys would have chosen to
Public Meeting May 6
To Reveal Likely Traffic & Parking ‘Numbers’
For Lansdowne Partnership Plan
T
here will be a public meeting on
Sunday afternoon May 6 from
4 to 5:30, at St Margaret Mary
Parish Hall ( @ 5 Fairbairn, just below
Sunnyside) to explain the real numbers and
impacts on Old Ottawa South, The Glebe
and Old Ottawa East, of the Lansdowne
Partnership Plan. Three inner - city, citizenexperts and analysts, have done a lot of
homework over a three month period, to
determine just what the traffic and parking
impacts are likely to be in our section of
the inner city. Their calculations have been
based on the City’s own numbers. After
several failed attempts to meet with City
staff and their transportation consultants to
verify the numbers, they finally did meet
them recently. Our citizen expert numbers
were not challenged by City Staff but the
Consultants were not willing or able to
provide the model they would / should? )
have used to arrive at their numbers.
In all events, the only way in which the
City has been proposing to deal with the
inevitable traffic and parking situation, for
day to day traffic was to tell us all that they
would be ‘ monitoring ‘ the impacts when
they occur. A lot of use that is, once the
mall and condos and overall project have
already been built. On the other hand our
Ward Councillor is in the process of seting
up a So come and hear and provide your
input to the real numbers on Sunday May
6 at 4 pm. Our Ward Councillor will be an
active participant in this meeting.
TRILLIUM RECIPES
“I have never tasted any better sugar
than what has been made from the maple,
when it has been properly refined. It
has a peculiarly rich, salubrious and
pleasant taste.”
Samuel Williams, A natural and Civil
History of Vermont, 1794
Maple Pecan
Cornbread Stuffing
1 loaf Trillium corn rice flax bread
¼ cup maple syrup
1 cup toasted and chopped pecans
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 stalk celery
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tbsp minced flat-leaf parsley
1/3 cup chicken or vegetable stock
Preheat oven to 350º F.
Grease an
8” square baking dish. In a small bowl
combine syrup and pecans, and mix well.
In a large skillet melt the butter over
medium heat. Add the onion, celery and
garlic. Stir for 5 minutes or until the onion
is golden. Add the parsley and sauté for
1 minute. Add the syrup mixture and corn
bread and blend well. Add the stock and
cook, stirring, until heated through.
Transfer the stuffing to an ovenproof
serving dish and bake covered at 350º for
15 minutes or until lightly browned on top.
Makes approximately 6½ cups.
This is a gluten-free recipe. You can
substitute regular cornbread if you wish.
The gluten-free cornbread’s stronger
flavour, however, goes beautifully with
maple syrup. I pour a little more syrup
over the finished product.
The stuffing can be used as a side dish,
main dish for lunch with salad, or a bed
under roast chicken. It’s also an excellent
stuffing for Cornish hens. And, last but not
least, it is great with beans!
allow comments from his readers if
Blogger had existed 350 years ago?
Social media sites, like Facebook,
Twitter and Linkedin are the most
prominent and obvious examples of
Web 2.0 just now, and in our next
column we’ll explore their recent
explosion in popularity as well as some
of their dangers.
We always enjoy hearing from
readers and we learn lots from you
when you get in touch. Write or give us
a call any time.
Malcolm, Frances and John
Harding are the owners of CompuHome, assisting home and business
computer users.
Be sure to visit our web site for an
archive of our columns. www.compuhome.com
Write to info@compu-home.com
or phone 613-731-5954 to discuss
computer issues, or to suggest future
columns.
Learning How Ottawa Kids Think...
Cont’d from page 34
She is interested in how young
children sort things into groups.
“Looking at something in more
than one way is very important to
things like creativity and empathy.
So far, research has shown that kids
cannot simultaneously consider
more than one property of an object
until they are about 7-years-old”
says Podjarny, “but we found that
if we use simple instructions and
coloured pictures of everyday items,
4-year-olds have a lot more success
with this task. We are looking into
why, so that we can suggest ideas to
teachers and parents that might help
young children with this skill.”
Other research, by PhD student
Corrie Vendetti, looks into young
children’s understanding of the
difference between truths and lies,
and the different kinds of lies that
people tell. She tells children short
stories about child characters that
either tell the truth or tell a lie about
a story event, and she asks children
questions about what the characters
said, what they felt, and whether
or not they should get in trouble
for what they’ve done. Corrie is
investigating what factors children
consider
when
determining
whether a statement is a lie or the
truth, and whether children think
those statements are good or bad,
depending on the story context.
The lab is also currently
investigating
children’s
understanding of the difference
between actions done “on purpose”
and “by accident” and children’s
strategies for saving resources for
future use. They are excited by this
work and can’t wait to learn more
about it.
Members of CRDL have been
busy presenting their work at
conferences in Ottawa, Montreal,
Denver, San Antonio, Philadelphia,
and Oxford. You may recognize
the CRDL from research they have
been conducting in daycares and
preschools in Ottawa over the last
ten years, or from their posters
and advertisements at the Public
Library, in centers and kids’ stores
throughout the community, or from
their booth at the Capital Parent and
Kids Show.
The CRDL also has research
space at Carleton University where
they invite parents and children to
participate in their studies. If you
or someone you know has a child
between 3- and 6-years-old, we
encourage you to contact the CRDL
to find out about participating in
one of their great projects at crdl@
carleton.ca or by visiting www.
carleton.ca/crdl
Page 38
The OSCAR
- OUR 40th YEAR
MAY 2012
When Should One Start Collecting CPP
by Rick Sutherland, CLU,
CFP, FDS, R.F.P
T
his question was submitted by
one of our Old Ottawa South
residents. We always appreciate
your comments, questions and article
requests. If it is within our field of
expertise we will do our best to give
you our honest answers and opinions.
The normal age to start drawing Canada
Pension Plan, CPP, is age 65. You can
begin drawing as early as age 60. But
there is a penalty for taking CPP early.
So this is an important question that
should be carefully considered.
In order to answer this question
there is another question that needs to
be answered first. “Do you need the
income in order to live?” If yes, then
taking CPP early is a must and should
be started as early as possible.
If you do not necessarily need
the income for day-to-day living then
there may be other reasons one would
want to start CPP early. It becomes a
supplement to current income from
employment, pension, RRIF, savings
etc. It allows more money to do things
By Anna Sundin
W
while at a younger age. Some examples
may be for travel, hobbies, assistance
to children, etc. If not needed then the
extra money could be invested and
saved to build a larger estate or used for
other purposes later in life.
Recent changes to CPP have
increased the penalty reduction for
those who take CPP early prior to age
65. Under the old rules, if one started
CPP early at age 60 it took until age
76 to accumulate the same amount of
payments as if you had deferred until
age 65. When the new rules have been
completely phased in, by 2016, the
breakeven point reduces to age 74 for
those who take CPP early at age 60.
Let’s put some numbers to these
ages. The maximum CPP benefit
payable to a person age 65 in 2012 is
$986 per month. A person starting CPP
at age 60 in 2012 would see a penalty
reduction. Under the old rules the
maximum reduction penalty was 30%
or 0.5% per month for each month
that a person starts CPP prior to age
65. Beginning in 2012 the reduction
penalty will be increased by 0.02% per
month and increasing by 0.02% each
year until 2016. By 2016 the maximum
reduction penalty will be 36% for a
person starting CPP at age 60. So if a
person is eligible for the maximum CPP
benefit and ignoring any increases due
to inflation, by 2016 the monthly benefit
from CPP for a person age 60 will be
reduced to $631.
Oh, and by the way, you can defer
taking CPP until age 70. This will have
the opposite effect and increase your
CPP benefit. By 2013 the gross-up rate
will increase to 0.7% per month. Using
the same maximum benefit figure above
and ignoring inflation increases the
monthly benefit for a person who begins
drawing CPP age 70 will increase by
42% to $1,400 per month.
As you can see there is a lot of math
involved. Many people agonize, stress
and worry about their decision to take
CPP early or not. My view has always
been that money in the hand today is
always better than money in the hand in
the future regardless of the breakeven
point.
I guess the absolute and correct
answer to this question can be found in
your longevity. How long will you live?
If you plan to live past age 76 under the
old rules or age 74 under the new rules
then you will receive more money by
deferring the date that you start CPP.
But how can you ever know how long
you will live?
As with many personal financial
planning issues the only answer is “it
depends.” Only you can determine your
personal goals. If you will have enough
income from other sources to provide
your desired retirement lifestyle beyond
your mortality, then CPP becomes a
bonus. Only then can you answer the
question of whether or not to begin CPP
benefits early.
The foregoing is for general
information purposes and is the
opinion of the writer. This information
is not intended to provide personal
advice including, without limitation,
investment, financial, legal, accounting
or tax advice. Please call or write to Rick
Sutherland CLU, CFP, FDS, R.F.P., to
discuss your particular circumstances
or suggest a topic for future articles
at 613-798-2421 or E-mail rick@
invested-interest.ca. Mutual Funds
provided through FundEX Investments
Inc.
you became seriously ill or died?
Your business would lose its key
person and your income source may
disappear. There may not be enough
income to manage all the business
liabilities if you died. Creditors could
press for immediate payment, and
accounts receivable might become
uncollectable.
If you die or become ill, your family
would face three alternatives:
1. They could continue the
business, requiring family members
to have: the ability and experience to
run your business; sufficient cash after
debts are paid; and, the ability to retain
your customers.
2. They could liquidate the business.
A forced sale attracts bargain-hunters
and with “goodwill” gone, the value of
the business may be drastically reduced
- by as much as 40 to 90 per cent.
3. They could sell as a going
concern. However, finding a qualified
buyer may be difficult; the cash for
purchase may not be readily available
and the agreement on a fair price may
be difficult to reach.
Alternatively, you could protect
your business and family if you chose
business life, disability and critical
illness insurance. These products could
help you and your family carry out your
plans for the business if you were to
become critically ill or die - for example,
life insurance can provide funds to
buy the business under a purchase
agreement, and disability insurance
can provide income if you become
disabled. Critical illness insurance can
help you pay off debts, stabilize your
credit position, offer cash values or loan
options or establish a fund for personal
income at retirement, independent of
the business.
Your advisor can offer you an array
of life, disability and critical illness
insurance products to suit your needs.
Your advisor can help you develop a
solution that best fits your family and
business needs.
As A Sole Proprietor, You Are Indispensable
hen you own and run your
own
business,
you’re
responsible for all aspects
of the business. What would happen if
Abbotsford @ The Glebe Centre
Good ‘til the Last Rock
By: Julie Ireton
L
ast year 92-year-old Dorothea
Torunski dressed up like a hippy
to rock it out.
This year, she’s not giving away
what her costume will be.
“I’m not a spring chicken, but I can
still rock,” she said.
Torunski looks forward to the
Glebe Centre’s annual Rock-a-thon
every spring. For several years this
resident of the long-term care centre
has joined volunteers and staff to rock
the day away – in a rocking chair -- to
raise money for the organization and its
programs.
The 2012 Rock-a-thon and block
party is set to take over Monk Street
(directly behind the Glebe Centre) on
Saturday June 2 between 11 am and 3
pm. Organizers bring out the rocking
chairs, volunteers raise pledges and
members of the community and local
businesses come out to rock and donate
money. But this year will be bitter sweet.
The rocking chairs are coming out to the
street for the last time.
“This is like the series finale,”
explained Karen Joynt the Glebe
Centre’s Manager of Development.
Joynt says the Glebe Centre will look
to other kinds of events to raise money
going forward.
The Rock-a-thon has often had a
theme and this year the theme will be
TV series finales. She expects teams to
dress up as characters of well-known
and loved TV programs that had big
wrap-ups such as M.A.S.H. or the
Golden Girls.
Fifteen years ago the Glebe Centre
Cont’d on next page
MAY 2012
The OSCAR
Page 39
- OUR 40th YEAR
Carleton Sports
Down Memory Lane: Carleton’s First Sojourn as a Basketball Powerhouse
By Joe Scanlon
I
t’s now considered normal for
Carleton’s men’s basketball team to
go to the Canadian Interuniversity
Sport (CIS) championships and most of
the time when they do so, they win. The
male Ravens have won eight of the past
10 championship tournaments – winning
seven times in Halifax and once when
the tournament was held at Scotiabank
Place.
It’s largely forgotten now but almost
50 years ago -- from 1964-65 to 1968-69
– the Ravens were also regular attendees
at the Nationals. They didn’t win – many
of the teams they played were stocked
with American imports -- but in Ernie
Zoppa’s four years as coach they made
it to the championship tournament three
times.
Their performance attracted so
much attention that twice Ottawa radio
station CFRA sent sports broadcaster
Ernie Calcutt to broadcast the games.
Paddy Stewart was captain on two of
those three teams and he has memories
of those trips – first to Halifax, then to
Calgary and then – after missing a year
– his favourite memory – the trip to the
Nationals at Antigonish. However his
best game was not that year but two
seasons earlier.
In 1964-65, the Ravens went direct
to the Nationals as champions of what
was then the Ottawa-St. Lawrence
Conference. In 1965-66, however, the
Ravens were forced to play Waterloo
Lutheran (now Wilfrid Laurier) to
decide which team – Carleton or
Waterloo – would go to Calgary. The
organizers were so certain the winner
would be Waterloo they even announced
the tournament schedule, a schedule that
made no mention of Carleton.
In the first half of that game,
Carleton couldn’t stop Lutheran’s star,
Pete Misikowetz – he had 18 points
well before half time – so Coach Zoppa
turned to 5’8” Stewart and told him to
cover Misikowetz. Stewart played the
game of his career. Misikowetz scored
only four more points and Stewart – not
noted for his scoring ability – scored 19
– the most he ever scored.
The following season, after
Carleton’s first two trips to the
Nationals, there was almost a complete
turnover in the team with Stewart one of
two still around. That season he recalls
as “brutal” – teams Carleton had once
defeated easily were beating the Ravens.
The next season Carleton found himself
without a gym – a new floor was being
installed and the firm doing it was hit
by a strike. The team never got to play
on its own floor until the conference
championship when it defeated Loyola
by a single point.
That team included Don Cline who
went on to become one of Canada’s
most respected basketball referees. It
also included Dennis Bibby (who was at
the time in training to become an Oblate
priest) who had joined the team when
St. Patrick’s College became part of
Carleton. It melded so well former team
members still get together – as they did
this past winter when Cline died.
That season was Stewart’s final
season with the Ravens. Graduating
that spring with a degree in Sociology,
he moved back to Edmonton – where
he had grown up – and did a Bachelor
of Education degree. He then returned
to Ontario first to Renfrew (the area
where his wife, Linda, grew up) then
to Ottawa’s Gloucester High School.
(His former coach, Ernie Zoppa left
Gloucester the year he arrived; however,
Zoppa was principal at Hillcrest when
Paddy’s son Andy went to school there
and Paddy coached Andy’s junior and
senior basketball teams with Peter
Scobie at Hillcrest.)
From Gloucester however Stewart
moved on to what is known as an
Alternative Program where he dealt
with young people who were having
all kinds of difficulties. While there he
(learned about group facilitation and
co-operative games. (He had already
become an entertainer.) He wanted to be
and was someone who can get people to
relax even laugh at their own problems.
Bit by bit he began to use those skills
to entertain persons of all types – from
challenged children to seniors with
dementia.
Part of his work involves team
building. To do that, he uses cooperative
games and music and laughter and
movement. He also has a collection
of funny hats, anything to get people
relaxed. “Hats are just hilarious,” he
says. “It almost becomes a party when
someone puts on a goofy hat. I’ll call
them up from the audience and have
them sing songs like, “My Bonnie lies
over the ocean,” or, “She’ll be coming
around the mountain when she comes.”
Stewart will try anything that works
– everything from the funny hats to
weird musical instruments. He plays the
penny whistle, guitar and the ukulele. He
can teach people to make music with a
comb and wax paper and recently he has
decided to incorporate playing spoons
with the entire audience. One instrument
he uses is the “boom whacker”. It is a
plastic tube which comes in different
lengths and striking it produces a note.
Hit several different ones at the same
time and you have a chord.
He has also been experimenting
with bodhrán an Irish frame drum.
Another one of his fortes is the
hambone or Juba dance which involves
stomping as well as slapping and patting
the arms, legs and cheeks. Once people
get the hang of it he makes them go
faster and faster. Different parts of the
body produce different sounds. It’s easy
to do slowly but speed things up and
everyone makes mistakes. “Nobody
can get it right,” he says. Stewart makes
them stand up and pump their fist when
they make an error. That helps people
get over the fear of making mistakes.
When he deals with teen-agers –
one of his regular stints is at an Ottawa
high school – he knows they can be an
inhibited or aloof audience. “I do all
sorts of things to lighten them up and
loosen them up.” With a group of 20
or 30 for example he will have them do
some stretches or the Wave.
A lot of his work is done with people
in health care facilities. For example, he
performs regularly at a shelter for people
who come to Ottawa for cancer treatment
and live too far away to commute. His
goal is not to perform but to get people
involved. “I try to make things as much
as I can participatory. I don’t sing for
people. I have people sing with me.”
Stewart now does more than 100
engagements a year – about a quarter of
which he does as a volunteer.
Although he usually performs on
his own, his wife Linda – who can play
the piano by ear – does come along on
one regular engagement and she (he
helps out) runs a program for graduating
High school students with learning
difficulties both at Algonquin and at the
Paul Mention Centre at Carleton. The
program is designed to make young
people heading to college or university
aware of what support systems are in
place and to make them aware that
they have to reach out if they want
that support. Such students are quite
naturally nervous about starting postsecondary education. Linda Stewart’s
goal is to help them feel more confident.
He is involved in another initiative
with Bruce Marshall, the senior
physiotherapist with Carleton’s athletics
department. Reaching out to Carleton
staff and faculty, Marshall helped
developed a program which encourages
university personnel to work at all
aspects of physical fitness –everything
from nutrition to weight training.
Although it’s nearly half a century
since Paddy Stewart played basketball
for Carleton he has never lost his interest
in the sport. He has stopped playing in
annual alumni games but he had his
wife, Linda, not only have season tickets
for Carleton basketball, they show up
in their front row seats at almost every
game.
Paddy’s interest and ability in
basketball was passed on to his son
Andy who, like his father, not only
played for the Ravens but like his father
was team captain for three of his five
years with the team. Andy was in his
third year with the Ravens when Dave
Smart became an assistant coach but
he finished his eligibility before Smart
took over as head coach and the Ravens
headed back to the Nationals. However,
Andy has remained an important part of
the team: he is responsible for seeing
that team members are physically fit
and supervises their strength and weight
training. He does weight and general
fitness training with the team helping
acquire the physical fitness they need to
play a demanding sport.
Abbotsford @ The Glebe Centre .. cont’d from previous page
held it’s first ever Rock-a-thon.
It was a novel fundraising event
for the long-term care facility and
senior’s centre. The annual event has
raised thousands of dollars over the past
decade and a half. Joynt says the centre
is hoping to raise $20,000 this spring.
One of the people who has raised
thousands of dollars on her own over
the years is Beba Poole, a nurse at the
Glebe Centre.
“I usually raise close to two
thousand dollars,” said Poole. She
always gathers together a team and
always wins the prize for the most
money raised by a member of the staff.
“I really care about the people here
and the centre,” said Poole.
At this year’s Rock-a-thon block
party, Sneezy Waters will provide the
musical entertainment. There will be
a barbeque, and bouncy castles for
the kids. Neighbours, local business
people, Abbotsford members and Glebe
Centre staff, residents and their families
are all expected to attend.
Organizers are currently looking
for more volunteers and donations from
the community.
Dorothea Torunski says she doesn’t
like asking for money, but she says
it’s a good cause so many friends and
family like to contribute to programs
for seniors. Torunski says she likes her
home at the Glebe Centre.
“I’m very pleased with everything.
I don’t have anything to complain
about. Everyone is very nice to me.
But they’re good to everyone. I know
I can’t go back to my old life. I’m very
fortunate here,” she said.
Come out and join Torunski and
others at the Rock-a-thon Block Party
on Saturday June 2 between 11 am and
3 pm. Everyone is welcome.
The OSCAR
Page 40
- OUR 40th YEAR
MAY 2012
Sips from the Poetry Café
My Mom Knows Things!
By: Susan Atkinson
A
s May approaches there’s lots to
celebrate and lots to be grateful
for. The tulips are popping up, spring
My Mom Knows
Things!
My mom knows when I wear
Socks three days in a row.
And she knows when I play
Without gloves in the snow.
She knows in the morning
When I’m in a rush
I don’t put toothpaste
On my brush.
She knows when I don’t
Wash my face at night.
And she knows when I
Read using only a flashlight.
She knows when my coat
Isn’t done up right
And my laces are knotted
Instead of tied tight.
Y
is in full swing and Mother’s Day is
just around the corner. For most of
us it really is a time to thank all the
mothers in our lives and to perhaps
remember those who are no longer with
She knows when I’m supposed
To be cleaning my room
I push everything under
The bed with a broom.
She knows when I have
My feet on the couch,
Or my elbows on the table
When I slouch.
She knows when I don’t
Finish my drink
It ends up poured
Down the kitchen sink.
She knows when I don’t
Eat the greens on my plate,
And She knows if I dawdle
We’re bound to be late.
She knows when I haven’t
Combed my hair
Or have done my homework
us. I think when we do stop and ponder
the wonderful women in our lives we
marvel at the gift of knowledge they
possess. To me it always seemed that
my mom knew everything and I mean
Without extra care.
She knows when I feed
The dog left over food
And she knows when I’m
mean,
Unkind or rude.
She knows without looking
If I stick out my tongue
Or pull a face
Or do something wrong.
But best of all
My mom always knows
how to help with
my highs and lows.
She knows when to cheer
If I’ve done well
And when to listen
If there’s stuff to tell.
everything – like she really did have
those ‘proverbial’ eyes in the back of
the head! This month I thought it would
be fun to honour that gift with a piece
written from a child’s perspective.
She knows when I’ve had
A really bad day,
She knows what to do
And just what to say.
She knows if I’m nervous
About something at school.
She knows what’s hip,
What’s in, what’s cool!
She knows what it takes
To make me smile
And she knows I have
My very own style.
She knows how to soothe
And take tears away.
She knows how to teach
And how to play.
She knows the words
To my favourite song.
She knows how to help
When things seem wrong.
She knows how to cuddle
If I wake at night,
She knows how to put
A bad dream right.
My mom even knows
my favorite food,
my favourite colour
and my favourite mood.
My mom she knows
Everything you know:
She knows how to support
And give love just so.
To all the moms in the world –
and you know who you are! –
Happy, happy Mother’s Day.
For Whom Are You Investing?
ou may, on occasion,
ask yourself why you
are investing. Why go
through the fluctuations of the financial
markets, the worry over interest
rate movements, the fears of today
and the uncertainties of tomorrow? To answer this question, you may
need to ask yourself one more: For
whom am I investing?
Consider
the
following:
• You’re investing for yourself. It
sounds selfish, but it’s not. You may
be investing in your Registered
Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) and
other investment accounts so you
can enjoy a comfortable retirement
lifestyle after working your entire
adult life. But you’re also investing
so you can become financially
independent — free of worries that
you’ll become a burden to your grown
children or other family members. And
given the real possibility of spending
two, or even three decades in an
active retirement, it’s imperative that
you put as much as you can possibly
afford into investment vehicles that
can help you pursue your financial
independence.
• You’re investing for your family. If
you have children or grandchildren,
you may well want to help them pay
for college or university. And, as you
know, post-secondary education has
gotten much more expensive in recent
years, so you’ll need to save and
invest from the time your children are
very young, and you’ll need to choose
the right investment accounts. But
you’ll also need to think about other
family members, too. Have you built
up enough in your retirement accounts
so that the money would be sufficient
to support your surviving spouse
should anything happen to you? Will
you have enough financial resources
to help support your elderly parents
should they require assistance? And
will you be able to leave the type of
legacy you desire? As you can see,
when you’re investing for your family,
you’ve got a lot to consider
.
• You’re investing for your beliefs.
Throughout your working years, you
may try to give as much money as
you can to charitable organizations
whose work you support. Yet you
may wish you could do even more.
And eventually, you may be able to
do more. For example, if you sell an
asset that has appreciated in value,
there will be tax implications. But if
you were to give securities that have
appreciated in value to a charitable
organization, you could avoid taxes
on the appreciated amount, and you
may even get a current income tax
break for your contribution. You
might also want to include charitable
organizations in your estate plans,
after consulting with your attorney or
other estate tax advisor.
As you can see, you’ve got some
“key constituencies” counting on
you. By keeping them in mind, you
should have the motivation you need
to overlook the day-to-day ups and
downs of investing — while you
keep your focus on your important
long-term goals. If you would like
assistance in formulating how to
achieve these goals, please give me a
call at 613-526-3030.
Bob Jamieson, CFP
Edward Jones, Member Canadian
Investor Protection Fund.
The OSCAR
MAY 2012
- OUR 40th YEAR
Blue Ridge Mountains
Shenandoah River
Sale of Yoga Mat Bags Supports
Early Child Care in Rural Nepal
by Tineke and Michael
Casey
Old Ottawa South
W
e started our travels to
Nepal about 15 years
ago, first like everyday
tourists interested in trekking off
into the hinterlands and then later,
after becoming more integrated into
a Nepali family, to see the country
with different eyes.
Oh Nepal is still achingly
beautiful but now we see with clearer
eyes what could be. What we once
judged as cute or quaint we now see
as barriers to progress.
The clearest example of this is
the way that young children, say 5
or 6 years old, become the caregiver
to their younger siblings. Seeing a
young girl carry her little brother on
her back might make you smile the
way you would if you saw the same
thing here in Ottawa. After a while
though, you see it is not a game; it’s
what she does.
If you find affordable child
care difficult to find here in Ottawa,
imagine it in rural Nepal. The
situation is the same – both parents
are working – who will care for the
children? So it often falls to the oldest
child, or the oldest girl to take this on.
That means no school for her until
the youngest reaches school age. By
then the elder sister is 11 or 12 and
must attend Grade 1. It’s no wonder
they drop out in such huge numbers.
For girls in rural Nepal getting past
Grade 2 is better than average.
The Nepalese know this is an
issue and, as best they can, they are
helping villages establish child care
centres but progress is slow as the
government has so many competing
F
interests. The Government of Nepal
is supportive of organizations that
like to help a village establish a
centre. So together with the Canada
Foundation For Nepal (CFFN.ca) we
have done that in one village and are
well on our way to repeating that in
another.
Helping a village create a child
care centre is one thing but making
it sustainable is something else.
The Madhi Centre has two floors,
the second for use as a community
meeting place, a location for a clinic
or, in time, a place where tourists
can stay. We are also working with
the village to capture a market in a
nearby city for high value crops in
the dry season, grown in their own
bamboo and plastic greenhouses and
using micro irrigation technology.
Our projects are small and very
focused and so can be done on a
modest budget. With a small amount
of fundraising we can do quite a lot.
The sale of our yoga mat bags goes
directly to this effort.
There are two actions we are
supporting with the yoga mat bags.
The first is that the bags are made by
a women’s co-op (Nepalese Women
Skills Development Project) which
helps rescue Nepali women who
have no income. This co-op teaches
them a skill and then gives them a
job. We have the bags custom made
at this facility in Pokhara, Nepal.
The profit from the sale of the
bags goes to supporting the creation
of more rural village child care
centres.
You can learn more about the
project at cffn.ca and clicking on the
4C link. You can also reach Tineke or
Michael at (613) 730-4963 or through
yoga instructor Andrea Robertson.
Page 41
Massanutten zipline
By Don Cummer
I
n 1862, Stonewall Jackson posted his
scouts on the summit of a mountain
ridge running down the centre of the
Shenandoah Valley. From high above the
town of Harrisonburg, Virginia, they had a
clear view of the movements of the Union
armies for miles up and down the valley.
Today,
most
people
ascend
Massanutten Mountain by chairlift. From
the top, they can schuss a 350 meter
vertical to the ski lodge. Then they can
continue by car to the foot of the mountain
for a tee-off time on one of the resort’s two
18-hole golf courses, or to an indoor water
park that draws visitors from hundreds of
miles around.
Ontario’s March Break corresponds
with the shoulder season at Massanutten
Resort http://www.massresort.com. The
daffodils are in bloom, but the snow is still
packed on the ski runs.
Some of the resort’s summer facilities,
including the outdoor swimming pool and
canoe trips down the Shenandoah River,
have yet to open. But the zip lines and
trail rides, go kart tracks and tennis courts
are all waiting for the Ottawa travelers
fleeing the last vestiges of our winter.
Massanutten Resort also offers bus
tours to nearby vineyards and historic
sites associated with former Presidents
of the United States, including Thomas
Jefferson’s
remarkable
mansion,
Monticello. Many Ontarians, however,
don’t miss the opportunity to take a daylong bus trip to Washington, D.C. – a twohour drive to the north and east.
This year, we were lucky enough to
hit Washington during a heat wave that
had lured the city’s cherry trees into bloom
weeks before the famous cherry blossom
festival. The air was rich with the scent
of magnolia.
The 14-hour drive down Interstate
81 to the heartland of Virginia can be
easily divided into two parts. If a family,
taking advantage of the March Break,
leaves shortly after school is let out for
the day on Friday, it’s possible to reach
southern Pennsylvania in time to find
accommodation for the night.
The next morning, rather than
pushing on to the Shenandoah Valley
right away, we usually poke around the
Amish communities west of Philadelphia,
or explore the battlefields of the Civil War.
This year marks the 150th anniversary of
many of the most notable engagements,
including Antietam – a short detour in the
Maryland leg of the trip – and Stonewall
Jackson’s Valley Campaign, which
continues to be studied in the military
academies.
Or maybe you’d prefer just to drive
along the Blue Ridge Mountains or along
those byways John Denver used to sing
of:
West Virginia, mountain mama,
Take me home, country roads.
How Can Stretching Improve Your Health?
lexibility often gets over looked
when we talk about fitness and
overall wellness. With current
lifestyles forcing us to sit too often for
too long and our stress levels being
high, we often carry a lot of muscular
tension. Daily stretching will help to
ensure your muscles and joints stay
limber and will help to make you feel
better! Some of the health benefits of
stretching include:
• Increase circulation: A common
contributing factor to poor circulation
is lack of body movement. With our
current lifestyle of sitting all day at
work, and then sitting to get to and from
work in our cars, we often neglect our
bodies’ need for exercise. So, whenever
you notice you have been sitting for a
while, make sure to get up and move
around!
• Preventing injury: Stretching
can
help
improve
flexibility.
When flexibility is improved, your
performance with physical activities
may also be improved and your risk of
injury reduced. For example, if your
Achilles tendon is tight and you do a
lot of hill walking, your foot will be
unable to go through the entire range of
motion. This will increase your chance
of developing tendonitis over time.
By stretching your calf muscles and
Achilles tendon, you will improve the
ankles range of motion and decrease the
risk of microtraumas overtime.
• Managing stress: Stretching can
help to elevate mental and physical
stress and tension. Taking the time to
unwind with 20 minutes of stretching
can help promote sleep and slow your
heart rate.
Stretching Tips:
• Warm up first: move around,
go for a short walk or march in place
while swinging your arms to warm up
your muscles. Muscles, tendons, and
ligaments are more flexible and stretch
more easily when warm. Stretching
cold muscles can cause injury. • Hold each stretch for 10 to
20 seconds, allowing the muscle to
lengthen slowly. • Do not bounce! Quick movements
can cause muscle fibers to shorten, not
lengthen. Bouncing will not give you
an effective stretch.
• Do not overstretch. Do not stretch
to the point of pain. If the stretch hurts,
you’re pushing too hard. • Do not rush! Give yourself
adequate time to stretch after a work
out or at the end of your work day.
Stretching through out the day will help
keep you limber and reduce soreness
and stiffness at the end of your work
day!
Following these tips will help keep
your muscles and joints healthy.
Dr. Melissa Baird is a Chiropractor
with Glebe Chiropractic Clinic. She
can be contacted at 613 237 9000. You
can also follow Glebe Chiropractic on
Twitter @GlebeChiro or on Facebook at
Glebe Chiropractic / Massage Therapy.
Page 42
The OSCAR - OUR 40th YEAR
MAY 2012
Nessie
the Loch Ness Monster
Tax Planning For Post Retirement Life
Provided by Linda M. Hancock, BSc.,
CFP, Senior Financial Consultant,
Investors Group Financial Services Inc.
T
o save the most during your working years,
to build the largest possible retirement
nest egg, tax planning is an absolute
necessity. And it becomes even more important
after you retire when you’ll need to maximize
your (perhaps) limited income so you can live
your dreams for all your retirement years. Here
are some essential strategies for making that
happen.
Income split Aim at reducing your family’s total
tax liability by allocating up to 50 per cent of
your eligible pension income (monthly pension
payments and, when you reach age 65, RRIF
income) to the lower income spouse/partner for
tax purposes.
Share benefits Sharing CPP/QPP benefits with
your spouse/partner can save significantly on
taxes.
Plan withdrawals RRIF withdrawals are
fully taxable; manage your taxable income by
withdrawing as little as possible.
Take full credit Reduce the amount of tax you
pay by taking advantage of all the federal tax
credits (some with equivalent provincial credits)
that apply to you including the Pension Income
Credit, Age Credit, Medical Expense Credit, and
Charitable Donations Credit, among others.
Allocate assets efficiently Reduce taxes by
holding
fully-taxable,
interest-generating
investments inside a tax-sheltered RRSP, RRIF
or TFSA and keeping eligible investment assets
that generate capital gains or Canadian dividends
and are taxed less outside your registered plans.
71 – before and after Be sure to take full
advantage of the tax-sheltering benefits of your
RRSP by making your maximum contribution
up to the end of the year you turn 71. At that
age, the government requires that you wrap up
your RRSP(s) and convert the proceeds, usually
to a RRIF. After you reach 71, consider putting
any extra money into investments held within a
TFSA where the funds can continue to grow taxfree and/or contributing to spousal RRSP eligible
investments until your spouse/partner turns 71.
Consider a guaranteed investment fund This
is a segregated fund that contains a guaranteed
minimum withdrawal benefit so you can enjoy
the potential investment growth of a mutual fund
along with a guaranteed regular income which
will not decrease.
Consider a Monthly Income Portfolio This
mutual fund option is more flexible and taxadvantaged than other non-registered options
like a Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC)
which locks in your money while locking it out
of potentially higher returns and creating an
immediate tax bill on redemption. A monthly
income portfolio is designed to provide maximum
investment returns along with a monthly income,
a part of which is treated as return on capital – a
tax-deferral strategy that can increase your aftertax monthly income.
Save on taxes now and after you retire by using
all the tax-reduction strategies you can. Your
professional advisor can show you how.
This column, written and published by
Investors Group Financial Services Inc. (in
Québec – a Financial Services Firm), and
Investors Group Securities Inc. (in Québec, a
firm in Financial Planning) presents general
information only and is not a solicitation to buy
or sell any investments. Contact your own advisor
for specific advice about your circumstances. For
more information on this topic please contact
your Investors Group Consultant.
By Anna Redman
H
er name is Nessie. She is the star of many a folk
tale, urban legend and film. It is rumoured that she
swims in the depths of Loch Ness and hides among
the suspected underwater caves. Nessie, the Loch Ness
Monster, is believed to resemble a dinosaur, but has only
been captured in grainy, indistinct photographs. While many
have tried, no one has managed to gather indisputable proof
of Nessie’s existence.
It has been suggested that the myth of the Loch Ness
monster emerged in 565 AD, with sightings being reported
ever since. However, such sightings increased after the turn
of the 20 century when a new road was built along the edge
of the Loch. Former inn owners, the Mackays, reported a
sighting on April 14, 1933, shortly after the road was built.
They informed the man in charge of regulating salmon fishing
in Loch Ness, Alex Campbel. The regulator responded to
their report by announcing several of his own sightings
shortly afterwards.
A year later, in 1934, Arthur Grant reported seeing the
monster crossing the road. The description Grant provided of
Nessie suggested she was a plesiosaurus, an aquatic member
of the dinosaur family, believed to have been extinct for more
than 65 million years.
Almost 30 years on, in 1960, the first video footage of
Nessie was captured by Tim Dinsdale. Sceptics argue that
what was captured was actually a motorboat, but Dinsdale
disagreed. So intrigued was he by his alleged sighting that
he quit his job as an aeronautical engineer and spent twenty
years attempting to locate Nessie. He reported two more
sightings of the creature, but was never able to gather more
concrete evidence to prove her existence.
The American Academy of Applied Science decided
to devote a study to Nessie during the 70s. They captured
evidence with sonar searches and underwater cameras, but
once again, sceptics dismissed such notions, explaining
everything away.
But as it turns out, Nessie doesn’t need proper evidence
to garner fame. A recent report released by the Metro
newspaper suggests that the monster is the most famous Scot.
Beating out competition like tennis-player Andy Murray and
actor Sean Connery, Nessie earned 29% of the votes. Results
were based on responses from more than 2,000 adults across
Britain.
In 2011 Nessie graced movie screens across the globe in
her very own short film, proceeding Disney’s latest instalment
in the Winnie the Pooh series. The short, titled ‘The Ballad of
Nessie,’ was narrated by comedian Billy Connolly and tells
the story of how Nessie came to find her home in Loch Ness.
Other notable film and television moments include
the 1996 film Loch Ness, staring Ted Danson, and a guest
appearance in a 2004 episode of Scooby-Doo.
An exhibition has been opened in tribute to Nessie at the
Drumnadrochit hotel in Inverness-shire. Visitors to the area
can also sign up for guided tours that include a visit to Loch
Ness.
Nessie stars in a myth that has survived for thousands of
years, suggesting that she too, has done the same. If seeing
is believing, then few would be willing to pass on such tales,
but perhaps, in Nessie’s case, the desire to see is enough, and
as a result, she will live on forever.
Library is More Than Books
Along with books, dvds and cds, it is possible to borrow
magazines from the Library.
The magazines can be borrowed for a one week period with
one renewal possible.
In the children’s department the titles vary as widely as
Amercan Girl to Sports Illustrated for Kids.
We have Ladybug ChickadeeOwl, Ranger Rick Wild, Big
Backyard and Nintendo Power which is never on the shelf.
We also have a Spanish language magazine called Iguana.
In June, we select magazine titles for the coming year.
If you have any suggestions, let us know; we might be able to
add to or change our selection.
The OSCAR - OUR 40th YEAR
MAY 2012
Page 43
WHAT’S HAPPENING AT THE LIBRARY
Sunnyside Branch Library
Sunnyside Branch Library
1049 Bank Street, Ottawa
613-730-1082,
Adult Services,
extension 22
Children’s Services,
extension 29
Children’s Programs
Babytime
For babies and their parents or
caregiver with stories, rhymes, songs
and games. 0-18 months.
Tuesdays, 2:15 p.m. May 8-May 29
Storytime
Stories, rhymes and songs for
preschoolers and a parent or
caregiver. Ages 3-6.
Mondays, 2:15 a.m. May 7-May 28
Storytime (bi-lingual)
Stories, rhymes and songs for
preschoolers and a parent or
caregiver. Ages 3-6.
Contes, rimes et chansons pour les
enfants préscolaires et un parent ou
gardien. 3-6 ans.
Wednesdays 10:15 a.m. May 9-May
30
Toddlertime
For toddlers and a parent or caregiver
with stories, rhymes, songs and
games. Ages 18-35 months.
Tuesdays, 10:15 a.m. May 8-May 29
OR
Thursdays, 10:15 a.m. May 10-May
31
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.
Mondays, 7:00 p.m. (60 min.) May
7
Mother-Daughter Book Club Ages
10-12
A place for girls and the special
women in their lives to share books.
Registration.
Mondays, 7:00 p.m. (60 min.) May
14
guysread
Share the love of books. For boys
and a significant adult. Ages 8-12.
Registration.
Wednesdays, 7:00 p.m. (60 min.)
May 16
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.
Mother-Daughter Book Club
A place for girls and the special
women in their lives to share
books. Ages 13-15. Registration.
Mondays, May 28, 7:00 pm (60
min.)
Adult Programs
Conversation en français
Improve your spoken French and
meet new friends in a relaxed
setting.
Thursdays, January 12 – May
31, 7:00 pm (60 min.)
The Writing Workshop
An opportunity for writers of
fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and
experimental forms to gather to
help develop works-in-progress
for publication. The workshop
will provide writers with
encouragement and constructive
criticism from their peers.
Registration.
Mondays, 6:00 pm (120 min.)
May 28
Adult Special Programs
Improving Health Through
Dynamic Posture
Come and join Dr. Chandan
Brar of the Glebe Chiropractic
Clinic, for interactive classes on
improving your posture naturally.
You will learn how posture is
connected to your digestion,
breathing and even a healthy
prolonged life. Topics to be
covered will include posture and
the workplace, effective strategies
for stress management, and
nutrition. Registration.
Thursday, May 17, 7:00 pm (60
min.)
Thursday, May 3, 6:30 pm (120
min.)
Job Hunting and Career
Education
Are you looking for a job or
trying to decide on a career?
Come and find out how the library
can help you with your search.
Registration.
Thursday, May 10, 7:00 pm (60
min.)
Wiebo’s War - NFB Film
Documentary
Soon after natural gas wells were
drilled near the Alberta home of
Reverend Wiebo Ludwig and his
clan, the Christian community started
experiencing health problems. After
five years of being ignored by the oil
and gas industry, Ludwig decided to
fight. The story of a man’s relentless
struggle against powerful industry
interests. Registration. Thursday, May 24, 6:30 pm (90
min.)
Adult Book Clubs
Clicking, Flicking and Tweeting:
Social Networking Controversy
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
Andrea Wells from the Ottawa PC
Users’ Group. Andrea describes
the value of social media and
Chris cautions about using
these tools so that you don’t
compromise your computer,
your job, your identity, or worse.
Registration.
Cercle de lecture
Partagez avec nous le plaisir des
livres dans une ambiance détendue.
Les mardis, 8 mai, 19 h (60 min.)
Sunnyside Adult Book Club
Meet new people and join in
stimulating discussions on selected
titles in a friendly and relaxed
atmosphere. Registration.
Fridays, May 25, 2:00 pm (60 min.)
Coming soon...Imagine yourself in the club this summer!
WHAT is the TD Summer Reading
Club?
As soon as school finishes in
June!
t’s a free program just for kids,
that runs at libraries across
Canada every year. Kids who
register will receive a free poster and
activity book, and a sticker with a
secret code for every book they read
during the summer. There are nine
stickers to collect, and the secret
codes will unlock reading rewards on
this website. See if you can collect
them all!
WHY should I join the club?
Because it’s going to be SO
MUCH FUN! There will be cool
programs, games and activities, and
lots of other neat things to see, read
and do. This website is also going
to be full of lots of amazing stuff,
including secret content, just for club
members.
I
WHO can join the club?
Any kid in Canada can join the
club, and it’s free!
WHERE can I join the club?
Check to see if the club is running
at your local library, then drop in to
get your poster and activity book.
WHEN can I join?
The fun starts in June. See you then!
TD Summer Reading Club Imagine
We want your students to come
and participate in this year’s TD
Summer Reading Club as the TD
Summer Reading Club will enchant
our youth in 2012!
This year, the focus will be on
fantasy literature, which will be sure
to amaze young readers. With the
theme Imagine, they will have their
heads in the clouds reading tales and
novels set in fantasy worlds where
strange, magical creatures mix with
robots and other fantastical machines. The whimsical illustrations of Dušan
Petričić make these imaginary
worlds even more exciting. - features
civilisations from the past.
Come to the Sunnyside branch to
join and receive a Club poster, nine
stickers and an activity booklet full of
fun ideas.
This program offers families fun,
free activities to encourage children
to read and continue developing their
literacy skills throughout the summer.
Research has shown that the
playful approach of these clubs is
extremely effective in getting more
children to increase their reading
skills. For years, studies have shown
that school-age children lose many of
their reading skills over the summer
months if they do not continue to read
while they are out of school. Summer
reading clubs first started when library
staff realized that they could make
a difference. When further studies
demonstrated that children who do
not learn to read fluently in fourth
grade will likely never feel totally
comfortable with the printed word,
our job was clear. Keep those children
reading and make sure they have fun
doing so!
Ottawa Public Library is
joining libraries from across Canada
in this joint initiative between TD
Bank Financial Group, Library and
Archives Canada and the Toronto
Public Library.
Working together to support
literacy for all our children.
The OSCAR - OUR 40th YEAR
Page 44
MAY 2012
WHAT’S HAPPENING AT THE LIBRARY
Alta Vista Branch Library
Programs Offered At The Alta
Vista Library
Programmes Offerts A La
Bibliotheque Alta Vista
Alta Vista Branch
2516 Alta Vista Drive
Register: www.
biblioottawalibrary.ca
Or call 613-737-2837 x28
Children/Enfants
Storytime / Contes
Stories, rhymes, and songs for preschoolers and a parent or caregiver.
Ages 3-6. / Contes, rimes et chansons
pour les enfants préscolaires et un
parent ou gardien. Pour les 3-6 ans.
(10:30 am)/ (10 h 30) (30 min.)
(Bilingual) Monday May 07, - May
28 - Session 3 / (Bilingue) Les lundis 7
mai-28 mai – Session 3
Family Storytime
Stories, rhymes and songs for children
of all ages and a parent or caregiver.
All ages. (2 p.m.) (30 min.)
Monday May 07 - May 28 - Session 3
Toddlertime / Tout-petits à la biblio
Stories, rhymes and songs for babies and a parent or caregiver. 18-36
months. / Contes, rimes et chansons
pour les tout-petits et un parent ou gardien. Pour les 18-36 mois. (10:30 am)/
(10 h 30) (30 min.)
(Bilingual) Tuesdays, May 08 - May
29 – Session 3 / (Bilingue) Les mardis
8 mai-29 mai- Session 3
Babytime / Bébés à la biblio
Stories, rhymes and songs for babies
and a parent or caregiver. 0-18 months.
/ Contes, rimes et chansons pour les
bébés et un parent ou gardien. Pour les
0-18 mois. (10:30 am )/ (10 h 30) (30
min.)
(Bilingual) Wednesday May 09, - May
30, - Session 3 /(Bilingue) Les mercredis 9 mai-30 mai –Session 3
Homework Club / Club de devoirs
Get tutoring and help with homework
after school. Help is available in math,
reading and science, in French and/
or English. Ages 7-18 Registration.
Offered in partnership with E.A.G.L.E.
Center/ Reçoit du tutorat et de l’aide
avec les travaux scolaires. De l’aide
disponible avec les mathématiques, la
lecture et les sciences, en français et/
ou anglais. Pour les 7 à 18 ans. Inscription. Offert en partenariat avec
E.A.G.L.E. Centre. (5 p.m.)/ (17 h) (90
min.)
(Bilingual) Wednesdays, Jan 18 - May
30 / (Bilingue) Les mercredis 18 janvier-30 mai
N.B. Registration for programs
starts on April 25./ L’inscription des
programmes commence le 25 avril. /
Registration for all programs requires
a valid OPL library card for each
registrant./Toutes les personnes qui
souhaitent s’inscrire à des programmes
doivent être titulaires d’une carte
valide de la BPO.
Special Storytime
Family Story & Theatre Time
Families share stories, are introduced
to the theatre, make basic prop crafts
and participate in role-playing scenes
from a favorite children’s book. Ages
4+.
Saturday May 12 (2 p.m. (75 min.)
The Alta Vista Library is located
at 2516 Alta Vista Dr. For more
information, please call 613-737-2837,
ext. 26 / La bibliothèque Alta Vista est
située au 2516, promenade Alta Vista.
Pour de plus amples renseignements,
veuillez composer le 613-737-2837,
poste 26.
Teens/Adolescents
Teen Book Swap
Expand your reading repertoire and
share your favourites. Choose a book
related to the theme; read, share then
swap suggestions with other members. Title suggestions available at the
branch. Ages 13-17. (7 pm ) (60 min.)
Tuesday , May 22 - Crime’s the Thing
Slam Poetry Night
Head to Alta Vista for an unforgetable
high-energy poetry slam. There will
be two rounds of competition, perfomances will be limited to 3 minutes
and each poem must be the original
work of the competitor. Call 613-7372837 x29 for more information and to
register for the competition. First and
second prizes.
Friday May 04, (6:30 pm ) (2 h)
Homework Club / Club de devoirs
Get tutoring and help with homework
after school. Help is available in math,
reading and science, in French and/
or English. Ages 7-18 Registration.
Offered in partnership with E.A.G.L.E.
Center/ Reçoit du tutorat et de l’aide
avec les travaux scolaires. De l’aide
disponible avec les mathématiques, la
lecture et les sciences, en français et/
ou anglais. Pour les 7 à 18 ans. Inscription. Offert en partenariat avec
E.A.G.L.E. Centre. (5 p.m.) (90 min.)
(Bilingual) Wednesdays, Jan 18 - May
30 / (Bilingue) Les mercredis 18 janvier-30 mail
Alta Vista Library Adult Programs
2516 Alta Vista Drive
Register online at:
www.biblioottawalibrary.ca
or call 613-737-2837 x28
Book Banter
Drop in to share the enjoyment of
good books in a relaxed atmosphere.
Thursdays, 2:00 p.m. (1 hr.)
May 3: Essex County by Jeff Lemire.
Tuesday Book Group
Share the enjoyment of good books in
a relaxed atmosphere. Join us for a
discussion of The Great Books
(First Series, Part 2)
May 8, 7:00 p.m. (1.5 hrs.)
NEW! Nonfiction Book Club
Thursdays, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
May 10: Theme: Water
Read any book about the subject
and join the discussion.
Alta Vista Sleuth Hounds
Share the enjoyment of good
mysteries in a relaxed atmosphere.
Thursdays, 6:30 p.m. (1.5 hrs.)
May 17: Read any Louis Kinkade title
by P.J. Parrish.
Infusions littéraires
Partager une tasse de thé ou de
tisane en discutant de livres.
Les mardis, 14 h (1 hr.)
15 mai : La tulipe noir de Alexandre
Dumas.
Rencontre littéraire
Auteur francophone de la région,
Michèle Vinet, présente son nouveau
roman « Jeudi novembre ».
mercredi, 2 mai, 19 h – 20 h
Introduction to Korean Yoga for
Good Health and Well-Being
Learn about the 5 steps to wellness,
as well as simple, easy and effective
exercises (sitting or standing) to
relieve stress and improve well-being.
Adults 55+.
Friday, May 18, 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Knit 2 Together
Love to knit? Bring your needles,
yarn and good cheer. No need for
expertise, we knit for the pleasure of it.
Saturdays, 10:30 a.m. (1.5 hr.)
May 5, June 2
French Conversation Group
Improve your spoken French in a
relaxed setting. For those with an
intermediate level of French.
Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m. (1.5 hrs.)
April 3 – May 29
English Conversation Group
Improve your English and meet new
friends. In partnership with
Somali Family Services.
Mondays, 6:00-7:30 p.m.
Tuesdays, 12:00-1:45 p.m.
Café Alta Vista for Adults 55+
Drop in for coffee and conversation
with others in the community.
Last Thursday of the month.
Thursdays, 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
May 31
Used Book Sale
Pick up great books at great prices!
Check out the Friends of the OPL
bookstore half-price book sale.
Saturdays, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
May 12
Celebrating Cultures in Our
Community
Celebrate the children of the world!
Join us for stories, songs and dance.
Refreshments will be served.
Saturday, May 5, 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Volunteer & Make the #1 City Even Better
By Chandan Brar, B.A, DC
O
ne concept that many of us in
Ottawa are very familiar with
is that of giving back, but
what does that mean? It is probably
more important to ask yourself the
question ‘why’ one should consider it.
Several years ago, I had the privilege of
starting my chiropractic practice in the
city ranked as “the best place to live in
Canada” by MoneySense; that city is
Ottawa! I quickly learned how much
Ottawans love to support their local
communities by volunteering. I also
realized that many regular volunteers
I met were very busy people but they
always seemed to find space in their
lives to donate time or resources to
worthy causes. Perhaps this is one of the
factors that has contributed to Ottawa
being the #1 ranked best city to live in
the third year in a row. Seeing others
inspired me to make a commitment to
do the same.
Perhaps you give money on a
regular basis to charities or donate
perishables to the food bank when you
can---you may be wondering how else
you can give back to you community.
Remember, that as valuable as your
hard earned dollars are---in our fast
paced go-go culture something even
more valuable is your time. We are
all busy and pressed for time and that
is precisely what makes this the most
cherished commodity to give away. So,
find a community event to help out in,
get involved with a local church group,
volunteer to teach English to newcomers
or do talks in your community on
topics that you have a specialized
interest in. For example, being a health
professional, I wanted to share ideas
on health and wellness and therefore
started giving public presentations on
various topics like posture and nutrition.
This lead me to get involved with our
local arthritis society and with the AIDS
Committee of Ottawa. It’s indeed been
an exciting journey and has only just
begun. Imagine how much better we
could make our communities if all we
did was to dedicate an hour a week to
volunteering. This can be a fun and
fulfilling way to give a part of yourself
to improve your community, but in the
process develop your character even
further.
So remind yourself frequently
that you live in a great city and start
this week by finding opportunities
to volunteer and give out the most
priceless gift you can give to make our
communities better--your time.
MAY 2012
The OSCAR - OUR 40th YEAR
Page 45
CLASSY ADS
CLASSY ADS
are free for Old Ottawa South residents (except for businesses or for business activity) and must be submitted in writing to: The OSCAR, at the Old Firehall,
260 Sunnyside, or sent by email to oscar@oldottawasouth.ca 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 accurary. For business advertising inquiries, call 730-1058.
care, fun loving attitude and CPR/ Child care available! I am a 4th
or call 613-730-6575. For Sale
--------------------------------------------- First Aid trained. Rates are flexible and year University student looking for
Old Home located in beautiful I have great availability as well as do part time child care work for the
Large number of Kodak carousel slide
Ottawa South for rent mid-June not mind working on weekends! Also beginning of the summer (May-June).
holding trays (140 each), in excellent
(time frame flexible) Rent 1950.00 open to after-school walks and or help Growing up in Ottawa, I am familiar
condition $10.00 o.b.o. 733.6315
+ utilities - great for young families/ with homework! Please contact me with the area, parks, museums, bike
--------------------------------------------professisonals - Call Cara at 613-249- (Holly) by email at holly-mohr@live. paths, bus routes, etc. I previously
Solid Wood Bedroom Set, Light Stain:
com or by telephone: (613) 795-4758 taught swimming at Brewer Pool, and
9453
A) Queen-size Bed B) Dresser - 65”
--------------------------------------------- would be more than happy to provide
wide and 32” tall with Mirror- 52”
HOME CARE IN OLD OTTAWA swimming lessons! Love kids! Please
Child Care
wide and 39” tall C) 2 night tables SOUTH - In September, due to feel free to contact me anytime
each 22” wide and 24” tall $850
the result of a move, I shall have 3 at jmfryars@live.ca - references
Can e-mail pictures. Call 613-730Home Away From Home Daycare. openings for full time day care. If you available»
2411
OOS/Glebe. Loving and committed are looking for care for your little one --------------------------------------------caregiver with 20+years childcare please contact Natalie - nhcare98@ Babysitting: Babysitter available for
Accommodation
children ages 3+. I have completed
experience. French, English, Spanish hotmail.com
spoken. Excellent nutrition – organic, --------------------------------------------- the babysitting course at the Firehall.
homemade food. Playgroups, library, Bev’s in-home Daycare. Riverdale Please call Matthew 613 730-1441.
For sale. 178 acres land surrounding
parks, museums, music. Full-time. Rd. I have 2 full-time openings in
pristine, stream-fed lake suitable
Certified in infant CPR and first aid. my fun-loving and very busy daycare
for single estate cottage or dividing. Found
for September. ECE, over 34 years
Please call Rocio @ 613-730-0729 Hydro to lakefront, meadows, mature
--------------------------------------------- experience, CPR/First-Aid trained,
forest, amenities nearby, paved road
Mature and responsible university non-smoker. References. Receipt Found: Gift certificate for Taylor›s
to 1 km of gated access. 120km
student available to babysit children given at end of year. phone: 613-594- Genuine. If you think it might be
from Old Ottawa South, west along
yours, please call Carolyn at 613 730
of all ages in the Old Ottawa South 5986 cell: 613-983-5986
Highway 148. For photos, details,
0051.
Area! Extensive experience in child
price see http://lake-estate.net76.net
Join “Bike to Work Month”
by Mike Buckthought
M
ay is “Bike to Work
Month” in Ottawa, and
EnviroCentre is collaborating
with workplaces across the region to
encourage people to cycle to work.
Last year, 861 people pledged to
bike to work, covering a total distance
of 759,040 km. Participants reduced
greenhouse gas emissions by an
estimated 191 tonnes by biking instead
of using motorized modes of transport.
The 2012 edition of “Bike to
Work Month” promises to encourage
even more people to cycle to work.
EnviroCentre is offering an updated
information kit, workshops, cycling
safety information, multimedia tools,
and an online pledge system.
This year, EnviroCentre and the
City of Ottawa will be introducing the
BikeMobile, an interactive display
booth on wheels, greeting employees
with prize give-aways outside eight
workplaces.
“The idea is to bring a simplified
version of the celebration stations we’ve
done in the past, right to your door.
We’ll let the public know where we’re
going to be each week on Twitter and
through our online events calendar,”
says Jessica Wells, EnviroCentre’s
Programs Coordinator for Sustainable
Transportation.
EnviroCentre is also encouraging
people to develop their cycling skills.
The organization has teamed up with
City Wide Sports to offer cycling Lunch
and Learns and on-bike workshops at
workplaces.
“Based on surveys and feedback
we’ve received, there is a clear demand
for practical, hands-on bike safety
training. Cyclists will learn essential
safety habits like shoulder checking,
using hand signals, and choosing to take
the lane,” says Wells.
The cycling safety workshops will
teach introductory and intermediate
skills, with practice sessions in parking
lots and on city roads. The training will
enhance the confidence of commuters,
helping people ride safely in traffic.
Cycling to work provides many
health and environmental benefits. It
increases the productivity of employees,
and reduces rates of sickness-related
absences. It is also a key way to
reduce our community’s emissions of
greenhouse gases.
Ottawa’s motor vehicles produce
1.6 million tonnes of greenhouse
gases a year. Emissions from the city’s
transportation sector have increased,
thanks to the presence of large numbers
of SUVs. Exposure to traffic-related air
pollution increases rates of asthma and
other respiratory diseases.
“Cycling is a convenient, fun,
healthy, and cost-effective way to
travel. In Ottawa, the average commute
is 7.8 km and one-third of us travel
less than 5 km to work,” says Wells.
“There is therefore a huge amount
of potential to reduce transportationrelated greenhouse gas emissions, road
congestion, and noise and air pollution.
Small steps can have a significant
impact.”
To participate in “Bike to Work
Month”, visit www.biketoworkottawa.
com. When you pledge to bike to work,
you’ll be eligible to win some great
prizes. Prizes will be awarded at the
Bruce Timmermans Cycling Awards on
June 2.
The online pledge system has
been expanded to track statistics such
as distance travelled, reductions in
emissions, calories burned, and dollars
saved. Workplaces can combine their
pledge totals to compete against other
organizations to see which group has
the largest number of green commuters.
EnviroCentre is a non-profit
organization that works to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions in Ottawa
and Eastern Ontario by delivering
energy-efficiency
programs
and
services. EnviroCentre has coordinated
Bike to Work since 2010. To download
an information kit or pledge to join
“Bike to Work Month”, visit www.
biketoworkottawa.com.
the Ottawa community for a week of
nostalgia, networking, and fond CU
memories. More than 20 events taking
place for you to choose from including
lectures, workshops, tours, milestone
anniversary celebrations, and reunion
festivities. We are also pleased to
showcase a number of dynamic guest
speakers including André Picard, public
health reporter at The Globe and Mail
and Nejolla Korris, an expert in the field
of linguistic lie detection.
For more information and to
register, please visit: cualumni.carleton.
ca/get-involved/alumni-week.
20/20 Vision Conference,
Empowering Women - The Centre
for Research and Education on
Women and Work is hosting a half day
conference and dinner in celebration
of the 20th anniversary of the
Management Development Program
for Women. The event takes place
Friday, May 11, 2012, at Carleton
University. For more details please
visit: www.sprott.carleton.ca/mdpw/
which will be celebrating 50 years. The
bus stops in Rimouski, Rivière du Loup,
St. Siméon, La Malbaie, Baie St. Paul,
St. Anne de Beaupré and Hudson - all
on the itinerary.
Cost: Members $499, others $525. Single supplement add $205. Package
includes bus & ferry transportation,
hotels, entrance fees, tips, and some
meals.
For more info: 613-230-3276,
info@friendsofthefarm.ca,
www.
friendsofthefarm.ca
Around Town
Great Trinity Book Sale Saturday, May 5. 9:30 a.m. to 3
p.m. at Trinity Anglican Church,
1230 Bank Street. Novels, mysteries,
classics, romances, “book club books”,
cookbooks, books for children, and
much more. Don’t miss this great
opportunity to stock up for all your
summer reading.
Come back to campus and
celebrate at the sixth annual
Carleton University Alumni Week,
May 8-12, 2012. Join old friends,
former classmates, fellow alumni and
Visit the Gardens in Quebec - July
15 to 18 - This four-day bus tour features
a visit to Grand-Metis (Reford Gardens)
The OSCAR - OUR 40th YEAR
Page 46
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Pre & Post move cleaning and packing
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Extra Mile Renovations
Quality bathrooms, kitchens,
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Trim work, installations, plumbing,
electric, doors, fixtures
Local Renovator Creative Solutions
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References Available
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CARE
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home:613-730-4957
cell: 613-240-9394
MAY 2012
MAY 2012
The OSCAR - OUR 40th YEAR
Page 47
Page 48
The OSCAR
- OUR 40th YEAR
MAY 2012