Serving the Glebe community since 1973 www.glebereport.ca ISSN 0702-7796 Issue no. 470 FREE
Vol. 43 No. 5
PHOTO: jay smith
May 15, 2015
The building at the corner of Bank and Fifth went up in smoke on Thursday, April 9 after an explosion at 11 p.m. Businesses affected are Mac’s Milk, Pizza Hut, The Beaver’s Mug, Silver Scissors, Encino Taco and Brown’s Cleaners.
Phoenix rising on Bank Street By Ben Bulmer
“None of this has stopped us, not even for a heartbeat,” says Eli Saikaley, whose 36-year-old Bank Street business, Silver Scissors, was destroyed in the fire that ripped the commercial block of Bank and Fifth Avenue the night of April 9. When police deemed the fire arson, Saikaley said he felt very angry about the situation. Three weeks and a day after the fire (“You can tell we’re counting,” says Saikaley), that anger has turned into a more positive emotion. “We don’t like the fact that arson brought down seven existing stores and a couple of dozen jobs here and there, and disabled people from their work place and their livelihood,” says Saika-
ley, “but we’re not dwelling, we’re going forward. The anger has turned into more of a positive emotion, we’ve taken that anger and were spending it towards more energetic things.” Saikaley’s son Sebastian made local headlines by donating $1,000 to the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, even though he himself lost his brand new business to the same fire. Sebastian’s business, Encino Taco Shop, had promised to donate 10 cents for every taco sold. Barely a month after opening and with no business standing, Sebastian stuck to his word. Saikaley says he’s still continuing with his obligations. “On Sunday (April 26) we did our fifth annual cut-a-thon at Algonquin College and raised thousands of dollars,” says Saikaley.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS May 20.................... Glebe Report AGM, GCC, 7 p.m. May 22.................... Family Dinner & Movie Night, GCC ................................ 6:00 p.m. (dinner); 6:30 p.m. (movie) May 23.................... Great Glebe Garage Sale May 25.................... Topical Talks, Mary Jane Maffini ................................ Abbotsford, 10 a.m. May 26.................... GCA meeting, GCC, 7 p.m. May 28.................... GCI Spring Music Night, GCI auditorium, 7 p.m. May 31.................... GCC Camp Information Day, 10 a.m.–noon June 4..................... GNAG Lobster Kitchen Party ................................ GCC, 6:30–9:30 p.m. June 5..................... G Factor Talent Show, GCC, 6:30 p.m. June 9..................... GCA AGM, GCC, 7 p.m. June 11................... GCA Environment Committee Meeting ................................ Ecclesiax Church, 7:30 p.m.
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Saikaley is temporarily running his hair salon out of the Water Salon Spa on Riverside Drive, and has maintained the majority of his clients, whom he describes as “amazing, amazing, amazing support.” “The majority have followed us, and for that we thank the Glebe and all our customers in Ottawa,” says Saikaley. The plan now is to get back to a Bank Street location, says Saikaley. Hopefully a building permit will be expedited because of the fire, and then it’s just a case of getting a plumber, an electrician and a paint job and 30 days later we’re in business, says Saikaley. “It’s not that hard, the key is to find the right location.” Robert Helal is co-owner of the destroyed building and is trying to be optimistic that it won’t be too long
before things start moving along. “We’re local businessmen – we can relate to the businesses and what’s happened,” says Helal, “it’s been really hard on them.” Because of the police investigation there’s been a delay in the insurance adjuster accessing the site, says Helal, and he hopes to know more next month. “We’re trying to be optimistic that it won’t take that long, and we will be sure to update the community as soon as we know what’s going on,” says Helal. As for Saikaley, he says he’s still up and around. “We’re making an effort and using every trick up our sleeve to be back there tomorrow.” Ben Bulmer, a recent arrival to the Glebe, is a regular writer of business articles for the Glebe Report.
WHAT’S INSIDE Abbotsford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20, 26
Memoir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Bee Friendlies . . . . . . . . . . 22–23
MP’s Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13, 34
Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Councillor’s Report . . . . . . . . . 32
Parks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10–11
Environment . . . . . . . . . . . 24–25
Poetry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Film . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7, 28
GCA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14–17
Glebe BIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18–19
Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
GNAG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
next issue: Friday, June 12, 2015 EDITORIAL DEADLINE: Friday, May 22, 2015 ADVERTISING DEADLINE: Wednesday, May 27, 2015
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