The Orleans Star July 8, 2021

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July 8, 2021 • Volume 36, No. 4

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

Next edition July 22

Barber shops, hair salons reopen after lengthy shutdown

By Fred Sherwin The Orléans Star

A group of children wave at a passing bus that was part of an M.L. Bradley convoy that drove by a number of schools in Orléans to celebrate the Class of 2021. FRED SHERWIN PHOTO

TWO CAN DINE FOR

It’s been nearly four months since Jason Thomas last got a professional hair cut, so waiting more than an hour for a seat inside Joe’s Barber Shop in Place d’Orléans last Saturday was worth every clip of his barber’s scissors.

“I let my wife give me a trim back in May, I think it was, but it didn’t turn out too good so to finally get a real cut is nice. It’s been too long,” said Thomas referring to both his hair and having to wait through the latest COVID-19 shutdown.

Joe’s Barber Shop has been only taking walkins since barbershops and hair salons were allowed to reopen on June 30.

For the first three days, the line-up to get inside snaked through the mall resulting in waiting times of up to an hour and a half.

Under the reopening guidelines, barber shops and hair salons can only accept up to five clients

at a time and face masks have to be worn at all times.

Inside Joe’s, the barbers work non-stop trying to get to as many clients as they can before closing the doors for the day. At the end of the day last Saturday, the hair on the floor filled a regular-sized garbage bag. It was the third or fourth time the floors had been swept that day.

Despite cutting hair all day, a semi-exhausted Pam Bruce could still manage a smile on her face.

“It’s been busy, but it’s a good busy,” said Bruce. “Everyone has been really patient and very appreciative to finally get their hair cut.”

The scene inside Joe’s Barber Shop last Saturday has been repeated at other barber shops and hair salons in Orléans for the past week.

“It was like this for at least three weeks after the last two shutdowns,” says Bruce.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

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Carlsbad to get high-speed internet STAR STAFF – Carlsbad Spring residents will soon be getting what most Ottawa residents already take for granted – high-speed internet.

The federal government plans to spend $623,217 to bring high-speed internet to 146 households in the Carlsbad Springs area.

Orléans MP Marie-France Lalonde made the announcement by video conference on June 30. The project is part of a larger program that will bring high-speed internet to remote communities across Canada.

The aim of the Universal Broadband Fund

CANADA

Rapid Response Stream Project is to provide funds for shovel-ready projects that can bring high-speed internet to communities within the next 12 months.

Under the program, residents will have access to high-speed internet of at least 50 megabits per second download and 10 megabits per second upload speeds.

By 2026, 1.2 million Canadian households are expected to have better and faster internet service, bringing the nation’s connectivity to 98%. The goal of the program is to connect 100% of Canadians by 2030.

Marie-France LALONDE MP/Députée Orléans

!

A procession of M.L. Bradley school buses drives by Cairine Wilson Secondary School during a drive-by tribute to this year’s graduating class. The phalanx of school buses also drove by St. Matthew High School, St. Peter High School, Sir Wilfrid Laurier Secondary School, École secondaire Garneau and École secondaire Béatrice-Desloges.

FRED SHERWIN PHOTO

Residents 12 and older eligible for second dose after 28 days

OTTAWA – As of Monday July 5, residents who are 12 years old and older will be eligible to receive an accelerated second dose of COVID-19 vaccine 28 days after receiving their first. If you already have an appointment booked for an interval of longer than 28 days, you are encouraged to rebook for an earlier date. To book a first or second dose appointment, visit Ontario.ca/bookvaccine to access the provincial booking system or call the provincial vaccine booking line at 1-833-943-3900 between 8 am and 8 pm, seven days a week. You may also be able eligible for vaccination at a local pharmacy, at a pop-up clinic, or at the Bruyère vaccine clinic.

New vaccine wait-list tool for same-day openings at community clinics OTTAWA – Residents can now use an online tool to book last-minute, same-day COVID-19 vaccinations at community clinics in Ottawa. The tool allows eligible residents to sign up daily for a COVID-19 vaccine wait list to receive a first or second dose appointment. As appointments open up, Ottawa Public Health contacts will text, e-mail or phone residents on the wait list as opportunities arise. The appointments are for unclaimed doses and could become available at any time of the day. Registrants will be asked to arrive for their appointment by a particular time which they can accept, or turn down. The tool resets at a minute before midnight every day.

2 • July 8, 2021 • Volume 36, No. 4

YOU p l e h o t e r e H

Constituency Office 255 Centrum Blvd., 2nd floor Orléans, ON K1E 3W3 marie-france.lalonde@parl.gc.ca 613.834.1800 MFLalondeMP.ca

Area students excel during challenging times

By Fred Sherwin The Orléans Star

It has not been an easy year for area students. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has presented the Class of 2021 with a set of unique hurdles, the most challenging of which was getting used to virtual learning as in-school instruction was prohibited for the majority of the school year.

Despite the various hurdles put in front of them, a number of students in Orléans have not only risen to the challenges presented to them, they’ve excelled.

Aliya Karimjee just completed Grade 11 at École Secondaire Catholique Béatrice Desloges where she is a perennial Honour Roll student. But it his her desire to create and sustain positive change that has earned her one of the highest accolades a person her agae can achieve.

Karimjee, was recently named as a recipient of the 2021 Diana Award.

Established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, the Award is given out by the charity of the same name and has the support of both her sons, The Duke of Cambridge and The Duke of Sussex.

Inspired by the story of her father, Maz, who migrated from Tanzania to Canada, as

well as her volunteer experience, Aliya is determined to live in a world where equality is a key element in society.

She wishes that everyone has an equal opportunity to freedom, happiness, and to make a difference.

Her experience with the Equal Chance Foundation allowed her to participate in the #saynotoracism and #onevoice campaigns, as well as volunteering to help Aliya Karimjee people in temporary housing.

Aliya’s contribution to society made her recognize the importance that everyone has a voice, is given fair opportunities, and is valued in their ideas, experiences, and personal path.

Diana Award recipients had to be nominated by an adult who had to demonstrate the nominee’s impact in five key areas: Vision, Social Impact, Inspiring Others, Youth Leadership, and Service Journey. All the nominations were then vetted by a panel made up of three judges – one young person, an education or youth

work professional, and a business or government repre-sentative – who then selected the award recipients.

Charlotte Hou is the third sibling in her family to give the Grade 8 valedictorian speech at Maple Ridge Elementary School where she received the Math Award, the Science Award, the Monique Lalonde Award for arts and drama, the Remote Learning Engagement Award and the Academic Charlotte Hou Excellence Award.

Charlotte’s sister Emily was the valedictorian in 2015 and her brother Alexander was valedictorian in 2019.

Outside of school, Charlotte had the distinction of being selected to attend the Kumon North American conference for the second year in a row. Prior to COVID, the conference was held in a different city every year. For the past two years, the conference has been virtual.

Participants are selected based on their Kumon scores in math and reading. Out of

the 1,500 registered Kumon students, only 100 can attend the conference.

A gifted pianist, Charlotte also finished first in her group and first in her class for the second year in a row at the Ontario Music Festival.

Governor-General’s Medal Every year, the top graduating student at every high school in Canada is awarded the Governor General’s Medal for outstanding academic achievement.

This year’s recipient at Cairine Wilson Secondary School is Rita Murali Kaniyath who overcame the challenges of the past school year to Rita Murali achieve a 99 per cent Kaniyath average.

Rita’s older sister Misha was the Governor General’s medal recipient at Cairine Wilson in 2018 with 98 per cent average.

Rita plans to attend the University of Ottawa next year where she will major in biomedical science.

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July 8, 2021 • Volume 36, No. 4 • 3

End the Cuba embargo Last month, 184 countries voted in favour of the United Nations General Assembly resolution calling on the United States to end their 50year economic embargo against Cuba. Two countries voted against the resolution, the United States and Israel, and three abstained – Colombia, Ukraine and Brazil.

I am proud to say that Canada was one of the countries that voted in favour of the resolution. Not that it matters much. This is the 29th straight year that a super majority of the member nations have voted against the embargo which has had a devastating economic impact on the people of Cuba. Simply put the embargo is a crime against humanity.

Under the embargo, no American company, nor any foreign subsidiaries of an American company can do business with Cuba. If they do, they could face a number of sanctions including heavy fines and the possible imprisonment of company executives.

Thankfully, there are a number of companies with no ties to the U.S. which do business with Cuba in spite of the embargo including a number of Canadian companies. In fact, Canada is Cuba’s second largest trading partner behind only China.

The United Nations needs to encourage more countries to trade with Cuba, especially as the country ramps up its own mass vaccination program and begins to come out of the shadow of the COVID pandemic.

One of the strongest arguments for international cooperation in supporting Cuba and Cubans is the role Cuba has played in helping other countries battle the virus. Cuba has sent almost 3,700 doctors and other medical personnel to help fight the coronavirus in at least 39 countries including Indonesia, Italy and South Africa.

Critics of Cuba’s “White Jacket Army”, as the initiative is often referred to, say that the medical personnel sent abroad are little more than slaves of the Cuban government. In reality, everyone in Cuba receives a free education, including doctors. Asking them to spend a year or two in another country to practice their profession in exchange for a free education does not sound like slavery to me. In fact, who wouldn’t expect the same in this country if doctors were given a free education here?

Yes, the program brings in more than $10 billion to the Cuban economy from the countries that host the doctors every year, but the doctors are paid much more than they would be paid if they stayed in Cuba and the money brought into Cuba is in lieu of the education they received. It is also significant that the countries which have received the assistance have nominated the program for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize.

Lastly, Cuba is in the process of developing as many as five different vaccines which they plan to share with other third world countries at a much lower cost than the vaccines being manufactured by the large pharmaceutical companies. Cuba has proven they deserve better. The punitive U.S. embargo has to end and the sooner the better.

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.

4 • July 8, 2021 • Volume 36, No. 4

Very different Canada Day gave us time to reflect on both good and bad This year’s Canada Day festivities once again want to truly understand what happened and purlooked very different because of the COVID-19 sue reconciliation, we must take it upon ourselves pandemic. to learn this history. I would encourage everyone Despite this, the 37 million to take some time and review the women and men who call Canada from Canada’s Truth Queen’s information home celebrated everything that and Reconciliation Commission. our Country stands for: diversity, You can find them at www.trc.ca.

Park inclusion and that promise that Moreover, we must ensure that Corner everyone, no matter their backour children learn these truths in ground, should have the opportuschool.

Stephen Blais nity to succeed.

A few years ago, the current I was inspired to see so many Orléans residents Ontario Government removed the mandatory learnfind unique ways to celebrate everything that ing about residential schools from the curriculum.

Canada has to offer. With incredible natural won- Learning this aspect of our history should not be ders, talented people, and diverse communities like optional. We can only truly reconcile if we fully Orléans, Canada has something that we can all be understand. Therefore, we are pushing the Ford proud of. government to reinstate these changes into the eduThis Canada Day also offered us the chance to cation curriculum. pause and reflect on what we can do to make sure We’ve all made difficult sacrifices this year to prothat the country we dream of truly matches the real- tect one another. Our healthcare heroes and essential ity for all who call Canada home. As recent painful workers have stepped up to fight the pandemic and events remind us, we still have so much work to do we all owe them our gratitude for showing us what on Indigenous reconciliation and on eliminating all it truly means to be Canadian. forms of hateful bigotry and racism.

I hope that everyone had a peaceful Canada Day Like so many of our neighbours, I was never and that you had an opportunity to reflect on our past taught much of our history with residential schools and celebrate our country’s bright future, because or much about indigenous peoples in school. If we our future is very bright indeed.

www.orleansstar.ca

Keeping Our Distance Is Bringing Us Together

It’s a challenging time for all of us.

When the time arrives, we’ll be re-opening our doors and welcoming new homeowners to discover our wonderful community.

Until then, stay safe, follow government guidelines and respect your neighbours.

At Cardinal Creek Village, community comes first.

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S H O P, T O U R A N D B U Y O N L I N E July 8, 2021 • Volume 36, No. 4 • 5

Orléans councillor offers some sage Cumberland Ward has much to offer advice for COVID weary constituents for those wanting to take a staycation Let’s have a column that isn’t about COVID, shall we? Let’s have one that isn’t about me, either. Let’s have a column about you. Yes, you, dear reader.

You have been through a lot this past year haven’t you? How are you feeling? Tired, I bet. Maybe even a little bit hopeful, lately, but certainly tired.

The sun is back, gardens are growing, businesses are opening again and I bet you got a haircut this week.

I mean, you’ve been carrying so much on your shoulders and have had so much on your mind, that I bet it feels nice to lose some off that weight off the top!

This is an important time of year for all of us. It is a time to make the most of those little moments with family and friends.

Even if you can’t take a vacation, it would do you some good to find a little time every day to do something for yourself.

My goodness, you deserve it. Grab a book, a paddle, your running shoes, your bike – anything – and enjoy a moment of peace.

Better yet, grab a glass of water and just sit in the sun for a bit, soaking up that warmth and some free vitamin D. Life has been so complicated lately. A little simplicity would go a long way right now, wouldn’t it?

You are incredible.

You are resilient. You have had to deal with so much more over this past year and a half than you had bargained for.

Life’s regular stresses have been magnified by that thing I said I wouldn’t talk about – oops (it takes practice not to think about it – I mean, it has really been everpresent).

But you handled it all. It’s been hard. It still is. But you are still here. You are stronger than ever and you are ready for whatever comes next.

Take this moment to take care of yourself because you are worth it. And as our local businesses reopen, remember to be patient, be kind, and be supportive, because it has not been easy for any of us and small business owners most of all.

Like home, without the housework!

Summer has arrived, Ontario has moved O’Toole Rd.) strawberry season is winding into Step 2 of its Roadmap to Reopen and to a close, but raspberries and blueberries are last week, the City of Ottawa topped the ripe for the picking! one million mark for the Grapes also grow total number of vaccine in Cumberland Ward. doses administered.

Catherine Visit the Vignoble Clos As we all look for fun du Vully or head to the Kitts and safe activities to Domaine Perrault Winery enjoy over the holidays, in Navan, to enjoy a it’s easy to forget how locally made glass on Cumberland Ward 19 much we have to offer their patio. On Thursdays, right in our backyard! For some creative Domaine Perrault hosts yoga in the vineyard. ideas close to home, I wanted to turn a What better way to enjoy the nice weather spotlight on what Cumberland Ward’s rural than by exploring our network of multi-use area has to offer this summer. pathways and trails? The Mer Bleu bog is Support our local producers and artisans one of our most beloved east end attractions, at one of Cumberland Ward’s farmer’s but don’t forget about the Wilsondale Trails markets. The Cumberland Farmer’s Market, bordering the Cumberland Heritage Village located at the R.J. Kennedy Community Museum.

Centre, is held every Saturday, 9 a.m. to Another educational family favourite 1 p.m. rain or shine. The rapidly growing is Little Ray’s Nature Centre in Sarsfield.

Original Navan Market, located at the The largest animal rescue in Canada has Navan Fairgrounds, features a wide variety reopened for private tours. of handmade, homegrown goods to purchase I may be a bit biased, but I believe we live once a month. Join the next edition on in the most beautiful part of the city. Take Sunday, July 25. advantage of everything summer has to offer If picking your own fruit is more your and remember to support local as much as jam (pun intended), the Proulx Farm’s (1865 possible!

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WillowbendRetirement.com 6 • July 8, 2021 • Volume 36, No. 4

Reader’s letter offers unique opportunity to respond to criticism I finally received a letter from a reader that’s worthy of a detailed response. It comes from Dan Holmes and I will respond to it paragraph by paragraph.

Dear Mr. Sherwin: You are dead wrong, in your opinion of Public Health Units in Ontario and their roles. First off, each one is led by a Medical Officer of Health who is a medical doctor, often epidemiologists or other related specialties.

I never argued that they weren’t doctors.

I did however question their qualifications.

More often then not they aren’t qualified epidemiologists, they may have taken a course, or courses, in epidemiology, but that doesn’t qualify them as an epidemiologist no more than taking a photography course during while studying journalism makes you a photographer.

I went over the credentials of every provincial medical officer of health in Canada and only two could be considered as qualified epidemiologists. They are Dr. Bonnie Henry in B.C. and Dr. Horacio Arruda in Québec who specialized in infectious diseases and epidemiology while studying at the University of Sherbrooke.

More importantly they are much more qualified to direct this pandemic response at the local level than any politician, especially the current elected Gong Show in Toronto.

Alberta is yet another example of how wrong you are.

I never said that politicians should solely be responsible for directing the pandemic response. Far from it. I’ve criticized Doug Ford more times than I can count. What I said was that public health officials should not be setting COVID policy, the scientists who specialize in epidemics and viruses should be. I said it in my last column and I will say it again – the scientists should be involved in establishing the policies and he MOHs should be limited to carrying them out and educating the public.

More importantly, health units are the medical entities that deliver things like

Up Front Fred Sherwin mass vaccination to the people. They do the routine vaccinations in schools and keep track of health outbreaks – in particular in LTCs. They deliver a host of other health services and education. I for one as an municipal emergency manager was not even mildly surprised at the disaster in the LTCs during the pandemic. The Eastern Ontario Health Unit has always kept us informed of the various influenza, Norwalk, norovirus and other respiratory and viral outbreaks in seniors residences and care homes. These facilities’ inability to keep their patients safe and healthy is not new.

Once again, I agree that the regional health units should deliver vaccinations to the people. Where I disagree is that they should be the only entity that deliver the vaccinations to the people. You don’t need a PhD to realize the important role family physicians could play in delivering vaccines especially to their most vulnerable patients. It’s why family physicians are one of the key components in the mass vaccination efforts in countries like France, Australia, the Netherlands and the U.K. As for the LTCs, it seems awfully convenient to place all the blame on the owners. You do realize that the City of Ottawa owns and operates four LTCs, all of which have experienced multiple outbreaks? Also, Ottawa Public Health has oversight over retirement facilities with the power to inspect and enforce public health measures.

It is the health units who are organizing with their local municipalities, the vaccin-

ation clinics, finding the extra qualified staff to deliver to arms, provide logistics, etc. Much of this is gratis, with volunteer clinicians, retirees etc., along with municipalities deploying their resources and facilities for free. They have done this easily and have routinely been hampered only by the confusion in Toronto.

Yet again I totally agree with you in that the regional health units should be implementing policy. This includes setting up mass vaccination sites and administering vaccines to the general public. Where I disagree is in the role they have played in deciding who should get the vaccine and preventing family physicians from administering the vaccine to their patients.

Again, in an emergency the golden rule is let the experts direct the politicians’ hands.

Imagine Doug Ford directing the response to a fire like in Fort McMurray without expert advice.

The regional medical officers of health are experts in community medicine and public health. They are not scientific researchers and they are not specialized epidemiologists. They may get advice from epidemiologists on their staff, but they are not, themselves, experts in viruses and how they behave. The scientists are the experts and they should be directing the politicians free of any inference from public health officials.

The Premier was getting expert advice from his science table which includes the MOHs. He routinely ignored their advice with obvious results. Now he seems to have become gun shy. Several of the various expert talking heads you mentioned sit at this table and have spoken out about politicians disregarding the science table recommendations.

You are absolutely correct, which is one of my harshest criticisms of Ford. But I have it on good authority that he ignored the advice of the scientists on the Science Table in favour of the advice he was receiving

rt advice, e p x e r u Wi t h o with your e v o l n i l l a you ’ l l f r again! home al l ove

from the MOHs, which is an argument why they shouldn’t be there in the first place.

Your MOH must always consider the big picture and not just each vested interest.

Remember that this is a health emergency.

Mental health and economic pain are symptoms of this emergency. The longer the politicians bend to the whims of the various whiners who want salves for the symptoms, rather than make the hard decisions to limit the spread of the virus, the longer this will last with more mental health and economic issues.

Case in point is the City of Kingston’s response to the pandemic. The MOH and his health unit had foreseen such an event and practised for it. The results speak for themselves. No surprise that Kingston’s MOH is now the provincial Medical Officer of Health.

Not sure how to respond to this. I’m sure Dr. Moore is eminently qualified to be the provincial MOH. There’s no question, in reading his credentials, that he’s definitely more qualified for the role than Dr. Williams was when he took over the position in an acting role in 2015.

Any emergency requires a debriefing afterwards and I guarantee you that the health units in Ontario are going to come out looking very good.

Sincerely, Dan Holmes I would not be so quick to guarantee anything. I am sure they will likely come out smelling like roses, but my criticism is not so much in the job they are doing on the ground, especially when it comes to instilling a near hysterical level of fear in people, after all some people still wear a mask while driving their car and think they can catch COVID by simply walking down the sidewalk.

What I believe a commission should look into is the role the MOHs played in establishing policy, versus the role the scientists played or didn’t play.

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Popular Cumberland-area farmer will be sadly missed

the Vintage Iron Agricultural Collectors Fred Sherwin Club.

The Orléans Star Three of Glen’s closest friends – Glen Glen Armstrong was a gentle giant of Edwards, Hank Bakker and Gordie a man who will be sadly missed by his McFadden – organized a procession in family and friends and the local farming Glen’s Honour along with other members community at large of which he was a part of the Vintage Iron Agriculture Collectors of all his life.

Club, lead by Glen’s son Craig who drove Glen was born on the Armstrong family his father’s prized vintage Case 1030 tractor. farm on Dunning Road near Bearbrook in The procession was three kilometres long 1941. He was the fourth of seven children and included more than 100 vintage tractors born to Leslie and Ruth Armstrong. His and other vehicles and two teams of horses. parents and three of his siblings have already It extended down Dunning Road from the passed, leaving his sisters Sharen and Lori, Armstrong family farm where Glen’s ashes and brothers Neil and John as his surviving held a place of honour atop his tractor, family members along with his wife Victoria and their children Matthew, Craig and fronted by a life-size picture of Glen with his dog Todd.

Lindsey.

Sharen often called her younger brother Glen died on May 16 doing what he loved her best buddy and the two of them were doing best – working on the farm. practically joined at the hip. They traveled According to a report in the Nation Valley the world together with their respective News, Glen was building a pond on the farm th cotiabank Lighthouse, 100 Yonge St., 5 Floor, Toronto ON, M5C spouses and attended more 2W1 than a half when the front end loader he was operating dozen International Plowing Matches acrossWorkfront#: 1732550 flipped As he fellOffer out of the loader, Glen Lalonde - 0621 ile: 1732550 - over.

IS MV SO Ad - Sylvain Canada. struck his head on a rock which resulted in rim: 4.8” his x 5.5” According to Glen’s wishes, the familyInsertion: June 24, 2021 tragic passing. Colours: CMYK held a private ceremony and his body was Glen Armstrong with his dog Todd. (Top left) Craig Armstrong, driving his leed: 0.125”Glen was popular among his peers and interred in the Bearbrook cemetery where itDeadline: June 28, 2021 was very active in the farming community. father’s Case 1030 tractor, leads a process past the Armstrong family afety: n/aHe and his sister Sharen were both members is marked by a special gravestone that hasDesigner: RR Prod: n/a the family farm etched on the face of it. farm on Dunning Road. PHOTO COURTESY Of GORDON MCFADDEN of the Ottawa Plowmen’s Association and

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8 • July 8, 2021 • Volume 36, No. 4

Return to Westport for the perfect staycation vacation Fred Sherwin The Orléans Star It’s been exactly a year since I took off to the Rideau Lake resort town of Westport to get away from Ottawa and all the anxiety surrounding the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the time, the Victorian Suites Bed & Breakfast had just reopened under strict COVID guidelines and the Scheuermann Vineyard and Winery was allowed to provide outdoor dining.

Skip ahead a year and despite the fact that the pandemic is still a major concern, there is a lot to be optimistic about. Over 75 per cent of Ontario residents have been vaccinated at least once and more than 26 per cent have been vaccinated twice, including myself. Ontario has just entered Stage 2 of the provincial reopening plan and we’re not far off from entering Stage 3.

It seemed like the perfect time to head back to one of my favourite “staycation” destinations.

It’s been a rough past 16 months for a lot of small businesses in Ontario and the Victorian Suites is no exception – not that you would know it talking to owner Stephanie Manstan.

A Newfoundlander by way of Toronto, Manstan is contagiously upbeat and eternally optimistic. She’s also buoyed by the fact that as the province enters sits on the verge of entering Stage 3 of the reopening plan, business has already picked up substantially. It also doesn’t hurt that international travel is still months away and a number of provinces are still closed to outside tourists, making travel within our own province very attractive.

The Victorian Suites is not your typical resort town bed and breakfast. For one thing, the five-star B&B has the most comfortable beds I’ve ever slept in. For another, the bathrooms are all appointed with a glass shower enclosure that has an amazing rain shower head and a handy shelf so you can enjoy a glass of Prosecco while you wash

your cares away.

Like most businesses during the pandemic, Manstan made adjustments to keep her guests safe. If desired, a substantial continental breakfast can be delivered to your suite. However, there are many small coffee shops and bakeries nearby that make excellent croissant sandwiches and other goodies you might like to add to your morning. You can also make your own breakfast. I brought some bagels along with me, plus smoked salmon, cream cheese and capers and voila! Make yourself a refreshing Mimosa and you have a luxurious petit déjeuner that matches your equally luxurious surroundings.

The two-storey brownstone is located across the street from the Valley Green Originals store, which carries everything from unique artwork to a full-line of Columbia and O’Neill apparel and a book

section that would rival any Chapters store.

It’s also a block away from the Westport Brewing Company and less than a fiveminute walk from the picturesque Westport harbour which is an excellent place to go for a stroll and have a picnic.

The Victorian Suites has five unique suites of varying size and décor. Each is equipped with a luxurious king-size bed, a small fridge, a coffee maker, and a flat screen TV. The Sunken Suite also comes with a sitting room that includes a pullout sofa and a double Victorian Tub in the spa-like bathroom, and The Loft, which is essentially a full one-bedroom apartment, includes a pull-out sofa and a fully equipped gourmet kitchen.

You can learn more about the Victorian Suites by visiting thevictoriansuites.com.

Which brings me to my other favourite CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Left, the Victorian Suites Bed & Breakfast with owner Stephanie Manstan (inset). The Village Green Room (above). Top left and right, the entrance to the Scheuerman Vineyard and Winery and and the Rib Eye Steak with a glass of Scheuermann Pinot Noir. FRED SHERWIN PHOTOS

July 8, 2021 • Volume 36, No. 4 • 9

Staycation destination less than two hours from Ottawa Continued from page 9 destination in Westport – the Scheuermann Vineyard and Winery located less than a five minute drive from the Victorian Suites on the outskirts of town.

The winery is run by François and Allison Scheuermann with the help of a small army of the friendliest employees you will ever meet.

Besides making great wine, Scheuermann’s is also famous for their wood-fired pizza which they serve six days a week from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays, and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. They’re closed on Wednesdays to give everybody a well-deserved break.

Besides delicious pizzas – my personal favourite being the Sonson made with Garlic oil, Prosciutto, wood-fired asparagus, wood-fired red pepper and brie – they serve an amazing wood-fired grill menu every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The menu gives you the choice of a 17- ounce rib steak – yes, you read right, 17 ounces – or a fish course. The night I was there the fish-of-the day was walleye. Other nights they might have pickerel, trout or salmon on the menu.

You can enjoy your meal el fresco on the winery grounds with Sand Lake glistening in the background, or under the wooden awning next to the wood-fired oven where François and his staff work their magic.

If I were to offer a couple of suggestions when visiting the winery, it would be to first go there for lunch to try one of their amazing pizzas and then come back for dinner to sample the wood-fired menu, but make sure you bring your appetite because the portions are huge. Reservations, at least when dining Friday, Saturday or Sunday, are a must and often need to be made a week in advance. To make a reservation visit scheuermannwinery.com.

Besides great wine and delicious food, the winery is also blessed with some of the nicest servers you will ever meet.

As fate would have it, my server on the night I visited the winery was Hunter, who was the same server I had last year.

Hunter has a ridiculously good memory which comes in handy during his nursing studies, or when recalling the wine you had the last time you visited over a year ago.

If you’re staying in Westport for an extended period of time, you can also check out the menu at the Cove Inn which has live music on the patio seven days a week, or visit the Lost Penny Pub, which is located just down the street from the Victorian Suites.

The Westport Brewing Company is also a must visit.

They have a wonderful selection of craft beers which you can enjoy on their porch overlooking the harbour and Upper Rideau Lake, while sampling a soft pretzel hot out of the oven.

The town of Westport is located less than a twohour drive from Ottawa on the shores of Upper Rideau Lake. FILE PHOTO One last suggestion is to drive through Perth on your way to Westport and drop into Maximilian Restaurant, which serves the best schnitzel anywhere, for lunch, or Mex & Co. where you can enjoy some tacos and nachos beside the Tay River. And if you’re into antiques, the Gore Street Antique Market is a treasure trove of all things vintage and antique.

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Clients thrilled to get hair done for the first time in months Continued from page 1 Twist Hair Design on St. Joseph Blvd. is fully booked until the end of July.

For the first couple of days before the salon reopened, owner Loren Brown-Joachim spent most of her time returning phone calls for reservations. The phone calls continued through Wednesday and Friday. (The salon was closed on Canada Day.) “At one point we had 28 messages in a two-hour span,” said Brown-Joachim. “But everyone has been very patient and very respectful. They understand that it may take awhile for an appointment.”

Interestingly enough, some salons have a no-COVID conversation rule during the reopening, meaning you can’t talk about the pandemic during your visit. You can talk about anything else, but not COVID. At Twist, the pandemic is still an open topic.

“People want to talk about it, so why not?” says Brown-Joachim, who was a vocal advocate for salons being allowed to stay open during the shutdown.

“Hair care is an essential service,” BrownJoachim argues. “I have one elderly client

who can’t raise her arms past her shoulders, so she can’t wash her own hair. She comes here to get her hair done.”

In another example demonstrating how hair care can be an essential service, BrownJoachim got a special request from a client during the lockdown.

“She was in the final stages of cancer and she wanted me to do her hair before she died,” says Brown-Joachim. “She said, ‘I’m not going to be able to make it to July 2. I don’t want to go to Heaven looking like this.

Can you come to my house?’”

Brown-Joachim broke the COVID rules and went to the women’s house to honour her request. Four days later, the client passed away. Shortly after reopening, the women’s cousin came to the salon to personally thank Brown-Joachim.

“I’m not telling you this to toot my own horn. I’m telling you because that’s how essential we are,” says Brown-Joachim.

Next door at Fadi’s Barber Shop, coowner Mahdy Alwes, is thrilled to finally be able to cut his client’s hair after doind renovations for the past two months. In fact,

Customers line up outside Joe’s Barber Shop in Place d’Orléans waiting to get their first hair cut in over three months. FRED SHERWIN PHOTO Fadi’s never really closed. They took over the space from the previous owners of the Capital Barber Shop, which like a number of barber shops and hair salons, wasn’t able to survive the pandemic.

Although Fadi’s is a new business, they

have been extremely busy since hair care services were allowed to reopen on June 30.

A number of their customers from their Findlay Creek location have been willing to drive to Orléans to get their hair cut sooner rather than later.

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12 • July 8, 2021 • Volume 36, No. 4