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FRIDAY • November 24 • 2023
Barrhaven students walk out of classes to hold pro-Palestian rally Hundreds of students walked out of classes at John McCrae Secondary School and Longfields Davidson Heights Secondary School Wed., Nov. 15 in a pro-Palestinian march. “We want a ceasefire,” said Sara Farajallah, one of the rally organizers, in an interview with CTV Ottawa. “We want peace. We want people to stop dying. We just want our people to live in peace and harmony in Palestine. I have a lot of family in Gaza that have been affected, that have been killed.” The pro-Palestinian rallies started happening throughout the country immediately after the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel that killed 1400 Israelis. Many of the proPalestinian rallies have celebrated the attack on Israel, and one of the controversial hot buttons has been the chant, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” Historically, that chant
has been a call for genocide against the Jews and the eradication of Israel. According to Ottawa lawyer Lawrence Greenspon, that chant qualifies as a hate crime in Canada. Greenspon spoke in a Zoom webinar with Sergeant Ali Toghrol, who heads the Hate and Bias Crime Unit of the Ottawa Police Service. “I don’t think that (chant) is anything short of advocating genocide of Jews from the river to the sea,” said Greenspon. “That’s what’s in the charter of Hamas. They are sworn to eliminate Jews period. That’s it.” Protest organizers reached out to the Ottawa Police Service ahead of time to assure them that there would be no antiSemitic messages or messages of hate. They also assured the police that there would be no messages of hate or antisemitism. “The first step is to
Students from John McCrae and Longfield Davidson Heights Secondary Schools gathered in the shopping plaza parking lot at Greenbank and Berrigan for a pro-Palestine rally. (CTV Ottawa screenshot)
call for a ceasefire” Oussama Marai, one of the rally organizers, told CTV Ottawa. “They have announced daily four-hour humanitarian pauses, but this is not enough. I believe it can happen if enough pressure is applied
by the international community. Not just Canada, but also the U.S. This is a message to Joe Biden as well. This is a message to France, this is a message to the U.K. It’s not just Canada that’s involved. This is an international problem.”
The Jewish community in Barrhaven has been faced with a sharp rise in antisemitism in the community. The problem has worsened since Oct. 7, but it is not new. In the summer of 2019, the Barrhaven Independent published a fea-
ture on the growing antisemitism problem in the community. “No one here is mentioning anything about hate. We do not want any of that. All we want is to be free,” Laian Farhoud told CTV Ottawa. Lyne and Dave
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Page 2 FRIDAY, November 24, 2023 BARRHAVEN INDEPENDENT
Remembrance Day has never been more meaningful for Canadians By Goldie Ghamari, MPP for Carleton Since I was first elected as the MPP for Carleton in 2018, there have never been more meaningful celebrations of Remembrance Day in our riding. Because of some timing conflicts of the various ceremonies, it is not possible to get to each and every one in the Carleton riding. However, I was able to get to several both on the weekend of Nov. 4-5 and on Remembrance Day itself on Sat., Nov. 11. As I looked around during the ceremonies, thoughts raced through my head, and I wondered how many of you had the same thoughts. We wear our poppies with pride. We wear them to honour and respect the many Canadians before us who
made sacrifices and lost their lives so that we could live in freedom. I will never take this freedom for granted. When I was just a toddler, my family escaped living under the terrorist regime in Iran to come to the wonderful, safe haven of Canada. It was not easy for my parents to come to Canada as refugees. But through hard work and through the respect that they have for Canada, they gave my sister and I childhoods and lives that could not even be imagined in Iran. We became the proudest and most passionate Canadians
we could be, both as individuals, and collectively as a family. I first became a politician out of a love for Canada and for Ontario. I wanted to contribute. I wanted to give back. I wanted to make a difference – a big difference. I never imagined that fate would thrust me onto a stage where I would become an international voice standing up against the Islamofascist terrorist actions of Hamas, which is funded by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran. Now, when I look at the poppy on my coat, I am reminded that history cannot and must not repeat itself. We cannot lose our freedom, a precious gift given to us by those brave Canadians before us who fought for it. When we
turn on the news or check our social media feeds, we are getting a glimpse of what the world looks like without freedom. As your elected official, I will continue to do everything I can for the riding of Carleton. I will push for more schools, for better infrastructure, for more support for local businesses and farms, and for any other local issue that arises. I will do this as the MPP for Carleton, but I will also do this as a proud Canadian who, now more than ever, loves my country. Being at our Remembrance Day ceremonies and wearing a poppy made me reflect and think of all of these things.
Congratulations Dr. Cheng
Last week, the Hon-
ourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario and Chancellor of the Order of Ontario, announced 26 new appointments to the Order of Ontario for 2022. Since it’s creation in 1986, more than 800 people have been recognized with the province’s highest civilian honour for their extraordinary contributions. Among the 2022 Appointees to the Order of Ontario was Dr. Michael Cheng. Dr. Cheng has advanced the understanding of child and youth mental health and wellness through his work as a child psychiatrist at Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Ottawa and a member of the CHEO Research Insti-
tute. He also co-founded eMentalHealth.ca, a mental health website for families and professionals, and co-developed a guide for frontline police officers to better understand and support child/youth mental health. The incoming Lieutenant Governor, Edith Dumont, will bestow the province’s highest honour to the new appointees in a ceremony taking place on November 27, 2023. The Order of Ontario recognizes exceptional leaders from all walks of life and diverse fields of endeavour whose impact and lasting legacy have played an important role in building a stronger province, country and world.
goldie
continues on page 3
FRIDAY, November 24, 2023 Page 3
BARRHAVEN INDEPENDENT goldie continues from page 2 Building a Strong Ontario Together
The Minister of Finance released the 2023 Ontario Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review: Building a Strong Ontario Together. This update continues the government’s responsible, targeted approach, providing the flexibility needed to help address ongoing economic uncertainty and build critical infrastructure in growing communities while laying a strong fiscal foundation for future generations. Ontario is seeing significant growth, with nearly 500,000 more people coming to the province last year and more than 170,000 net new jobs created in the first nine months of 2023 alone. According to the Minister of Finance, our population is growing, jobs are being created and more and more companies are choosing Ontario as a place to do business. While this is good news, this cannot be taken for granted at a time of geopolitical and economic uncertainty. The choice for the road ahead is clear. We must continue with our government’s targeted approach — it has the flexibility we need while still investing to build the critical infrastructure to support growing communities across Ontario. With Building a Strong Ontario Together, the government is introducing new tools to help build critical infrastructure faster and smarter, continuing to attract investments and more jobs, and providing better services for people. Highlights include: - Launching the Ontario Infrastructure Bank, a new arms-length, board-governed agency to enable public-sector pension plans and other trusted institutional investors to participate in large-scale infrastructure projects across the province. At the outset, projects will be focused on long-term care homes, affordable housing and infrastructure in the municipal, community, energy and transportation sectors. - Helping to build more rental homes by taking steps to remove the full eight per
cent provincial portion of the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) on qualifying new purposebuilt rental housing. This will encourage builders to build more rental units, and is another step in the government’s plan to help people in Ontario find and afford a place to live. - Providing an additional $100 million to the Invest Ontario Fund, for a total of $500 million, which will enable Invest Ontario, the government’s investment attraction agency, to help attract more leading companies to the province, further support businesses already here and create good-paying jobs in communities across the province. - Proposing to enhance the Ontario Focused FlowThrough Share Tax Credit eligibility to help stimulate critical mineral exploration and improve access to capital for small exploration companies. If approved, the change would start with the 2023 tax year and add $12 million per year in tax credit support to Ontario’s critical minerals mining industry. - Extending the current gas and fuel tax rate cuts through to June 30, 2024 — a proposed change that, along with the rate cuts already in place, would save households $260 on average since the cuts were first implemented in July 2022. - Expanding access to breast cancer screening for women ages 40 to 49, by allowing them to self-refer for a mammogram through the Ontario Breast Screening Program. Beginning in fall 2024, these measures will increase access for more than 305,000 additional individuals.
Quick Facts
The government is now projecting a $5.6 billion deficit in 2023–24 based on updated economic and revenue information and higher contingencies to mitigate nearterm risks. Over the medium term, the government is taking a responsible approach to eliminating Ontario’s deficit by 2025–26. A deficit of $5.3
billion is forecast in 2024–25, followed by a surplus of $0.5 billion in 2025–26. Office Notice:
My office is open Monday to Friday, 9 am to 4 pm. If you require assistance on any matter, please contact me
at any time. My staff and I will be happy to assist. Even if it’s not a provincial issue, I’ll make sure to connect you
with the proper office.
Goldie Your voice at Queen’s Park
Measure, analyze and accept that we will never know all we want to know Whenever I watch wildlife programs on television I automatically think of David Attenborough. Over the years he has made us so aware of nature and its wonders. Recently I watched a program on grey whales, their beauty left me speechless – for a moment anyway – their twists and turns, their graceful pirouettes as they swam in and out
THis week,
THIS MONTH by Larry Ellis
of the picture, close up then disappearing into the depths of the water. The commentator admitted that their lives are still very private and that
we know very little about them. His final word on the program was that “maybe it is good that there are things we don’t know, we need to keep the mystery of life.” Whatever the subject though, we always want to know more. That’s what science is all about, observing, watching, recording, satisfying our curiosity, adding to the
knowledge we already have. The only thing is – every time we find an answer it seems to raise more questions. The mystery is still there reminding us that we can never know everything because the source, the prime mover in creation, is that power we call God. Take the time to measure and analyze, sit back, accept and say “Thank You”.
Page 4 FRIDAY, November 24, 2023 BARRHAVEN INDEPENDENT
Sod is turned at the site of the new police station in Barrhaven
The Ottawa Police Services Board and the Ottawa Police Service have broken ground on the new South Facility at 3505 Prince of Wales Drive. “The 218,000 square foot, three-storey facility will bring police services and public safety closer to the growing communities in the south end of Ottawa,” stated Chief Eric Stubbs. “It will provide an inclusive, equitable, and safe space to serve all City residents and operations in the urban and rural areas of the city.” The facility, located beside Carleton Lodge and near Vimy Bridge, will replace the Greenbank Road and Leitrim police stations. It will contribute to enhancing community safety and house a Community Police Centre, provide Front Desk and Collision Reporting services, as well as a Community Boardroom. The station will serve Barrhaven and Riverside South, as well as outlying communities such as Findlay Creek, Greely, Manotick and Osgoode.
“The population of Barrhaven and Riverside South combined are approaching that of Kingston’s—the South Facility recognises that and fulfills a promise to the residents of Barrhaven since the early-2010s for a local police station,” said City of Ottawa Councillor Wilson Lo. “Barrhaven East is grateful for the OPS’s commitment to improving police presence, public safety, and other police services in the community. Thanks to Chief Stubbs and the Ottawa Police Services Board for ensuring the project proceeds.” The introduction of the new South Facility will address some of the current space pressures the Service is experiencing and assist in replacing ageing buildings. As a foundational project in the Facilities Strategic Plan, the facility is critical in supporting the necessary and evolving police operations, while also modernizing the physical work environment. Construction of the build-
The sod was turned at the site of the future Ottawa Police Service station that will serve Barrhaven, Riverside South, Manotick and surrounding communities.
ing is aligned with meeting LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification and will include electrical vehicle charging
stations both in the visitors and staff parking areas. The finished structure will also introduce interior and exterior art installations commissioned
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through the City Public Art process. Construction of the South Facility is estimated to be $115M and will be completed
in 2026. The remaining eight acres of the 15-acre site are anticipated to be developed over the next few years.
FRIDAY, November 24, 2023 Page 5
BARRHAVEN INDEPENDENT
Barrhaven Remembrance Day draws good crowd at cenotaph
An estimated crowd of well over 300 people gathered in front of John McCrae Secondary School for the 2023 Barrhaven Remembrance Day ceremony Sat. Nov. 11. It was a poignant ceremony hosted by Royal Canadian Legion Barrhaven Branch 625. In addition to the numerous veterans and military personnel, a military band added to the event. It was the largest Remembrance Day to date at the cenotaph in front of the high school. For years, the service was held in the parking lot at the Walter Baker Centre,
next to the school. During the COVID restrictions, the service was temporarily moved to Capital Gardens on Prince of Wales Drive, and then it moved back to the cenotaph but with an extremely limited number of people allowed to attend. Having the cenotaph at the high school after John McCrae has special meaning. Lieutenant-Colonel McCrae is best known for writing the poem, In Flanders Fields. McCrae wrote the poem May 3, 1915 after watching the burial of his friend, Lt. Alexis Helmer, was killed in the
Second Battle of Ypres. The Barrhaven Remembrance Day was one of many in the area. Nepean MPP Lisa MacLeod was in attendance at the ceremony at Centrepointe. “This week, we are commemorating Remembrance Day, reflecting on all of the men and women who have fought and continue to fight for us,” MacLeod posted on X. “In an increased time of violence around the world, especially with continued attacks on Ukraine by Russia and Israel by Hamas, this is a time to reflect.”
Councillor David Hill is a veteran who served in Afghanistan. Earlier in the week, he visited Barrhaven Public School to talk to students
about Remembrance Day. Hill spoke “on the importance of kindness and how the Poppy reminds me of my friends who helped me. Their
kindness inspired me while in Afghanistan and Lebanon. They risked a lot to have safer land for their kids to grow up.”
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Page 6 FRIDAY, November 24, 2023 BARRHAVEN INDEPENDENT
The hockey trophy that never was
INDEPENDENT Editorial
time of year for foot- shield honouring the 1908 champs is Fixing Canada’s family doctor crisis ballThisfans,is aasspecial the Grey Cup gives us yet still on the trophy.
As Canada faces a critical and growing shortage of doctors, there’s no quick solution. It takes at least 10 years to become a family doctor and 14 years for specialists. Medical school lasts four years. Successful graduates then embark on hospital-based residency, which currently takes two years for general practitioners and up to seven years for specialties. Residency is a very demanding and sometimes traumatic experience. Residents do tasks not needing the highest expertise levels, leaving supervising doctors to perform those. They can be required to work a very demanding 70 hours per week and 100 hours in peak periods, with shifts of up to 26 hours. A 2021 article by two Canadian residents and an emergency room physician, entitled “It’s time to abolish 26-hour shifts for residents,” articulates an increasing pushback against such hours, which can easily lead to burnout, a health risk to both patients and residents. Last year, 2,900 new doctors graduated in Canada. Given the arduous path they had to follow to get there, it’s a wonder it’s that many. But it’s woefully short of what we need. Canada’s physician shortage is most urgent in primary care. And it’s only going to get worse. One in six family doctors is 65 or older and nearing retirement. Moreover, there’s been a steady decrease in the proportion of new medical graduates choosing family medicine. This is attributed to reports of burnout from spending their days trying to deal with overloaded waiting rooms and their evenings filling out forms required by Medicare bureaucrats. No wonder only 31 percent of those 2,900 graduating doctors ranked family medicine as their top choice. Given this alarming trend, it’s inexplicable that the College of Family Physicians wants to increase the two-year residency to three years. Despite the issues I’ve cited, the fact remains that Canadian-trained doctors are among the very best in the world. But the number graduating isn’t nearly enough. What can be done? Here are this engineer’s recommendations: • The average acceptance rate of university medical schools is just eight per cent. Double it. Getting in will still require very high academic performance. • Expand the number of residency slots to match the increase in medical school graduates. • Adjust resident working hours and eliminate the “slave/master” culture. • Ditch all plans to increase family doctor residency to three years from two. Our broken healthcare system is on the brink of a complete meltdown while high immigration rates expand the patient base. Doctors are retiring. And yet, both medical student acceptance rates and the unnecessarily fraught path to becoming a doctor remain stuck in neutral. Surely Canada can do better than this. Gwyn Morgan is a retired business leader who has been a director of five global corporations. © Troy Media
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Because of the war, the Grey Cup another excuse tothrow a party. from What if the Grey Cup had actually be- was cancelled from 1916-19, and the the other cup was forgotten. It was rediscovered come a hockey trophy, as it was intendin a vault of family heired to be when it was commislooms of one of its trustsioned to be made more than ees. In 1928, the Grey 100 years ago? Cup was lost again, as It was 1909. Albert George the manager of the HamGrey, the fourth Earl, was the ilton Tigers, Len Back, Governor General of Canada. stuck the trophy in his He spent $48 to have a trophy hall closet. It was found made that would be donated to the amateur hockey champion of the again just in time for the 1929 final. In 1947, the Grey Cup escaped a meltDominion of Canada. The Stanley Cup had been around for professional hockey down when the Toronto Argonaut Rowfor more than a decade. Unbeknownst ing Club clubhouse went up in flames. to Earl Grey, Sir H. Montague Allan, Most of the trophies were either melted President of the Montreal Amateur Ath- or badly damaged. The Grey Cup beletic Association, had already donated a longed to the Argos, as they had detrophy for the Canadian amateur hockey feated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 10-9 championship just months earlier. The in the 1947 game. As the fire gutted the first Allan Cup, played for in 1909, clubhouse, the Grey Cup fell from its was won by the Ottawa Cliffsides. Earl shelf but got caught on a hook in the Grey opted to donate his new trophy to wall, which saved it from melting. The the Dominion’s amateur rugby football cup was charred, but it saved the blaze champion. His $48 piece of hardware and was repaired. While the Grey Cup was not lost or would become a true symbol of Canada stolen in 1948, we can never forget that for the next century. Football in Canada was long over- year. This is the 75th anniversary of due for a trophy of its own. The game the year that supporters of the Calgary was played in Upper Canada as early Stampeders rode a horse into the lobby as 1861. In 1874, a group from McGill of the Royal York Hotel. It is a tradition University in Montreal came up with a that has carried on at a host city hotel new set of rules, and they played a team through the ages. One of the most unique stories of the from Harvard University in Boston in Grey Cup happened in Ottawa. Less the first football game ever played. Our version of football and the Grey than a month after Russ Jackson led the Cup mirrors Canadian culture. Canadian 1969 Rough Riders to the Grey Cup, the football is like American football, only trophy was stolen from its case at Lansnot as simple and a little more refined downe Park. A ransom note was left, deand exciting. The Grey Cup is the one manding a large sum of money for the thing we have been able to hold onto as cup. In February, 1970, Greg Fulton of ours, despite a one-year black hole in the CFL received a call regarding the CFL history when Baltimore won the cup and informed the Toronto police. They were instructed to go to a phone 1995 Grey Cup. As the Stanley Cup has its strange, booth on the corner of Parliament and historical anecdotes, so does the Grey Dundas Streets. In the coin return slot, Cup. The Univeristy of Toronto won the there was a key to a locker at the Royal first three Grey Cup games, but when York Hotel. In it was the Grey Cup. In 1983, when the Toronto Argonauts the Hamilton Alerts beat the Toronto Argonauts in 1912 and the Hamilton won their first cup since the 1950s, reTigers beat Parkdale in 1913, they did ceiver Jan Carinici was taking the tronot get the Cup. The University of To- phy to a post-game celebration. After ronto figured they did not have to give leaving BC Place Stadium, his car broke up the trophy until someone beat them down, and he ended up hitchhiking for the title. That would happen in 1913, through Vancouver with the Grey Cup. when the Argonauts would beat the Var- In 1987, it was sat on and broken. In sity Blues. Not only were the shields on 1993, Blake McDermott of the Eskimos the cup updated to show the winners, head butted the Cup in celebration and but the Hamilton Tigers did one better. cracked it. The trophy itself is as much a part of When they won the Grey Cup in 1915, they added an extra shield listing them- Canadian folklore as some of the Grey selves as the 1908 champions. Hamilton Cup’s heroes. When I think of all of the had defeated the University of Toronto rich and generally unknown history of 21-17 in the last CIRFU championship Canada’s historic trophy, it makes me game before the Grey Cup was intro- proud to be Canadian. And I am happy that the Grey Cup did duced. Even though the Grey Cup was made and first played for in 1909, the not end up being a hockey trophy.
side
FRIDAY, November 24, 2023 Page 7
BARRHAVEN INDEPENDENT
Letters to the Editor welcome at LETTERS TO THE EDITOR manotickmessenger@gmail.com CBC is fair and balanced in a world dominated by right wing media The Editor, The Barrhaven Independent strongly recommended that the CBC should be defunded. This is the typical right-wing view that attacks or smears any media or viewpoint that does not push the conservative stance on social and government issues. The conservatives would like to have the communications media completely dominated with right wing thinking so that public would be moulded into complete acceptance of unbridled capitalism. In a healthy democracy, plural viewpoints flourish and the electorate accept the notion that people
have the right to differing viewpoints. The CBC presents balanced viewpoints in its broadcasts and this strengthens Canadian tolerance towards others. In a society that is dominated solely by conservative thinking, social ideals such as government support for education, or government mandated health care, are trashed. Just look at the way Doug Ford is slyly privatizing our health care system via the establishment of for-profit clinics. When election campaigning, conservatives entice the voters with promises of reduced taxes without telling the public that this will be accom-
panied with reduced social programs like child protection, support for abused women, support for the homeless and for our overloaded food banks. When social programs are cut, people suffer and become afraid, and will seek out a dictator (like Trump or Hitler) who promise to restore order, but the problem is that once in power, these dictators remain in power. People are very susceptible to propaganda and governments know this. That is why they try to control the public’s access to information. Dictatorships are just outright brutal in the way they control the
media for what can be said or published. The right wing elites in our country have almost devoured the newspapers, TV and radio networks except for the CBC and they’re working hard to eliminate it so that only right wing views will predominate. In countries where extreme right wing views are the norm, people are suffering and so they tolerate politicians who champion outrageous platforms like House Speaker Mike Johnson saying that mass shootings are the result of the teaching of evolution and no-fault divorce, or when Donald Trump trivialized the dangers of
the covid - 19 pandemic. People with supposedly good education are among the those who help elect politicians harbouring silly ideas which shows that a good education does not help in rational political thinking. Democracy hinges on a well informed electorate. If the electorate is not well informed, then it will go along with whatever propaganda is prevalent
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even if by doing so, the interests of the electorate will be ignored. People voted for Doug Ford and will continue to do so even though he is attacking their health care program by privatization. If our democracy collapses because we let ourselves be prey to extremist propaganda, then we deserve what we get.
613-823-4447 waterfordgrand.ca 121 Marketplace Ave., at The Barrhaven Town Centre
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Page 8 FRIDAY, November 24, 2023 BARRHAVEN INDEPENDENT
Public meeting Nov. 28 regarding proposed battery energy storage system plant A public meeting will be held in Manotick Nov. 28 regarding a proposed battery energy storage system plant being proposed for Trail Road, southwest of Barrhaven. Evolugen, the Canadian operating business of Brookfield Renewable Power Inc., is proposing the facility. The $350 mil-
lion project, which would be operational by May 2028, is in the feasibility stage right now. The project would see the installation of battery modules, some additional power equipment, light civil, safety and security infrastructure. The plant would sit on eight acres and would be on a 53-acre
R
E F F O IAL
site of private land. According to Evolugen, the project directly responds to the Independent Electricity System Operator’s (IESO) call for additional capacity to meet Ontario’s growing electricity consumption. Evolgen states that the project represents a costeffective solution to add
K C A L B Y A D I FR SPEC
K E E W
Evolgen is proposing a $350 million battery energy storage system at Trail Road near Highway 416 southwest of Barrhaven. (Preliminary design/subject to change)
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capacity, enhance flexible grid operations, and save greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Ontario by reducing the need for carbon-intensive power plants during times of peak demand. According to Ottawa WindConcerns, the concerns of local residents include the risk of fire, noise from the cooling equipment, emergency preparedness, loss of property value for nearby properties, and how the cost of the project will impact electricity bills. Evolugen is one of three companies proposing to build BESS facilities in the western part of Ottawa. The other companies are Potentia Renewables and Solar Flow Through Funds. They are both proposing building BESS facilities in West CarletonMarch, w. The proposals came after the ISEO issued a call for proposals as it tries to address the needs to balance Ontario’s power
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supply. The Trail Road BESS would add up to 150 MW of capacity and 600 MWh of energy storage. It would interconnect to ISEO using the nearby 230 kV circuit. Evolugen states that they are committed to building trust with local stakeholders and engaging proactively with communities to ensure that their interests are appropriately considered in our decision-making. The project will follow this commitment with: - Minimal traffic when the facility is operational
- Increased electricity supply and reliability - Reduced chance of outages in the network The public meeting will introduce the Trail Road BESS and receive feedback. The meeting will take place Tues., Nov. 28 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Manotick Arena, 5572 Dr. Leach Drive. The format of the meeting is for an opportunity to engage with the project team members from 6:30-7 p.m., the project presentation from 7-7:30 p.m., and a question and answer period from 7:30-8:30 p.m.
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BARRHAVEN INDEPENDENT
Virtual Town Hall on Barrhaven Bus Network Realignment Nov. 27 By Barrhaven Councillors Wilson Lo and David Hill
Public transit is a service, not a business. Despite that, transit does not draw from an infinite funding source, nor is that funding a blank cheque to do whatever. The service still needs sound financial sustainability to ensure its own survival Planning for public transit involves a delicate balance of service, fares, and the property tax levy. Years ago, City Council set a 45/55 model for funding OC Transpo, in that the property tax levy funds 55 per cent of revenues, while fares fund the remaining 45 per cent. (Every city has a similar model—some rely more on fares, while others rely more on property taxes.) It’s no secret transit service has degraded since the introduction of the LRT and more so since the height of the pandemic. In fact, we believe transit is still paying the price of poor decision making around the LRT launch and the fact services were not adapted to emerging travel patterns over the last few years. We have acknowledged it, OC Transpo has acknowledged it, while transit customers had to live with it every day. Across Canada, transit systems that have achieved close to or exceeded pre-pandemic ridership, have responded dynamically to changes in commuter behaviour, creatively increased service availability, and decentralised services from their downtown cores. OC Transpo’s route review is an ongoing exercise at Council’s request to better match transit service to the travel patterns that have changed over the last few years and stabilised
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Wilson Lo, Councillor
Councillor , Ward 3
only recently. This includes putting a higher emphasis on local travel, easier trips to destinations outside downtown, and introducing service to new communities. With the federal government’s partial return-tooffice policy, the downtown core still needs services during peak periods. To balance those needs, OC Transpo’s route proposals take advantage of the new Line 2 expected to open in the spring of 2024. While communities are losing express routes duplicating local routes, improved connections across the rest of Barrhaven to Line 2 provides the balance between competing demands. Though it entails a new train-to-train transfer at Bayview Station, the faster end-toend travel time and smoother ride on Line 2 is an acceptable offset. (There’s also a new 600-space park and ride at Bowesville Station for those who want to skip the local bus portion altogether.) Through our own analyses and public feedback, gaps have emerged. To their credit, OC Transpo staff have been very receptive and flexible, and have even accommodated our early change requests. While the public-facing aspect of the route review focuses on service coverage, OC Transpo is also changing internal processes to ensure service reliability. This includes eliminating interlining on major
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routes to “contain” delays. The aggressive hiring campaign to fill operator and mechanic vacancies will also continue. With recent events, we understand major changes bring cynicism, unease, and uncertainty. However, this does well to improve connectivity while balancing the financial pressures of having done nothing for the last three years and being delicate in our approach to fares and property taxes. We believe we are trending in the right direction. It won’t be obvious day-to-day, and it may include minor setbacks now and then. The obvious hope is last summer’s LRT shutdown was the last major setback. Given the willingness of all parties to collaborate, we think that hope is on solid footing. Please join Councillor David Hill and I for a transit virtual town hall on Monday November 27, where we will solicit additional community feedback to guide further dis-
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cussions with staff as the route changes are finalised. Details about the virtual town hall are available on our social media pages.
The route changes should take affect in spring or sum-
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Page 10 FRIDAY, November 24, 2023 BARRHAVEN INDEPENDENT
The Class of 2023 was inducted into the Nepean Sports Wall of Fame.
Barrhaven talent recognized during annual Nepean Sports Wall of Fame ceremony By Charlie Senack There was a strong sense of Barrhaven pride at the annual Nepean Sports Wall of Fame ceremony held at the Nepean Sportsplex on Oct. 26. Over 100 people gathered to recognize 12 of Nepean’s best and brightest athletes and community builders. Among those celebrated was Barrhaven’s Erika Hoffmann, an elite international race car driver, who has ranked up a successful following since starting the sport in 2019. Hoffmann was the winner of the ‘22 Formula Woman International Driver Search Competition, where she ranked first out of 1,000 drivers from 35 countries. This won her a seat racing a McLaren 570s GT4 car in the UK’s GT Cup Championship for the 2022 season. Hoffmann was the only North American to make the GT4 team and the only Canadian racing in the GT Cup Championship. In 2023, Hofmann was selected by the International Automobile Federation (FIA) and Canada’s National Sporting Authority (ASN) to represent Canada at the International FIA Rallystar competition in Italy. There she placed third among all women finalists from North and South America. “It’s hard to wrap my head around my success sometimes,” she told the Barrhaven Independent. “It’s such a privilege and such a blessing. It’s such a hard sport to get into because it’s so expensive. I’ve
had a lot of strides and it’s been a pretty incredible journey for me.” Hoffmann said she knew she had a love for speed since her childhood. The Barrhaven native viewed Formula One racing growing up, with her uncle setting up a satellite dish to record the completions onto VHS. He’d later stick into his niece’s mailbox so she could watch “We’d watch it a few weeks late, but we’d never have any spoilers because nobody cared enough to talk about it. and then we’d give it back to him to tape over for the next race,” Hoffmann said. “It created this fancy dream where I thought I’d be really good at this. I longed to do it and it was a skill set I was inclined towards. After I got my license, I just couldn’t stop there.” When she’s not on the track herself, Hoffmann is working with TWOth Autosport based out of the Cala-
bogie Motorsports Park. While she has a need for speed, the Barrhaven resident said you won’t see her street racing down Strandherd late at night. “If you want to go fast, go to a track,” Hoffmann said. “It makes me a lot calmer driving on the road.” Looking ahead to 2024, Hoffmann said she’s looking to race across North America and is looking to bring more equality to the fast driving sport. Only 1.5 racing licenses are held globally, according to The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile. Also recognized during the sports award ceremony under the media category was sportscaster Gord Wilson, best known for his colour commentary of Ottawa Senators Games. He joins Barrhaven resident “Stuntman” Stu Schwartz who is already on the wall.
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Gord Wilson is a Nepean native who is a longtime TSN1200 personality and colour commentator for the Ottawa Senators.
FRIDAY, November 24, 2023 Page 11
BARRHAVEN INDEPENDENT
fame continues from page 10 Wilson, also a Barrhaven resident, has deep roots in Nepean. He was born in Montreal but moved to Ottawa when he was six and went to J.S. Woodsworth High School. Later, he attended Algonquin College’s radio broadcasting program. The current TSN sports reporter was unable to be in attendance, but sent a video message from a hotel room
in Long Island, New York, where Wilson was traveling with the Ottawa Senators hockey team. He reflected on his longtime ties with the community. “I spent seven years of my youth working for Nepean parks and rec. I started out in the skate sharpening room. I worked my way through ice and building maintenance and then found myself in the
Barrhaven native Erika Hoffman is an international race car driver.
cushy confines of the curling rink,” Wilson said. “It was at the Nepean Sportsplex that I developed a work ethic that has helped me through a broadcasting career that’s stretching into 40 years now — 32 of which have been as one of the voices of the Ottawa senators.” Wilson’s award was accepted by his son, Jake Wilson, who attends St. Joseph High School. “My father’s worked here [at the Nepean Sportsplex] since he was 16 years old; since he was my age, which was so, so long ago,” he joked. “I had no idea he was this cool to be inducted into the wall of fame. This means a lot to us.” A total of 94 inductees are now part of the Nepean Sports Wall of Fame. Other names to be recognized this year include: diving coach Fernando Henderson; Gavin Leishman, past owner and general manager of the CCHL’s Nepean Raiders and Pembroke Lumber Kings; Agnes Laing, founder of the Nepean Corona School of Gymnastics; builder Richard Fleming; Karen Butcher from the Nepean Skating Club; gymnast and special Olympics athlete Ada Chan; diver Henry McKay; ringette player Kaitlyn Youldon; curler and Olympian Lisa Weagle and members of the Nepean Knights Jr B Lacrosse team. Over the last two years, the Nepean Sports Wall of Fame has undergone significant rebranding. A new
video display replaces a wall that was full of individualized plaques. The initiative is overseen by a volunteer board
of directors with the mission to “honour, preserve and celebrate Nepean’s sporting excellence, while upholding the principles
of excellence, community, diversity, equity and inclusion through sporting pursuits,” according to a press release.
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CLUES ACROSS 1. Nocturnal S. American rodent 5. Requesting 11. Give temporarily 12. Happiness 16. Military branch 17. -__, denotes past 18. Middle Eastern city 19. Air hostesses 24. Partner to Pa 25. Percussion instrument 26. Popular computers 27. Decrease light 28. Valley in the Osh Region 29. “To __ his own” 30. Absence of difficulty 31. Notice announcing intended marriage read out in church 33. Trims by cutting 34. Impact 38. Military member 39. A French river 40. Member of prehistoric people in Mexico 43. Messenger ribonucleic acid 44. Musician Clapton 45. Greek sophist 49. Largest English dictionary (abbr.) 50. Narrow valley 51. A way to disentangle
53. Indicates not an issue (abbr.) 54. Recommending 56. Genus of legumes 58. Friend to Larry and Curly 59. Off-Broadway theater award 60. Fencers 63. Small Eurasian deer 64. Denoting passerine birds 65. Separate by category CLUES DOWN 1. Colorless fluid part of blood 2. Of a main artery 3. Photographic equipment 4. Confirms a point 5. Developed over time 6. Not the leader 7. __ Lang (country singer) 8. Adults need one 9. Nests of pheasants 10. Antelopes 13. One quintillion bytes (abbr.) 14. Japanese threestringed lute 15. Type of cat 20. Cools your home 21. The ancient Egyptian sun god
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BARRHAVEN INDEPENDENT
FRIDAY, November 24, 2023 Page 13
Page 14 FRIDAY, November 24, 2023 BARRHAVEN INDEPENDENT
Invictus Games a life-changing experience for double gold medalist By Barrhaven Independent Staff
There is a cliché that says showing up is not good enough. But for Alaina Mundy and others who competed in the Invictus Games in the fall, showing up was everything. “You need to be brave enough to stand up in front of the world and just show up,” said the local woman who was a double gold medalist at the Invictus Games. Mundy is a self-described third generation Army Brat. She followed the footsteps of her father and grandfather and joined the Canadian military, and her husband is in the Canadian military. Her father served a s a combat engineer, which led to her family moving around throughout her childhood. As a child, she joined Girl Guides. “A huge part of my life is that I have been a Girl Guide since 1987 - this is a source of personal pride and accomplishment,” she said. “Guiding was my anchor. I knew where ever we landed, there would be room for me. I would have friends on Tuesday nights, and I would get to do all the things that I enjoyed.” While Mundy’s career was successful and she climbed up the professional ladder, there were some setbacks. The first happened in 2005,
when she was cycling on a training run for a cross base challenge and suffered a significant injury. The second setback was more serious. In 2020, Mundy was going through a very stressful and demanding time at work. “My body was not feeling like it normally did,” she said. “Something was different. My running slowed down. My walking slowed down. I knew something wasn’t right.” Mundy was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. While Mundy had spent her life meeting challenges head on, the diagnosis left her as a proverbial deer looking into life’s oncoming headlights. “I had never even known anyone with MS, I had no idea how it would impact my life and I certainly was not ready for the changes,” she said. “It was a very dark time for me and I wallowed in my diagnosis for a few months. I would later realize that this was very reasonable behavior and my feelings about my diagnosis were valid. I learned that I did not have to like having MS – no one does – but I just need to learn how to live well despite it.” For the next two years, Mundy had to learn to slow down. She had to adjust to a geared-down pace with fewer responsibilities on her plate. “After struggling with this slow-down phase for a long
time, I have finally learned to embrace it,” she said. “I realized that having less on my plate makes me a better person.” While life takes some bad turns, it also takes good turns. Munday met two people she calls “MS Champions”. Stacey Mousseau-Trottier and Levi Bradley had both competed in the Invictus Games, and they shared their experiences with Mundy. “These two beautiful humans encouraged me to apply,” she said. Mundy said she did not look sick, but she faked being well. In November, 2022, she received a letter informing her that she had been accepted to compete Her journey with her team, her peers and the coaches started right away. The team met for the first time in person in Victoria, British Colombia for a training camp in February 2023. Mundy described the camp as exciting and terrifying at the same time. Each athlete would choose three sports to participate in. She chose discus, seated volleyball, and cycling. “The Athletes had chosen their sports and the sports I chose would push me out of my comfort zone,” she said. Cycling was the one event that would force her to knock down a mental barrier. “On a downhill stretch, my bike flipped and I landed on
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Alaina Mundy and Bernard Caissie accepted the Invictus Games flag to bring to Canada in a special ceremony that celebrated Canada’s Indigenous community.
my head, shoulder and tumbled for some time,” she said of her 2005 crash. “After a visit to the hospital, it was discovered that I had fractured my left collarbone, right radial head (elbow) and had a neck injury. It took eight weeks to heal enough to return to work and over the next year I would need to work hard to regain full mobility and strength. “This was my mountain to climb – getting back on the bike. I now believe this was not a push outside my comfort zone but rather a jump from cliff called comfort zone.” Mundy found another mental hurdle in writing her biography, which was a requirement for the Canadian team.
“I had not been public about my diagnosis,” she said. “I wasn’t brave enough yet and I was worried that others would think differently about me. The truth is that I was very wrong. My diagnosis is not a failure, it is not my fault and I was thankful to be surrounded by amazing humans as I put pen to paper and finished that biography.” Under careful supervision from the coaches at Triple Shot Cycling, Munday got back on the bike and “peddled my heart out.” She thrived from the encouragement given to her by her coaches. “I trained hard,” she said. “I borrowed a Peleton from a friend and I peddled whenever
I could. I fell in love with great virtual instructors. As soon as the cycling season opened, I got outdoors and embraced my fears of cycling in traffic. At our second camp in May 2023 in Winnipeg, we cycled though Birds Hill Park and the feeling of freedom and bliss increased. I learned how to cycle one handed – that was a big deal. My coached adjusted my training programs and I joined the Ottawa Bike Club (OBC) so that I could meet more local cyclists. OBC offered Time Trials every week and they became my benchmark in my weekly schedule.”
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FRIDAY, November 24, 2023 Page 15
BARRHAVEN INDEPENDENT invictus continues from page 14 At the end of the second staging camp, Mundy and Bernard Caissie were asked to be Co-Captains of Team Canada. “This was a huge honor and Bernard and I accepted,” she said. “We have had the opportunity to help many of our teammates, advocate for sport as a road to recovery, and engage with stakeholders who can hear our stories and make tangible change. To be asked to represent your country is one thing, but to be asked to support your team as a Captain is something entirely different.” Mundy was joined by family and friends at the Invictus Games in Germany. She said it was special to share that special week with the people closest to her. Mundy won her first of two gold medals after her cycling time trial. She was unaware that she had won gold until a teammate told her and congratulated her. “Invictus is not about medals, PBs or best times
– it’s about showing up, doing your best and cheering on your friends as they climb mountains in front of you,” she said. “We all have fears, hesitation and anxiety – this completion brings new meaning to facing your fears or being thrown off that cliff called comfort zone. I saw humans missing limbs battle the water, I saw humans with little sight take corners on the racetrack, I held my breath knowing how much each push meant to these humans how one more footstep was all they had to give. For some, just being present at the games was a feat, battling with mental health issues meant that just being present and cheering on their comrades was all that they could give.” For Mundy, one of her lasting memories from the games is not a personal achievement. It is seeing a teammate overcome physical and emotional challenges to compete. “One of my favourite team members was in-
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jured playing wheelchair basketball in the first few days of the games” she said. “One of his goals was to have his two girls watch him compete for Canada as they were very small and do not remember him in uniform. I could tell he was injured and that it was a struggle for him to continue in the competition. Despite separating his shoulder and sustaining a concussion, he still competed. He still showed up daily to cheer on his teammates. I even watched him pivot during the archery competition and operate his bow with his mouth rather than his injured arm. This is the spirit of Invictus – doing your best, showing up and taking a knee if you need it.” Although the event was only a week long, Mundy made deep connections that will last a lifetime. “The connections with my competitors was a big highlight,” she said. “Meeting humans like Katrina Brown, a UK In-
victus Games Competitor and having her touch my soul so greatly was unbelievable. The moments we shared during the cycling competition, the tears we shared were meaningful. I actually did not know I had won the gold medal in the time trial. I was hugging Katrina and celebrating her silver medal achievement and she pushed me back and said ‘You don’t know, do you. You won gold.’ The tears were real in that moment, I did know and I was so emotional that she told me. It meant the world. Once you share that moment, you are connected on a human level.” At the end of the Games, Mundy and Caissie accepted the Invictus Games Foundation Flag on behalf of Canada, as the next Invictus Games will take place in Vancouver in 2025. She described that experience as surreal. “Standing on stage, looking at the crowd, seeing how proud the Duke and Duchess were in the
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“The experience was amazing,” she said. “The Invictus family will be part of my life forever. I am still processing it. I want to share the message of Invictus with everyone. Recovery through sport, and healing through sport is possible. “And the most important part of the process is to get to a place where you can just show up.”
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Page 16 FRIDAY, November 24, 2023 BARRHAVEN INDEPENDENT