Kathleen Edwards shares the LOVE with the Shepherds of Good Hope

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There’s a lot of love in Lowertown thanks to The Shepherds of Good Hope

Jack Heffernan was a kind-hearted man with a great sense of humour and a deep sense of community. He grew up in Montreal’s Saint-Henri neighbourhood where working class francophone and Irish families lived in the shadow of Westmount. After serving in the RCAF during the Second World War, Jack became Father Heffernan. He was posted to Assumption parish in Eastview (now Vanier) to serve the Irish community there with Frs. Devine and Brennan. Friday nights Father Heff played with the parish bowling team. I remember when my dad caught hell from a church lady for giving Father a carton of smokes for Christmas. “Oh, don’t listen to her, Oscar!” was his spiritual advice.

Fr. Heffernan was assigned to St. Brigid’s Church on St. Patrick Street, which

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now stands as the Irish Centre for the Arts. He appeared on the television news one evening, answering questions as to why he was allowing a few guys to sleep in the basement of the church on cold nights. A few donated cots were set up, interfering with bingo night and displeased parishioners. Fr. Heffernan’s response was less than reverent. "Where the hell are these people supposed to go?” he asked the reporter with a Player’s cigarette between his fingers. And so began the mission of The Shepherds of Good Hope.

A lot has changed since that time 40 years ago when the Shepherds would provide a temporary roof and a meal to people who were down on their luck and may have just needed a bus ticket home. What hasn’t changed is that an amazing team of staff and volunteers devotedly do the job of administering charity under very difficult conditions.

The original building provided by the Archdiocese is still in use, with others purchased over the years along the street where clients crisscross through traffic. The scene today is one of desperation, a population ravaged by substance abuse disorders and mental illness, tossed away like disposable humans who could fall no further. It’s all deeply heartbreaking. When you’ve landed at the Shepherds, you've pretty much hit bottom.

Ambulances and police arrive at the scene day and night bringing people to the emergency transitional shelter program where staff do triage and intake. David Gourlay is Director of Philanthropy. “We work really hard to dispel stigma. People see police cars and they think, ‘there’s a crime, there’s violence,’ but that’s not what’s happening,” David asserts. “Homelessness is not an identity, it is an experience, and it can happen to someone we know and love.”

The 2020 Impact Report documents the numbers. 239,377 meals were served in the soup kitchen. 2,532 people used the shelter programs at some point during the past year. 40 days was the average stay. 747 volunteers gave of their time. What began as a soup kitchen and shelter has grown into a range of programs that focus on recovery and housing.

The Shepherds operate four supportive residences around Ottawa with plans in the works for a new building where its community kitchen will relocate, topped off by several storeys of housing. Its safe supply trailer averted 718 overdoses at a time when deaths were up by 25 per cent over the previous year due to COVID, which had a terrible overall impact on the most vulnerable individuals living in Ottawa.

“We’re really working to raise the profile of our work in the city,” David says. “We have all these innovative programs for the chronically homeless. Trauma, mental health, it’s all connected, and we feel it’s really important to find new ways to share these stories and inspire support from the community.” And that’s when he hit upon an idea.

David believes music is a great motivator. He’s seen Eric Clapton in concert 25 times (and deserves honourary roadie status!), so one night last November while watching Clapton on YoutTube, David came across an organization called Playing for Change, a foundation that operates 15 music programs in 11 countries. “They recreate and reimagine very popular songs by filming musicians all over the world and put them all together in a wonderful collaboration to use the power of music to inspire change,” David says. And inspire him it did.

LEFT: Sheperds of Good Hope — David Gourlay with songstress Kathleen Edwards.

The staff and volunteers of the Shepherds of Good Hope are able to provide the care they do because of the generosity and kind hearts of donors like you.

ABOVE (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP): Diedre Freiheit, President & Chief Executive Officer; David Gourlay, Director Philanthropy; Yousra Gilmore, Administrative Coordinator; Goeff Smith, Food Service Coordinator; Volunteers Aksay Mudgal and Sharon Adunmo; Ugonma Joy Onuigbo, Human Resources Coordinator. Enter Ottawa’s awesome Kathleen Edwards. The acclaimed singersongwriter has stepped up with gusto to perform John Lennon’s LOVE in a video that features members of the Shepherds family. “I felt compelled to learn the song and record it for the purpose of benefiting people in our community who so desperately need our support, further compounded by the COVID pandemic,” Kathleen says. The video is available on YouTube and at www.sghottawa.com/sing/

Edwards’ rendition of LOVE is the prequel to a live-streamed concert taking place on June 17th at 6:30 pm. Sing for Hope! will showcase more than 10 musicians led by Kathleen in a collaborative re-imaging of an iconic Beatles tune that will shine a bright light on our community and those experiencing homelessness. “We've all been asked to stay home. Imagine if you didn't have one, have any hope of work, safety, support, friendship,” Kathleen points out. “All of us can support our most vulnerable citizens by donating to the Shepherds of Good Hope.”

Father Heffernan might not recognize the street these days, but he would recognize the warm hearts, the loving kindness, and the outstretched hands of the shepherds that make for good hope in the lives of so many. The staff and volunteers of the Shepherds of Good Hope are able to provide the care they do because of the generosity and kind hearts of donors like you. Your gift of support ensures that guests who seek a brighter tomorrow shall receive it. Many have, and they are deeply thankful for your compassion.

Your donation can make all the difference in the lives of so many people who have lost so much hope.

You can help restore that hope by contacting the Shepherds at 613789-8210 or by going to www. sghottawa.com/ where you’ll find more information about the Sing for Hope! virtual concert, coming up on Thursday, June 17th at 6:30 pm n

The rise of electric “e-scooters” in Ottawa

Electric “Kick-Style” scooters or e-Scooters have “rolled” into Ottawa, with riders zipping through the downtown core streets. The release of e-scooters in Ottawa follows the Ontario government’s five-year pilot project launched in November 2019 to find more “sustainable” means of transportation. Individual municipalities are responsible for where scooters can be driven, parked and managed. The province also released “best practices” for cities welcoming e-scooter fleets.

As the popularity of e-scooters rises, many advocates, doctors and lawyers are cautioning riders and questioning the safety and legal liability aspects of electric scooters in Canada.

Are e-scooters safe?

Since e-scooter companies have launched in major cities like Calgary, injuries to riders have been reported in hospital emergency rooms. Dr. Eddy Lang, one Calgary ER doctor, said an influx of injuries of scooter riders, after its pilot launch in spring 2019, with injuries including fractures, head and facial trauma. In fall 2018, the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in Austin, Texas, released a comprehensive study of e-scooter injuries.

In Ottawa, the scooters are set with maximum speeds up to 20 km/hr and can only be driven on roads. This means scooter riders are riding along with motorized traffic, potentially a danger in and of itself - particularly as

By choosing to ride an e-scooter, you could be waiving your right to any potential claim against the company, even for defective machines.

motorists adapt to e-scooters.

While the e-scooter companies recommend wearing helmets, they are not mandatory for e-scooter users in Ottawa.

Ottawa e-scooter rules: • E-scooter riders must be 18 and older; • Passengers are not permitted on the scooters; • Scooters are not permitted on sidewalks, National Capital

Commission pathways, in the

City of Gatineau, in OC Transpo facilities, on buses and trains, and streets with a posted speed limit of more than 50 kilometres per hour; • Scooters must be equipped with a bell, brakes and lights; • Scooters can be used between 6:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m.

We recommend that riders opt for wearing protective gear such as elbow and knee pads and helmets to reduce the chances and impact of any injuries. Ensure the scooter is equipped with a working bell, brakes and lights before riding. Do not carry any passengers.

What are the Rules of the Road?

According to the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, Highway Traffic Act rules will apply to the operation of e-scooters similar to bicycles. There could also be penalties, including fines, for breach of the pilot’s regulations.

Do you need Insurance to ride an e-scooter?

As of now, there is no e-scooter insurance available to users. People commonly have two types of Insurance: auto and home (property) insurance.

It is important to note that your car insurance will likely not protect you if you hurt another person while operating a scooter. This could leave you personally liable.

If you are injured by a vehicle on the roadway while using a scooter, you may have protection under your statutory accident benefits (auto insurance). However, we advise that you consult with a lawyer or your insurance company to understand your rights first before riding.

If you are protected by home or property insurance, you may have liability coverage if you hurt another person while using an e-scooter. We recommend checking with your respective insurance companies before operating an e-scooter to ensure you have adequate insurance coverage.