Barrhaven Independent June 9, 2023

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Blackburn motion to start repairing relationship between OCDSB, police

Ottawa Carleton District School Board Barrhaven

Trustee Donna Blackburn will be introducing a motion to the Committee of the Whole next week that she hopes will start to rebuild a severed relationship with the Ottawa Police Service.

Blackburn tried to introduce a similar motion last summer. Trustee Christine Boothby moved to defer Blackburn’s motion indefinitely, saying the motion would cause hurt to the community. Trustee Lyra Evans, who is now the board chair and who has been an active anti-police advocate and provincial NDP candidate over the years, commented at the meeting that she was “of the opinion we punt this into space and never look back.”

Evans and other trustees lobbied for the cancellation of the Ottawa Police Service Student Resource Officer (SRO) program. Their reasoning was that having

a uniformed police officer with access to the schools caused fear and anxiety to racialized (non-white) students and members of the LGTBQ+ community.

“I was surprised that last year’s motion did not even go to a vote before it was shut down,” Blackburn said.

This year, the playing field has changed on the board. Although there is still a core of trustees from the extreme left that wield a lot of power – Evans is now the Board Chair – there are several new members on the board. The recent media and public attention following the board’s refusal to allow a uniformed police officer to go to her daughter’s first grade class for a career day for parents with jobs that help the community triggered national attention. Evans did not back down from not allowing police officers in schools.

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Ottawa Carleton District School Board Barrhaven Trustee Donna Blackburn wants the board to start rebuilding the fractured relationship it has with the Ottawa Police Serivce.

Construction to begin on schools in Riverside South, Findlay Creek

Riverside South and Findlay Creek received some positive news last week as the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board has announced that construction will begin this summer on schools in both communities.

The new public elementary school in Findlay Creek will also include daycare spaces. The only public elementary school in the rapidly growing community is already over capacity. The school is scheduled to be open for September 2024, meaning relief from the overcrowding issue will be coming after the next school year.

The Riverside South public high school is scheduled to open in September 2025. This school is greatly needed in Riverside South, as for years, public school board high school students have been

bussed throughout the region including Merivale High School in Nepean, and even as far away as South Carleton High School in Richmond.

Being a product of the public school system, I am proud to have pushed for the approval of these badly needed schools as the communities and neighbourhoods in the Carleton riding just east of Barrhaven continue to grow.

I have placed a high priority on getting schools built in the riding since I was first elected as MPP for Carleton in 2018. I have fought for the construction or expansion of

nine schools in Carleton. We are far from done, and I will continue to advocate for more schools as the communities in the Carleton riding continue to grow and flourish.

Congratulations 872 RCACS Saturday, May 27 was a special day for the 872 Kiwanis-Kanata Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron.

The 872 RCACS’ annual ceremonial review took place Saturday afternoon in Stittsville. It was an opportunity for the squadron to demonstrate some of the things they have learned

over the past year in front of their families, friends, and members of the community.

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The new Riverisde South public high school is expected to open in Sept. 2025.

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There are many members of the 872 RCACS who live in the Carleton riding. I, along with many others, are proud of the dedication and hard work that they have put in over the past year.

Ontario Removing Unfair Work Barriers for Skilled Newcomers

The Ontario government is leading the country with changes to help internationally trained immigrants work in the fields they’ve studied in. After introducing historic legislation that banned regulated professions from requiring Canadian work experience in more than 30 occupations, Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) are the first association to remove it from their application criteria. If passed, this has the potential to help thousands of otherwise-qualified professionals pursue their dreams over the coming years, all while maintaining Ontario’s world-class licens-

ing and exam requirements.

Roughly 300,000 jobs continue to go unfilled across the province every day, including thousands in engineering, costing billions in lost productivity. At the same time, studies have shown only a quarter of internationally trained immigrants in Ontario work in the regulated professions they trained for. Currently, even if a newcomer has the skills and technical ability to pass their profession’s licensing exams, they may still be barred from registering in their profession without Canadian work experience – even if that work occurs in an unrelated sector, such as retail.

Ontario is the first province in Canada to ban unfair or discriminatory Canadian work experience requirements to help newcomers work in the professions they trained for. In December 2023, all unfair requirements for Canadian experience will be automatically voided unless an exemption is granted

by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development for public health and safety.

Quick Facts

- Introduced as part of Working for Workers Act, 2021, Ontario was the first province in Canada to ban use of discriminatory Canadian Experience Requirements in occupations under the Fair Access to Regulated Professions and Compulsory Trades Act, 2006 (FARPACTA).

- In 2019, Engineers were the fourth largest regulated profession in Ontario with 85,649 members and had the second largest number of internationally trained members, with 24,258 people registered in the profession.

- In 2020, the median employment income for a Civil Engineer in Ontario was $96,000.

- If passed, as part of Working for Workers Act, 2023, the FARPACTA would help ensure that regulated professions assess competency in a way that is non-discriminatory,

ensuring newcomers are able to continue their careers in Ontario.

- Ontario invests over $90M annually in services that help newcomers learn English or French, settle, access training, and find jobs.

Paramedics Honoured

The Ontario government is honouring paramedics from across the province with the inaugural Ontario Medal for Paramedic Bravery. The medal is given to paramedics who have demonstrated great courage risking their lives to save the lives of others.

The Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Sylvia Jones, presented medals to 10 paramedics in a ceremony at Queen’s Park. This is the first year paramedics in Ontario have been honoured by the province with a medal for their actions.

Recipients are recognized for their individual acts of outstanding bravery, including moving a

crashed plane to save passengers inside, diving to the bottom of Lake Ontario to rescue a drowned man, grabbing hold of a suicidal man on a highway ledge, swimming an unconscious cliff diver to safety, saving other first responders during a gas line explosion, and rescuing workers from a collapsed building.

While these medal recipients have been selected for their acts of extraordinary selflessness, each paramedic in Ontario has a profound impact on the health and safety of people across the province.

Quick Facts

- Paramedic Services

Week is celebrated across Canada from May 21 to 27, 2023. The theme for Paramedic Services Week 2023 is “Diversity in Paramedicine – The Patient. The Provider. The Profession”. This theme recognizes the importance of equity, diversity and inclusion for patients, providers, and the profession of paramedicine.

- Since its inaugura-

tion in 2015, 74 paramedics have received the Ontario Award for Paramedic Bravery. This year marks the first year the award has been elevated to a provincial honour medal as the newly named Ontario Medal for Paramedic Bravery.

- Any Ontario paramedic is eligible to receive the medal for an act of exceptional courage that has occurred within the last 24 months. The honour can be bestowed posthumously.

- There are over 10,500 paramedics currently employed in Ontario, the largest group of paramedics in Canada.

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

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Mayor Mark Sutcliffe and Premier Doug Ford publicly asked the OCDSB to back down on their policy. Eventually, Education Minister Steven Lecce ordered the board to allow the police officer to take part in the career day, wearing a uniform.

“In my opinion, that was extremely embarrassing for the board. We lost a lot of public confidence,” Blackburn said.

Blackburn has updated the motion that will be presented to the Committee of the Whole June 13.

“WHEREAS the health and safety of our students and staff is a top priority without which student achievement and well-being cannot be realized; and

“WHEREAS school safety can be enhanced by a partnership with the police service which supports the safety and security of school communities and proactively assists students who may benefit from positive police involvement;

“THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: THAT the Director of Education engage in discussions with the Ottawa Police Service to establish standards of practice that allow for police support to schools respecting the safety

and security of students and staff.”

“This has nothing to do with politics,” Blackburn said. “This has everything to do with the safety of the students, and with creating a safe learning environment.”

Blackburn said there was a lot of public misunderstanding about the SRO program and how it operated.

“First of all, I want to be very clear that this is not a motion to re-instate the SRO program,” she said. “However, in my opinion, it is important that we have a relationship at some level with the police. When the officers were in the schools for the program, they developed relationships. They were able to work with the principals and administration. They were also able to develop relationships with the students, particularly the students who were at risk. Sure, not every police officer was perfect, but if you take a cross-section of any group in society and you are going to find people who are not perfect.”

While officers familiar with the schools, the students and their school culture were a mere text away with the SRO program, staff now has no other option but to call 9-1-1 when there is

an issue at their school. One retired police officer who only agreed to speak to the Independent if he could be unnamed, said that the problems at the schools increased after the cancellation of the program.

“Violence at the schools was up the first year after the cancellation of the program,” he said. “There was an increase in bullying and fights, there were more drug deals taking place out in the open. The students who are problematic have become more brazen. It’s not just at the high schools. It’s at the elementary schools as well. There was a highly publicized incident at Longfields Davidson Heights Secondary School where a student was stabbed. What people don’t realize is that there were several situations like that around the city. Those incidents never made it to the media, so nobody knows about them.”

The officer also referenced Vimy Ridge Public School in Findlay Creek, which has had to have public meetings and forums about the bullying problem at the school and how children are being beaten up in unsupervised areas between portable classrooms during recess

and lunch hour breaks.

Blackburn said that what she wants out of her motion is for a dialogue to begin between the Board and its Director of Education, and the Ottawa Police Service.

“Whether we have the SRO program or not, the

police are still coming to the schools,” she said. “But the difference is, when there is a problem, do you want someone who is known at the school and has a relationship with the students responding, or do you want to call 9-1-1 and have to wait,

and then whatever officer happens to be in the area on a beat shows up at the school and may never have been in the building in their lives?”

The board’s meeting will be streamed live at ocdsb. ca and then posted to the OCDSB YouTube channel.

OCDSB Barrhaven Trustee Donna Blackburn is pictured with her daughter, and with her cousin who ia police officer.

Police report two indecent act incidents in Old Barrhaven

The Ottawa Police Service West Criminal Investigations Unit is advising local residents of two indecent act incidents in Barrhaven this past month.

On Tuesday, May 9, 2023, at approximately 5 p.m., an eleven-year-old girl was walking on a pathway in the 100 block of Sherway Drive when she observed a naked teenage white male in the nearby bushes.

The young girl did not believe she was seen by the male and returned home without incident.

On Friday, May 19, 2023, at approximately 5:45 p.m., a teenage female was walking on a pathway in the 100 block of Malvern Drive when a man exposed his genitals to her. The man is

described as white, 40 – 50 years of age, and approximately 6’0” ft (183 cm) tall.

The female left the area without further incident.

The West Criminal Investigations Unit is asking the public to be vigilant and call 911 if you witness similar incidents.

Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to contact the Ottawa Police West Criminal Investigations Unit at 613-2361222, ext. 2666.

For non-emergencies, residents can call 613-2361222, ext. 7300 or file a report online.

Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling Crime Stoppers toll-free at 1-800222-8477 or at crimestoppers.ca.

OPEN HOUSE

Boston Pizza in Barrhaven got a special surprise last week. Owner Russ Arthurs and his family were visited by Boston Pizza International President Jordan Holm, left, and Boston Pizza founder Jim Treliving, right. The two men presented Barrhaven Boston Pizza with an All-Star Award, designating them as one of the top Boston Pizza locations in Canada.

A

beautiful life, a beautiful legacy

Canadians are buying less food. Now what?

The release of retail data by Statistics Canada last week has provided valuable insights into the dynamic nature of food retailing in Canada.

Contrary to initial assumptions, the data reveals intriguing fluctuations in Canadian food and beverage retail sales per capita since 2017, challenging prevailing expectations and necessitating a closer examination of the underlying factors at play.

The figures indicate that in March 2017, sales per capita stood at $258.41, experiencing a marginal decline to $257.05 in March 2018 and a further decrease to $256.61 in March 2019. However, a notable shift occurred in March 2020, with sales per capita surging to $309.19.

In March 2022, sales per capita experienced a further decrease to $257.55. The most recent available data from March 2023 reveals a further decline to $237.20. These figures suggest that Canadians are spending less on food at grocery stores, despite facing higher food prices.

But here is another piece of valuable data. Recent NIQ data indicates a two per cent decline in food sales by volume in Canada in the last year, further emphasizing the reduction in food expenditures among Canadians.

Individuals are opting for lower-cost alternatives and seeking out independent stores that cater specifically to the needs and preferences of immigrant communities.

The data also suggests that Canadians may be wasting less food, particularly with the rise in remote work arrangements. The consumption of leftovers and repurposing of food could be contributing to reduced food waste. The occurrence of “shrinkflation,” whereby product sizes are reduced without a corresponding decrease in prices, may also play a role in reducing waste.

Another possibility of concern raised by the data is that Canadians may be consuming less food or relying on food banks more frequently. Reports of long lines at food banks and increased usage across the country indicate a potential rise in food insecurity.

Bottom line, if people think grocers are riding the inflation wave with their food sales, they should think again. It’s just not happening. Loblaw, for example, saw its food sales go up 3.1 per cent in the first quarter, which is significantly below our food inflation rate. Grocers are treading water with food sales, at best. Record profits are being recorded, but it’s not because of food sales.

Canadians are buying less food, and, chances are, that trend is likely to continue for a while. Just like in the early 80s, consumers are programmed to seek deals all the time. This is what the market is doing to all of us right now. We are all becoming better bargain hunters, for those of us lucky enough to afford the food we need to eat.

Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is senior director of the agri-food analytics lab and a professor in food distribution and policy at Dalhousie University. © Troy Media

BARRHAVEN

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

When you reflect on a tragedy or a loss, time bends in curious ways. It’s hard to believe that it was 10 years this week. I sat there with more than 1,000 people at the Metropolitan Bible Church, paying respects to Rowan Stringer, who died from a concussion in a local high school rugby game.

from the other side

why she was a link crew leader. It was important to her to help the younger students feel at home. In fact, it was so important to her that she did the unusual and took on that role for two years rather than one.

Joy.

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.

I sat there, absorbing the emotion and heartbreak in the room, wondering what I would write. How do you compress one of the saddest yet most beautiful hours that those of us there have ever witnessed into words?

And to fill this column, I would need about 900 of them.

Tragedy.

It was one of the worst tragedies our community has ever seen.

Questions.

Why does God always seem to take the most wonderful and special people from us before their time?

Friendship.

Rowan Stringer was full of it. Facebook couldn’t keep up with her. She had friends in every social media nook and cranny you could imagine.

Pain.

Shakespeare himself couldn’t have concocted a metaphor that could begin to touch the amount of pain Rowan Stringer’s friends and family were feeling.

Tears.

It was said during the service that tears are precious to God. We need tears to grieve and to heal. Young people, many of whom were processing a loss like this for the first time, sobbed their hearts out. All of us in the auditorium did, too. Yet, hearing those comforting words of perspective from Pastor Dan Winter, I looked at tears – even my own – in a different light. Maybe we all felt that tears shed for Rowan Stringer were just a little bit more powerful and special than other tears we have shed. I gladly served mine up to God, and I’m sure a lot of people in that room did, too.

Laughter.

We kept hearing stories from her friends –school friends, rugby teammates and ringette teammates – about Rowan Stringer’s infectious laughter. It filled a room. It was unforgettable.

Singing.

They all joked about how Rowan Stringer couldn’t carry a tune but never cared. Even her father joked about it. Some people dance like no one is watching. Rowan Stringer sang like no one was listening. Movies.

She loved to watch scary movies with her friends. Even though some of her friends admitted they didn’t really like scary movies, they said they watched them just because they knew how much she loved them.

Role Model.

Rowan Stringer was described by many as the perfect role model. She remembered how frightening it was to go to a big high school like John McCrae Secondary School in Grade 9. That’s

One of her teachers commented on how every time Rowan walked by in the hallway, she had a smile on her face. Always.

Selfless.

Rowan Stringer was going to be headed to the University of Ottawa to study nursing in the fall. Her dream was to become a nurse and to take her skills to Africa. She was going to make a difference in the world. Sitting in that auditorium, it was clear that she already had. Leader.

There are many types of leadership. Rowan Stringer exemplified all of them. She was a friend. She was a motivator. She set an example for everyone else to follow. One of her rugby teammates told me in the reception after the service that Rowan was the perfect teammate. Legacy.

Rowan Stringer, at 17, had enough wisdom to sign her organ donor card. She has already given the gift of life to others, as her vital organs were shipped to the Toronto area immediately after her passing. Her heart stayed in Ottawa. Gratitude.

God bless the Stringer family for the strength and courage in this tragedy. Her parents spoke eloquently of how the support from the community kept the family going as they expressed their genuine thanks. Rowan’s sister, Cassie, fought through her tears to talk about how thankful she was to have had Rowan as a sister. Articulate.

Rowan Stringer was very articulate. In fact, she was selected to read “In Flanders Fields” during the John McCrae Remembrance Day service last year. I thought about how cool that must have been, since John McCrae himself wrote that poem. I kept thinking of the famous line from the poem, “To you from failing hands we throw the torch; be yours to hold it high.” Who will carry the torch of leadership left by Rowan Stringer? Love.

Rowan’s close friend, Owen, wept has he fought through one of the most beautiful eulogies I have ever heard in my life. No words can some up someone as perfect as Rowan, he said. There can only be memories. Impact.

Rowan Stringer had more impact on this world in her 17 years than most will in a lifetime. Legacy.

I was just learning about Rowan Stringer then. A year later, Rowan’s parents, Gord and Kathleen, went to Maddy’s Gala with us. We talked about doing something to create a legacy for her. MPP Lisa MacLeod jumped in, pushed and now every kid who plays sports in Canada knows about Rowan’s Law.

Rowan Stringer has done more for us since her passing than most of us ever will do while we are alive.

My passion For municipal government led me to run for council

Amongst the three levels of governemnt, municipal government is the most practical.

All we do has a direct immediate impact on the daily lives of residents in the community, and the results of what we do are very visible and tangible.

That is why how we achieve our goals and the support we get from the federal and provincial governments is as important as what our goals are.

Late last month, I had the privilege of attending the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) annual conference in Toronto.

The FCM is an advocacy group representing municipalities across Canada. Though it

East Barrhaven Ward Report

Wilson Lo, Councillor

has no formal power, it is the main lobbying group of municipalities and often navigates and negotiates with federal departments on their behalf.

It was an incredibly rewarding four days of workshops, seminars, and study tours around Toronto to discuss evolving issues cities are facing, including infrastructure, housing, and climate change.

Experts including academics and those with theoretical and practical experience in

relevant fields spoke on issues like rural connectivity, building great public places, futureproofing agriculture, and food production, and attracting and retaining municipal talent.

Keynote speakers included leaders of the four major federal parties selling us on their vision for Canadian municipalities as well as political analyst David Coletto who offered insight on the temperature of the country and what voters care about right now.

My favourite activities of the conference were the study tours of municipal facilities, new urban communities, and areas of cultural significance, such as the massive redevelopment of the eastern waterfront, including the re-naturalisation

of the Don River’s mouth.

I also had the opportunity to reconnect or network with municipal officials from across the country. The activities proved that most cities face the same issues in every municipality—albeit at different orders of magnitude.

Although most cities have challenges unique to them, like Ottawa’s relationship with the federal government, municipalities are Canada’s largest think tank and best generator of innovative ideas to improve the lives of those in our communities.

From metropolises with more than a million people to rural villages with fewer than one hundred and everything in between, we are the foundation of this country.

I have been fascinated by

Bag-tag trash system will be a failed experiment

The Editor, Here we go again! If there’s one issue that rears its ugly head with astonishing regularity at Ottawa City Hall, it’s the topic of waste management and the latest scheme to reduce a core service. Although it never presented itself during the last election, suddenly we’re once again concerned about the projected lifespan of the Trail Road dump and the need to curtail the amount of waste collected. The answer, according to staff, is to severely limit the number of bags collected by introducing a bag tag system to penalize those who are discarding too much. Of course, the real answer is to improve diversion, which the city could accomplish in a variety of ways, none of which are being considered, naturally. Let’s face it, the city could use a carrot instead of a stick, but these folks don’t do carrots, only sticks.

Ironically, the solution was described in great detail

in East Barrhaven councillor Wilson Lo’s column in the May 12, 2023 edition of the Barrhaven independent. Lo explained that he had grown up in the City of Markham, which had tried a similar bag tag system in the late 2000s that didn’t accomplish the goal of improving waste diversion--unless you’re referring to residents dumping their excess garbage in public refuse containers or construction site dumpsters. The point is, the bag tag system in Markham was a failed experiment (since abandoned) although Markham now boasts one of the “highest waste diversion rates in the country.” The bag tag system did not accomplish that, but what did was so sensible you honestly wonder why the City of Ottawa isn’t even contemplating it. The secret is to just make it easier for people to recycle! Rather than having different coloured bins collected bi-weekly on an alternating basis, everything

goes into a blue box that is collected every week. As Lo explained it, “Markham collects all recyclables weekly and does not require residents to sort them (their waste collection contractor, coincidentally also Miller Waste, does that at a depot.)” Apparently that has worked so well that the City of Markham was able to cancel their bag tag system in the late 2010s.

Of course this is Ottawa, which means that our navelgazing municipal government can’t wait to repeat the failed experiment with bag tags, all the while anticipating a different result. It’s certainly clear that our former AM Talk Radio host of a Mayor has been guzzling the Koolaid provided by his staff and seems to be resigned to the inevitability of going the bagtag route, but let’s hope that Councillor Lo can convince his colleagues to consider a more sensible solution.

Andy Braid

municipal government ever since I started following politics. In fact, I became interested in municipal politics after Frank Scarpitti, the current mayor of my hometown, Markham, spoke at my high school in 2007 shortly after he was first elected Mayor.

As someone who’s introverted, I never actually wanted to be directly involved…but look where I ended up.

Politicians are nothing without community engagement, from sharing ideas to sharing complaints. Beyond the bigger picture, we can only fix hyper-local issues like a sewer grate that’s been clanging for years, or a dead grove of trees if we know about it.

I know Barrhaven East very well from my days driving the bus, but without you,

I would never have known Neill-Nesbitt Park was missing its garbage cans, or that there was a broken crosswalk button at Strandherd and Woodroffe. The issues have been resolved.

Unfortunately, most people are engaged the least with their municipal level of government. This makes sense, since we are the overseers of primarily day-to-day operations, which one may not notice until something goes wrong or goes missing. Admittedly, cynicism is also a factor.

Engagement is a two-way street and requires us to engage with residents, too. One of my goals during my term is to do just that, and I hope you’ll share in my journey towards greater civic engagement.

Organizers expect biggest and best Barrhaven Canada Day to date

Canada Day in Barrhaven is back, and according to organizers, it looks like it will be bigger and better than ever.

“All of the events we have done this year have drawn larger crowds than expected,” said Darrell Bartraw, who chairs the Canada Day organizing committee. “It’s the first year that we are truly back after the pandemic with no restrictions. People are excited about local events. They just want to get out.”

This year’s Canada Day celebration in Barrhaven will be a four-day event. The midway will run from Thurs., June 28 to Sun., July 2.

“This is the 41st edition of Barrhaven’s Canada Day celebration,” Bartraw added. “Each year we try to out do the previous year.”

The midway will be open on Thursday and Friday June 29-30 in the evenings. On Friday night, it’s time to put on the western boots and hats for Country Music Night. Four local bands will be on the stage to entertain country music fans.

“This year we are building a giant Muskoka chair for photos, a new Vendors

Village with over 20 vendors, and our midway operator tells us they will have some new rides,” said Bartraw.

Twelve local food trucks will be on site throughout the Canada Day four-day event.

Saturday is Canada Day, and there is a full day of activities planned, beginning with a pancake and sausage breakfast that will be free for seniors. The midway will be running throughout the day. At 11 a.m., the Kids Zone opens up and there will be performers on the multi-cultural stage throughout the day.

At 4 p.m., the Canada Day ceremonies begin with birthday cake for all from the Barrhaven Lions Club, followed by remarks from local dignitaries.

“We are going to have a very special guest in addition to the local politicians,” Bartraw said.

Bartraw said that after the ceremonies, the real party begins.

“We will have a wonderful Indigenous display of song and dance, and then the music of Monkey Rock Music for kids of all ages,” he said. “Next is a local band called Starfire

and our headliner band out of Montreal is called Star 80. All this is followed by an absolutely amazing fireworks display at 10 p.m. We have the same company that has done the fireworks on Parliament Hill for a number of years.”

On Sunday, the midway continues, and there will be a classic car and truck show from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Discounted ride tickets can be purchased from the customer service counter of McDonough’s Your Independent Grocer.

Bartraw also said the best way for people to get to Clarke Fields for the Canada Day festivities on July 1 was to take the shuttle bus from McDonough’s Your Independent Grocer. He said the cost is $2 per person or $5 per family.

“It will be very busy and crowded in that area during Canada Day, and the bus is the best way to get people in out of there quickly and safely,” Bartraw said. “With McDonough’s and most of Barrhaven Town Centre closed for the day, there is a lot of parking available there to take the shuttle. It has been a very efficient system for many years, and we strongly sug-

gest that people take advantage of it.”

For more information on Canada Day and for the full schedule, visit barrhavenindependent.ca or the Barrhaven Canada Day Facebook page. You can also win ride coupons and food tickets from our media sponsor Move 100 and Pure Country. Watch for other chances to win ride coupons on the Barrhaven Canada Day Facebook page.

The Barrhaven Canada Day committee was busy last week putting up signage, including this sign on Jockvale Road, for the four-day event.

City and province form partnership in auto theft prevention

I was glad to learn that additional efforts are being made by the Province of Ontario to help stop rampant car thefts.

The Government of Ontario recently announced their commitment to spend $51 million over three years to address auto thefts across the province.

I wish to thank south Ottawa MPP’s Goldie Ghamari and Lisa MacLeod for their work on this initiative.

This is money that will help local police services, like the Ottawa Police, to combat organized crime rings and target those who steal vehicles from innocent residents.

Recently, Councillor Catherine Kitts and I wrote a letter to Ontario’s Solicitor General in support

of this initiative. Making progress on combatting persistent and highly organized car thefts requires a team approach.

Waking up to a stolen vehicle is a feeling many residents in Riverside South and Findlay Creek are all too familiar with. It is a chronic problem resulting in more vehicles being stolen year over year.

Far beyond just losing a vehicle, the impacts include members of the community feeling insecure and uncertain in their neighbourhood. These are not feelings south Ottawa residents should be faced with. Members of the community should feel safe and secure in their home and with their property.

To help combat the issue, the Ottawa Police

Service has established an Auto Task Force to provide focused and comprehensive attention to the matter. I am glad that as of late there has been some success on this front. This is important work being done to halt the continued growth of these organized criminal networks.

I also raised the issue with Ottawa’s Chief of Police during the 2023 Budget process.

Combatting vehicle theft also requires the collaboration and efforts of many different jurisdictions.

Car manufacturers have a role to play in constructing vehicles that have state of the art technology. This important technology will help to deter thefts.

Car insurance compan-

ies need to place pressure on these manufacturers to invest in this important technology now and support innovation in the future.

Car dealers need to ensure they understand how to prevent thefts and be wary of those who may be looking at cars for theft opportunities. This involves training staff, building secure facilities and partnering with local authorities to report suspicious buyers.

Car owners can help as well. While there is no sil-

ver bullet to preventing a car theft, there are a variety of different measures that can be employed.

Vehicle Immobilizers and Port Locks can be successful at preventing theft. Residents may also wish to use a steering wheel lock or block their car in the laneway or park in the garage. Using one or more of these options in combination can deter potential thefts.

Residents can also join their Neighbourhood Watch Group and be on the lookout for any potential sus-

picious activity. Reports should be filed to the Ottawa Police for awareness and enforcement.

This is an issue that goes beyond the borders of the City of Ottawa. The priority must be to work across jurisdictions to reach a solution for residents that leads to safety and security in their neighbourhood.

It is programs and funding like the one announced by the Province that will help our police bring these criminals to justice and help protect our communities.

BARRHAVEN

Province investing in more affordable housing in Ottawa

The Ontario government is investing an additional $24.1 million in affordable housing in Ottawa to create up to 138 affordable and supportive housing units.

The project, known as Mikinak, is a joint initiative between the City of Ottawa and Ottawa Community Housing Corporation (OCHC) that, once completed, will contain a total of 271 units across three buildings. The project will provide supports for seniors, families, Indigenous households and persons with developmental disabilities. More than 20 per cent of the units across the project will be accessible.

“Today’s announcement demonstrates our government’s commitment to tackling homelessness and ending the housing supply crisis in Ontario,” said Steve Clark,

Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “Our government’s support for the Mikinak project builds on the historic investments we have made in homelessness prevention and reinforces our constructive partnership with the City of Ottawa. This announcement also reflects the unique challenges and pressures facing Ottawa when it comes to tackling homelessness, as a service provider for people coming to the city from across Eastern and Northern Ontario.”

Located at 715 Mikinak Road, the project is being built on the former Canadian Forces Base Rockcliffe lot. The midrise buildings will include housing for people on the city’s social housing waitlist, which includes people residing in the emergency shelter system and offsite facilities such as hotels

and motels.

“Every person, regardless of their circumstances, deserves a roof over their heads and a safe place to call home,” said Mark Sutcliffe, Mayor of Ottawa. “That’s why this announcement is very important for the City of Ottawa. It comes at a critical time and it demonstrates that the City and the Province of Ontario can work together towards our common goal of ending chronic homelessness by building more affordable housing and supportive housing. This announcement is an important step in our ongoing discussion about fair and appropriate funding for housing and homelessness prevention and it helps Ottawa build more affordable and supportive units in the next year. I want to personally thank Premier Doug Ford and Minister Steve

Clark for this welcome announcement. This comes after a lot of very healthy and productive dialogue and collaboration.”

Nepean MPP Lisa MacLeod called the announcement an important investment for all of Ottawa.

“Ottawa is open for business, open for tourism and open for hi-tech – and to be truly open we need to invest in people, talent, culture, sports and homelessness,” MacLeod said. “This announcement will ensure that Ottawa is not only competitive but also compassionate – with provincial funding that addresses our city’s unique needs when it comes to fighting homelessness and providing Ottawa residents a safe and secure place to call home.”

MPP Goldie Ghamari, whose Carleton riding borders Nepean and includes Riverside South,

said that the project impact more than homelessness.

“The Mikinak project will be a game-changer for many families throughout the Ottawa region,” Ghamari said.” Our government is not only providing much-needed housing for families, seniors, Indigenous households and persons with developmental disabilities, but the development of the project will also stimulate the local economy with jobs and contracts for people working in the trades and in the construction industry. There are multiple layers of families and individuals who will benefit from the Mikinak project.”

OCHC is the largest provider of social housing in Ottawa and is Ontario’s second-largest housing provider. Supported by the City of Ottawa, OCHC manages a portfolio of

approximately 15,000 affordable and community housing units for more than 32,000 people across Ottawa.

Through the Community Housing Renewal Strategy, response to COVID-19 and homelessness initiatives, over the past three years Ontario invested nearly $4.4 billion for community and supportive housing while addressing homelessness and the impacts of the pandemic for vulnerable Ontarians.

In 2022, the government introduced the More Homes Built Faster Act, which takes bold action to address the housing crisis by building 1.5 million homes by 2031. The plan also has measures to reduce municipal charges for housing providers looking to build non-profit and affordable housing for vulnerable Ontarians.

St. F X hosts their first ever Indigenous Cultural Experience Day

More than 2,150 St. Francis Xavier Catholic High School (FX) students participated in the first-ever Indigenous Cultural Experience Day at the Riverside South high school May 31.

The student-led event featured elders, community performers and First Nation Pow Wow Dancers, Inuit Throat Singers, Metis Jiggers and First Nation Speakers.

School Principal Sean Power says, “We have a vibrant Indigenous Student Association commit-

ted to enhancing awareness and appreciation for Indigenous Culture.”

Staff and students have worked together on this event since the beginning of the school year to promote Truth & Reconciliation authentically. One of the Student Associations’ goals is to engage in reconciliation conversations that keep

the journey of understanding, healing and empathy alive within the school community.

Wednesday’s event featured a land acknowledgement, an Elder Introduction, a First Nation Pow Wow Dancer, Inuit Throat singers, a First Nation speaker, Metis Jigger, and a closing by the Elder.

than 2,150 students experienced Indigenous Cultural Experience Day at St. Francis Xavier last Wednesday.

CLUES ACROSS

1. Chinese Muslim group

5. Alternative name

10. Resounds

12. Supporter

14. Furnishes anew

16. Beloved Hollywood alien

18. Supervises flying

19. Ballplayer’s tool

20. Coarse edible red seaweed

22. Former CIA

23. Basketball player

25. Travel necessities

26. Honey producer

27. Military analysis (abbr.)

28. Diego, Francisco, Anselmo

30. Mental sharpness and inventiveness

31. Popular Easter meal

33. Man (Spanish)

35. __ de la __

37. Counterweights

38. Made a harsh, grating noise

40. Monetary unit

41. Commercials

42. Cool!

44. Partner to cheese

45. Expression of

creative skill

48. Unit of angle

50. Transported

52. N. American people of Kansas

53. Computer game character Max

55. Moved swiftly

56. Everyone has one

57. Tin

58. A mole is one

63. Nocturnal hoofed animals

65. Oppositional to

66. Monetary units

67. Not on time

CLUES DOWN

1. Hogshead (abbr.)

2. Misery resulting from affliction

3. Defunction European group

4. Line on a map

5. Becomes less intense

6. Back muscle

7. Frosted

8. Ethiopian town

9. Midway between south and east

10. Wipe from the record

11. In a continuous way

13. Breathe

15. Cleaning device

17. Male organ

18. Tab on a key ring

21. Criminals

23. Taxi

24. Cheer of encouragement

27. Wartime American escort carrier

29. Polish river

32. Current unit

34. Life form

35. Painful contractions

36. Glowing

39. Press against lightly

40. Melancholic

43. Something you can be under

44. Of the mind

46. E. Indian cereal grass

47. Couple

49. Sharpshoot

51. A baglike structure in a plant or animal

54. __ Blyton, children’s author

59. Human gene

60. Data mining methodology (abbr.)

61. Examines animals

62. Mineral

64. Cools your home

Barrhaven women business leaders featured as speakers at BIA event

The Barrhaven BIA, in partnership with Invest Ottawa and the Ottawa Coalition of Business Improvement Areas, will be hosting Financing Your Growth: Enabling and Advancing Your Business Goals. The event is billed as a conversation with women-led businesses in Barrhaven, and will be facilitated by Nepean MPP Lisa MacLeod.

From growing and scaling to navigating everyday entrepreneurial challenges such as burnout, financing, and pivoting to meet the demands of today’s business climate, this event is for all business owners, entrepreneurs, and community members (of all backgrounds) to converse and connect.

The event takes place June 13 at Stonebridge Golf Club. It is free and is open to any aspiring or current business owner, entrepreneur, or community members.

The event begins at 5 p.m. with registration, networking and refreshments.

After a land acknowledgement ceremony at 5:30 p.m., the network discussion will begin with panelists Leanne Duval, Branch Manager, Barrhaven West, Bank of Montreal; Stephanie Howarth, Co-Founder, Head of People and Brand, Mad Radish; Yilong Ma, Real Estate Broker and President, Canada Sichuan Cultural Exchange Centre; and Julia Reid, Co-Founder, Athletic Therapist, Clinic Director, Play On Pediatric Therapy.

At 6:10 p.m., the audience Q and A session will begin, followed by another land acknowldgement ceremony and another networking opportunity.

About the Speakers

Leanne Duval, Branch Manager, Barrhaven West, Bank of Montreal

With over 17 years of Retail Banking experience at BMO, Leanne has committed herself to strength-

ening the relationships between the Bank and its communities. Over her years at BMO, Leanne has been a bank leader in multiple branches across Ontario with a longstanding record of community involvement and active volunteer engagement. Leanne is currently the Branch Manager of the brand-new Barrhaven West branch (located at 4265 Strandherd Dr.).

Stephanie Howarth, Co-Founder, Head of People and Brand, Mad Radish

The first employee of DAVIDsTEA, Stephanie helped build a $250M business from $0 and presided over an award-winning brand as Creative Director and eventually VP of Marketing.

Soon after taking the company public in 2015, Stephanie left to co-found Mad Radish, an Ottawabased healthy QSR with an inclusive, flexitarian menu. Having worked for over a decade as an Admin in male dominated companies, she is passionate about mentoring under-represented groups and helping them reach their potential.

Yilong Ma, Real Estate Broker and President, Canada Sichuan Cultural Exchange Centre

Yilong is a broker at Coldwell Bankers Sarazen Realty and the president of a not-for-profit organization called the Canada Sichuan Cultural Exchange Centre. A successful businesswoman, Yilong has more than 12 years of international entrepreneurial experience.

She brings a unique set of skills and knowledge to the table. A seasoned veteran in world-class event planning, Yilong has organized dozens of major events, with numbers of attendees exceeding 100,000. She is also an established member of the food industry. Yilong was a successful

restaurateur, and she operated multiple restaurants in both Canada and overseas. She is currently providing cuisine consulting to businesses looking to invest in the Canadian market.

Yilong is passionate about connecting people by exchanging food, culture, and ideas. She has won multiple awards for her contribution to her community.

Julia Reid,

CoFounder, Athletic Therapist, Clinic Director, Play On Pediatric Therapy

Julia Reid became a Certified Athletic Therapist over 15 years ago, after graduating from York University with a B.Sc. in Kinesiology and Certificate in Athletic Therapy. She first worked as an Athletic Therapist and Clinic Director at a multidisciplinary rehabilitation clinic in a small town north of Toronto, Ontario. She covered many different sports and games of various levels –from high school competitions, varsity competitions at the national levels, and World level competitions.

Julia moved to Ottawa, and completed a Masters in Health Administration, at the Telfer School of Management at UOttawa. Following this, she worked as a Project Manager and Business Manager in hospital and corporate settings.

Julia continued to maintain her athletic therapy certification and to take courses such as Athlete Brain Concussion Course, Sport First Responder certifica-

tion, Kangoo Jump Fitness Instructor, Pregnancy and Postpartum Athleticism Coaching, and Rhythmic Movement Therapy Level 1 & 2. Julia always knew that one day she would return to her clinical roots, and would own a clinic. From her experience as a mom of 4, she has seen the need for more specific and specialized clinics to treat kids specifically, for various reasons (from sports injuries, to support with many other conditions). She is excited to get back to doing what she loves…treating young athletes and various clients, and encouraging them to live healthy active lifestyles – for life!

Moderator: Lisa

MacLeod, MPPNepean

Lisa MacLeod is a 6 time Ottawa MPP, the longest serving MPP in the nation’s capital.

Having served as Ontario’s Minister of Children Community and Social Services, Minister of Women’s Issues, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport as well as Minister Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries Lisa has also served as the Vice Chair of the Quebec-Ontario Parliamentary Friendship Committee, Ontario’s steering committee member on the Canadian Parliamentary Women’s Association and Vice Chair of the Government Agencies Committee and Legislative Assembly Committees.

Lisa has either led or contributed to parliamentary or trade delegations to

Taiwan, Israel, Madagascar, China and India. She has addressed the United Nations in New York City on sex trafficking and elevated Ontario’s $26 Billion Culture Industries during a mission to Los Angeles.

Lisa’s many legislative successes include Rowan’s Law, Canada’s first concussion legislation, Lebanese Heritage Month and Trans Remembrance Month. As well, Lisa has been successful in receiving all party support for making Queen’s Park Family Friendly, defending Ontario’s horseracing industry

and a compassionate and catastrophic care Motion. Presently Lisa continues to advocate for concussion safety as a board advisor to the Concussion Legacy Foundation, Canada and is a board advisory member for the Dare to Be Vulnerable Project focusing on mental health advocacy. The event is free but registration in advance is required. To register for the event, visit https:// www.eventbrite.ca/e/ financing-your-growthenabling-and-advancingyour-business-goalstickets-632670132397.

Stephanie Howarth was the first employee of DAVIDsTEA and helped build a $250M business from $0. After taking the company public in 2015, Stephanie left to co-found Mad Radish, an Ottawa-based healthy QSR with an inclusive, flexitarian menu

NCSSAA high school scoreboard

Baseball

May 9 – St. Mark

9 St Joseph 2

May 15 – St. Joseph

10 Sacred Heart 3

May 15 – St. F

X 13 Merivale 3

May 16 – Holy Trinity

5 Pierre-Savard 4

May 16 – LongfieldsDavidson Heights 12

West Carleton 5

May 16 – St. Mother

Teresa 13 Earl of March 6

May 17 – St. Joseph

7 Cairine Wilson 4

May 17 – St. F X

2 South Carleton 2

May 17 – St. F X 23

Sir Robert Borden 7

May 18 – LongfieldsDavidson Heights 8

John McCrae 6

May 18 – St. Mother

Teresa 18 John McCrae 0

May 18 – St. Mother

Teresa 8 Pierre-Savard 3

May 23 – St. Mark

10 St. Joseph 6

May 24 – Earl of March

29 John McCrae 2

May 25 – St. Mother

Teresa 8 LongfieldsDavidson Heights 7

May 29 – Earl of March

21 Pierre-Savard 2

May 29 – LongfieldsDavidson Heights

12 Holy Trinity 4

May 29 – St. Mother

Teresa 15 West Carleton 3

May 29 – St. F

X 13 Glebe 3

May 30 – Holy Trinity

12 John McCrae 2

May 30 – West Carleton

5 Pierre-Savard 4

NCSSAA OFSAA Final

May 25 –St. Joseph

13 St. Mark 11

Girls Touch Football

May 12 – St. Joseph

13 St. Mark 6

May 12 – St. Mother

Teresa 14 LDHSS 0

May 16 – St. Joseph

27 John McCrae 0

May 18 – Holy trinity

4 John McCrae 0

May 23 – St. Joseph

8 Earl of March 6

May 23 – St. Peter

34 John McCrae 0

May 23 – West Carleton

14 St. Mother Teresa 1

May 24 – All Saints

26 LDHSS 6

May 25 – West

Carleton 14 St. Joseph 7

May 29 – Lester B

Pearson 16 St. Joseph 6

May 29 – Earl of March

9 St. Mother Teresa 8

Lacrosse

May 12 – John McCrae

8 St. Mother Teresa 6

May 15 – Merivale

11 St. Mother Teresa 2

May 18 – Sacred

Heart 1 St Joseph 0

May 24 – John McCrae 7 St. Joseph 7

May 24 – St. Mother

Teresa 5 AY Jackson 3

May 26 – Merivale

7 John McCrae 4

Sr. Girls Rugby 10s

May 17 – LDHSS

20 St. F X 0

May 24 – LDHSS

5 Sacred Heart 5

May 24 – LDHSS

15 Elmwood 5

May 24 – LDHSS

20 Holy Trinity 0

May 24 – Osgoode

15 St. F X 0

May 24 – St. F X

24 Sacred Heart 0

May 30 – Sacred

Heart 14 St. F X 10

May 30 – Immaculata

12 St. F X 7

Sr. Boys Rugby

May 17 – St.

Patrick’s 20 st. F X 0

May 24 – St.

Joseph 12 St. F X 0

May 24 – St. Laurent

12 St. Joseph 0

May 24 – St. Patrick

26 St. Joseph 5

May 24 – Lisgar

29 St. F X 0

May 30 – Lisgar

26 St. Jospeh 15

Sr. Girls Soccer

May 12 – Merivale

7 John McCrae 0

May 16 – St. Mother

Teresa 8 John McCrae 0

May 16 – Nepean

3 LDHSS 2

May 17 – Sir Robert

Borden 3 Pierre-Savard 1

May 18 – LDHSS

7 John McCrae 0

May 18 – St Pius

2 Pierre-Savard 2

May 23 – LDHSS

1 West Carleton 0

May 23 – Merivale

2 St. Mother Teresa 1

May 23 – St. F

X 3 St. Peter 0

May 24 – Pierre-Savard

6 Samuel Genest 0

May 25 – St. Mother

Teresa 3 Glebe 2

May 29 – St. Mother

Teresa 2 Merivale 1 (OT)

May 29 – St. F X

2 Sacred Heart 1

May 30 – Louis-Riel

8 Pierre-Savard 1

May 31 – St. Mother

Teresa 4 St. F X 3

Jr. Girls Soccer

May 16 – LDHSS

5 John McCrae 2

May 17 – Colonel

By 2 St. F X 1

May 17 – West

Carleton 1 LDHSS 0

May 23 – John

McCrae 2 LDHSS 1

May 24 – Nepean

2 St. F X 0

May 25 – St. F

X 3 Glebe 0

May 29 – John

McCrae 2 LDHSS 1

May 30 – Nepean

6 St. F X 0

May 31 – St. F

X 3 Glebe 0

May 31 – LDHSS

3 Earl of March 1

The St. Francis Xavier Coyotes took on the powerful squad from Lisgar Collegiate at the St. Joseph field in May.