SPORT

By Lorne Abugov

The Ottawa Internationals Soccer Club plans to celebrate grassroots soccer across the city this year with exciting 2022 outdoor programs for young and old.

The Internationals are especially proud of their popular city-wide Developmental Soccer Program (DSP) for boys and girls ages 4 to 12, which has operated since 1997 and celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. The soccer program will return to its community roots this summer at neighbourhood parks and playgrounds.

Within the Glebe, the DSP playing fields are at Mutchmor Public School and Chamberlain Park. Parents can select their preferred and alternate field locations at registration, which is open now.

Unquestionably, 2021 was the year Canada gained worldwide recognition as an emerging international soccer power. And while prospects for the national men’s and women’s soccer teams remain bright, 2022 is also expected to be a memorable one for Canadian soccer at the grassroots level.

The Internationals are poised to celebrate their 50th anniversary this year. Widely regarded as Ottawa’s “community soccer club,” it has provided soccer skills training and team opportunities to youngsters and adults since 1972.

“We’ve always been an openly accessible and inclusive soccer club, something we are very proud of and see continuing and growing in the years ahead,” says Internationals president, Fabio Onesi. “While ensuring that prevailing COVID restrictions take precedence, we are very optimistic that 2022 will be a great year for getting people out of their homes and onto their community soccer pitch.”

Over its first 50 years, the Internationals trained many young players who have gone on to play high-level soccer with university and college teams in Canada and the U.S., as well as in pro soccer.

A recent example is Ottawa’s emerging global soccer superstar, Jonathan David, who in the past two years has topped all scorers in the Belgian and French professional leagues and on the Canadian men’s national team. Before he left Canada to sign professionally in Belgium, David trained with the Ottawa Internationals and was the top goal scorer on the men’s premier soccer team during the 2016 and 2017 seasons.

The club’s general manager, Graeme Bali, is proud to have had a generational talent like David wear the Ottawa Internationals’ colours. “For an amateur club like ours to have had Jonathan for a couple of seasons of men’s soccer here in Ottawa shows our young players that with hard work and talent it’s possible for Canadian kids to excel at the sport.”

But the real strength of the Internationals, Bali acknowledges, is the club’s enduring ability to offer soccer skills training and opportunities to play to every person who wants to play regardless of age or ability.

Since COVID struck, the Internationals have been forced to operate DSP entirely at its two centralized turf fields in Alta Vista. The club is pleased that parents will once again be able to enrol their children in DSP soccer at their local community parks and playgrounds this summer.

“We are really excited to bring this community feature back to DSP, and parents should register now if they want to ensure a spot for their kids nearby to where they live for the 15-week summer season,” says Dan Tello, the club’s vice-president of youth recreational soccer who is also a former DSP parent volunteer and coach.

The DSP spring season from April 16 to May 7 features one-hour sessions on four consecutive Saturday mornings at the club’s centralized turf fields for youngsters in the under-7, under-9 and under-12 age groups. The summer season – which also offers an under-5 age group – will shift to community soccer fields and runs from the week of May 17 to the week of August 26.

In addition to DSP for youngsters, the Internationals also offer competitive and recreational teams and skills training for youth 12 and over and for adult women and men. Renso Vettoretti, vice-president of men’s soccer, looks forward to outdoor soccer kicking off in a few short months. “We are planning to get our youth competitive tryouts underway in March and our adult men and women members outdoors practising in April,” says Vettoretti, who has coached and played men’s soccer with the Internationals for several decades.

Parents can reserve spots for their children now in the DSP by registering for the spring and summer seasons. For further information about DSP, including costs, or to register your child, visit the Internationals website at ottawasoccer.com.

Lorne Abugov is a long-standing coach and board member with the Ottawa Internationals Soccer Club and is editor of The Mainstreeter.

Thomas stretches for the ball in a burst

of speed! PHOTO: DAN TELLO

Soccer program info

Information on soccer programs for girls and boys aged 12 and older and for adult men and women can be obtained at the Internationals’ website or by emailing the appropriate club contacts:

mens@ottawasoccer.com

womens@ottawasoccer.com

youthrec@ottawasoccer.com

girls-competitive@ottawasoccer.com

boys-competitive@ottawasoccer.com

Emily is one of the many children learning soccer skills through the Ottawa Internationals Soccer Club and its Developmental Soccer Program.

PHOTO: TRACY LUCKING

Curling party on Brown’s Inlet

By Stella Rastogi

During a snowy, frigid winter and another wave of COVID, what could ease our sad situation? One answer – the Wiltonfest Pondspiel on Brown’s Inlet! This curling party was the brainchild of four ingenious neighbours – Paul and Marilyn Peiper and John Kruspe and Karen McNeil.

Paul felt we neighbours near the pond needed more fun things to do. A member of the Navy Curling Club, he’d had the idea before of curling on the pond but COVID, bad weather and other issues frustrated his plans. This year, he decided to go ahead because it would be fun, allowable under COVID rules and let people to embrace the cold rather than hibernate.

John has been shovelling Brown’s Inlet for years. The rinks there are especially popular for hockey, which is not allowed on the nearby Rideau Canal. John and some neighbours hauled down the snowblower that he and Paul jointly own and cleared a rink for curling.

The curling rocks were made of concrete in margarine tubs. The handles were shelf brackets stuck into the concrete. The rocks were painted red or green, one set for each team. Paul sent out a call last year for used margarine tubs, but it turned out neighbours didn’t use it in such large quantities, so he had to save enough tubs himself!

The name Wiltonlude Pondspiel was conjured up by the wives. Karen offered “Wiltonlude,” the name of a skating party that she and John hosted when the neighbourhood kids were young. “Pondspiel” is Marilyn’s apt contribution. Paul emphasized that curling experience was not necessary and might actually be detrimental!

It was a sunny Sunday on January 30, and most rinks were filled with kids playing hockey when we curlers arrived, bringing cookies, mulled wine and vegan hot chocolate spiked with peppermint vodka left over from Christmas. We had no curling brooms, so we did without. Some simple rules and instructions were explained, and we were ready to go.

The teams were evenly matched, as the only two experienced curlers were split up. A lot of time was spent figuring out whose turn it was and how many rocks we had left. There were breaks for cookies and hot chocolate. At one point, a convoy of trucks on the Queen Elizabeth Driveway interrupted us with some very loud honking. We were tied after five ends; in the exciting, final end, someone slid the last rock onto the button to win the game.

We cleaned up to make sure no litter ended up in the water in the spring, then retreated to John and Karen’s porch for vegetarian stew and ice wine. The event was pronounced a success, and there was talk of doing it again. Once the gang gets more experienced, we may need brooms.

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS ABBOTSFORD SENIOR COMMUNITY

CENTRE (950 Bank St.) is now accepting books, flea market items and treasures to sell in house at Abbotsford and in the spring at the Great Glebe Garage Sale to help support the Centre’s fundraising efforts! Thank you for your donations.

ABBOTSFORD SENIOR COMMUNITY CENTRE IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL

PROGRAMS. We are looking forward to starting up our Aerobics and indoor walking in the spacious Horticultural Building at Lansdowne Park as soon as it is 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 and/or walk away your winter blues. Keep abreast of any changes to our plans or schedule by accessing our website www. glebecentre.ca under Abbotsford Programs and Services and ‘What’s Up at Abbotsford’ for the most up-to-date information or by calling us at 613-230-5730. ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE CAFÉ DISCUSSION, Feb. 16, 9 a. m. Free online activity, animated by a French teacher and open to all French levels. Share an online breakfast in French with us and talk about the news. Registration is until Feb. 14 (afottawa.extranet-aec.com/ events/detail/408#/) and you will receive the Zoom link a day before the activity. ARTWORKS BY CAMBODIAN CHILDREN for sale at Jaya Krishnan Studio Gallery, 807 Bank St., 2nd floor, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day throughout February. You will love the paintings! Proceeds to Opportunities for Development Through the Arts. Info: 343-777-5413.

MASTER GARDENER LECTURES

(friendsofthefarm.ca/fcef-annual-events/ master-gardener-lectures/). Every year the Friends of the Farm (riendsofthefarm. ca/) partner with the Master Gardeners of Ottawa Carleton to offer timely and informative presentations. Due to the COVID19 pandemic, our lectures went online in 2021 and will continue virtually in 2022. Registration required to obtain the Zoom link. The 2022 Master Gardener Lectures include: Getting a Head Start on the Summer Growing Season on Tues., Mar. 28. Gardening with Native Plants in Ontario on Tues., Apr. 19. Biodiversity at the Crossroads on Tues., May 3. Paint with Blooms on Tues., May 17. Another Gardening Year behind Us on Tues., Sept 13. Pre-payment is required. Go to info@ friendsofthefarm.ca to register and obtain the link to the Zoom presentation.

HERITAGE OTTAWA LECTURE VIA ZOOM

Wed., Feb. 23, 7–8 p.m.: Phillips Memorial Lecture / Pluriverse Rising: Indigenous Design with special guest speaker Wanda Dalla Costa. This talk will define Indigenous architecture, review changes in the field, and, through the lens of Cultural Sustainability Theory in Architecture, review a series of projects including the Indigenous Peoples Space located at 100 Wellington St. (former U.S. Embassy). Lecture via ZOOM, will be followed by a brief question and answer period. Pre-registration is required. To do so, please go to: https:// us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/wn_ rjnxeq4ts9wqbs8ixmflvq. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

OTTAWA SOCIETY OF BOTANICAL ARTISTS

ONLINE EXHIBITION Until March 20, the The Glebe Spree winner of the $10,000 grand prize this year is Joy Kardish. Congratulations Joy!

Ottawa Society of Botanical Artists is pleased to invite you to visit Botanica 2021, its online botanical art exhibition inspired by the flowering trees, shrubs and plants from the Arboretum, Fletcher Wildlife Garden and the Ornamental Gardens of the Experimental Farm. Please go to ottawasocietyofbotanicalartists.ca/gallerybotanica-2021 to see the exhibition.

OLD OTTAWA SOUTH GARDEN CLUB Tues., Mar. 8, 7 p.m. (In-person meeting at The Firehall, 260 Sunnyside Ave.): Plant Guilds: Taking Companion Planting to the Next Level Master Gardener Rebecca Last will begin by distinguishing between plant guilds and companion planting. She will continue by inviting listeners to modify their conventional gardening strategies to begin creating a selfsustaining eco-system that will become more productive and result in less work over time. Building on the principles of permaculture, she will explore examples of plant guilds, connection, natural patterns and zones that help gardeners put together the pieces of that self-sustaining ecosystem. Meeting Fees: 2021-22 season: $25 for individuals; $40 for a family. Drop-in fee: $7 per meeting. Info and registration: Old Ottawa South Community Centre (The Firehall, 260 Sunnyside Ave.), at www.oldottawasouth.ca or 613-247-4946.

PROBUS Ottawa invites new members from The Glebe. Join your fellow retirees, near retirees and want-to-be retirees for interesting speakers and discussions, as well as relaxed socializing. Visit www.probusoav.ca for details about the club’s activities as well as contact and membership information. Due to COVID restrictions, current meetings are held via Zoom, but we hope to resume in-person a bit later this year.

ROADS OF UNCERTAINTY: A Journey Through Life’s Unimaginable Twists and

Turns, by local author Subhash Biswas, Notion Press, 2021. The story of a little boy growing up in a remote village of Bengal in pre-independence India. Born to a rich family, the boy, Nimchand alias Nimu, enjoyed a privileged childhood in a huge mansion. After a few years, he lost his father, and the status of the family fell from grace. Available on Amazon.ca and Google Books. TACTICS (Theatre Artists’ Co-operative: the Independent Collective Series), in association with GCTC, 1233 Wellington St., presents Blissful State of Surrender by Sanita Fejzic and Heartlines by Sarah Waisvisz. Blissful State of Surrender will play at the GCTC Feb. 22 to Mar. 6; Heartlines will run Mar. 22 to Apr. 3. Tickets will be released online at gctc. ca/buy-tickets. A list of GCTC’s COVID-19 protocols can also be found on https://www. gctc.ca/covid-protocols.

AVAILABLE

BABYSITTER. Are you in need of a sitter? I am available during the day and overnight. Please contact Sarah: 613-263-0590.

HOUSE-SITTER. Warm weather seekers! Are you leaving town for an extended period and need a house-sitter? I am a young lady who studies theology remotely with recent house sitting experience in the Glebe. I have excellent references and love to take care of animals, especially puppies!!! Please contact Sarah: 613-263-0590.

PUPPYSITTING. Do you need someone to stay overnight with your little or big babe? I am available to care for your fur baby during the day or night. I have excellent references. Sarah: 613-263-0590.

Art gone AWOL

I’m reaching out to the Glebe Report as I’m not sure who else to turn to. While I was away someone left a large painting and two drawings on my porch on Powell Avenue. I’m assuming someone must have dropped them off to the wrong address. Is it possible to put a small picture of the painting in the Glebe Report in hopes that the artist will recognize their work? [If so, email editor@glebereport.ca.]

Greg Farrell

WHERE TO FIND THE Glebe Report

In addition to free home delivery and at newspaper boxes on Bank Street, you can find copies of the Glebe Report at: Abbas Grocery Bloomfield Flowers Café Morala Capital Home Hardware Chickpeas Clocktower Pub Ernesto’s Barber Shop Escape Clothing Feleena’s Mexican Café Fourth Avenue Wine Bar Glebe Apothecary Glebe Meat Market Goldart Jewellery Studio Hogan’s Food Store Ichiban Irene’s Pub Isabella Pizza Kettleman’s Kunstadt Sports Lansdowne Dental Last Train to Delhi LCBO Lansdowne Loblaws Marble Slab Creamery McKeen Metro Glebe Nicastro Octopus Books Olga’s RBC/Royal Bank Second Avenue Sweets Studio Sixty Six Subway Sunset Grill The Ten Spot TD Bank Lansdowne TD Pretoria The Works Von’s Bistro Whole Health Pharmacy Wild Oat

STUDIO — GALLERY 807 Bank St