Kitchissippi Times April 2021 by Great River Media inc.

Kitchissippi Homes p.23-36

Maple magic Page 2

Jeff Leiper City Councillor conseiller municipal

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April 2021

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PHOTO BY MATTHEW HORWOOD.

BREWING BUSINESS Owner Heather Matthews stands outside of The SconeWitch's new shop. Page 9

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR

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”The real magic of making maple syrup is the tangible connection to the changing of the seasons.” —Max Finkelstein

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Constance Downes and Gungaa Jamts boil the sap.

Gungaa Jamts taps a local Norway maple tree in Kitchissippi. ALL PHOTOS BY MAX FINKELSTEIN.

‘Sugaring off’ at Red Squirrel Cottage

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BY MAX FINKELSTEIN

April 2021 • 2

Dagii and Gungaa Jamts test the maple syrup.

or several years, Connie and I have been tapping our local Norway maple trees in our yard and neighbouring yards. As disparaged as this introduced species is these days, it does make fine syrup almost indistinguishable from syrup made from sugar maples — but not quite! The real magic of making maple syrup is the tangible connection to the changing of the seasons. Each day, the colour of the sap is different. Each day, the taste is slightly different: sometimes sweeter, sometimes it tastes like the purest water. Some days the

buckets are almost full; other days, there’s barely a drop. Making syrup is our tribute to spring — our way of connecting to the sacredness of the season. This year, we had some special visitors to our urban sugar bush, Dagii and Gungaa Jamts from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. This was their first winter in Canada, and there is nothing more Canadian than maple syrup. Dagii and Gungaa found it thrilling, and just a little unbelievable, to drink the ice-cold, earth-filtered, slightly sweet sap straight from the trees. Watching the sap boiling and tasting it when it was about halfway to syrup was a real mind-opening experience.

Realizing that you have to boil off almost 98 per cent of the sap to transform it into syrup really made them appreciate the value of this “liquid gold.” When they tasted maple taffy made by dribbling syrup on the snow, Gungaa’s smile said it all: "Wow! So delicious. Can I have more?” There are many ways to connect to nature in Westboro, and making maple syrup is one of the best. We have always thought that Hampton Park would make an ideal urban sugar bush. There are over 100 mature sugar maples in the park, a field where you could set up a “sugaring off” shack and buildings where equipment

could be kept. In our minds, this could be a demonstration sugar bush, where the syrup would be made in the “old” way...collecting the sap from buckets on trees and boiling it down over a fire. But even better would be to make it the way some of our Indigenous communities did, by freeze-concentrating the sap as the first step. The point would not be to make a lot of syrup, but rather to open a door for people, young and old, to make spiritual connections to the changing of the seasons; to our trees; and to the earth… and have a lot of fun at the same time. Not to mention the delicious taffy on snow!

YO U ’ R E I N V I T E D T O O U R

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V I RT UA L C O O K I NG C L A S S

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Amica Westboro Park, a senior lifestyles residence, is pleased to invite you to our virtual cooking class. Follow along virtually and impress your loved ones with a delicious new recipe. On the menu: roasted curried fish with fresh bean salad. Once you RSVP, our team members will drop off a meal kit with the recipe and ingredients .

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J O I N U S AT T H E E V E N T

Friday, April 9 | 3:30 - 4:30pm R S V P T O E R I N O R G R AC E AT 6 1 3 - 7 2 8 - 9 2 74 BY A P R I L 5

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HUMANS OF KITCHISSIPPI Humans of Kitchissippi is a special street photography project designed to introduce readers to some of the people who live, work and play in Kitchissippi. Each instalment of HOK contains three elements: a photo, a name and a quote from the subject that reveals a little bit about who they are. Go to kitchissippi. com to view our ongoing collection of humans.

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April 2021 • 4

250 City Centre Ave., Suite 500 Ottawa ON K1R 6K7 www.kitchissippi.com Kitchissippi, meaning “the Grand River,” is the former Algonquin name for the Ottawa River. The name now identifies the urban community to the west of downtown Ottawa.

PHOTO COURTESY OF REBECCA CLARK-KIPFER.

EDITOR

Meet Rebecca Clark-Kipfer “I was born on Wellington Street, back when that retirement home (Grace Manor) was a hospital, the Grace Hospital, and I live just off Wellington now, so it has kind of come full circle. But I’ve moved about 20 times since then - I’ve lived all across Canada and in Brazil, Mexico and Turkey. I love Hintonburg so much. We moved here — I would say eight years ago — we bought a condo on Holland Avenue. We just bought a house in August, and then got our second dog, because we refused to leave the neighbourhood - absolutely refused. I am a special education teacher. I teach, mostly students with developmental disabilities, a life skills program in high school, but I was seconded this year to work with an educational centre in Ottawa that works with kids in care in treatment programs. Right now, I work with [Grades] 7 and 8 boys on their literacy skills, and they are in our program for behaviour and emotional support. But I’ve also worked this year in a couple of juvenile facilities and worked with teenagers who were outpatients in a mental health program. I love everything about teaching. I think it's such an amazing job, and I know it’s been a hard year for us: Every teacher and educator worker that’s out there is a superstar. I run a slow fashion account on Instagram (@ beccaworewhat). I actually started that this year kind of as a combination of things. I work with a therapist on body neutrality and really accepting who I am because that’s a struggle that a lot of people have in modern society. And we decided that it would be a good homework project if I just started putting these things out there and trying not to focus on my body, rather focussing on the clothes, and the community and the ethics behind what I wear. The slow fashion community is a community that cares about the ethics behind clothing. There’s a lot of different pieces of it, but the pieces of it that are important to me are how are the garment workers

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Maureen McEwan editor@kitchissippi.com twitter.com/kitchissippi CONTRIBUTORS Alvin Tsang, Matthew Horwood, Kristin Perrin Dave Allston, Charlie Senack and Ted Simpson. PROOFREADER Alicia Lim ADVERTISING SALES Eric Dupuis 613-238-1818 x273 eric@kitchissippi.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Tanya Connolly-Holmes creative@greatriver.ca GRAPHIC DESIGNER Celine Paquette celine@greatriver.ca FINANCE Cheryl Schunk, 238-1818 ext. 250 cheryl@greatriver.ca

treated; what kinds of materials are being used; what’s the environmental impact of the products; and then also, how is that company incorporating diversity — so companies that employ and represent different body types, different races, different kinds of folks. The main idea is that you are engaging in fashion that is not destroying our world, both in terms of people and the environment. And so, garments often cost a little bit more, and are made up of natural fabrics, but they last a lot longer and there’s a really big trading community. I’m what I call ‘mid-size.’ That’s something I hashtag a lot is #midsizestyle. This mid-size and plus-size style community is growing and I think that everybody just wants to feel represented. So, of course, I only represent a small chunk of people but everybody wants to see what clothes are going to look like on someone that looks like them. I think we just all want to see ourselves — so every different body, every different person out there is adding to this conversation.” Story collected by Maureen McEwan.

All other enquiries 613-238-1818 info@kitchissippi.com Distribution A minimum of 15,000 copies are distributed from the Ottawa River to Carling Avenue between the O-Train tracks and Sherbourne Road. Most residents in this area will receive the Kitchissippi Times directly to their door. If you did not receive your copy, or would like additional copies, please contact us. Bulk copies are delivered to multi-unit dwellings and retail locations. Copies are available at Dovercourt Recreation Centre and Hintonburg Community Centre. info@kitchissippi.com The Kitchissippi Times is published by

PUBLISHER Mark Sutcliffe PRESIDENT Michael Curran

EDITOR'S LETTER Year two: Marking COVID-19 anniversaries BY MAUREEN MCEWAN Dear readers,

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SPRING IS HERE Programs are running. In these uncertain times, always check our website for the latest updates.

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Registration begins March 30 for swim lessons, fitness, sports, art, music & dance.

DAY CAMPS 2021 APRIL & SUMMER

SJAM WINTER TRAIL

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Dovercourt is a charity dedicated to a healthy, active and inclusive community. If you love what we do, please consider a donation. We are struggling!

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What a great season! Almost 79,000 people used the trail this winter. Thanks to SJAM partners (NCC, City Of Ottawa, Dovercourt) and all the sponsors and donations that made it possible.

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REGISTER ONLINE. Many camps may be full due to current restrictions but we hope to open more spaces. Please use our waitlists.

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Happy spring, Kitchissippi, and stay hopeful.

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It’s the fourth month of the year, the third wave of the pandemic, the second COVID-19 spring and the first time I’m really beginning to lose track of the days. I hope that you are all staying safe, staying healthy and staying on top of your calendars. The April edition looks at a number of pandemic anniversaries and timelines: the day COVID-19 was declared a pandemic; the day Ontario declared its first state of emergency and resulting lockdowns; and the day Ottawa tragically marked its first COVID-19 death. In community news, Charlie Senack connected with a few local faith leaders ahead of spring religious holidays and observances to hear how they are feeling about the second year of the pandemic. In an interview with the Parkdale Food Centre, Alvin Tsang heard about the organization’s last 12 months. Good news alert: Did you know that the PFC’s Cooking for a Cause program distributed over 115,650 meals last year? Charlie Senack spoke with the City of Ottawa about the evolution of the Tom Brown Arena from hockey arena, to daytime respite centre, to overnight shelter. The last months, city staff have also changed their roles significantly to meet the needs of Ottawa citizens.

It was a long road, but The SconeWitch has officially opened its location in Westboro. Matthew Horwood spoke with owner Heather Matthews on the business’ journey. Alvin Tsang caught up with architect Rosalind J. Hill about her initiative Walkable Ottawa that was launched last May. For Humans of Kitchissippi, Rebecca Clark-Kipfer spent some time chatting with us. The Hintonburg local is a special education teacher who runs a slow-fashion Instagram account. Coach Karlis Bouse submitted a feel-good sports story on the efforts made by local youth athletes to keep their Ultimate Frisbee going through all seasons of the pandemic. In a letter to the editor, Max Finkelstein sent in a collection of bright photos from their family’s latest sugaring-off season at Red Squirrel Cottage. Max talks about the maple syrup magic that happens and why he and his wife Connie believe there should be more urban sugar bushes. At the end of the 19th century, Tunney’s Pasture was home to the Ottawa Stock Yards and Abattoir Company. In Early Days, Dave Allston walks us through the vivid, short-lived history of the local slaughterhouse. And our former Homes & Condos section has been revamped. Kitchissippi Times will be running “Homes” as a new section in spring (April and May editions) and fall (September and October editions). Check out the new section on pages 23-36! And that’s all the news that’s fit to print.

Building a healthy, active and engaged community through recreation

April 2021 • 6

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The Great Canadian Theatre Company during a regular summer season in June 2019.

Haviah Mighty performs in a GCTC livestream performance on March 27.

PHOTO BY TED SIMPSON.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GCTC.

Great Canadian Theatre Company takes new programming direction BY TED SIMPSON

ver the past year, the Great Canadian Theatre Company (GCTC) may have seemed dormant from the outside, but on the inside there has been a fundamental shift in the organization that will determine a new and more inclusive course for the months and years that follow the pandemic’s end. The shutdown that began last spring was a worst-case scenario for a business like the GCTC. The theatre’s Artistic Director Eric Coates called it “a crisis that no one was equipped to anticipate.” As the reality set in over those weeks in March and April, the company realized that they were no longer in a postponement situation — it became necessary to just cancel everything and regroup. The time gave the company the opportunity to come together and start thinking in a more introspective direction.

With the constant cycle of jumping from one show to the next finally broken, the work shifted to defining a place for the GCTC to belong in a rapidly changing world. “It coincided with a massive public awareness of the Black Lives Matter crisis, and that sent us into a really extensive, internal assessment of our organization as a symptom of systemic racism,” says Coates. “We started to do a deep dive into this as a staff and as a community of artists, unpacking what is GCTC and what is our role in this.” Their professional soul searching led to a massive phase of consultation over the summer months. Theatre directors conducted over 50 online meetings with independent artists and art organizations from all over the city. From these Zoom calls, the company built an inventory of conversations that would guide their programming in a new direction.

One of the key changes in the GCTC business model that came out of these consultations was to transition away from a focus primarily on traditional theatre, and adopt the mindset of a multidisciplinary performing arts centre. That means welcoming spoken word poetry, live music concerts and more visual art into the space and, in doing that, building more collaborative relationships with a diverse group of artists. “I would say the most impactful new relationship is with Origin Arts and Community Centre, which operates down in Mechanicsville,” says Coates. “That has kicked things off as we move into more online activity; we’ve asked Origin’s lead artist to take the space and do what they want to do in it. Our goal is to help that work reach a broader audience.” The first event in this collaborative series took place in March as a livestream concert from Polaris Prize-winning

rapper Haviah Mighty. And the series will continue on April 24 with another livestream featuring double headliners Blakdenim, an eight-piece hip hop band, and Dwayne Morgan, a poet, author and motivational speaker. Alongside this new programming, the GCTC is finding a way to incorporate the traditional theatre it’s known for. The first “unstaged” performance took place in March, a live recording of Margo MacDonald’s one-woman show, The Elephant Girls. GCTC has plans in the works for shows that will span the upcoming fall and winter season into 2022. The scheduling aspect remains very much up in the air, of course. But when the time comes to bring audiences back to the theatre, the directors have a plan for where to begin, says Coates. “We want to try and reopen the building when the time comes with Daisy, which was the play that was onstage when we closed; that structure is still just sitting on the stage and because of that we’ll be able to come back quickly with a big shiny, sophisticated piece of theatre, without having to build anything from the ground up.” To learn more, visit www.gctc.ca

critical importance when addressing any “mainstreet setting” for comfort and security. “The richness of the red brick pays tribute to the numerous buildings within the neighbourhood that already have a similar, albeit more historic, brick cladding,” she says.

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Contact Courtney for an in-person or virtual tour today: Phone: 613-716-6885 CourtneyG@wellingtonwestretirement.com

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Featuring: Private dining modelled after Rideau Hall’s Tent Room “No one ever forgets the first time they enter the Tent Room at Rideau Hall,” says Lucas. “It feels like you are transported into another place, another time and yet is such an integral part of Ottawa’s history.” “When we were developing the concept for the private dining room, between the formal dining space and the more spirited activity room, it was a natural expression to utilize some of the unique design features of the Tent Room to transition between these two polarly programmed spaces.” There will never be another Private Dining Room quite like this with such intimacy and playfulness!

Featuring: Formal dining inspired by the Parliamentary Restaurant Food is communal, and dining is a critical part of SLR’s offerings. The design of the formal dining room is an extension of the food itself. “When we started looking at the concepts of the formal dining space, we couldn’t help but think about the Parliamentary Restaurant,” according to Lucas. While its design is somewhat dated, and its finishes quite subdued, Lucas says there are some incredible architectural elements like the stone clad columns to the glass domed skylights. “One of the charms of the Parliamentary restaurant is the view of the Ottawa River. Being located in a more densely surrounded mainstreet setting, our design team decided to bring ‘views’ into the dining room interior and create an interpretative expression of Ottawa cityscapes. JDE took a rather simple expression in the Parliamentary Restaurant and made it into something completely new.” “We look forward to sharing this beautiful building with our residents, staff and community in the months ahead!” says Lucas. WWRC Executive Director Linda Meek and Marketing Manager Courtney Groenewoud have been very busy these past few months meeting people within the community through virtual tours, and learning more about the well-loved neighbourhood as they go.

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Amenities with style What makes WWRC so special is how the design team merged elements of the greater city into the overall design. The same influences that drove their development of the architecture on the exterior, translates to our interior design. To achieve this goal, WWRC brought Canadian interior designer John David Edison (JDE) and his team on board. JDE has undertaken work throughout the world and, with decades of experience, offers a vibrant richness, and layered approach to his overall sense of style. “The use of colour and textures is so important to our design strategy, and this is one of the key skills JDE brings to the table,” Lucas says. “His design philosophy is to embrace colour by creating truly unique interiors. The use of mirrors brings additional light into the space, providing more depth and connection.”

Well-appointed retirement living suites are supported by a collection of amenity spaces — from a welcome lounge/library, to a theatre, saltwater indoor swimming pool, fitness room (including a pilates studio and salon for active seniors) to a formal dining room, bistro café and bar, as well as an activity room with a demonstration kitchen and dedicated horticulture area. “In the early stages of design, we determined that the structural column in the Welcome Lounge was the perfect location for a modern spin on the Confederation Hall Rotunda central column,” Lucas says. “As our design evolved, we wanted to engage with this column, creating a meeting point for residents and their guests to enjoy.” “We surrounded the base of the column with brilliant yellow banquette seating from which vertically emerged stained wood framing to emulate the fan vault of the Rotunda’s column,” Lucas adds. “It is now affectionately called ‘The Tree’ in conversation - and has taken on a life of its own.”

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Collaborative design When the opportunity presented itself to build in Hintonburg, SRL immediately approached Hobin Architecture Inc., a well-established Ottawa based firm with a deep understanding of seniors care and its housing needs. “Having undertaken the revitalization to the adjacent Ottawa Grace Manor Long Term Care community, as well as a number of other projects along the Wellington Street corridor, we knew Hobin would be the perfect local partner to collaborate on the development of Wellington West Retirement Community, bringing a high calibre of design sensibility to the table while aligning with our goal of being one of the top luxury retirement home operators in Canada,” says Lucas. “We understand that when our residents come to live with us, it is one of the biggest decisions in their lives and our goal is that the community we create helps to make this transition a little sweeter,” Lucas adds.

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Rewind to 2015, when Signature Retirement Living (SRL) was approached by a prominent local developer to examine the possibility of bringing a different kind of retirement community to historic Hintonburg. Fast forward six years later: the Wellington West Retirement Community (WWRC), located at the corner of Wellington St. W. and Parkdale Avenue, will soon get to reveal its brand new, thoughtfully curated design by welcoming its new residents and their families into a fresh new space to call home sweet home! If there is one thing for certain, it’s that a great deal of thought went into every square inch, every nook and cranny, every rounded corner of the brand new senior residence. An extensive process perhaps, but only to ensure a warm, cozy and welcoming environment to everybody who walks through its front doors. According to Victoria Lucas, director of design for SRL, the architecture and decor of the new Wellington West landmark draws upon “Interpretative Placemaking” which evokes memory, and the sense of something familiar. This inspiration is the foundation (pun intended) behind SRL’s design philosophy. “Since Signature Retirement Living’s primary focus is on vibrant senior living, we understood the responsibility we would be taking on to ensure our building architecture integrates itself seamlessly into the neighbourhood,” she explains. Lucas, by the way, is an architect and designer who has been working exclusively with SRL for over a decade now. “It goes without saying that Ottawa has a rich architectural-and-design history, especially in creating luxury seniors housing. We wanted to acknowledge and embrace this,” says Lucas. “Since Wellington West is one of Ottawa’s oldest neighbourhoods, SRL wanted the building design to have a sense of permanence; an acknowledgement of the historical merits and fabric of the community with a contemporary interpretation,” she adds. On the exterior, the two-storey stone podium breaks up the building façade to acknowledge the scale of pedestrians at street level, which, according to Lucas, is of

Photo credit (for all): Wellington West Retirement Community.

‘Interpretive Placemaking:’ The design evolution of Wellington West Retirement Community

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The map to a regenerating neighbourhood. Image courtesy of Walkable Ottawa.

Walkable Ottawa weighs in on Hintonburg and Westboro walkability

April 2021 • 8

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BY ALVIN TSANG

itchissippi is seeing increasing interest for walkable neighbourhoods. Walkable Ottawa is an initiative that works with residents, community associations, real-estate developers and environmentalists to ensure the existence of 15-minute neighbourhoods. The goal is to transition every neighbourhood to become walkable and complete (with shops, services, parks and recreation — everything residents need) within a 15-minute walk from every direction. Architect Rosaline J. Hill, who founded Walkable Ottawa in May 2020, believed that if the idea of walkable neighbourhoods was as real and serious as her data suggested, the ideas and conversations could no longer be vague. “There was no clear sense to get from where we are to where we are going,” said

Hill. “Walkable neighbourhoods would be a huge impact on emissions. It exceeds anything else we can do for emissions — it’s huge! I can spend my whole life recycling and not touch this level of impact. The impacts on human health are extraordinary, yet the conversation is all very vague.” While there has been a lot of high-level talk from the City of Ottawa this past year, Hill said the subject of walkability has been met with confused conversation around what it means. Hill started Walkable Ottawa on the idea that she could get together a group of people to begin collaborating on as large a scale as possible. The goal was to figure out what it would take to transition actual existing neighbourhoods from where they are right now — which are predominantly car-dependent — to fully walkable. “The issues relevant in Kitchissippi?”

said Hill. “First, the narrow streets and the winter danger of walking in Hintonburg. Second, the shortage of trees and parks. Walkable-neighbourhood shade from trees is important. Having parks as destinations to walk to is important. That’s a great starting point there.” Hintonburg is home to the Parkdale Farmer’s Market and is predominantly a residential neighbourhood with a commercial strip along Wellington. But the situation in Westboro is a bit different. “In Westboro, there are parts of the neighbourhood where there aren’t shops to walk to,” said Hill. “That’s the primary challenge there: making sure everyone has somewhere within distance to walk to shops.” The transition to a 15-minute neighbourhood for Westboro could mean reduced emissions and greener streets. “Westboro already has lots of trees, and

the challenge there will be to maintain the tree canopy despite the ongoing infill and construction there,” explained Hill. The City of Ottawa was said to have little commitment to increasing tree canopy in its policy framework, Hill said. “There’s also a great community frustration in Westboro about garage doors facing the streets,” Hill added. A key part of the recipe for walkable neighbourhoods is to ensure new developments have “people spaces,” as Hill called them, such as porches, terraces, balconies and patios — not garage doors. “People spaces” can go a long way to improve walkability. Since its launch a year ago, Walkable Ottawa dedicated its efforts to understanding an appropriate definition of “walkable,” and spent the year analyzing the dynamics of change in neighbourhoods. The goal now is to shift the dynamic from an old trajectory to a new one. “One of the really important things we’ve discovered is that the dynamics of change in a neighbourhood function like an ecosystem,” said Hill. A key lesson that came out of Walkable Ottawa’s collaboration and analysis was the factor of interdependencies when changing patterns of growth and development, Hill said. What Hintonburg and Westboro would need is a holistic approach for change that covers all bases. “We are so embedded in our car culture. We can’t expect to add some sidewalks and a couple of nice benches, and everyone gets out of their cars,” said Hill. Of those interdependent pieces, a big one was to stimulate the development of small services and shops to walk to. Another piece was allowing the shops to be located in places that neighbourhood residents would naturally walk by. “We need to stop building the kinds of shops that we enjoy going to in our cars, and we need to start building the kinds of shops that we enjoy walking to,” said Hill. “Because if we keep building them both, we know who’s going to win,” she added. To learn more, visit walkableottawa.ca

COMMUNITY NEWS After a ‘trying year,’ The SconeWitch opens Westboro location BY MATTHEW HORWOOD

The front entrance of The SconeWitch at 393 Winston Ave. in Westboro. PHOTO BY MAUREEN MCEWAN.

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espite a year of setbacks, The SconeWitch is finally serving fresh pastries from its fourth location, located in Westboro. Heather Matthews, owner of The SconeWitch, said the store had wanted to “hit the ground running” when she signed its lease in early 2020, but had to delay its opening until Jan. 22, 2021 due to the pandemic. The SconeWitch sells ten different varieties of fresh and frozen scones, produced at their Cyrville location and baked at the stores all day long. They sell a special flavour every month, such as caramel apple in August, blueberry in September and pumpkin in October. The locations also serve espresso, coffee, tea and sandwiches. The SconeWitch started in 2004 when Matthews purchased and fixed up a small vacant building on Cyrville Road. Since then, the company has opened locations on Elgin Street, Beechwood Avenue and, most recently, at 393 Winston Ave. in Westboro. Matthews had initially planned only to operate the store for a few years but, sixteen years later, she is still not ready to quit. “I jokingly say that I’m semi-retired: I only work 40 hours a week,” she said. Ever since the first location opened, people had been asking Matthews when they would launch a store in Westboro. Initially, she was not at all interested. “In my experience, shopping in Westboro is fine if you have the time to

look around, but if you want to stop and pick things up then it’s a pain in the neck to find a place to park.” But when the space on Winston Avenue became available, Matthews saw the building had parking for several cars and street parking. It was the perfect spot to set up a new location. The SconeWitch has faced several setbacks during what Matthews described as a “very trying year.” Their main freezer broke down several times during the middle of 2020 and had to be replaced. The delivery van got rear-ended and was written off. And Matthews said she paid for a year’s lease on the Westboro location without making any money and was not eligible for a rent rebate from the government because the store wasn’t operational. Like many restaurants, the closing of indoor dining meant The SconeWitch had to pivot its operations. They modified the website to allow for home delivery of frozen scones, fresh jams, and house-blend coffees and tea on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Matthews said they had two drivers doing eighty deliveries a day during their busiest times, but, with restrictions recently being loosened, they are down to twenty drops a day. The Westboro location has not yet opened for indoor dining, as construction continues on its dining room. In the meantime, Matthews said the store is a great location, and she’s enjoying serving fresh scones in Westboro. The SconeWitch’s Westboro location is currently open Wednesday to Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

April 2021 • 10

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An interfaith service which was held on March 25 outside city hall to recognize the one year anniversary of the first COVID-19 death in Ottawa. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CITY OF OTTAWA.

Religious leaders reflect on year one of the pandemic BY CHARLIE SENACK

OVID-19 restrictions have forced religious institutions to keep their doors shut for a greater part of the year. With physical distancing being practiced and large gatherings not permitted, services and events have had to shift online. With Easter and Passover services being celebrated on livestreams and Zoom sessions again this year, Kitchissippi Times spoke with the Jewish Federation of Ottawa and Parkdale

United Church to see how they are coping one year later. A request was sent to the Ottawa Muslim Association to discuss how Ramadan is being observed this year, but Kitchissippi Times did not hear back by the time of publication. JEWISH FEDERATION OF OTTAWA Passover, one of the biggest religious holidays in Judaism, was one of the first celebrations that had to be altered because of restrictions caused by the virus. Now for the second year in a row,

it’s being celebrated virtually. “Last year was so, so lonely for people and I don’t think any of us imagined that we would have to do it again,” said Andrea Freedman, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa. “I think people are struggling with it a little bit more this year, because things are opening up a little bit more,” she added. “It’s really hard because people didn’t think they would be separated from their families for a second year in a row.” Freedman said typically at Passover, she and the rest of her family gather

in Montreal, where she was born, to celebrate. But because of restrictions, she will be celebrating from her Ottawa home again this year. With Ottawa now in the red zone and with talks of moving the city into grey, which would bring along with it more lockdown measures, almost all Passover activities were held virtually this spring. Some services were held in person at synagogues, but with only a few people inside. “With everything, you have to look for the COVID[-19] silver linings, and so while there is isolation in being away from loved ones, what it does is force people to observe the holiday and give it more thought on how to be meaningful,” said Freedman. “It forces us to look for meaning where we used to take it for granted. We now have to create it ourselves.”

Mayor Jim Watson speaks at the interfaith service on March 25. The mayor was joined by Dr. Vera Etches, Chief Wendy Jocko, Mr. Francois Couillard, Reverend Dr. Anthony Bailey, Rabbi Idan Scher and Imam Samy Metwally. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CITY OF OTTAWA.

11 • April 2021

been over 450 deaths caused by the virus in Ottawa. Bailey said he was humbled to be a part of the service and that he used it as an opportunity not only to mourn the lives lost from COVID-19, but also to mourn the long list of issues facing society that became even more apparent in 2020. “What has been disappointing and hard, but essential also, is that COVID[-19] has exposed things that have been there all along,” he said. “That has to do with systemic racism and injustice; that has to do with what was exposed in long-term care homes; that has to do with the way Aboriginal people have been treated for generations.” “We have to mourn some of the systems and policies, and when mourning, we have to create change,” added Bailey. “We have to do better.”

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is looking forward to the day they can gather in person again. Until then, the church has purchased new equipment to improve the quality of virtual services people are receiving. Bailey said he feels that even when COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, some members will choose to continue watching the services online. “There are some members who say even after COVID[-19] they might come in occasionally, but because of their age or health issues, they can now enjoy the service virtually,” he said. “Because of the effectiveness of technology, I think we are going to see sort of a hybrid in our congregational experience.” On March 25, Bailey was part of an interfaith service at Ottawa’s City Hall which was held to recognize the one-year anniversary of the first COVID-19 death in the city. Since last spring, there have

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of virtual activities for the Christian traditions of Good Friday, Holy Week and Easter. They include Bible studies, programming for the kids, a Palm Sunday celebration and services, to name just a few. “We have teamed up with St. Stephen's Presbyterian Church, as we have in other years, for a service on Good Friday, and then one of the things we do is have a 24-hour vigil leading up to Easter morning,” said Rev. Bailey. “Normally, we would have people coming into our chapel every hour, even through the night, to pray continually for 24 hours for the world, but this year it also has to be virtual. People have signed up for slots throughout the day and throughout the night to keep up the momentum.” With vaccination efforts now underway, Bailey said the congregation

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PARKDALE UNITED CHURCH The Parkdale United Church was forced to close its doors to the public when the COVID-19 pandemic began. While some restrictions were eased in the summer, the majority of their services have continued to be held virtually. With the rate of new COVID-19 infections rising around Easter this year, Reverend Anthony Bailey said many of the congregation's members didn’t feel comfortable returning to in-person services — a decision which was made even easier when Ottawa entered the red zone. But while people have to celebrate from home this year, Parkdale United Church has planned a whole week

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This Passover, Rabbi Bulka was on the minds of many celebrating the occasion. Bulka, a well-known and liked Ottawa Rabbi who has given so much to the city over the years, announced in January that he had been diagnosed with a lifethreatening and late-stage cancer. Since his diagnosis, synagogues all across Ottawa have held events and celebrations in Bulka’s name to create more positive change. Most recently, a third round of kindness calls was started to check in on people in the community who are feeling isolated and lonely because of the pandemic. Freedman, who has spent a large portion of her working life in direct contact with Rabbi Bulka, said it’s been a highlight of her life. She also says Bulka’s kindness has been spread to not only people in Ottawa, but also his friends across the world. “There have been a ton of initiatives, but I do want to focus on kindness because it’s something Rabbi Bulka has taught us all really well,” said Freedman. “Rabbi Bulka has a way of making everybody feel better. In every conversation, in every email he exchanged, he looked for ways to make you feel good.” Now those acts of kindness are being spread through others in a ripple effect in Bulka’s name.

GIVING Parkdale Food Centre reflects on delivery service model BY ALVIN TSANG

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A volunteer at the Parkdale Food Centre shows off a tasty batch of soup. PHOTO COURTESY

April 2021 • 12

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OF THE PARKDALE FOOD CENTRE.

ver the last year, the Parkdale Food Centre (PFC) changed its model from being a community hub to a delivery service. In the COVID-19 pandemic, the centre had to reduce capacity down to 10 people in the indoor space, including staff. Simon Bell, PFC kitchen manager, recalled a time when the centre operated with up to 20 volunteers on any given day. “It’s been tough,” said Bell. “We were a community hub, a place where people got together; cooked together; ate together; volunteered together, and now that’s no longer an option. We can feel some of those connections start to slip away a bit.” Prior to the pandemic, someone would come in and Bell would talk to them to get a sense of what they

were going through. He called it “troubleshooting” — he always made an effort to find out what the people who came in to eat needed in particular. But this model of helping people couldn’t continue in the pandemic. “We stopped having people come into the centre,” Bell said. “We don’t get to see the people we normally would, and that makes it difficult to address the individual levels of need.” The social aspect was lacking, but the staff’s hard work persevered. Since the start of the pandemic, the PFC food bank has helped approximately 1,000 unique individuals every month with delivery of fresh produce, ingredients and prepared meals. “The odd times when we are meeting people face-to-face on a delivery, we’ve definitely seen and felt the extra level of stress from people,” said Bell. Staff workload at the PFC had increased, and the extra stress of

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”A recent visit to the place suggests that the guardians of the public health should give this establishment their prompt attention.”

Sign up now for my free Historical Society of Ottawa presentation on the history of Tunney’s Pasture, Sept. 29, at tinyurl.com/HSO-allston

17 • April 2021

indeed been shut down. A story in the July 1901 Ottawa Journal noted: “A valuable horse belonging to Mr. F.W. Mahon died yesterday morning. The intense heat is supposed to have caused death. Some difficulty was experienced in getting anyone to remove the dead

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PHOTO COURTESY OF THE OTTAWA JOURNAL.

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An article outlining concerns about the glue factory’s possible impact on the water supply in the Ottawa Journal on Oct. 23, 1900.

animal, as the glue factory at Ottawa West has been closed up by the Nepean board of health.” It appears the company was unable, or unwilling, to make the changes requested the year prior by the Board of Health, and so the factory closed, and was demolished soon after. By 1909, the Ottawa Stock Yards & Abattoir Company went into the real estate business instead, likely tired of paying taxes on the vacant property with no future. They laid out an unsuccessful subdivision plan called “Eldonwood Park,” and later sold the land to an investor with a whole new idea. Meanwhile, the debate over the construction of a civic abattoir would rage in Ottawa well into the late 1920s. Health officials would regularly bring to light the appalling conditions of some of the production and handling of meat in Ottawa, and politicians and residents would debate the topic regularly for years, but a public abattoir facility would never come to Ottawa. Years later, Champlain Park residents would report discovering large numbers of teeth lying on or close to the surface of the ground in the vicinity of the neighbourhood. One long-time resident remembered finding teeth and asking her grandmother about them, who told her of the old glue factory. Just one more story (and a whatcould-have been) in the long, captivating history of the Tunney’s Pasture property!

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of Ottawa. A recent visit to the place suggests that the guardians of the public health should give this establishment their prompt attention. It is here that the bodies of dead horses and other animals of the city and the suburbs are crudely reduced to bones, grease, hoofs, etc., and then shipped to Toronto, where they undergo a finer process of transformation,” the article reads. “Apparently, at this factory, little or no precaution is taken to prevent the place from becoming a pest hole of bad odours and a festering sink of disease. The worst feature for Ottawa is the possible contamination of our water supply. The refuse and decaying animal matter is drained directly into an adjoining marsh which, in the spring and up to midsummer, and for a time in the autumn, is washed by a vigorous stream into the Ottawa River, discharging into a bay past which the swift current bears directly to our intake pipe, which is about a mile to the east...There seems to be a warrant for investigation by the city health office,” it continues. In December of 1900, the glue factory was causing concerns to the nearby neighbours just south of Scott Street in the small neighbourhood of “Ottawa West” (around Carleton Avenue). The residents complained to the Nepean Township board of health, who obtained an order from the provincial Board of Health with directions on what was to be done to put the factory in a sanitary condition, failing which it would be forced to close down. By the following summer, the slaughterhouse and glue factory had

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acquired 48 acres of land, comprising the east half of lot 34 in concession A (essentially the land between what is now Banting and Goldenrod) for the sale price of $6,000. The following months were spent campaigning Nepean Township for taxation exemption (they didn’t get it), and for a grant from the City of Ottawa for $3,000 per year towards maintenance, claiming that what they were building was for the greater public good. Though the vast majority of the council supported the grant, it did not pass due to a voting technicality. Meanwhile, directors of the company announced in late January of 1899 that “immense slaughter houses and refrigerators would soon be built.” They visited Montreal in March to view the Montreal abattoir for ideas. Limited operations at Tunney’s began in the spring of 1899. Some animals were housed on the site, and it appears a small structure of some kind was built as a temporary slaughterhouse and “glue factory” (in that era, glue was made from the hooves, skin, bones and tendons of horses, as well as cattle and pigs). But without the support from either Nepean or Ottawa officials, the group was not able to build the massive operations that they had dreamt of initially: no massive fridges; no railway siding; no huge slaughterhouse. In October of 1900, the Ottawa Journal wrote about the glue factory. “A mile or so west of the city limits in Nepean Township, not far from the river shore, a glue factory has been in operation for some years — a fact probably not generally known to citizens

WESTBORO VILLAGE • April 2021 • 18

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WESTBORO VILLAGER Changing Seasons Challenging Times

Village Quire 312 Richmond Rd villagequire.ca You don’t have to go too far to find the best chocolate bunnies & chocolate eggs.

t has been just over a year since we were all asked to stay home and stay safe. It has been a challenging year for all, and the most challenging year any of our businesses have seen. The past year has been one of adaptation, from curbside pick up, online sales, increased takeout and delivery. The businesses in Westboro Village are working to keep you and their staff safe. Thank you Kitchissippi for continuing the support you have shown Westboro Village businesses in the past year. With the arrival of spring, we have a shift again. Retail doors are propped open with their capacities posted at entry, and we have one of the earliest starts to the patio season. With the season beginning in mid-March, it is a chance to be outside and support your favourite local restaurant. With so much uncertainty ahead, your neighborhood businesses will continue to adapt and take the measures to keep everyone safe. As a community, we miss the annual events and traditions, but are finding new ways to connect. We are looking ahead to the warmer months, and a reimagined Shop the Village in May. Please visit westborovillage. com for details and updates from the street.

Shop The Village Quire in Westboro for Newfoundland Chocolate Company and Peace By Chocolate.

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Core Integrity 307C Richmond Rd Suite 203 core-integrity.ca We specialize in: • Pre/post-natal conditioning • Pelvis floor dysfunction and diastasis and conditioning • Post breast cancer surgery conditioning All the sessions are one-on-one and they are tailored for your needs. www.core-integrity.ca

For a limited time only, Luxii is offering a Special Intro Price of Only $50, regularly $75 and it includes a 25-minute free compression therapy session too)! Visit Luxii Health Spa, across the street from Strawberry Blonde Bakery and experience the life-changing benefits of cryotherapy today. 613-722-2441

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WALL SPACE GALLERY + FRAMING 358 Richmond Rd wallspacegallery.ca Spring is in the air for Wall Space Gallery! This April, we are proud to feature world-renowned (and Kitchissippi-based!) photographer Michelle Valberg. Her exhibition, Eye to Eye, will feature breathtaking shots from across Canada, including the Great Bear Rainforest and the Arctic. On display April 17-May 15.

SPORTS Perseverance beats pandemic: Young players keep local Ultimate Frisbee going SUBMITTED BY KARLIS BOUSE

April 2021 • 20

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hile many of us spent cold winter months reading, baking and watching Netflix marathons, there was a group of dedicated student athletes who had other ideas this season. In the absence of Nepean High School sports, the Ultimate Frisbee team opted to run informal training and practice sessions at nearby McKellar Park in order to stay active and connected. They started in September, and with players keen to participate in any available outdoor sports and social activities, the commitment was excellent through the fall season, with a dedicated core of about 25 players consistently attending. For those less familiar with Ultimate Frisbee, it’s a fast-moving field sport, combining elements of football, soccer and basketball. Originating in the 1960s, it’s now played by more than seven million people in over 90 countries. One of its unique features is that there are no referees, with players self-officiating, and adhering to the governing concept of the “spirit of the game.” Ottawa has a rich history with the sport, with the Ottawa-Carleton Ultimate Association (OCUA) running leagues and programs for youth, juniors and adults throughout the seasons. In the Kitchissippi neighbourhoods, the Fisher Park/Summit Alternative Phoenix and Nepean Knights Ultimate teams are among the strongest school programs in the city in both team performance on the field as well as for the spirit, positive sportsmanship and fun they bring to middle school and high school tournaments. Recognizing the need to stay vigilant through the pandemic, coaches and volunteer parents ensured strict adherence to public health protocols

during all practice and training sessions. They carried out attendance and health checks for players, ensured hand and equipment sanitizing, enforced physical distancing during warm-up and drills, modified the program to follow new and changing health guidelines, limited numbers and group sizes and cancelled when necessary. Throughout the fall and winter, participants recognized they were fortunate to have a regular social and sport activity, and were always respectful of the rules to ensure each other’s safety and continued health. As fall turned into winter, the coaches anticipated that interest and attendance would also drop. That was, however, not the case. In fact, with the first big snowfall in December, players were out in full force, jumping, diving and (to be fair) falling in the freshly fallen snow. It was a clear demonstration of the dedication of these young players; their love of Ultimate Frisbee; and their commitment to physical, mental, emotional and social health. When asked why they continue to come and play Ultimate with the group, the answers had common threads of fun, togetherness, exercise and social interactions. Hugh mentioned that “Ultimate is an amazing sport, and I love to play with friends, get physical activity, and have an opportunity to build the school community in a positive way through

Kitchissippi kids participating in outdoor Ultimate Frisbee in all seasons — rain or shine (or snow!). PHOTO COURTESY OF KARLIS BOUSE. mentoring and sports.” One of the other players, Callia, explained that “With COVID[-19], we’re restricted in what we can do these days, so playing is an amazing way to get outside, see friends […] and stay safe.” Their teammate, Bee, said “I need exercise and activities, and I love playing Ultimate and being able to interact with friends and make new ones!” Finally, Coach Kathy mentioned that “Ultimate is an incredible sport to bring people together in an inclusive and positive environment, and gives kids of different ages, grades and groups a chance to come together where they normally wouldn’t have an opportunity.” These ultimate kids (no pun intended) incorporated an element of social commitment and community awareness into their training sessions. They invited the Snowsuit Fund and the Ottawa Food Bank to speak one week and

collected donations in support of both organizations. They also supported the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) through the Snow Angels for CHEO program, helping families going through the challenge of pediatric cancer. It was yet another reason to admire the social commitment of these young community members. Without fail, through rain, snow, wind and cold, this group of players has continued to persevere and inspire other young people through their dedication to their sport and to each other. They have each made a conscious decision to commit to their own personal physical, mental, emotional and social health. Let’s hope they continue to keep those frisbees flying, and we look forward to seeing them back on the field officially before too long! Karlis Bouse, aka “Coach Karlis,” is the coach of the Ultimate Frisbee team.

NEPEAN HIGH SCHOOL CORNER

One year into the COVID-19 pandemic BY MIRIAM FELMAN

in helping teens avoid boredom and stay connected, with many people posting on the increasingly popular video-sharing app, TikTok, as well as Instagram and Snapchat. Social media sites also became notable platforms for activism when the killing of George Floyd launched a new era of Black Lives Matter protests and anti-racist activism. Many teens experienced a decline in their mental health since the pandemic began due to being isolated from their peers, being stuck with toxic family members, having anxiety over the state of the world, feeling hopelessness for the future and several other factors. For many, extracurricular activities such as sports, band, or theatre provided a sense of identity that was lost when these activities were put on hold. Meanwhile, some found it beneficial to slow down and

Miriam Felman and her brother Saul get outside for some fresh air. PHOTO COURTESY OF MIRIAM FELMAN.

reconnect with themselves and their families. It has been a strange year, but adolescents have learned a lot. One Grade 12 student remarked, “One thing I have learned during this period is that no matter how much control I would like to have over my life, I must always be prepared and ready for basically anything.” We now know to keep loose expectations for the future, and not to become attached to any long-term plans. Years down the line, when COVID-19 is a distant memory, we will never forget that even when we least expect it, anything can happen.

SUBMITTED BY JUSTINE BELL, OCDSB SCHOOL TRUSTEE FOR SOMERSET-KITCHISSIPPI

21 • April 2021

being is best supported through full-time in-person learning. This has been clearly stated by students, parents and staff in both Thoughtexchange consultations (in October and February); by medical experts; parent organizations and others. The feedback has emphasized that in-person learning supports mental health and well-being; has the capacity to support social engagement for children; and better meets the needs of young children, Englishlanguage learners and vulnerable students. However, for some families, the return to in-person learning presents challenges and

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’ve received a lot of emails with concerns over our back-to-school plans. Many parents have asked questions: How will my child be safe without the additional provincial funding that was allocated to the education sector this year? Why would we move forward with a quadmester system for high school students? Why did they need to choose online or in-person school many months before September? The list of questions is long and, I’ll be honest, I have yet to meet someone who has all the answers (or what I would consider satisfactory ones).

Without all the answers, how do we decide on our back-to-school plans? To give you a sense of the stakeholders involved in informing our decisions: we have students, parents, the board administration, educators, trustees, Ottawa Public Health, the Ministry of Education, unions, community organizations — the list is long. All these stakeholders have continually brought their perspectives and evidencebased advice on what has worked and hasn’t this year. The board administration has taken the feedback and has come up with a plan for next year, in consultation with OPH and in line with ministry guidelines. Most agree that student learning and well-

the Ottawa-Carleton Virtual (OCV) school provides an alternative for them. Most of our stakeholders would agree that we must put safety first and that students and the education system thrive with predictability and stability, none of which is assured in a pandemic. Over this past year, the evidence shows schools can safely operate with limited evidence of transmission of COVID-19 with appropriate protocols in place. Based on this evidence, our plan is to continue with the current safety precautions in schools. We expect that as vaccine distribution continues, the risk of spread will be reduced. Over the course of the next school year, we hope to resume regular operations incrementally, as it is safe to do so. For more information on our plans, please visit the OCDSB website. You can also write to me, and I’ll do my best to get you an evidencebased answer.

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Back-to-school plans: We don’t know what we don’t know until we do

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OCDSB CORNER

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arch 11 marked Canada’s first National Day of Observance to commemorate the impacts of COVID-19, as well as the one-year anniversary of the virus being declared a pandemic. The events of the past year have permanently altered adolescents’ outlook on life, and, as we face this uncertain future head-on, there is value in taking time to look back and reflect. From an Ontario high school student’s perspective, Friday, March 13, 2020 was the day it all began. It had been announced the day before that March break was being extended by two weeks. We all came to school that day with varied emotions and a doom-like sense that we were living through something big. Little did we know, it would be

the last in-person school day until September, and those in Grade 12 would never return again, save for dropping by to return and pick up items. The first lockdown period last spring was a troubling and uncertain time, but 50 per cent of survey participants from Nepean High School say they feel a sense of nostalgia for those times. “I miss how relaxed I was,” one student said. “There was a lot less pressure on me.” Students spent their time on social media; doing schoolwork; talking to friends; going on walks; watching shows; playing games with family; being creative; and trying out new recipes, to name a few activities mentioned in our survey. One student recalls the popular dalgona coffee trend, also known as whipped coffee. Social media played a large role

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BIZ ROUNDUP Welcome back to the Biz Roundup. Every month, we check in with our two neighbourhood BIAs (Wellington West and Westboro Village) to catch up on the latest news from the Kitchissippi business community.

OTTAWA’S ONLINE FARMERS MARKET COMING TO YOUR FRONT DOOR!

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The Beechwood Market has a new pick-up location near you! Pick up your local produce at 339 Richmond Rd Delivery also available for a $7 flat fee! For the full scoop visit

beechwoodmarket.ca Also check us out on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!

The Springroll House Cafe was briefly closed for renovations but reopened the first week of April. PHOTO BY MAUREEN MCEWAN.

April 2021 • 22

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Here are some of the latest headlines:

Changing it up

The Wellington West BIA is launching a new business directory on its website. According to the friendly neighbourhood BIA, the directory will now include Googlebased directions, an improved search function, one-click web links to stores, reservations, added photos, social media and more. Visit wellingtonwest.ca to check it out. For a short period, Wellington Butchery (1333 Wellington St. W.) will be temporarily closed (April 5-15) as the business takes on some renovations. Visit wellingtonbutchery. com to learn more. The Springroll House Cafe is under new management. The 1093 Wellington St. W. location was closed for renovations last month but reopened the first week of April. You can check out their menu at springrollhousecafe.com.

Cannabis in Kitchissippi

There are two new cannabis retailers setting up shop in Kitchissippi. At the end of February, High Ties Cannabis

Store opened its doors at 1264 Wellington St. W. The business is a “local, independently owned cannabis retail dispensary that offers a whole new, elevated experience,” according to its website. Visit highties.ca to learn more about the new shop. Coming soon: Unplug Cannabis Co. is opening at 261 Richmond Rd. in Westboro. To learn more, visit unplugcannabis.com

Back in action

The popular food truck Bite This (181 Richmond Rd.) has returned from winter hiatus and reopened on March 29. Look for the wooden sign that reads “Bite This is Back!” on the sidewalk in Westboro. The menu is available at bitethis.info

Pandemic pizza party

Heartbreakers Pizza (465 Parkdale Ave.) had its one-year anniversary on March 7 and celebrated its success as a pandemic pizza place with a limited-menu pizza party. Check out heartbreakerspizza.com to learn more. To learn more about our Kitchissippi businesses, visit wellingtonwest.ca and westborovillage. com. As always, we encourage you to support and shop local!

K I TC H I S S I P P I

HOMES HOME•LIVING•RENOS•DÉCOR

Supplement to the Kitchissippi Times • SPRING 2021

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23 • April 2021 • KITCHISSIPPI HOMES

PHOTO COURTESY OF BOBBIJO DOYLE.

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FOLLOW YOUR DREAM, HOME.

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Lot 7 combines vintage and modern in its new space. Pages 30-31.

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Mixing old and new

Your eavestrough should be cleaned regularly.

KTICHISSIPPI HOMES • April 2021 • 24

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It’s Not Easy Being a Homebuyer These Days By Dean Caillier, Sales Representive with Engel & Völkers Ottawa Central, Brokerage Crazy, nuts and unbelieveable are just a few of the adjectives we hear when describing what properties are selling for in today’s Ottawa real estate market. Homes selling for $100,000, $200,000, and even $400,000 over list price seem to be reported regularly in the media. One thing we don’t hear in the news are the properties that don’t sell hundreds of thousands over asking price. In fact, some homes sell below the asking price, just above asking price, or receive no offers on the day of presentation to the seller. I recently brought a couple through a home for sale that had just come on the market. It was located in a desirable neighborhood and had many of the features my clients were looking for. Upon arriving at the property, we could see the flurry of activity—Realtors with their clients coming in and out of the home, with more waiting on the street to have their turn. After touring the property, my clients explained that they won’t be bidding on this home. They loved it, but felt

that with so much interest from other buyers it would sell for well over the list price and over their budget. They had recently lost out on three other properties that sold for over their budget and couldn’t take another rejection. There was no convincing them; they needed a break. Days later that property sold. It did sell above the list price, but well within my clients budget. After letting my clients know the selling price, they were in shock. They explained, “We would have paid more then what it sold for.” Instead of being disappointed for losing out on an offer, they were upset at themselves for not submitting an offer. A lesson learned. If you’re a buyer in this seller’s market, don’t give up. Patience, persistence and working with a Realtor will find your next home. Happy spring everyone! dean.caillier@evrealestate.com 613-299-6243 deancaillier.com

By Patrick Langston, All Things Home It’s been a long winter, but getting a jump on early spring maintenance will help make your home shipshape again as we head into warmer times. You won’t get everything done in a weekend, so space the tasks out and tackle them a bit at a time. And be safe: if there’s anything you don’t feel comfortable with, call in a pro. Gutters: Clean gutters of leaves and other debris, check downspouts for good flow and tight connections, and make sure any downspout extensions take water away from your home to a lower part of the yard. Roof: Check for cracked or missing shingles and have them replaced. While you’re at it, ensure exterior fixtures such as satellite dishes and exterior lights haven’t been loosened by all the snow and ice. If they have, tighten them up. Attic: After winter’s snow and ice, ensure there are no attic leaks. Look for wet spots or water staining on the underside of the roof and moisture or mould on insulation. Also check for mice and other critters that may have taken up residence. Mice can probably be eliminated with traps, but anything bigger like a squirrel will likely require the services of a pro.

Other leaks: Look for leaks and mould in all areas of your home. Check windows, doors, bathrooms and other spots where water damage could occur. Address mould issues immediately. For minor surface mould, treat with Concrobium Mold Control (recommended by celebrity contractor Mike Holmes). If you have a large amount of mould, contact a remediation company to dispose of it properly. Decks, etc.: Check your deck, porch and exterior stairs, especially those made of wood, for deterioration and rot. Applying a protective wood treatment or replacing rotten boards will extend the life and improve the safety of these areas. Paint inspection: Check and touch up exterior paint as required. Remember, paint won’t cure properly if the temperature is too low: apply when the daytime thermometer is at least 10 C and doesn’t drop below 0 C for several nights in a row. Rot inspection: If you see rot in window or door frames, it’s probably time to replace the whole unit. Rot spreads surprisingly fast, can harbour carpenter ants, and can lead to structural damage if left too long. Window and door installers are busy in summer, so be quick to make an appointment. Masonry: Check siding and masonry for damage as well. Some siding and masonry repairs are DIY projects, but serious damage to foundations requires a professional touch. Air conditioner: Your central air conditioner works hard during the summer. Preparing it now minimizes the chance of a failure on a steamy July afternoon. If you are not adept at DIY tasks, hire a professional to inspect and maintain it annually. Expect to pay between $100 and $200 for the service. Barbecue: Pulling the barbecue out of winter hibernation involves a lot more than just turning on the gas. On the plus side, your efforts will mean tastier, better-cooked food, less wasted fuel, and a barbecue that lasts a lot longer. You should also give the barbecue a thorough cleaning a couple of times during barbecue season. More on page 26

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Fridge coils: A surprising amount of dust and dirt can accumulate on refrigerator coils, especially if you have pets. That accumulation prevents the unit from working at top capacity, so your energy consumption increases and you run the risk of early appliance failure. Cleaning the coils is usually a simple job, requiring just a vacuum cleaner, a flashlight, and a specialty brush available at home improvement stores. Exhaust hood: Clean your range exhaust hood and filter. It not only leaves your kitchen smelling better, it can reduce the risk of a fire. Like refrigerator coils, it’s an easy DIY job. Some filters can go in the dishwasher; others should be washed by hand. Check your manual to be sure. Indoor caulking: Caulking around sinks and in the seams of showers keeps water where it belongs, so it’s important to check the condition of your indoor caulking periodically. If it’s brittle or pulling away from surfaces, it’s time to replace it.

Outdoor caulking: Spring is a great time to get around to re-caulking the exterior of windows to keep out water and provide a good seal. Filters: Replace the air filter in your furnace, heat pump or heat recovery ventilator. After filtering out many allergens and dust over winter, it’s time to be refreshed. Smoke detectors: Did you remember to check your smoke detectors and change the batteries when the clocks went ahead? If not, do it now before you forget. Also, check the expiry date of your detectors, which should be indicated on the back or side of each device. Batteryoperated detectors are generally good for about 10 years. Note that it’s important to use the correct batteries.

Patrick Langston is a long-time journalist and co-founder of AllThingsHome.ca, Ottawa’s trusted resource for home buyers and homeowners.

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By Charlie Senack Even during a global health pandemic, Ottawa’s housing market continues to be hot with bidding wars and high prices. Members of the Ottawa Real Estate Board sold 1,390 residential properties in February this year compared to 1,134 in February 2020 — an increase of 23 per cent. Sales in the residential-property class are up 24 per cent from this time last year and 19 per cent in the condominiumproperty category. Ottawa Real Estate Board President Debra Wright says the increase isn’t fully surprising with numbers trending in this direction even before the COVID-19

pandemic began. But when the city shut down for the first time in mid-March 2020, she admits, there was uncertainty. “I think everybody had a different perspective when the pandemic started on how things were going to look like,” said Wright. “I myself was quite concerned and depressed and was wondering if I was going to have a business after this.” Wright says many people who were struggling to buy a home prior to the pandemic were hopeful the market would steady after the pandemic began but that was not the case. With people being forced to stay home, many have opted for more space to move around. Others want space to have a home office, and some features, like a pool, which would sometimes be a turnoff

before COVID-19, are now seen as selling features. Advice for homebuyers and sellers If you’re the one selling your home, Wright suggests you consider leaving the property for a few days and staying elsewhere, because with the way the market is, hundreds of showings are possible. “It helps limit the amount of times you need to clean your property and it also helps protect yourself from COVID[-19] as well,” she says. As for advice for future homebuyers, Wright says it’s important you know your financial capability to the penny. Many offers are now unconditional and you can find yourself in some legal trouble if you don’t have the funds.

Ottawa Real Estate Board President Debra Wright. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE OREB.

Wright also says it’s a good idea for both the homebuyers and sellers to have a home inspection done to help rule out any surprises. This way you can ensure nothing is hiding beneath the surface. With high bidding wars and many families eyeing the same place, it’s important that you stand out to the sellers, says Wright. She recommends

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“I think everybody had a different perspective when the pandemic started on how things were going to look” Ottawa Real Estate Board President Debra Wright

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writing a letter to send with your offer sharing details about your family and expressing why this home is for you. Lastly, if you’re out looking for a home, Wright says don’t do it yourself: hire a real estate agent. Because the market can be confusing, this is an important step to have if problems pop up. Wright says she doesn’t have a crystal ball as to where the market will head over the next year, but spring is the busiest season in the real estate market and it’s already proving to be a busy one. “I don’t want to see prices go down and I don’t expect they will go down, but I would like to see prices stabilize,” she said. “[Cases of] people bidding way above asking price are not fun and no one likes them. The sellers might, because they are getting a great return on their investments, but buyers don’t like them and real estate agents don’t like them.”

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To learn more, visit www.oreb.ca (Right) The local housing market continues to heat up with bidding wars and high prices. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE OREB.

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Natural Coatings, and Old Masters, for their exceptional quality and high performance. Customers can choose environmentally friendly options and have limitless colour choices. A well-known fact: Randall’s is the go-to place in Ottawa for colour matching. Their paint colour specialists can even match to a colour swatch of your favourite fabric! With wallpaper trending, Randall’s offers the widest selection of wallpaper in Ottawa, including popular brands like Odyssey, York, Brewster, William Morris, Maxwell, and their newest brand, Gallerie, from England.

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Taking on a home improvement project this spring? Here’s the first place you’ll want to visit as you make your plans: Randall’s Home Improvement and Design Specialists! The family-owned business has been helping locals decorate their residential and commercial spaces since 1948 — generations of customers have walked through the 555 Bank St. doors. “We pride ourselves on our service, advice and experience because that’s why our customers return again and again,” said Marc Pilon, owner and operator. Randall’s can help you with paints, stains, epoxies, window treatments, designer wallpapers and upholstery fabrics, granite and quartz countertops, kitchen/bath knobs and pulls, flooring, lighting, interior decorating — you name it. Their team of specialists is ready to help you achieve your home decorating goals within your budget. “You can refresh your entire house inside and out,” said Pilon. If you want a quick way to increase the value of your home, paint is a great option. “Using high quality paint is an effective way both to improve the value of your home and to increase the pleasure that you derive from living in it,” Pilon said. “Plus, with almost Zero VOC (volatile organic compound) products, you can more safely paint inside year round.” Randall’s offers a large selection of interior and exterior paints, stains, primers and top coats. The specialists have carefully selected specific brands, like ultra-premium C2, Sansin, PPG, Sico Proluxe, Saman, Vermont

Thinking of revamping your garage or basement flooring? Randall’s has a beautiful selection of flooring materials available, like durable epoxy coatings, various hardwood options, luxury vinyl and stone product composites. Or maybe you’ve dreamed about automated window coverings? To complete your smart home, Randall’s has the biggest selection of automated blinds. Proper window coverings can help insulate your home from light, sound and weather. Randall’s is the largest independent Hunter Douglas dealer in the city, offering a wide array of signature blinds, shutters and drapery. They also carry three other Canadian brands providing a variety of price points, offer FREE in-home or in-store consultations and guarantee the fit. The team, including in-house interior decorators, is there to give friendly advice on all of their products. “We want people to achieve a great result and to deliver that, we can help people get organized, select the best products and, importantly, understand what they need to do to prepare for success,” said Pilon. As an Ottawa-based company, Randall’s prides itself on supporting Canadian products and workers. All the Randall’s-branded paint brushes, rollers and trays are Canadian-made. The company also recently added Shopify, an Ottawabased e-commerce platform, to their website for customers. “We’ve changed our buying in the last couple of years to try and source more Canadian-made products — as many as possible,” Pilon said. “If they are available, we try to buy Canadian-made.”

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Helping with Furniture: Provides gently used furniture and household items to those in need, especially refugee claimants. Pick-up may be possible; otherwise you can fill out a form on their site to arrange a drop-off. facebook.com/hwfottawa

GiveShop: This is a made-in-Ottawa app that allows you to declutter while also raising funds for charity. It’s a platform where you can offer your items and those interested can haggle over price, much like Kijiji or Facebook Marketplace. Buyers pay with a credit card and proceeds go to the charity of your choice. The giver gets a tax receipt and GiveShop gets a 15-per-cent processing fee. giveshop.ca

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Habitat for Humanity ReStore: The ReStore sells donated new and gently used items with proceeds supporting Habitat’s programs to help low-income families through affordable home ownership. Furniture and other items and accepted but some things are not; check before donating to ensure there is space for your items. Stores are located in Stittsville and Ottawa Train Yards. Pick-up can be arranged for a fee. There’s also a handy chart to see what you can donate. habitatgo.com

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HOMEOWNER HELPERS: Hold off on your spring yard cleanup By Anita Murray, All Things Home

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If the changing seasons has you itching to tackle your spring yard cleanup, hold off. This is one time when being neat and tidy can do more harm than good and adopting a lazy gardener attitude will earn you top marks.

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Why? Two reasons: • Your lawn is in a delicate state. • Beneficial insects that overwinter in your garden detritus are not yet ready to be on their merry way.

KTICHISSIPPI HOMES • April 2021 • 34

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It may be tempting, but hold off on tidying up the yard just yet. Photo courtesy of AllThingsHome.ca.

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Your lawn “Walking on soggy lawns is not recommended for quite a while after the snow melts as it compacts the soil and collapses the air pockets, or pores, necessary to promote good drainage and to allow microscopic plant roots to meander and grow,” says Anne Gadbois, an experienced gardener and past president of the West Carleton Garden Club. She recommends keeping people and pets off the lawn for at least two weeks after snow has disappeared and it is dry. “This will be hard but beneficial in the long run.” Your lawn knows when to come back on its own, Gadbois says. The best lawn for a healthy ecosystem that attracts pollinators is a diverse one, Gadbois says. That means droughttolerant grass (red fescue is a prime choice), along with a mix of other grasses, clover, creeping perennials such as thyme, ajuga, violets, sedums, and even dandelions. Although seen as a scourge by many homeowners who love a well-manicured lawn, dandelions are one of the first spring flowers to feed bees and other pollinators. “They disappear in a few weeks anyways, but these are crucial weeks at the beginning of spring when the perennials in our gardens are not yet blooming.”

Your garden Hold off on cleaning up your garden until the daytime temperature is consistently at least 10 C, says Master Gardeners of Ottawa-Carleton. Master Gardeners is a volunteer group of experienced gardeners who have studied horticulture and continue to upgrade their skills through technical training. With this training, they provide unbiased and free horticultural advice and expertise to home gardeners. Although not a master gardener herself, Gadbois was affiliated with the group and adheres to its example of following good gardening practices. Waiting until the temperature is above 10 C “comes down to the ecosystem and waiting for our insect friends to wake up and emerge from the detritus of last year’s growth where they, and their eggs and larvae, have been overwintering,” she says. “Cleaning up too soon and dumping the remains in the recycling bin can deprive our gardens of beneficial insects over time. Best to let them emerge naturally and get to work at their own pace.” If you can’t stand the mess and absolutely must remove dead matter from the perennial garden, then pile it very loosely on a compost bin or out-of-the-way corner of your yard so that the insects can continue to rise from their torpor and emerge naturally. While you wait “There is so much more to do in a garden than raking over the next few weeks,” Gadbois notes. Overgrown shrubs can be pruned and shaped (just remember not to tackle those with spring flowering branches right now), driveways and paths can be cleared, garden sheds can be organized and cleaned up, garden tools can be rehabilitated and seedlings can be started. Then you’ll be ready to go once your garden and your yard are ready for you.

Anita Murray is former Homes Editor of the Ottawa Citizen and co-founder of AllThingsHome.ca, Ottawa’s trusted resource for home buyers and homeowners.

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Pandemic vegetable gardening demands an early start By Patrick Langston, All Things Home

Vegetable seeds could be in short supply again this season. Photo courtesy of Pixaby.

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Why grow your own food? It is work. Cultivating, planting, watering and weeding all require effort, including lots of bending and kneeling. And you’ve got to mind your garden, watching out for disease, hungry insects and, sometimes, lettuceloving rabbits. But all that bending and kneeling and TLC is not just good exercise and a chance to enjoy the fresh air, it’s mentally and emotionally nurturing for the gardener, a daily reminder that we are part of, not the masters of, nature. More on page 36

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would have sold in a normal year, and that is with them running out relatively early of a bunch of stuff.” The hunger for seeds and seedlings wasn’t restricted to Ottawa or Ontario. A survey on gardening during COVID-19 by Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab found that 51 per cent of Canadian respondents grow at least one fruit or vegetable. Of those people, 17.5 per cent, or nearly one in five, began producing their own food for the first time during the pandemic. Of those new gardeners, 66 per cent agree that the pandemic influenced their decision to start growing their own food.

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The 2020 surprise The pandemic caught us all off-guard, and seed producers were no different. If there’s an economic downturn or something keeping us at home, people turn to their gardens and home improvement, so the demand for seeds wasn’t a total surprise, says Ritchie. What was a surprise was the extent of that demand. “I believe both of our main suppliers stated that we almost doubled what we

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If you plan on vegetable gardening during the pandemic, you better hop to it. The run on vegetable seeds in 2020 left producers and retailers scrambling to keep up and many would-be gardeners disappointed at the fast-vanishing stock on store racks. With the pandemic dragging on, 2021 is already shaping up as another busy year, with shortages quite possible. “Get your seeds now, or as early as you possibly can as the demand is through the roof,” says Canadian gardening guru and syndicated columnist Mark Cullen. “We have not seen anything like this since the World War II Victory gardens… Growers and retailers are having difficulty keeping up to the demand.” Mike Ritchie of Ottawa’s Ritchie Feed & Seed agrees. “From what we are hearing from suppliers, I think they are still catching up from last year so there will be shortages on some things for sure. As much as last year? Not sure.” Ritchie’s is already selling seeds online for curbside pickup. How long curbside pickup continues will depend on provincial lockdown regulations.

“There is increasing evidence that exposure to plants and green space, and particularly to gardening, is beneficial to mental and physical health,” says a 2018 article in the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Another scientific study, published last year, says researchers found that gardening at home had a similar effect on emotional well-being (or happiness) as biking, walking or dining out. The benefits were similar across racial boundaries and between urban and suburban residents. Interestingly, it was the only activity out of the 15 studied for which women and people with low incomes reported the highest emotional well-being. There are lots of other reasons that we grow our own food. For example, the Dalhousie study found that over 50 per cent of home gardeners

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Pandemic vegetable gardening

If you are a first-timer The internet brims with advice for the novice vegetable and fruit producer. Sites like the University of Vermont and The Garden Professors both offer helpful tips on gardening during a pandemic, while AllThingsHome.ca includes valuable articles on gardening essentials and container gardening. Remember when doing online research that the Ottawa climate, with its possible late frosts and increasingly common summer droughts, may be different from ones you’re reading about. Cullen says soil is the foundation of your new food growing endeavour.“A garden

is built on rich organic content and good drainage. Examine your current soil and either add to it or, in the case of heavy clay, remove it 25 cm deep and back fill with 35 cm of triple mix (typically, a mix of top soil, peat moss and compost).” Ritchie encourages first-timers to take chances and not worry about the occasional flop. “You’re never going to get 100 per cent results. Half the fun is experimenting a bit. Try something like rainbow carrots. “And don’t get too downhearted if things don’t work right. That’s just part of gardening. Maybe try again or try a different variety.”

Patrick Langston is a long-time journalist and co-founder of AllThingsHome.ca, Ottawa’s trusted resource for home buyers and homeowners.

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KTICHISSIPPI HOMES • April 2021 • 36

were at least somewhat concerned about food shortages during the pandemic and over 85 per cent worried about rising prices because of COVID-19. The percentages were roughly the same among non-gardeners. A slim majority of veteran home gardeners also believe their produce is safer than what they could buy in a store, while the vast majority of both long-time and newbie gardeners said their food was more flavourful than store-bought food.

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PROVINCIAL UPDATE Fund a safe, supportive return to school SUBMITTED BY JOEL HARDEN, OTTAWA CENTRE MPP

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t its Feb. 23 board meeting, the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) informed parents that we were returning to the quadmester system next fall for high schools, with the continuation of cohorting, so students will only attend in person every other day. The OCDSB took this decision given trends in public health, and forecasts for future provincial funding. I have written to Stephen Lecce, the minister of education, urging him to stop the cuts to education and maintain and expand the COVID-19 funding for schools to keep kids safe, invest in mental health supports

and guarantee that no education worker or teacher loses their job. Staff in our public schools have worked tirelessly to keep our kids safe and to keep them engaged in learning, but the strain of doing so is considerable. Staff are exhausted, and in need of further support. The minister’s recent announcement, confirmed in the 2021 provincial budget, that the funding given to school boards for COVID-19 costs would be withdrawn for fall 2021 only makes matters worse. For the OCDSB, this cut will mean the loss of 167 teaching positions. After a year of making hard sacrifices, people want a return to a semblance of normalcy. The plan to return to the adaptive quadmester model — which is not working

for most students despite the best efforts funding from our public schools. Parents, of staff — is based on concerns around students and staff want a safe and supportive stability and adequate funding. We want return to school in fall 2021, and that requires this government to offer hope that we can maintaining (and increasing) current funding return to a learning environment that levels. This will enable, among other helps staff and students be their things, smaller class sizes, decent fullest selves by ensuring the staff ratios, well-functioning funding required for a smooth infrastructure, continued transition back to full-day, inCOVID-19 health and safety person learning as soon as it is measures as required and safe to do so. proper support for students We also know a third with disabilities. Our office is here for pandemic wave has been here for That’s why we’re insisting that some time: youth mental health is the province maintain and enhance Town Halls Monthly suffering at record levels. Health officials in present COVID-19 funding for theCanvasses 2021-2022 Community Organizi Ottawa note a 60 per cent rise in the number school year. Trends suggest the vaccine Helpbut Accessing Gove of youth reporting eating disorders, and a rollout will be well underway by then, 30 per cent increase in the need for youth students and staff will still face massive counselling and addiction services. There challenges in readjusting to more fulsome is a corollary increase for youth admissions in-person learning. 109 Catherine St. / rue Catherine Ottawa, ON K2P to emergency departments, sufferingMPP from/ Député provincial, This government must maintain and 0P4 Ottawa Centre anxiety, depression, self-harm and other increase funding for public education, and mental health issues. do right by students and staff. They deserve Now is not the time to be withdrawing no less.

SUBMITTED BY JEFF LEIPER, KITCHISSIPPI WARD COUNCILLOR

37 • April 2021

provided their feedback about this concept via email, resulting in roughly 275 emails total. We received two and a half times more emails that raised objections to a permanent closure of Byron to through traffic than emails in favour of the proposed reconfiguration. Residents on both sides of the issue raised legitimate points, but based on what I’ve heard, I don’t think it would be fair for me to pursue a permanent reconfiguration of Byron at this time. My small staff are buried with a level of work that has at least doubled since the pandemic began, and we don’t have the capacity to lead the community through this discussion as a priority. I will bring forward what we heard

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elcome to April, Kitchissippi! I know that many of us have been feeling the effects of coping with the COVID-19 pandemic for a full year. The uncertainties of this year have been challenging, and I want to say “thank you” once again to everyone for following public health guidelines and pulling together to support our neighbours. Kitchissippi is a strong community, and I am proud to serve you. The COVID-19 vaccine rollout is underway in Ottawa. As I write this, adults aged 75 and over are now able to book their vaccine appointments, and by the time this is published, I anticipate even more people will

have their vaccine appointments booked, with additional age cohorts becoming eligible. To stay abreast of the latest vaccine news and get daily updates about the COVID-19 situation in Ottawa, visit the Ottawa Public Health website and sign up for their vaccine e-newsletter. I know everyone is eager to get vaccinated, and I appreciate your patience as OPH works with the province to protect our population. About a month ago I opened a public consultation to see what the community thought about the prospect of reconfiguring Byron Avenue between Golden and Redwood to create a pedestrian-centric space. Between Feb. 19 and March 15, community members

from the community to traffic staff and ask them to consider possible solutions for the area that would address everyone’s concerns, and I will be seeking a temporary reconfiguration of Byron again this season that will mitigate traffic impacts for Fraser and Golden. I will provide updates on that discussion as it evolves. Virtual pop-up office hours are ongoing, and I’ve asked my staff to include some weekend times so everyone can have the chance to participate. You can stay up to date on those through my weekly newsletter and our ward social media accounts. My office will be holding a virtual ward forum on May 12, where we’ll hear updates from our community associations and a presentation from a special guest speaker — more details on that will be available soon. Email us at jeff.leiper@ottawa.ca to get subscribed to the newsletter, register for the ward forum, and to get in touch with us about all things Kitchissippi.

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Community weighs in on Byron Avenue

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April 2021 • 38

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Welcome Home!

SUBMITTED BY CATHERINE MCKENNA, MP FOR OTTAWA CENTRE

s we say goodbye to winter and welcome spring, I hope you are doing well and staying safe and healthy. With the days getting longer and temperatures rising, I hope you are able to get outside and enjoy a walk or other physical activity. Comfortable, affordable, retirement living in the heart of Kitchissippi! Our government shares the urgency of Canadians to ensure access to life-saving Now accepting applications for vaccines as rapidly as possible, our Retirement Floor and we are operating with Call 613-722-6690 this sense of urgency every single day. By the end of March, Canada had received more than 9.5 million vaccines. We will be receiving 36.5 million doses by the end of June. This puts us on track to have enough vaccines for every Canadian who wants one by the end of September. Ottawa Public Health is working extremely hard to ensure our most vulnerable communities are prioritized to receive the vaccine as quickly as possible. MonarchistLeague_KitchissippiTimes_4.75x2.33_ad2.qxp_Layout 1 2021-03-08 4:54 PM Page 1 As well, the launch of the provincial booking system marks an important milestone in the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines. To find out if you are eligible, and to book a vaccine appointment, visit covid-19.ontario.ca/book-vaccine As we move closer to providing vaccine protection for everyone, it’s important to remember that we aren’t out of the woods yet. It’s critical that we follow the public health measures in place, including will send you The Case for the Crown. maintaining physical distance, wearing Request it from domsec@monarchist.ca a mask, washing your hands and staying home if you’re sick. In other news, I am very happy to share that the federal government is continuing PO Box 1057, RPO Lakeshore West, Oakville, ON L6K 0B2 to invest in active transportation through

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the Active Transportation Fund, the first national project of its kind! I was glad to make this announcement at Bushtukah, a local bike and outdoor adventure shop in Ottawa Centre. The fund will invest $400 million in new and expanded community pathways, trails and pedestrian bridges. Just like our investment in the Flora Footbridge, this initiative will make it easier for people to get around on foot, bikes, scooters, wheelchairs and e-bikes. It will also create jobs, connect communities and protect the environment in Ottawa and across the country. Additionally, in March, the federal government announced an investment of $2.75 billion to help transit agencies acquire new electric city and school buses, including new charging equipment that will support Canada’s electric vehicle charging network. These 5,000 new electric school and city buses will help tackle climate change, create good jobs, and support manufacturing right now, here in Canada. Locally, Ottawa is acquiring four 40-foot battery-powered New Flyer buses this year and is looking at the potential to add more electric buses. These buses have the latest electric-bus technology that is significantly better and more reliable. It’s now been over a year since COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic. On March 11, we held a National Day of Observation to honour and mourn those we have lost. Together, we remember them and together we will get through this. A reminder that my constituency office is virtually open and ready to assist - call us at 613-946-8682 or email us at catherine. mckenna@parl.gc.ca A huge thank-you to the frontline workers, healthcare and essential workers who are working so hard to keep us safe. And a thank-you to Ottawa Centre residents for doing your part: I know this has been really hard and we will get through this. Let’s continue to keep supporting each other!

COMMUNITY CALENDAR COVID-19 note: This page has been updated to reflect the developments in Ottawa during the pandemic.

Got a Kitchissippi-area virtual or COVID-19 safe event to share? We’d love to hear about it. Send your info to editor@kitchissippi.com

For the full list of events please go to

kitchissippi.com.

To place a Classified or Marketplace ad, please call 613.238.1818

39 • April 2021

KITCHISSIPPI MARKET PLACE

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APRIL 24 - CLEANING WELLINGTON WEST! A Cleaning the Capital event brought to you by your Hintonburg & Wellington Village Community Associations. Sponsored by Giant Tiger Xpress & Morris Home Hardware. Supported by the Wellington West BIA. Event runs April 24, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. *Rain date May 1. Please bring your own gloves and rakes if possible. Hintonburg registration table: Hintonburg Community Centre at 1064 Wellington St. W.; Wellington Village registration table: Fisher Park School, west entrance on Harmer Ave.

MAY 1 - CLARE GARDENS PARK CLEAN-UP The Volunteer Gardeners of Clare Park and the Westboro Community Association are hosting the bi-annual Clare Gardens Park clean-up on Saturday, May 1. Join us and bring a broom, a rake or a shovel. We’ll bring rubber gloves and large plastic plus garden bags. To stay safe, we will be practicing COVID-19 physical distancing measures. The clean-up runs from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Note: The rain date is Sunday, May 2. Get some fresh air and help us keep our park beautiful. For more information, contact volunteergardenersofclarepark@gmail.com or hellowestboro@yahoo.ca

TUESDAYS - BYTOWN VOICES COMMUNITY CHOIR Although the choir is not able to prepare for public performances, we will be meeting online each Tuesday evening at 7:30 p.m. We will be learning some new music and maintaining our vocal cords in a relaxed environment, with plenty of musical and technological help. We will all be experiencing this new way of

WEDNESDAYS - SHOUT SISTER! CHOIR There are 25 chapters of Shout Sister! Choir in Ontario and we are constantly growing. Shout Sister! takes an unorthodox approach to choral singing. We learn from recorded tracks, so we require no reading of music. Our method is fresh and fun, and we are a warm and welcoming community. We use Zoom to meet virtually every Wednesday afternoon (1-3 p.m.) and Thursday evening (7-9 p.m.). Everyone is welcome. We would love to have you join us! For information on joining, please contact members@shoutsisterchoir.ca or visit shoutsisterchoir.ca

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APRIL 22 - EARTH DAY WEBINAR The Hampton Iona Community Group is pleased to host a webinar at 7:30 p.m. led by Sharon Boddy, titled “Urban Foraging 101. Introducing people to the ethics of foraging. How to identify and harvest sustainably, versatile and nutritious plants and use in everyday recipes.” To register, please email urbanweedeater@gmail.com

APRIL 27 - OTTAWA HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY WEBINAR “Growing More Butterflies.” Butterflies come from caterpillars, and caterpillars can only eat very specific plants. To attract adult butterflies, a garden needs to have good nectar-producing plants to feed the adults and, just as importantly, the specific native host plants for the next generation. Speaker Trish Murphy will look at some of the diverse species of milkweeds that attract monarch and some other garden-worthy wildflowers that nurture local butterflies as caterpillars and as adults. The webinar is free and runs from 7:30-9 p.m. To learn more, visit ottawahort.org

meeting and singing together and are happy to welcome new members, men and women, to join us. For more information, see our website at bytownvoices.com

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APRIL 20 - MASTER GARDENER LECTURE “Our Gardens and Climate Change’’ by Lesley Peace, part of the 2021 Master Gardener Lectures, will run April 20 from 7-8 p.m. The lecture will be hosted on Zoom by Friends of the Farm and Master Gardeners of OttawaCarleton. For more information about ticket prices, visit friendsofthefarm.ca

MONDAYS - ABOVE AND BEYOND TOASTMASTERS Every Monday at 6:45 p.m. (except holidays). Visit us online. Learning how to communicate better and honing your leadership skills can be fun. March 2021 holds another special meeting called “Open House” on March 22. Two speeches each week help us learn new skills as well as relating great stories. Join our family of joy with our five meetings in March. It is double the enjoyment each Monday. Contact our VP-Education or our webmaster at aandbtoastmasters@gmail.com to receive the link.

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Stay safe and healthy, Kitchissippi!

APRIL 24 - GCTC - CRANIUM FESTIVAL Ottawa’s hip-hop, R&B and urban music festival hosted by the Great Canadian Theatre Company this spring. “CRANIUM supports the development of Ottawa and Canada’s Urban Music community via performance opportunities, professional development activities, networking and by connecting Ottawa based professionals to others around the world,” the GCTC website states. The festival runs from 7:30- 9:30 p.m. on April 24. To learn more, visit gctc.ca

There’s so much to find in Wellington West

WARMUP

Wow! So many photos!

The #WelliWest Gnomes are having so much fun exploring our online directory and they’re popping up in a different merchant’s listing every weekday from April 6-30. Find them and you could WIN a $200 gift card to the Wellington West merchant of your choice. One-click feature buttons make it so easy to explore!

April 2021 • 40

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KitchissippiTimes

An early Spring has brought the #WelliWest Gnomes out to explore Hintonburg and Wellington Village. Play hide and seek with #WelliWilma and #WelliWally in the new and improved website directory.

Start by visiting their #GnomeBase and when you see that they’re gone, go look for them in the merchants’ listings.

wellingtonwest.ca/directory/gnomebase