The Orleans Star Nov. 10, 2022

New council to be sworn in next week

New councillors attention will immediately turn to 2023 budget process

By Fred Sherwin

The

Orléans Star

Ottawa’s newly elected city council will be sworn-in on Tuesday, Nov. 15, and one of their first orders of business will be to establish a tax target for 2023.

During the campaign, Ottawa’s new mayor Mark Sutcliffe said he would limit the property tax increase to 2.5 per cent in both 2023 and 2024. A 2.5 per cent tax hike, at least for 2023, falls in line with the position of all four east end councilors who hinted at various times during the campaign that they could foresee a tax hike of between two and three per cent.

Sutcliffe also promised to freeze transit fares for one year and lower recreation fees for families and children. He will have to convince the rest of council to include both initiatives in the preliminary budget, which staff will work on early in the new year.

The new mayor also wants to increase funding to community service agencies by $4 mllion and hire 25 additional police officers.

In order to help pay for those initiatives, Sutcliffe wants to eliminate 200 full-time positions to achieve a savings of $38 million, starting with the 100 or so current vacancies.

He also wants to cut external services and consulting by $20 million.

Just when the new council and Ottawa taxpayers will get their first look at a preliminary budget is unclear.

After the previous council was elected in

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Fuzed glass classes and workshops for groups and individuals.

Zybina Richards proudly wears her Order of Ottawa medal as she is flanked by Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson and Orléans South-Navan city councillor Catherine Kitts following the Order of Ottawa ceremony which took place at City Hall on Nov. 3.

Dedicated community volunteer receives Order of Ottawa award

ORLÉANS – Zybina Richards has been volunteering her time to various causes and organizations almost as long as she’s been a resident of Orléans. She has served an active member of the Fallingbrook Community Association (FCA) for almost 30 years and president for over 20 years. She is also the president of Kiwanis Club of Eastern Ottawa Est and Secretary on the Capital Fair Board. Zybina gives back to her community on a daily basis. She is heavily involved in community events including planning the Canada Day celebrations in Orléans since 1994. Zybina has worked on the contribution of $325,000 to the construction of the Kiwanis Adventure Playground and worked with Staples Canada to collect $500,000 worth of school supplies during the pandemic. Each year, she purchases 100 pyjama sets and personally delivers them to the Youville Centre for mothers and children in need. She also presents gifts to each graduating student at the Youville Centre. Zybina is known for bringing people together and building bridges. She’s a tireless, hardworking and dedicated community activist with a passion for helping others and her community, all of which made her the perfect choice to be among last week’s recipients of the Order of Ottawa award.

Jockeying for committee assignments has already begun

Continued from page 1

2018, they established a tax target for the 2019 budget in December. Council then put together a preliminary budget in January, which was followed by a round of public consultations at the committee level.

The final budget wasn’t passed until March 6 that year.

The new incoming council is being sworn in two weeks earlier than the old council was, but Sutcliffe wants staff to conduct a line-byline review of current spending ahead of the draft budget.

Then there is the issue of committee assignments. The standing committees cannot review their respective departmental budgets until they have chairs.

Given the fact that nearly half of the new council is made of first-timers, it’s expected that at least three – if not all four – of the east end councillors will be given committee chairs, but just which committee they will chair remains to be seen.

The jockeying for committee assignments has already begun behind closed doors with Sutcliffe getting the final say as to who chairs what committee.

Orléans East-Cumberland councillor Matt Luloff is hoping to keep his position as chair of the library board.

The east councillors have also started the push to make sure their local priorities are included in the new budget.

Orléans West-Innes councillor Laura Dudas wants to ensure that her ward continues to get its fair share of funding for road maintenance and resurfacing as well as park improvements. She also wants to make sure the city’s winter maintenance budget is properly funded.

Luloff is after the same things, along with additional funding to improve accessibility for the physically challenged.

Sutcliffe must also try to do his best to keep all the rookie councillors happy, some of whom were more aligned with Catherine McKenney, his opponent in the election, than himself.

Eleven of the 25 councillors, or nearly half, are first-timers. More than a fair share of the newcomers are social progressives who will want to push their own agenda, which means the days ahead should be interesting indeed.

The 2022 Orléans Outstanding Youth Awards

The Arts – Academics – Sports Community Service – Humanitarianism

Do you know someone in your community under the age of 18 whose talents and abilities set them apart during the past year? If so, why not consider nominating them for the Orléans Outstanding Youth Awards? Nominees must be 17 years old or younger as of Sept. 1, 2022, and reside within the City of Ottawa east of Blair Road. Nominees will be judged on their accomplishments between Oct. 1, 2021 and Sept. 30, 2022. All submissions must include the name, address and phone number of both the nominee and the nominator as well as a resume of the nominee’s accomplishments. There are no categories per se – those nominated will be judged on their accomplishments in any one area, or a combination of areas. Nominations can be submitted by e-mail to OYA@orleansstar.ca or regular mail to The Orléans Star c/o 745 Farmbrook Cres., Orléans ON, K4A 2C1. The deadline for entries is Nov. 15. For additional information visit www.orleansonline.ca/OYA, or call Fred Sherwin at 613-447-2829.

Test drilling being conducted near debunked site for interprovincial bridge

By Fred Sherwin

The Orléans Star

Area city councillors and long-time opponents of a possible interprovincial bridge in the east end are upset over work being done on the Ottawa River near Green’s Creek to test the soil and bedrock for just that possibility.

According to the NCC’s own information, geotechnical studies are being conducted on both sides of the Ottawa River at three possible locations – Kettle Island, which would link into the Aviation Parkway; Lower Duck Island near Green’s Creek which would link into Hwy. 174 just east of the Canotek Business Park; and McLaurin Bay, which would link into Hwy. 174 at Green’s Creek but cross much closer to Convent Glen North.

All three locations were identified in a 2013 Interprovincial Crossing study as the top three potential sites for a bridge, however, the Kettle Island location was rated #1 because it was both the cheapest and easiest in terms of linking it to existing roads and highways.

After the proposal drew the ire of opponents of all three potential locations, the

Ontario Liberal government of the day with-drew it’s support for a possible sixth interprovincial crossing. Those same opponents are gearing up for another fight, they thought they’d already won.

Local resident and bridge opponent Pierre Leblanc is upset that the federal government has decided to spend millions of dollars on yet another study and more testing for a bridge, the need for which is questionable at best.

“I am upset that the federal leadership continues to spend our tax dollars to pursue a project that has not yet been proven to be required at a time of a massive combination of national, provincial and municipal budget deficits and debt,” says Leblanc, who is also upset with the NCC’s lack of transparency in conducting it’s Refresh Study. “It looks like the Liberals will build a bridge, damn the financial torpedoes.”

Orléans East-Cumberland ward councillor Matt Luloff is upset over the NCC’s decision to keep the Lower Duck/Green’s Creek location in the mix.

“Four studies have identified Kettle Island as the best and cheapest option should the

federal government wish to move forward with a sixth crossing,” Luloff points out.

“Our infrastructure in the east end cannot handle any additional traffic. The 174 already operates beyond capacity at rush hour and the split has been a mess for decades. Couple these issues with the fact that Orléans only has two viable ways in and out of it, and a

bridge east of the Vanier Parkway would be a disaster.”

Luloff goes on, “The federal government should stop wasting money trying to get a different answer to the same information, and should be properly communicating with east end residents what their intention is. I and my

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A drilling barge has spent the several weeks taking core samples on the Ottawa River near previously proposed sites for an interprovincial bridge including Lower Duck Island. PIERRE LEBLANC PHOTO

COVID commission

While the current state of the COVID pandemic is still a matter of great debate among many people – some believe it is over and in our rearview mirror, while others are still very much at risk of catching the disease – one opinion should be universally held, and that is the need for a Royal Commission into this country’s response to the pandemic.

So many areas need to be explored – the initial lack of personal protection equipment or PPEs, the delay in acquiring a vaccine, public health restrictions on businesses and individuals, testing, the decision not to allow family doctors to vaccinate their patients, and – most importantly – the absolute failure to protect residents in long-term care and retirement communities from the disease.

Australia and New Zealand are also contemplating a national post mortem on their respective country’s response to the pandemic. In Australia, the chair of the COVID response review panel believes a Royal Commission is needed to examine why and how Australia’s federal and state governments “failed to get the balance right between protecting health and imposing long-term costs on education, mental health, the economy and workforce outcomes”. It’s a good question which needs to be examined here as well.

Liberal backbencher Nathaniel Erskine-Smith has already tabled a Private Member’s Bill that would compel the health minister to create an advisory committee to examine the need for a potentially broad study of Canada’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

That committee would also review the actions of the Public Health Agency of Canada and the federal department of health. And it would look at the responses of provincial and municipal governments and “analyze the health, economic and social factors relevant to the impact of the pandemic in Canada”.

The bill will be debated later this month. We can only hope that it will be passed and a Royal Commission established.

In 2003, the provincial government of the day established an independent commission headed by Ontario Superior Court Justice Archie Campbell to investigate how the SARS virus came to the province, how the virus spread and how it was dealt with. Similarly, the federal government of the day established the National Advisory Committee on SARS and Public Health.

Both investigations were helpful in learning lessons and making recommendations to aid in addressing future viral outbreaks. Unfortunately, many of those lessons and recommendations were soon forgotten about, or ignored altogether.

We can not and should not let history repeat itself. The first step to doing that is to establish a Royal Commission. Only after a full and complete examination of this country’s response to the COVID pandemic is done can we look toward the future with any confidence the mistakes and missteps that happened won’t happen again.

– Fred Sherwin, editor

Still time left to contribute to the local

Poppy Campaign

I hope you all had a great Halloween. It was so exciting to see kids out trick-or-treating once again this year and to welcome them on a beautiful evening. As always, I was impressed with the fantastically decorated houses across our neighbourhood.

On Remembrance Day, I am always honoured to lay a wreath on behalf of Canadians while attending the annual ceremony at our local Orléans Royal Canadian Legion Branch 632 in honour of the sacrifices that were made – and that are still made –to ensure our country’s safety and freedom. I want to recognize the immense work that our local Legion members and volunteers are doing in preparation of the Poppy campaign, launched on Oct. 28 at the Canadian Tire store on Innes Rd. Our special thanks to the Canadian Tire team for partnering with the Legion!

On Nov. 3, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Chrystia Freeland, released the 2022 Fall Economic Statement outlining the government’s plan to continue to help Canadians with the cost of living and building a Canada where nobody gets left behind. I want to share some important highlights for our community such as permanently eliminating interest on the federal portion of Canada Student Loans and Canada Apprentice Loans; lowering credit card transaction fees for small businesses which are

at the core of Orléans economy and delivering a $500 payment to help low-income renters to name a few. I encourage you to read the full statement at www.budget.gc.ca.

I had the pleasure of visiting the GCcoWorking space at Place Orléans with my colleague Helena Jaczek, Minister of Public Services and Procurement on November 8th. This Federal public service coworking spaces initiative has been a pilot project since its opening in 2019. I took the opportunity to discuss with Minister Jaczek the importance of not only maintaining that co-working and collaborative work area in Orléans but to make it a permanent space as well as looking at its expansion.

I am also delighted, after years of conversation and advocacy to finally see the opening of the new harmonized space of the Ottawa East Service Canada Centre and Passport Services at Place Orléans on Oct. 24. Moreover, I want to let you know that the call for application of the 2023 Canada Summer Jobs program is expecting to be launch in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for more information and do not hesitate to contact my office in due time for any questions or interest you may have.

**La version française est maintenant disponible sur ma page Facebook**

Marie-France Lalonde Commons Corner

Here are a few tips when taking a post-pandemic trip

I have received a number of e-mails this year asking me if I had any travel tips for some of the places I’ve been to, so I will oblige them by writing about some of the things I’ve learned during my visits to Europe, and in particular the Netherlands and Belgium.

I will begin by describing my experiences flying to and from Europe. By and large, I have never had any real issues. Sure it takes longer to get through security, but in general the lines move fairly quickly. And when you are returning from abroad, you are going to end having to wait for your baggage to show up on the carousel.

My biggest complaint about airport travel, besides the fact that your connecting gate is always 3.5 kilometres away from your arrival gate, is the lack of hand carts in Canadian airports. As in, there are none. I’m pretty sure this is a remnant of the pandemic, but if you go to any airport in Europe and you will see hand carts all over the place, which come in handy when the gate for your connecting flight is 3.5 kilometres from your arrival gate.

As for specific travel tips, I am going to focus on the Netherlands because this is where I have been the most in the past year,

Up Front

and it’s a beautiful country with lots to see and do.

My first tip is to familiarize yourself with the city’s rapid transit. You can walk from Point A to Point B, but if you have one of those suitcases with the wheels on the bottom it’s not really practical, plus most of the sidewalks are made out of cobblestone which is why a backpack is more suitable than a suitcase with wheels. Then again, if you have a lot of luggage, just spring for a taxi.

But getting back to rapid transit, the Netherlands has a very efficient public transportation system. So much so that very few people own cars – they don’t have to. And when using the public transit system, or for just plain getting around, Google maps is your best friend. It will give you the

best routes, the number of bus or train you need to catch and where to catch it. It’s been a life saver to me.

Also, if you are going to stay in Holland for any length of time and plan to visit some of the cities and towns other than Amsterdam, then you should purchase a Holland Travel Ticket which gives you unlimited travel on every mode of transportation both inside and outside the city. It costs 64 euros to travel anytime during the day or night, or just 44 euros if you don’t plan to travel during the peak hours from 6:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Travel tip #2: explore the country. The Netherlands is one of the most beautiful countries in the world and let’s face it, if you’ve traveled all that way you should take some time to do a little exploring. For instance, if you love shopping you should definitely go to Utrect. As you leave the train station, you immediately enter one of the biggest shopping malls in the Netherlands. In fact, the entire downtown of Utrect is one big shopping district with a lot of excellent restaurants and picturesque canals.

Speaking of picturesque, you should also go to Delf, home of the Dutch artist Vermeer and Delf ceramics. The town is also home

to the Lowlands

to two magnificent churches. Other day trip destinations are the seaside village of Volendam, Zaanse Schans, which is a throwback to the 18th and 19th century with it’s windmills and distinctive green wooden houses, the beach community of Zandvoort aan Zee and Haarlem.

I also highly recommend visiting Rotterdam, which is the antithesis of Amsterdam. It’s much less crowded and much less touristy, but it still has a lot to offer with it’s distinctive architecture, wide sidewalks, and massive shopping district. I actually prefer Rotterdam to Amsterdam as a base from which to travel. It’s also a lot closer to Belgium, where you can make day trips to Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp or all three. I left out Brussels, because I did not enjoy it at all, especially after already having been to Amsterdam, which is head and shoulders better in nearly every aspect.

The most important thing to remember is that everything in the Netherlands is close. You can get from Amsterdam to Rotterdam by train in less than 40 minutes, and most other destinations are even closer.

Wow, that’s a lot to take in and I haven’t even gotten to Amsterdam yet. For more tips, stayed tuned for my next column.

Fred Sherwin

Remembrance Day

Remembering the forgotten casualties of war

By Fred Sherwin The Orléans Star

In Canada, Remembrance Day is reserved for the 116,000 men and women who served and died in the five major conflicts the country has participated in – the Boer War, the First World War, the Second World War, the Korean War and the Afghanistan War – as well as the thousands more who served and have since passed.

But we often forget that soldiers aren’t the only casualties of war. During the Second World War, 390,000 civilians, many of them children, died in France alone. That’s more than five times the number of civilian casualties in Great Britain.

When the Germans first launched their offensive into the northern and eastern parts of France in May, 1940, it sparked a mass exodus of refugees fleeing the advancing forces. An estimated 8-10 million refugees fled their homes in an effort to escape the Nazi invasion – almost a quarter of the French population at the time.

Among the millions of refugees was former Orléans resident Miza Davie.

Born Mireille Bosc, Miza was just six years old when the Germans invaded France. As the advancing army approached Paris, Miza escaped to Marseilles with her mother Paule and younger siblings Robert and Françoise who were four and two

respectively.

It didn’t take long for the Germans to complete their invasion of France.

Miza’s mother, who was a radio personality in Paris before the start of the war, was forced by the Nazis to broadcast propoganda.

For better part of two years, Miza and her siblings were raised by their grandparents – first in Nimes in the south of France and then in Générac near Bordeaux. Later in the war, they were reunited with their mother in Paris before fleeing to an uncle’s place in the north to escape the bombing in the French capital.

After immigrating to Canada in the 1950s Miza began writing a collection of short stories about her life as young girl growing up during the war. Prior to her passing in 2005, those stories were assembled in a self-published book entitled “A Child’s Memory of the Second World War”. Here is just one of those stories.

Here is just one of those stories about taking cover in a bomb shelter with her mother and siblings, prior to fleeing north.

Down in the Cellar

Sometimes my brother Robert, the youngest of the children, would fall asleep as Mummy would sing us a song. Other people were also occupying the “War Abri” shelter. No one would say much as we were all very scared. Then suddenly a loud scream would echo in the room. A big gray rat had just scurried among our feet and disappeared through a hole in the wall.

To pass the time, we would make shadow puppets on the wall with our fingers, but most of the time we had to remain very quiet. We couldn’t even go to the washroom because there weren’t any facilities. We were in limbo, waiting for an unknown verdict. Then suddenly, out of the deepest silence, came the sound of an alarm telling us the bombing was over.

One by one, we would climb up the narrow staircase in silence. As we were getting nearer to the exit, a narrow ray of daylight shone through the crack in the door, bringing some hope again that we were alive.

Often, as we regained contact with the outside world, the picture was devastating: people lay dead and dying, homes were demolished, piles of smoldering rubble filled the air with acrid smoke and human lives were destroyed.

It was so difficult to forget these trips

to the “war shelter”, as we had to go frequently, during the occupation. I still remember the heavy breathing of scared people, and the horrid smell of humid earth. What had gone wrong that people were killing each other and children were crying bitter tears not knowing why their dads had gone and moms had lost their smiles.

All these years later I still wonder why adults create wars, while children in the world only want peace and tranquility.

Illustration by Miza Davie

Miza Davie

City councillor shares Afghan war dispatch

By Fred Sherwin

The Orléans Star

Orléans East-Cumberland city councillor Matt Luloff served in the Canadian Armed Forces from 2006 to 2009. In February 2008, he was deployed to Afghanistan where he saw action as a member of the Princess Patricia Regiment.

During that time, he recorded life as a soldier in an active war zone in a journal. The following is just one of the dispatches that he wrote:

Yesterday at dusk, an RPG came coasting over our walls, making it’s impact beside an impromptu footie game, The Afghanistan National Army (ANA) commander and our platoon’s favourite ANA counterpart, Zahir, were destroyed in the blast. Shrapnel tore through the commander’s face and ripped through Zahir’s body, killing them both nearly instantly. Both were on the phone with their loved ones, the commander with his girlfriend and Zahir with his mother.

We retaliated with unprecedented ferocity, raining mortars on their support positions.

Gunfire was coming in from two grape huts and the large compound to our North. I hopped into the driver’s seat of the LAV III and with the snap of small arms fire above my

head, started it up and waited for Chris and Shipway to settle in. Once the thermal sight and internal communications equipment were up and running, we pulled the LAV around the north side of the outpost and hammered the grape huts with the cannon. We called artillery on their positions for good measure and the fight was over within a half hour.

The next day, our intelligence section intercepted an insurgent communication during which a Taliban commander gave orders not to attack Canadian Forces positions as they had sustained heavy casualties from a successful artillery mission during the battle.

After the battle, we pulled the LAV back into the COP. I got out and chatted quickly with the crew. As we walked back into the main area, we could see Canadians and ANA gathered around the bodies of the commander and Zahir. Their wounds were devastating. There was nothing we could do for either of them. The ANA moved them to the base of the tower that was placed between our two areas and covered them in a blanket.

Because we had no Canadian air assets at the time, the bodies lay there for over two

days. It was horrible to have the remains in the heat for so long. The horrible smell would waft up into the towers when we were on watch.

I couldn’t stop thinking of Zahir’s smile and his joviality. The other Canadians were visibly upset by the loss of our Afghan friend.

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Orléans East-Cumberland city councillor Matt Luloff, then 24 years of age, on patrol in Afghanistan in 2008. PHOTO SUPPLIED

After leaving the army, councillor had to cope with PTSD

Continued from page 7

Eric, Chris, Dan and I had spent countless evenings with him and a few of the other ANA soldiers, drinking tea and talking through our interpreter.

I spent my shifts in the tower playing the whole thing over and over in my head. I couldn’t shake the profound sadness, anger and overwhelming desire for revenge felt.

Relations with the ANA deteriorated quickly after the deaths of Zahir and the commander.

There was an obvious power struggle in their platoon. Their power generating and refrigeration equipment began to fail and when we couldn’t accommodate them with ours, everything came to a head. The ANA set up a gate between our two living areas. At first, no one was allowed to cross the gate and the ANA refused to patrol with us.

After a few days, I was able to get my friends on the other side to begin letting Eric, Dan and I over for tea again. This lead to a truce between us, and the gate came down, but our relationship never fully recovered. Communication was curt and unfriendly.

An Afghan helicopter finally touched down quickly to retrieve the bodies of our slain

MP/Députée Orléans

comrades. We held a joint remembrance ceremony with the ANA at sundown that evening. It was good to grieve together, but just as in the case of every death on the tour, we had to move on quickly. There was work to be done.

After this, I stopped writing in my journal. I spent my free time mostly with Eric, talking or watching television series on his Archos or preparing my kit for the next patrol. I couldn’t have known it at the time, but I shouldn’t have stopped writing. The most devastating events of the tour were still ahead of me.

Not long after the incident in which the Afghanistan army commander and Zahir were killed in action, Luloff lost three of his comrades, Cpl. Mike Seggie, Pte. Chad Horn and Cpl. Andrew Grenon, who were killed when a rocket struck the vehicle they were traveling in on Sept. 3, 2008.

But the tragedy didn’t stop there. Luloff was travelling with a convoy making the final trip from their combat outpost to the main Canadian base in Kandahar City where they were to begin their post-deployment leave when the vehicle carrying the section commander, Sgt. Scott Shipway, was hit by

On November 11, let’s remember those who fought and sacrificed so much for our freedom and our country!

an IED, killing him instantly.

Luloff was driving immediately behind Shipway’s vehicle when the IED was set off remotely.

“I could see the pavement ripple up and the LAV flip over and land upside down. Shipway was waist up out of the turret directing the convoy and was killed when it landed,” says Luloff.

On any other day, Luloff would have been driving for the sergeant.

“It was the first time I hadn’t driven for him for months. I had been rotated back to my original platoon just days before which is why I wasn’t driving for him when he got hit,” explains Luloff.

Sgt. Shipway had been helping Luloff, deal with the psychological impact Grenon’s death just days before he was killed himself. To make matters even worse, Luloff could very well have been driving Shipway’s vehicle when it was hit. Even though Shipway’s driver wasn’t killed in the attack, he was seriously injured.

Luloff initially dealt with the dual tragedies by drinking and kibitzing with his fellow soldiers all of whom were anxious to get back home. It wasn’t until months later

that he realized he had a problem.

“It didn’t hit me until months after I got back,” says Luloff. “After we got back to Shiloh that’s when it finally hit me. That sort of mental illness creeps up on you and slowly builds and when I got back to Shilo I finally put up my hand and said I need help.”

Diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Luloff elected not to renew his contract with the military and was eventually given his medical release in March 2009.

He came back to Ottawa determined to be a champion for mental health services for military veterans which has been his life mission for the past nine years.

Since leaving the military, Luloff has stayed in constant touch with his old buddies who get together whenever they can.

“Remembrance Day to me is a time to celebrate the lives of the people who have passed, and the lives of the people who I know personally who have passed – remembering them and supporting their families,” says Luloff, who plans to attend this year’s Remembrance Day ceremony at the Orléans Legion with his fellow local city councillors.

Local francophone community upset over health hub name change

By Fred Sherwin

The Orléans Star

Members of Orléans’ francophone community are upset over the renaming of the Orléans Health Hub to the Aline-Chrétien Health Hub, which translates to the Carrefour santé Aline-Chrétien.

But they are not so upset over the choice of the person who the building has been named after as they over the fact that the word “Orléans” has been removed without any consultation with the community.

According to the Orléans Health Hub website, the centre received a $1.5 million donation as part of a campaign to raise $12 million to help fund construction of the building. The $1.5 million donation was made by Yves Tremblay, president of the fundraising committee and his wife Sylvie Villeneuve.

On the page announcing the name change, the Monfort Foundation makes reference to the Tremblays’ generous donation, suggesting that there is a definite link between the two.

“The Montfort Foundation offers major donors a say in the naming that meets their level of giving. Thus, following an exceptional pledge, in consultation with the Hôpital Montfort’s administration, the Hub will henceforth bear the name ‘AlineChrétien Health Hub’.

But in an interview with the Orléans Star’s sister newspaper the L’Orléanais, Tremblay makes it clear that they had nothing to do with choosing Aline Chrétien for the new name.

The naming of buildings and other significant landmarks is often reserved for prominent community leaders, such as politicians like mayors and prime ministers, or people who have played a role in building the local community. Not only was Aline Chrétien not a community figure of any standing in Orléans, it’s doubtful she had ever visited the community.

Société franco-ontarienne du patrimoine et de l’histoire d’Orléans (SFOPHO) vicepresident Louis Patry is responsible for naming a number of streets and parks in Orléans after the area’s earliest settlers and community builders.

In order to name a street or park in the City of Ottawa, you have to go through an extensive process that includes submitting documentation as to why the person’s name should be used, which is followed by a period during which member’s of the public can provide their own input.

In an interview with the Orléans Star, Patry made it clear that he has nothing against Aline Chrétien, rather he wants Orléans to somehow remain part of the name.

The decision to remove Orléans from the name of the Orléans Health Hub has upset a a number of francophone leaders living in the community.

MONTFORT FOUNDATION GRAPHIC

Patry found out about the name change on Oct. 20, the day it was announced during a reception for major donors at the Health Hub. He was taken by complete surprise as was a number of other prominent francophone leaders in the area, especially after the facility had been advertised as the Orléans Health Hub for more than 10 years and during the entire fundraising campaign.

“The whole fundraising campaign was carried out using the name Carrefour santé Orléans, and then as soon as they reach their goal they remove the name Orléans. It’s trickery,” argues Patry who

was subsequently informed in a letter from Montfort Foundation president and CEO Marc Villeneuve that naming the health hub after Madame Chrétien was the “exclusive responsibility of the Montfort Hospital’s board of directors”.

Patry says the best and easiest solution is to follow the example of the Bob MacQuarrie Recreation Complex and just add Orléans at the end. So, it would be called the AlineChrétien Health Hub - Orléans, or Carrefour santé Aline-Chrétien - Orléans. He made that suggestion in writing to Marc Villeneuve. So far he has not had a response.

Bridge

debate

Continued from page 3

‘déja vous’ all over again for opponents of crossing

fellow east end city councillors will fight this to the end.”

Beacon Hill-Cyrville councillor Tim Tierney, whose ward includes the Lower Duck Island/Green’s Creek site is incredulous that the NCC is still considering the controversial location.

“We’ve already established that a bridge shouldn’t be built at Lower Duck Island for all kinds of reasons. So why they continue to include it in their studies is crazy to me,” says Tierney.

The NCC does not have a very good track record when it comes to transparency and a sixth potential interprovincial crossing.

In 2019, the Commission released a report conducted by the engineering firm WSP which failed to name a preferred corridor, nor did it lay out the estimated cost of the three east end options being evaluated.

It took some investigative journalism on the part of the CBC to uncover that WSP had done additional work for Public Services and

Procurement Canada which confirmed the best site for a new bridge is at Kettle Island and that it would cost about $300 million less than the Lower Duck Island/Green’s Creek location. The estimated cost to build a bridge at Kettle Island in 2019 was $1.81 billion.

When the CBC questioned the NCC about the additional information the agency failed to make public, officials with the NCC said it was meant for “internal use” only. That study cost $1.4 million to complete.

The biggest argument against building a bridge at Lower Duck Island is the impact it would have on the 174 and the split. As many as 25,000 additional cars and trucks would be added to the roadway during peak hours.

In order to properly handle that level of increase in traffic, the split would have to be completely re-engineered and rebuilt – the cost of which has not been included in any existing study.

A bridge at Kettle Island would also add thousands of additional cars to the Aviation Parkway and the split, but a ramp onto Hwy.

417 already exists and mitigating measures have already been examined including limiting access to the Aviation Parkway from side streets and building a tunnel for the section near the Montfort Hospital to limit traffic noise. Access to the 174 would have to be provided both eastbound and westbound.

The Trudeau government promised to build a new interprovincial bridge during the 2019 federal election campaign. After the election, they provided funding to the NCC in 2019 and 2021 budgets to conduct additional studies to help choose a preferred site.

The Sixth Interprovincial Bridge Crossing Study Refresh was the first step to do just that. The test drilling being conducted on the Ottawa River this fall is just another step, which has to be carried out to help decide where to build the bridge.

According to Public Services and Procurement Canada, the results of the tests which involve drilling 21 boreholes through the river sediment to bedrock, “will be

used to understand whether a site may be appropriate to support the structure of a potential crossing.”

Luloff and Tierney say they plan to continue to oppose Lower Duck Island as a possible site until it is taken off the table once and for all.

The NCC’s actions in continuing to examine the location as a possible site will likely have to be addressed by the incoming city council and Ottawa’s newly elected mayor, Mark Sutcliffe, which will put them on a collision course with the Trudeau government.

Then there’s the issue of MPs whose ridings the testing is being conducted in –Marie-France Lalonde in Orléans and Mona Fortier in Ottawa-Vanier. Both are avoiding speaking on the subject until the NCC has completed it’s studies. But if the past is any indicator, they will both eventually be drawn into the debate whether they like it or not should the federal government press forward with its desire to build a bridge.

Children’s Storytelling Festival returning this month

Special tor the Orléans Star

By Janet LeRoy, Ottawa Storytellers

A smorgasbord of delightful stories for children aged 2-12 and for the young-at-heart will be shared at six Ottawa locations and online during the week of Nov. 21-26.

In English and in French, both Indigenous and other storytellers will provide a delectable array of stories from many cultures.

After each in-person storytelling session, young listeners will be invited to a craft table to try their hands at a story-related craft. Along with the stories, children will bring home their art!

In-person storytelling is scheduled on Saturday, Nov. 26 at the Ottawa Public Library Cumberland Branch in English from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and en français from 11h15 to 2h15. In-person storytelling will also be held at the main library branch on Metcalfe Street in English from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. and en français from 14h45 to 15h45.

Two talented English storytellers will keep listeners thoroughly engaged:

• Kathy Jessup was born telling stories. Funny stories are her favourite, and she asks the audience to help her sometimes, which can get kind of crazy.

• Racquel Sutherland loves the Anansi stories she’s heard all her life. She often adds drumming and dance to bring her Jamaican tales of the Spider-Man to life.

In French, listeners will be enthralled by two awesome francophone storytellers:

• Bernard Paquet, the president of the local francophone storytelling group Le cercle des conteurs et conteuses d’est d’Ontario, will share the stories of Timoon.

• Bethany Ellis, from Edmonton, brings a dramatic sense of humour to all of her readings.

Other in-person events will be held on Saturday Nov. 26 at the Cumberland, NepeanCentrepointe, Beaverbrook, and Main branches of the Ottawa Public Library.

And in the early evenings – family storytelling events will be held in English on Nov. 21 and 24 at the Odawa Native Friendship Centre on St. Laurent Blvd., and in French on Nov 22 at Le Centre Jules-Léger in Westboro.

Online storytelling takes place every day throughout the festival week from Nov. 21 to Dec. 16 at Ottawa Public Library’s YouTube Chanel.

For complete details, please check the schedule on the festival website at https:// biblioottawalibrary.ca/.en/kidzone, or at ottawastorytellers.ca, or call 613- 322-833

Kathy Jessup

Racquel Sutherland

Bernard Paquet

Bethany Ellis

Willowbend Retirement Community caters to every lifestyle

(The following advertorial is sponsored content provided by Riverstone Retirement Communities.)

Willowbend Retirement Community by Riverstone provides its residents with an unmatched level of comfort, dignity, and style. We believe that everyone deserves to live an engaged, meaningful, and joyful life. Whatever your lifestyle or care needs, Willowbend offers a full spectrum of care alternatives, so you can find the lifestyle that suits you best. Choose from Independent Living, Residential Care, or one of our two Assisted Living arrangements – Physical Assisted Living or Memory Care.

Families can rest assured that their loved ones are living with the utmost care and comfort. Through the support of our caring staff, all of the residents are able to thrive, and feel connected in a safe, worry-free environment.

Our second floor is specifically designed and secured for residents who require Memory Care, including those with dementia. The enhanced care provided on this floor helps residents with their everyday needs. In addition to a private dining room and lounge, our large secure floor offers a bright all-season sunroom and specialized activity programming.

When possible, residents also enjoy

supervised outdoor activities and planned outings. And all the while, overseen by our trained healthcare staff.

For those who need help with daily living but not the specialized support of our Memory Care floor, Willowbend offers Physical Assisted Living. Residents receive daily assistance with dressing, grooming and personal hygiene, daily housekeeping, and escort service to and from the private dining room, the managing of medications, and the coordination of select health-related services.

Residents will also enjoy a private room, and all the suites on the assisted living floor are equipped with an easy step-in shower with a seat, as well as access to the floorssupervised reclining bathing system. Our dedicated healthcare staff are available at all times.

Willowbend also caters to those who live an active and independent lifestyle. With our Independent Living program, you have flexible meal plans to choose from, weekly housekeeping, fitness activities, games, and outings, along with access to emergency nursing care, if needed.

Suites have a kitchenette with a full-sized refrigerator and microwave, and you can use the laundry facilities on your floor, as well as the underground garage. Plus, small pets are welcome.

And if you need a little bit more help day to day, Residential Care includes all the Independent Living services plus some helpful extras. You can enjoy daily room tidying and bed-making, weekly personal laundry, and the administration and supervision of medication.

Willowbend has all the comforts you desire at your fingertips including an indoor saltwater fitness pool, fireside library, movie theater, games area, hobby room, lounge with pi-ano, and demonstration kitchen. Beyond the residence, you can enjoy the onsite gardens and nearby walking paths, as well as the local shops, grocery stores, and restaurants that are just steps away.

Willowbend is the retirement community you’ve been looking for in Orléans. Nestled on the edge of a beautiful residential neighbourhood, it has an array of comforts and conveniences. And with its wide spectrum of care, it has a lifestyle that’s right for you.

Willowbend also offers Respite and Winter Stays so you can take in the full experience of living at our community for yourself and find out why it’s more than just senior living – it’s a new life!

Contact Liette at 613-907-9200 or ljodouin@riverstoneretirment.ca today to find out more information, or to book your private tour.

JOIN US FOR A WINTER STAY

Make a life-changing impact this holiday season by visiting the Canadian Blood Services plasma donation centre at Place d’Orléans

(The following article is sponsored content provided by Canadian Blood Services.)

When you donate plasma, you don’t just make a difference, you make all the difference.

The need for plasma is growing and won’t stop during the holidays. In fact, significantly more plasma donations are needed to make lifesaving medications for patients in Canada. Thousands of patients across the country depend on medications made from plasma to help treat immunodeficiency, autoimmune disorders and neurological disorders, among other medical conditions — many of whom have no other treatment option.

Plasma is the protein-rich liquid in blood that helps other blood components circulate throughout the body. Most of the plasma Canadian Blood Services collects goes to manufacturers to make medications from plasma. The new plasma donor centre located at 110 Place d’Orléans Drive (at the Place d’Orléans shopping centre beside Mark’s, access from exterior entrance

only) collects plasma for manufacturing. This means that your donated plasma is manufactured into lifesaving medications and distributed to 730 health centres across the country.

When donating plasma, your blood flows through a machine at your bedside. This machine is used to separate the plasma from the other blood components during the donation process itself. Only plasma is collected, and the red blood cells and platelets are returned to you. As a result, you can donate plasma more frequently than whole blood. Any healthy person who meets our eligibility criteria can donate plasma as frequently as every two weeks. Plasma donors must weigh more than 50 kg (110 lb.), be in general good health and be 17 years of age or older. More questions? Call us at 1 888 2 DONATE (1-888-2366283) to discuss eligibility.

For many patients, plasma is the only treatment option. The Orléans plasma donor centre needs to collect at least 1,000 donations each month to help meet patient needs now and into the future.

“Donors generously give their time and their lifesaving plasma to help meet the growing needs of patients across the country who depend on medications

made from plasma,” says Marie-Noele Cote, business development manager in Orléans. “We couldn’t be more grateful for the support of these donors and hope that they will encourage others to make all the difference as plasma donors.”

To book a plasma donation appointment, use the GiveBlood app, or visit blood.ca/ plasma.

James, plasma recipient

Da Artisti Studio & Gallery gears up for holiday season

By Jody Maffett The Orléans Star

Da Artisti Studio and Gallery features the works of different local artists working in different medium. Let me rephrase that: EVERYTHING is locally made!

The gallery showcases stained glass by Diana Atkinson, handblown glass jewelry by Janet Evans and Barbara Ham, exquisite beadwork by Nathalie Brunelle, Ron Matton metal works, sculptural and functional ceramics by Colette Beardall and Helene Charbonneau’s acrylic paintings on slate.

The gallery also has Lionel Bedard, Ron Lacroix and Serge & Sheila’s fine wood creations, Stan Morrow’s fun wine gift boxes, Caughn’t Quilts beautifully made quilts, as well their own brand of artisan soaps and candles, respectively made by Sylvie Morin and Wicked Wix. You will also find books written by local authors and handmade greeting cards.

Da Artisti carries an extensive variety of Deborah Lyall’s original fibre art creations as well as Gallery Bees which she crafts exclusively for them.

Da Artisti is also a fused glass studio. You

will find one-of-a-kind fused glass items made by Martine Marceau and Gallery owner Wendy Canci.

The studio is getting ready for holiday shopping. Every year they make it a point to carry works that will fit in your holiday budget so mark your calendars:

- Nov 18 to 20: Shopping extravaganza! Drop by to meet Deborah Lyall who will be at the Gallery all weekend. Deborah will have her creations from handbags, scarves, skirts, loungewear, gallery bees and more. Each piece makes its own statement using unique and colourful graphics.

- Dec 3: Da Artisti will be part of the Cumberland Christmas Market. Drop by to meet local artists and get that special gift for that special someone. Harpist Ian Hepburn, will be visiting for a few hours to entertain their customers.

The quality of the artwork cannot be overstated. You would have to travel to the Byward Market in Ottawa or further afield to find the same quality of work as you will find at Da Artisti Studio and Gallery.

Da Artisti is open Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday from

Da Artisti Studio and Gallery is located in the heart of Cumberland Village, less than 10 minutes east of Orléans along Hwy. 174.

11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. They are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

You can visit their website at daartisti.ca or their Facebook page at facebook.com/ DaArtisti

FILE PHOTO

Former Orléans resident launches petition to address health care issues

By jody Maffett

The

Orléans Star

A former local resident Sam Bhargava, 84, together with his wife, Uttra, have filed a petition to the House of Commons sponsored by Nepean MP Chandra Arya, which they hope will spur a national conversation on the state of health care in Canada.

The petition is a call for political leaders to provide a platform for a national conversation on health care and to find solutions for what the Bhargavas feel is Canada’s deepening health care crisis.

The couple decided to launch the petition to address the persistent long lineups in hospital emergency wards, the shortage of family doctors in many areas, and the long wait times to see various medical specialists. They also want governments at all levels to address the explosion in brain-related illnesses including Alzheimer’s, dementia and Parkinson’s.

The Bhagavas lived in Orléans for more than 15 years before moving to Rothwell Heights near Blair Road. They eventually sold their home and moved into a retirement residence. As seniors themselves, they have experienced firsthand the shortfalls of Canada’s health care system, especially when it comes to seniors, the disabled and

the financially disadvantaged.

“The terrifying and shameful events and deaths in Canadian nursing homes that occurred during the recent pandemic must never be allowed again,” says Bhargava. “But it’s not just a COVID problem. Overcrowding and a lack of spaces has been a problem for years.”

Brain-related illnesses are another area of particular concern for the Bhargavas, especially Sam whose mother and father suffered from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s

“We are an aging society with the rate of brain-related illnesses on the rise. In the next eight years, care for dementia alone will require the entire health care budget of today,” explains Bhargava.

“The crisis can be turned into an opportunity if we all work together. Canadians have the talent and resources to solve the crisis by working together with researchers, technologists and other experts to rebuild the health care system with an action plan.”

As an example, Bhargava points out that eight per cent of dementia occurs in elderly individuals who suffer from hearing loss and can’t afford hearing aids which have to be acquired through a doctor’s referral.

Bhargava would like to see hearing aids offered over the counter, which would

dramatically reduce the cost and allow thousands of seniors who couldn’t afford a hearing aid to otherwise afford one.

“It’s all about following best practices. We need to look at other countries and see how they are doing things, and if they make sense, to adopt those practices ourselves,” says Bhargava, who along with his wife, opened the first private child care centre in Orléans

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back in 1983.

The first step to launching a national dialogue on health care is to sign the Bhargava’s petition none as Petition e-4084.

For more information visit the website yourvoiceforseniors.ca and click on the “Sign Here” button which will take you to the federal government’s petition page where you can provide your e-signature.

Sam and Uttar Bhargava have launched a petition asking the federal government and other political leaders to provide a platform for a national conversation on the state of Canada’s health care system. FILE PHOTO

COMMUNITY BILLBOARD

FRIDAY, NOV. 11

REMEMBRANCE DAY

CEREMONY on the parade grounds at the Orléans Legion Branch 632. Colour party parade will begin at 10:30 a.m. Ceremony at 10:45 a.m. Light snacks and assorted dessert to follow.

NAVAN REMEMBRANCE

DAY CEREMONY starting at 10:45 a.m. in front of the Navan cenotaph next to the Navan Memorial Arena.

SATURDAY, NOV. 12

SUNDAY, NOV. 13

HOLIDAY MAGIC CRAFT

SHOW presented by the National Capital Artisans Guild on both days from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Lester B. Pearson High School, 2071 Jasmine Cres.

SUNDAY, NOV. 19

CHRISTMAS BAZAAR from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Orléans United Church, 1111 Orléans Blvd. Crafts, holiday decor, jewellery, food items, baked goods and much more! Free admission. Plenty of parking.

SUNDAY, NOV. 19

SOUNDS OF HOPE

BENEFIT CONCERT presented by The Centre for Treatment of Sexual Abuse and Childhood Trauma at the Shenkman Arts Centre featuring five-time Juno nominee singer/ songwriter Ammoye along with local artists: Mia Kelly, Rory Taillon and Alanna Sterling. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets $45 available at the Shenkman Arts Centre box office or by visiting shenkmanarts.ca

SATURDAY, NOV. 26

SANTA’S PARADE OF LIGHTS beginning at 6 p.m. at the corner of St. Joseph Blvd. and Youville Dr. The parade will follow its traditional route down St. Joseph Blvd. to the Orléans Town Centre.

FRIDAY, NOV. 25

SATURDAY, NOV. 26

SUNDAY, NOV. 27

THE OTTAWA SCHOOL OF THEATRE presents “The True Story of the Girl Who Saved Christmas, and Maybe Even The World” at the Shenkman Arts Centre. Showtimes Friday, at 6:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. Adults $15. Age 25 and under $10. Family package (2 adults and children) $40. Tickets can be purchased at www.ost-eto.ca.

Céline Dussault Grandmont, 72

Passed away on November 2, 2022

Lucile Pagé (née Côté), 90

Passed away on October 31, 2022

Michael (Mike) Dunne, 63

Passed away on October 30, 2022