Barrhaven Independent May 13, 2022

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FRIDAY • May 13 • 2022

Passionate speech from MacLeod kicks off provincial election campaign PC incumbent seeking sixth term at Queen’s Park, Liberal Watt critical of Ford’s handling of COVID-19

By Charlie Senack The race is on with less than a month to go before Ontarians hit the polls.

It will be a provincial election unlike any other, the first in the midst of COVID-19.

The pandemic is expected to be a hot ticket election item on voters’ minds when electing their preferred government.

In 2018 the Ford blue wave swept the province after a massive defeat for the Kathleen Wynne-led Liberals, which left them with only seven seats.

While the conservative’s took government, the NDP also saw increased support.

Early polling shows the Progressive Conservatives and Premier Doug Ford are on track to be elected for a second term. The Liberals are trailing closely behind, with NDP support lagging.

A Leger poll released May 4, shows Conservatives coming in with 36 per cent support, the Liberals coming in second at 29 per cent. Polls show the NDP at 25 per cent support.

In Barrhaven on May 1, about 100 people packed Progressive Conservative incumbent candidate Lisa MacLeod’s office for her official campaign kickoff. The five-term Nepean MPP won the 2018 provincial election with a little over 45 per cent of the vote, or 23,899 ballots.

In her roughly 10-minute speech, MacLeod rhymed off her record and a list of accomplishments over the last 16 years. That included funding for three new Barrhaven elementary schools announced just last week, the building of the Vimy Memorial Bridge, the opening of the Rideau Valley Health Centre, and efforts

that followed after multiple tornadoes hit the community in 2018.

“Sixteen years at Queens Park, and I have been a fighter for the residents of Nepean and Nepean-Carleton (before that),” she said. “Every single day the people at Queen’s Park know that I represent the City of Ottawa; They know that I am a fighter for the community, and they know that I will get things done.”

MacLeod was met by about 20-30 protesters outside her Cedarview Road campaign office, parents of autistic children who are disappointed over the government’s handling of the system. The Nepean MPP was Minister of Community and Social Services for the first year in government, which included the autism portfolio.

campaign

continues on page 3

Progressive Conservative incumbent Lisa MacLeod has represented Barrhaven at Queen’s Park for the past 16 years.

Charlie Senack photo

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BARRHAVEN INDEPENDENT campaign continues from page 1 “Each and every single day at the Ontario legislature, I look up to the ceiling and I think of what an honour it is that I have been elected and have chosen to be a representative in that assembly,” said MacLeod. “I represent people from the left, the right, and the middle, to make sure that when they have a voice it’s a strong one at Queen’s Park.”

MacLeod also paid tribute to the people fleeing war in Ukraine, and referenced her staffer Pavlo Kucher, whose parents are currently hiding in underground bomb shelters in Ukraine. Kucher recently saw his 78-year-old grandfather enlist into the army.

While facing a swarm of attacks over this election cycle, MacLeod said she won’t let the keyboard warriors over Twitter take her down. Instead, she says her focus is on getting a sixth term at Queen’s Park.

“The Liberals and the NDP can’t attack my record, for what I have done for the people of Nepean,” said MacLeod. “They can’t attack my record for standing up for the people of Ottawa, and they can’t attack my record for investing more into social services. They can’t attack my record for investing more in tourism, heritage, and sport.

They can’t attack my record period. All they can do, the NDP and the Liberals, is attack me personally.”

Liberals hope to paint Nepean red

Nepean Liberal candidate Tyler Watt officially launched his campaign on April 26. The 31-year-old has put a strong focus on COVID-19 during this election cycle, and the government’s handling of the pandemic.

Watt has worked as a nurse in both hospitals and longterm care homes during the pandemic, and contracted the virus himself a few months back. Given his frontline background, Watt says his ideas have become part of the Liberal party’s health plan.

‘I think that they (the Ford government) were very late on all the things they could have done to be more preventative in the handling of COVID,” he said. “One ex-

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Tyler Watt, a 31-year-old nurse who grew up in Barrhaven, is the Nepean Liberal candidate for the June 2 provincial election.

Charlie Senack photo

ample is we still don’t have paid sick days: That’s one thing we could easily change that would help people stay home or they are sick. A lot of people have to go to work so they can afford to pay their bills.”

The Nepean Liberal candidate said he feels the government should have waited longer before removing mask mandates in schools. Watt said he’s glad to see they will remain in certain settings until at least June, and feels we would be in a better position pandemic-wise if some restrictions came sooner.

“They usually waited until it got so bad that we had to go into lockdown to stop it,” said Watt. “We are not advocating for lockdowns; we are advocating to do things to prevent us from getting to that point.”

Just days ago Ontario Liberal party leader Steven Del Duca announced if elected this summer, his party would make transit fares across the province only a dollar a ride, or $40 for a monthly pass.

The costs municipalities would lose would then be covered by the province.

Watt says he’s all for the idea, saying it would help those on a low income.

“It’s going to make commuting a lot more affordable and accessible for people,” he said. “It’s just one of the ways we are addressing the cost of

living for many. We are estimating it will pull about 4,000 cars off the road, encouraging people to act more green in their travels.”

In the 2018 provincial election, the Liberal candidate Lovina Srivastava came in third with a little over 19 per cent of the vote. Watt says his party has spent the last four years rebuilding after the loss, and has many new and young candidates bringing ideas to the table. Barrhaven is changing, he says, along with voting habits.

“I was born and raised in Barrhaven when it was mostly farmland and we had that one McDonalds on Strandherd. It has changed so much over the last few decades,” said Watt.

“It’s so much more diverse, multicultural, and Nepean has really boomed. I think people are eager for a change in leadership, someone who is going to represent their voice for Nepean at Queen’s Park.”

On May 4, the New Democrats announced Brian Double would be their candidate in Nepean. The Barrhaven Independent reached out to the riding association for comment, but did not hear back before deadline.

Voters will hit the polls on June 2. For the latest local election updates, visit the BarrhavenIndependent.ca website and the Barrhaven Independent Facebook page.

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Page 4 FRIDAY, May 13, 2022

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FRIDAY, May 13, 2022 Page 5

BARRHAVEN INDEPENDENT

MacLeod announces funding for three new schools in Barrhaven

By Charlie Senack

To help the ever-expanding community of Barrhaven, the Province of Ontario has announced three new elementary schools will be built.

In a press release sent out April 26, Nepean MPP Lisa McLeod, who is also the minister in charge of tourism, culture, and sport industries, said the $55 million investment will create 1,656 new student spaces and 127 new licensed childcare spaces.

Half Moon Bay will receive a new $24.2 million public elementary school, with a $12.5

million public French school being built in Barrhaven south.

That side of the community will also see a new $18.1 million Catholic elementary school.

“Ontario understands that the families in Nepean deserve affordable childcare that works and schools that enhance learning for our children,” MacLeod said in a statement. “I am proud of our government’s work to bring 1,783 new student and childcare spaces to Nepean. This will ensure families and students have access to a quality learning environment for years to come.”

Ontario education minister Stephen Lecce said this investment is part of the Ontario government’s commitment to provide $14 billion over 10 years to support school construction, repair, and renewal.

“We are building new schools, building more affordable childcare spaces, and building hope and opportunity for Ontario students as they learn in more normal and safer classrooms,” noted Lecce. “We believe that students deserve to learn in-person in state-of-theart facilities that are internet connected, accessible, with modern ventilation systems,

which is why our government is delivering a major investment that accelerates construction to get it done for parents, students, and communities.”

Last week the province announced funding for a new Catholic elementary school to be built in Riverside South, and a new public elementary school in Findlay Creek.

The communities of Barrhaven, Riverside South, and Findlay Creek have all dealt with overcrowding concerns, in some cases almost doubling capacity. School yards are stacked with portables, and more are needing to be added

each year.

No timelines have been given on when shovels will

be in the ground, or when the schools will open for enrollment.

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BARRHAVEN INDEPENDENT

INDEPENDENT Editorial

Why has Canadian citizenship become an oxymoron?

Canadian citizenship is under attack. Over the past 20 years, the public’s commitment to Canada appears to be waning. With billions of dollars in emergency pandemic assistance and promises of almost free childcare, a targeted dental program, new investments in housing and health care, and a stream of almost “free” social programs, one would think citizens would be lining up to declare their fealty to a compassionate and supportive state.

Yet the opposite seems to have occurred. Countless commentators have identified dissatisfaction with national progress. Fault lines – regional, linguistic, ideological, historical, and policy-based – keep appearing across the country. A recent survey revealed that many immigrants are considering leaving. How can the honour of being allowed to enter a country repeatedly described as one of the best in the world produce such little loyalty or contentment? It cannot all be about the weather.

Small groups of highly motivated radicals regularly attack the symbols of history while historically inaccurate memes are used to attack national pride – and the vast majority of Canadian sit by silently. Tiny groups of protesters appear to have more political clout than the national Parliament and provincial legislatures as a quivering nation fails to come to terms with its past and to understand the meaning of 21st-century Canadian citizenship.

A new book by Peter MacKinnon, titled Canada in Question: Exploring Our Citizenship in the Twenty-First Century, tackles this sensitive and emotional topic head-on. MacKinnon is a distinguished Canadian – a lawyer, university president, and a thoughtful analyst of Canadian realities. His book is built around the belief that “there are growing centrifugal pressures that are changing, perhaps diminishing, our sense of what it means to be Canadian.” This is a gentle way of saying that the country may be falling apart.

Canada in Question explores the most fundamental of all issues: what does it mean to be Canadian? In a time when criticism is far more common than leadership, when the politics of public bribery has overtaken electors and therefore all political parties, and when the country does not even have a vision of the future, it is extremely hard to answer that question.

By asking tough and uncomfortable questions about citizenship in Canada, and doing so with quintessentially Canadian decency and respect for diversity and social justice, Peter MacKinnon reminds us that it is both possible and essential to dream of a greater nation. He makes it clear that a country flourishes only with the commitment of its citizens to the country as a whole and with a national plan to create a better and stronger Canada.

Ken Coates is a Distinguished Fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and a Canada Research Chair in the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy at the University of Regina. © Troy Media

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Don’t cry over a bag of spilled milk I’ve given up on cereal. lick it up, too. But I knew she knew. She No, it’s not the gluten in the Cheerios thatfrom walked into the kitchen and gave me that sits in my belly like a bag of crushed gravel why-do-the-curtains-smell-like-milk-andthe other in a muddy puddle. cheerios look. The look of failure hung on And no, it’s not the milk that my face like a baggy pair I rarely seem to drink now that I of pleated khakis. am on the back nine.

And it’s not just milk It’s the packaging. and cereal. I make a proOr my motor skills. tein shake every morning Maybe both. but somehow can’t manOn the rare occasions that I age to get the little scoop attempt to get myself a bowl of of powder from the big cereal, the Diva Ussain Bolts into the kitchen plastic jar into the Magic Bullet. There is in a panic and desperately knocks me away vanilla powder on my hand, my wrist, my from the pantry and fridge? elbows, and all over the counter. Luckily, She knows that I am, um, gotta be careful you can’t spill spinach and a banana. how I word this, packagely challenged.

The powder would lodge itself into the Who is the idiot who decided that Can- cuts I got from trying to open the blister pack adians would have to buy their milk in plastic of Gillette Fusion razor blades that morning. bags? I remember trying to explain the con- Have you ever tried to open those? You need cept of milk in plastic bags to my co-workers scissors and plyers and a circular saw and in Dallas and Seattle. Some gave me that a Q-Ray bracelet to open the blister pack. dog-hears-master’s-voice look of sheer con- Next time you see a guy at work with severe fusion, then felt sorry for us. Others laughed. knuckle-scrape, ask him if he had just opened All thought it was the dumbest thing they had a new pack of razor blades. ever heard of.

Of course, being a bag-of-milk-is-onlyI remember the first trip to Your Independ- half-spilled kind of guy, we must look at the ent Grocer after moving back to Canada. enormous strides forward in the packaging Couldn’t we just have a recyclable jug with a world. screw cap like the rest of the civilized world?

First off, I would like to thank the people Instead, we get little bags and try to shoe at Heinz for participating in preventing me horn them into a little pitcher that you have from spraying ketchup all over the kitchen, to bang from the bottom to fit the milk in, like I used to. Do you remember the old glass and then let’s have our kids use scissors to ketchup bottle? You would shake it like an cut the top. upside down Etch-a-Sketch trying to get “Be careful or you will end up with a glass ketchup to come out. Then you would jam eye.” a Bic pen up there to try to loosen the stuck How often have you ever cut the hole to ketchup. I can only imagine the delight of the small only to have the milk rainbow over your brand manager in the meeting when someone cereal onto the counter? How often have you Thomas Edison’d the idea to put the cap at ever cut the milk bag hole too big and had the bottom and make it a squeeze bottle. a collapsing bag that Exxon Valdezed 1.25 And how about our friends who package litres of milk all over your kitchen floor?

Oreo cookies? I could never open a cookie And what about the cereal? bag with that fold over twist thing and then We have made so many advancements in pull out the tray, get the cookies, and shove packaging, but we have a box with a folding the tray back in and close it properly. The tab that says “Lift Here.” I have never in my restickable cookie bag flap is pure genius. life been able to execute lifting here. I tend to But in order to have Oreos, you need milk. rip here and then destroy the little perforated And we’re back to the stupid milk bag conslot that the tab that was lifted here is suppos- cept again. ed to tuck into. Then we get to the wax paper I remember taking a photo for a story on bag inside the non-properly-closing box. a community group that collected a gazillion The only thing more predictable than Lake or so milk bags and made mattresses to send Neilson on the kitchen counter is the immin- to people in third world countries. How Canent cereal explosion from my attempt to rip adian is that? Could you imagine the people open the wax paper that will spray Cheerios that got them? ‘Oh look at what the Canall over the house, down the vents, into the adians sent us. It’s a mattress and it’s made cat litter box and the dog’s water dish, and out of… whaaaat?... Canadians drink their behind the fridge. milk out of plastic bags?’

The last time I milk-and-cereal-papered Yes we do. the walls of our kitchen, the Diva was at It’s a dumb idea. work and I had it cleaned up before she got But we guarantee you will like our fries home. Okay, so the dog and two cats helped with gravy and melted cheese curds.

side

FRIDAY, May 13, 2022 Page 7

BARRHAVEN INDEPENDENT

Get them while they are hot, even when it’s not!

If you are a Barrhaven resident, send an email to mark.bouwman@ottawa.ca with your contact information to order one or more ‘Slow Down For Us!’ signs for your front yard and we will schedule a pick-up time at the ward office (located at the Walter Baker Sports Centre - 100 Malvern Dr.).

Barrhaven’s Community Yard, Artisan, & Vendor Sale

Inviting all Barrhaveniens to declutter and sell their no longer loved household items in a one-day massive neighborhood sale on June 4th! Check out the detail on Facebook: The Great Barrhaven Yard Sale.

Announcement of the construction of the Barrhaven Town Centre in Nepean

At the end of last month, Chandra Arya, Member of Parliament for Nepean, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and

LET’S TALK

BARRHAVEN

by Jan Harder

Communities; the Honourable Lisa MacLeod, Ontario’s Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries, on behalf of the Honourable Kinga Surma, Ontario’s Minister of Infrastructure; and Jan Harder, Councillor for Ward 3 Barrhaven, on behalf of His Worship, Jim Watson, Mayor of the City of Ottawa announced joint funding for 12 community and recreation infrastructure projects across Ontario.

The Government of Canada is investing more than $20.8 million in these projects through the Community, Culture, and Recreation Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. The Government of Ontario is providing over $17.3 million, while recipients and partners are con-

tributing over $13.8 million in total.

Among the projects announced today is the construction of the Barrhaven Town Centre in Nepean.

This new cultural hub will include the construction of a 15,000 square foot cultural centre, a 3,000 square foot seniors’ space, and an over 25,000 square foot library. Once complete, this project will provide residents in Ottawa with a cultural hub that will foster social interactions and community engagement for years to come.

News from Ruth E. Dickinson: your local library branch

Current Services: Enhanced In-Person Services • The Ottawa Public Library is offering modified hours of operation at library branches and the Bookmobile • Masks are no longer required for the public when visiting the library. Those who prefer wearing masks are welcome to do so

• OPL staff are no longer required to wear masks but have the choice to do so • To view the hours of operation at the Ruth E. Dickinson branch please click here Canadian Jewish Heritage - The month of May is Canadian Jewish Heritage Month. Since the first arrival of Jews in Canada in 1759, the Canadian Jewish community has grown to be the 4th largest Jewish community in the world. OPL has compiled a list of books and works by prize-winning authors for you to further explore the culture, heritage, and history of Jewish Canadians all month long.

Happy reading!

Stroll Through a Story at the Library - Families are invited to enjoy a stroll through a whimsical StoryWalk® at six OPL branches across the city until May 24, 2022. The Ottawa Public Library has partnered with local author/illustrator Timm Holmes to create a unique and original Pieced Together StoryWalk®. This

immersive concept allows families to choose their own adventure and make choices along the way so that there are multiple endings to the same story!

You can find Ruth E. Dickinson’s StoryWalk® on the lawn in front of the Barrhaven Food Cupboard!

It will be out during our hours of operation (weather permitting).

2022 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize Short List Among the eleven prizes the Writer’s Trust awards annually to Canadian authors, the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize rewards literary nonfiction work on political subjects of current interest for our nation. The winner will be announced May 17, 2022. In the meantime, get your hands on a copy of the titles on the shortlist, available in different formats, and enjoy these critically acclaimed political reads!

New eResource: Oxford English Dictionary - OPL is happy to announce a new eResource for our customers: Oxford English Dic-

tionary! The print version of the OED dictionary is 20 volumes! With OED online, customers can access the full content of the 20 volumes online, plus tens of thousands of exclusive new and revised entries. Click here to get started.

Barrhaven Lions Club Recycled Electronics

Recycled electronics like computers, televisions, stereos, VCRs, copier/ fax machines, keyboards, cables, drives, computerrelated peripherals, Printers and scanners, Telephones, chargers, and stereos can preserve natural resources.

That is why the Barrhaven Lions Club, in association with CFT Recycling, will accept unwanted electronics at the Barrhaven Town Centre, 3777 Strandherd Drive on Saturday, May 14, 2022 between 9 am and 3 pm. Please use the Strandherd Drive parking lot entrance

harder

continues on page 9

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BARRHAVEN INDEPENDENT

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FRIDAY, May 13, 2022 Page 9

BARRHAVEN INDEPENDENT

Double standard for running red lights is unfair to taxpayers When the City of Ottawa began installing red light cameras in 2001, we were told it was a necessary tool to reduce speeding and increase safety.

Too many collisions are caused by motorists racing through red lights. We thought cameras and a threat of big fines would surely slow drivers down, and they have, but I wish that was the end of the story… It’s not.

Thanks to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, we now know municipal employees who run red lights while driving a city vehicle don’t pay the fines out of their own pocket.

Their employer, the City of Ottawa, pays the ticket – with our money. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation calls this unfair, and I totally agree.

The information obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation shows that 989 red light and photo radar tickets were issued to City of Ottawa employees between January 2019 and August 2021. Keep in mind that most were emergency vehicles, which are ex-

empt. However, another 157 city vehicles, like garbage trucks and bylaw vehicles, were caught running red lights.

Approximately $37,000 in fines were paid by the City of Ottawa, because the City owns the vehicles that ran through these red lights. Initially, I thought that’s because there’s no way to identify the driver, but staff tell me there are driver log that each employee fills in daily. Fleet Services know the plate, vehicle number, and who is behind the wheel.

So why not have the driver pay? For that answer I was directed to City Solicitor David White. Mr. White explains it’s been corporate practice for years and follows the Employment Standards Act that prohibits employers

from deducting wages from its employees, except in certain situations.

He says it’s not an option to give an employee a ticket, saying it’s no different from when an employee loses a computer – the employee isn’t financially penalized. Vastly different, I pointed out; losing a computer doesn’t risk public safety. The bottom line, says Mr. White, it was decided years ago that the tickets are a disciplinary matter.

Coincidentally, a new Authorized to Drive system was just introduced by Fleet Services in April of this year. Each infraction is evaluated individually. Is it the driver’s first offence? How long have they been an employee? Discipline can range from a verbal reprimand, to suspension and termination.

While I am happy drivers who break the law are being dealt with, I will have to be convinced it’s enough to make city employees think twice before running a red light. I also

believe in fairness.

Right now, I side with the Canadian Taxpayers Federa-

tion when they say there are two sets of rules for red light and photo radar, one for us,

and one for city employees. I plan to raise this issue in the coming weeks.

harder continues from page 7 Historic $500-million campaign launched to support The Ottawa Hospital

The Ottawa Hospital launched the largest fundraising campaign in the city’s history - a $500-million “Campaign to Create Tomorrow.” The Campaign to Create Tomorrow will help fulfil the most ambitious vision ever for the future of The Ottawa Hospital, focused on four critical pillars. The four pillars are: New Campus Development, Innovation & technology, world leading research, and strengthening critical services.

What is the fundraising goal for the Campaign to Create Tomorrow?

The Ottawa Hospital Foundation is committed to

raising $500 million for this historic campaign which will both support the New Campus Development on Carling Avenue and further strengthen our world-leading research.

What will the new campus be named?

Leading up to the opening of the new hospital campus, The Ottawa Hospital will undergo an official naming process. However, there is also a philanthropic opportunity to name the new hospital and help make the vision of our hospital a reality. Anyone interested in this unique and high-profile opportunity is encouraged to contact us through the channels listed below.

How can I learn more or get involved in this fundrais-

ing campaign?

If you’d like to learn more about the largest fundraising campaign in Ottawa’s history, visit our Campaign to Create Tomorrow page on our website. To get involved, email us at creatingtomorrow@toh.ca.

Upcoming Splash Pad Season

Typically splash pads are good to go on May long weekend every year. This year they should be good to go on Friday, May 20th.

The plan is to have the water turned on at all the sites throughout the week, so they are available for Friday. Typically, they stay open into September, usually as late as the end of September- although this is weather permitting.

Page 10 FRIDAY, May 13, 2022

BARRHAVEN INDEPENDENT

Barrhaven Independent publishers named to Ontario newspaper hall of fame Jack, John, Robin and Jeff Morris inducted into Ontario Community Newspaper Association Hall of Fame together Special to the Independent OCNA – Four members of the Morris family, including Barrhaven Independent co-founders John and Jeff Morris, have been inducted into the Ontario Community Newspaper Association Hall of Fame.

The inductions were announced April 29 during the OCNA’s annual convention, which was held virtually.

Also inducted into the OCNA Hall of Fame were Bill Cavell, Iroquois Falls Enterprise Publisher who spent 72 years in the newspaper business; Wayne Green, longtime editor and publisher of the Kapuskasing Northern Times and the New Liskeard Temiskaming Speaker; and former TorStar Vice-President Ron Lenyk.

All of the Hall of Fame inductions were awarded posthumously, except for Jeff Morris.

Jack Morris began his newspaper career at the Chesterville Record in the 1920s as

a “printer’s devil” and spent 65 years in the community newspaper business. It would have been more, but he served as an intelligence officer in WWII. In 1947, he accepted a job as the editor of the Prescott Journal. He became a partner in 1949, and he became sole proprietor of the business in 1963. Jack sold his interests in the company to his sons, John and Robin, in 1976 and stepped back from the day-today operations of the business, though he remained on staff as a reporter and columnist.

Jack was an Ontario Community Newspapers Association board member and president, as well as a board member and president for the Canadian Community Newspapers Association. He received the Canadian Community Newspapers Association Gold Quill Award in 1976 for 50 years of distinguished service to the community newspaper industry. He was a pioneer in modern typography and was the first community

newspaper publisher in Canada to convert to cold type and go to offset.

Jack was heavily involved in the community, and in 1967, he published a book on the rich history of Prescott.

He was involved in the publishing of 3,276 community newspapers during his career. In 1989, Jack Morris was honoured with a CCNA Honorary Life Membership.

Following father’s footsteps

John Morris followed in the footsteps of his father. He had a similar passion for the community, and for the newspaper business. At the age of 15, he revived the school’s student newspaper, and he also worked for his father as the Prescott Journal’s high school sports reporter. In 1957, 21-year-old John Morris went to the bank to get a loan and bought the Kemptville Advance. He was editor and publisher of the Advance until 1964, when he sold it to join his father at St. Law-

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Four members of the Morris family, who have run the Barrhaven Independent for more than 30 years, were inducted into the Ontario Community Newspaper Association Hall of Fame. From left to right are Robin, Jack, Jeff and John Morris. The photo was taken in 1989, when Jack Morris received an Honourary Life Membership from the Canadian Community Newspapers Association.

OCNA Photo

rence Printing Company, publishers of the Prescott Journal and Cardinal News. In 1976, Morris purchased the Tupper Lake Free Press in Tupper Lake, NY, and then the Gouverneur (NY) Tribune in the late 1980s. He also partnered

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with his younger brother Robin to purchase the Chesterville Record, the newspaper where his father’s newspaper career began. While their newspaper company was growing and flourishing at that time, the two brothers purchased the

Winchester Press in 1980. In 1986, John launched the Manotick Messenger with the help of his family, and from that newspaper spawned the Barrhaven Independent in 1990.

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BARRHAVEN INDEPENDENT hof continues from page 10 John’s lifetime in newspapers led to major contributions to the industry across Canada. He served for more than 20 years on the board of directors of both the OCNA and CCNA, and was the OCNA president in 1990.

Throughout his career, he won numerous provincial and national awards for news, feature and editorial writing, photography, layout, design, and community service. He, as well, was honoured with a Gold Quill Award in 2002.

Before his passing, he released his book, Morrises’ History of Prescott 1800-2000. He wanted to update and build on his father’s book. His book not only tells the historical facts of the town, but it also focuses on the people and characters who built and grew Prescott.

Passion for journalism

Robin Morris was often

in the shadow cast by his father and his brother, who was nearly 15 years his senior. Like Jack and John, he had a strong passion for local history and an even stronger passion for journalism. While John and Jack were in Prescott, Robin spent much of the 1970s working in Chesterville and then Winchester.

He launched the United Counties Agri-News and grew it into one of Eastern Canada’s largest and most successful rural agricultural newspapers. He returned to Prescott to be the editor of the Journal in the early 1980s. Robin also grew the family business by launching the Russell Villager, which operated for decades before merging with the Chesterville Record.

Robin’s attention to detail was impeccable, which resulted in the Morris newspapers being among the most acclaimed publications in

the country. All three of the newspapers were regular OCNA award winners. He also established himself as one of the best news and sports photographers in the industry in Canada.

While Jack was a pioneer in printing, Robin had an eye for technological advancement within the business. He was among the first community newspaper publishers in the province to use digital photography, and he was also one of the first in Canada to use MacIntosh computers for desktop publishing.

Robin served on the OCNA board of directors for a number of years and served as president in 1991. He also played a key role in the establishment and growth of the Association’s reciprocal insurance exchange. He received his Silver Quill Award for distinguished service to the community

newspapers in 2003.

Jeff Morris began his career in community newspapers as a nineyear-old, working in the Prescott Journal mailroom after school and landing his first Wednesday afternoon paper route.

He continued to work in the family newspaper business throughout high school, covering events at the school during the school year.

In 1986, while he was in his final year at Carleton University, he joined the family business fulltime and was involved in the launch of the Manotick Messenger and the Barrhaven Independent. He was a part of the editorial staff at the Independent for two years, before leaving the family business.

Morris transitioned from journalism to marketing, joining Pinnacle Brands, Inc. in Dallas as a brand manager. He went on to become a marketing

and product development executive for Collector’s Edge (Denver), Shop at Home Television (Nashville), and Pacific Trading Cards (Seattle). During this time, he was also an NHL columnist for ESPN. com.

Following the passing of his father in 2004, Morris returned to Canada to work in the family business. He purchased the Manotick Messenger and Barrhaven Independent from his mother, Beth, in 2017. He also served on the OCNA’s CNRIE board and was President for four years.

Between 2005 and 2021, Morris was a topthree finalist for more than 60 OCNA awards. He is a two-time winner of the OCNA Stephen Shaw Reporter of the Year Award, a two-time winner of the OCNA Humour Columnist of the Year, a winner of the OCNA Columnist of the Year Award, and he

was also a winner of the national CCNA Award for best local editorial.

He says the highlight of his newspaper career was being able to continue working through two bouts of bone marrow/ plasma cancer. In 2019 he lost a quarter of his skull to a tumour. He had a craniotomy and brain surgery on May 9 of that year, and was able to send the Barrhaven Independent to print four days later.

In 2020, after a stem cell transplant, he produced and sent four editions of the Manotick Messenger and Barrhaven Independent to print from his bed at the Ottawa Cancer Centre.

“If my father, my uncle and grandfather would be proud of me for anything, it would be that,” he says. “Being a Morris means having a relentless work ethic and a thirst for excellence, and I learned that from all members of my family.”

Register for the Ottawa Light Rail Transit Commission's Public Meetings The Commission invites the public to share their views on the light rail transit system.

May 25 and 26, 2022 | 7 - 9PM (EST) Shaw Centre, 55 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa To learn more and register to attend the meetings and deliver a statement, visit www.ottawalrtpublicinquiry.ca/public-meetings. The meetings can be watched on the Commission's website and on Rogers channels 22 (EN) and 23 (FR).

You can also contact the Commission at info@OLRTpublicinquiry.ca or by calling 1-833-5971955 if you have any general enquiries or to submit information that will serve the Commission's investigation.

Page 12 FRIDAY, May 13, 2022

BARRHAVEN INDEPENDENT

New community centre to be in the heart of Barrhaven’s new downtown

By Charlie Senack

It’s the first step in creating Barrhaven’s Downtown with funding announced for a new community centre in the heart of the community.

On April 29, Nepean MPP Lisa MacLeod, MP Chandra Arya, and Barrhaven Councillor Jan Harder announced the news.

The building will include a 15,000 square foot cultural centre, a 3,000 square foot seniors’ space, and an over 25,000 square foot library.

“The new Barrhaven Town Centre will be an iconic cultural hub featuring flexible spaces for community engagement, performances and recreational activities,” said Harder, who has been a longtime advocate for the town centre. “This investment of more than $38 million is a significant contribution to community development and wellbeing and I want to thank our federal and provincial funding partners for your commitment to the residents of our community.”

While Barrhaven is home to the Minto Recreation centre in Half Moon Bay and the Walter Baker Centre which includes a library, the closest performing arts facility is in Centerpointe.

Nepean MPP Chandra Arya said local dance schools will benefit from having a venue in Barrhaven to hold performances at.

“Cultural infrastructure is vital in ensuring community development and wellbeing,” he said. “Today’s investment will provide thousands of Barrhaven residents access to a modern, welcoming space where they can come together to enjoy cultural events, learn, and socialize. This fills a big gap we had in Barrhaven for many years.”

Nepean MPP Lisa MacLeod, who is also the minister in charge of tourism, culture, and sport, said that Barrhaven has seen rapid growth in recent years, requiring key investments to be made.

“Over the past 16 years, I’ve worked hard to ensure

that our roads, bridges and schools have kept up with the fast pace of growth in Barrhaven,” she said. “Being able to deliver on the Barrhaven Town Centre, therefore is doubly meaningful for me as the local MPP and the Minister responsible for public libraries, culture and performance arts.”

In November 2019 Ottawa’s planning committee endorsed plans for a future Barrhaven downtown, which will include a mix of residential and commercial spaces on the 165-hectare plot of land behind Barrhaven’s Loblaws and movie theatre.

In at least a decade from now, the plan includes transforming the current bus rapid transitway into phase 3 of Ottawa’s light rail transit system, with another Chapman Mills BRT connecting to it.

“We have the south-west transitway that goes behind the Canadian Tire and in between the LCBO and the Loblaws, and then we have

the Chapman Mills BRT that comes across the river from Riverside South and along Chapman Mills drive,” explained Harder. “It will cer-

tainly be connected to the extension of the LRT opening at the end of this year or beginning of next year in Riverside South.”

Also included is 11,000 dwelling units which would represent a 68-year housing supply for the neighborhood, according to a staff report. New businesses in the site will also bring 12,600 jobs to the growing suburban community.

Its development has been in the planning stages for years and Harder said she’s glad it’s finally one step closer to reality.

“The Barrhaven BIA has spent tens of thousands of dollars on studies to help us from their aspect,” she said.

“I know that Don Winches-

ter who is leading the Barrhaven Seniors and was the founder has long looked for permanent space. This space will be about 3,000 square feet, but it’s part of a larger space and that’s the neat thing about that.”

It’s unclear when construction will begin, but the funding announcement allows for the project to go forward with complete land aspects and then design.

“While we have lots of ideas, first the Ottawa Library Board has its say and then the process begins,” said Harder.

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FRIDAY, May 13, 2022 Page 13

BARRHAVEN INDEPENDENT

Blackburn wants to see police SRO’s back in OCDSB schools Barrhaven’s Ottawa Carleton District School Board trustee is bringing forward a motion to see a return to police in schools.

Donna Blackburn, who represents Barrhaven/ Knoxdale-Merivale, was the only trustee to vote against the dismantling of the board’s school resource officer (SRO) program with police, during a motion last year.

The controversial June 2021 vote came after reports of a strained relationship between police and some students and families. But now almost a year later, Blackburn says

it’s time to revisit the idea, and believes she has support from her board colleagues.

“It’s become apparent that the current situation is not working. We need to do something to fix it, make it better,” she said.

“My motion asks that the board authorize the Director of Education to basically renegotiate (and) renew our partnership with the Ottawa Police Service, and establish a standard of practice for our relationship.”

Blackburn stresses this is not a return to the former SRO program, but instead looking ahead at something new. She said princi-

pals are currently only able to get police involved if it’s a 911 situation.

In March of this year police were called to Longfields Davidson Heights High School after a student was stabbed and left with serious injuries. A few months before that, Longfields was among multiple schools in Ottawa to be faced with threats, leading police to investigate.

It’s scenarios like this Blackburn would like to see avoided. She believes a return to proactive work will ensure schools remain a safe environment for everyone.

“We want to engage in prevention,” said Black-

burn, who has a background in social work. “A lot of people have talked about police versus social workers, to me it’s not one or the other; Social workers have a role in our system, but police have a role in our system too and police can do certain things that our awesome social workers cannot do.”

Blackburn hopes the motion will bring consistency to school principals when dealing with the police. She said any officers who are assigned to schools should have special training in working with youth, a program the Ottawa Police does have.

Barrhaven/Knoxdale-Merivale Trustee Donna Blackburn was the only trustee to vote against the dismantling of the board’s school resource officer (SRO) program with police, during a motion last year.

Ottawa South United is supporting Ukrainian settlement efforts in the area this spring.

The local soccer club was recently contacted to see how they could support the efforts of the Ukrainian Settlement Helpers Ottawa. The group is led

by active community organizers, with the growing support of approximately 2,000 individuals. Their mission is to help provide assistance for those in need and connect them with the resources that will assist individuals and families as they relocate to

Ottawa.

OSU believes that sport can be a positive mechanism for helping newcomers to our local communities. As such, via the OSU Help the Kids Play Fund, OSU will be sponsoring participation for up to 20 youth or adults who wish

to play soccer this year.

Should the interest level exceed this initial number, the club will actively engage the community to support further participation.

“Soccer is the world’s game and it is important to us that our club does

its part in supporting the broader community,” said OSU President, Bill Michalopulos. “Relocating is never easy, especially during difficult times, and as such we can help with providing access to soccer programming.”

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Page 14 FRIDAY, May 13, 2022

BARRHAVEN INDEPENDENT

Deionte Knight drafted by Argos, gets invited to two NFL camps

By Barrhaven Independent Staff Barrhaven native Deionte Knight has some decisionmaking to do in the next week.

Knight, who won the JP Metras Trophy as the most outstanding lineman in Canadian university football, was drafted 10th overall by the Toronto Argonauts Monday night. There was speculation that Knight would be a top five or even a top three pick heading into the draft, but CFL teams were also aware that Knight had already been extended invitations to two NFL rookie camps.

Last Saturday, Knight received a phone call just before he walked into the University of Western Ontario Mustangs year-end banquet, as the team was about to celebrate their Vanier Cup as Canadian university football champions.

The newly-renamed Washington Commanders were on the phone, offering the 6’4”,

275-pound defensive end a spot int heir rookie camp. No long after, Knight’s phone rang again. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were on the phone this time. They, too, invited Knight to come in for a look.

“I am just so blessed for this opportunity and can’t wait to get down there and work my butt off to show them what I can do,” Knight told Ryan Robinson of Western News. “Both teams offer an incredible opportunity for me to advance my football career. In the next couple of days, I will have to sit down with my team and decide what’s the best avenue for me to go and give me the best opportunity; but either way I’m very excited,” Knight said.

Last month, Knight participated in the CFL Combine and had an impressive showing. He completed 10 reps on the bench and ran a 5.07 40-yard dash. He also jumped a 32-inch vertical and a 9′ 4 1/8″ broad jump while

finishing the 3-cone drill in 7.50 seconds and the shuttle in 4.69.

“The biggest part about my game is just my ability to grow,” Knight told CFL.ca at the combine. “I watch a lot of film, just watching technique, watching stance, and assignment and alignment stuff. I’m a huge film junky so I guess that’s the biggest part of my game, is that I’m always looking to improve.

“I’m always looking to improve my craft.”

Football is in Knight’s blood. His father DeWayne, was a linebacker in the CFL and played for the BC Lions, Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Ottawa Rough Riders, settling in Ottawa and becoming a member of the Ottawa Police Service. DeWayne is a longtime community volunteer in Barrhaven, having coached with the Nepean Redskins/ Nepean Eagles organization for many years. Deionte grew up playing football in the pro-

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Knight becomes the second Barrhaven native and graduate of the program to get an opportunity to play in the NFL. Tyler Holmes, whose father Richard was a running back with the Toronto Argonauts and the Ottawa Rough Riders, spent close to two years with the Minnesota Vikings before having a long career as an offensive lineman with the Argos.

Knight will be one of several Canadian university football grads in NFL camps in the spring.

“I think football stretches way beyond the gridiron and the film meetings,” Knight told CFL.ca. “I think football is a lifestyle. You can bring what you learn from football, what you learn from your coaches and apply them in any area of life.”

Barrhaven native Deionte Knight won the JP Metras Trophy as the top lineman in USports football. Knight and the Western Mustangs won the 2021 Vanier Cup. File photo

FRIDAY, May 13, 2022 Page 15

BARRHAVEN INDEPENDENT

Aussie Rules Football returns with the Annual Pony Platter May 14 Australian Football, also known as footy, returns to area at the Ottawa Polo Club, just south of Barrhaven, on May 14th with the 2022 Pony Platter.

The annual Men’s and Women’s games have traditionally served as a preseason

match between the Ottawa Swans and the Quebec Saints.

This year’s tournament will welcome the Nova Scotia Lions for the first time.

After a difficult two years where opportunities to play were limited by the pandemic, local players are looking for-

ward to hitting the field again this summer.

“It’s been challenging for us to keep building the sport when we haven’t been able to play regular games,” said Swans President and Women’s Head Coach Yaser Elenein.

“We’re really excited to wel-

come Quebec and Nova Scotia to Manotick and continue to grow footy across Eastern Canada.”

Despite the challenges, the Swans have found new and creative ways to introduce people to the sport.

Last year, the club intro-

duced AusKick, the first junior program aimed at children between the ages of 5 and 12.

Following a successful round of sessions last fall, this year’s program will be expanded to serve youth in both the east and west ends of Ottawa.

The club has also worked hard to keep players engaged by hosting regular training sessions, club events, and social nights. They even managed to host a Men’s and Women’s game against Quebec late last summer.

“The footy community

is unlike any other,” Men’s Head Coach Greg Bridges explained. “From the volunteers and supporters to the players themselves, there’s an incredible passion for the game.”

The Ottawa Swans play games at the Ottawa Polo Club at Bankfield Road at the 416 interchange throughout the summer, and anyone is welcome to try the sport or come and watch. To learn more, follow the Ottawa Swans Australian Football Club on social media or at www.ottawaswans.com.

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BARRHAVEN INDEPENDENT

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