The Orleans Star May 14, 2020

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May 14, 2020 • Volume 35, No. 1

Next edition May 28

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Orléans couple juggles family with work on the front line

Chris and Geneviève Mosher pictured with their three children outside their Orléans home. PHOTO SUPPLIED

By Fred Sherwin The Orléans Star Like so many couples with young kids, paramedic Chris Mosher and public health nurse Geneviève Mosher are in the thick of it, trying to balance work and parenting throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. But the nature of their work means they each have a unique perspective on the public health crisis.

Their roles in the health care system might be very different, but in the midst of the state of emergency, they are benefiting from one another’s experience, gaining a unique appreciation for what’s at stake in the city’s fight against COVID-19.

Interestingly enough, the Orléans couple first met 10 years ago during the H1N1 outbreak while giving vaccinations at a clinic.

Now married with three young children, they balance family life with life on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a paramedic, Chris must wear a full set of safety gear when responding to calls. That means a face shield, safety glasses, an N95 mask, a full gown and gloves.

Having to wear the personal protective equipment brings with it a whole set of challenges.

“It’s not easy to make yourself heard through all that safety gear, so communicating can be a challenge,” says Chris. “It also gets really hot. There are times we’re carrying people up or down flights of stairs, so it gets sweaty and if the glasses fog up it can be hard to see.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

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Stay informed with COVID-19 Ottawa Public Health is here to help Do I need to WEAR A MASK? Wear a homemade cloth mask or face covering when maintaining physical distancing is difficult.

Do I need to SELF-ISOLATE? Yes, if you are 70+ years of age.

Yes, if you are immunocompromised.

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2 • May 14, 2020 • Volume 35, No. 1

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Local farmers roll with the punches during COVID-19 crisis

By Fred Sherwin The Orléans Star (Editor’s note: The following story first appeared in the April 30 edition of the Orléans Star. Unfortunately there was an error in the reporting of the cut in the dairy quota by the Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO). The original story reported that the quota had been cut by 20 per cent when in fact it had only been cut by two per cent. We regret the error that was made and any confusion that it may have caused.)

Despite all that he has on his hands, it’s amazing that Navan dairy farmer Anthony VanMunsteren is still able to keep a sense of humour.

Besides the uncertainty created by the COVID-19 pandemic in the agriculture industry, the VanMunsterens are responsible for more than 250 cows and young stock. Along with the responsibility of the farm, Anthony takes care of his four children, all under the age of six, while his wife Lorraine goes to work each day as a nurse at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario.

Anthony’s cousin and partner Jesse VanMunsteren lives on the farm with his fiancée Sandrine. Thankfully, they can still work together as a family and self-isolate.

As a result, Sandrine is able to help out on the farm and help care for the kids.

“She’s a huge help for sure, especially

during the week when Lorraine’s at work,” says Anthony. “The two older kids spend a lot of time with me in the barn anf the younger kids will go with Sandrine or they’ll go with my mom. It all depends, and on the weekends we’re all together.”

While the coronaviris has not yet impacted the dairy industry on a broad scale, there has been signs that have given reason for concern.

The consumption of bulk milk has been drastically reduced largely due to the closure of restaurants. Carton milk sales are also down after the schools were closed.

The sudden drop in demand led to the Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) issuing an order for some farms in southern Ontario to dump several million litres of raw milk on April 6. On April 9, the DFO released a statement explaining that the need to dump milk was not expected to continue.

“The flow of milk and dairy products through the food supply chain is beginning to normalize, and the inventory situation at grocery stores is improving,” the statement read.

The encouraging news lasted just two weeks. On April 24, the marketing board cut the provincial milk quota by two per cent. The DFO operates as a cooperative.

So when the quota is adjusted, every dairy farmer in the province must adjust their

Anthony and Lorraine VanMunsteren (middle and right) have their hands full with their four children Thijs, 1, Ella, 2, Ambrose, 4, and Hollyn, 5, as Anthony’s cousin Jesse and Jesse’s fiancée Sandrine look on. FRED SHERWIN PHOTO production. Since milking cows can’t be turned off on on like a tap, there are only two ways to implement a two per cent reduction in your quota, sell to two per cent of your cows (if you can) or dump two per cent of your milk.

The VanMunsterens are hoping to sell two of their cows, but they know it will be difficult in a market where everyone is in

the same boat.

For now, the Van Munsterens are taking things like everyone else in Canada – one day at a time.

“We don’t know. There are so many unknowns right now, we’re learning as we go,” says VanMunsteren.

“But we’re used to uncertainty,” he adds with a chuckle. “We’re farmers.”

Distinctive Bathrooms & Kitchens ongoing commitment to excellent customer service

By Fred Sherwin The Orléans Star The Orleans Star made a mistake in a recent advertisement which may have been interpreted incorrectly by readers. In fact, Distinctive Bathrooms & Kitchens (DBK) is only temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the Team is already preparing to get back to business as soon as the Premier gives the

go ahead to re-open.

DBK has been in business for over 30 years and is still going strong. They remain committed to every customer by providing them with the high level of service that has made them one of the most reputable Home Renovation businesses in the Ottawa area.

Distinctive Bathrooms & Kitchens will follow the provincial and federal

guidelines as to when they can re-open safely for everyone.

If you have a plumbing emergency during the temporary closure, please contact S&R Plumbing at 613-830-0165 or visit their website to book a call at www.srplumbing.ca.

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May 14, 2020 • Volume 35, No. 1 • 3

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at 613-875-7738 or contact directly at admin@dbkottawa.com. He and his Team are committed to responding to every customer and will help in any way possible, while of course keeping in mind the current business challenges.

Distinctive Bathroom continues to wish their customers and community partners ongoing safety and wellness. They hope to see you all soon.

COMMUNITY BRIEFS

Family and friends of Frank and Marlene Boyer formed a procession past the couple’s Navan residence to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary while maintaining their physical distancing. More than 40 cars were part of the drive-by greeting. FRED SHERWIN PHOTO

Orléans Legion still $3,000 short of GoFundMe target ORLÉANS –The Orléans Legion still needs $3,000 in donations to reach its GoFundMe campaign target amount of $25,000. Like many other businesses in Ontario, the Legion was forced to close it’s doors on March 17 under the provincial state of emergency. As a result, the executive had to lay off the entire staff. As a not-for-profit organization, the Legion depends solely on revenue from bar sales, hall rentals and kitchen sales to pay for operating expenses. With no end to the COVID-19 pandemic in sight, the Legion launched a GoFundMe campaign on April 8 to raise the necessary funds to help pay the bills. Any money left after meeting their immediate needs will be given to the local food bank. Donation can be made at www.gofundme.com/f/keep-the-branch-alive.

4 • May 14, 2020 • Volume 35, No. 1

Petition to provide provincial funding for Orléans Urgent Care Clinic nears 10,000 signature goal ORLÉANS – More than 9,000 people have signed an online petition urging the Ontario Ministry of Health to provide funding to keep the Orléans Urgent Care Clinic open through the current pandemic and to prevent permanent closure due to the Clinic’s financial strife in face of the effects of the pandemic. The clinic has seen a 66 per cent drop in visits since the pandemic began spreading across Canada in mid-March. The privately funded clinic is run on a fee-for-service basis, so if the number of visits drops by 66 per cent their income also drops by 66 per cent. As a result of the drop in visits, the clinic has had to reduce the number of doctors on shift from five every day of the week and three on the weekends, one during the day, one in the evening and one on weekends. The Ontario Ministry of Health has guaranteed financial support to all emergency departments, despite their decreased patient volume. The Orléans Urgent Care Clinic community is seeking similar support in order to continue to provide care and comfort to the Orléans and greater Ottawa community. For now, the clinic remains open and continues to provide medical services, both in-person and via telemedicine practices. To schedule an appointment call 613-841-5389 or visit their website at www.urgentcare.ca.

Orléans couple juggles family and work on the front line Continued from page 1 “For most people at home, the view out their window isn’t that much different than it was this time last year. People may know theoretically that we’re not through this yet, but most don’t see it with their own eyes. That’s probably why some people are finding it hard to keep staying home and following physical distancing guidelines,” says Chris.

“But as paramedics, we’re in and out of hospital emergency rooms. We’re in and out of long-term care homes. This pandemic is playing out before our eyes, and for us there’s nothing abstract about it. I have colleagues with family members who are high-risk, and many of those paramedics are choosing to selfisolate from their own families. Some are living apart to avoid the risk of spreading infection to elderly parents or family members with auto-immune illnesses, for example. These are the kinds of things I hope people will think about when they’re tempted to go out.”

Geneviève works in the Healthy Growth and Development program, which normally deals with new moms, newcomers, and mothers and families living in shelters. Those in-home visits

were suspended as of March 13 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, Geneviève has been working from home, following up with patients by phone or teleconference to monitor their progress.

Balancing work while looking after three young children who would normally be at school has not been easy.

“Parents working at home with kids in the house are essentially working two full-time jobs simultaneously,” says Geneviève, who offers a bit of advice to other parents who have to juggle work with caring for their children. “I think the best thing people can do is temper their expectations and try not to pressure themselves and expect perfection.”

“I’m always telling my clients to take care of themselves. You can’t work or take care of others if you aren’t well yourself, and we have to realize that dealing with the stress is hard. My advice is to take things one day at a time. I know it’s hard, but you should try to carve out some time for self-care. I also try to remember that if parents are stressed, the kids will feel it too. Instead of striving for perfection during this incredibly difficult time, I’m focusing on maintaining calm in the house.”

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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.

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May 14, 2020 • Volume 35, No. 1 • 5

Sales Centre and Model Homes closed until further notice. Visit us online at tamarackhomes.com

6 • May 14, 2020 • Volume 35, No. 1

By the numbers In the earliest days of the pandemic, health care officials in Canada were warning of hundreds of thousands of cases and thousands of deaths as both were expected to rise exponentially. But thanks to Canadians’ adherence to the stay-at-home policy, we are well below the projected worst case scenario. The only segment of society were the government and public health officials have failed and failed miserably has been in senior care facilities.

Between March 11 and March 24, the number of cases in Canada rose from 11 to just under 701. In other words, it was doubling every two days. After March 24, the number of new cases didn’t double again until April 2. Since April 2, the number of new cases has fluctuated between a low of 1,065 on April 12 and a high of 1,920 on April 23.

The lone outlier was on May 3 when 2,760 new cases were reported.

The numbers would indicate that we have managed to flatten the curve just as the stay-at-home policy was intended to do. But that is just one part of the picture. It is important to keep in mind that as the number of new cases has plateaued, the number of tests has gone up and gone up considerably. So as a percentage of the number of tests being conducted, the actual number of new cases has gone down.

Take Ontario as an example. Four weeks ago, Ontario was testing an average of 5,000 people a day. During the same period of time, the province was experiencing an average of 543 new cases per day. That works out to 1.08%. At that time the province was only testing people who had been in close contact with someone who had tested positive for the coronavirus, or were exhibiting multiple symptoms.

During the past seven days, an average of 13,000 people have been tested every day, yet the average number of new cases has dipped below 400 which represents 0.03% of all the people tested.

Reflect on that for a moment. Only 0.03% of the people being tested in Ontario actually have the virus. And the majority of the people who have been tested either had at least one symptom or were in physical contact with someone who had tested positive for the virus.

The number of people with the virus are a sliver of a sliver of the number of people being tested and an even smaller sliver of the population at large. It’s even smaller if you remove the number of people in long-term care homes who have tested positive.

Of the 19,598 confirmed cases in Ontario as of Saturday, 4,489 were in long-term care facilities, or about 23%. Apply that percentage to the 477 people who tested positive last Friday and you are left with 367 new cases outside of the long-term care facilities which is just 0.02% of the 16,295 people who were tested.

Unfortunately, the mainstream media remains fixated on the number of new cases and the number of deaths in their reporting. And while the death rate is important, it needs to be taken in consideration with the number of deaths that are occurring in LTCs A more accurate measure of the impact of the pandemic on the health care system is the number of hospitalizations form which has been going down in recent days, and the percentage of people being tested who actually have the virus, which is also on the decline.

– 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.

Orléans MPP continues to work for constituents during pandemic It’s been a little over two months since the resi2) Transportation and Infrastructure dents of Orléans put their faith in me to represent 3) Government and Consumer Services you at Queen’s Park.

4) Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Shortly thereafter, the global COVID-19 panThroughout the COVID-19 crisis, I have been demic struck our community sending regular e-mails with and changed just about every important information for aspect of our daily lives. residents. Often these inLike so many of you, our clude supplementary inforteam has been working from mation and detail from our home and Nathalie and Jordan three levels of government and public health officials. have been amazing in helping To sign up, please visit: so many residents with informaStephen Blais www.stephenblais.ca. tion about COVID-19 and some Ottawa Public Health is encouraging the use their other issues with the provincial government.

Due to the pandemic, the Legislature has not of non-medical masks and face coverings in our been sitting. In the spirit of cooperation, our caucus community. There is an excellent overview for has been working hard to make recommendations non-medical masks and a list of Ottawa and Canato the government about how to manage the crisis dian vendors here: https://bit.ly/nonmedicalmask.

As you may know, COVID-19 has been parand support Ontario residents and businesses.

Some of our recommendations have been adopted ticularly devastating in our Long-Term Care facilities. Here in Orléans, the Madonna Nursing by the government and others not.

You can read a list of our recommendations, Home has seen the tragic spread of the virus when they were made and if they were adopted through the community and amongst their staff.

Together with my colleagues John Fraser, we’ve here: https://ontarioliberal.ca/coronavirus/ Because of the pandemic, I was sworn in this called on the government to step in and provide past Monday and took my seat in the Legislature management oversight of the home. You can read our letter at https://bit.ly/MadonnaOrleans. this past Tuesday.

I was honoured to be asked by our leader, Steven If there is anything I can do to help please don’t Del Duca, to act as our critic for four portfolios: hesitate to reach out to me at sblais.mpp.co@ 1) Municipal Affairs and Housing liberal.ola.org.

Queen’s Park Corner

Time to take personal responsibility in bid to save businesses In the fight against COVID-19, the time has come for Canada to switch from a policy of social responsibility to one of personal responsibility.

Over the past 10 weeks, we have done an excellent job in limiting the spread of the coronavirus while staying at home and practicing physical distancing when going out in public.

We have not only flattened the curve, we have begun to see a significant decrease in the number of new cases as a percentage of the number of tests now being conducted.

Here in Ontario, we have managed to increase the number of tests done daily from an average of 5,000 in early April, to more than 16,000. During the same period of time the average number of new cases per day has dropped from 543 to just under 400. (See this week’s column “By the numbers”.) You would think the opposite would be true, that as the number of tests goes up, the number of confirmed cases would go up as well, but that hasn’t been the case. In fact, just the opposite is happening.

Unfortunately, the number of hospitalizations have gone up from a total of 807 on April 16 to 1,028 on May 7.

That represents an average increase of about 10 new patients per day, many of whom contracted the virus in a long-term

Up Front Fred Sherwin care facility. But while the number of hospitalizations have gone up, the number of patients being treated in intensive care units has dropped from 248 on April 16 to 213 on May 7, and the number of people on ventilators has dropped from 200 to 166 over the same period of time.

Which brings me back to my main point – the purpose of staying at home to “flatten the curve” was to prevent a surge on our health care system in general and our hospitals in particular. It’s obvious by looking at the numbers we have done just that, especially outside of our long-term care facilities.

Flattening the curve was never meant to prevent people from getting sick. I mean this in a general sense. The vast majority of people who contract the virus experience mild to severe symptoms which can be dealt with by staying at home, or they are asymptomatic, meaning that don’t have

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any symptoms at all.

A vaccine is still a year away, if at all.

Although there are currently 70 vaccines in development, only four are undergoing human clinical trials and there’s no guarantee that any of them will prove both safe and effective.

It is clear that there is no easy fix to the pandemic and that the virus will not go away anytime soon. It is equally clear that the current policy of staying at home is unsustainable both socially and economically. Therefore, the time has come to switch from social responsibility to personal responsibility.

The social measures put in place at the outset of the pandemic have worked.

We know what to do and how to act, which is why it’s time to start reopening the economy. If we all act responsibly and follow those same guidelines as we venture outside, there will be no massive second wave.

It’s time we take responsibility for own actions or inaction. If you don’t want to catch the coronavirus, take the proper precautions and you won’t. If you are worried that you may be asymptomatic and are afraid of passing it on to others then take the proper precautions when you go outside and you won’t. That said, we need to be sure that a lot more people don’t die

from the virus.

We know that the vast amount of people who have died from the virus were either over the age of 70 or had one or more ccomorbidities such as hypertension, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, etc. – or both.

We need to continue to encourage them to shelter in place while things begin to open up, or be extremly cautious when going out while everyone else can rejoin their lives while taking the necessary precautions.

This may result in some people still getting sick, but they will deal with it and recover, all the while gaining some level of immunity.

It’s really the most vulnerable within the population who would have the potential to overwhelm the health care system if they choose not to shelter in place, which is why they must continue to do so with the help of both government and non-government agencies.

As a society, we had the responsibility to stay at home to prevent a surge in hospitalizations. Now each and every one of us has a responsibility to take the necessary precautions in order to rejoin our lives, save those businesses that are on the verge of bankruptcy and save hundreds of thousands of jobs in the process while getting the economy back on track.

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During these trying times a little Fantastical trip to hot zone would be a welcome respite from reality kindness can go a long way Like many of you, I am finding this in a more informal way, and is something period of social isolation difficult. that I sorely miss. Now, all meetings are so While working from home brings more formal with scheduling video chats, and as opportunity for me to see we all know very well, my wife and my daughter, there are only so many it also presents challenges hour-long blocks in a with work creeping in day. to all the little nooks and That being said, we crannies of our personal have still been able to lives. I am also terribly accomplish a lot over the Orléans Ward 1 disruptive to their routine, last few months, but with popping up when I have a few minutes just reduced capacity to meaningfully connect, to connect and say “Hi”. or the chance to bump into someone you’ve While we all appreciate the time we been meaning to chat with in the cafeteria can spend together, it does seem to present at lunch, it really isn’t the same, is it? extra challenges as we settle into this “new Everyone’s path through this is different normal.” and just as tough to navigate.

Further, the range of activities we can I think it is important to recognize that do together as a family has been severely while our challenges may not be the same, reduced. The ability to pop over to the they are challenges, nonetheless. What I’m bookstore and grab a coffee while browsing asking today is that we work hard to show new books to bring home and read to our each other compassion and understanding. little one is something I wish I’d never We can never know how hard this has been taken for granted. on everyone we interact with from day to This situation also poses some chal- day so let’s be kind to each other. lenges in my work life. When I was able A little kindness can go a long way, to work from City Hall, it was very easy especially during these trying times. for me to drop in on a General Manager As always if you need any assistance to help move a particular issue forward you can reach me at matt.luloff@ottawa.ca.

Matt Luloff

It’s week “I stopped counting” of COVID-19. Let’s have some fun with the words and phrases we have learned since early March.

Time to quarantine this cold weather and physically distance to an outbreak hot zone. Perhaps I could use my airfare voucher, future cruise credit and immunity passport and pack some PPE (personal protective equipment) like a bathing suit, iPod, flip flops and SPF 50. While away, I will enroll in a clinical trial to test the safety and efficacy of rum-infused oral ‘medications’ This would be a magical place where a face mask is truly a spa treatment, N-95 means that the bingo-caller is simply confused, and when folks ask your occupation you can respond, “armchair epidemiologist.” Trip advisor reviews would rave about a pandemic of sunshine, live music, fine food, and great wine.

Back here in the reality of my zoomroom (aka: home office), fleeceware scams and Zoom-bombers have pushed me to change some on-line passwords.

Thankfully, medical terms like azithro-

mycin, hydroxychloroquine, remdesivir and modified-RNA sprinkled with the odd &, #, ! and @ make for very strong passwords for my Amazon, Netflix and newsfeed accounts.

Speaking of newsfeeds, I am now addicted to doom-scrolling, where one searches coronagge-don and coronapocalypse stories for hours at a time. I should really make an appointment with my doctor for next Blursday to see if he can prescribe an antiviral or vaccinate me for this condition.

Worse still, I’ve forgotten how to fill my gas tank. In addition, any trip outside my comfy COVID-shelter requires a shave and shedding my pajamas. Also, my schedule is very full of make believe quaranteam calls and a daily appointment at locktail hour where visits to the isobar for a quarantini are an important calming ritual.

Finally, we’ve all learned a new dance as we avoid each other during our walks but the jury is still out on its name: coronawaltz, coronadodge and the covid-shuffle are the leading candidates. Be safe, be well.

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8 • May 14, 2020 • Volume 35, No. 1

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Orléans chiropractor establishes independent practice

By Fred Sherwin The Orléans Star Born and raised in Orléans, it has always been Dr. Éric Caron’s dream to have his own independent chiropractic office in his hometown. That dream became a reality when he opened his new practice in The Chiropractic Centre at 2548 St. Joseph Blvd.

During the current pandemic, chiropractors in the province of Ontario are able to provide urgent care under guidelines set out by the College of Chiropractors of Ontario. This will likely change over the coming days and weeks as the provincial government begins to lift the emergency measures in the health care services. Until then, emergency appointments can be made by calling 613-824-0892 or email drericcaron@outlook.com.

Dr. Caron uses the latest techniques, broader treatment approach and worldclass research in treating all his clients.

With a fresh and modern approach to total body awareness and treatment, Dr. Caron is eager to share his wealth of pathological knowledge and health care strategies with his friends, family and new patients.

Dr. Caron’s passion for Chiropratic care was born out of the treatments he received following a snowboarding accident while

a student at École secondaire BéatriceDesloges in 2007.

After graduating from high school Dr. Caron went on to earn his B.Sc. double major in Biology and Health Sciences at the University of Ottawa, applying and being accepted at the prestigious New York Chiropractic College (NYCC), and earning his Doctorate of Chiropractic with honours in July 2018.

NYCC is a leader in chiropractic education and Dr. Caron insisted on bringing the newest and most advanced care to his patients.

“Chiropractic care is an exciting healthcare method that views every issue as a series of long-term solutions,” explains Dr. Caron. “As a Chiropractor, I evaluate and treat body aches and pains that seem to persist and have no end and I use natural hands-on methods to care for my patients, their spines and their muscles”.

“To be clear, I am not your grandfather’s chiropractor, I don’t just ‘crack’ your back and send you off. I will carefully assess and treat with all the new age knowledge base and give you my absolute honest recommendations. I give my one hundred percent every day, to every patient, no questions asked.”

Dr. Caron’s approach to patients care is to combine the benefits of gentle and

safe joint adjustments with soft tissue and muscle manipulations to ensure the body is equipped to heal itself.

Study after study, has shown that patients often cover up symptoms for years with a cocktail of prescription drugs without ever really addressing the originating trigger. These root issues, if left untreated, can become life-altering impairments that often compromise your quality of life, not only today but is often amplified in later years.

Awareness of long-term well-being has become even more important as people are spending their days seated,

Dr. Éric Caron hunched over a desk or work surface in positions the body was not genetically designed to be, for extended periods of time.

Dr. Caron has the benefit of all the latest information, medical research data and adjustment techniques to bring the best care to his patients.

He is passionate about his practice and is eager to improve your lives one adjustment at a time.

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Wine Kitz meeting their customers’ needs by appointment only

By Fred Sherwin The Orléans Star If there was one business that was prepared to deal with the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, it would have to be Wine Kitz, located in the Orléans Town Centre.

Winemaking was already done by appointment only even before the pandemic began to unfold two months ago.

It’s also a very simple process. It takes just 10-15 minutes for customers to mix the ingredients that go into the winemaking process.

Bottling can take up to 30 minutes, but even then, it’s done one customer at a time by appointment only.

And in terms of cleanliness and hygiene owner/operator Shawn Larkin has always maintained a sterile working area where the wines are mixed and bottled.

“Nothing really has changed,” says Larkin. “Except you see a lot more customers who are opting to wear a face mask.”

Business has remained fairly steady during the pandemic, thanks in large part to the effort Larkin made in helping out many of the former customers of The Wine Botega, which went out of business without any warning in September.

Fearing the impact the closure might have on the local winemaking scene, Shawn offered to replace the wine the customers lost with the support of his suppliers. The offer earned Shawn a tremendous amount of goodwill, not to mention allowing over 100 people a chance to make and bottle their own wine. Now they are coming back to make a new batch of wine for the summer.

The spring is traditionally a busy time for winemaking, with most customers choosing to make a white wine, or one of several different fruit wines.

According to Shawn, the summer wine of choice this year is the Estate Series Pinot Grigio followed by the Cherry Sangria.

The Pinot Grigio takes six weeks between mixing and bottling, while the Cherry Sangria takes four weeks. Both kits yield 23 litres, or about 30 bottles.

Some of the other wines in the Niagara Mist Fruit Series are the Black Cherry, the Cranberry Grapefruit, Peach and Raspberry Dragon Fruit. There are 17 wines in total in the series with an alcohol content of just 6% which makes them perfect on a hot summer day by the pool in the back yard or up at the cottage.

The wine at Wine Kitz comes in three different series. At the top of list is the

Shawn Larkin is the owner/operator of the Wine Kitz store on St. Joseph Blvd. where clients are still able to make their own wine by appointment only while practicing social distancing. FRED SHERWIN PHOTO ultra premium Signature Series which utilizes dried grape skins in the winemaking process. Next up is the premium Estate Series followed by the easy drinking Original Series.

As a division of Andrew Peller Ltd., Wine Kitz wines come from the finest ingredients and are made to the highest industry standards. They also stand by their wine kits with a 100% No Hassle

Satisfaction Guarantee. If for whatever reason you are not satisfied with your wine, they will replace it with a wine kit of equal or lesser value or refund your money. It is a testament to the quality of their wines that Shawn can’t remember the last time he had to give someone a refund.

You can book an appointment at Wine Kitz by calling 613-841-8197 or e-mail winekitzorleans@rogers.com.

WINEMAKING STILL AVAILABLE – CALL TODAY FOR MORE INFORMATION!

AS A LOCAL BUSINESS, WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT!

Stay safe, stay healthy & drink wine!

May 14, 2020 • Volume 35, No. 1 • 11

winekitzorleans.ca • 613 841-8197 • 3095 St. Joseph Blvd. (Orléans Town Centre Plaza)

Mother, daughter publish COVID-19 related children’s book

By Fred Sherwin The Orléans Star One of the most difficult things for a parent during the current pandemic we find ourselves are living under is trying to explain it to a young child.

Orléans resident Loukia Zigoumis, had to do just that when her four-year-old niece asked her why they had to vacation at home?

“I think her exact words were, ‘Why do we have to holiday at home?’,” recalls Loukia. “So I had this conversation with her over the phone about the reasons why we’re all staying at home and not being able to see each other face to face and I thought what a great idea it would be to write something for children that will help them understand what we’re going through, or what they are going through specifically.”

The result is a book for children age 4 to 10 years old entitled “Together, Apart: Life During the Coronavirus”.

When Loukia got the idea for the book, she immediately called her mother, Ottawa artist Katerina Mertikas, who is known for painting scenes that depict kids enjoying their childhood.

The collaboration is a beautiful book that is both informative and educational. The pages alternate between a running dialogue and matching illustrations.

The book explains why it is so important to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds; the need to wear gloves and face masks; and why it’s important to stay home and practice physical distancing to “flatten the curve” – all from the perspective of a child in as an uplifting and positive way as possible.

The book ends by talking about the positive aspects of the shutdown. Here’s an excerpt: “Life was different but we were okay because we were together – eating dinner as a family, baking and enjoying more relaxed days. It wasn’t easy, but every day we found something that brough us joy. Like talking to our grandparents on the phone. Like going for bike rides. Like baking cookies. Like finishing a book. Like laughing together.

“Scary times don’t have to be so scary when we are all together, helping our city, our community and the world.

It felt good that by staying home we were all helping each other – together, but apart.

“When things go back to the way they were, we’ll remember this time and the good that came from it like playing, learning and loving one another – together, apart.”

Sales of the book during the first week were so good they had to print a second order.

“The orders are coming in fast and furious and the feedback has been really great,” says Loukia. “A lot of teachers have bought the book and read it to their students in their virtual classrooms and they’ve said it’s really relatable. So it’s been really nice to hear.”

Proceeds from the sale of the book, which cost $14.95 each, will go to the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario and the Kid’s Help Phone – two organizations that are playing a key role in children’s physical and mental health during the pandemic.

“The Kid’s Help Phone is there for children 24/7 and the work CHEO does every day to help children – we decided these two organizations, especially now, are the two we wanted to donate to.”

Loukia Zigoumis holds a copy of ‘Together – Apart’ which she co-created with artist mother Katerina Mertikas. PHOTO SUPPLIED You can purchase a copy of the book by e-mailing loukiazigoumis@gmail.com.

Call Snjezana to arrange a Virtual Meeting 12 • May 14, 2020 • Volume 35, No. 1

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Future cloudy for Orléans speedskaters

By Fred Sherwin The Orléans Star The COVID-19 pandemic has hit competitive athletes especially hard and none harder than Canada’s amateur athletes.

Sports – all sports – have been suspended indefinitely, including speed skating.

Three athletes with local roots are trying to make the best of a bad situation with upcoming season still very much in doubt; Ivanie Blondin, Isabelle Weidemann ans Nicholas de Haître.

Blondin, 30, is coming off the best season of her career. She won five gold and two silver medals in World Cup competition, along with a gold medal in the Mass Start of the World Single Distance Championships. But her proudest accomplishment was placing second at the World Allround Championships.

Weidemann, 24, had an excellent season as well, winning two gold and two silver medals in World Cup competition.

The Orléans natives also set a new Canadian record in the Team Pursuit with teammate Valerie Maltais.

De Haître, 25, took the year off from speed skating to focus on cycling. The move nearly paid off in a medal at the Track Cycling World Championships in Berlin in April where he placed fourth in the men’s kilo. He missed the podium by just 0.016 seconds.

With the Summer Olympics postponed until 2021 and the Winter Olympics slated to take place in Beijing in February 2022,

De Haître is hoping to become the first Canadian male athlete to compete in both the Summer and Winter Olympics since Pierre Harvey accomplished the feat in cross-country skiing and road cycling 40 years ago.

For the past several weeks, he has been working with Speed ​​Skating Canada and Cycling Canada to try and establish a training schedule. His goal is to be as good in one sport as the other.

The great unknown is when he will be able to compete in either sport given the current pandemic.

The International Skating Union plans to organize a working group charged with the task of ensuring the safety of the athletes during the 2020/2021 season which isn’t scheduled to begin until November. One possibility is to hold the competitions with-out any fans in stands.

While it is not ideal, it’s a provision Blondin is willing to accept as long as she can compete.

“It won’t be the same without people cheering you on in the stands, but it’s better than not skating at all,” says Blondin who is currently living in Calgary to be close to the national training centre at the University of Calgary.

For now, she is more worried about her training. During the month of April she put in 160 km of road work with her boyfriend and fellow speedskater Konrad Nagy and their St. Bernard Brooke.

On May 4, the national team began training again together, but apart. Because of

Ivanie Blondin goes for a run along the Elbow River in Calgary with her pet St. Bernard Brooke. PHOTO SUPPLIED the pandemic, the university is closed and so is access to the training centre. For now Blondin and her teammates must train on their own, although she and Weidemann, who also lives in Calgary, will sometimes cycle together.

Blondin says her biggest challenge is psychological.

“I feel bad complaining that my season might not happen next year when there’s a pandemic going on and people are dying, but at the same time the sport is my life, but at the same time health is more important than sport so its a been a

real roller coaster ride of emotions,” says Blondin. “It’s definitely been more tough mentally than physically.”

Blondin also knows things could be a lot worse. She stays in touch with speed skating friends in other countries on Facebook where there has been a total shutdown and they can’t even go outside to train. She also feels bad for her fellow Canadian Olympians who had the rug pulled out from under them when the Tokyo Olympics were postponed for a year.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

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May 14, 2020 • Volume 35, No. 1 • 13

FLOORING

East end fitness centre thriving during pandemic

By Fred Sherwin The Orléans Star The COVID-19 pandemic has put thousands of businesses in jeopardy as their revenues have been severely curtailed or eliminated altogether. Many will never recover. Those that do will have to adapt to the new normal for months and possibly longer.

One of the sectors that isn’t expected to reopen anytime soon are gyms and fitness centres. While a number of gyms are still offering classes and instruction online, 180Fitness owner Adrian Delorey is taking a different approach, combining instruction with marketing to not only hold his own during the pandemic, but grow the business. Since the pandemic he’s signed up 48 new members.

After closing his Canotek gym six weeks ago, Delorey launched a threeweek “Stronger Together/Harder to Kill” challenge during which people could sign up for virtual workouts, personal

coaching. mindset classes and nutrional tips in exchange for a donation.

The project raised over $2,000 which was used to buy gift cards from local businesses and then given to the participants for reaching various milestones during the challenge.

The second three-week Harder2KillChallenge, which just ended on Sunday, was a weight loss challenge. Participants who lost five to 10 pounds got a credit equal to the enrollment fee, which they can use at a later date. Everyone who participated will be able to take part in the next three-week challenge for free. The group lost a total of 356 lbs.

The past two challenges were completely sold out as is the next challenge. The secret to 180’s success, is the personal attention they give to each individual.

“What we provide that’s different is enhanced accountability,” explains Delorey.

“You can get a fitness routine anywhere, or a meal plan, but you don’t have your own

coach who keeps tabs on you, or who you can call on anytime. Our coaches are in touch with our clients with weigh-ins three to four times a week.”

Delorey has created an online membership portal that houses 124 streaming workouts per week as well as the gym’s own 180ºFitness App Adrian Delorey offering enhanced accountability.

The 124 streamed workouts include BootCamp/HITT, Cardio Kickboxing, Zumba, CrossFit/Strength training, Yogo, Strong Nation and something called Absolute Abs with Adrian.

Every Sunday they stream a live recipe podcast from the Chez Deslauriers Kitchen and every Wednesday they have a LUNCH-TO-GO chat/sip session pro-

viding clients with mindset strategies.

They’ve also partnered with ByTown Catering to delivery 180Fitness coachapproved healthy meals which work in unison with their meal plan strategies.

To find out more about the new program visit www.180fitness.ca/ harder2killchallenge/.

As you can see Delorey and his team have been very busy since the shutdown began. They’ve remained strongly committed to providing their clients with a full service alternative to simply working out two or three times a week.

A lot of the new programs and tools have been on the back-burner for a while. The pandemic and the need to adapt in these changing times has provided Delorey with the impetus to bring them on line sooner rather than later.

“A crisis is a terrible thing to waste,” says Delorey. “180Fitness will emerge stronger than ever when this is all over.

We’re here to stay!”

Speedskaters cont’d Continued from page 13 “I can’t even imagine going through what they are going through. especially the older athletes who might have made plans for after the Olympics and now have to postpone those plans and keep training for another year,” says Blondin.

The pandemic started spreading around the world just as the speed skating season ended in March. Ivanie and Konrad had planned to spend several weeks driving

across the United States and back to Ottawa to visit with her family before flying to Hungary to meet his family, but the pandemic kiboshed those plans and they just flew back to Calgary to do their 14 days of self isolation.

Now as things open up in Alberta, Blondin is hoping the training centre will open up as well. Until then she is going to continue to put in her road work on the bike and stay motivated.

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May 14, 2020 • Volume 35, No. 1 • 15

S T OW C O K I S L

16 • May 14, 2020 • Volume 35, No. 1