The Orleans Star Feb. 6, 2020

February 6, 2020 • Volume 35, No. 1

Next edition February 20

L’édition de cette semaine à l’intérieur...

Orléans by-election to be held on Thursday, Feb. 27

Hayley, 9, gets her face painted during the Fête Frissons which took place at the Shenkman Arts Centre this past weekend. See story on page 3. FRED SHERWIN PHOTO

The TheOrléans Orléans Restaurant Restaurant Guide Guide

By Fred Sherwin The Orléans Star Orléans voters will be heading to the polls to elect a new member of provincial parliament on Thursday, Feb. 27.

The date was set by Premier Doug Ford last week and comes four months after former Orléans MPP Marie-France Lalonde stepped down to successfully run for the local federal seat.

No sooner had the date been announced then volunteers for NDP candidate Manon Parrot began putting up large 4’ x 8’ signs in strategic locations throughout Orléans. The next day, volunteers for Liberal candidate Stephen Blais followed suit and the race was on. By Monday, signs for Conservative candidate Natalie Montgomery started appearing throughout the riding.

Among the three major party candidates, Blais has had a significant head start. He and his team have been canvassing local voters since he won the Liberal nomination in early November. Montgomery and Parrot didn’t

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kick off their campaigns until a little over a week before the by-election was officially called.

Despite having a three-month head start, Blais says he is well aware that he is in the toughest battle of his political life.

“We’re working hard. We have teams knocking on doors every night. We have teams putting up signs every night. We have people canvassing by phone here at the campaign office and at home. We’re working hard to spread a positive message on what we want to do for Orléans,” says Blais, who worked on a number of local Liberal campaigns both federally and provincially before first getting elected to city councillor in 2010.

Parrot has been busy as well. She has been out canvassing every day since the byelection was called and well into the night and the people she’s talked to have told her they want change.

“Lots of people are really unhappy about the Conservative cuts and they realize that CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

COMMUNITY BRIEFS Open House for proposed Avalon development ORLÉANS –The City of Ottawa is holding an Open House on Tuesday, Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. for a proposed multi-residential development on the north side of Brian Coburn Blvd. between Portobello Boulevard and Provence Avenue.

The proposal would permit a subdivision with a total of 421 residential units comprised of 48 single detached dwellings, 61 townhouse dwellings and 312 rental units contained in four 6-storey apartment buildings. The property is approximately 10.7 hectares in size and is currently undeveloped with a portion of the property forming part of the Lalande Conservation Park. The meeting will take place at the Fallingbrook Community Elementary School, 679 Deancourt Cres. If you are unable to attend the public open house, more information about this application can be found on the City’s website: Ottawa.ca/devapps.

Orléans resident, former world karate champion Steve Anderson passes ORLÉANS – Former nine-time world karate champion Steve “Nasty” Anderson passed away at his Orléans home on Jan. 24. He was 64 years old. Anderson was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease in 2016 and his health had been deteriorating for some time. A native of California, Anderson rose to prominence in the martial arts world in the early 80s. He broke on to the scene by winning the U.S Open championship in 1980 as a relative unknown. He began his reign Steve Anderson atop the World Association of Kickboxing Organizations (WAKO) in 1982 and didn’t relinquish his title until 1991. At one point, he won 92 consecutive tournaments using his patented “California Blitz” style. Anderson moved to Orléans over 20 years ago and opened a dojo in Ottawa called Steve Anderson Karate Kickboxing. Anderson is survived by his partner Marie-France Bonnet and his children Osha, Alaya and Steve Jr.

2 • February 6, 2020 • Volume 35, No. 3

2020 St. Helen’s Art Fair looking for local artists ORLÉANS – Organizers of the St. Helen’s Anglican Church Art Fair are reaching out to local artists who might be interested in displaying and possibly selling their work at the event. This year’s Art Fair is being held on Saturday, May 30. The Art Fair will be a non-juried exhibition of fine arts encompassing painting, sculpture, glass, photography, ceramics and mixed-media with the only stipulation that the subject matter must be suitable for viewing in a church environment, by the general public, including children. As a fundraising event for the Church’s outreach missions, there is an entry fee based on the number of art works being exhibited and a commission to the Church for each sale. Details about registering for the art fair, the entry fees and commission can be found on our website www.sthelensartfair.ca. The deadline for registration is May 1.

Orléans by-election in full swing CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

the Liberals aren’t in a position to fight back,” says Parrot. “They really like that I’m not a career politician and they see that we are running a serious campaign.”

The 30-year member of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers has also been hearing from parents upset with Ford government over the ongoing teacher dispute.

“Most of the people I’ve talked to support the teachers and are against the cuts,” says Parrot.

Blais has been hearing from residents who want change as well, but change in favour of the Liberals.

“People are excited about the opportunity to demonstrate how frustrated they are with the Ford government, but the by-election is really all about Orléans.

What experience do the candidates have in Orléans and what are their plans for Orléans,” says Blais.

Montgomery’s campaign is off to a strong start as well. She’s been hearing from people who say they are upset by the lack of representation at Queen’s Park since the last election when the Conservatives won a majority government and the Liberals were reduced to just two seats.

“People want a voice in the government and I can provide them with that voice,” says Montgomery. “That’s how we can get things done. It’s hard to get things done when your party doesn’t even have official status.”

Montgomery has made a point of pinning the ongoing LRT issues on Blais who, besides being the current city councllor for Cumberland Ward, is also chair of the Ottawa Transit Commission.

“Lots of people are talking about LRT and they are very frustrated and I just remind them that we have a sitting city councilor who has been running on

taxpayer dollars and wants to run away from his job,” says Montgomery.

Blais may be looking for a new job, but he is not running away from his track record. Far from it. He is campaigning on his long list of accomplishments dating back to his days as a school trustee when he secured funding for the expansion of Lester B. Pearson and St. Matthew High School.

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Fête Frissons provides perfect cure for the winter blues

By Fred Sherwin The Orléans Star Hundreds of families flocked to the Shenkman Arts Centre on Saturday to take in the annual Fête Frissons event which helps kick off Ottawa’s Winterlude which runs from until Feb. 17.

Among the activities children were able to participate in were vintage printmaking, storytelling, a ukelele workshop, dressing up using costmes from the Ottawa Scool of Art’s costume trunk, snow painting, colouring, snow soccer and parachute games, puppetry and crafts.

But the most popular activity of all was the face painting. Kids patiently lined up at three different face painting stations from the time the festival began at 10 a.m. until 20 minutes after it had already ended.

Another favourite activity wasn’t even on the agenda. A large of mound of snow near the front entrance of the Arts Centre attracted the kids like flies as they took turns climbing up and sliding down it’s well-worn façade.

Back in the Arts Centre, a steady stream of performers provided the entertainment starting with Ottawa hip-hop and spoken word artist King Kimbit. She was followed by a break dance performance and workshop by MOOV Ottawa and

a musical performance by Girls+ Rock Ottawa.

Last but by no means least, Ottawa School of Art artist Yulia Lisitsyna lead visitors through artmaking practices from around the world including traditional Russian folk art, Scandanavian stencil art, and Australian dot painting.

For many people like the White family who just moved to Orléans a little over a year ago, the Fête Frissons provided them with the opportunity to visit the Shenkman Arts Centre for the first time and see all that it has to offer.

“I drive by it all the time, but I’ve never been inside,” said White. “It’s really beautiful.”

As for the Fête Frissons, White said the event provided them with the perfect opportunity to get out of the house and do something as a family.

“It’s my daughter’s birthday this weekend so we wanted to get out and do something fun,” said White. “This is really great. It’s great for the kids and gets us out of the house.”

White’s response is music to the ears of the event organizers and local councillors Laura Dudas and Matt Luloff who both had kiosks at the event.

“Any time you have the chance to meet people and talk to them, it’s a good thing,”

Face painting was just one of the many activities for kids at this year’s Fête Frissons. FRED SHERWIN PHOTO said Luloff. “But this event is special because there’s so many things for the kids to do and what better time to have it than during Winterlude.”

As a booster of the Ottawa Public Library’s musical instrument lending program, Luloff brought several instruments with him including a ukelele which came in handy during the ukelele demonstration and workshop held by Ottawa musician

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February 6, 2020 • Volume 35, No. 3 • 3

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4 • February 6, 2020 • Volume 35, No. 3

Inevitable As Ontario’s teachers’ unions try to turn up the pressure on Premier Doug Ford and Conservative government by increasing the frequency of their province-wide rotating strikes, the question that many parents and students are asking themselves is whether or not a general strike is inevitable.

For the time being, the Ford government doesn’t appear to want to budge an inch.

There appeared to be a flicker of hope last Wednesday when the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO) agreed to participate in mediation talks, but the discussions ended almost as soon as they began just two days later with the union claiming the province had no intention of negotiating some of the key issues.

In particular, the ETFO took exception to the government’s expressed desire to reduce funding to support the learning needs of special education students and increase average class sizes from 22 to 25 students.

Apparently, the Ford government appears willing to just wait things out. They haven’t sat down with Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation (OSSTF) in over a month. Ditto for the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’Association (OECTA) and the Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO).

In order to try and up the ante, the ETFO plans to hold one-day strikes at all school boards twice a week starting this week and OECTA members with the Ottawa Carleton District School Board stayed home on Tuesday.

The OSSTF’s rotating strikes are still fairly sporadic, but for how long?

All four unions are on work-to-rule campaigns, which has put a damper on extracurricular activities at all four area school boards and canceled some activities altogether.

The unions are hoping the rotating strikes and work-to-rule campaign will cause parents to put pressure on the province to rethink their position on some of the key issues and get back to the bargaining table.

Unfortunately, the strategy has had little to no effect. Although some parents blame the Tories for the impasse, most blame both parties for having them suffer the inconvenience of trying to find alternate child care during the one day walkouts.

As for province’s offer to pay parents up to $60 a day to help cover the cost of childcare, most parents see it for what is – a gimmick – but they’re more than happy to take the money nonetheless.

As things look right now, the current labour impasse is heading to a general strike. It’s as inevitable as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west. It’s also the only way the unions will get the province to take them seriously.

The problem is that it will also give Ford a reason to pass backto-work legislation, which is just as inevitable as a general strike. It might take two weeks or it might take three, but it will happen in time for students to write their exams.

In the meantime, the students will continue to be caught in the middle and used by pawns by both sides, but that too is inevitable.

– Fred Sherwin, editor

Fredrick C. Sherwin, Editor & Publisher fsherwin@orleansstar.ca The Orléans Star is a bi-weekly publication distributed to 44,000 residences in Blackburn Hamlet, Orléans and Navan.

The newspaper is locally owned and operated by Sherwin Publishing Inc., 745 Farmbrook Cres., Orléans, ON. Inquiries and delivery issues should be sent to info@orleansstar.ca.

Nominations open for Leading Women and Girls Awards Canada Summer Jobs 2020 | Emplois d’été Nominations for the 2020 Orléans Leading Women and Girls Recognition Awards are now Canada (EEC) The application period for Canada Summer open.

As we look forward to International Women’s Jobs (CSJ) 2020 funding is now open and will run from Jan. 30, 2020, until Day on March 8, I am delightFeb. 24, 2020. ed to let you know that the I want to encourage our 2020 Orléans Leading Women local employers to hire youth and Girls Recognition Awards and create valuable sumare now open for nomination mer job opportunities that submissions. strengthen our local econoI have had the utmost privmy and our community. The ilege to recognize over 100 Marie-France Lalonde CSJ program helps employers women and young girls over the last five years as your former member of create quality summer job opportunities and proprovincial parliament. Now that I am your fed- vide valuable work experience for youth aged 15 eral member of parliament, I want to continue to to 30. It also helps organizations like yours hire recognize and reward women and young girls in youth during the busy summer months.

As you know a summer job is an important way Orléans for their involvement in the community for youth to earn money while gaining valuable and for their leadership.

Whether you are involved in an association, a work experience that will help them on the road to group, a sport organization, a club or volunteer a successful career.

For more information on CSJ, including the elin your community, I am positive you have witnessed the work of extraordinary women and girls, igibility criteria and application guide, visit Canwho deserve to receive this accolade. Therefore, I ada.ca/Canada-summer-jobs, a Service Canada am asking your help in finding nominees who are Office or call 1-800-935-5555.

Join us on Family Day, Monday, Feb. 17 for a residents of Orléans!

You can request the nomination form by calling morning of free bowling for the entire family!

Time: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. our office or simply send us an email. A letter of Location: Orléans Bowling – 885 Taylor Creek Dr. support and the completed nomination form must Everyone is welcome. No need to RSVP. Guests be received by February 22, 2020, either by email at Marie-France.Lalonde@parl.gc.ca or in person are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items for our local food banks. at 255 Centrum Blvd.

Commons Corner

Orléans by-election result far from a foregone conclusion It took Doug Ford four months to finally call a by-election in Orléans that will take just four short weeks to contest. When Orléans voters last went to the polls to vote for a provincial representative on June 7, 2018, they bucked the provincial trend and re-elected Liberal candidate Marie-France Lalonde. Fifty-one other Liberal candidates weren’t so lucky.

Lalonde retained her seat partly due to the fact that Ford was so immensely unpopular among many of the riding’s voters, but largely to the fact that she herself was so popular. Of course, Lalonde has since moved on to the House of Commons and thus the need for a byelection.

But the political landscape is much different now then it was just two years ago. In 2018, voters had to choose between a burning desire for change after 15 years of Liberal rule and a hugely unpopular Conservative leader. Twenty-eight thousand decided to stick with Lalonde, while 5,000 defected to one of the other candidates.

The Conservatives managed to increase their total by 4,000 votes over the results of the 2014 election, but it still left them 2,463 votes shy of victory.

The NDP did the best they could to put

ELECT ÉLISEZ

Up Front Fred Sherwin the Tories over the top by peeling away thousands of votes from the Liberals. In fact, they nearly tripled their support from 5,022 votes in 2014 to 14,033 votes in 2018, but it too wasn’t enough.

So what does the Feb. 27 by-election have in store?

The Liberals are represented by threeterm city councillor Stephen Blais who has yet to lose an election campaign.

(Fun fact – Blais temporarily ran for the provincial Liberal nomination in 2003 before withdrawing his name prior to the final vote which was won by former Liberal MPP Phil McNeely.)

Blais has the advantage of a finelytuned Liberal election machine that is fresh off an overwhelming victory in the last federal election thanks in large part to their “get-out-the-vote” strategy which they have down to a science.

Conservative candidate Natalie Montgomery is the better half (hopefully, politically, as far as area Conservative supporters are concerned – sorry guys, it is was too easy to pass up) of Cameron Montgomery who lost to Lalonde in 2018.

Montgomery has the advantage of running for the party in power – it helped Brian Coburn get elected to Queen’s Park in 1999 and it helped the late Royal Galipeau get re-elected to the House of Commons in 2008 and 2011.

Having an elected representative sitting at the head table can be very alluring to some voters.

Which brings us to the wild card in the by-election – NDP candidate Manon Parrot. Two things going for her that the NDP candidate in the last election didn’t have – and don’t forget, they still got over 14,000 votes – is the fact that she is a francophone and she will automatically become a member of the Official Opposition should she actually win.

Oh, and she has a third thing going for her, she is the daughter of Jean-Claude Parrot – perhaps one of the most beloved union leaders in Canada in the last 40 years – and she has been a member of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers for the past 30 years.

Now, I’m not sure how many extra votes that will get her come Feb. 27, but it does mean she can count on an endless supply of volunteers and a ready source of potential donations.

All of which to say that the by-election is setting up to be one helluva fight.

The Conservative strategy is to somehow maintain the support they received two years ago and hope the NDP peel away even more soft Liberal support than they did in 2018.

The NDP are hoping to build on the support they received two years ago and come up the middle.

Finally, the Liberal strategy is to simply get out their base. More often than not, Orléans residents have voted Liberal.

They did so in overwhelming numbers in the federal election in October and they have done so for most of the past century.

Since 1985, Orléans has elected just one Conservative MPP, that was Brian Coburn who served from 1999-2003, and one Conservative MP – Royal Galipeau who served from 2006-2015.

Can they do it again? Only time will tell.

The only thing that is for certain is that no one should assume the result is a foregone conclusion. Voter complacency can often be a political candidate’s worst enemy.

NATALIE MONTGOMERY

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February 6, 2020 • Volume 35, No. 3 • 5

AUTHORIZED BY THE OFFICIAL AGENT FOR THE NATALIE MONTGOMERY CAMPAIGN

YOUR VOICE, ONE CHOICE. VOTRE VOIX, UN CHOIX.

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New ‘super library’ design the result Economic development grant removes barriers to employment of extensive public engagement In the east end, we are fortunate to have with the objective of finding employment several non-profit organizations working for them in their passion projects to improve lives in our community. and empowering them with the skills One of the ways the City is supporting and experience they need for future their efforts is by offering the Community employment.

Economic Development The social enterprises Grant, which funds prothat were developed as jects that reduce barriers a result of the Fellowship to employment and create continue to make a jobs for disadvantaged positive mark on our city. members of our comFor instance, Cuts for Kids munity. provided free haircuts for Innes Ward 2 Grants are available children and youth living for non-profit organizations that are in low-income housing; Woke Studios is a starting businesses and creating jobs or record label for diverse young artists; and helping people that are under-represented Freedx is a professional creative agency in the mainstream economy to develop for young women. entrepreneurial and employability skills.

In order to be considered eligible, Applications are being accepted until proposed projects must promote ecoFriday, Mar. 20 at 4 p.m. and can be found nomic development in the City, while at www.Ottawa.ca. demonstrating cultural and/or social benePast grant recipients have gone on to fits. The economic benefits generated deliver incredible programs that have by the project must be sustainable and positively impacted lives. applicants must demonstrate how benefits Last year, Youth Ottawa received will continue after project funding has funding for their Amplified Fellowship ended. Additional information about initiative, which supported innovative eligibility requirements can be found on social enterprise development by youth Ottawa.ca.

6 • February 6, 2020 • Volume 35, No. 3

Laura Dudas

Thank you, Ottawa! After six years in late 2024, the OPL-LAC will be an of hard work, planning and consultations attraction for residents across Ottawa and we were finally able to unveil a design all of Canada. I have already reached out for the Ottawa Public Library – Library to Ottawa Tourism and informed them and Archives Canada Joint Facility. Your that we now have the cover for their 2024 response and positivity tourism guide! towards what is already This new facility being dubbed a “super will offer an enriched library” has been nothing experience for customers short of breathtaking and and clients, bringing I was absolutely humbled together diverse collectby it. ions, providing exhibition Beacon Hill-Cyrville Ward 11 This design is the direct and event spaces, along result of an immense and unique public with comfortable gathering spaces and co-design process that asked not only the free and open access to millions of docuresidents’ and indigenous communities of ments. There will also be much more to our great city, but Canadians from coast to experience, like the rooftop restaurant, coast to have their say along every stage of music recording studios, and maker spaces the design process. with 3D printers and tools. This will surely This collaborative approach guided the be a place for all of us to come together design team on every aspect of the facility and gather as a community. from the inside out. This included the If you haven’t had the opportunity to building’s shape, its features, layout, the see the design yet, it’s not too late. You public art and much more! We wanted to can view the architectural renderings and ensure this building was something every video at the website Inspire555.ca. resident could be proud of and take a real I hope you all love this building as ownership in. much as I do, and I can’t wait until we When the new facility opens its doors officially break ground next year.

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Les Sittelles holds first meet of 2020

xx Club de gymnastique Les Sittelles member Jasmine McIntyre, 14, is caught in midair while competing on the balance beam at the Envol Gymnastics Meet on Saturday. FRED SHERWIN PHOTO

By Fred Sherwin The Orléans Star Over 300 gymnasts from 11 different clubs gathered at the Club de gymnastique Les Sittelles in the Taylor Creek Business Park on Jan. 24-26 for the 2020 Envol gymnastics meet. The meet was another huge success, thanks in large part to the dozens of volunteers who help pull it off every year.

Competition was held on the floor, beam, uneven bars and vault at nine different levels of aptitude and eight different age groups.

Among the all-around gold medalists were several athletes from the host club, including Shannon Lynd who swept the Level 4, 15-and-over competition, and Maia Ford who finished first on both the vault and uneven bars on her way to winning the all-around gold medal in the Level 5, 10-11 age group.

Fellow Les Sittelles members Sara St. Onge and Émilie Vallières finished 1-2 in the Level 6, 15 and over category.

St. Onge placed first on the vault and floor and third on the balance beam and

uneven bars, while Vallières placed first on the beam and third on floor.

Not to be outdone by their clubmates, Amanda Springate and Jasmine McIntyre also placed first and second in the Level 8, 13 and 14 age group.

Springate placed first on both vault and bars and second on floor and beam, while McIntyre placed first on floor and beam and second on both vault and bars.

When the final all-around standings were revealed, the pair was separated by less than half a point.

Kaitlyn Ross won the club’s seventh all-around gold medal competing in the Level 7, 16 and over division. She did so by finishing first on beam and floor and third on the uneven bars.

Several gymnasts from the TRYumph Gymnastics Club on Ogilvie Road also fared well at the event. Charlotte Bing (Level 3, Age 9), Amy Moy (Level 3, Age 11B) and Emma Leblanc (Level 4, 11A) all won the all-round competition in their respective age groups while Gabriella Murphy (Level 4, age 10) and Isabella Ochomogo (Level 3, Age 12).

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Local teams claim trio of regular season banners

8 • February 6, 2020 • Volume 35, No. 3

By Fred Sherwin The Orléans Star It’s been a banner year, so far, for three area hockey teams.

The Gloucester Rangers’ Minor Peewee and Minor Bantam AA teams have both wrapped up their regular seasons in first place, as has the Cumberland Jr. Grads’ Major Bantam AA squad.

The Gloucester Rangers’ Major Peewee AA team almost won a fourth regular season championship, but they came up a point short behind the Nepean Raiders.

If they had finished on top, it would have given the Rangers organization three regular season banners at three successive age levels.

The Rangers’ Minor Peewee AA team clinched their banner first with a 3-1 win over the Kanata Blazers on Jan. 16, which put them out of reach of the second place Eastern Ontario Cobras. They would go on to finish in first place by seven points. The team’s leading scorer during the regular season was Max Crete who netted 34 goals in 29 games. The majority of those goals were set up by linemate Jack Yates who had 21 goals and 33 assists in 30 games.

Remarkably, every single player on the regular season roster has scored at least one goal this season along with four affiliated call-ups who contributed seven goals between them.

The Rangers’ Minor Bantam AA team clinched their title on Jan. 17 with a 9-2 win over the Nepean Raiders and would eventually finish eight points clear of their west end rivals. The regular season banner will hang beside the International Silver Sticks banner they won in Sudbury in December.

The team’s leading scorer during the regular season was David Cerevalas with 15 goals, but in an example of a wellbalanced attack, they had no fewer than seven different players who scored at least 10 goals including Sam Glover who scored 11 goals and added 19 assists to finish with a team-leading 30 points.

The Jr. Grads clinched their title just a week ago, but they finished their regular season with five wins in eights days and ended up 10 points clear of the Raiders.

Dylan Cunningham led the way for the Jr. Grads with a league leading 33 goals and 18 assists in 30 games. Among his 33 goals, five came on the power play and two were scored shorthanded. Perhaps just as impressively, he managed to stay out of the penalty box throughout the entire season.

All three teams will now prepare for the playoffs which gets under way this weekend and the potential to complete the difficult double of winning two championship banners in the same season.

Gloucester Rangers Minor Bantam AA

Cumberland Jr. Grads Major Bantam AA

COME PLAY BALL! Registration is now open for the 2020 season of Orléans Softball. Open to boys and girls age 5-19. Registration information and FAQs are available at www.orleanssoftball.com.

Ivanie Blondin named Female Athlete of the Year

By Fred Sherwin The Orléans Star For the second year in a row, a local speed skater has received Ottawa’s top sports award.

Gloucester Concordes alum and national team member Ivanie Blondin is the 2019 Ottawa Sports Awards Female Athlete of the Year. Her parents, Lise and Bob Blondin, accepted the award on their daughter’s behalf at the Ottawa Sports Awards dinner on Jan. 29, owing to the fact that Ivanie is in Calgary training for an upcoming World Cup event.

In receiving the award, Ivanie follows in the footsteps of fellow Orléans native and national team member Isabelle Weidemann, who was the 2018 Female Athlete of the Year, Blondin won the 2019 award based mainly on her accomplishments in the final two months of the year during which she won 11 medals in World Cup competition including five gold medals.

She is currently ranked first in the world in the mass start and second in the world over 3,000 and 5,000 metres where she trails Martina Sablikova from the Czech Republic by just nine points.

In just four World Cup events, Blondin has won seven individual medals, five of them gold, in four different disciplines.

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She’s also won two silver and one bronze medal as a member of Canada’s women’s pursuit team.

All the medals aside, Blondin’s single biggest accomplishment was in the 1500metre event in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, in which she not only won the gold medal but broke an eight-year-old track record previously held by former teammate and one-time mentor Christine Nesbitt.

Blondin is hoping to carry her success from the later stages of 2019 into the new year beginning with upcoming World Cup event in Calgary this weekend.

The following week, she and the rest of Team Canada will be in Salt Lake City for the World Single Distance Championships where her biggest competition in the 3,000 and 5,000 metres is Weidemann.

Blondin also has a legitimate shot at the World Allround championship which hasn’t been held by a Canadian since Nesbitt won it in 2011. The World Allround Championships are being held in Hamar, Norway, from Feb. 27-29.

A graduate of École secondaire catholique Garneau, Blondin joined the Gloucester Concordes Speed Skating Club when she was seven and immediately showed an aptitude on the indoor short track.

She won her first provincial champion-

Lise and Bob Blondin accept the Female Athlete of the Year trophy on behalf of their daughter at the Ottawa Sports Awards Gala on Jan. 29. PHOTOS SUPPLIED ship when she was 12 and went on to win many more. She eventually made the national junior team and competed in three consecutive World Junior Championships before switching to long track in 2010.

She won her first individual medal – a silver in the mass start – in 2012.

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February 6, 2020 • Volume 35, No. 3 • 9

Bacalhau Assado (oven-baked cod) • Lamb Shank (braised in the oven) • Chicken Piri-Piri • • Sea Bass • Scallops with Shrimp or Alcatra (beef pot roast) All items served with Chicken Soup, Salad, Cod Cakes, and Dessert as well as Coffee or Tea.

After competing at the Winter Olympics in Socchi, Russia in 2014, Blondin won the World Cup championship in the mass start in 2015. A year later she won the mass start at the 2016 World Single Distance Championships and has since competed in the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.

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Great staff, supportive management help make Clocktower tick STAR STAFF – When the Clocktower Brew Pub on Bank Street first opened its doors in 1996, it was the first full-service brew pub in Ottawa.

Today, the Clocktower has six different locations across the city, including one right here in Orléans at the corner of Innes and Trim Road in the Sobeys plaza.

The secret to the Clocktower’s success is its ability to serve quality craft beer in a warm and friendly atmosphere with a consistently delicious menu that gets high marks for its comfort food items like their bacon-wrapped Brewers Meat Loaf; Classic Burgers; Clocktower Club Sandwich; Fish & Chips; Smoked Meat Sandwich; and Tacos.

But what makes the Clocktower really tick is the staff, many of whom have been with them for years, or who started out with the chain, left to work elsewhere and then returned when they realized what they had left.

Clocktower Orléans general manager Jenni Lavasseur first worked for the company 10 years ago. She left for several years and then returned to help open the Orléans location in March 2017.

Two years later, she leads a team that includes four other day-oners – Karen, Mack, Ally, Sam and Rob.

One of the reasons Lavasseur came back to the Clocktower is the support the general managers all get from senior management.

“It’s a really special place to work because they don’t just focus on the work.

They want everyone to have a well-rounded life outside of the restaurant. They make sure you have time to spend with your family and if you need extra time off, you can take it. I know it sounds like a cliché but they treat everyone like you’re part of the family,” says Lavasseur who grew up in Pineview and went to high school at Louis-Riel. She now lives in Orléans just five minutes away the brew pub.

That sense of family that is so important to the upper management trickles down to the general managers, their staff and the customers, many of whom have been regulars for as long as the Orléans location has been open...or longer. Lavasseur has customers who were her regulars at the Pineview location follow her to Orléans.

The sense of family also manifests itself in the various community initiatives the Clocktower and staff are involved in.

For instance, some staff members and managers voluntarily make food for the downtown Ottawa Boys & Girls Club every other Monday afternoon and for

Jenni Lavasseur is the general manager of the Clocktower Brew Pub in Orléans. FRED SHERWIN PHOTO every Brewers Meat Loaf they sell, a meal is provided to a youth in need through a partnership with Mealshare Ottawa in collaboration with Operation Come Home.

Clocktower also donates a portion of the proceeds from every Wellness Bowl 2.0 they sell to the Ottawa Integrative Cancer Centre.

Another initiative that’s near and dear

to Lavasseur’s heart is the Clocktower’s winter clothing campaign which encourages people to leave winter coats and boots on their patio. They are then taken by strangers in need or others who take them downtown and hand them out to the homeless.

“Last year, we collected over 1,000 coats and jackets,” says Lavasseur while brimming with pride.

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COMMUNITY BILLBOARD SATURDAY, FEB. 8 BREAKFAST AT THE LEGION – Enjoy breakfast at the Orléans Legion from 8 a.m to 11 a.m. with table service provided by members of the local Cadets. Two dollars from the sale of every breakfast goes to support the Legion and its activities.

HERITAGE EAST SKI TRAIL OFFICIAL OPENING – Sponsor, Greg Christie, will be on site with a tent full of skis for people to try out. Groomers will also be there to demo their cool grooming gear and BRIGIL will provide cocoa, muffins and a little surprise so don’t miss out. Bring your skis, snowshoes or fatbike and you might get in a video. The event takes place st 10 a.m.

CONVENT GLEN/ORLEANS WOOD COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION WINTER CARNIVAL from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Jeanne d’Arc Park behind the Convent Glen Catholic School, 1155 St. Moritz

IN MEMORIAM

FAMILY FUN NIGHT at Aquaview Park (318 Aquaview Drive), Skating under glow lights, free wagon rides, hot chocolate taffy on snow and much more

Court. Previous years have had games and skating mixed with hot chocolate and time to connect with neighbours.

TRIVIA NIGHT hosted by the Vars Optimists Club at the St-Guillaume Gym in Vars.

Snacks, drinks, laugh and strain your brain. Bar opens at 6 p.m. Trivia starts at 7:30. p.m.

For more information e-mail varsoptimiste@gmail.com.

MONDAY, FEB. 17 FAMILY DAY BOWLING – Join Orléans MP Marie-France Lalonde for a morning of free bowling at the Orléans Bowling Centre, 885 Taylor Creek Dr. Everyone welcome. No need to RSVP. Guests are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items for our local food banks.

SUNDAY, FEB. 9 2nd ANNUAL STRAY DOG BREWING CHILI COOKOFF CHALLENGE – Come out, try the chili made by several local establishments, get your vote in, and pair it with some of your favourite Stray Dog beer!

Chili fun starts at 3 p.m.

SUNDAY, FEB. 19 THE GLOUCESTER HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY PRESENTS “Culinary delights with herbs and edible flowers” – at 7 p.m. at the Queenswood Heights Community Centre, 1485 Duford Dr. Guest speaker and Nancy McDonald, Master Gardener. Public is welcome free of charge. Membership is $20 per person per year, $25 for a family and $5 for students.

SUNDAY, FEB. 16 NAVAN WINTERFEST from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Navan Fairgrounds. Plenty of winter activities for young and old alike. The all-ages Mini Olympics will take place from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Florence Bertrand (née Deavy), 87 Passed away on Jan. 29, 2020 Muriel Lavoy, 78 Passed away on Jan. 20, 2020 Claire Rancourt (née Pilon), 75 Passed away on Jan. 20, 2020 Murielle Lavasseur, 91 Passed away on Jan. 18, 2020 Kelly-Ann Stolz, 31 Passed away on Jan. 18, 2020

www.heritagefh.ca/obituaries

BUSINESS DIRECTORY HOME RENOVATIONS QUALITY & SERVICE FOR LESS Dan Bisaillon and Elizabeth Sandziuk – helping you take the first and final steps in creating your own piece of paradise.

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February 6, 2020 • Volume 35, No. 3 • 11

• Bathrooms • Kitchens • Basements • Roofing • Siding and more!

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12 • February 6, 2020 • Volume 35, No. 3