Barrhaven Independent March 3, 2023

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The St. Joseph Jaguars battled the Ashbury Colts in Barrhaven last Wednesday in the National Capital Secondary School Athletics Association senior boys basketball playoffs. A fourth quarter comeback fell short as the Jags were upset 68-63 by the visitors. For the full high school sports rundown, see page 14.

Lyne and Dave

‘Let us hope this first year of war is the last

By Barrhaven Independent Staff

It has been an emotional week for Khrystyna. She lives in fear, looking over her shoulder. Her heart is at home, in the Ukraine, where her husband and brothers are fighting. She prays every day, asking God that they can stay alive.

She is afraid. She was hesitant to talk to the Barrhaven Independent. She doesn’t want her name on social media, fearing that it might put a target on the backs of her husband and brothers. She agreed to talk but only on the condition that we not publish her last name.

“I can’t help but think that there are Russians in the community sending information home about Ukrainians that are here,” she said. “I don’t want to put targets on their backs. I don’t want to put targets on the backs of my children, myself,

and my cousins in Canada that I am staying with.”

Khrystyna and her family are from the city of Kharkiv, a city of about 1.5 million people located about 40 kilometres from the Russian border. Kharkiv was one of the first cities attacked by Russia a year ago. She was able to escape the city with her children. They made it to the capital city of Kyiv, and from there went to Poland. Their final destination was Canada, which has the second largest Ukrainian diaspora in the world after Russia.

They flew to Montreal, where their cousins drove to pick them up. Although Khrystyna is thankful for being safe in the suburbs south of Ottawa, she has not had a chance to enjoy it.

WAR continues on page 3

Governor General Mary Simon spoke at the downtown flashmob in support of Ukraine Monday, Feb. 20. Twi T T e r phoTo/@GGCanada

war continues from page 2

“Sure, it’s nice here and I am very thankful to be here, and everyone here has been very nice and have given us clothing and toys for the children, but all I can think about is home,” she said. “Our city is gone. It was flattened by bombs and missiles. It feels like all of my beautiful memories of home have been replaced by my last memories of destroyed buildings and of friends who were killed and by the smell of the bombs and the dust. I don’t know if that will ever go away.”

On March 6 of last year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a declaration to give Kharkiv the status of Hero City for its strength and resilience during the war.

The Russians advanced to Kharkiv Feb. 24, 2022. The Battle of Kharkiv, as it is now known, last until mid-May, when all Russians forces withdrew and retreated toward the Russian border. The battle has been referred to by the Ukrainian government as the “Stalingrad of the 21st Century.”

Khrystyna said she is proud of the people of her city and her country for standing up to the invasion, but worries about the heroes who will survive.

“I have PTSD,” she said. “All of us who lived through the invasion, in every Ukrainian city, have PTSD. I want the fighting to end and I want my husband and my brothers to come here and start a new

life. I miss our home, but our home is gone. I want my children to know their father and uncles as brave Ukrainian heroes. But I worry that they will come here as different people with their lives destroyed. I am mentally broken. I can’t imagine how mentally broken they will be if we are lucky enough to be reunited with them.”

Supporting Ukraine

Hundreds of Ukrainian Canadians and Ukrainians who escaped to Canada within the past year were part of the crowd that packed the Flora footbridge over the Rideau Canal last week to mark the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Governor General Mary

Simon, a former Barrhaven resident, was there with Canada’s Ukrainian Ambassador Yuliya Kovaliv for what was called a Stand for Ukraine flashmob.

“We are gathered here today to mark a day we hoped would never happen,” said the Governor General as she addressed the gathering. “We have also seen the strength of humanity. Brave and resilient Ukrainians willing to fight for their freedom, and the freedom of our world. Citizens standing firm and pushing back against their aggressors. People from many nations offering help in the name of democracy.”

Simon acknowledged the large Ukrainian population in Canada and emphasized the support that

Canada has had and will continue to have for the war-torn nation.

“The Ukrainian community of Canada, one of the largest Ukrainian diaspora populations in the world, has been steadfast in raising support for their families and friends in the heart of great danger,” she said. “As the attacks continue, the humanitarian crisis deepens. We need to take every opportunity to support Ukraine. We need to help people find safety, and moments of normalcy amidst the chaos. We need to support Ukrainians as they rebuild their country, even as they fight for their country’s future.

“We must face this crisis together across borders. My thoughts go out to the

Ukrainian people, to the child whose only wish is to go back to school, to the soldiers who only want to be reunited with their families, to the teachers, nurses and community leaders who are trying to maintain a sense of normalcy when everything is all but normal.

“From the first day and all the devastating days since, Canada has stood firmly alongside the Ukrainian people, and we will keep doing so. As we approach one year of Russia’s continued attacks, let us all hope for lasting peace, for families brought back together, for the rebuilding of homes and livelihoods. Let us hope that this first year of war is the last.”

Barrhaven Independent a finalist for three provincial newspaper awards

The Barrhaven Independent has been named a finalist for three provincial awards by the Ontario Community Newspaper Association.

The OCNA announced the three finalists in more than 40 categories for their annual provincial awards. Material published between Sept. 2021 and Sept. 2022 was eligible for the awards.

A feature story on the connection between the former farmlands where Barrhaven now stands, the villages of Manotick and Osgoode and famed gangster Al Capone that was written in October, 2021 is a finalist for the best heritage story in the province. The story, written by Jeff Morris, came to fruition after the demolition of the old Manotick Tea Room. The building’s owner, Chris Napior, provided information on some of the findings below the old Tea Room after its destruction. Not only did Capone have ties to Manotick and a secret distillery in the woods near Manotick Station, but J. Edgar Hoover also developed ties to the Village of Osgoode during his travels to catch the famed mobster.

During prohibition in the United States approximately a century ago, several local distilleries produced whiskey that ended up being controlled by Capone’s men. Morris followed the trail of the production of the whiskey from crops grown locally which were trans-

ported to the distillery, to its production and transport by rail to his hometown of Prescott, where it was then shuttled on midnight runs across the St. Lawrence to Ogdensburg. From there, much of the whiskey was shipped by rail to Detroit and Chicago.

The story also took an unusual turn as the old Tea Room was often frequented by world famous drummer Gene Krupa, a relative of longtime Manotick Tea Room owners Peter and Tess Krupa. In addition to being the Rat Pack’s drummer and considered the best drummer in the world in the 1940s and 1950s, Krupa developed the standard drum set used by almost all drummers, and privately taught many of the world’s most famous drummers, including Peter Criss of KISS.

The story is up against pieces written by Ashely Kulp of the Carleton Place/ Almonte Canadian Gazette and Cory Bilyea of the Wingham Advance Times.

“That story was a fun and interesting piece to research and write,” Morris said. “Every time we went down a path, it would take a different twist and turn. There are a lot of small towns in Eastern Ontario with ties to Al Capone’s bootleg whiskey empire, but following the trail to Ogdensburg really tied the story together. But after that, who could have imagined that J. Edgar Hoover would end up having inlaws in Osgoode,

or that the best drummer in the world would have musical equipment parked in the basement of the Manotick Tea Room so that he wouldn’t have to drag it back and forth across the border when he came to Canada?”

Morris is also a finalist as the top feature writer in the province for the story. Other finalists for the award are Diane Johnston of the New Liskeard Temiskaming Speaker and Don Rickers, Carolyn Mullin and Dave Burket of the Voice of Pelham.

The Independent is up for one other award. Morris is a finalist for the Ontario Columnist of the Year Award for his From the Other Side column. It marks the 14th time since the column made its debut in 2004 that Morris has been in the top three for either the Columnist or Humour Columnist of the Year award for From the Other Side, which regularly appears on page 6 in the Barrhaven Independent.

Other finalists for the award Jim Poling of the Minden Times and Laurie Weir of the Perth Courier.

Former Barrhaven Independent editor Nevil Hunt of Ottawa Community Voice Kanata South, is also a finalist for multiple awards.

He is a finalist for best Environment story, best News Story (with Blair Edwards), and best Feature Photo.

Another Barrhaven In-

dependent alumni up for awards is Mark Newman of Hamilton Mountain News. He is a finalist for best Arts and Entertainment story, best Feature/News Series, and he earned honourable mention for best Business

and Finance Story.

David Shanahan of the North Grenville Times is a finalist for Best Feature/ News Series, while Jennifer Westendorp of the Kemptville Advance earned honourable mention in the same

category. Judges for the awards are veteran journalists from around the country. Winners for each category will be announced by the OCNA in the spring in a virtual ceremony.

Ontario tops up gas tax fund to provide more money for transit

The Ontario government is providing more money to support the expansion and improvement of public transit services in Ottawa. The funding is part of the province’s gas tax program which will allocate more than $379.5 million to help 107 municipalities operate and improve local transit. The funding for Ottawa is $37,804,511.

Funding for the gas tax program is determined by the number of litres of gasoline sold in the province during the previous year. Municipalities that support public transit services in their community receive two cents per litre of provincial gas tax revenue collected.

To make up for reduced gas sales due to ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s gas tax program includes supplemental funding of $80 million to help ensure municipalities can continue to support their transit systems.

“Public transit is a key driver of economic growth in Ontario, helping people get to where they need to go, whether it is to work, school,

or run errands,” said Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Transportation. “As more people return to public transit, our government is providing municipalities with the funding they need to accommodate growing ridership, while ensuring they can continue to deliver safe and reliable transit service for people in their communities.”

Gas tax funding can be used to extend service hours, buy transit vehicles, add routes, improve accessibility or upgrade local infrastructure.

“Our government is supporting the City of Ottawa with nearly $38 million of funding to improve bus transit by adding more routes or extending services,” said Dr. Merrilee Fullerton, MPP for Kanata-Carleton. “Given the tremendous growth in the west end of our City, I will be connecting with our local city councillors to draw their attention to this significant financial support and to ask that they do what they can to improve bus transit services to Kanata residents and businesses.”

For Carleton MPP Goldie Ghamari, transit is a big issue. Her riding borders Barrhaven and includes Riverside South, a community built on the blueprint of public transit.

“Many of our suburban and rural residents in Ottawa are returning to their workplaces in person after nearly

three years of working from home,” MPP Ghamari said. “This investment in public transit made by our government will help ensure that workers, students and all residents have access to an improved system serving all parts of Ottawa.”

The 2022-23 gas tax program will support public

transit in 144 communities in 107 municipalities across the province, representing more than 92 per cent of all Ontarians.

The provincial and federal governments are providing up to $2.65 billion through the Safe Restart Agreement to support municipal transit systems in response to

COVID-19. Ontario is developing regional plans that will help build a better transportation system across the province. The province has released four draft regional transportation plans for Northern Ontario, southwestern Ontario, the Greater Golden Horseshoe and eastern Ontario.

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INDEPENDENT EDITorIal

Rents are out of control, but let’s not blame ‘the market’ for our woes

A new report from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) shows that rents are skyrocketing in many, if not most, Canadian cities. No surprise there. But this year’s annual report also documents, for the first time, rent increases in vacant units. It shows rents going up by an average of 18 per cent between tenancies. In some cities, average increases are close to 30 per cent.

So who is to blame for these whopping rent increases?

Between 10 per cent and 35 per cent of rental units in urban areas become vacant every year. This means that within just a few years, rent for large shares of units increases well above wages, gradually making entire cities unaffordable to working families.

Worst of all, the absence of rent controls in vacant units encourages evictions.

Landlords have no financial incentive to keep long-term tenants. On the contrary, they have an incentive to push them out.

There are also the notorious renovictions. Some landlords kick out tenants on a false pretense, only to give the place a fresh coat of paint and put it back on the market at a higher rent.

With so much talk these days about inflation, high gas prices, and grocery bills going through the roof, average rent hikes of 18 per cent should instantly make splashy national news. But they didn’t.

They didn’t because no one, apparently, is ever responsible for soaring rent prices. In Canada, when rents go up, we blame “the market.”

The CMHC report is a case in point. It explains that, with the end of pandemic restrictions, youth can again find jobs and move out on their own. Immigration numbers are picking up, increasing demand for rentals. And with high interest rates, prospective first-time homebuyers are deciding to rent for longer. Although a lot of new rental units entered the market in recent years, demand has outpaced supply, the report explains.

This analysis is not incorrect. But it is only part of the story – the one most often told.

The other part of the story is about choices.

Canadians don’t have to be held hostage by market forces. Governments have many ways to protect families’ basic need for housing – if they so choose.

In Ontario, B.C., Manitoba, and P.E.I., occupied units are protected by rent controls that curb excess profit while allowing rents to keep up with inflation.

Only P.E.I. and Manitoba have controls on vacant units. They used to be more common, but most provinces have lifted them, allowing the few landlords to charge more from the many tenants.

So let’s not blame “the market” for our woes. Landlords choose to hike rents to increase profits, and our governments choose to let them.

Ricardo Tranjan is a political economist with the Ontario office of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and author of the book The Tenant Class. © Troy Media

BARRHAVEN

5567

Advertising and Marketing: garyhcoulombe@gmail.com

Website: www.manotickmessenger.ca

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

Whatever happened to nicknames?

I doubt that I am the only one who spent some time over the various lockdowns and quarantines of the past three years working on the man cave. A box of autographed photos were fit for some frames ordered from Michael’s, and suddenly my blank walls were turned into a sports museum.

“Who’s that?” he asked, almost in disbelief that the pudgy old guy standing there could be a Montreal Canadiens goalie.

“That’s Gump Worsley,” I said. “He was one of the last goalies to ever play in the NHL and not wear a mask.”

“His name was Gump?”

“Yeah, but that was his nickname,” I explained. “When he was a kid his friends teased him because he looked like this cartoon character named Andy Gump. The nickname stuck with him.”

And then it struck me.

What has happened to nicknames? I remember my dad telling me about the old days at Prescott High School in the 1950s. His buddies had names like Grunt and Stink and Monk and Shorty and Worm. Everyone had a nickname back then.

I thought of this as I continued to flip through the special box of autographed photos and special trading cards of some of history’s greats.

“This is an autographed photo of Bobby Hull,” I told him. “He was one of the greatest players ever and his nickname was the ‘Golden Jet’. And then this next one is an autographed photo of Brett Hull. That’s his son. They are the only father and son to each score 500 goals in the NHL. Brett Hull’s nickname was the ‘Golden Brett’.”

Of course, in today’s world of remedial hockey nicknames, both players would be “Hullsie.”

Lame.

We kept going through the box. There was an autographed photo personalized by Glenn Hall. He was “Mr. Goalie.”

There were two different ones of Gordie Howe. He was “Mr. Hockey.”

And the next was Bernie “Boom Boom” Geoffrion. He earned that nickname back in the 1950s and 60s because he made the slapshot mainstream in the NHL. Then there was Tony Esposito, who was known as “Tony O” because he got so many shutouts. Frank Mahovlich was “The Big M.” Then it was Marcel “The Little Beaver” Dionne, and of course, Maurice “Rocket” Richard and his little brother, Henri, who was known as the “Pocket Rocket.”

We came across some Montreal Expos items.

Andre Dawson was the “Hawk”. His best friend, Tim Raines, was the “Rock”. Gary Carter was “the Kid”. I vividly remember the day the personalized, autographed black and white postcard in the box of The Kid arrived in the mail. I was an 11-year-old catcher, and I had written a letter to Carter. He

was a young star just breaking into the Major Leagues. One of the most popular Expos of all-time was “Le Grand Orange,” Rusty Staub.

Baseball has always had great nicknames. I showed him photos of “Babe” Ruth, “Shoeless Joe” Jackson, the “Georgia Peach” Ty Cobb and the “Iron Horse,” Lou Gehrig. Ted Williams was the “Splendid Splinter”. The Yankees had the “Scooter”, Phil Rizzutto, who played with Whitey Ford and Joltin’ Joe DiMaggio, who was also the “Yankee Clipper”. Their catcher may have had the best nickname, Lawrence Peter “Yogi” Berra.

During my childhood, some of the great stars also had great nicknames. Who didn’t love Mark “The Bird” Fidrych, who used to talk to the baseball and get down on his hands and knees to groom the mound? Pete Rose was “Charlie Hustle”. Bill Lee was the “Spaceman”. Some of the greats were at the ends of their careers at that time, but I still got to see the “Say Hey Kid,” Willie Mays, and “Hammerin’ Hank” Aaron.

In the 1990s, the nicknames were still there. “The Big Unit” was Randy Johnson, “The Big Hurt” was Frank Thomas, Ivan Rodriguez was “Pudge”, and Alex Rodriguez, known as “A-Rod” started a new nickname trend. If you are a Blue Jays fan, you will surely remember the “Crime Dog,” Fred McGriff, and more recently, “Joey Bats” (Jose Bautista) and “Bringer of Rain” (Josh Donaldson).

Even today, Pete Alonso is “The Polar Bear” and Shohei Ohtani is “Show Time.” I have some Aaron Judge memorabilia with phrases like “All Rise” and Here Comes the Judge,” but he pointed out to me that Judge doesn’t see to have a nickname.

We like to watch Raptors games. Basketball seems to have no nicknames at all. Over the last generation we have simply known the stars as LeBron, Kobe, Shaq and Kawai. Was Earvin “Magic” Johnson the last great basketball nickname?

My favourite football nickname is a good one. It’s not “Crazy Legs” Hirsch or Johnny “The Ordinary Superstar” Rodgers or Raghib “Rocket” Ismail. It’s a running back who played for the Las Vegas Outlaws in the XFL in 2001. In that league, players were allowed to put nicknames on the backs of their jerseys. Rod Smart became a household name with the monicker “He Hate Me.”

As I thought about how I should add his autographed photo to my wall, it hit me.

All this time, I thought the problems with the Millennial Generation had to do with entitlement, being soft, and the inability to write their own signature, do math without a calculator or how to find a book in a library, and they don’t get my Seinfeld references.

But it’s way more simple than that.

The problem with Millennials is that they don’t have nicknames for each other.

Op-Ed: Canada desperately needs ‘real’ discount grocery stores

Our current so-called discount food stores are controlled by the usual Canadian suspects

By Sylvain CharleBoiS

This may come as a surprise to some Canadians, but our country doesn’t really have a real discount grocery chain. With higher food prices and a growing number of consumers seeking refuge from record-setting food inflation at the grocery store, real discount grocery stores would really come in handy. But the option is simply not there.

Rebates have grown scarce in recent years as No Frills and other value grocers such as Empire’s FreshCo and Metro’s Food Basics took a noticeable step back from their ongoing fight with Walmart. Quebec is in even worse shape: shoppers can find Metro’s Super C or Maxi, owned and operated by Loblaw. Sobeys doesn’t even operate a discount

chain in Quebec. All banners and stores are connected to just a handful of grocers controlling the Canadian market.

Now Walmart is doing its own thing with price locks, and Loblaw just ended its 14-week price freeze, which failed to show beyond a reasonable doubt that consumers were indeed saving money. While consumers likely saved some money in January, after a few months of double-digit food inflation, it was not clear to many.

Rebates are just not as overly aggressive as what you would see in Europeanbased discount stores. Every now and then, some impending threat will shake our industry’s giants, and they try to fight for market share. But as soon as the danger passes, some sort of truce over-

whelms the market. This is what happened when Target came and quickly went in 2015, and with Amazon Fresh a few years ago when rumours were swirling that they would attempt to enter the Canadian market.

For years, reports have suggested that both Lidl and Aldi would enter the Canadian market. We’re still waiting. But Lidl, a German international discount retailer chain, opened its first store in the United States in 2017 and now operates almost 200 stores. Aldi, another German company, now has over 2,300 stores in the United States. Both have similar business models, centring all of their efforts on discounts, plain and simple. With both, what you see is what you get, although Aldi does own Trader Joe’s in the U.S.

Unlike traditional grocery stores, both Lidl and Aldi operate on a restricted selection strategy, offering only a curated selection of private-label products and a smaller range of national brands. Lidl may have more branded products, depending on location. This leads to lower overhead costs and allows stores to sell products at lower prices when compared to competitors. Moreover, these discount grocers implement costsaving measures such as a bring-your-own-bag policy, an incredibly minimalistic store design, and an efficient checkout process. In fact, in Europe, where Aldi and Lidl originate, clerks typically sit down while working at these discount grocery stores as most of the bagging work is done by customers themselves.

Lidl and Aldi’s strategies benefit the consumer with lower prices and contribute to a more sustainable and efficient retail environment. Some no-frills stores, such as No Frills, do some of that but not nearly at the same level. Lidl and Aldi are also known for their emphasis on quality: their products must meet strict quality standards while still being affordable.

In recent years, non-traditional grocers like Costco, Dollarama, Giant Tiger and Walmart have slowly shifted and tried to fill the discounting void we have in Canada. Costco stands out. Only 15 years ago, Costco was a mediocre food retailer, at best. Today, it processes many of its fresh products onsite, while the quality and freshness rarely disappoint. Deals are impressive, but shoppers need both a car and

the space at home.

The bottom line is this. Canada needs a disruptor, a new player that will redefine competition in the grocery industry. Loblaw just converted more than a dozen stores into discount Maxi stores in Quebec simply because the company sees the writing on the proverbial wall. Grocers, coupled with the complacency of our regulators, have gotten comfortable Perhaps too comfortable.

One can only hope that either Aldi, Lidl or another non-Canadian discount grocer reads this column. Canadians are calling you.

Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is senior director of the agrifood analytics lab and a professor in food distribution and policy at Dalhousie University.

© Troy Media

Log Farm sugarbush season runs from March 4 to April 2

It’s the sweetest time of the year at the Log Farm, as their annual sugarbush season begins Sat., March 4.

This once a year Canadian tradition doesn’t last long as winter gently eases into spring. Take a wagon ride out to the sugarbush to see how maple syrup is made. Then take a walk through the trails of the sugar maples and taste some sweet taffy on the snow. Taffy can be purchased in the sugarbush.

At the log farm, they only use pails on their trees, all their sap is collected by hand. They offer a special hands-on experience for guests. You and your family can help gather the sap around the sugarbush. The kids love running from tree to tree looking for a pail with some sap in it! Please remember that the sap flow is completely weather dependent, five degrees and sunny are the best days to collect. If it is too cold the sap will not be running.

When you visit during the sugarbush season you will also have access to the main farmyard, where you can visit with all the farm animals. The Log Farm has lots of friendly animals to see, feed and touch around the farm. Along with play areas for the kid’s, including hay structures and sensory tables. The pioneer farmhouse will be open for self-guided tours, where you will step back in time and see what family life would have been like in

the 1860s. Make sure to dress for the weather and plan to be there for a few hours, giving you the time you need to enjoy it all.

Don’t forget to stop by the gift shop, it’s the log building at entrance to the farm. They have delicious maple syrup, treats and hot chocolate for sale inside.

Braid calls

The Editor,

It’s always amusing to read the latest ravings from Canada’s right wing on the pages of the Independent, but last issue’s Op Ed suggesting that “private health insurance would ease Canadians suffering” was so

op-ed column on private health care ‘laughable’

silly it’s laughable. The author makes a spirited argument in favour of allowing private medical insurance so that the wealthy could buy faster access, thereby taking pressure off of the public system--or so the story goes. The author goes

on to breathlessly inform us that, “currently, only four provinces allow such plans to exist: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador.” Okay, so if the theory has any merit, then those provinces must have

the shortest wait times, correct?

Well, not quite. According to the Fraser Institute, it seems that Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are second and third in Canada for longest wait times at 58.2 and 43.3 weeks respect-

ively. Newfoundland and Saskatchewan are doing marginally better at 32.1 and 30.1, but they are all getting thoroughly trounced by the Province of Ontario, which boasts the shortest wait times in Canada at just 20.3 weeks.

Common sense and logic would seem to suggest that the salvation of our healthcare system does not lie in adopting the policies of jurisdictions delivering poorer outcomes than we’re already experiencing.

Andy Braid

The Log Farm’s sugarbush season is the sweetest time of the year.

Sutcliffe says police, transit, infrastructure are priorities for Barrhaven

By Barrhaven Independent Staff

Ottawa’s new Mayor Mark Sutcliffe is still settling into his new office at city hall. The longtime broadcaster, journalist, and business owner was elected into municipal office with a narrow majority this fall.

It’s a big change for Ottawa which was under the helm of Jim Watson for 12 consecutive years, the city’s longest serving mayor who also sat in the chair from 1997 to 2000.

As a journalist, Sutcliffe prided himself on having an unbiased approach to interviews and was well liked by politicians from all backgrounds. He never considered entering the city’s political landscape until this spring when the city’s top position was left open.

“I had been approached about running for office before but I always enjoyed what I was doing and it wasn’t the right time for me and my family,” Sutcliffe told the Barrhaven Independent this summer. “I didn’t expect that would be the case this year either, but the more I talked to people, they were concerned about the lack of a strong, sensible, centrist candidate in the race; somebody who

could bring people together and be the Mayor for all of Ottawa.”

Now in the job, Sutcliffe said he’s looking to unite city council which for years has been divided. In the few months since the new council was sworn into office, disagreements have rarely become personal, says many sitting councillors.

Sutcliffe said he expects there will be a lot of new changes and sees that as a good thing. His personal priorities are to expand light rail transit, improve bus service in suburban communities, strengthen police presence, and invest more in roads and infrastructure.

“Ottawa is a very big city geographically and the reality is that we don’t have enough police officers on the road sometimes,” he said. “It’s a big city with a growing population and we are not going to protect and keep Ottawa safe if we don’t increase the number of resources we have in the police service over the coming years.”

To better police resources in the downtown core, Sutcliffe wants to see a police response center built in the ByWard Market.

On the transit front Sutcliffe said he wants to

see better and more regular bus routes in place which can take commuters where they want to go in a fast and timely fashion. He said it’s a big project which will take time to solve.

“Barrhaven residents have told me about how they were trying to get to Carleton University and how it’s not easy to do; it takes a long time,” Sutcliffe said. “There are people who live in Barrhaven and work in Kanata and it’s not easy to get from one to the other. There may be different approaches we can take for routing so we can take people where they want to go in this post-pandemic world.”

Sutcliffe would also like to see further expansions of the city’s light rail transit system, including to Barrhaven, Kanata and Stittsville.

The phase 3 extension from Algonquin College to Marketplace Station is expected to cost $3 billion, a price tag that would almost undoubtedly go up by the time a contract is signed. Given current timelines, it could be another five years before any paperwork is signed.

Ottawa’s new mayor also pledges to fix the local roads which are showing

their wear.

“We have two of the worst ten roads in Ontario according to the annual report that comes out from the CAA. I’ve committed to investing in roads going forward,” Sutcliffe said. “We have an existing budget to do that but we will increase that budget because it’s just not safe for cyclists and cars and pedestrians.”

In the final weeks of the campaign, Sutcliffe pledged to fast track construction on Barrhaven’s Greenbank road realignment, a project Half Moon Bay residents have been expecting for over two decades.

Newly elected Barrhaven ward councillor David Hill also campaigned to fast track the process,

and created a petition which garnered hundreds of signatures.

Sutcliffe said he will accelerate the timing of the Greenbank Road Realignment Project for inclusion in the Transportation Master Plan from 2032 to 2024. Current timelines have construction beginning in 2030 with a completion date in 2032.

Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe says that police presence, transit and infrastructure are among his immediate priorities for Barrhaven.

Barrhaven’s history may be shorter, but it is worth learning about

Last week was Heritage Week, an excellent opportunity to celebrate what built the community we call home.

Barrhaven’s history is shorter, as it’s relatively newer, but it’s still worth learning about.

For example, the stone house on Long Gate Court.

East Barrhaven Ward Report

Wilson Lo, Councillor

Built by James Long in 1904, a descendant of Nepean pioneers from Mountshannon,

Ireland, the house was the family farmhouse.

James Long married Ida Davidson in 1919. They had one child, Beatrice Lois May Long, who renamed the farm Longfields before selling it to a developer in the 1990s on the condition the farmhouse remains in place

James Long, Davidson, Mountshannon, Beatrice… familiar names! It’s also wholesome husband and wife continue to be together through Longfields-Davidson Heights Secondary School.

Have you also noticed Fallowfield Road’s S-bends near its intersections with

Greenbank, Woodroffe, and Merivale?

Much of Nepean was surveyed using the “single front” method, where lot divisions were drawn from one concession to the next, errors became apparent at junctions where roads would offset one another. As communities

develop and roads become busier, offsets were corrected through S-bends.

We’re still writing Barrhaven’s history. Whether it’s family decisions or employee mistakes, you and I are shaping Barrhaven’s future. Let’s keep in touch with our past in the process.

Ottawa Humane Society seeking new board members

Applications are open for the Ottawa Humane Society (OHS) board of directors until March 31, 2023. The OHS is recruiting for two board positions that will become vacant in September 2023.

The board of directors is crucial to the work of the OHS, providing oversight for the organization to be successful in being a community leader for animal welfare, creating opportunities for young people to learn about

animals and compassion, and providing a safe haven for Ottawa’s homeless animals.

“Our board members contribute specific skills to help us advance our mission and reflect varied lived experiences in our commun-

ity,” said Sharon Miko, OHS President & CEO. “Individuals’ unique perspectives and talents together provide the OHS with direction on how to meet the needs of our community.”

The OHS board of direc-

tors serves many purposes. The board helps create the OHS’s mission and purpose, supports and evaluates the President & CEO, participates in strategic planning, monitors and strengthens the OHS’s programs, and many

other duties. Successful candidates will serve on the board for six years. For more information or to apply, visit the OHS’s website (ottawahumane.ca/ board) or email ceo@ottawahumane.ca.

February’s thoughts make us think of Hearts and Heritage

THis week, THIS MONTH

by Larry Ellis

February’s thoughts must have something to do with the heart! We know that actions speak louder than words, but we also know that words can be hollow and empty if not spoken from the heart. We assume that others will know that we love them when we do an unexpected and thoughtful action, prepare a meal or give a gift. These actions are all valuable;

however, often they cannot equal the power of three simple words spoken in earnest. Take the time to tell someone that you love them – whisper in their ear, make a phone call, send a card. If you have email, the ecard is a great way to keep in touch with friends’ miles away – Valentines, birthdays,

anniversaries, new babies and other occasions, many varieties are available and often free. Remember - we don’t always get that second chance to say the things we want. We can give a “valentine” every day by a friendly smile, a helping hand, a cheerful word or a tender glance. Take

the time to give these friendly signs and the world will soon be brightened by our daily “valentines.”

February is also Heritage month with February 15th designated as Flag Day in Canada. One way to celebrate our heritage might be to look at old photos. Sometimes it’s hard to

look at these old photos without regretting the fact that we didn’t date or identify the people in the pictures. Every time we look at the photos, we get another chance to see the people and places from the past. Take the time to look at some old albums with the purpose of simply enjoying them again.

Business owners, elected officials mingle at BIA networking event

It was an evening of optimism and positive energy as the Barrhaven BIA hosted its Barrhaven Business Networking Reception at Capital Funeral Home and Cemetery Fri., Feb. 17.

Several Barrhaven business owners mingled with each other and a plethora of special guests.

Councillors David Hill and Wilson Lo, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, Nepean MP Chandra Arya, Councillors Sean Devine (Knoxdale-Merivale) and Laine Johnson (College), Conservative MP Scott Aitchison (Shadow Minister for Housing and Diversity and Inclusion), City of Ottawa Planning Manager Lily Xu, and OCOBIA Executive Director Michelle Groulx. This signature event, hosted by the Barrhaven Business Improvement Area, brought together Barrhaven Business Leaders and Elected Officials along with those from neighbouring communities for an evening

of networking and relationship building.

“The room was buzzing as we looked forward to what will be an amazing year in Barrhaven,” said Barrhaven BIA Executive Director Andrea Steenbakkers.

Planning is well underway for what will be an exciting year for the Barrhaven BIA. The BIA emphasizes that input from businesses in the community is extremely valuable for them to better understand the needs and current conditions, in order to best serve the business community.

The Barrhaven BIA works to create optimum conditions for all Barrhaven businesses to flourish. That means promoting Barrhaven as a prime shopping area, lobbying for ‘smart growth’ in the community and providing local businesses with tools for success.

Membership in the Barrhaven BIA is automatic for commercial

taxpaying businesses, property owners and professional service providers in the Barrhaven area.

Home-based businesses are also eligible to join. If you are not certain if you are a member, you may contact the BBIA at marketing@barrhavenbia.ca.

Local business owners and elected officials mingled at the Barrhaven BIA business networking event at Capital Memorial Gardens Feb. 17. B A r rh Av en BIA photos

Firefighters battle garage fire at home on Larkin Drive in Barrhaven

Three people were displaced after a fire started in their home’s attached garage.

Ottawa firefighters responded to a 9-1-1 call placed at about 1 p.m. on Sun., Feb. 12. The caller indicated that his vehicle, parked inside the garage, was on fire. Ottawa Fire Service responded at 1:07 p.m.

Firefighters arrived to the home on Larkin Drive. The vehicle was engulfed in flames, and the fire had spread to the walls of the

garage. Firefighters used a dry chemical agent on gas that had leaked form the vehicle while they battled the blaze.

The door from the garage to the attached home was closed, which helped to prevent the fire from spreading to the garage. However, there was a bedroom above the garage. An extended ladder was used for firefighters to gain access to the upper level of the home, where they confirmed no one was in there.

All three people made it

out of the home safely. Firefighters had the fire under control by 1:45 p.m. and prevented it from spreading through the home. Ottawa Fire Services indicated that all contents inside the home were protected.

One firefighter was treated for overexertion by paramedics at the scene of the fire.

Ottawa firefighters battle a fire on Larkin Drive Feb. 12.

Transportation Committee approves City of Ottawa draft budget

The City’s Transportation Committee has approved its portion of Draft Budget 2023, which includes $475.3 million in capital funding for transportation infrastructure. The funding would help improve roads, bridges, culverts and intersections, and renew sidewalks and pathways. The funding would also build new transit priority

measures, new sidewalks and cycling facilities. The City’s roads, parking, traffic, transportation and fleet services would have a gross operating budget of $355.7 million.

The City would commit $136 million to improve and renew our roads, including $74.3 million for road resurfacing. Other highlights of the capital

budget include:

- $35 million to renew and replace fleet vehicles and equipment

- $34 million to repair and rehabilitate bridges and structures, including the Mackenzie King Bridge

- $7.7 million to renew and repair sidewalks and pathways

- $7.5 million to design and

build new cycling facilities and improve existing ones

The City continues to make roads safer for everyone, committing $6.35 million to Strategic Road Safety Action Plan projects that seek to reduce fatalities and major injury collisions. Other investments in road safety include:

- $2.5 million for stand-

alone neighbourhood trafficcalming measures across the city

- $62,500 per Ward for temporary traffic calming measures

- $1.3 million for automated speed enforcement cameras at 17 locations, especially near school zones. Monies collected from the cameras are reinvested in the Safer Roads Ottawa pro-

SHOP and dine LOCaL

gram.

The winter operations budget would increase by $3.5 million to $85.8 million. This increase would help the City continue to maintain Ottawa’s roads, sidewalks and pathways in the winter.

Council will consider Draft Budget 2023 on Wednesday, March 1.

CLUES ACROSS

1. Relaxing place

4. Plant by scattering

7. A type of explorer

12. Unique traits

15. Lady

16. Dismayed

18. Railway

19. Type of whale

20. Sodium

21. Manning and Lilly are two

24. Where golfers begin

27. Entrapped

30. Influential punk artist

31. Hebrew calendar month

33. Car mechanics group

34. Undesirable rodent 35. Minneapolis suburb

37. Witch

39. Get free of

41. A written proposal or reminder

42. British School

44. Country on west coast of Africa

47. Cool!

48. Information

49. __ route

50. Jim Nantz’s network

52. Something to register (abbr.)

53. Give cards incorrectly

56. One who’s learning on the job

61. Stevenson adventure novel

63. Taking careful notice

64. CNN’s founder

65. Speak badly of CLUES DOWN

1. A person with unusual powers of foresight

2. Single sheet of glass

3. Portrays a character

4. Expresses happiness

5. Acquires

6. “The Martian” author

7. Degree

8. 60-minute intervals

9. A detective’s pal

10. Group of nations (abbr.)

11. Popular Georgia rockers

12. Fencing swords

13. Basement

14. Samoan monetary unit

17. Male parent

22. Finnish lake

23. A smooth fabric

24. Arctic explorers (abbr.)

25. Mild yellow Dutch cheese

26. Very willing

28. Expressed pleasure

29. Lasso

32. Hindu model of ideal man

36. Move your head in approval

38. Ill-__: gained illegally

40. Die

43. Accused publicly

44. Precious stone

45. Individual thing or person

46. Behaved in a way that degraded

51. Derogatory term

54. No seats available

55. Liability

56. Popular beverage

57. Tough outer skin of fruit

58. __ Spumante (Italian wine)

59. Troubles

60. Negative

62. Camper

St. Joseph girls hockey team to face Sacred Heart in AAA final

The St. Joseph Jaguars girls hockey team is looking to punch its ticket to OFSAA. They finished off their regular season Feb. 13 with three games, beating Glebe 3-1 and Louis Riel 3-2 before dropping a 2-1 decision to Nepean.

The Jaguars finished in in first place in the NCSSAA Girls OFSAA division with a 5-2-1 record. They will face Sacred Heart in the city’s AAA final March 1 at the Nepean Sportsplex. The winner will represent the National Capital Secondary School Athletic Association at the OFSSA provincial championship tournament.

In the Girls Tier 1 hockey playoffs, St. Mother Teresa had playoff wins over Paul Desmarais and West Carleton but ended up losing the final 1-0 to Holy Trinity.

Pierre Savard opened the playoffs with a 2-0 win over Beatrice-Desloges but lost their quarterfinal game 2-1 to South Carleton.

Curling

On the curling ice, St. Pius beat St. Joseph 8-1 in boys curling, while St. Francis Xavier beat John McCrae 4-3. The games for Feb. 23 were cancelled due to the snow day.

In girls curling Feb. 21, St. Pius beat St. Joseph 7-1 and John McCrae beat Merivale 5-4. The games scheduled for Feb. 23 were postponed.

Senior Boys Basketball

The St. Joseph Jaguars saw their playoff run come to an end as they dropped a 68-63 decision to Ashbury College Feb. 21. The Jags

finished the regular season with a perfect 6-0 record and had opened the playoffs with a convincing 68-34 win over St. Peter Feb. 16.

Against Ashbury, the Jaguars fell behind by as many as 11 points in the second half but chipped away and pulled to within a point with under two minutes remaining. The

Colts drained a couple of three pointers and sank some key foul shots in the final minute of the game.

In other playoff action, St. Patrick’s beat St. Mother Teresa 86-45, Sacred Heart beat St. Francis Xavier 56-35, and Glebe eliminated LongfieldsDavidson Heights with a 7356 decision.

Volleyball

The St. Mother Teresa senior girls volleyball team reached the final of the NCSSAA Copper Division. After an exciting 3-2 win over Bell, the Titans lost to St. Pius in the final match, three sets to

one.

The junior boys volleyball season got underway Feb. 21 as LongfieldsDavidson Heights beat St. Joseph 3-1, St. Francis Xavier beat Pierre Savard 3-1, and Sir Robert Borden beat John McCrae 3-1.

Tough defence down the stretch was not enough as the Ashbury Colts hung on to upset the St. Joseph Jags in the NCSSAA senior boys basketball playoffs.

Longfields-Davidson Heights and St. Joseph squared off in the first game of the junior volleyball season.

Goalie shines in his first start but Raiders drop pair in CCHL

By Romano Di FRanco, nepeanRaiDeRs com

Jaden Cholette made 46 saves in his first Central Canada Junior Hockey League start as the Nepean Raiders took on their crosstown rivals the Ottawa Junior Senators at the Fred Barrett Arena on Saturday, Feb. 18.

Despite the 4-0 loss, Cholette was praised for his play and was named the “hardest Working Raider” for the game.

Wil Murphy opened the scoring for Ottawa as he banged home a rebound after Cholette stopped a point-blank shot from Lucas Staresinic. Zachary Losier made it 2-0 on a 2-on-2 rifling a blast from the left faceoff circle.

Vincent Velocci had the lone goal in the second period. He banged in his own rebound after Cholette stopped the wrap-around attempt.

Andrew Utero made it 4-0 with a shot from the slot through a ton of traffic.

Cholette never saw it as Utero registered his third point of the night.

On Sunday, the thirdplace Hawks visited Nepean and entered the game on a two-game losing streak

while the Raiders were looking to end a seven game winless streak.

Dimitri Pelekos got the start in the Hawkesbury goal while Luca Sandu was in goal for Nepean.

Hawkesbury had the lone goal in the first period scoring on a PowerPlay goal by Alex Fournier who beat Sandu with a rifle from the high slot with Nicholas Larkin in the box for Slashing. Hawkesbury outshot Nepean 18-8 in the first period.

The second period was penalty-filled with both teams being assessed nine penalties. Both teams capitalized and came away with PowerPlay markers.

Hawkesbury had two as Antoine Dorion scored with Luca Ricciardi off for Slashing and Felix Sauve scored with Wade Bolton in the box for Roughing. Owen Hardy scored with Sauve in the box for Cross Checking to narrow the gap. Hardy’s goal came on a rebound from a Luke Posthumus blast from the point. Nicholas Larkin had the other helper.

After 40 minutes the Raiders trailed 3-1 and were outshot 17-12 in the middle frame.

Nathan Gagne restored the three-goal cushion for Hawkesbury with their

fourth PowerPlay goal of the game. Penalties continued to be the story in the game with Alex Urbisci was booked for Tripping and that led to Jack Matsukubo cutting the lead to 4-2 after one-timing an Owen Hardy pass through Pelekos. Luke Posthumus had the other assist.

With time winding down things got interesting as Nepean pulled Sandu for the extra attacker and the Luke Posthumus pulled the

Raiders to within one after a goal-mouth scramble saw the rookie poke home his 16th of the season. Jack Matsukubo was in on the action

earning his 13th helper of the season.

The comeback would fall just short though as time ran out and Hawkesbury came

away with the 4-3 decision. Jack Matsukubo was named the Hardest Working Raider with his second goal in as many games.

The Nepean Raiders are hoping to end their losing streak as the CCHL season is in the final stretch.

jOIN ThIS EVER ExpANDING GROUp FOR SENIORS

★ TUESDAY MORNING DROp IN

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★ CATERED LOw COST MEALS: bRUNChES AND LUNChES

★ RESTARAUNT OUTINGS AND pOTLUCKS

★ bUS TRIpS - SEASONAL DAY

★ GROUp ACTIVITIES: KNITTING; wRITING; ChAIR ExERCISE

★ MORE pROGRAMS TO bE OFFERED IN ThE MONThS AhEAD we partner with various agencies and organizations to access numerous services for seniors at minimal cost.

★ SpECIAL pRESENTATIONS AND COURSES