Carleton family barbecue set for Sept. 7 at Richmond Fairgrounds
I am pleased to once again host my annual Carleton Family Barbecue. This year’s event will take place Sat., Sept. 7 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Richmond Fairgrounds.
Firefighters from Richmond will be manning the grill and cooking up hamburgers and hot dogs, while we will also be serving up cobs of corn, vegetable spring rolls, veggies and dip, ice cream, and more.
The most entertaining and multi-talented man in all of Carleton, Dr. Kaboom, will be joining us. We will also have face painting, and entertainment and activities that will be announced closer to the date.
I also want to emphasize that this is a non-partisan, non-political event. This is an event to celebrate Carleton, and to celebrate our best summer in years.
If you’re interested in volunteering, please contact my office through my website contact form at www. goldiempp.ca/contact.
I hope to see you there!
The Capital Fair is underway at Rideau Carleton Raceway
One of the great things about being the MPP for Carleton is that our riding hosts three amazing fairs every year.
The Richmond Fair and the Metcalfe Fair are well known throughout Eastern Ontario, but the entire fall fair season kicks off with a big one right here in the Carleton riding.
The Capital Fair is taking place at the Rideau Carleton Raceway. While many people think the fair started to replace the old Central Canada Exhibition or Ottawa Ex, the Capital Fair is actually the old Gloucester Fair.
In 1999, the Gloucester Agricultural Society moved
the Gloucester Fair to the Rideau Carleton Raceway. They changed the name to the Capital Fair in 2014. In taking on a new 10-day format in August, the fair moved to introduce its expanded program to the region by implementing an introductory free gate admission program. The results were wildly successful as in 2017 the fair attracted more than 255,000 guests.
With all of the restrictions from COVID-19 now behind us, we hope to see the biggest and best Capital Fair ever!
Ontario Helping More Women Build Skills and Get Jobs
The Ontario government is investing up to $1,045,000 over three years through the Women’s Economic Security Program to support Connecture Canada’s entrepreneurship program in Mississauga, which supports women from Francophone, Black, immigrant and racialized communities to gain the know-
ledge and experience they need to start a hair-braiding business
This funding is part of the government’s investment of up to $26.7 million over three years in 25 local programs across the province that provide career training opportunities for women, helping them gain the skills, knowledge, and experience they need to find a job, start a business and achieve financial independence.
The Women’s Economic Security Program offers training in four streams: the skilled trades, entrepreneurship, information technology, and general employment. To help remove barriers to participating, the training programs also include additional supports such as providing meals throughout the training day, transportation to and from training, and support finding child care.
Through the program, women, including those who have experienced or are at risk of intimate part-
ner violence, can also access wraparound supports, including referrals to mental health and well-being supports, counselling, housing, and legal support.
Women interested in the program can visit Ontario. ca/women.
This investment is part of Ontario’s four-year action plan to prevent and address gender-based violence. In addition to the province’s $15 million investment this year in the Women’s Economic Security Program, Ontario is providing up to another $11.7 million through the bilateral agreement with the federal government on the National Action Plan to End Genderbased Violence.
Quick Facts
- Organizations funded under the Women’s Economic Security Program deliver employment, preemployment, pre-apprenticeship, and entrepreneurship training to low-income women. The 25 training programs are delivered
through partnerships between women-centred organizations, educational institutions, and businesses.
- Since its inception in 2018, the Women’s Economic Security Program has helped more than 2,600 women secure employment, become entrepreneurs, or pursue further training and education. This includes helping 1,298 women start small businesses and 237 get jobs in the skilled trades.
Ontario Reaches Tentative Agreement with Principals and Vice-Principals Ontario has reached a tentative agreement with the associations representing school boards and the associations representing principals and vice-principals on the employment terms and conditions for principals and vice-principals in publicly funded schools.
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Two passengers in trunk of car going 51 km/h over speed limit
More charges for stunt driving and other traffic-related offences have been laid in Barrhaven and Riverside South, including one in which two people were in the trunk of a car going 111 km/h on Greenbank Road.
Members of the Ottawa Police Service Traffic Escort & Enforcement Unit and frontline patrol officers were out Friday, August 16, as part of the Residents Matter (#ResidentsMatter) late-night traffic enforcement initiative.
In total, 73 provincial offence notices (PONs) were issued during the Aug. 16 enforcement in the community, including 27 for speeding, eight for licence plate visibility issues, six for failing to display two licence plates, five for unnecessary noise, five for failing to stop at a
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The memorandum of settlement is between the Ontario government, the associations representing principals and vice-principals (Ontario Principals’ Council, Catholic Principals’ Council of Ontario and Association des directions et directions adjointes des écoles francoontariennes) and the four associations representing school boards (Ontario Public School Boards’ Association, Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association, Association francoontarienne des conseils scolaires catholiques and Association des conseils scolaires des écoles publiques de l’Ontario). The term of the agreement is four years, applying from 2023.
Ontario’s commitment
red light and one for a vehicle equipped with a speed measuring warning device.
Seven drivers were also charged with stunt driving/ street racing. The offending vehicles were travelling at the following speeds on local streets:
- 137 km/h in an 80 km/h zone – Woodroffe Avenue / Slack Road
- 112 km/h in a 60 km/h zone – Greenbank Road / Highbury Park
- 122 km/h in a 60 km/h zone – Greenbank Road / Foxfield Drive
- 111 km/h in a 60 km/h zone – Greenbank Road / Foxfield Drive
- 121 km/h in a 60 km/h zone – Greenbank Road / Foxfield Drive
- 114 km/h in a 70 km/h zone – Strandherd Drive /
to stability in the classroom ensures that students benefit from the government’s back-to-basics agenda, which is focused on what matters most: boosting reading, writing and math skills in Ontario schools to prepare students for the careers of tomorrow.
Quick Facts
- There are approximately 8,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) principals and vice-principals across Ontario, and most are members of one of three voluntary associations.
- Principals and viceprincipals in Ontario are not unionized.
- Over the next several weeks, all parties will be undergoing their separate approval processes with respect to the tentative settle-
Dealership Drive
- 135 km/h in an 80 km/h zone – Limebank Road / Leitrim Road
The vehicle going 111 km/h on Greenbank Road and Foxfield Drive had eight occupants in a five-seater vehicle. Two passengers were in the trunk, and one person was sitting on the lap of the front passenger. Four passengers were not wearing seatbelts. Driving with passengers in the trunk is an additional stunt driving charge.
The driver going 114 km/h at Strandherd Drive / Dealership Drive was also charged with the possession of a Schedule I substance (drugs) under the Controlled Drug and Substances Act (CDSA). These stunt drivers had their licences suspended for
ment.
- Ontario has successfully reached central agreements with all 9 of its education labour partners, namely teacher federations and education workers.
Marketing Initiative Bears Fruit for Ontario’s Tender Fruit Growers
The Government of Ontario is investing up to $1.6 million over four years to support Ontario Tender Fruit Growers in purchasing display bins branded with the Foodland Ontario logo. This will help consumers identify seasonal, locally grown tender fruits when shopping in grocery stores.
Display bins branded with the Foodland Ontario logo increase in-store prod-
30 days, their vehicles seized for 14 days, and have upcoming court dates. When convicted, a stunt driving charge may result in a fine of $2000 - $10000, six demerit points, a possible six months in jail, and a further one-year to three-year licence suspension.
uct visibility and secure shelf space during peak season to create demand and support for Ontario grown fruit. This investment will help customers easily identify locally grown and in-season items such as peaches, nectarines, cherries, plums, apricots, fresh table grapes and pears.
This initiative will help achieve the Grow Ontario Strategy goal of increasing consumption of food locally grown, raised and produced by 30 per cent.
Quick Facts
- The tender fruit farmgate value for fresh market and processing sales accounted for more than $85 million in 2023.
- The $1.6 million invested by the Ontario gov-
Additional traffic stops included two drivers driving without insurance, carrying a minimum $5000 fine upon conviction.
Overall, 21 Court Summons were issued, and three Criminal Code charges were laid as part of the late night initiative.
ernment represents 50 per cent of the total costs for this project. The remaining 50 per cent is paid for by the Ontario Tender Fruit Growers. This funding demonstrates the partnership between industry and the Ontario government that helps the province’s growers remain competitive in the marketplace.
- The Ontario agriculture and food sector supports more than 871,883 jobs in Ontario and contributed more than $50.7 billion to the province’s economy in 2023.
- Foodland Ontario is a consumer marketing program by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness that has been informing Ontario consumers about the availability of locally grown foods since
If you have information about a late-night traffic-related problem location, complaints can be filed online at: ottawapolice.ca/report. It only takes a few minutes, and the data collected assists the Ottawa Police service in the allocation of enforcement resources.
1977. Visit Foodland Ontario’s Availability Guide to find out what is seasonally available in Ontario.
Inspiration for the week
“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.”
- Maya Angelou
Office Notice:
My office is open Monday to Friday, 9 am to 4 pm. If you require assistance on any matter, please contact me at any time. My staff and I will be happy to assist. Even if it’s not a provincial issue, I’ll make sure to connect you with the proper office.
OSTA responds to Deloitte review, GM leaves after four months
Ottawa Student Transportation (OSTA) has responded to the 2023-24 review conducted by Deloitte at the Ministry of Education’s request.
“At OSTA, our foremost commitment is to ensure that students have safe, reliable, and efficient transportation to and from school,” said interim General Manager and CAO Cindy Owens. “We recognize the concerns raised by parents and guardians following last year’s challenges, and OSTA is dedicated
to implementing meaningful changes to address these issues.”
Owens, a former Ottawa Catholic School Board principal, served as the Interim General Manager last year, replacing former OSTA GM Vicky Kyriaco. Earlier this year, OSTA hired Joel Lemieux, a former OC Transpo transit operations control centre manager, as their new GM. Lemieux departed OSTA with no reason provided to the public or media, prompting OSTA to put Owens back in for a
second term as interim GM.
The 2023-24 school bus year began in turmoil for the families of approximately 7,500 students, as there was a shortage of bus drivers. Complicating the problem in west end was that only nine of the 10 operating companies renewed their contract.
Because of the situation, the Ontario Ministry of Education ordered a third party review of OSTA’s situation. The review was conducted by Deloitte.
After a thorough review
of Deloitte’s recommendations, OSTA has taken the following actions:
- OSTA has accepted all recommendations related to management practices, contract management, and procurement. These steps will enhance the overall efficiency and reliability of OSTA’s services.
- In terms of cost-saving measures, OSTA has agreed to all recommendations except for one regarding the harmonization of school calendars, which falls under the jurisdiction of the
school boards.
- OSTA has also reviewed the transportationrelated recommendations. While most apply to OSTA, recommendations TP-6 and TP-7 extend beyond their mandate.
Concerning the costsaving recommendation to review school start times (bell times), any changes exceeding 10 minutes require school board approval. Should any adjustments be considered, OSTA will ensure that parents and guardians are consulted
well in advance. Importantly, no bell time changes will be implemented in the upcoming school year.
“The full Deloitte Transportation Consortium Review is available on OSTA’s website. We have already begun implementing many of the recommended changes and will continue our efforts to provide transportation services for the new school year. We appreciate your continued trust and patience as we work to improve our services,” concluded Owens.
Torah Centre in Barrhaven among Jewish groups to receive bomb threats
Barrhaven’s Ottawa Torah Centre was one of the many Jewish institutions and organizations in Canada to receive a bomb threat early in the morning of Wed., Aug. 21.
More than 100 hospitals, synagogues, Jewish community centres and Jewish organizations received the bomb threats.
Also receiving the threats were the Ottawa Hospital, Queensway Carleton Hospital, the Montford Hospital, and the Royal Ottawa Hospital.
B’Nai Brith, who also received the threat, issued a statement on the X platform.
“Today, multiple Can-
decisive action to protect our people.
“In a country where all citizens should feel safe, these cowardly threats aim to terrorize our communities and erode our Canadian values.
“The incitement we have been seeing almost daily in every city, on all our streets and in all our campuses across Canada have created this permissive environment.
“Enough is enough!
“Canada must not bow to terror. We must restore safety to our cities and ensure that every Canadian can live free from fear.
“Make Canada safe again!
“Make our cities safe
“We are in contact with law enforcement and all indication points to these threats being nuisance emails designed to disrupt lives,” a statement from the CIJA read. “There is no imminent threat. Jewish Canadians will not be intimidated – we will continue to take part in Jewish life. We will stay vigilant, but we will never be intimidated.”
The RCMP has been working with the Ottawa Police Service and other police services in cities and municipalities where the threats took place.
“Make our streets safe
“Make our campuses
Authorities from the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs believe that threats were intended to
Indian Food Festival of Ottawa brings food, culture to Barrhaven
The Indian Food Festival of Ottawa gave Barrhaven a “culinary adventure” as it took place at Clarke Fields Aug. 23-25. Numerous vendors showcased a wide range of food and flavours from various regions throughout India. In addition to the food, there was also Indian music and entertainment throughout the weekend.
How non-profit hospitals could transform our ailing healthcare systems
By EmmanuEllE FauBErt
Canada’s healthcare systems are deteriorating.
Wait times in the country’s emergency rooms have been going up. And waits for specialist treatment are also awfully long.
Last year, one in two Canadian patients waited over six months between referral from their general practitioner and actually getting their treatment from a specialist.
Access to a family doctor isn’t getting any easier, either. Currently, over 6.5 million of us don’t have access to one. That’s roughly one in six people living in Canada.
The fact is, our healthcare systems are struggling to provide us with the medically required care Canadians need and deserve.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
When we look at other countries with universal systems, many perform better than Canada in terms of access and health outcomes.
In an oft-cited ranking of health systems from the Commonwealth Fund, we rank 10th out of 11, ahead of only the United States.
European nations, where universal access is guaranteed, just as it is here, rank higher than us. France is eighth, Germany is fifth, and the Netherlands is second.
One thing these systems all have in common is that they’ve allowed private, nonprofit hospitals to operate as part of the national health system.
In France, these account for 14 percent of hospital beds nationwide. In Germany, it’s 28 percent. In the Netherlands, every single hospital bed is in an independently run non-profit facility.
A good part of their success is due to the relative autonomy these hospitals enjoy in carrying out their day-to-day operations.
In Canada, hospitals are primarily funded through what is called block funding. Under this system, every patient is viewed as a cost to the hospital, which is then incentivized to ration care by creating long wait times.
Essentially, each year, the health department assesses how much funding a hospital will need based on the previous year’s activity levels. Once the hospital receives this funding, it must manage the budget carefully throughout the year to ensure it doesn’t run out before the next big cheque arrives.
In European healthcare systems, hospitals are primarily funded through an activity-based funding model, whereby a hospital receives money from the government for every medical act performed.
Since every act of care is linked to a direct source of revenue, hospitals are motivated to treat more patients to increase their funding. This system fosters healthy competition between neighbouring hospitals as they strive to attract patients by offering timely, high-quality care.
Rather than allowing politicians and bureaucrats to micromanage healthcare facilities from distant offices in our provincial capitals, we should empower frontline staff by giving them greater local control over our healthcare facilities.
Allowing independently run non-profit hospitals to play a role in our universal system would achieve just that.
Emmanuelle B. Faubert is an Economist with the Montreal Economic Institute. © Troy Media
Don’t
remember
the 80s? Frankie Say Relax!
For those of you who were around to remember the 1980s, how do you explain it to your kids?
Of course, those of us who are considered Gen Xers had the hippie movement, pot smoking, freedom, peace, love and the Woodstock album shoved down our throats.
So the 1980s was our way of taking pop culture in a new direction.
The 1980s had a distinct, well, everything. There was a definitive 80s look, sound and language. The 1990s had New Kids on the Block, the Spice Girls, grunge music and Seinfeld. The 2000s, or the “zeroties” (should be a word), had Harry Potter, MySpace, Facebook and Lost. The 2010s gave us Netflix. The 2020s gave us a pandemic and what looks like the beginning of World War III.
So why is there still such an obsession with the 1980s? Were the 80s that good? In ways, yes. But in other ways, not really. There was no internet then. There was no DVR or Fibe TV or high speed cable. Nothing was on demand. Instead of subscribing to Netflix we had to venture out to a video rental store and bring home our favourite movies on VHS tapes. Watch out for that fine if you don’t rewind it before returning it.
So here are the things that stand out to me about what I consider the greatest decade of all time. If you were around, maybe this will bring up some happy memories for you.
Do you remember all of the hype around the Charles and Di Royal Wedding? If only we could go back in time and bring a VHS copy of Netflix’ The Crown with us.
Do you remember Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope? The 1980s kicked off with the greatest Canadian hero of all time.
many more.
Do you remember joining the Columbia Record House and getting 10 cassettes free and you only had to buy six over the next three years? Am I the only one who forgot to send the thing saying I didn’t want a cassette one month and ended up with a Boz Skaggs tape?
Do you remember popping open a Jolt Cola at 6:30 a.m. and watching 20 Minute Workout?
Do you remember people saying things like “gnarly”, “rad”, and how about this one, “Gag me with a spoon”?
Do you remember keeping a Rubik’s Cube in the bathroom so that you could frustrate yourself while sitting on the loo?
Do you remember buying the rainbow colour box of 10 floppy disks and thinking you were such a tech savant?
Do you remember going to the arcade with a pocket full of quarters to play PacMan, Asteroids, Galaxian, Jungle King, Donkey Kong or Space Invaders?
Do you remember how frustrating it was when your favourite home made Maxell 90-minute mix tape would get tangled in the cassette recorder and it took forever to delicately pull it out and wind the tape back into the cassette?
Do you remember when we all said things we heard on sitcoms and walked around saying things like, “Hey Willie, you kill me!”, or “Watchu talkin’ ‘bout Willis?”, or “Norm!”?
Do you remember getting your first Sony Walkman?
Do you remember spending extra money at the photo lab to get your prints back in an hour instead of a week when you brought your rolls of Fuji or Kodak film in?
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Do you remember that window of a couple of years when rugby pants or rugger pants or whatever they called them dominated men’s casual fashion? If you don’t know what they are, picture khakis with a draw string. The Adidas ones even had stripes down the side. Imagine if Adidas made khakis and put three stripes down the side? Sounds dumb. I’d be all over it and buy the first pair.
Do you remember when we were obsessed with music videos? We all mindlessly stared at music videos on MTV. Two years later, we finally got a Canadian channel, MuchMusic. If you were around for that, you will remember the videos for Billie Jean, Thriller, Don’t You Forget About Me, Pride (In the Name of Love), Come on Eileen, Walk Like an Egyptian, What’s Love Got To Do With It, Careless Whisper, Shout, Safety Dance, Girls Just Want to Have Fun, Jump (Van Halen, not Kriss Kross), Relax (the song that inspired the Frankie Say Relax t-shirts), Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (the song that inspired the Choose Life t-shirts), and so
Do you remember when everyone wanted to be able to moon walk like Michael Jackson?
Do you remember watching He-Man and the Masters of the universe on Saturday mornings?
Do you remember thinking you were all that and a bag of chips because you were wearing a Swatch around your wrist?
Do you remember who you most identified with when you watched the Breakfast Club?
Do you remember how many times you watched 16 Candles?
Do you remember how your mind was blown when you found out Darth Vader was really Luke Skywalker’s dad?
Do you remember sitting in the theatre on two dollar Tuesdays and watching Highlander, the Terminator, or Alien?
Do you remember cheering when Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux led Team Canada to victory in the Canada Cup?
And most of all, do you remember when we all thought there would be flying cars by 2024?
From the Barrhavan Independent Archives: The girl without a name
From the Barrhaven Independent, august, 2014
It’s hard for Grace Agostinho to talk about the work she has done in Haiti without getting emotional.
But as she flips through the pictures in the phone, a tear trickles down her cheek as she comes to one picture.
“This little girl,” she said, pausing to hold back a sob. “She doesn’t have a name.”
The little girl represents every reason why Agostinho has been raising money to help orphans in Haiti.
“The girl’s mother has had a horrible life,” Agostinho said. “She doesn’t know how old she is. She thinks that maybe she is 30. She has nothing. She has been raped nearly every day for the past 20 years. She is scared for her little girl. She wants to protect her and keep her safe and let her have life – something she hasn’t had.”
The girl with no name has haunted Agostinho, but she has inspired her to keep going as well. She has been raising money at her business in Manotick, the French Café, and helping orphans in Haiti for the past five years. Joining her in her project are students from Longfields-Davidson Heights Secondary School in Barrhaven.
Agostinho’s dream of doing something to help orphans in Haiti blossomed from a seed planted while listening to CBC radio after the devastating tropical storm season of 2008. Four tropical storms, including Hurricane Hanna, killed hundreds of people in Haiti and left the country in a state of devastation from which it has not recovered. In 2010, Haiti was hit even harder with one of the most damaging earthquakes on the planet over the last generation. Death toll estimates range from 150,000 to 200,000.
Agostinho raised more than $50,000 through donations at her business, through individuals from Manotick and Barrhaven stepping forward to become involved, and through a fundraiser held at Longfields Davidson
Heights Secondary School in Barrhaven.
Rather than building an orphanage and school, Agostinho adopted one in the mountain town of Savanette. She started her own program in which local residents can spend $100 to sponsor a child so that they can be fed a meal every day and go to the school. The program, according to Agostinho, directly saved 26 lives when she went to visit the school in May.
“There were 26 kids who were literally dying of malnutrition,” she said. “We were able to use some of the money to get the kids to the medical centre where they were treated. If we had not been able to do that, all 26 of them would have died by now. People in Manotick and Barrhaven have been generous to help us out, and they are the ones who saved the lives of these children.”
One of the children saved was a little girl named Santa. Agostinho has a photo of her on her iPhone. The spark in her eyes and her warm smile remind Agostinho how much of a difference she is making to the kids. It also serves as inspiration, as Santa’s eyes are filled with a reminder that she is making a difference.
One of the struggles Agostinho faces is knowing that no matter how much she helps people, it is only the tip of the iceberg.
“No matter how much you want to do to help, it will never be enough,” she said. “But you don’t have to help everyone to make a difference.”
On her last trip, Agostinho saw a woman who was starving, and told the driver of their car to stop so that she could offer her the bread she had been eating.
“The sister from the church asked me why I
Canada,” she said. “Sometimes we don’t realize how lucky we are. Sure, it gets cold in the winter here, but we are safe. We know that we will have a roof over our heads and that we will eat.”
A tear runs down her face one more time.
would do that, because she is just going to wake up tomorrow and be hungry again. I told her that I can’t think that way. I gave her my bread because she was starving. Maybe tomorrow someone else will help her. Sometimes people don’t get that even if you can only help one person, you are still changing their life.”
Meanwhile, on her travels to Haiti, she sees the same world without hope. It is a world that has been left behind by the rest of the world. Children are abandoned because their mothers or their parents can’t look after them. They are constantly picking through garbage looking for anything to eat. The children at the orphanage and the school are fortunate. There are 100 children in the classroom, but they listen to the teacher and they work together to learn. Their meal, usually rice, keeps them alive. Agostinho knows that if she built an orphanage and a school, it would have 150 kids within a day.
Agostinho’s thoughts turn back to the girl without a name. She is nobody, yet she is everybody.
“I always wanted to have four children, but I stopped at two,” Agostinho said. “I was always going to name my next girl Sara. When I met the little girl with no name, I called her Sara. I wanted her to know that she could have a name and be somebody – a person.”
Meeting the girl and her mother was perhaps the most powerful thing she has encountered on her many visits to Haiti. They lived in conditions unimaginable for us in Canada. Agostinho even gave the woman her underwear out of her backpack, as she had none.
“We are so lucky here in
“I can’t stop thinking about the little girl,” she said. “She is my Sara. There is not an hour of any day that goes by that I don’t think of her. There are a lot of children without a name in Haiti. I know I can’t help them all, but I am going to help as many of them as I can.”
Large crowd at OTC enjoys Canada’s only Kosher Cook-Off and Festival
The rain that was in the forecast stayed away and the 2024 Kosher BBQ Cook-Off and Festival was a big success.
A large crowd filled the parking lot at the Ottawa Torah Centre in Barrhaven as vendors and competitors served up brisket, chicken and other Kosher BBQ delicacies. There was also a beer garden with local Kosher beer, a Kosher food court inside the centre, a giant colouring wall, a fire truck and firefighters from the Barrhaven station in Half Moon Bay, and a petting
zoo.
“We hold the event every two years, and there was a lot of excitement for it this year,” said Rabbi Menachem Blum. “All week the forecast was calling for heavy rain, but the rain stayed away and that helped us draw a lot of people.”
Supported by the Government of Ontario and in collaboration with various community stakeholders, the Ottawa Kosher BBQ Cook-off and Festival aimed to engage all sectors of the Ottawa community, welcoming both Jews and non-Jews
to explore Jewish culture through its rich Kosher cuisine.
A Kosher food court, presented by Cater 4U, offered BBQ and Middle Eastern favorites, including Chicken Shawarma, Falafel, Schnitzel Sandwiches, burgers, and hot dogs. The beer garden showcased award-winning craft beers from Ottawa-based Shillow Beer, Ontario’s only Kosher brewery. Keeping it Vegan in Nepean featured array of desserts, ice cream, and sweets.
“This is the only Kosher BBQ competition and Jewish food festival of its kind in Canada,” said Rabbi Blum, the event’s organizer. “It provides a unique opportunity for our diverse community to come together, connect, and learn about each other while enjoying some delicious food.”
One visitor to the event from Israel, who has been staying in Barrhaven for the summer but will remain unnamed for security reasons, said it was “the most authentic Israeli food I have ever had in Canada.” She also added that “the music was everything I heard living in and growing up in Israel. I even ordered my food in Hebrew!”
The crowd was big and steady from the opening at 11 a.m. to the announcement of the Cook-
Off winners before the end of the event at 4 p.m. Kosher BBQ cookoffs and Jewish food festivals have gained popularity in many Jewish communities across the United States, serving as a creative way to foster community bonds over food in a welcoming and inclusive environment.
The OKBBQ 2024 aims to replicate this success in Canada’s capital, offering a unique opportunity for all to experience and learn about Kosher Jewish food and culture.
City of Ottawa invites input from local residents on Draft Budget 2025
The City of Ottawa is encouraging residents to provide input to Budget 2025.
You can let the city know what budget priorities matter to you by visiting the Engage Ottawa Draft Budget 2025 page at engage.ottawa.ca to complete a short poll. The poll is open until Friday, September 13 and the results will be posted on the Engage Ottawa website.
Once the poll closes, there will be other opportunities to get involved with Draft Budget 2025, including through Councillor-led
consultations, social media, your local Councillor and feedback tools on the Engage Ottawa website.
Residents can also provide feedback and ask questions related to Draft Budget 2025 through social media (using #OttBudget), 3-1-1, local Councillors and feedback tools on the Engage Ottawa website.
Residents can share their budget priorities by completing the Engage Ottawa Draft Budget 2025 poll through Sept. 13.
From September through November, councillor-led budget consulta-
tions take place to receive input from residents. Exact dates for consultations will be communicated by Councillors, posted on ottawa.ca and social media.
On Wed., Nov. 13, Draft Budget 2025 will be tabled at Ottawa City Council.
From Wednesday, November 13 to Monday, December 9, residents can submit questions to city staff through Engage Ottawa and register to make public delegations to the various standing committees.
On Wed., Dec. 11, Draft Budget 2025will becon-
sidered for adoption at Ottawa City Council.
Budget background
Every year, the City of Ottawa produces a municipal budget. One of the City’s most important documents, the budget is the blueprint that defines how money is received (revenue) and spent (expenses). There are two main components to the draft budget:
- The operating budget funds City programs and services that residents rely on every day
- The capital budget
helps grow our city by paying for new infrastructure and assets under the City’s control and the rehabilitation of existing infrastructure and assets
The draft budget is broken down by Standing Committee, department and service area as described in the Table of City Services and Standing Committee reporting structure. With direction from City Council, the budget is drafted and tabled for review by each Committee and adopted by Council. There is also one Commission and three Boards who
make recommendations to Council regarding their draft budgets:
- Transit Commission
- Ottawa Police Services Board
- Ottawa Board of Health
- Ottawa Public Library Board
Draft Budget 2025 supports Council’s commitment to fund ongoing operational needs. The draft budget is respectful of taxpayer dollars, continuing to invest prudently in Ottawa’s future to build a sustainable, secure and prosperous city for all.
By Wilson lo Barrhaven east CounCillor
Two weeks ago, another collision happened at Greenbank/Highbury Park, which renewed requests from residents for a left-turning arrow to be added to the traffic signals for southbound traffic on Greenbank.
The collision was regrettable and unfortunate, considering I have been requesting either an advance or protected left at that location since I became Councillor.
An advance left still permits vehicles to turn left dur-
Better Networks has announced that on Sat., September 14, 2024, they are the main sponsor for Ottawa’s 4th Annual Hot Sauce Expo, Heating up the Capital 2024.
Haico Krijgsman of
ing the main green cycle, while a protected left restricts all left-turning movements except during the turn cycle.
Coincidentally, in last week’s newsletter, I briefly mentioned those signals while sharing an update about protected left turn signals being added along Strandherd at Beatrice and at Riocan.
Barrhaven says “This event showcases some of the many great Canadian hot sauces and their makers. We are holding this event at the Shaw Centre in downtown. We have everything in place to
To warrant an advance or protected left signal at an intersection, the following criteria must all be met/ exceeded (an advance left requires just the first three to be met/exceeded, protected left needs all four):
• An average of two or more vehicles turning left per signal cycle.
• More than half the vehicles turning left wait through more than one cycle to complete their turn.
• There is enough capacity at the intersection for the traffic waiting to turn left.
• Number of reported collisions involving left-turning
make this event another great success. There will even be Jalapeno beer!! Both the makers and hot sauce lovers are excited for Ottawa’s 4th annual Hot Sauce Expo.”
Massine’s Capital Pun-
vehicles as a percentage of total collisions at the intersection and compared to the number of left-turn collisions at other intersections across the city.
The warrant process is prescribed by the MTO with no local flexibility. Though there are considerations for sightlines, the hill south of Highbury Park does not create enough of a visual barrier, per guidelines.
While a purely data-driven process has its merits, it also comes with many downfalls, including the assumption that every motorist behaves and reacts the same. It
ishment Stage will be home of the entertainment and spicy food eating challenges during this event. The winners of the YOW! Awards will be announced including the King of Sauces, The best sauce in
throws out considerations of human behaviour, unreported collisions, and close calls.
At Greenbank/Highbury Park, it also assumes every motorist stops at the same position to wait to turn left and that they have the same sightline over the slight hill.
Staff completed a traffic count at Greenbank/ Highbury Park last year, but points two and four were not met, so a turning arrow was not justified.
However, as that traffic count was completed the last week before Christmas, and as the school boundary at St. Mother Teresa High School
Canada. The highlight of the Expo will be the extreme pepper eating challenge. The winner will be the owner of the “Extreme Chili Alliance Championship Belt” and comes with a $250 cash prize.
are changing to include west of Greenbank starting this school year, staff have agreed to my request for a new assessment to be completed in October.
Failing that, I will work with Councillor Hill (since the intersection is on our boundary) to find a way around the warrant process.
I know many residents won’t feel assured until I have something to show for it, but the Greenbank/Highbury Park signals are high on my priority list. Updates will be shared through my newsletter as they become available.
Competitors for this event are training now and coming from all over Canada.
More information and advance tickets are available at www. HeatinguptheCapital.com.
Nepean Eagles face Myers Riders in youth rivalry weekend at Sportsplex
The Nepean Eagles ventured out of Barrhaven and up Woodroffe Ave. to the Nepean Sportsplex to take on the Myers Riders for a Pee Wee-Bantam doubleheader Friday evening and a Tyke-Mosquito doubleheader Sunday morning. The Mosquito Eagles beat the Riders 14-6 on touchdowns by Griffin Scott and Domenic Doherty, and a twopoint convert kick by Cruz Baldeau. Phoenix Brown had a touchdown for the Riders.
Pictured, Osborn Zhang (19) of the Mosquito Eagles fights for yardage down the sideline and the Mosquito Eagles and Riders scramble for a fumble. The Tyke Eagles were 30-12 winners over the Riders. Quarterback Marcus Roman (1) had a big day with some impressive runs and a long touchdown pass, and he is pictured being chased by Riders defenders. Also pictured are Tyke Eagles defenders hauling down a Riders ball carrier.
OSU wins gold on national and international soccer stages
The summer of 2024 has been one of the best ever for Ottawa South United regarding successes in competitions.
The local based youth soccer club won both a national and a global championship to add to the already epic trophy case in their new facility at George
Nelms Park on Mitch Owens Road.
Earlier this year, an OSU girls team comprised of Danica Menard, Ava Blinn, Cindy Yang , Felicia Hanisch, Mia Ugarte, Naomi Lofthouse and Coach David Fox travelled to London, England to represent Canada at the Gatorade 5v5
Global tournament. The OSU team was one of two teams from Ontario invited to the event
The OSU team defeated Colombia 4-0 and Brazil 1-0, and then beat Colombia again in the gold medal game by a score of 3-2.
In addition to the victory, the team was also invited
to attend the 2024 EUFA Champions League final at Wembley Stadium.
The OSU U15 boys added to the club’s successes last week as they travelled to Edmonton and won the Canadian Player Develop-
ment Program (PDP) championship tournament.
OSU opened the tournament up with a 5-0 win over the Calgary Villains, and cruised to the finals where they blanked AS Blainville 2-0.
The previous week, the OSU U15 girls won the Ontario PDP championship.
Earlier this month, the OSU Girls Force Academy U16 team brought home a bronze medal from the Ontario Summer Games.
The Shay Way Memorial Car Show will debut at 2024 Taste of Manotick Taste of Manotick
By Kelly Belair
ManoticK Bia coluMn, Special to the MeSSenger
While there typically has been a car show held at as part of the Taste of Manotick festivities, this year there will be a new show that will honour the late Micheal Elmer Shay aka Mikey or Shay who was a well known and loved member of the Manotick Community. He passed away in April, 2023.
The show will be produced by Hannah Hempinstall, a cherished friend and co-worker of Mike’s. Mikey or Shay was known for his fine mechanic skills at Manotick’s Garage where he worked for both former owner Sonny Eve and current owner Tom Hilliard for over 18 years.
Mike was known for
having a special way with classic cars, nobody could fix them quite like he could.
No registration fee required. Instead, organizers are asking for a donation to the Mittens from Mikey campaign. Give what you can and come as you are.
The star of the show will be a blue 1968 Cougar, a vehicle that Mike built from the ground up.
Owner of the gorgeous car is Mike’s longtime friend, Doug Watson. Doug purchased this car when he was 15 years old, trading his brother a stereo for it. Mike and Doug lived near each other right here in Manotick years ago, leading them to work on cars together at the old Petro Canada. At 16, Doug handed over his pride and joy to be built and taken care of by Mikey.
Fast forward 40+ years later, they ended up rebuilding this car together, again. After many months of work, Mike passed away just before the car was road ready. Mike’s ashes were transported to his funeral by Doug in the Cougar in May of 2023. That car was so beautifully built by Mike, it truly is one of a kind.
Don’t miss catching a glimpse of this car at the Shay Way Memorial Car Show in Mews of Manotick on Saturday, September 14th.
Bring a monetary donation, mittens, socks or a nonperishable food item and help us fill the car with donations to the Ottawa Mission and the Manotick Food Cupboard.
To register or for more information please visit www.manotickvillage. com/tasteofmanotick
CLUES ACROSS
1. Microgram
4. After B
7. Everything
8. An unfortunate development
10. Coat with sticky substance
12. Cylinder of tobacco for smoking
13. Minimum interval take off
14. Yuck!
16. NBA sensation
Jeremy
17. Where some rockers work
19. Midway between northeast and east
20. Snake-like fishes
21. Groups of homes
25. Swiss river
26. Useful towel
27. “The Wire” character “Moreland”
29. Oafish creature
30. A major division of geological time
31. Bird-like Chinese dinosaur
32. Sporting events
39. Body part
41. Clerical vestment
42. Shows data
43. Some are “special”
44. Expression of disappointment
45. Students’ rights document (abbr.)
46. Vacation
locale Costa __
48. Pop singer
49. Distract outside a city
50. Mark Wahlberg comedy
51. Coniferous tree
52. Midway between south and southeast
CLUES DOWN
1. Lunatic
2. Actress Danes
3. Buttock muscles
4. The 22nd letter of the Greek alphabet
5. Popular 70s rockers
6. Electronic communication
8. Trigraph
9. Sea eagles
11. Low-pitched, resonant sound
14. Northeastern US university (abbr.)
15. Home of the Bulldogs
18. Exclamation of surprise
19. Make a mistake
20. Advantage
22. Monkeys love them
23. Wood
24. Paddle
27. Past participle of be
28. Tall, rounded vase
29. Device manufacturers
31. Financial institution (abbr.)
32. Paper product
33. A type
34. Atomic #43
35. Red Hot Chili
Peppers’ drummer
36. Behaviors
37. Decays
38. Walked confidently
39. Voice (Italian)
40. Class of adhesives
44. Bar bill
47. One-time aerospace firm