ABBOTSFORD

from The Glebe Report Jan_Feb 2022 Edition

SPORT

Abbotsford in-person activities are delayed, not cancelled

By Pat Goyeche

Abbotsford House remains open during this current wave of COVID, but things are not as they were in December.

Many of our in-person activities have been postponed until we can open safely again in person. At this time, our day programming for Luncheon Club and Day Away has shifted to virtual programming.

Some clubs are in-house and Tuesday foot-care appointments continue as usual for those members who show proof of vaccination.

Looking for Donations

We are currently accepting donations of books, elegant treasures, jewellery, women’s clothing, art and flea market items. Please drop by with your donated goods. We appreciate your contributions. As a not-for-profit that is not fully funded, we need to raise money to keep our seniors’ programs and services vital and engaging. Your contributions are also good for the environment as we recycle, re-use and help keep Abbotsford’s Active Living Centre open and inviting for seniors, all at the same time!

In-Person and Virtual Programs

We are looking forward to starting our aerobics and line-dancing classes in the spacious Horticultural Building at Lansdowne Park as soon as it feasible to do so. This setting is ideal, as it is a very large venue with high ceilings and lots of space to keep fit or dance away your winter blues. Keep abreast of up-to-date information on any changes to our plans or schedule by checking our website glebecentre.ca under

Abbotsford’s aerobic and line dancing classes were held in the Horticulture Building and it is hoped they will return to it as soon as feasible.

PHOTO: PAT GOYECHE

Abbotsford Programs and Services and “What’s Up at Abbotsford” or by calling us at 613-230-5730.

Much of our programming, which includes art, fitness, dance, memoirwriting, book club, device training, yoga and language classes, continues to be offered online via Zoom. We have different levels of fitness classes for different levels of ability. Everyone can find the right level with our highly qualified and friendly older adult instructors. If you are wondering what level is best for you, please contact us so we can and help you find the right fit to keep you fit! It is never too late to join in.

One of our initiatives in these COVID times is the loan of individual tablets to our members so that they can connect virtually. Our day programming has moved to virtual over Zoom or Mercuri teleconferencing. Members are encouraged to contact us for help with connecting.

All our programs are open to our members. Membership costs $50 per person annually, beginning in January and running for the calendar year. You must be 55+ to join. You can join a class without a membership, but you must pay an additional $25 for each class. Your $50 membership fee gives you access to services, information and camaraderie. If there is one thing we have learned in this pandemic, it is the importance of community and connection. Helping to create and maintain community for our membership has been a key to combating social isolation for many of our members.

Snow Go

Snow Go refers seniors and adults with disabilities to snow removal contractors who have passed a screening test and are properly registered and insured.

The Snow Go Assist program is for people over 60 years old or those with disabilities who qualify as low income. The program reimburses up to $250 of the cost of snow removal for the season. Low income is defined by the city as a single person who lives on up to $31,500 a year or up to $39,200 for a household of two or more. Contact us if this would be helpful.

Abbotsford is your community support centre for adults 55+. We are the community programs of The Glebe Centre Inc., a charitable, not-for-profit organization which includes a 254-bed, long-term care home. Find out more about our services by dropping by 950 Bank Street Mon.–Fri. 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., telephoning 613-230-5730 or by checking out all The Glebe Centre facilities and community programs on our website at glebecentre.ca.

Pat Goyeche is coordinator of community programming at Abbotsford House.

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Model neighbourhoods for aging in place

By Carolyn Inch

“If you are like many Canadians, you want to Age in Place in your own home and community. Aging in place means having the health and social supports and services you need to live safely and independently in your home or your community for as long as you wish and are able.” (Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministers Responsible for Seniors Forum, 2016)

Given the exponential increase in the number of frail elderly expected in the next three decades, the impact on the public purse will be staggering. Geriatric primary (outreach) care plus coordinated support services (home care, home accessibility and safety modifications, nutrition counselling and exercise support) will improve senior’s quality of life and save long-term health care dollars.

Senior Watch of Old Ottawa South (SWOOS) recognizes that the challenges facing Old Ottawa South are similar in the Glebe and Old Ottawa East. We are reaching out to community associations and newspapers to encourage their residents to participate in our efforts.

SWOOS is conducting consultations and surveys to determine what supports are missing for those who want to spend their life in these communities. We hear repeatedly that primary care is lacking for all ages, and there is not appropriate geriatric primary care available to many who need it. As well, we are becoming aware that home care and community support services and informal caregiver supports need to be improved if people are to remain independent longer.

Recognizing that it is in the interests of both seniors and taxpayers, SWOOS developed A Healthy Age-Friendly Community: Strategy for Improving Health Care and Support Services, designed to recruit volunteers who self-identify during the surveys. Within the next few weeks, working groups focusing on our areas of concern will study service availability and develop action plans to address the gaps that will be encountered by our aging community.

If this is of interest to you, either in terms of volunteering or commenting, or you would like a copy of our strategy, please contact us at swoosadmin@oldottawasouth.ca.

Carolyn Inch is a member of the SWOOS (Senior Watch of Old Ottawa South) Health Working Group.

Introducing the new BIA executive director, Patrick Burke

By Carolina Di Giulio

The Glebe is endowed with distinct storefronts, great restaurants, historic landmarks and charm in abundance. But who are the people behind the scenes helping to make it thrive? Patrick Burke is one of them.

Originally from Toronto, Burke moved to Ottawa at the start of the pandemic and instantly fell in love with the Glebe. “The community was great, and the businesses were a lifeline for me,” he said. “Everything I needed was so close and I walked into stores and people were really friendly. That connection was really important when we were a little bit confined at times over the past few years.”

When the opportunity came up to advocate for these businesses, Burke jumped at the opportunity. He became the executive director of the Glebe BIA last November.

There are currently 19 Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) in Ottawa – Bank Street, Byward Market, Downtown Rideau and the Glebe being among them. A BIA allows local businesses and property owners within the district to join together and organize, finance, improve and promote the area as a business and shopping district.

Having previously worked for Toronto’s Financial District BIA, Burke says he wanted to bring his experience in order to help give back to the community that welcomed him.

“I feel really fortunate to have this role. I’ve worked in the BIA world during a pandemic and I felt like I was able to make a positive contribution.”

The Glebe BIA represents 370

Patrick Burke began as executive director of the Glebe BIA in November.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF P. BURKE

businesses and works with the municipality to champion the Glebe, support its distinctive businesses and preserve the unique character of the historic and dynamic neighbourhood, while positioning it as a place to live, shop, visit and do business. The BIA’s revenues come from fees paid by member businesses through municipal property taxes and is overseen by an elected management board with 10 volunteers, a full-time executive director and a fulltime communications and engagement officer. “So if you’re in the Glebe and you see lamppost flowers or the Christmas lights or the gateway signage at the north and south end of Bank Street, those are all investments that businesses made in the community,” Burke explains. The Glebe Spree, for instance, was the BIA’s brainchild. “That’s the kind of work that I’m really excited about: being a part of that community building. And on top of that, being familiar with a lot of the stores already and being able to walk in and chat to someone you know and call each other by our first names, that’s a huge sense of comfort when you’re in a new city, especially during a pandemic.” “I think that is part of the reason why I took on this opportunity in the midst of the pandemic.”

As we start a new year, Burke is optimistic about 2022. “When I look towards the future, I think the Glebe is going to become more vibrant over the next few years. There are going to be more opportunities for people to eat, work, shop and play.”

For Burke, honouring and respecting the community connection is key for it to continue to thrive, even in the most unpredictable of times. “I think the community has really shown up to support local businesses. And I think there’s really a sense of gratitude there, that the people have made the effort to shop local and remember those familyrun independent businesses in the Glebe. It’s challenging times, but I think the challenge has been a bit easier because of the community support we’ve had.” The BIA, he says, along with other neighbourhood groups like the community association, is part of that effort.

“Providing that vibrancy, remembering the roots of the neighbourhood and the community that supports us are really key. And so we want to remind people that businesses in the Glebe are there and that they’re here to serve you, and they’re ready to take care of you.”

Flexibility, Burke adds, is the name of the game to stay on top of the ongoing pandemic.

“These days things change quickly. And so if businesses are offering takeout or curbside pickup, virtual fitness classes, we’re letting people know about that. So even if the way you engage with the storefronts is different, you can still do it. It’s still there for you.”

In the coming months, as the warmer season approaches, Burke hopes community events like the Great Glebe Garage Sale, which usually happens in May, can go ahead as restrictions ease.

“I’m really hopeful that we can offer the familiarity of being out and people being together. Those events are what really draw people to the neighbourhood and give everybody something to celebrate, which I think we’ll all want to do in the next year.”

Carolina Di Giulio is a third-year journalism student at Carleton.

Purple Urchin: 10 years of community

By Rachel Fiset

For many small businesses that make up the very heart of the Glebe, the pandemic was not smooth sailing. But amid all the messaging about handwashing, it was a little easier for Purple Urchin because of the main product it sells – soap.

“It didn’t hurt that we sold soap,” laughed store manager and bookkeeper Rachelle Bélanger. “Everyone was about ‘let’s re-learn how to wash our hands,’ so that definitely didn’t hurt things at all.”

Over its 10 years, four of them in the Glebe, Purple Urchin has upheld the neighbourhood’s values of community, sustainability and care. The soap shop sells a variety of locally and naturally made products, all of which are vegetarian, most being completely vegan. But it is more than just bars of soap – it offers various facial, body, hair and unisex products.

The mission of Purple Urchin? Give to the earth what it gives us. The store’s values are comprised of creating quality products, great customer service and doing no harm to the environment.

“I wanted to do something creative but that wouldn’t clutter up landfills or be a useless product,” said Rebecca Pereira, creator and owner of Purple Urchin. “Soap allows me to be creative.”

Pereira makes every product at her warehouse, ensuring every concoction gets the perfect amount of care, putting in 50 to 60 hours a week. She created Purple Urchin in 2006 as a home-based business selling at craft shows and eventually rented a space on Somerset Street West which doubled as a retail and production location.

“After six years, I moved the retail to Bank Street,” said Pereira. “Soap has a practical purpose because everyone needs it and it just washes away so it doesn’t clutter up the landfills.”

During the pandemic, Purple Urchin used closures to its and the environment’s advantage.

“We’re really big on the eco-footprint of the store,” said Bélanger. “We’ve actually converted most of our packaging to glass or paper in the last year. We’ve really taken advantage of those lockdowns and tried to make something productive out of them.”

The lockdowns also gave Purple Urchin the time to fulfill its dream of a refill station, which allows customers to re-use the bottles they’ve purchased or bring

in their own containers to refill. “We always get looks of surprise when customers come in, and they’re always pretty jazzed to find out they can just bring the container back to have it refilled that way,” said Bélanger. The team noted that Purple Urchin was lucky it was already an established business both online and in-store when the pandemic hit and that their products are a real necessity. The store rallied with the community and used its good fortune to help local restaurants who were going through multiple shutdowns and varying restrictions. After getting a registration to sell hand sanitizer, Purple Urchin began donating it to local restaurants and cafés, such as Dreamland Café and Pure Kitchen. “We also donated little handheld sanitizers for them for their tables, so that their clientele would feel safe. I Purple Urchin celebrated its 10th year as a think we just really felt like we needed to do something,” community-oriented and environmentally-driven Bélanger said. soap creator and retailer. PHOTOS: RACHEL FISET Bélanger also noted that most small businesses close after five years and has credited Purple Urchin’s ongoing success to Pereira’s persistence and community support. Pereira said the fifth anniversary of Purple Urchin is one of her favourite memories of the business. “So many people came out for that anniversary party, it just made me feel so appreciated and loved by the community,” said Pereira. Bélanger added that Pereira doesn’t often get to interact with customers since she spends most of her time making the products, so she loves to get feedback and interact with the community when she gets the chance. “People love the products and the way they support us has really helped us survive all this time,” said Bélanger. Though Purple Urchin celebrated its 10th anniversary in November, COVID-19 made a big celebration impossible. “We really take the neighbourhood health and safety to heart. We are putting a party off until we feel it is safer,” Bélanger said. Instead, they are continuing their plans to release a new product, which hasn’t been revealed yet, in a slow rollout in the coming months. In the meantime, Purple Urchin has one message for all community members: Wash your hands! Rachel Fiset is a third-year journalism student at Carleton University.

Our local shops and restaurants are the pillars of our community, and they’ve been dealt a tough blow these past two years. Let’s support our Glebe friends and neighbours. Join us in continuing to shop local this year as our Glebe businesses work to get back on their feet!

3 Trees

Fabulous February Sale Bargain Basement Open We pay the Tax

The three co-owners of the Ramen Isshin, from left, Jason Matsubara, Koji Zenimaru

and Adam Chan. CREDIT: MAMI ORIHARA

Ramen Isshin brings Japanese cuisine to the Glebe

By Aaliyah Ngoy

What started as a friendship between a chef and two regular clients blossomed into three business owners running a successful restaurant franchise that has now expanded to Ottawa.

The Japanese restaurant Ramen Isshin, which already has three locations in Toronto and one in Quebec, opened in January in the heart of the Glebe at 775 Bank Street. It was restricted to take-out orders at first because of COVID restrictions but got a stream of orders.

The well-established restaurant has already made a name for itself in Toronto, ranking as one of the best in the city. That reputation followed it here.

“A lot of people in Ottawa already knew about us,” says Jason Matsubara, co-owner and overseer of the Ottawa location.

Seeing the demand for their restaurant in the capital led him to proceed with opening, despite the uncertainties of the pandemic.

“A lot of customers have been messaging us on Instagram and a variety of other social platforms,” he says. “And so we already had a decent idea of what areas always wanted us. Ottawa is one of the few locations that came up more than other locations.”

Their solid fan base plus government subsidies is what has kept them afloat. They’ve already attracted the likes of renowned food critic and TV food show host Mat Beausoleil. Having been to the Toronto location, Beausoleil knew he had to pay a visit in Ottawa.

“I was very excited to see them grace Bank Street here in Ottawa’s Glebe. Their broths offer a wide range of flavour profiles and complexity. Their approach to wok-fried vegetables in several of their ramen offerings instills a whole new level of umami (flavour). My favourite is the Stone Bowl Shoyu Kotteri Tsukemen. Dipping noodles are a new culinary experience here in Ottawa and are sure to stimulate your taste buds and keep you longing for more.”

Matsubara co-owns the restaurant with his friends, Koji Zenimaru and Adam Chan. The trio have known each other for over a decade. Back when Ramen Isshin was a mere thought, Zenimaru worked as a head chef at Kingyo Vancouver, where Chan and Matsubara often hung out.

“Koji always worked the sushi bar, so we would always sit in front of Koji, and we would always get along,” says Chan. “We would go there two to three times a week and we kind of just became friends,” says Matsubara.

Initially, it was Matsubara’s idea to start this restaurant. Chan, who had gone back to school at the time, agreed to go along for the ride. Zenimaru, who was already involved in running his own restaurant, refused Matsubara’s offer. After eight years of convincing, he finally agreed and they opened the first Ramen Isshin restaurant in Toronto in 2013.

Though it took a few years for customers to warm to their menu, Chan had a feeling their Japanese dishes would be a hit.

“Everybody already knew about sushi, so I don’t think it was that hard of a leap,” he says. “It did take a while to build and educate our customer base in Toronto. Introducing izakaya food and introducing ramen, it definitely took a few years to build a reputation.”

Since its opening, the trio have persevered with one common goal: to provide every customer with one bowl of ramen. Therein lies the meaning of the restaurants name.

“Isshin basically means one heart, in a way. That kind of matches our logo. Our logo is three large circles that intersect in the middle. Each of those circles represents one of the owners. We put our heart and soul into every bowl of ramen because we only have one chance to give our customer that first impression of us,” says Matsubara.

Matsubara visited different parts of the city to figure out where to establish the restaurant. The Glebe seemed ideal. And there no other ramen restaurants within walking distance. He was set. “When we came here, I went to all the shops, including the knife shop across the street from us. People were so friendly,” he says.

With limited indoor dining resuming this month, the restaurant will be hosting a grand opening on February 18, offering some of their vegetarian ramen dishes at a reduced price of $8.88. And an added bonus – the open kitchen allows customers to watch their food being prepared.

So, calling all food lovers, 775 Bank Street might just be your new spot.