Barrhaven Independent March 29, 2024

Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, left, watch as Barrhaven East Councillor Wilson Lo, Nepean MPP Lisa MacLeod and Barrhaven West Councillor David Hill present a wreath at the memorial held at Palmadeo Park for the six people murdered in Barrhaven March 6. For more on the tragedy, see page 4.

Spring is a great time of the year to share our culture and traditions

One of the wonderful things about living in a cultural mosaic as we do is the opportunity for us to share our traditions and holidays while learning about the traditions and holidays of people from other faiths.

With Easter happening this weekend, there is a blend of one of the most important holidays in Christianity and a family celebration which usually sees children taking part in an Easter Egg hunt.

Easter, which celebrates the resurrection of Christ following his crucifixion, is earlier than usual this year. Easter’s exact date varies so much because it actually depends on the moon. The holiday is set to coincide with the first Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon, the first full moon after the vernal equinox,

which is recognized by the church as March 21.

Next year, Easter is much later, falling on April 20.

Earlier this month, our Muslim community marked the beginning of Ramadan. Muslim communities will observe Ramadan through acts such as fasting, spending time in prayer and reflection, and undertaking acts of giving.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It has special significance in as it is believed the first verses of the Quran were revealed to the prophet Muham-

mad during Ramadan.

Ontario is made richer as a result of our strong, diverse and vibrant Muslim community and its values of generosity, compassion and charity, which we see and feel across our community, and across the province.

Holi, one of the most important holidays in Hinduism, also takes place in March.

Holi is a celebration of the end of winter, and the divine, eternal love of Radha Krishna. It is a festive holiday of friendship, mending what is broken, music, dancing and playing. It is known as the Festival of Colours, as people smear dry coloured powder on each other and drench each other with coloured water.

Carleton MPP Goldie Ghamari hosted an International Women’s Day breakfast in Richmond on March 8.

goldie continues on page 3

goldie continues from page 2

Holi began on March 25 this year, as it was the evening of the first full moon in the month of Phalguna.

On the day after Holi, Hola Mohalla, a Sikh festival which means “mock fight”, begins and lasts for three days.

During Hola Mohalla, Sikhs demonstrate their martial skills in simulated battles. During the festival, celebrants move to a given spot in army-style formation, accompanied by war drums and standard bearers. Guru Gobind held the first such mock fight in February 1701 at Anandpur.

Next month, our local Jewish community will be celebrating Passover, which takes place from April 22-30.

The eight-day Jewish holiday of Passover is celebrated in the early spring, from the 15th through the 22nd of the Hebrew month of Nissan, April 22 - 30, 2024. Passover (Pesach) commem-

orates the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. Pesach is observed by avoiding leaven, and highlighted by the Seder meals that include four cups of wine, eating matzah and bitter herbs, and retelling the story of the Exodus.

Happy Nowruz

Having covered all of that, I would like to share a bit of my Persian culture with everyone, as March is Persian Heritage Month. The next couple of weeks are special as there will be celebrations around the world for Nowruz.

The spelling of Nowruz has always been a bit of a pet peeve of mine, as the holiday is pronounced “no-rooz”. I don’t know why they put a W in the spelling.

Nowruz, which means “new day”, falls on the spring equinox each year and can last for up to four weeks. It is based on the Iranian solar Hijri calen-

dar, and it marks the Persian New Year. Its origins are in the Iranian religion of Zoroastrianism. It has been celebrated for 3,000 years, making it one of the oldest festivals still celebrated in human history.

On Nowruz, millions of Iranians from around the world and all walks of life, irrespective of religion, age, language, gender, race, ethnicity or social status, gather together with family, friends and loved ones to celebrate the new year. The celebration marks the rebirth of nature, symbolizing the triumph of good over evil. Nowruz represents much of what Iranian character, history and culture is all about.

We eat traditional food, including a fish and rice dish called “sabzi polo ba mahi.” We give gifts— or “eydis,” as we call them—to children.

More than 300 million people around the world celebrate Nowruz,

and it is no small celebration. Imagine Christmas, New Year’s Eve and Canada Day rolled into one month-long holiday, and then add delicious food, street dances, fire shows, and a lot of loud banging on pots.

To everyone celebrating Nowruz in Carleton, I wish you all a happy, healthy and prosperous new year.

Ontario Removing Barriers to Sport and Recreation

The Ontario government is investing up to $380,000 in Canadian Women & Sport’s The Next Play program to create more opportunities for girls to be active. This funding is a part of the $2 million that is being provided through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport to up to 200 community organizations across the province to facilitate accessible, affordable and inclusive sport and recreation program-

ming.

Canadian Women & Sport’s The Next Play program equips participating organizations with specialized training to counter gender bias in program design and also provides start-up grants to support community initiatives to recruit and retain girls in sport. In 2023, 180 sport leaders from 90 organizations participated in The Next Play and engaged more than 3,000 girls across Ontario in community-based programming.

Quick Facts

- In 2022-23, Canadian Women & Sport received $785,000 to support The Next Play program.

- The Ontario government invests over $18 mil-

BARRHAVEN

lion annually to support local, inclusive physical activity programming, including: Ontario’s After School Program, the Community Aboriginal Recreation Activator Program (CARA), the Sport Pathway for Ontario Native Wellness, and Variety Village.

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

www.barrhavenindependent.ca

Hundreds attend vigil for Barrhaven homicide victims at Palmadeo Park

By Charlie SenaCk

There was complete silence at Palmadeo Park in Barrhaven on March 9, as hundreds gathered to remember the six lives lost during Ottawa’s worst mass homicide in recent history.

They stood in the rain for over an hour laying teddy bears and flowers, trying to come to terms with how such a terrible tragedy could occur. Some wrote letters to the victims, others lit candles.

Monsignor Paul Baxter students who attended elementary school with some of the deceased wept as their parents tried to console unimaginable loss. Teachers held hands as they placed notes written by their classes. One read “We will miss you, Inuka. Love your grade 2 friends.” In a rare act of public emotion, city councillors from across Ottawa hugged and held one another in a united front.

Mother Darshani Dilanthika Ekanyake, and her four children, Kelly, two months, Ranaya, 3, Ashwini, 4, and Inuka, 7, were all killed alongside family friend Gamini Amarakoon, inside their Berrigan Drive home on March 6.

Father Dhanushka Wickra-

masinghe was able to escape and locked himself in a room to call 911. He survived the serious physical injuries, but is now dealing with the loss of his entire family. All from Sri Lanka, they came to Canada for a better life.

In an open gazebo at the park, Naradha Kodituwakku from the Buddhist Congress of Canada told the crowd Ottawa’s Sri Lankan community is hurting. He visited Dhanushka in hospital and said the father was aware of the outpouring of support from Barrhaven and b“He’s recovering well (but) you can tell he’s still in shock. He sees the strength. He sees that people are behind him. A gathering like this will only make him stronger,” said Kodituwakku.

Anzul Jhan, Sri Lanka’s deputy high commissioner in Ottawa, said they have been Bombarded with messages for support and calls to action since the homicide occurred. A GoFundMe page to raise money for the funerals has raised over $209,000.

“This is only a small sample,” she said. “People are reaching out to the high commission and the community, and we are overwhelmed with the outpouring.”

It was the second memorial held in recent days. The vigil was also attended by Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, Nepean MPP Lisa MacLeod, Ottawa Centre MPP Joel Harden, councillors from across the city, and Ottawa Police Chief Eric Stubbs, who said the investigation was ongoing.

Police are known to typically not release much details about a case, but Stubbs told reporters after the memorial an exception was made so people would not speculate about the crime.

“When it’s something this impactful, there’s a large appetite to find out why and to get questions answered,” said Stubbs. “We wanted to be as open as we could without compromising the investigation.”

The Barrhaven Independent has learned the family was killed hours before the father arrived home from work. Ferbio De-Zoysa, 19, who was living in the family’s basement rent free, has been charged with six counts of first degree murder and one count of attempted murder. The family threw a birthday party for him just days before.

“There’s a lot of negativity and a lot of darkness with this, but I’m seeing positivity, too,” said police chief Stubbs. “People coming together and supporting each other. That’s so important and we’re seeing that here now.”

weapon was used.

A motive has not been released, but sources have said the family was planning to evict De-Zoysa who recently dropped out of Algonquin College. A hunting knife was used in the attacks, the Barrhaven Independent has learned, though police are trying to figure out if more than one

De-Zoysa is the only suspect, said police, but even so, the community is on edge. Barrhaven has seen an increase in crime over the years with carjackings on the rise. It’s also been home to the murder of Jennifer Teague in 2005 and Linda Frederick in 2022.

For such a small cookiecutter suburb of 100,000 people, it has seen lots of tragedy.

Barrhaven east councillor Wilson Lo, who helped organize the vigil, said he understands that residents’ views of the neighbourhood have changed, but reiterates it’s a safe place to live.

“It was a very tragic event and it’s hit a lot of people really hard because of how close to home it is. There are a lot of families in Barrhaven,” Lo told the Barrhaven Independent. “If

one good thing has come out of it it’s the kindness you’ve seen go around. Neighbours have been checking in on neighbours.

Outside the family’s townhome, the police tape is gone and police cruisers are no longer seen in the area. People continue to come and lay flowers, taking a moment to mourn the loss of an innocent family who had a lot of life left to live.

The Sri Lankan community was well represented at the vigil.

Palmadeo Park became a makeshift memorial site for the victims with people dropping off flowers and stuffed animals.

Children in Barrhaven have struggled to protest how something like this could happen in their community.

Ottawa Police Chief Eric Stubbs was among the mourners to attend the vigil.

Accused Barrhaven killer in court, remains in protective custody

By Charlie SenaCk

Febrio De-Zoysa, who was arrested in the killing of six people in their Barrhaven home, appeared briefly in court last week.

The 19-year-old has been charged with six counts of first degree murder and one

Febrio De-Zoysa appeared in court briefly last week. He was charged with six counts of first degree murder and one count of attempted murder. (Facebook p H oTo )

count of attempted murder. The youngest victim was only two months old.

Lawyer Ewan Lyttle told reporters he is in protective custody.

“I have been in touch with his family. They’re obviously very upset,” he said. “He’s doing okay.”

It’s unclear if Lyttle plans to argue mental health in his client’s case. De-Zoysa has been ordered to not have contact with five people — one of whom is the father who suffered serious injuries, primarily to his hands.

He appeared via video link from the Ottawa Carleton Detention Centre. De-Zoysa gave his name and date of birth, and the Crown entered new information to correct the spelling of the victim’s names that were originally misspelled by police. Taking just minutes, court was adjourned until March 28.

A Sri Lankan native, De-

Zoysa had been living in the family’s basement for the last few months. They celebrated his birthday with balloons and a cheese cake just days before the killings. He studied at Algonquin College until recently dropping out.

The accused’s aunt, Anusha De-Zoysa , said her nephew met the father, Dhanushka Wickramasinghe, at Algonquin. She told Global News De-Zoysa was “quiet” and “a good student.” He came to Canada two years ago and stayed with family until recently.

“He stopped contacting us. He blocked us. Our phone numbers, social media. Everything was blocked,” she said. “Not in my wildest dreams did I ever think this would happen.”

De-Zoysa had been roommates with Dhanushka Wickramasinghe at Algonquin. Wickramasinghe was going to school and working, saving

money to bring his family to Canada. He had invited DeZoysa to come and live with

them when his family arrived and they would be living in a house. Gamini Amarakoon,

40, also lived in the house with them. He was one of the six people murdered.

The mother and four children of the Wickramasinghe family were killed.

It was just unthinkable

It was a tragedy that impacted everyone who heard the news, not just locally, but nationally.

A mother, four young children, and a family friend were brutally stabbed to death in Barrhaven, the neighbouring suburb just a few minutes away, The student living in their basement was charged with six counts of murder and another count of attempted murder. He appeared in court last Thursday. The husband and father was allegedly attacked when he arrived home. He survived the attack, ran outside, and yelled for someone to call 9-1-1.

Sadly and inexplicably, he was their friend.

The act was unthinkable, and the heartbreak and outpouring of emotion in the area parallels what we saw when six people were killed only a kilometre away from the crime scene when an OC Transpo bus collided with a VIA train, killing six people.

The tragedy hit the Sri Lankan community across the city and across the country particularly hard. It was not the first time that a tragedy had hit that community. Back in 1994, a family from Sri Lanka who had recently moved to the area went through their own tragedy. Shaffiq Vissram was a 19-year-old student attending classes at South Carleton High School. He never came home from school one day, and his backpack was found by a creek at Prince of Wales and Bankfield.

In 2016, his remains were unearthed at Prince of Wales and Second Line when a family was building a deck on their new home. But 30 years later, the case is still cold.

You can’t blame anyone for wanting to go and mourn, and attend the memorial at Palmadeo Park.

With the Mayor and the city councillors there, doing a very difficult civic duty at the event, someone from the city decided it would be a great opportunity to send a bylaw officer to the scene.

There is no parking lot at Palmadeo Park. There is enough parking on the street for less than a dozen cars. So while more than a hundred were praying, weeping and paying their respects, some returned to their cars to find $90 parking tickets on their windshields.

The people on Facebook, an angry mob at the best of times, were furious.

Couldn’t the bylaw officers have just taken a knee on this one, or maybe looked the other way for an hour or two given what was going on?

We wonder if the Mayor and Councillors were given tickets. Was MPP MacLeod given a ticket?

Perhaps there is a quota shortage because we did not get much snow this winter, and they did not have the opportunity to ticket enough cars throughout the city that were parked on the street during plowing time.

Regardless of the reason for this happening, it shouldn’t have.

BARRHAVEN

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

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Website: www.manotickmessenger.ca

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

Tragically

Trendy words slip in and out of our everyday language.

Metrosexual.

Do you remember that one? I don’t really fit that description. In fact, I used to joke that I was ruralsexual.

But on Saturday, I found myself at ground zero of Metrosexual-topia.

Lululemon. Not just any Lululemon. The Westboro Lululemon. I was in a store I don’t belong in, in a part of the city I don’t belong in.

from the other side

accountant-chic. He was wearing skin tight charcoal men’s yoga pants and a long sleeve skin tight charcoal top. I wanted to make a comment to Keisha’s boyfriend, but I didn’t want to draw attention to myself. Don was one small logo on his chest away from being on the crew of the Starship Enterprise. Or maybe Don was auditioning for that new Vegas act, the Charcoal Grey Man Group.

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,

tos or other

used for publication purposes.

So while the Diva tried on the latest in designer yogawear, I stood there, like the Mayor of Awkwardville, in the epicentre of metrosexuality. My role on Team Diva during shopping outings is to hold things. I held her purse while she tried things on. I had a David’s Tea bag filled with David’s Tea containers for the next stop in a world I don’t fit into.

I prayed to God that I wouldn’t run into anyone I knew.

“Do you want to look at the men’s clothing, babes?” she asked.

My plummeting self-esteem rendered my voice useless. I nodded ‘no.’

I know that Lululemon has a men’s sportswear line. I even know that when I am hanging out at Canadian Tire Centre a few hours before Sens games, some of the guys wear Lululemon. I know that NHL players are supposed to be trendsetters, but those rich and misguided 20-something-year-olds have no idea how much damage they are doing to guys like me.

The over-bubbly change room girl wrote the Diva’s name on the board outside Room 2 with an erasable marker. I looked at the names on the board. Kali, Kaitlin and Kayleigh. Then another woman appeared and her name was written on the board. Keisha.

‘Oh, for Krist’s sake,’ I thought to myself, giggling. I had to wipe the smirk off my face before I drew attention to myself.

Not that I already had.

Keisha’s boyfriend parked himself beside me outside the change rooms.

We didn’t speak, but we bonded. We made eye contact. Like me, he had that ‘OMG I hope I don’t see anyone I know’ look on his face.

“We have some chairs over there if you would like to sit down,” said the bubbly girl with the marker and the eraser.

“I’m good,” he said. “I’m just waiting here, holding things and getting ready to carry more things.” I could tell by the look in his eyes he would be more comfortable in the store if there was a Lululemon Shoresy Collection.

At that moment, we noticed a man emerging from one of the change rooms. It was Don. I’m guessing he was in his 50s and had a haircut and look that screamed

Sarcasm had put Embarrassment in check in the chess game on the beach. They were playing for my soul.

At that point the Diva emerged from her Luluroom. She looked amazing in her new Lululemon swag.

As she went to the cashier, I looked around and did some more investigative journalism to reaffirm how out of place I was. The yoga people all had this look to them. It was hard to put a finger on it. I see the same sort of look when I walk into Starbucks, which, even though I lived in Seattle for five years, is another place I don’t fit into. As I saw myself in a full length mirror, I noticed my Adidas hoodie under my Adidas winter jacket and I was wearing my Adidas hat. I love Adidas, and even being in Lululemon, I felt that I was violating my strong brand loyalty to my favourite athletic clothing company. My Adidas logo was being overshadowed by the Lululemon logo. By the way, I did learn while there that the Lululemon logo is a stylized “A” that stands for “Athletically hip,” which was one of the names founder Chip Wilson was considering when he named his company.

How can you be hip when your name is Chip? Hey Chip, give my best to Buffy.

Finally, the Diva’s transaction was completed. I was handed more bags to carry because, hey, that’s my job, and off we went to David’s Tea to sample Toasted Walnut Tea and Berry Hibiscus Tea and to look at all the different designer teas. We left with a container full of White Chocolate Frost.

We decided to stop for lunch in the Corner Bar and Grill, which I found as a safe enclave as a Metro-free zone within the confines of Westboro. I craved for the most ruralsexual meal I could find, which was a cheeseburger. The Diva, who was dripping with Westboroness by this point, had a beet salad that she called one of the best salads she had ever had.

Finally, we got out of Westboro and headed home. The Lululemon bags and our David’s Tea was securely snuggled into the back seat.

“Well that was a great little outing,” she said, excitedly.

I looked at her and smiled.

Men are from Prescott, women are from Westboro.

Braid responds to letter in last issue regarding criticism of Ford

The Editor, I must admit, I found last week’s letter from frequent contributor Cindy Ferguson highly entertaining, primarily because her suggestion that anyone would ever have to “rack his brain” to come up with a criticism of the Ford government is downright laughable. When I consider all the files his government has botched— besides Healthcare and Education, there’s Hydro One, the White Pines wind farm, highway 413, selling off the greenbelt for development—the list seems endless. And let’s not forget that Doug Ford violated the constitution in his attempt to

effectively cut wages for nurses through bill 124, which is largely responsible for the nursing crisis in this province. And, it was Doug Ford who stuck us with the Carbon Tax when he foolishly cancelled the Cap and Trade system that had exempted us from it. So, coming up with a criticism of Ford’s profoundly inept government is actually very simple—it’s trying to think of something he’s done that’s worthy of praise that would have anyone racking his brain, I would respectfully submit.

Ferguson’s letter devotes a lot of ink to the Education file, but even she—a diehard Doug

Ford supporter—has to admit the picture is not all that rosy. After almost six years of successive Doug Ford majority governments, she describes the state of our education system this way, “our young people have the lowest rates of reading, writing and math proficiency since these things began being tested and measured.” I agree, it’s appalling what has happened to the education system under Ford! And I’m not alone in thinking that, because the newlyelected federal Conservative member for Durham, Jamil Jivani, actually took a potshot at the Ford government during his vic-

Is a transgender girl a girl, or a male expressing opposite sex identity?

The Editor, I was saddened to read the letter from Claire Aimee Spencer, for both the apparent distress Spencer feels and the free use of the term “transphobic”. That term was coined late in the last century. It was soon used to stifle discussion of the growing transactivism and wielded as a weapon against even faint dissent.

The claim about the “murder” of trans (nonbinary?) Nex Benedict being reason to avoid talking about the issues is wrong in at least two ways. First, the example is false, because Benedict, though bullied no doubt, wasn’t “beaten fatally” but died by suicide from toxic drugs. Second, in -

tory speech, stating, ”and when I say ‘liberal elites’ I am talking about Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party — but not just them… I am also talking about the liberal elites who run the Ontario Ministry of Education in this province.” Jivani’s criticism of Ontario’s education system goes back years, as shown by the

following post he made on X dated June 24, 2022:

“Education is one of the most important government offices in Ontario. Yet, it continues to be led by an incompetent minister, Stephen Lecce, who refuses to adequately acknowledge the harmful impact of his decisions on the most vulnerable children.

Ontario deserves better”

Cindy Ferguson may be 100% supportive of the “liberal elites” currently running the Ministry of Education in this province but I find myself siding with the federal Tories on this one.

Ontario does deserve better.

Andy Braid

sisting that we avoid discussing access to sexsegregated spaces such as washrooms is inimical to the civil discourse we need in a free and wellfunctioning society. Spencer clearly subscribes to the claim that a transgender girl is truly a girl rather than a male expressing an opposite sex identity. Most of us recognize that notion as weirdly unscientific. Are we supposed to hide that reality to avoid offending the trans person? There are activists who insist that, yes, we must not favour reality over trans people’s feelings. But if feelings are what you’re going by, why are you denying the feelings of normal people, females in

particular, who feel that their space has been invaded and made less safe? Why are their perceptions denigrated? Why are they told that they must change their views and accept male bodies in designated female spaces?

We’re now in a time of exploding numbers of trans- and queer-identifying youth. It’s hard to imagine a phenomenon more worthy of serious efforts to understand the reasons and nature of this change. Instead, we see efforts to block, even vilify, discussion. Spencer deserves sympathetic acceptance, but the activist-inspired push against reality and the rights of normal people deserves rejection.

David Wieland

Welcome to the Bungle: Poor communication and information flow

By Wilson lo Barrhaven east CounCillor

Earlier in the month, many residents across the city, including some in Barrhaven East, were alerted to negative remarks added to their credit scores due to outstanding debts owed to the city. In some cases, the debts were 20 years old.

Most of the feedback from residents caught in the situation has been relatively similar—that despite living at the same address for decades, despite having received and paid for other tickets within that time, and despite having received personallyaddressed letter mail from the city, there were no notifications, reminders, or warnings sent to them about the

East Barrhaven Ward Report

Wilson Lo, Councillor

supposed outstanding debt.

These are residents who have systems in place to ensure they are on top of invoices, fines, and other payments owing. These are residents who now must deal with the implications of a negative impact to their credit scores, affecting their ability to borrow or to renew mortgages. These are residents who act in good faith when dealing with the city and trusted the system to do the same with them.

In response to resident concerns forwarded by at

least a few Councillors, city staff stated in a memo that debts repaid to the city (including through a third-party collection agency) are removed from credit records.

However, upon checking with the city’s contracted third-party agency, residents were told differently—that their debt was marked as paid only.

As background, every five years, a competitive process takes place to contract a new third-party collections agency or to renew an existing contract. In this case, Financial Debt Recovery Ltd. (FDR) is a newly contracted agency. All outstanding balances were transferred to them when the five-year contract was signed.

Third-party agencies de-

termine their own practices, including debt collection strategies, in line with what is legal and the city’s goal to collect those debts. Obviously, where FDR’s strategy differed from a previous agency is the use of credit bureau reporting, a legal means of collection and widely used by banks and other commercial lenders.

Additionally, there are no statute of limitations on convictions for set fines under the Provincial Offences Act.

Anyway, the problem is not in the practice or the procedure, as both are legal and quite standard. The problem is the bungled management and disjointed communications by staff on an issue with relatively major implications for affected residents.

In turn, it led to a failure in governance, of the issue, by Council.

Even a brief memo to inform Council and the public that a contract was signed, and some possible scenarios, would have diffused a lot of the anger.

Though the contract with FDR was signed by staff under delegated authority, staff have a duty to communicate to Council about potential flashpoints with relatively major implications for residents, so we as Councillors can do our jobs properly.

The way this played out meant I was caught off guard with no information when the issue surfaced, and not knowing is a bad excuse when my responsibility as

part of Council is to oversee the organisation.

Poor information flow during the LRT project is exactly what led to one of the public inquiry’s recommendations, that staff must be forthcoming with Council so we can exercise proper governance over the organisation.

Although the general confusion has been answered for, many questions about the process and why no previous reminders were sent, remain. The issue has been so tainted, I’m not sure how much I can trust those answers.

Poor issues management leads to bad governance and does nothing but further erode the already fragile trust residents in Ottawa have in their municipal government.

What everyone needs to know about women and

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MacLeod speaks out about threats and harassment toward herself and other politicians

Nepean MPP Lisa MacLeod has spoken out against the threats and intimidation tactics she and other politicians have faced and continue to face while representing the public.

MacLeod opened up about the topic first on the X platform and shared some of the disturbing messages she has received in the past.

On March 15, she retweeted a post she received. The message to MacLeod was blunt. “Kill yourself. Vile c---.

MacLeod made a comment when sharing the tweet, saying “His parents must be so proud. A special skill most of us refuse to pass on to our offspring - how to make female politicians feel unsafe - is something their son has excelled

at. The mind marvels. @OttawaPolice @OPP_News.”

In the Ontario Legislature, she recently addressed the topic in a Member’s Statement, calling it “something that we don’t discuss often in the public but needs to be discussed here in this chamber, in chambers across Canada and in our city council chambers.”

In her statement, MacLeod referenced all levels of government and members of other parties.

“(Last month), when the mayor of Gatineau announced that she was going to resign her seat effective immediately, citing mental health issues and a death threat, it hit home to me,” MacLeod said, referencing former Gatineau Mayor France Bélisle. “It hit home

to me, because I have been here for 18 years, watching a variety of different protests occur at people’s homes, like at Sam Oosterhoff’s, at Kathleen Wynne’s, at Doug Ford’s, at Christine Elliott’s and of course, at Stephen Lecce’s. I have seen my colleagues see their constituency offices vandalized, like the member from Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock, Laurie Scott, or the leader of His Majesty’s loyal opposition, Marit Stiles.”

Earlier this month, Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe also had his office broken into and vandalized.

“I, too, have had my share of private security, legislative security and of course, OPP and Ottawa police protection, as someone was incarcerated not once but

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three times in her uttering of death threats against me. Of course, it came with a significant toll for my mental health,” MacLeod said.

When MacLeod was the Minister of Children, Community and Social Servies, a 41-year-old mother of a five-year-old autistic boy was charged with Criminal harassment, alleged to have occurred between Feb. 8 and March 1, 2019, that caused MacLeod “to reasonably fear for her safety,” according to court documents. The woman was also charged with uttering a threat to cause bodily harm, allegedly by email, on Feb. 26, 2019; uttering a threat to cause bodily harm, allegedly by email, on March 1, 2019; and uttering a threat to cause death, allegedly via a telephone message between Feb. 8 and March 4, 2019.

macleod continues on page 15

What everyone needs to know about women and heart disease.

Heart disease is under-studied, under-diagnosed and under-treated in women.

It is the number one killer of women over 35 worldwide, accounting for more deaths every year than all cancers combined.

Better understand how to prevent women’s heart disease and ways to develop a heart healthy lifestyle. We Welcome Men & Women of All Ages and All Cultures

Presenter Marion Martell, Women@Heart Program Ambassador, Canadian Women’s Heart Health Centre, University of Ottawa Heart Institute

Nepean MPP Lisa MacLeod says something needs to be done about the threats and harassment that today’s politicians face.

Funerals held for Barrhaven family killed in Berrigan home

By Charlie SenaCk

Weeks after six Sri Lankan natives were killed inside their Berrigan Drive home, various funerals have been held around Ottawa to remember their lives.

On March 16, more than 100 people gathered at St. Monica Catholic Parish on Merivale Rd, for an 11:00 a.m. mass held by the Ottawa Sri Lankan Catholic Prayer Group.

Photographs of the four children and two adults killed sat on red carpeted stairs next to the church’s altar. As a band played and the service began, roses were then placed next to the framed photos.

While the deceased were Buddhists and not Catholic, Barrhaven members of the Sri Lankan community felt it was important they honor the victims since the tragedy impacted everyone.

“We are here today to offer mass for the purpose of the innocent souls we lost in a senseless tragedy,” said event organizer Damithri Silva. “A lot of us didn’t know the families personally, but we didn’t need to for it to affect us. It affects us as humans, members of the Barrhaven community, (and) as Sri Lankans.”

The service lasted about an hour and was given in Tamil and Sinhalese, and English.

In his homily, Father Pierre Champoux said while Christ teaches Catholics to love life to the fullest, time is still needed to grieve.

“We can’t bypass this im-

portant part of life,” he said. “(But) we can complain less and be grateful more for life’s blessings. We can show love to one another. We can be more available for each other. We can get to know our neighbours and ask them how they are doing.”

The church service ended with an audio message from the family of 40-year-old Gamini Amarakoon, who was among the six killed. An acquaintance to the family, he was living in the Berrigan Drive home away from his wife, Dishani, and two daughters, Asheri and Kaylee, who are still in Sri Lanka.

“You were an amazing dad and we loved you a lot,” a young girl said. “Everyone misses you a lot and we hope you stay safe wherever you are and have a wonderful time. We will come to you when we can. Look over us and take care of us.”

Dishani thanked her partner for being an amazing father and husband.

“I still feel you will ring me anytime,” she said. “The wonderful time we spent together, the wonderful memories we collected together, will always be in our hearts.”

Uniting as a community

The following day on March 17, a funeral was held at the Infinity Convention Centre on Hunt Club near Uplands for the four children and their mother who were murdered in the senseless killings.

They were: 35-yearold Darshani Dilanthika

Ekanyake, two-month-old Kelly Wickramasinghe, 3-year-old Ranaya, 4-year-old Ashwini and 7-year-old Inuka Wickramasinghe.

Five hearses carrying five coffins were outside. Inside, hundreds gathered to pay their respects. Among those in attendance was father Dhanushka Wickramasinghe who made his first public appearance since leaving hospital. His hands were wrapped in bandages and bruises were visible on his face.

In a statement released through the police, Wickramasinghe said he was shaken and torn by the loss of his family.

“I would like to thank the Ottawa First Responders, Ottawa Police, Victim Services, Ottawa Hospitals for your quick response which helped me navigate through the initial shock and chaos that followed because of this tragedy,” he said. “I would also like to thank (the) Buddhist Congress of Canada, Ottawa Sri Lankan Community, and people of Sri Lanka for being a pillar of support during this unimaginably difficult time.”

Wickramasinghe also extended his “heartfelt gratitude” to the community who have donated to his family’s GoFundMe and placed flowers at various vigils through Barrhaven. His father and brother were at Sunday’s funeral.

More than 100 people attended the mass at St. Monica Catholic Church.

ticipated.

“We would like to express our deepest condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones,” said Vincenza Nicoletti, principal of Monsignor Paul Baxter School. “We will certainly miss their kindness.”

Nepean MPP Lisa MacLeod, local MP Chandra Arya, and Gary Anandasangaree minister of lndigenous-crown relations.

ever prepare a first responder, a police officer or paramedics. Our community is deeply grateful to you.”

Many wept as the service began. Teachers and staff from Monsignor Paul Baxter Elementary School where two of the children attended par-

Many politicians were in attendance including Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe,

“Your city is here with you. We will love and support you in the days ahead,” said Sutcliffe.”I want to express gratitude to the first responders that arrived on the scene. No amount of training could

Teddy bears, balloons, and notes left at vigils in Barrhaven for the victims have been moved to the Buddhist temple where the father worships. Six books of condolences were also available to sign at the service.

Manotick Art Association’s 2024 Inspirations Art Show April 19-21

The Manotick Art Association is thrilled to announce that its annual spring show and sale, “Inspirations”, will be back again this April 19-21. The show will take place at the Curling Club in Manotick, 5519 South River Drive, and will feature the works of 44 area artists. The show runs Friday, 6-9 PM; Saturday, 10-4:00; and Sun-

day, 10-4:00. Entry is free and there is plenty of parking, as well as an accessible entrance. This year we are also excited to announce that we will be working together with the Manotick BIA who will be hosting their Spring Fling on Saturday, April 20th. It should be a grand weekend in Manotick!

The show brings a breath

of fresh air into the community after a long winter through a feast of vibrant colours and images. Visitors can enjoy viewing landscapes, abstracts, florals, and wildlife painted in oils, watercolours, acrylics, pastel, batik, and wood. There are also several photographers showing their art. Many of the artists will be familiar to longtime patrons of Inspirations,

but we are excited to welcome several new and exciting artists to the line-up this year.

The show will also feature live music on two of the days. Scott Voelzing will entertain our guests on Friday evening. Saturday 1-3, will feature Chad Wolfe on fiddle and Sherryl Fitzpatrick on piano. As every year, we will also have door prizes that can

be won simply by filling out a ballot.

MAA has always taken pride in supporting charities through the proceeds of our spring show. This year we will be supporting The Manotick Food Cupboard. We will also be collecting cash donations at the door for this worthy charity.

Come out to the spring

show! We would love to see you and your family have an enjoyable time viewing artworks that are beautiful, inspiring, and family friendly. Art, in any of its forms, beautifies and enriches our world. The painting that you fall in love with can bring you peace and joy for many, many years.

Giedre Abromaitis

New fraud scam targeting local businesses and hotels Pathfinders holding rain barrel sale as fundraiser for Newfoundland trip

The Ottawa Police Service Fraud Unit is warning of a new fraud scheme targeting businesses and hotels in the Ottawa area.

The incidents reported all follow the same pattern: a fraudster, usually male, will call the business claiming to be the owner or manager stating that there is an urgent need to pay a bill related to the business. They then direct the employee to gather

funds from the register, safe or office and deposit it into a bitcoin machine or to Western Union.

In some instances the suspect was familiar with employee names and local business policies.

No government agency or legitimate business will ask you to purchase gift cards or bitcoin in order to settle an account.

If you have been a victim

of fraud, please make a report online with the Ottawa Police Service and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre by phone at 1-888-495-8501 (toll-free).

You can read more about scams and tips to protect yourself. You can also visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre for information on popular scams and the Toronto Police Service for tips on how to protect yourself from scams.

War Amps 2024 key tags

Barrhaven residents can expect to receive their 2024 War Amps key tags in the mail starting this week. Each key tag has a confidentially coded number. If you lose your keys, the finder can call the toll-free number on the back of the tag or place them in any mailbox, and The War Amps will return them to you by courier, free of charge. The War Amps receives no government grants. With the public’s support of the Key Tag Service, the Association is making a differ-

ence in the lives of amputees, including children, by providing financial assistance for the cost of artificial limbs, peer support and information on all

aspects of living with amputation. Those who do not receive their key tags in the mail can order them at waramps.ca or call toll-free 1 800 250-3030.

The Nepean Pathfinders are holding a rain barrel sale as a fundraiser for their 2024 trip to Newfoundland.

The rain barrels will cost $65, which is 75 per cent off the retail price.

Rain barrels typically include a leaf and mosquito filter, spigot, and overflow hose.

Also available are $35

Downspout Diverters, which redirect water to one or more rain barrels, pools or hot tubs. They prevent excessive overflow and simplify the winterization process.

There are also $10 Flexible Downspout Pipes that easily connect downspouts to rain barrels.

Rain Barrel Stands can be purchased for $30. They ele-

vate rain barrels to improve watering and can access and increase water flow.

Order online by April 26th (pick up date May 3rd) at https://rainbarrel. ca/61stnewfoundland/ for guaranteed availability.

Rain Barrel Pick Up Details: Friday May 3rd | 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM, 32 Gary Ave, Nepean, ON K2G 3L2.

CLUES ACROSS

1. Database management system

5. Medical procedures

11. __ Clapton, musician

12. Defender

16. Exert oneself

17. Indicates position

18. Quay

19. Atrocities

24. A way to address an adult man

25. Ends

26. Unable

27. Taxi

28. Gratuities

29. A famous train station

30. Japanese persimmon

31. Sours

33. Beneficiary

34. Baseball official

38. Confused situation

39. Unworldly

40. Yemen capital

43. Type of soil

44. Beloved beverage __-Cola

45. Lying down

49. __ Angeles

50. Fail to amuse

51. Collapsible shelter

53. Commercial

54. Taste property

56. Lordship’s jurisdictions

58. It cools your home

59. Dismounted

60. Charge in a court of law

63. One less than one

64. Spoke

65. Famed garden

CLUES DOWN

1. Show a picture of

2. Small sultanate

3. Unfortunate incident

4. A way to ski

5. Abba __, Israeli politician

6. Observed

7. “Westworld” actor Harris

8. Belonging to me

9. Shoelace tube

10. Takes to civil court

13. Early multimedia

14. Produces anew

15. Horse races

20. Of I

21. Equally

22. Changes color

23. A place to stay

27. Town in Galilee

29. Mathematical figure

30. Klingon character

31. They __

32. Atomic #58

33. Showed up extinct

34. Loosen grip

35. Unpleasant smell

36. Innermost membranes enveloping the brain

37. Esteemed college “league”

38. Partner to Pa

40. Small American rail

41. A salt or ester of acetic acid

42. Sodium

44. Military figure (abbr.)

45. Lighted

46. Paid to get out of jail

47. All of something

48. Ohio city

50. More abject

51. A radio band

52. Scientific development (abbr.)

54. Monetary unit

55. Scored perfectly

57. A punch to end a fight

61. The Golden State (abbr.)

62. The Beehive State (abbr.)

East Nepean Eagles to host Senior League Canadian Championships

“Play Ball” will be loudly ringing this summer in Ottawa, as the top 15- and 16-year-old Little League baseball players head back to Ottawa for the 2024 Senior League Canadian Championship, to be hosted by East Nepean Little League.

The Senior League Canadian Championship will see teams from across the country arrive for a 10-day Championship to compete for the privilege to represent Canada at the Senior League World Series in Easley, South Carolina. Teams representing British Columbia, Alberta, The Prairies, Ontario, Quebec,

and The Atlantic are expected to arrive July 10th, with game play starting on July 12th, and the Championship game schedule for July 21st.

East Nepean Little League has been proud to host several District, Provincial and Canadian championships and is recognized for putting on a top-quality event. East Nepean Little League President Bruce Campbell recognizes the importance of these events to players, coaches, and families.

“The Senior League Canadian Championship is unique. For many of these players at this level this will

be their last year of Little League play before they move on to different programs or post secondary programs. Players, Coaches and Families, want to go out with a Championship. This tournament is potentially the last opportunity for a 15 or 16-year-old player to get one step closer to living out the dream of representing Canada at the Senior World Series,” Campbell said.

Campbell continues, “The Senior League Canadian Championship is a great way to showcase the talent of these amazing young athletes, while showcasing all

that the Nepean area and the City of Ottawa have to offer. While the highlight of the Championship is the baseball games, many of the teams will visit local attractions and restaurants and learn more about what the City of Ottawa has to offer. All of

these experiences we hope will bring families back for future trips and vacations to our area.”

East Nepean Little League, a fixture in the Ottawa sports community for over 65 years knows that community and its volunteers drive success both on and off the field. Campbell acknowledges, “Our league is built from our volunteers. Without our volunteers there is no East Nepean, and we would not be able to host these Championships. These Championships give us an opportunity to highlight the passion and commitment our

dedicated volunteers have. As a league, we could not be prouder.”

With just under five months until opening pitch, teams from across Canada and East Nepean Little League are already hard at work for this years Championship.

See you in July at Hamilton Yards Nepean Sportsplex Woodroffe Ave.

For inquiries about this event including sponsorship opportunities please contact ENLL VP Support/ Championship Host Chair Stephanie Elyea at support@eastnepeanbaseball.ca.

Jock River Race moves date to April 6 due to early spring

The Jock River Race has moved its date up two weeks. The race, originally scheduled for April 20, will now take place Saturday April 6. Registration for the 53-year-old race is open.

The 12.5km race through the Richmond Fen is one of the area’s great springtime adventures.

All paddlers including canoes, kayaks, SUPs, voyageur boats and others are welcome to race.

Whether you’re a seasoned marathoner or just want to try it out this race is for you. Racing experience is not required, simply a desire to join a fun event and to get an early put-in on the water.

The start area for this 12.5 km (7.8 mile) section of the Jock River is on the Munster Rd. about 2 km south of the Franktown Rd.

A few minutes downstream there is a shallow rapid followed shortly by an easy chute of fast water. Open fields and the occasional farmhouse mark the next few kms before several sharp bends signal the beginning of the “Richmond Fen”, an interesting and rather eerie wetland. The first appearance of the railway marks the end of the fen, and the river widens considerably.

Shortly after passing the Trans-Canada Pipeline a long Class I rapid awakens your adrenaline. The church spires of Richmond now come into view, followed by another long set of class I rapids which require some maneuvering to avoid rocks. From the end of these rapids the orange buoy marking the finish line at the Jock River Park is a welcome sight.

The Jock River Race saw its beginning in 1971 as a whitewater race on the lower Jock River near Manotick. Starting the first year with modest participation, the race quickly grew into one of the more popular races in

the province of Ontario. In the year 2000, the race had moved to its current location on the calmer waters of the upper Jock.

In recent years, the number of entries has hovered around 130 canoes and kayaks with

over 200 paddlers taking part! The majority of entries fall into the recreational boat category with a few competitive racing C1s and C2s known to start their season off on the Jock River. Also included are Parent/Child

and Family categories to encourage participation of younger racers to help the sport grow within the next generation of paddlers.

For more information or to register, visit jockriverrace.com.

macleod continues from page 9

MacLeod penned an oped column for the political website, iPolitics, to address the issue of safety for politicians. In it, she is calling for a national conversation, where topics like misogyny in politics, radicalization in politics and international influence in politics as it pertains to the safety and security of everyone, from a municipal councillor to a staffer that’s at the front lines, to a federal parliamentarian, would be discussed.

“Safety in our politics has reached a tipping point,” MacLeod wrote. “Too many who hold office are now focussed on the safety of our families and staff because of the threats we receive.

MacLeod pointed out that the youngest person ever elected to Ontario’s Legis-

lature, Sam Oosterhoff, was protested at his home for his Christian beliefs., Kathleen Wynne, who was Ontario’s first female and LGBTQ+ Premier, was the subject of a demonstration by Black Lives Matter, again at her home. MacLeod wrote that it also happened to Christine Elliott, Stephen Lecce and Premier Doug Ford whose family, and neighbours, feared for their safety. Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles had her constituency office vandalized, as did Haliburton-Kawartha LakesBrock Conservative MPP Laurie Scott.

It was also recently revealed that revealed both Melissa Lantsman, the deputy Leader of the federal Conservative Party and Jagmeet Singh, leader of the federal New Democrats, were both

under police protection for threats which were deemed dangerous enough to warrant it.

“This rise in unsafe protests and physical threats is an alarming trend designed to intimidate and silence voices elected to speak on our behalf,” MacLeod wrote. “The threats, vandalism and harassment at politicians’ homes is a serious matter, one that needs to be addressed now before someone is injured or worse.

According to MacLeod, the days of being able to freely stand up and voice an opinion as a politician without fear of physical harm are gone.

“It used to be that the way to share your disagreement with a politician was to write a letter to them, or the Editor,

engage in peaceful protest outside of their office and use your ballot every four years,” stated MacLeod. “That was a bygone era.

“Unfortunately, I am far too aware that too many choose the more violent options experienced by my colleagues.”

MacLeod said she was once called “The Lioness of the Legislature,” but after everything she has experienced, she became a terrified turtle.

“Having been on the receiving end of death threats, online harassment, office vandalism and a visit to my family home by those who disagreed with me, police protection and enhanced legislative security was a reality for me for months,” MacLeod

wrote. “As was a criminal trial for a person who was incarcerated multiple times and two serious mental health crises’ that were exacerbated by the trauma of it all. I have the scars, medication and doctors’ appointments to prove it.”

MacLeod added that in order to tackle the issue, all politicians from various levels of government and from all sides of the political spectrum must come together and work on a solution.

“Politicians of all stripes are affected, and politicians of all stripes must be part of the solution. I offer this, without hesitation when threats, intimidation, or harassment, including illegal protests on private property occur, condemnation from party lead-

ers is swift and unifying,” MacLeod wrote. “Only when there is agreement from right to left that suppressing elected voices by threat is offside will those who cross the line know that their actions won’t be tolerated.”

She concluded by saying that the threats and harassment, which are very visible for all to see on platforms like X, are preventing good and qualified people to run for an elected position.

“It’s always been a challenge getting good people to run for office, but as Madame Belisle showed us this week, threatening a politician’s life has tremendous consequences,” MacLeod wrote. “We can either collectively deal with it now or live to regret it.”