Barrhaven Independent June 21, 2024

By Ed StorEy

During my Air France flight to Paris, I was thinking about how I made a similar trip to Normandy 40 years ago. Back then I was a young man, the same age as those who stormed the five Norman beaches in what was the largest amphibious operation ever mounted, and I too was also in the military,

While my 36-year career as a Geomatics Technician and Terrain Analyst in the Canadian Military Engineers would eventually take me to places like The Former Yugoslavia with the UN, central Africa, Honduras with the DART, Bosnia with NATO and finally Afghanistan, those young men in June 1944 were tasked with the difficult job of conducting the opening move in the liberation of Western Europe from the clutches of Nazis.

I have been to Normandy several times. The first was in 1974 when my father, a combat Engineer who was stationed in Germany, took me on a battlefield trip to Vimy, Dieppe and Normandy; but my trip in 1984 was the first going to France as an adult. I had been collecting Canadian Army

uniforms, equipment and insignia since the mid-1970s, so I had made plans to meet up with a group of British enthusiasts who collect and preserve old military vehicles and join them on their tour of Normandy.

I had also decided to go dressed as a Second World War Canadian sol-

dier and had settled on representing The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (M.G.) who were the Vickers machine gun and 4.2-inch mortar regiment in 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, the Juno Beach amphibious assault formation Juen 6. After more than a year of research and hunting

for the correct kit, approximately the same amount of time as it took for the Allies to plan Operation Neptune, I had just managed to find everything I needed.

That 1984 trip opened my eyes to not only the interest the Europeans have in the war years but the im-

mense gratitude they have for those who fought for their freedom. Being dressed as a wartime Canadian afforded me a lot of opportunities. I not only got the chance to mingle with wartime Veterans who had made the trip from Canada, like Cameron Highlander Veteran Oscar Couvrette from Ottawa. I was interviewed by journalist Charles Lynch, who covered World War II and was one of nine Canadian journalists who accompanied the troops to the shore at Juno Beach. I was also part of the BBC Morning Breakfast June 6 broadcast from Arromanchesles-Bains where I met Vera Lynn. A day earlier, it was at Pegasus Bridge where I met both John Howard of the 2nd Battalion the Oxford & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (6th Airborne Division), who led the capture of that vital bridge in a daring glider-borne coup-de-main assault and Piper Bill Millin from the Commandos who had piped the way forward from Sword Beach as the Commandos fought to link up with the Airborne force.It was during this trip that I met some lifelong friends who I remained in contact with.

June is Seniors Month and national Indigenous History Month in Ontario

By Goldie Ghamari, mPP for Carleton

National Indigenous History Month

More and more often, when we are at public events in the Carleton riding or anywhere throughout the city, we hear a statement acknowledging that we are on the unceded and unsurrendered traditional territory of the Algonquin and Anishinaabe Nations. As we approach this year’s Canada Day festivities, we will hear various versions of a land acknowledgement statement at local and national events.

I mention this because this month, Ontario is celebrating National Indigenous History Month, when we celebrate the rich traditions, heritage and contributions throughout history of First Nation, Inuit and Métis peoples across the province and country.

I hope you are able to take part in the many cultural activities planned this month, including on June 21 in recog-

nition of National Indigenous Peoples Day, to learn about the diverse histories, cultures and experiences of Indigenous peoples who helped shape this province.

This month, take the opportunity to get involved by attending local events, supporting Indigenous tourism, businesses, and artists, and commit to learning more about Indigenous heritage in your community.

Our government understands that we all have a role in deepening our collective understanding as we embark on our path towards making reconciliation real for Indigenous peoples.

June is Seniors Month in Ontario

June is Seniors Month in

Ontario – a time to honour and celebrate the contributions seniors have made to help make this province the great place it is today.

To make it easier and more convenient for seniors and their families to find the information they need to connect to services and resources, the Ontario government is launching a new and interactive website at Ontario.ca/seniors.

As part of the Ontario government’s plan to help people easily connect with the government services they need, this new seniors website puts everything seniors and their loved ones need to find, right at their fingertips.

The simple and easy to use website and its search tool provides a one-stop-shop for seniors and their families to have all the information and resources they need on how to connect government services and community supports such as home and housing supports, health and well-being, recreation, caregiving, and finances.

Seniors can easily find out how to connect to services such as Health811, renew a driver’s licence, and find tax credits. It also helps seniors find other community resources including local seniors organizations that offer social, cultural and recreational programs.

This year’s Senior’s Month theme, Working for Seniors, highlights the programs and services that are helping seniors all over the province stay fit, healthy, active and connected to their family, friends and communities.

Ontario is working for seniors by investing more than ever before in hundreds of local programs and services every year because when seniors have more opportunities to be social and together, they have a happier and better quality of life.

Quick Facts

- Seniors are Ontario’s fastest growing demographic.

- The number of seniors

aged 65 and over is projected to increase significantly, from 2.8 million or 18.4 per cent of population in 2022, to 4.4 million, or 20.3 per cent by 2046.

- Seniors are recognized through two provincial senior award programs. Nominations for these awards can be made at any point in the calendar year.

Helping seniors stay fit and active

The Ontario government is helping more seniors stay fit, healthy and active in their community by investing up to $15 million to support all current Seniors Active Living Centres (SALC) programs across the province that connect seniors with resources and activities.

The up to $15 million investment is an increase of close to 10 per cent from last year, resulting in a majority of SALC programs getting a funding increase from $42,700 to up to $50,000 to deliver a variety of programs such as

book clubs, fitness classes, health and wellness services, social groups, and other special events.

Due to the overwhelming success of Ontario’s more than 300 Seniors Active Living Centres being delivered by municipalities, new changes to the Seniors Active Living Centres Act, 2017 came into effect as of June 1, 2024 that enable more types of organizations to deliver Seniors Active Living Centre programs.

A call for proposals for organizations to deliver SALC programming will open later this summer. In addition to municipalities, other local and community-based organizations such as Legions, Lion’s Clubs, and other social and recreational clubs are now welcome to apply.

Organizations that deliver SALC programming contribute 20 per cent of the cost of delivering the program, with the province providing the remaining 80 per cent.

goldie continues on page 3

goldie continues from page 2

This announcement comes as Ontario marks Seniors Month, a time to celebrate the accomplishments of older people in the province.

Reducing MRI and CT Scan wait times

As part of the Your Health plan, the Ontario government is taking the next step to make it easier and faster for people to connect to publicly-funded surgeries and procedures by adding 100,000 more MRI and CT scans at community surgical and diagnostic centres across the province each year.

A call for applications opens today, with new licences expected to be issued starting in Fall 2024 that will connect nearly 100,000 more people to scans each year. This expansion of services will also help to reduce wait times for MRI and CT scans to 28 days in every region of the province from the date the order/ requisition was received to the

date that people receive their scan, ensuring every person who needs imaging receives it within the medically recommended period of time.

Two additional calls for applications will be launched this summer and fall to also expand the number of community surgical and diagnostic centres that can connect people to GI endoscopy procedures and orthopedic surgeries.

New community surgical and diagnostic centres build on the successes the Ontario government has achieved since the launch of Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care including:

- Achieving the shortest surgical wait times of any province in Canada in 2023, with nearly 80 per cent of people receiving their procedure within clinically recommended target times.

- Funding up to 65,568 MRI and 31,220 CT operating hours in existing community

surgical and diagnostic centres over the past year.

- Adding 49 new MRI machines in 42 hospitals across the province.

- Adding four new licensed cataract centres to provide more publicly funded cataract and other eye surgeries. In the past year, the government has funded 32,000 eye surgery procedures at community surgical and diagnostic centres.

- Eliminating the backlog of cervical cancer screening tests at the end of August 2023. Testing turnaround times returned to the pre-pandemic standard of 10 to 14 days.

As the government significantly expands the number of surgeries being done through community surgical and diagnostic centres, it is ensuring these centres are integrated and linked with the broader public health system. This includes requiring new facilities to provide detailed staffing plans that protect the

stability of staffing resources at public hospitals, reporting into the province’s wait times information system and participating in regional central intakes, where available, to ensure people get the surgery they need as quickly as possible. All community surgical and diagnostic centres are now also under the oversight of Accreditation Canada’s new quality assurance program which provides the same strong requirements as public hospitals to improve quality standards at facilities and ensure consistent patient safety and quality care.

Quick Facts

- Existing centres have begun their transition to the new Quality Assurance (QA) program. Routine inspections by Accreditation Canada’s new QA program are set to begin October 2024.

- As legislated in Bill 60, all applications must submit a detailed staffing plan, details

on how they consulted with health system partners, show current linkages to the health care system as well as detailing their processes for providing information and obtaining patient consent amongst other requirements.

- No centre can refuse an insured service to a patient who chooses not to purchase uninsured upgrades and no patient can pay to receive insured services faster than anyone else.

- This is an open provincewide call for applications – all eligible applicants are welcome to apply.

- The call for applications is open for 10 weeks starting June 3, 2024, and will close at 11:59 p.m. on Monday August 12, 2024.

- Questions about the call for applications process, the application guidelines, and/ or the application form must be emailed to ICHSC.Applications@ontario.ca by June

17, 2024, 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) so that answers can be posted on the ministry’s website to assist.

- For over 30 years, community surgical and diagnostic centres have been providing publicly funded diagnostic imaging, surgeries and procedures in the community.

- There are currently over 900 community surgical and diagnostic centres throughout Ontario; the majority provide diagnostic imaging services.

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.

Goldie Your voice at Queen’s Park

Hearing Loss or Selective Hearing?

Settle the debate with a hearing test!!

All joking aside, a hearing assessment is an invaluable part of your overall health review. Much like eyes and teeth, ears should also be looked at regularly. This is particularly important now that studies have shown links between untreated hearing loss and memory, cognition, falls, social engagement, annual earnings, and depression, not to mention its impact on your relationships. There is no doubt you will want to be proactive with even the slightest hearing loss!

When that time comes, you will find that hearing is surprisingly complex and individualized, and so, finding the right solution is not as simple a process as you thought. What works for one may not neces-

sarily work for another. The good news is that there are many manufacturers allowing for a great variety of solutions to meet the multitude of unique hearing needs. The key to finding your needle in the haystack is to consult an Audiologist in an independent clinic where all brands are offered. Only then is a truly customized solution possible.

Offering just that is Hearing Freedom, a locally owned and operated clinic. Their grassroots approach is rare in today’s retail settings, larger clinics and manufacturer owned chains.

The unique and refreshing approach that sets Hearing Freedom apart from other providers was established over 20 years ago by Rosanne McNamee, Doctor of Audiology. After

seeking employment in the Ottawa area, she was disheartened by interviews that had nothing to do with her knowledge and skills, but rather focused on the requirement to hit certain sales targets, to cut assessments short for efficiency and to limit prescriptions to one or two “preferred Manufacturers” for greater profit margins.

“That was not my idea of proper hearing health care,” says McNamee. “Each and every individual deserves what is best for them and their unique needs. The assessment must be thorough because it is the basis for everything else. In addition, there must be consideration for everything available in the market or you risk missing out on the ideal solution.” And so, she decided to set up her own busi-

ness, doing it her way and putting patients first.

At Hearing Freedom, the patient is an active part of the whole process and there is no predetermined product or plan. Each and every patient’s intervention plan is truly as unique as they are. The experience begins with a 90-minute hearing test which is followed by a detailed needs assessment. Then, keeping both the assessment outcomes and the unique individual needs in mind, the Audiologist will take the time to research the market, considering ALL makes and models, to select the right product for that specific patient. This is followed by an extensive trial giving patients the confidence that they have the right solution for them, their lifestyle, and their unique hearing needs.

“Not only is hearing complex, so are today’s hearing aids,” McNamee explains. “And manufacturers differ vastly in what they offer. Dealing with the most qualified health care professional, in the most independent setting, is crucial to success.” At Hearing Freedom, customization is their cornerstone. You can thereby be certain that you have chosen the best place to trust with your hearing needs.

So, if you believe in your right to the best, fullest and most customized service available, make sure you book your appointment with Hearing Freedom. You’ll never regret your short drive to Manotick.

For more information visit www.hearingfreedom.com

MacLeod

announces

The Ontario government is investing $60 million in the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board for one new school and two school expansions, helping working families in Ottawa.

The announcement was made earlier this month by Nepean Progressive Conservative MPP Lisa MacLeod.

This will support the creation of 1,548 student spaces and 39 licensed child care spaces in Ottawa as part of the government’s commitment to building state-of-the-art learning

$60 million to OCDSB for new school, two expansions

spaces for Ontario students.

The projects announced are a new $28.3 million East Urban Ottawa elementary school, as well as expansions at two Kanata high schools, Earl of March ($16.1 million) and A.Y. Jackson ($15.6 million). These projects are part of a $1.3 billion plan that more than doubles funding to build new schools and expansions, including child care spaces, as part of the Capital Priorities Program.

“Today’s announcement is incredibly good news for Ottawa-area working

families,” said MacLeod. “While the previous government closed over 600 schools across the province, our government is listening to parents and delivering over $300 million to build eight new schools and four additions to schools in the Ottawa area.”

The overall investment, which is the highest ever made in a single year, supports the creation of more than 27,000 new student spaces and more than 1,700 licensed child care spaces at schools across Ontario.

“As a father, I under-

stand that the local school really is the heart of the community, and that it’s so important for young families to have a school that’s close to home,” said Todd Smith, Minister of Education. “Our government is listening to hard-working moms and dads, which is why we are more than doubling our funding to $1.3 billion for the largest one-year investment in school building in Ontario history. We are delivering the modern, state-of-theart schools that students, families and communities deserve.”

Ontario’s government unveiled a new plan to build faster, including providing school boards with more flexibility and support to get shovels in the ground quicker and have more options to use existing buildings in their communities.

“We would like to thank the Ontario government for this important investment in schools in Orleans and Kanata, and for their commitment to streamline the approval process at the Ministerial and municipal levels. This funding will ease pressures on existing

schools as communities rapidly expand. We would also like to extend our gratitude to parents and community members for their tireless advocacy,” said OCDSB Board Chair Lynn Scott.

Since 2018, the Ontario government has invested more than $3.6 billion in capital construction projects in education, including 139 new schools, 109 additions and renovations to existing facilities, creating more than 98,000 student spaces and over 8,000 new licensed child care spaces.

Police release photos of suspects in Eyes of Barrhaven robbery

The Ottawa Police Robbery Unit is seeking public assistance to identify suspects involved in a commercial robbery that occurred in the 4200 block of Strandherd Drive on June 10th.

At approximately 7:25 pm, police responded to a call for service about a commercial robbery and one person was arrested at the scene.

CTV Ottawa reported last Monday that Awni George, the owner of Eyes of Barrhaven near Costco in the Citi Gate Plaza, was being robbed by four people and performed a citizen’s arrest.

“I was pushed by the individual as he took the frames right in front of me and said, ‘You can’t do anything about it.’ And those were his words to me, ‘We’re going to come in here and we’re going to take whatever we want and walk

out,’” George told CTV Ottawa’s Natalie Van Rooy, who broke the story.

George thinks the suspects are the same people who have robbed his store before. He estimates he has lost $15,000 in the thefts.

When George tried to stop the suspects from leaving, other customers in the store jumped in to help. Three escaped, but one was tackled and held until police arrived.

“Three of them ran out with a bunch of frames, and then one of the other gentlemen tried to escape and he wasn’t so fortunate to get out,” said Andrew Ratte, who helped to perform the citizen’s arrest, in the CTV Ottawa interview. “And then luckily we had him on the ground and then from there he started to make malicious threats, talking about stabbing us with fentanyl.”

with Robbery with violence, Possession of Property Obtained by Crime, Theft, Conspiracy to Commit an Indictable Offence and Breach of Probation.

Police are looking to identify three addi-

tional suspects (see photos): One is a male, 4050 years old, white, balding brown hair with a goatee; one is a female, 30-40 years old, white, black hair and black Timberland hoodie; and the other is male, white,

wearing a mask.

As the investigation continues, further charges may be laid by the Robbery Unit.

Anyone with information as to the identity of these suspects or this incident is asked to contact the

Shane Albert, 40 years old, of Ottawa was charged

Robbery Unit at 613-2361222 extension 5116. Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling Crime Stoppers toll-free at 1-800222-8477 or at crimestoppers.ca.

Residents near Kennevale and Merner upset over planned cell phone tower

Residents in the area of Kennevale Drive and Merner Avenue are upset over a proposed cell phone tower to be built in their neighbourhood.

The area is one block east of Cedarview Road in West Barrhaven. Some of the residents of that area received a notice from Rogers regarding the cell tower, however not all did.

“We are consulting residents and businesses of this area regarding this proposed project,” the notice reads.

“Details of this project are included in the present notification file. We invite you to take note of the proposed project and to provide us with any questions or comments in writing by 5pm June 16th. 2024, after which we will answer your concerns. You will then have the opportunity to submit further comments if you require additional clarifications.”

Multiple residents from the area contacted the Barrhaven Independent asking for their voices to be amplified to bring their concerns to public attention.

“The proposed location of

the tower raises significant health concerns for our residents,” said Julie Gant. “The potential long-term effects of living in close proximity to a cell tower are worrisome, and many of us fear for our families’ well-being.

“Furthermore, the presence of this tower will likely lead to a decrease in property values, negatively impacting our investments and the overall desirability of our neighborhood.”

The tower, according to Rogers, is being built to improve cell coverage in the area and to meet the rising demands of service in the area. Rogers stated that it considered an existing Freedom Mobile tower 1.7km away, however it was determined that the structure was too far away to provide service to the targeted area. The location of the proposed tower, earmarked for 3023 Cedarview Road, was selected by Rogers on the basis that it would have minimal impact on the community while providing its goals of service improvement.

While many towers re-

quire a public consultation process, the Rogers tower is exempt from that process. Only towers 15 metres and taller require the public consultation. The planned tower is 14.9 metres in height.

Gant, who says there has been a lack of communication in the process, said their concerns are being ignored and dismissed. She also said the 14.9 metre height “appears

to be a deliberate attempt to circumvent regulations and undermine our ability to oppose this project. Despite our persistent email campaigns and letters to Rogers, Wireless Site Specialists, ISED, and City Hall, we have received no meaningful responses.”

Another concern the residents in the area have is with regard to lighting. Rogers does not expect the tower

to require lighting, but addressed it in case it does.

“ln the event the proposed tower requires lighting, it will include the following day lighting: one flashing white Type CL-865 beacon (20,000 candela) at the top (no tower paint) whereas the night lighting will include one flashing red Type CL-864 beacon (2,000 candela) at the top and 2 steady burning red CL-810

DOLs (32.5 candela) at midpoint, pursuant to Standard 621 - Obstruction Marking and Lighting - Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs). Should this information not be accurate, Rogers will inform residents.”

Another issue that was raised by the residents regards exposure to radiation, particularly for the children living in the area.

INDEPENDENT EDITorIal

Time to end taxpayer-funded bonuses for Bank of Canada failure

Welcome to Ottawa, A.K.A the land of limitless bonuses, where taxpayer cash is plentiful and no failure is left unrewarded.

The feds dished out $406 million in bonuses in 2023 – $195 million to bureaucrats in Crown corporations and $211 million to bureaucrats in federal departments.

Bureaucrats working in federal departments have raked in more than $1.5 billion in taxpayer-funded bonuses since 2015. Every year, about 90 percent of government executives receive a bonus, for an average of about $18,000.

What have these government executives done to deserve a bonus?

“Less than 50 percent of (performance) targets are consistently met within the same year,” according to the Parliamentary Budget Officer.

In the real world, when you can’t even meet half of your own performance targets, you should polish up your resume, not expect an $18,000 bonus cheque.

But Ottawa isn’t the real world.

The Bank of Canada’s mandate is to keep inflation around “two percent inside a control range of one to three percent.”

Inflation was 3.9 percent last year. The Bank of Canada handed out more than $23 million in bonuses.

Then there’s the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

The CMHC has repeatedly said it’s “driven by one goal: housing affordability for all.”

In April 2024, the Royal Bank of Canada said it was the “toughest time ever to afford a home.” But Canadians’ struggles to afford a home didn’t stop the CMHC from congratulating itself with $102 million in bonuses over the last four years.

Last year, 100 percent of CMHC executives took a bonus, for an average of $83,000.

The CBC is no stranger to the taxpayer cookie jar.

The CBC handed out $15 million in bonuses to 1,100 staff in 2023. Meanwhile, CBC announced hundreds of layoffs just before Christmas. And President Catherine Tait claimed the state broadcaster is plagued by “chronic underfunding.”

What’s worse? That Tait thinks the CBC is chronically underfunded but refuses to end the bonuses. Or that she thinks the CBC is chronically underfunded even though it takes more than $1 billion from taxpayers every year.

All told, the CBC has handed out $114 million in taxpayer-funded bonuses since 2015.

Some politicians are taking notice.

After the Canadian Taxpayers Federation exposed the Bank of Canada’s bonuses, Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre said, “If a working Canadian fails to do their job, they get fired,” but when central bankers “fail to do their job, they are rewarded with huge tax-funded bonuses.”

Poilievre also said he would “cancel bonuses for failing government authorities, and that would include, for example, the Bank of Canada and the CBC.” Canadians shouldn’t have to wait for the next election for the feds to stop rewarding failure.

The government must immediately end the bonuses.

Franco Terrazzano is the Federal Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. © Troy Media

Thinking of Uncle Pete on D-Day anniversary

With the 80th anniversary of D-Day this month, my thoughts have been drifting to Uncle Pete. He passed away just before COVID at his home in Ste-Agathe, QC. He was the last living survivor of the war to end all wars in his community, and had become a symbol of Canada’s heroic past throughout the small communities in the Laurentians.

It hasn’t quite been 15 years since we had a long talk about the Normandy Invasion and what he remembered about it. I pulled out my notebook and took notes – how many times in your life will one of the most important figures of your childhood give you a first-hand, eye-witness account of one of the most significant moments in human history.

Peter Leclerc was a man who always held on to his youth, even when he was in his 80s and 90s. But as a youth, he couldn’t wait to become a man. During the depression, he was able to land a full time job as a boy. He quit school and went to work.

“I didn’t tell my parents at first,” he said. “They thought I was going to school every day, but I was going to work. When they found out, they weren’t happy.”

When the war came around, Uncle Pete did what many teenagers throughout Canada did. He lied about his age and enlisted. He was a weathered military veteran in the Navy by the time D-Day came along, yet he was still not technically old enough to be serving for the Canadian military.

Uncle Pete worked on a corvette, which was an anti-submarine convoy escort. The Royal Navy used flower-class corvettes to counter the threats posed in the Atlantic by the Kriegsmarine U Boats of Nazi Germany. Uncle Pete went back and forth from North America to Great Britain across the Atlantic and throughout the Northeast Atlantic.

super human vision spread throughout the German military. Had they invented radar before the Allies had, it would have been a completely different outcome.”

The Allies used the same kind of deception as they planned D-Day. Its code name was Operation Neptune, and it took a year of planning. The Allies had used a series of deception manoeuvres to confuse the Germans as to when and where the invasion would take place. That was called Operation Bodyguard, and it was effective in misleading the Germans as to when and where the landings would take place.

“The original invasion was planned for two days earlier,” Uncle Pete said. “We were ready to go, but there was a bad storm that day and the water was two choppy for us to be able to navigate the boats to the beach.”

The date had been carefully selected around the tide and a full moon. Many ground troops were parachuted into the area the night before the invasion. The date was moved to June 6th.

Uncle Pete was on the ship that shuttled soldiers to Juno Beach, one of six beaches used in the Normandy Invasion. With one million Allied Forces troops taking part, it was the largest seaborne invasion in history.

As Uncle Pete talked about it, his always positive, upbeat and even playful tone turned sombre.

“We knew we were taking these men to their deaths,” Uncle Pete said. “We would have a load of soldiers, and when we got close enough to the shore, we would open the hatch and out they would go. I couldn’t see what was going outside, but I could hear it. A lot of the men were shot and killed within seconds of leaving the ship. When the last soldier left, we would turn around to get another boat full of soldiers.”

5567 Manotick Main St., P.O. Box 567, Manotick, Ontario K4M 1A5

News and Editorial: manotickmessenger@gmail.com

Advertising and Marketing: garyhcoulombe@gmail.com

Website: www.manotickmessenger.ca

Staff/Contributors: Gary Coulombe, Larry Ellis, Skyler Fraser, Goldie Ghamari, David Hill, Wilson Lo, Jeffrey Morris, Greg Newton.

The Barrhaven Independent is published every other FRIDAY in Manotick, Ontario. Letters will be edited for length, clarity and libellous statements. Display rates are available on request. The Barrhaven Independent is not responsible for the loss of unsolicited manuscripts, photos or other material used for publication purposes.

“It was a real cat and mouse game with the Germans, and we always felt the threat of a potential attack,” Uncle Pete told me.

The difference that gave the Canadians the edge was radar.

“We had radar before they did,” he said. “Our technology was a little bit ahead of theirs, and it enabled us to see when they were coming and manoeuvre away from them or hide.”

The Germans could not figure out why they could never seem to get a good read on the Canadian ships. Uncle Pete said the Canadians used deception and misinformation to further confuse the Nazis.

“We had planted an explanation that the Canadians had incredible eye sight because we ate a lot of carrots,” he said. “This rumour about Canadians having

As for Uncle Pete, he would eventually come home from the war with an education he could never have received in a classroom. He became one of the top engineers in Montreal, and was able to speak five languages fluently.

“In many countries, young people have two years of mandatory military service and then go onto college or university,” he said. “I think that would be great for Canada. It would give young people a sense of what Canada is, and it would prepare them to have a better and more productive life.”

As we mark the anniversary of D-Day, my thoughts are with Uncle Pete. He is a true hero in every sense of the word. I hope when he departed our world he was able to reunite with the many friends and loved ones he lost throughout his incredible life.

BARRHAVEN

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

was just a rehash of Conservative Party rhetoric on inflation

The Editor, I can’t allow the statements attributed to Lieutenant-Colonel (Retired) Greg Poehlmann, that appeared in the last edition of the Independent, to pass without comment. For those who may have missed his polemic directed at Justin Trudeau, it was largely a re-

hash of the rhetoric that we’ve been hearing from the Leader of the Opposition for some time now.

The Lieutenant-Colonel eagerly informed us that fully 25% of Canada’s inflation is attributable to, “Trudeau’s nine years of unbelievably high deficit spending at the federal level.” He then goes on

to say, “Please include the aforementioned facts in any future articles discussing economics and inflation in Canada.”

Well, his opinions are certainly consistent with those of Pierre Poilievre, but can we accurately refer to them as “facts?” If he is correct in his assertion that the inflation that we’ve

experienced is unique to Canada and caused by federal deficits, then surely our currency must have dropped in value by 25% vs the world’s reserve currencies, like the US dollar?

Interestingly, the Canadian dollar was in free fall when Justin Trudeau took office, hitting a low of .7166 on December 19, 2015. Iron-

ically, today the value is .73 and it’s only that low because the BOC recently lowered interest rates. By his own admission, much of Poilievre’s knowledge of economics comes from his reading of economist Milton Friedman’s 1962 book, Capitalism and Freedom. The trouble is, a lot has changed since 1962

when central banks had exclusive control over the creation of money. Since the introduction of Fractional Reserve Banking, most of the new money in our economy is created by private banks—a fact that Mr. Poilievre invariably neglects to mention when ranting about inflation.

Andy Braid

The Heroes of Normandy will forever be known as the liberators of France

The Editor, Death struck deeply into those who waded ashore on June 6, 1944. Struggling to quickly move from their landing craft to the sand of Normandy beach. Burdened by the heavy weight of their equipment, and the sights and sounds around them. Before them lay a terrifying array of obstacles waiting to trap, maim, and destroy anyone who attempted to challenge the terrible might of the nazi occupation of France.

Service men and women came from all across Canada. Local militia units like the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry, Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (Machine Gun) and the Essex Scottish Regiment were mobilized for active war service. These parttime “Saturday Night”

soldiers were busy in their armouries and drill halls, recruiting and training its new members. Some would find themselves “storming Juno beach” on June 6th, while others arrived sometime later, joining the 3rd Canadian Division as they consolidated their foothold on the Normandy coast. The liberation campaign slowly progressed mile by bloody mile across France until Paris was freed on August 25, 1944. In its wake were left countless dead and injured, destroyed towns and cities. Names of places became etched into the memories of the soldiers who fought in battles like Bourguébus Ridge, Carpiquet Airport, Caen, the Falaise “Gap”, Vaucelles, and Verrières Ridge. The campaign to liberate France from its oc-

cupiers would end up taking the lives of 5,021 Canadian soldiers.

The number of war veterans who fought in the liberation campaign have steadily declined as the

years have passed. Fortunately, some of these remarkable old soldiers are still living. They are resilient people who followed a path of duty, endured hardship, faced danger and ex-

perienced things we could never imagine. Through the National Order of the Legion of Honour medal program, the Embassy of France in Canada continues to bestow their nation’s highest medal to our veterans who are proudly known as the liberators of France.

Guy Black Recipient of the Minister of Veterans

heroes continues from page 1

While the 40th Anniversary D-Day trip was exciting, the huge numbers of people who had attended the events, the tight French security measures and travelling with a vintage military vehicle group all left little opportunity for me to visit the Normandy sites I was interested in. Subsequent trips to Normandy, on my own and with my family, provided me with the opportunity to explore the region on my own terms.

With the 80th Anniversary quickly approaching, by January 2024 I had to decide whether I was going to return to Normandy. While the ensuing four decades have claimed several of my Veteran and friends contacts from 1984; a good friend of mine Richard Ingram who I had met in 1984 was now living in Paris. Having obtained the OK to travel to France from my ever understanding wife, Richard and I had decided to return to some the same locations we visited in 1984 and to book-end this trip I would recreate one of my photographs I took wearing my reconstructed Second War uniform, but this time, since

I am now the same age as the Veterans were in 1984, I would dress as they did back then.

It was during the twohour train trip from Paris to Caen that the importance of this anniversary is to the French became apparent as a steady stream of short D-Day related videos of the American beaches played on the TV screen in the coach.

There was no vintage military vehicle as our means of transport this time as I booked a rental car in Caen, and we made our way to Varaville to investigate the three memorials to the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion. They were part of the 6th British Airborne Division and had dropped into Normandy just after midnight to capture key objectives and help seal off the eastern boundary of the invasion area from the Germans. Our progress towards Varaville was slowed due to the traffic congestion near Ranville and Pegasus Bridge and I was quickly reminded that interest in the invasion was as strong as ever.

From Varaville we travelled back through the traffic congestion and headed

west to Bernières-sur-Mer to check into our accommodation, which was a renovated Norman farmhouse. We were greeted by our hostess Marie-Caroline de Castelbajac, who explained to us that just after D-Day, the farm had been used by Le Régiment de la Chaudière. I had selected Bernières as our base of operations as it was central with the farmhouse being only a 15-minute walk to the beach and Canada House; or either a corresponding 30-minute walk west to the Juno Beach Centre in Courseulles-sur-Mer or Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer to the east.

While there was a lengthy list of official functions scheduled for both the 5th and 6th of June, our plan was simple; to take a matching photograph of me at the front of Canada House as I had done 40 years ago, and to be on the beach off SaintAubin for 0730 on 6 June where the cinefilm of The North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment assaulting beachhead was taken. On the 5th we managed to make our way through the throngs

of people lined up to tour Canada House to take our comparison photograph and at 0730 on the 6th we were the only two people on the beach in front of SaintAubin. Later in the day we walked over to Courseulles where I had noticed that the wartime Veterans I had encountered in 1984 had now been replaced by my generation of Veterans who were

visiting Normandy to gain an appreciation of the invasion.

The official Canadian commemoration event was held at the Juno Beach Centre. When the event finished, several hundred Canadian students departed the security perimeter with each group clambering into their respective tour bus. While watching these students, I pondered if perhaps visit-

ing a Canadian beach in the early morning at a site made famous on film 80 years ago may have been more meaningful than spending much of the day at an officially sanctioned and scripted event.

My week in France allowed me to reconnect with an old friend and to once again pay homage to those Canadians who landed in Normandy 80 years ago.

Eighty years later, with the same house in the background, that section of beach was quiet except for two people who wandered out to mark the occasion. Ed Story photo

Canada house in Bernières-sur-Mer was a busy place in the week leading up to the 80th anniversary of d-day. Ed Stor E y photo

By Wilson lo, Barrhaven east CounCillor

The City of Ottawa released the proposed Zoning By-law at the end of May.

A zoning by-law is the complementary tool which implements a municipality’s official plan policies and objectives as a legal and precise way of managing land use and future development.

The proposed Zoning By-law will guide development in the City of Ottawa up to the year 2046 and will be critical in facilitating growth that aligns with intensification goals as outlined in the City’s Official Plan, adopted by Council in 2021 and approved by the provincial government in 2022, shortly before the current term of Council began and amongst a flurry of planning legislation changes.

The proposed Zoning By-law is currently in its draft form and public consultation phase and will come to Council for final discussions, amendments, and a vote late in 2025.

About zoning by-laws

A zoning by-law controls the use of land, defining the land uses, where buildings and structures can be located, permitted building types and uses, and details like dimensions, parking requirements, density, and setbacks from the street. A zoning by-law also protects residents from conflicting and dangerous land uses.

When considering a zoning by-law, they must be consistent with provincial policies issued under the

Planning Act, as they are matters of provincial interest in land use planning and development.

Zoning by-laws are an extension of and must conform to the municipality’s official plan. In Ontario, municipalities must update their zoning by-law no less than three years following the approval of an official plan update.

What’s changing?

The zoning and categorisation of residential, commercial, and mixed-use areas comprises the bulk of the changes between the current and proposed zoning by-laws.

The proposed Zoning By-law also contains updates to administration, definitions, and the naming of uses.

Save for wording, institutional, industrial, and rural provisions remain unchanged between the two versions, while existing uses and permissions will carry forward.

Residential

Currently, residential zoning is comprised of almost 150 zones and subzones, each with distinct regulations based on the dwelling type.

Neighbourhood zones will replace them, which will also shift the focus away from regulation based on type of dwelling to regulation based on density (units

per hectare) and height.

The proposal has six primary neighbourhood zones, N1 through N6, which regulate maximum heights and densities. N1, N2, and N3 zones have maximum densities and heights, while N4 and N5 zones rely on maximum height only. Areaspecific maximum heights define the N6 zone.

Six subzones, A through F, will address neighbourhood character like lot and building dimensions, with A being the most urban, and F being the most suburban.

Standards regulating built form and function, such as general exterior design, waste management, tree planting/retention, and others, accompany the primary zones and subzones.

All neighbourhood zones will permit a minimum of four dwelling units per lot. Though the provincial Planning Act, through Bill 23, requires municipalities to permit at least three units per lot, Ottawa’s choice of four per lot increases opportunities for additional funding towards subsidised housing. The four-unit minimum does not apply to areas not serviced by municipal water and sewer.

A variety of tools will also be available in neighbourhood zoning to ensure residents can access day-today necessities within their own neighbourhood. These include additional provisions for home-based businesses and zoning suffixes permitting corner stores, cafés, and other groundfloor commercial uses.

Commercial and mixed-use

To further the intent of the Official Plan, hub and corridor zoning will replace mixed-use and local commercial zoning. Those zones replace almost one hundred zones and subzones in the current Zoning By-law.

Hub zones will replace what are now fifty-five zones and subzones, mostly downtown, local centres, transit-oriented development areas, and local commercial areas. These are typically in centralised areas, like Strandherd/Greenbank in Barrhaven.

Main street corridor zones focus on major corridors like Merivale Road and Carling Avenue. These areas have default height requirements corresponding to policies in the Official Plan.

The proposed zoning bylaw introduces new minor corridor zoning and will apply to the seventy-eight streets designated as minor corridors in the Official Plan. It encourages lower height compact, mixeduse, pedestrian-oriented development along those streets.

Lastly, neighbourhood mixed-use zones will replace eighteen zones and subzones currently used for smaller commercial areas, like local strip plazas.

Hub and corridor zoning will also include height transition provisions. In some cases, corridor designation may extend to apply to the first few lots fronting on a side street just past the main street.

What it means for Barrhaven

By virtue of the age of local development, Barrhaven will be mostly unaffected by the proposed Zoning Bylaw, but new developments after the adoption of the bylaw will be subject to the new zoning rules.

That means as Barrhaven continues to age and properties get closer to redevelopment, residents may begin to see infill like what’s happening in Hintonburg and Westboro. The oldest homes on serviced lots in Barrhaven, along Larkin Drive in Barrhaven West, will not reach that age for at least 50 years.

The new designations in the proposed Zoning By-law permitting more density will present first in areas under development at/near the Barrhaven town centre and by Longfields Transitway station in the short term.

I imagine larger strip malls will follow in the medium term, while it’s entirely possible the new neighbourhood zoning provisions won’t affect existing residential in Barrhaven at all through the life of the proposed Zoning By-law (until 2046).

Residential Barrhaven East will become neighbourhood zones ranging from N1 to N4, which cover the detached, semis, townhomes, and stacked townhomes found across the community.

The provision which permits the installation of walkways up to 1.8 metres in width along an entire drive-

way, including permission to park on such a walkway for properties completed before 2014, will carry forward.

Hearts Desire and Rideau Glen will not be subject to the density provisions of the proposed Zoning By-law, as they are un-serviced neighbourhoods.

An interactive map based on the first draft is available at Ottawa.ca with a neat map slider tool that shows current zoning versus what’s proposed!

Next steps and engagement opportunities

Given its wide-ranging impacts on development in the city, significant opportunities for public consultation are part of the process. Public engagement begins with a citywide virtual information session on 20 June from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. Community consultations will also take place later in the year. Councillors and city staff will communicate all consultation and survey opportunities through their newsletters and social media.

Following that, staff will release a second draft of the proposed Zoning By-law in 2025, followed by another round of consultations. The final draft will come to Council in late-2025 for discussion, amendments, and a vote. Upon approval, the new Zoning By-law replaces the current version in its entirety.

Ghamari announces funding for Riverside South French Catholic high school

It was a big day for families Friday, June 7 as Carleton MPP Goldie Ghamari announced four new schools and a major school expansion for the Carleton riding.

Ghamari, who made education and building new schools her campaign priority in both the 2018 and 2022 provincial elections, has now secured funding for 14 major school projects in the Carleton riding since she was elected six years ago. The projects include 12 new schools and two major expansions and combine for a provincial investment into the riding of more than $344 million.

These projects are part of a $1.3 billion plan that more than doubles funding to build new schools and expansions, including child care spaces. The provincial government’s overall investment, which is the highest ever made in a single year, supports the creation of more than 27,000 new student spaces and more than 1,700 licensed child care spaces at schools across Ontario.

The new schools include a Catholic high school and a Catholic elementary school in Fernbank, a French Catholic high school in Riverside South, a French public elementary school in Leitrim, and an expansion at St. Philip Catholic Elementary School in Richmond.

“As our communities grow in the Carleton riding, so does our need for schools.” Ghamari said.

“The new elementary school and high school announced for the Fernbank area will not only address the need for more classrooms in the rapidly growing Stittsville community, but it will also mean more students will avoid long bus rides as they will have a school closer to their homes.

The addition at St. Philip Catholic Elementary

School is also a welcomed project that will serve the growing village of Richmond.”

The major expansion is St. Philip is a $10 million project that will create 282 new student spaces.

The new Fernbank high school will be located at Cope Drive and Atlas Terrace in Stittsville. That $66.6 million project could alleviate some of the crowding issues at South Carleton High School, should students opt to switch from the public board to the Catholic board. The new high school will have 1,439 student spaces.

The Fernbank North Elementary School will be located at a site to be acquired. It will be a $20.5 million project that will create 507 student spaces along with 39 childcare spaces.

Ghamari also announced a fourth Ottawa project for the OCSB, which will be a Mer Bleue Catholic elementary school in Orleans. The $20.3 million project will create 507 student spaces and 39 childcare spaces.

“This funding is a significant investment in the future of our students and communities,” said Mark Mullan, Chair of the Ottawa Catholic School Board. “We are grateful to the Ministry and MPP Goldie Ghamari for their on-going commitment to Catholic education. Together, we’re not just building schools; we’re building brighter futures for our students. These projects address immediate needs while laying the foundation for brighter educational futures across our communities.”

The four Ottawa Catholic School Board projects announced by Ghamari represent a $117.4 million investment by the province. This will support the creation of 2,735 student spaces and 78 licensed child care spaces

in Ottawa as part of the government’s commitment to building stateof-the-art learning spaces for Ontario students.

These projects are part of a $1.3 billion plan that more than doubles funding to build new schools and expansions, including child care spaces in Ontario.

“I’d like to extend our gratitude to the Ministry of Education and MPP Goldie Ghamari for their invaluable support of Catholic education,” D’Amico said. “Their commitment to our students’ growth and development is truly commendable. With this funding, we’re not just building schools but investing in our communities’ future. These projects reflect our dedication to providing modern, inclusive learning environments where every student can thrive.”

New high school for Riverside South

In addition to the three OCSB school projects, there are also two French language schools to be built in Carleton. One is a French Catholic high school in Riverside South, and the other is a French public elementary school in Fernbank.

The new French Catholic high school is a $40.8 million investment with the Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est. The school will be for Grades 7-12 and it will be located at Borbridge Avenue and Brian Good Avenue in Ottawa, creating 826 student spaces.

While the zoning for the school has not yet been finalized, it is expected that students from Manotick, Osgoode and Greely will eventually attend the school. Those students in the French Catholic board currently attend Pierre-Savard in Barrhaven, which has a student population much

higher than their capacity. The new Riverside South school, when built, is expected to alleviate the overcrowding situation at Pierre-Savard.

“We are extremely pleased with the news of this investment! Thanks to the Ministry of Education’s support, we will be able to offer a brandnew French-language Catholic high school in the dynamic Riverside South neighbourhood,” said Johanne Lacombe, President of the Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est. “This school will not only provide an exceptional learning environment for our youth to thrive, but also a place where our culture and language can flourish”.

The French public elementary school in Leitrim is a $14.7 million investment with the Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario. The school will be located at Kelly Farm Drive

and Barrett Farm Drive in Ottawa, creating 354 new student spaces and 49 child care spaces.

“The CEPEO has given itself the vision of being a creator of accessible and equitable opportunities,” said Samia Ouled Ali, Chair of Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario, and Christian-Charle Bouchard, Director of Education, Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario. “To achieve this, we must build modern facilities that meet the needs of our growing communities. We welcome this funding announcement and wish to thank the Government of Ontario for recognizing Ottawa’s fast-growing communities and the importance of improving access to French public education.”

The timelines for construction of the schools will be determined by the various school boards.

Carleton MPP Goldie Ghamari announces funding approval from the Ontario Government for four new schools in the Carleton riding, including a French Catholic high school in Riverside South

Former Nepean Knight signed by Ottawa Black Bears

The Ottawa Black Bears have announced that they have acquired lo-

cal lacrosse player Nathan Grenon from the Albany FireWolves in exchange

for a 2027 second-round pick. The 5’10, 175 lbs., left-handed forward has

recorded 92 points (45 goals, 47 assists) over 44 games in the NLL spanning the past three seasons. In 2024, Grenon made an appearance in the NLL final with the Albany FireWolves.

Grenon was a member of the Nepean Knights organization in his youth.

He spent time with the NCAA’s Mercyhurst Lakers and Brampton Excelsiors Jr A team before being drafted by Panther City 11th overall in the 2021 NLL Draft.

“We are excited to bring a player to our organization who grew up in Ottawa and played minor

lacrosse with Nepean” said Black Bears general manager, Rich Lisk. “We identified our needs this offseason and Nathan will play a valuable part in filling a that role. Fans can expect him to bring energy and grit to the left side, we are looking forward to getting him into the lineup.”

Nathan Grenon played lacrosse for the Albany FireWolves last season.

Photo courtesy o F ot tAWA Bl

CLUES ACROSS

1. Breezed through 5. Supervises interstate commerce

8. Unruly group

11. Backs away from 13. Expression of understanding 14. Have concern for 15. Monetary units

16. Congressman (abbr.)

17. Iranian city

18. Eating houses

20. 2,000 lbs.

21. Grandmother

22. They include North, South and Central

25. In an early way

30. Foes

31. Shuttered British entertainment magazine

32. One who unloads cages

33. Another term for sesame

38. Formally forbid

41. Make clear

43. Inaccessible

45. Get through

47. Ancient kingdom near Dead Sea

49. Decameter

50. Type of sword

55. Actor Idris

56. Affirmative (slang)

57. Afflicted

59. One point north of northeast

60. Born of 61. Arabic name

62. Traditional Hong Kong street food: __ pai dong

63. Termination point 64. Email function

CLUES DOWN

1. Sign language

2. In style

3. Helsinki neighborhood

4. Unable to hear

5. More rapid

6. An idea accepted as a demonstrable truth

7. In a cagy way

8. Kate and Rooney are two 9. Algerian port

10. Community in Ladakh

12. Midway between south and southeast

14. Town in Galilee

19. Satisfy

23. Italian impressionist painter

24. Brass instrument 25. Chest muscle (slang)

26. Transmits genetic information from DNA to the cytoplasm

27. Records electric currents generated by the brain

28. Woman (French)

29. Aircraft designed to carry lots of passengers

34. Baseball stat

35. Pointed end of a pen

36. Popular sports league

37. Body part

39. Unlikely to provoke dissent

40. Yellowish cotton cloth

41. Domesticated house pet

42. Untruths

44. Set out to attract

45. Spiritual leader

46. Abba __, Israeli politician

47. Repair

48. Genus of flowering plants

51. Swiss river

52. Prejudice

53. River in central Europe

54. Harness

58. Father

AC ED FTC MO B

SH IE S AH A CA RE

LI RA S SEN AR AD

CA FE S TO N NA NA AM ER IC AS

PR EM AT URE LY

EN EM IE S MY M

CA GE R BE NNE BAN CL AR IF Y UN AVAI L ABL E R ESO NA TE MO AB DK M SABER EL BA YEP AI LE D

N EBN NE E R ABI A

DA I EN D SEN D

20 years ago: Media icon and Independent founder passes away

From the Barrhaven Independent, June 11, 2004

The town of Prescott lost a true man of the community Saturday, June 4, 2004 as longtime Prescott Journal publisher and Barrhaven Independent owner and founder John A. H. Morris passed away peacefully at the Brockville General Hospital after a lengthy illness.

Morris, in his 69th year, also had owned the Winchester Press, Manotick Messenger, Leeds and Grenville Business News, Osgoode & Rideau Packet, Tupper Lake (NY) Free Press and Gouveneur (NY) Tribune Press.

He was also noted locally for his work as an author.

Morrises’ History of Prescott - 1800-2000 is a 540-page hardcover book that has been recognized as the benchmark of smalltown history books in Ontario.

Morris followed the footsteps of his father, the late John A. “Jack” Morris, into journalism.

The family’s association with the newspaper business started in Chesterville, Ont., in 1926 when 17-yearold Jack Morris, who had come to Canada as a threeyear-old with his family from East Yorkshire, UK, in 1912, graduated from Chesterville High School and joined the staff of the Chesterville Record as a printer’s devil.

By the time he left the Record in 1940 to join the Canadian army, he had become the weekly newspaper’s reporter, editor, linotype and press operator and compositor, graduat-

ing from the faculty of printer’s devils magna cum laude.

The senior Morris, who received his discharge from the army in 1946 as a major, resumed his printing and publishing career as editor of the Prescott Journal, becoming co-publisher in 1959.

In the meantime, his son John had picked up the basics of the printing trade in the Chesterville and Prescott printing shops as a pre-teen and teenager, and broke into the editorial side of the business by editing his high-school newspaper when he was only 15.

He continued his newspaper studies in the journalism department of the Ryerson Institute of Technology School of Graphic Arts.

Morris, before his passing, said he could not remember a time when he wasn’t involved in newspapers. His involvement in newspapers goes back more than 60 years.

“I have some fond memories of the Chesterville Record and some painful ones,” Morris recalled. “When I was about six, I used to go to the office on Thursdays to help — at least I thought I was helping - to fold and cut the paper after it came off the old flatbed press.

“It came off in one large sheet, with four metro pages on each side, was folded twice and then the top spine was slit with a string held in place on one of the large composing tables by a nail.

‘Dad used to let me slit some of the papers and occasionally the publisher, George C.

Working on his history book helped John Morris endure a lengthy illness.

Lacey, would reward my efforts with a nickel. That would buy an Opera Cocktail soft drink or a large bag of Planter’s Peanuts.

During the war years, five nickels bought you a War Savings Stamp to stick in your savings book.”

And the painful memories?

“It was in the winter of 1941 and I was playing with some of my friends in front of the Record office, waiting to walk home with Dad at six o’clock. We had our sleighs and were pushing each other up and down the street. One of the sleighs ran into me from behind and I broke my collar bone when I hit the sidewalk.

“Dr. Justus was called to the office where he set the broken bone and strapped my back to a board to immobilize me during the healing process. All this with no drugs or painkillers. And as far as the ‘There, there, now, this

served as the paper’s editor at Prescott High School for three years. It was in his final year at Prescott High School that Morris decided to pursue a career in journalism.

“I decided that if I was going to study journalism, I wanted to stay in the weekly newspaper business,” he said.

“I came to the conclusion when I looked at my hometown and saw the best three jobs were the doctors, lawyers and newspaper publisher. Money and brains ruled out the first two, but I figured I had enough bull—— to become a publisher.”

commercial printing operation and devoted much of his time researching and writing the first history ever published about the Town of Prescott. It was published in 1968.

Becoming a Tory

“I took over the Kemptville Advance the first week of August, 1957, and when I arrived at the office, at 7:30 a.m., there were two older and distinguished gentlemen sitting on the front steps and blocking my entrance to the building,” Morris recalled.

won’t hurt’ goes, it hurt like hell.”

Move to Prescott

Following his discharge from the Canadian army in 1946, John’s father returned to the Record for a short time before accepting the job as editor of the Prescott Journal.

The family moved to Prescott in 1947 and John’s apprenticeship on a weekly newspaper continued on a part-time basis.

“One of my regular jobs over the next few years was to strip plates — yes, we saved the nails — and using the hardwood mounting boards for fuel, melted the plates down into lino slugs in a special stove that had a melting pot built into the top. I ladled the molten metal into iron moulds and made ingots for the linotype.”

While learning the printing trade, Morris also began his career as a writer. At 13, he began writing for the school newspaper and

Morris decided to go to Ryerson Institute of Technology, a school that catered to the weekly newspaper business with its mix of journalism and graphic arts. The other influencing factor, he said, was that Ted Toogood and Bruce Forsythe were starting a football program at Ryerson and were offering favours to prospective players. Morris excelled in football as a student athlete at Ryerson.

After leaving Ryerson, Morris was hired by Ontario Hydro and was given the responsibility of starting and editing a weekly employee newspaper for the 6,000 persons employed on the St. Lawrence Power Project, over a 40- mile stretch between Prescott and Cornwall.

After almost three years with the St. Lawrence Power Project newspaper, John purchased the Kemptville Advance in 1957 from the late Fred J. Friend, building it into one of the better smalltown weekly newspapers in Eastern Ontario before selling it in 1964 to join his father in purchasing outright the Prescott Journal and Cardinal News and their parent firm, St. Lawrence Printing Company Ltd.

John took over the responsibilities of editor and publisher of the two newspapers while his father managed the company’s

“One introduced himself as the reeve and chairman of the village’s PC Association, and the other was the Grand Master of the Masonic Lodge, which rented the second floor of our building and was, next to the local PC Association, the second most influential organization in the village.

“After some brief introductions, the reeve stepped over and blocked the doorway, and said, ‘This newspaper was revived in the late 1930s by former Ontario Premier G. Howard Ferguson and has been a strong supporter of the party ever since. If you’re not going to continue this tradition, sonny, then don’t even bother to hang up your hat ‘cause you won’t last two weeks in this town.’

“Well, when you’re 21, have a couple of years of pro and semi-pro football under your belt, and still pack a solid 225 pounds on a six-foot frame, you don’t take too kindly to being pushed around by two corpulent Conservative pork barrellers.

“But, on the other hand, when you’re $25,000 in debt and haven’t even started your first day on a job you know very little about, your fuse is just a wee bit long.

“So I sucked up my gut, looked them right in the eye and became the best goddamned Tory in town!”

archives continues from page 14

Morris bought the controlling interest of the Advance in 1958 and also met his future wife, who was then a math teacher at Kemptville High School and moved on to teach at South Carleton High School. John and Beth were married in August 1959. They honeymooned in Cuba over the Christmas holidays. Rather than going home immediately with Beth, John was hired by the Toronto Telegram newspaper to stay in Havana and cover the revolution.

They moved to Prescott in 1964 with their two young children and sold the Kemptville Advance to two of his employees in order to become a partner with his father at the Prescott Journal. Not only did Morris follow his father’s footsteps upon his return to Prescott, but he also followed his footsteps into playing a pivotal leadership role as a volunteer in the community. His parents, Jack and Ida Morris, were both visible in their community involvement.

Their son would soon follow with his work to grow and promote business and tourism in Prescott.

Morris served as a school board trustee on both the Prescott Public School Board and then the South Grenville District High School Board. He was Director of the Prescott and District Chamber of Commerce for over 30 years, serving five terms as president.

Friendship With Walter Baker

One of his friends through the 1960s and 1970s in Prescott was a familiar name in Barrhaven, Walter Baker. Until 1976, the local political riding was Grenville Carleton, which stretched from Nepean down to the St. Lawrence River.

In 1967, Morris served as Chairman of the Prescott Centennial Committee and organized the town’s weeklong celebration for Canada’s Centennial. Morris organized Prescott’s first Military Pageant at Fort Wellington, which, for 25 years, was the largest period military display of its kind in

Canada.

Morris also arranged for the 1973 visit of the tall ship replica, The Nonsuch, to Prescott. This was the first visit to Prescott by a tall ship in modern times and was highlighted by a mock naval battle between The Nonsuch and Fort Wellington, whose cannons were manned by period artillery units from the Fort Henry Guard.

During these events, he hosted Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau.

Morris also organized the Canadian Olympic Torch Relay ceremony as it passed through Prescott in 1976.

Although he was a known Conservative, he was also friends with former Liberal MP Gordon Blair, who was defeated by Baker in the 1972 federal election. Morris often talked about how his home was the only place where Baker and Blair could visit together on social terms and be friends rather than political rivals.

Newspaper Company Grows

When Jack Morris retired in 1976 after 50 years in the weekly-newspaper business his youngest son Robin joined John as a junior partner.

In their first major expansion they purchased the Chesterville Record, 50 years after their father started his career there. The Morris family’s next move was to purchase the Tupper Lake (NY) Free Press in 1977, and the next year they started the Eastern Ontario Agrinews, a monthly publication that became the premier agriculture newspaper in Eastern Ontario.

The Winchester Press was added to the family’s growing group of weeklies in 1981.

It was while making regular visits to the Winchester operation that company president John Morris started visiting the rapidly growing Manotick area on a regular basis, acting on the advice of his Winchester advertising staff who were developing a base of regular advertisers there.

Morris worked with com-

munity volunteers who ran a newsletter called the Manotick Messenger and eventually turned it into a weekly newspaper.

Many of the Messenger’s advertisers were businesses in Barrhaven, particularly at the Barrhaven Mall on Greenbank Road. In 1989, Morris laid the groundwork for the creation of the Barrhaven Independent. He

worked closely with Barrhaven Community Association members Tom O’Neil, Judy Hardiman, Doug Collins and Jan Harder to get Barrhaven’s newspaper off the ground.

Since their inception, the Messenger and Independent, operating as sister newspapers, have combined to win more than 100 Ontario Community Newspaper As-

sociation awards.

Although the Morris newspaper business was expanding beyond Prescott, he continued to play a major role in the community.

Locally, he was involved with the organization of Prescott’s Downtown Business Improvement Area and served as the Chairman for the committee responsible for the re-organization of the South Grenville Economic Development Commission for eight years.

He also lobbied the federal government to introduce reenactors at Fort Wellington, thus turning it into a living museum and increasing its annual attendance by over 1000 per cent.

Lobbying for 416

Morris was responsible for organizing the committee responsible for forming the Highway 416 Citizens Coalition, which carried out successful lobby for the construction of Highway 416 as a four-lane highway, from Johnstown to Ottawa. The highway was west of Barrhaven, but the community grew toward the highway as it became a border for the community.

Through the years, Mor-

ris has been recognized for his work in newspapers and in the community. He was the recipient of the Prescott and District Chamber of Commerce Community Service Award for volunteer work in the community, in 1980.

He served on the Ontario Community Newspaper Association Board of Directors for 20 years and in 2002 was presented with his “Golden Quill Award” by the Canadian Community Newspaper Association for 50 years service in the community newspaper industry.

In 2002, he was also the recipient of the Grenville County Historical Society Award of Merit for his work over the years in researching and promoting and in making local citizens aware of the importance of Prescott’s colourful history.

In 2003, Morris received his most prestigious award when he was presented with the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal by MPP Bob Runciman at a ceremony at the Royal Brock Hotel in Brockville.

Summing up his own career, Morris said, “I proved I didn’t need money or brains to become a publisher!”

John Morris has a chat with Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau at Fort Wellington in Prescott in 1970.

John Morris works on his book with his best friend Maggie.

GoFundMe started to help keep Barrhaven Canada Day alive

It is considered the next biggest Canada day celebration in Ottawa next to the big one at Parliament Hill, but funding cuts have put the celebration in jeopardy.

Longtime Barrhaven volunteer James Gilliland has started a GoFundMe page to help keep the 42-year-old community celebration going. The event is entirely volunteerdriven.

“We are facing increased challenges this year with reduced funding and increased costs,” said Gilliland. “We are doing everything we can to manage costs and still maintain a fun family oriented event. Community support is essential to ensure the success of our Canada Day festivities.”

The GoFundMe page set a goal of raising $5000. However, at press time, only $525 had been raised. A contest has been launched where those who

donate a minimum of $10 will be entered to win free festival tickets.

The site is located at https://www.gofundme. com/f/keep-barrhavenscanada-day-alive.

Canada Day Barrhaven Inc. is a partnership of local community associations, business members, City of Ottawa councillors, service groups, churches and youth groups that are dedicated and committed to bringing the best Mattamy Homes Canada Day in Barrhaven celebration to the community at Clarke Fields.

The event features:

- Kids Zone with free activities, crafts and entertainment

- Multicultural displays, song and dance performances and demonstrations

- Parade of flags & Opening ceremonies, singing of the National Anthem

- 5 days of Midway rides and games

- Live entertainment on

the Main Stage to entertain the crowd

- Fireworks choreographed to music

Darrell Bartraw, organizer of the annual volunteer-run event, said this year, no funding from the provincial or municipal governments came in. The main stage’s Barrhaven business title sponsor also decided to no longer support the neighborhood festival at Clarke Fields.

“This is an annual event the community looks forward to every year. For many it’s become an annual tradition. We see many of the same faces coming back year after year,” said Bartraw. “We keep growing in size as the community of Barrhaven rapidly grows. But now we fear we will need to cut back, and that will impact the experience for attendees.”

Bartraw said he hopes attendees will not notice any considerable changes this year but said they’ve

had to go with cheaper bands.

“We’d love to bring in bigger names for entertainment, but this will save us literally thousands of dollars. It’s not what we want to do, but there will still be performances to get people up and dancing to the music,” he said.

The 42-year-old festivities will still end with a firework performance in the evening, and will in-

clude the regular midway, kids zone, food trucks, and seniors breakfast. Vendor village, an outdoor farmers market with over 20 stalls, will also happen throughout the day.

“Everything that makes Canada Day in Barrhaven will still be there. We’ve been working all year to make sure it happens. When one year’s event ends, we start planning for the next one the following

day,” said Bartraw. “We will have games, entertainment and activities for people of all ages.”

New this year, the midway will run for 10 days with a two-day break in between. A cultural day will be held on the Saturday with performances on the main stage from 2:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. The following day, a country music festival will take place during the same time.

BARRHAVEN

Barrhaven has held Canada Day celebrations for the past 42 years.