Local singer-songwriter Alanna J Brown to perform at Bluesfest
By Robyn Best
Alanna J Brown loves nothing more than to play her guitar and sing her original songs, and one of the next stages she’ll be hitting is Bluesfest on July 13.
“I was in shock when I first found out. I applied, just as every musician applies to be part of Bluesfest. And when I got the email saying I was selected as one of the musicians, I had to read it a couple times to be like, is this real,” Brown said.
For as long as she can remember, Brown has always been playing music, starting with the violin at the age of three. “I grew up in a very musical family. My parents are not professional musicians, but they play multiple instruments, and it was very heavily encouraged that I take lots of different music lessons as a kid,” she said.
From there, it stemmed into songwriting. “I got into poetry and then combined them both, and so started writing songs and then writing music.”
Brown knew for most of her life that her goal was to make music her full-time job. To do that, she studied at Humber College taking a Bachelor of Jazz. “Through that program, I learned how to turn music into a career, through doing career studies, through studying how to be your own marketer, how to be your own manager and how to make money performing your own music,” she said.
Not only did the program help teach her how to manage her career, it also helped her launch her first EP. “As part of our final project in our fourth year, we got to go into the studio and record original music and come out with a physical EP of our music,” she said.
“So, they walked us through the whole recording process, finding other musicians, charting out your music so they could be part of your projects. And then even when it came to distribution, they helped us in figuring out how to get our music out there, be it online or through CDs,” Brown said, adding that she not only left college with a degree but also with “a physical copy of my own personal music that I could hand out as a resume.”
After graduating, Brown moved to Banff National Park. Because of family ski trips there when she was younger, Brown fell in love with the town and decided it would be her home for the foreseeable future.
“I ended up singing full time for the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, for the Fairmont Chateau, Lake Louise and a bunch of the other resorts there. And then that turned into me becoming a wedding musician out there,” she said.
Eventually, Brown met her husband in Banff where she had her first son. “That was during the pandemic, and we realized really quickly that we didn’t want to be that far away from family.” The three of them moved to the Glebe in 2023.
The decision has paid off, as Brown now has regular gigs in the area and has developed a fanbase. “My favourite is when I’m singing in a bar, and someone will come up and request a song that I’ve written. And then, to me, that means
the most, because it’s like, oh, you actually listen to my music and you’re here supporting me.”
As for what those fans can expect at Bluesfest? “It’s going to be all original music dating back from the past 10 years of my life, and it’s just me and my guitar. Most of my songs are inspired by time spent in nature, time spent on canoe trips, meeting different musicians throughout my life. It’s really just a story of my life, and I’m hoping people can connect to it,” Brown said.
Along with older music, those seeing Brown can expect some new pieces as well. “My goal, once I got accepted into Bluesfest, was to write three new compositions to have for Bluesfest ready to go. I’ve completed one of them so far, so I still have two more songs to write in the next three months.”
Brown is also excited to see some of the other performers. “I’m really excited that I happen to be singing the same day as Shania Twain. She’s a big idol of mine, a fantastic, powerhouse Canadian female singer. So, I’m very excited to see her perform.”
In the meantime, you can find other local performances at Brown’s website at www.alannajbrown.com.
Robyn Best is a graduate of the Carleton school of journalism.
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Thank you to the Glebe community for your support over 35 great years!
Alanna J Brown, Glebe singer-songwriter, will perform at Bluesfest in July.
PHOTO: ROBYN BEST
HELPING FEED THOSE GETTING ‘OUT OF THE COLD’
By Julie Ireton
Ottawa’s Big Soul Project hopes to raise the roof and lots of money for the Out of the Cold supper program run out of Southminster United Church, at its spring concert there on Saturday, May 31.
During the city’s coldest months, an army of volunteers work to cook and serve healthy, tasty, hot meals for those having difficulties paying the bills or just needing to socialize in a safe, welcoming environment.
Volunteer organizers hope to fill the church at the May 31 concert to raise $10,000 for future meals.
“While we are blessed to get monetary donations throughout the year, we periodically need to have a larger fundraiser to replenish our coffers,” said Craig Piche, a longtime member of the Out of the Cold organizing committee. “All money donated to the Out of the Cold program goes to food and supplies. Southminster provides the space, and volunteers generously donate all their time.”
With no overhead costs, all donations go directly to the meals, he said, and a successful fundraiser might keep the program running for three or four years.
Singing for suppers
Big Soul Project Community Choir, a 120-member group that includes singers aged 20 to 80, fuses the vocal energy of a large choir with its house band, Deep Groove. Together they present gospel, soul, Motown, rock and folk music.
The choir leads audiences to sing
along and dance in the aisles and is known for its support of local charities.
“Out of the Cold is exactly the kind of charity we love to help out,” said music director Tahlia DeCorso. “From our founding, we have been committed to giving back to the communities we are a part of.”
Big Soul Project gives a large majority of its ticket revenues to its various charity partners.
“Our concerts are high-energy, fun outings for every age and musical taste,” said DeCorso. “We aim to provide a joyful, uplifting musical experience, and we love to see our audiences singing along.”
Four hundred volunteer positions
The Out of the Cold program has operated in Old Ottawa South for more than 25 years, every Saturday evening from October to April, providing a three-course meal with vegetarian options.
“We know from conversations with clients that many have access to social housing primarily in the Centretown area, but others come from Lowertown, downtown, Mooney’s Bay and the Billings Bridge area,” said Piche. “Some of our guests are homeless or without consistent housing.”
Out of the Cold operates without any direct money from any church, social welfare group or government agency, but relies on some 400 volunteer
positions throughout the season.
“They come from all over the city and other churches, but most just come out to give back to the community,” said Piche.
Before the pandemic, the program averaged around 60 guests every Saturday. Those numbers have gone down a bit since COVID and this year they’ve served around 40 guests each Saturday, with one evening attracting 58 visitors.
“I think the suppers serve the community in the broadest sense, by bringing people together to share their time
over a meal, whether they are preparing the menus, serving the food or coming as a guest,” said Piche.
To buy tickets for the Big Soul Project Community Choir concert at Southminster at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 31, go to www.southminsterunitedchurch.com. Adult tickets are $25, children 12 and under $10, children five and under will be free.
Julie Ireton is a journalist and Glebe resident who writes frequently for the Glebe Report.
Big Soul Project will hold a spring fundraiser concert on May 31 at Southminster United Church in aid of the church’s hot-meal program Out of the Cold.
Youth at GNAG – having fun, growing up
By Erica Nowlan
The bell rings on a Friday evening, and I rush to pack my bag as quickly as possible. I am meeting my friends in front of Glashan Public School in our final two weeks of Grade 8. Our shoes are laced up and we race, sweat pouring down our faces. We finally reach the doors of the Glebe Community Centre to get a ticket to the End-of-Year Bash Youth Dance.
Of course, the line is down the block, but I am determined to get one of the 300 tickets sold that evening. My determination is driven by the fact that I have spent every Friday at the infamous “Youth Night” for the last four years, playing crazy games around the neighbourhood with my favourite GNAG staff and attending Saunders Fright Nights and Senators hockey out-trips. I also attended every youth dance, munching on canteen goods and winning dance-offs. Getting one of those tickets meant the world to me for the finale of the tween season!
Fast forward 11 years and now I’m the one standing at those same doors on a Friday night, hearing a chorus of voices chanting “LET US IN!” from a new generation of eager youth. It’s 7 p.m. and they know what’s waiting inside: laughter, music, friends – a night they’ll remember long after middle school ends. As GNAG youth program manager, I get a front-row seat to the joy these nights bring, and it’s a privilege I never take for granted.
And now, we’re about to take things to the next level!
To mark GNAG’s 50th anniversary and build on this legacy of youth engagement, we’re thrilled to announce the renovation of a brand-new Youth Room at the GCC, a dedicated space designed for youth, by youth, where teens and tweens can gather, create, study and connect.
Whether it’s taking a workshop to learn a new skill or meeting new friends at their lunch break, this space will reflect the spirit of GNAG: creative, welcoming and community rooted. The south wall will feature rotating exhibits from local youth artists, while the east and west walls will showcase work by artist Robert Lariviere of the Falldown Gallery, capturing the warmth and inclusivity we strive for every day. We’re proud to partner with Magnolia Design and Build to bring this vibrant space to life.
The Youth Room is more than a renovation – it’s an investment in the future of our community’s young people. And we can’t wait to open those doors.
To spark inspiration, I asked two youth members of GNAG what this room would mean to them and how they envision its use. Afi Evans and Maggie Wightman have attended our programs, been through our leadership programs, volunteered in the summer and after-care and are now leading staff members.
“It will bring GNAG teenagers together with a more targeted space,” said Afi. “Renovating this space would give us an environment to learn, create, grow and have fun.”
Maggie wrote, “This youth room is a great opportunity for teens to meet new people and see their friends. Often teens have a hard time figuring out where to go or what to do with their friends, so this could become a new, exciting go-to place!”
Afi and Maggie’s visions speak for themselves, and I am excited to have youth take part in this opportunity to make the space their own as it grows into their central community hub.
We look forward to seeing your support for our youth room at our upcoming 50th anniversary fundraiser events. On May 30 from 7 to 10:30 p.m., we will be having the most epic Youth Dance of the year with wonderful prizes, festival-style booths and our amazing First Quality Sound DJ who has been with us for over 30 years!! On May 31, we will be having our Family party from 2 to 4:30 p.m., including inflatables, hayrides, treats and more (nonticketed event). We will wrap up the
GNAG’s new Youth Room will be a dedicated space designed for youth, by youth.
PHOTO: MAGNOLIA DESIGN
day with our evening Adult Party featuring musical guest Kellylee Evans. Tickets are on sale now for both the Youth Dance and Adult Party.
Erica Nowlan is youth program manager at Glebe Neighbourhood Activities Group.
Glebe Community Association springs into action
Coming to your neighbourhood
Since the Glebe Community Association launched the first Great Glebe Garage Sale (GGGS) in 1986, people from far and wide have flocked to our neighbourhood for a day of deal shopping, street cruising and – most important – supporting the Ottawa Food Bank. Elsewhere in this issue, you will find an article by Sam Woods, the GCA’s new GGGS coordinator. Her article is full of useful “need-to-know” information to help make the day a success for everyone.
I would like to emphasize a key point in his article: through the Great Glebe Garage sale, you can provide muchneeded support for the Ottawa Food Bank. Last year, thanks to the generosity of area residents, we raised $13,500. As Woods says, the garage sale isn’t just a feel-good event, it also what a community can do in the name of an important cause. Let’s see if we can beat last year’s total! You can give online or via the collection tins that will be circulating with volunteers throughout the day.
May is membership month
Volunteers keep the GCA engine running, and we are very grateful for the small army that will fan out in May to knock on doors during our annual membership campaign. Volunteers will have a card with a QR code that will direct you to the web site and online registration. People can also join online at the GCA web site glebeca.ca.
John Crump President, Glebe Community Association
www.glebeca.ca
Our annual membership drive is our most important community outreach activity. It expands our reach and raises awareness about the work of the GCA.
At the time of writing, we were looking for canvassers for the following blocks:
• First Avenue between Lyon and Percy
• First Avenue north side between Lyon and Bank
• Glebe Avenue between Lyon and Percy
• Clemow Avenue
• Roseberry
• Both sides of Renfrew between Percy and Lyon
Candidates meeting full house
The GCA and other community associations held a federal candidates’ meeting on April 15, less than two months after a similar meeting during the provincial election campaign.
The federal event was held at Knox Presbyterian Church at Lisgar and Elgin and was attended by well over 500 people. Four candidates were invited to be on a panel. The Liberal, NDP and Green candidates participated, but the Conservative, who had
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agreed to take part, withdrew on the morning of the event. Dave Reevely moderated and directed questions to the candidates. Questions were collected in advance through the designated GCA email address, plus scores of others were submitted from the audience on index cards. Michael Jenkin from Old Ottawa South managed the questions, and Brian Carroll of Dow’s Lake acted as timekeeper.
The GCA was joined by Centretown, Old Ottawa East and Old Ottawa South community associations in organizing the event. In addition, community associations from Champlain Park, Civic Hospital Neighbourhood and Riverside Park contributed to the cost. Attendees also contributed through donation baskets. Although calculations have yet to be finalized, it looks like the financial demands on the four organizing communities will be modest.
Thanks to the excellent collaboration with Knox Church and Rogers TV. The debate was carried live on Rogers 22 and made available on YouTube – it had 1,100 views by the time this was written.
Missing in inaction?
The City of Ottawa is committed to report annually to the residents of Ottawa on both community and corporate greenhouse gas emissions. But that hasn’t happened since the 2021 emissions inventory report which used data from the previous year. The City joined many other municipalities in declaring a climate emergency in 2019. Since
then, we have seen increasing evidence of a dramatically changing climate driven by human emissions of greenhouse gases –the 2022 derecho, heat waves, floods and forest fire smoke that choked the city in 2023.
The timely measurement and reporting of emissions is an essential part of this effort to counter climate change. So, what happened to the now long-overdue report that city staff said would come last December?
CAFES – Community Action for Environmental Sustainability – is running a petition urging the City Council to prioritize annual reporting on GHG emissions. It also wants the annual reports from 2021 to 2024 issued as soon as possible.
The GCA is a member of CAFES. Here is the petition if you are interested: actionnetwork.org/petitions/ where-are-the-city-of-ottawas-emissions-reports
A final climate note
The GCA’s Environment Committee has applied to the City’s Community Environment Project Grant Program for funding to organize a three-event speaker series on how climate change will affect our personal finances. It’s called Climate & Your Cash. Stay tuned for updates.
Next meeting
The next GCA board meeting is Tuesday, May 27 at 7 p.m. via Zoom. Details to follow.
Aisling Boomgaardt and Bram Boomgaardt Telephone: 613-746-2367
Transportation changes, often invisible, can mean big changes to quality of life
Two years ago, City Council passed Part 1 of the city’s new Transportation Master Plan (TMP). This part of the TMP focused on new mobility, pedestrian and bicycling polices and priorities, as well as equity in transportation planning. Last month, the City released an updated draft for Part 2 of the new TMP – this section focused on the capital infrastructure plan, including road projects and new transit plans.
These documents are important because they represent an opportunity to make big quality-of-life changes for residents, whether or not people immediately notice.
Since my election in 2018, my team and I have been working towards a transportation vision that puts safety, active mobility and common sense at the core of our strategy in Capital Ward.
In our first years in office, we focused on immediate, tangible improvements to our streets. Working with staff, we expanded the number of traffic lights with automatic walk signals on Bank Street. This not only means people have safe access to cross without pushing a button, it also means that traffic is automatically calmed with the light changing.
In 2019, we began working with staff on lowering residential street speed limits to 30 km/h. By the end of my first term, not only did we get every residential street in the ward to 30, but we also worked with Kitchissippi Councillor Jeff Leiper to pass a motion that set a plan for all residential streets in the urban wards to be converted to 30 km/h. City staff are now considering this policy for all residential neighbourhoods.
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Lowering speed limits has been shown to lead to significant safety improvements, with fewer severe injuries if an accident does occur. We expanded the Temporary Traffic Calming measures that go in every year as well as the number of speed humps on some of our streets, and we ensured proper safety improvements are made when streets are reconstructed.
Our team worked to improve main streets as well. We lowered the speed limit on Bronson and crafted new policy that led to the implementation of a speed camera near Brewer Park.
We also lowered speed limits on Main Street, bringing it down to 40, just like on Bank Street. And, like Bronson, it now has a speed camera, near Immaculata.
On Bank, we added bike lanes to the bridge over the canal, significantly improving safety and comfort for bicyclists and pedestrians, while causing no increase to traffic congestion. We also secured approval for an Active Transportation and Transit improvement study and pilot project for Bank in the Glebe and next in Old Ottawa South. Staff are working on the study, with updates expected this spring.
In the coming years, we will see bike lanes on the Billings Bridge, as part of a project to rebuild Bank Street south of the river.
Through all of this, we collaborated with community members and associations. We held consultations and our team went door-to-door with flyers
and petitions to gauge interest in various neighbourhood projects. We held forums that led to improved snow clearing and winter transportation, and we are now working to get the new Rideau River pedestrian bridge open 24/7 in the winter to connect with the fantastic Rideau Winter Trail expansion.
You may notice that sidewalks are being spot repaired more often in our ward. If you notice an area that needs repair, please report it to 311 to get it on the list.
As a part of Part 2 of the TMP, we are happy to say that plans for the Alta Vista Transportation Corridor have been changed so that it would no longer go over the Rideau River and cut through Lees field next to Springhurst Park in Old Ottawa East. This is a tremendous win for residents, as it will prevent more traffic, noise and pollution in the neighbourhood while maintaining well-used greenspace. It will also save $150 million.
We are so happy to see this change of perspective in the city. I also want to specifically thank Jonathan McLeod who has worked in my office on these issues since Day 1.
There is one unifying factor in all these achievements for our ward and for the city: you. Each change has come after much consultation and collaboration with residents and community groups. Working together, we have made our ward a safer and more livable community. Working together, we have made the city more connected and made city policy more resident-focused.
There is a lot left to be done, including the Sunnyside intersection, road renewals and flatter sidewalks. More invisible but impactful changes to come. Working together, we can achieve many great things.
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Glebe kid-preneurs take on the Children’s Business Fair
Soap, treats and big dreams
By Maya Devlen
Ever since I was a small child, I’ve dreamed of starting a business. There’s something special about learning life skills in a fun, creative way. So, when I heard about the Ottawa Children’s Business Fair, I knew I wanted to be a part of it. I was thrilled to be accepted this year with my soap-making business, “Soaprise!” I did this once before when I was 10, and it was a blast.
I remember standing at my table, with my colourful soaps all laid out, waiting for the doors to open. I was nervous. But when my first customer approached with a smile, my worries popped like a soap bubble! That fair was one of the hardest things I’d ever done because I was responsible for making my product, setting up, talking to customers, answering questions and counting change. A part of me wanted to just wander around and see other businesses, like I did when I was younger, but I was in charge of my stall. But seeing how much I sold and how happy my customers were, it was worth it.
The Ottawa Children’s Business Fair takes place every year. This year it will be on Sunday, May 18 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Horticulture Building at Lansdowne. All the businesses are run by kids aged five to 18. Admission is free.
I will be selling handmade glycerine-based soaps that I make with natural ingredients and scents. I’ve had positive feedback on my soaps before. Lavender was a popular choice and was the first to sell out. This time, in addition to lavender, I’ll be experimenting with peach blossom, lemon blossom and jasmine.
I am 12 now, and I won’t be the only young entrepreneur from the Glebe at this fair. Eight-year-old Saffi and nine-year-old Eleanor are Mutchmor students bringing their pet-oriented business to the event. I met them one day after school to ask about their business idea. “Thor’s Pawfect Treats” sells dog treats and cat grass in recycled cat food tins. Thor, they told me, is the name of Saffi’s cat. The girls have never done the business fair before but have experience selling lemonade and other things. They are hoping to get at least $20 in profit. They’ve been promoting their business by telling their friends and giving out samples of their dog treats. I asked them how they feel about participating in the Ottawa Children’s Business Fair for the first time.
“I’m just really excited, and I don’t really know what to expect,” Eleanor said with a shy smile.
I then asked why they chose this particular business idea.
“Dog treats are pretty easy to make,” Saffi told me. “And we’re selling cat grass because we have cats and they like grass.”
Their dog treats are vegetarian and are made with pumpkin and peanut butter. Both girls can’t wait for the Ottawa Children’s Business Fair.
So, if you’re a kid who wants to start a business, come see what your peers are doing this year, and I hope you’ll apply next year. It’s a really fun experience and builds character. Or just come to support young entrepreneurs. Kids from all over Ottawa and from our own neighbourhood are coming to this fair. We hope to see you on May 18!
Maya Devlen is in Grade 7 and lives in the Glebe. When she’s not running her business, she’s writing poetry, singing in the Christ Church Cathedral Girls’ Choir or cat-sitting for her neighbours.
Budding entrepreneur/ philanthropist makes mom proud
By Mahsan Maz
My seven-year-old daughter is running a lemonade stand during the Tulip Festival for the second year in a row. Her stand this year will be in our backyard, facing the festival tulip beds in Commissioner’s Park.
Last year, when she was just six, she set up the stand and donated her earnings to the Ottawa Food Bank. This year, she came up with the idea to dedicate part of her proceeds to the Breast Cancer Society of Canada. Her
inspiration comes from her grandmother, who has been bravely battling breast cancer over the past nine months. My daughter wants to raise awareness, especially among women, about the importance of regular checkups. As parents, we are incredibly proud of her initiative, and we’re here to support her in every way.
She’s even planning to perform “Woman’s World” by Katy Perry during the event as a tribute to women’s strength and resilience – something she organized all on her own.
Her stand was kindly loaned by our wonderful community, and we’ve always received so much love and support from visitors during the festival. We hope this article will help shine a light on her cause and inspire others.
Mahsan Maz is a psychotherapist and the mother of Melody.
Saffi’s cat Thor is the inspiration for Saffi and Eleanor’s business, Thor’s Pawfect Treats.
The author selling her handmade soap at a previous Ottawa Children’s Business Fair PHOTO: LENA DEVLEN
Melody Montpellier at last year’s lemonade stand at the Tulip Festival. She will be in business again during this year’s festival.
LABYRINTH OF LABELS – Glebe Annex street names
By Sue Stefko
In this installment of the street-name series, our look at the north-south streets in the Glebe Annex starts on Lebreton Street.
It was named after Captain John Le Breton, an army officer, farmer and mill-owner. Le Breton attained notoriety in 1820 after he bought land stretching from what is now Lebreton Flats along the Ottawa River down to Dow’s Swamp (now Dow’s Lake). The government planned to build a canal between the two bodies of water, largely for military purposes. Le Breton found out about the plan, then schemed to buy the property so he could sell it back to the government at an inflated price. Refusing to meet Le Breton’s demands, the government instead changed plans for the canal, avoiding his lands in favour of a longer and more costly route.
Cambridge Street went through different iterations before it evolved to its current name. Its origins were tied to the 1820 land deal described above. The street was originally called Sherwood, apparently named after Judge Levius P. Sherwood. Sherwood and Le Breton split the cost and the land – part of Sherwood’s share is now known as the Glebe Annex. (However, some surmise that the street was actually named after Edward Sherwood, a lawyer and registrar of the County of Carleton in the 1800s.)
Whichever Sherwood it was, the street name was officially changed to Turner in 1900, likely to avoid confusion with the already existing Sherwood
Drive. The new name paid homage to Colonel Turner, a British officer who helped create the first Canadian militia units, an important step in creating a Canadian military force independent of the British. Colonel Turner’s daughter married into the Sherwood family.
In 1922, local residents wanted to change the street’s name, as the area had a reputation as being rough, and it was hard to sell real estate there. They requested it be called Richmond Avenue, but the City thought it would be confused with Richmond Road, so the board asked for another name. In 1923, the road was renamed Cambridge Street. It’s unclear why, but a number of Ottawa streets were named after towns in the United Kingdom, which may be the case here. Cambridge had long existed but stopped at Gladstone. Today there is still a jog at Gladstone where Cambridge is briefly interrupted.
Bell Street was named Lisgar until 1900, most likely after Lord Lisgar, Canada’s second Governor General, an Irish nobleman and lawyer. He was a strong supporter of a united Canada and promoted the concept of a national identity. After Mount Sherwood was annexed by the City of Ottawa, a name change was required to avoid duplication, given there was already another Lisgar. It is thought that Bell was named after Irish-born Robert Bell, the founder of the Bytown and Prescott Railway. He bought the Bytown Packet newspaper in 1849, changing its name to The Citizen in 1851.
Bronson Avenue was initially called Concession Street due to its role in land
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division. In the 18th and 19th centuries, concession roads served as dividing lines between land parcels and doubled as thoroughfares. This segment of Concession Street was the boundary of the City of Ottawa until Mount Sherwood was annexed in 1889. The name change to Bronson in 1905 was not without controversy. Local Alderman Davidson made the change without first getting the approval of a county judge. This step was mandated to avoid frivolous name changes, which had in the past caused confusion and unnecessary expense. However, by the time this omission came to light, many of the new signs were already up, so the City let it pass.
While the process was controversial, the new name itself seemed well-accepted. The street was named after Erskine Henry Bronson, a prominent American-born businessman. The Bronson family was key to Ottawa’s industrial development, especially relating to forest products and energy. Among his many accomplishments, Bronson was head of the Bronson and Weston Lumber Company (which was founded by his father), president of the Ottawa Power Company, and co-founder of the Standard Electric Light Company. He built a power
generation station at Chaudière Falls and was president of the Upper Ottawa Improvement Company Ltd. He was also a philanthropist, supporting many churches and charities.
Sue Stefko is vice president of the Glebe Annex Community Association and a regular Glebe Report contributor.
Fire insurance map: 1912 Ottawa Fire Insurance Map, showing Cambridge and part of Turner Street on the south side of Gladstone, before the southern portion was renamed Cambridge in 1923.
SOURCE: OTTAWA FIRE INSURANCE PLANS, 1912 (REVISED AND REPRINTED JUNE 1912), CHAS. E. GOAD, MONTREAL; TORONTO
The jog of Cambridge Street at Gladstone, where what was once Turner Street (at the bottom) became Cambridge, even though the streets don’t completely align.
PHOTO: SUE STEFKO
Karen Anne Blakely retires as director of Abbotsford Seniors Centre
By Julie Ireton
After close to 11 years leading Abbotsford programming at the Glebe Centre, director Karen Anne Blakely is retiring, but she doesn’t plan to go too far away.
“We all give what we can, and my role will change, but I’d like to do fundraising as a volunteer and help out with community support services like driving seniors to appointments,” said Blakely. “Abbotsford reflects the spirit of the community.”
Abbotsford Seniors Centre caters to those 55 plus, with exercise programs and social activities for active seniors, as well as specialized services for elderly clients or people with dementia. The centre is situated in the old stone house directly across from Lansdowne Park.
Blakely said while she’ll miss the “general chaos” in the centre as seniors find their way to daily activities, she’ll never forget the vital connections she’s had with individuals.
“I will miss the care and concern expressed during the case conferences to help an older adult make decisions for themselves or loved ones,” she said. “I will miss the shared stories over cups of tea in the dining room.”
After 38 years working in the social service sector, including time spent in child welfare programs in Alberta and later at Ottawa’s Jewish Family Services, before coming to Abbotsford, Blakely has a unique view into the needs of the communities she has served.
“She was the calm in the storm during COVID,” said Christine Nassrallah, president of Abbotsford member’s council.
When the global pandemic closed workplaces and schools and forced many into isolation, Nassrallah says Blakely helped the centre pivot quickly to connect with elderly clients who were alone in their homes.
But Blakely is the first to say she hasn’t done it alone.
“The staff who work at Abbotsford are the best in their field and dedicated to being on top of research and how to help clients and members in the best way possible,” said Blakely.
Those staff members will miss her care and focus on each client, said Pat Goyeche, coordinator of community programs at Abbotsford.
“She has fostered an atmosphere of
collegiality and engagement among staff, emphasizing compassion for those we serve,” said Goyeche. “Her humour, fierceness and professionalism have all contributed to making Abbotsford Seniors Centre the ‘go to’.”
Abbotsford now has 1,200 members and clients, and as far as Nassrallah is concerned, it’s one of Ottawa’s best kept secrets. She said even though the leadership will change, the mission will not.
“She’s set a foundation for the next leader and created a momentum for whoever replaces her,” said Nassrallah, who notes they’re all glad she’ll be returning as a volunteer.
“Karen Anne is a master connector to
funders, clients, staff and members,” said Nassrallah. “She leaves a legacy of fearlessness, feistiness, and caring.”
Abbotsford Seniors Centre of The Glebe Centre Inc. is a charitable, notfor-profit, organization which includes a 254-bed long term care home. Find out more about our services and programming by dropping by 950 Bank Street (the old stone house) Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., telephoning 613230-5730 or by checking out all The Glebe Centre facilities and seniors’ services on our website www.glebecentre.ca.
Julie Ireton is a journalist who writes frequently on Abbotsford for the Glebe Report.
Karen Anne Blakely, standing, with some of her team. PHOTO: JENNIFER DESILVA
Spring into a New Chapter at Villagia In The Glebe
This spring, discover a vibrant lifestyle where independence meets comfort. At Villagia In The Glebe, you’ll enjoy independent living just steps from the scenic Rideau Canal. Walkable, welcoming, and well-connected, our location makes it easy to stay active and engaged in the heart of Ottawa.
HOME SECURITY CAMERAS GET A NEW USE
By James Kennedy
Ottawa Police Service is proud to promote CAMSafe, a voluntary registry where residents and businesses can share recorded security footage with police when needed. It is an initiative designed to enhance crime prevention and assist in investigations by leveraging community security cameras.
We are calling on residents with surveillance systems on their property to register and submit their interest in partnering with us to help keep our neighbourhoods safe.
CAMSafe is a voluntary registry where residents and businesses can provide their contact details and indicate their willingness to share recorded security footage – officers will not have access to live footage and will only contact the public in the event an incident occurs in their area and footage from their device might be of use in an investigation. This modernized approach to community safety is a new version of Neighbourhood Watch and aims to create a valuable resource for law enforcement agencies across Ontario.
When a crime occurs, officers can now consult CAMSafe to identify registered cameras in the vicinity. The system provides a screenshot of the camera’s perspective that registrants upload when signing up, enabling investigators to determine whether relevant footage may be available. If so, police will reach out to the registrant to request video evidence that could aid in the investigation.
Several police services and communities including Belleville, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), Sudbury, Peterborough, Hanover, Saugeen Shores and Kawartha Lakes are actively supporting CAMSafe and encouraging participation in their jurisdiction.
The success of CAMSafe relies on widespread community involvement. To promote registration, we will be conducting an outreach campaign and a marketing campaign in the coming weeks. An official launch took place on April 28.
Please share!
Need a little extra support? With our caring team, you’ll enjoy peace of mind knowing help is close by when you need it. Independent living. Thoughtful support.
The contact list contains basic registrant details and camera locations only. Police are not to share this data with anyone, and registrants retain full control over their participation in the program. Participation is always voluntary, and participants can update or remove their contact information at any time.
CAMSafe facts
What is CAMSafe?
Enjoy delicious, chef-prepared meals every day in our dining room, with menus that suit your tastes and dietary needs. Whether it’s breakfast with friends or a quiet dinner, you’ll always feel at home.
For more information on CAMSafe, please visit ottawapolice.ca/camsafe or email camsafe@ottawapolice.ca. You can also visit camsafe.ca for a FAQ.
Cst. James Kennedy is a police officer responsible for community policing in the Glebe.
CAMSafe is a resource for police when investigating criminal offences
CAMSafe is a database of camera locations – only you will ever have direct access to your security system and account information The police will know the location of cameras within a geographic area when investigating crime If police require access to your footage, they will reach out to you and make a request directly
A real-time map of camera locations in the city will reduce time officers spend searching for footage and could play a pivotal role in a fast-moving investigation such as a potential kidnapping or robbery Think of it like Neighbourhood Watch 2 0
How Does it Work?
Register any security cameras with as many or as few details you as wish – direction the camera captures, footage retention and even screenshots If a crime is committed and officers believe the footage may benefit the investigation, an officer will contact you to request footage You can delete your account and change your information at any time And you are under no obligation to share your footage with police
You have an option to add additional addresses and camera locations, for example, both a home and a business
Who has access to my cameras?
Only you Participating police agencies cannot access your security system or cloudbased accounts Only police officers have access to the CAMSafe database
Rideau Pines Farms supplies restaurants with fresh, local veggies
By Peter Simpson
Before the snow melts, before spring has sprung, Matt Vandenberg is putting seeds into soil.
Vandenberg is field production and sales manager for Rideau Pines Farms, the family-owned (with parents John and Saundra Vandenberg) farm in North Gower that supplies fresh local vegetables to many Ottawa restaurants, including Flora Hall Brewing and many others near the Glebe. Rideau Pines Farms is also open for you-pick customers from June 1 to October 31.
Each year starts with Vandenberg planting vegetables of all kinds – though not at the farm.
The Rideau Pines planting season begins in midMarch in a greenhouse on the Kemptville Campus, about 27 kilometres from the family farm. There, in a small greenhouse, Vandenberg plants thousands of seeds in one-inch-by-one-inch planters.
“March 16,” Vandenberg says, during an April visit, when the ground outside is still a mottled mix of greyish white on brownish green. “That’s when peppers need to be sowed, and then the last thing I sow in here is my tomatoes, which is April 16.”
There are perhaps 22,000 vegetables growing in the room, which seems an astonishing number in the compact space. Every surface is covered with trays of seedlings, all side by side on long, wide shelves that slide to allow access between them. Vandenberg tends the seedlings as they break through the surface to meet Monsieur Soleil through the greenhouse glass.
Vandenberg studied horticulture in the attached building when it was a facility of the University of Guelph. Years earlier, his father John was the head of horticulture at the facility. The campus is now owned by the municipality of North Grenville.
At this time of year, Vandenberg arrives every morning with Jimi Hendrix, his five-year-old Texas
heeler dog, by his side. “He’s a cattle dog,” Vandenberg says, “one of the best farm dogs.”
The variety of veg is like a tour through the menus of many of Ottawa’s best restaurants.
“We have the brassicas here,” he says, pointing to one section, “the broccoli, cauliflowers, four varieties of Napa cabbage, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts.” (He agrees with the statement: “People who don’t like Brussels sprouts have never had them cooked properly.”)
His arm sweeps around the room. “There’s basil, dill, about six different types of lettuces, and different types of peppers, from hot to medium to sweet, probably 20 varieties of peppers.”
Almost every crop Rideau Pines grows begins as a seedling in this greenhouse. Only carrots, peas and beans go directly into the ground as seeds. Others, such as beets, are planted as seedlings because if planted as a seed “the weeds will grow past the beets. By transplanting, the beet will be over the top of the weeds, and that’s the advantage.”
When seedlings go into the ground at the farm in North Gower depends on how long winter lingers, but generally it’s “when the soil hits 15 degrees, it starts popping.” By June, the crops will start showing up in Ottawa restaurants.
Every dish at these restaurants is a representation of fresh eating, and a demonstration of how local supports local in the ever-challenged food and restaurant sector. The final link in the chain is built of local customers – who are the reason chefs create these dishes, and the reason Vandenberg tends the seedlings every morning, seven days a week.
Peter Simpson is part of the team at Flora Hall Brewing that produces this monthly column on food and drink ( florahallbrewing.ca).
Restaurants that Serve Rideau Pines’ Vegetables Rideau Pines Farm (rideaupinesfarm com) serves, among others, these local restaurants: Arlo, Arlington 5, Beckta, Black Tartan, Buvette Daphne, Cameron, Corner Peach, Dessert First, Datsun, El Camino, Flora Hall Brewing, Gezellig, Giulia, Harmony, Jax, Linden, Nu Grocery, Parlour, Perch, Play, Poisson Bleu, Red Apron, Riviera, Royals, Soif, Supply & Demand, Town, Whalebone, Wellington Gastro Pub
Matt Vandenberg with his Texas heeler dog, Jimi Hendrix, at the greenhouse where Rideau Pines Farms starts its growing season.
PHOTO: PETER SIMPSON
POETRY QUARTER
Pilgrimage
Louise Chivers
Home – there’s no place like it! We long for home where we can find comfort from the world, where we can be with the ones we love and who love us, where we can feel “at home.”
Here are your poetic thoughts on the idea of home.
The Glebe Report’s Poetry Quarter is curated by
The train from this city to the next runs right through a tiny village but almost never stops;
and I sit here, not really wanting it to, yet aching to catch a glimpse of the familiar dusty roads and farmhouses... a place I used to call home.
It's almost midnight now, and I can see my reflection in the window and I wonder if anyone standing on the platform by the tracks might recognize this face long since marked by time.
My mind clears when the conductor shouts out the name of what used to be my home, and I glue my nose to the window trying to distinguish age-old rooftops and structures;
but it's already too late, the train rushes on by, not realizing what it's doing...
My mind races back, trying to hold onto something –I don't know what–yet I suddenly feel as if something precious has slipped through my hands.
The conductor passes by, smiles, then dims the lights for the night–
and I sit there, cold and alone in the dark, struggling with time-lost pieces of myself.
Breaking news . . .
Maureen Korp
on this remarkable day . . . yes coming to you, live. . . no . . . not then. that was yesterday? time, and time again . . .live. . . . when. will the children be climbing again . . . the backyard tree. when will they let us go home
Home
Pat McLaughlin
My home is always where you are
Waking up
Paige Raymond
The second time to the blush of dawn Your arm heavy in the valley of my curves I savour our closeness Home
Maybe a highrise on Valhalla Drive in Winnipeg
Maybe a bungalow on Fernleaf Drive
Maybe a larger place on a lake on Park Terrace
Maybe an AirB&B in whatever city in the world
Maybe The High Street in Blockley in the Cotswolds
Maybe by the ocean in North and South Carolina
Maybe near Planisburg Safari near Pretoria
You are my home
Maybe on the Driveway in Ottawa
Deborah-Anne Tunney
Handprints on the Wall – for Simi
Cyril Dabydeen, Ottawa Poet Laureate Emeritus
She plays the violin thinking about her first memory, sounds coming from far away
having been in a crib in China, eighteen months old she was then, she tells me, and everywhere babies
were crying, some slapping hard with the cribs tied two or three together I must know
the colour was green–Simi remembers, real handprints on the wall. Yes, it was a large hall
and the image of a hotel also comes back to her…about being adopted, you see
three years old she’d been then, and she was walking through a great big, wide space, but now
she plays the violin before us, the strains coming louder, if softer, I will hear again
China or somewhere else, children’s voices only calling I now look back upon
Home
Maureen Korp
Home alone my hours are my own, momentarily anyway just like that soup a'simmering on the stove. . . Oh. Look at the time! I must get dressed before everyone arrives..
WHERE
THE HEART LIVES – for
Jim
Ronnie R. Brown
The first time she saw him she knew he was the one. Knew right away that being by his side was the place she wanted to call home.
Empty Space
Jennifer Tiller
We grew to be at home together quiet, comfortable.
Routines, just ours foundations sturdy, safe.
A warm presence always you, me.
Then time appeared and left swiftly, heartless.
Leaving memories floating in rooms empty, still.
And me wondering what is home now minus you.
THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE IT
Ronnie R. Brown
Warm days and the birds return, circle the stump of the tree they nested in just last year, appear confused.
She understands, knows what it feels like when the place you once called home, is now only a memory.
Poetry Quarter for August 2025
In the gloaming
Call for submissions
It’s certain that night follows day – but just before night falls is a magical moment when the light is still present, but faint. We feel the enchantment of the twilight hour, after the sun sets and the light fragments. In a summer evening, fireflies flash in the gloaming – when the light has mostly faded and there is a stillness until the final fall of night, letting poetry slip into the half-light.
Here at the Glebe Report’s Poetry Quarter, we ask you to send us your poems on this magical time and how it has touched you.
As usual, poems should be:
• Original and unpublished in any medium (no poems submitted elsewhere, please);
• No more than 30 lines each;
• On any aspect of the theme within the bounds of public discourse; and
• Submitted on or before Monday, April 21, 2025.
Poets in the National Capital Region of all ages welcome (school-age poets, please indicate your grade and school). Please send your entries (up to 5 poems that meet the criteria) to editor@glebereport.ca
Remember to send us your contact information and your grade and school if you are in school.
Deadline: Monday, July 29, 2025
Ottawa Boys Choir fills a gap for boys and their changing voices
By Mary Jaekl
Have you heard about the new Ottawa Boys Choir? It began its inaugural season last September at St Thomas the Apostle Anglican Church in Alta Vista and is open to boys across Ottawa in Grades 4 to 12.
Historically, a boys’ choir was made up of boys who had not yet begun puberty – they had higher voices; tenor and bass voices belonged to men. This tradition was because most boys did not begin puberty until 16 or 17. Yet the age of puberty onset has declined, with boys’ voices now breaking on average by the age of 13-and-a-half.
Ottawa has many excellent children’s choirs that accept both boys and girls, but as boys lose their ability to sing treble music there is no longer a place for them. Many choirs with all four voice parts do not start until the late teens. This means that boys in their early teens are effectively excluded from singing in the available options by mere biology and a lack of suitable voice parts.
Elementary schoolboys and older teens are usually happy to sing with girls, but boys around middle-school age – at their vocal peak just before their voice change and during that transition period when their voices are not completely reliable – can be reluctant. Gerald Wirth, president and artistic director of the Vienna Boys Choir, noted in 2018 that “if we don’t have a specific boys’ group, we lose the boys at this age, except a few.”
Mixed group choirs at this age lead to boys losing self-confidence in their singing abilities as they compare
themselves negatively with their female peers, who enter their vocal peak just as boys start to experience cracking voices. Once boys stop singing at puberty, many do not return to choir again, especially if they do not get the support they need through their vocal transition. Encouragement of maleonly participation aims to provide a space with an explicit male identity.
Enter the Ottawa Boys Choir, a casual program that combines vocal training with opportunities to serve various communities in and around Ottawa through song. Matthew Jaekl, 12, is one Glebite who is enjoying the camaraderie and musical opportunities in the choir this year.
“My favourite part of choir this year so far was the MosaiK Choral Festival” he said, “because I really enjoyed singing ‘Strawberry Moon.’” Also known as “Ode’min Giizis”, “Strawberry Moon” is an Anishinaabe song written by Tara Williamson. The song was part of the 2021 Canadian Music Class Challenge by CBC Music to encourage Canadians to learn Indigenous languages through music.
The Ottawa Boys Choir offers boys a unique opportunity to use their vocal talents before, during and after their voice change while participating in a dynamic and inspiring musical community. Directed by Kurt Ala-Kantti, an acclaimed choral director with more than 20 years of experience, the choir aims to foster musical excellence, character development, community and fun through the art of choral singing.
The Thursday rehearsals focus on a diverse repertoire, ranging from classical to contemporary music, including
traditional choral works and folk songs. As well as the Anishinaabe song, the boys have sung in French, English, German and Burmese. Ala-Kantti aims to select repertoire that speaks to the interests and backgrounds of the choir members. The boys are also learning to navigate a choral score in various clefs, which is necessary as they change from sopranos and altos to tenors and basses.
It’s not all serious business as the boys like to spend a few minutes of each rehearsal playing games or staging the occasional light saber battle. Building community, self-confidence and lifelong skills in collaboration, discipline and creativity are also key goals for the Ottawa Boys Choir.
In addition to the MosaiK Choral Festival, the boys (with their signature kazoos) also sang at the Orleans Remembrance Day ceremony and with the Harmonia Choir of Ottawa and the Ottawa Wind Ensemble for their Winter Winds and Voices concert in December.
The choir is open to boys of all skill and experience levels and invites interested choristers to connect at any time through the choir website ottawaboyschoir.ca. Their last concert of the year will be on June 8, in collaboration with the C5 Chamber choir.
Mary Jaekl attended Glebe Collegiate in the early 1990s and has lived in the Glebe since 2003.
The Ottawa Boys Choir at the Winter Winds and Voices Concert in December 2024 Matthew Jaekl with his kazoo (below) PHOTOS: MARY JAEKL
ADOLESCENCE
(UK, 2025)
Created by Jack Thorn and Stephen Graham
Review by Iva Apostolova
The Netflix original TV mini-series Adolescence is created by the English writer and producer Jack Thorn (National Treasure and Wonder) and one of the greatest scousers (a scouser is a person born and raised in Liverpool) Stephen Graham, who also stars in it.
Before I delve into the specifics, I just want to take a moment to sing praises to Stephen Graham’s talent. Though his Liverpool accent takes some getting used to, Graham is, as far as I am concerned, one of the best working English actors at the moment. I first fell in love with him in the 2018 TV show Save Me, to be followed by the gut-wrenching performance, alongside another great scouser, Jodi Comer, in the 2021 Help, and then the 2022 cult classic Peaky Blinders, as well as the 2023 TV shows Bodies and Boiling Point. Graham has done it all: he has played both sides of the law enforcement and moral barricades; he has starred in both small indie TV movies as well as big blockbusters (the Venom franchise); he has been cunning and calculating, as well as incredibly vulnerable and lost. His role in Adolescence is no different in terms of complexity and emotionality.
Graham plays Eddie Miller, a working-class dad to a 13-yearold boy (played by the absolutely brilliant first-timer Owen Cooper, also 13 years old), accused of murdering a female classmate. But as the 12-minute Netflix behind-the-scenes special will tell you, the limited series is not a whodunit but rather a whydunit. In other words, it seems that the aim of the show is to create a docu-series feel for the events at hand, to deliver a sense that this could happen to anyone and everyone, and to try to understand why.
Another interesting thing that the viewer will learn is that each one-hour episode is shot in one go, with one tracking shot, no cuts, no editing. This, I find, makes the chase scene in episode two, the psych interview in episode three and the close-ups of the grieving Eddie Miller in episode four so much more impressive! What is more, each episode represents a different aspect of the event. Episode one is done in the best tradition of British procedural shows such as Line of
Series
addresses the ‘why’
Duty and Broadchurch. Episode two reveals, matter-of-factly and without the drama and fanfare of some of the American cop shows, the effects of social media on high schoolers. Episode three resembles in minimalist cinematographic style, counter-balanced only by the psychological depth of the interviews, the 2019-2020 TV phenomenon Criminal: UK (I still remember the chilling episode with David Tennant!). And finally, episode four pulls the curtain on the moral and emotional devastation for the family, left to pick up the pieces of the shame, grief and very real consequences of the son’s actions.
TV mini-series, four episodes, each one hour Netflix original
Iva Apostolova is associate professor and vice-rector, research and academic, at Saint Paul University and a regular Glebe Report contributor on films and TV.
Ottawa Rapid FC a new era for women’s soccer and local ownership
By Jamie Deans
The Glebe has a rich sports history, with a strong community spirit and a deep love for local teams going back almost 125 years. Long known for its involvement in amateur and professional sports, the Glebe welcomed another professional team and further strengthened its legacy as Ottawa’s entry in Canada’s first professional women’s soccer league hit the pitch at TD Place last month.
The arrival of Ottawa Rapid FC marks an exciting milestone for both the city’s sports scene and the growth of women’s sports. With local ownership, passionate leadership and a strategic focus on community and gender equity, Rapid FC hopes to make a significant impact on the local sports landscape.
The founding of the club is a direct response to the increasing demand for a high-level women’s soccer team in the nation’s capital, as well as a call to action for greater representation and opportunity in women’s sports.
“This is about breaking down gender perceptions and normalizing women in sports,” said Thomas Gilbert, the team’s co-founder and CEO. “It is a
the success of the team but also deeply invested in the community and the future of women’s soccer.
“We were looking for people who understood and embraced the notion that, at its core, the club’s vision is to drive social change and that we need to be a positive organization firmly
management team is a longtime fixture in the Glebe and a veteran in Ottawa’s sports and entertainment community –Stephanie Spruston, formerly the vice president of corporate services and general counsel with OSEG, was one of the team’s first hires last August. Spruston, who grew up in the neighbourhood,
the community and its focus on local ownership is poised to redefine the sports landscape in Ottawa. The city can look forward to an exciting new chapter in its sports history, one that celebrates both the athletes and the community that supports them.
In May, Rapid FC will host Vancou-
From left: Stephanie Spruston, Ottawa Rapid FC’s chief operating officer, Thomas Gilbert, co-founder and CEO, and Heidi Bloomfield, chief sport officer. PHOTO: BENJAMIN MADORE
The Bytown Brawl – good, old-fashioned wrestling
By Guillaume Charbonneau
For an entertaining clash of good guys and bad guys, full of drama and passion, spectacular maneuvers, twists and turns and characters who will thrill young and old alike, come to Lansdowne’s TD Place on May 24 to witness professional wrestlers in the Bytown Brawl!
The show will be presented by Premier Canadian Wrestling (PCW), a passionate group that does professional wrestling shows in Ottawa and Gatineau. We provide an entertaining and accessible show for all families. Young and old can immerse themselves in the wonderful world of professional wrestling, where the good guys take
on the bad guys in colourful confrontations with acrobatics, characters and emotions. These events are without excessive violence, vulgarity or sexual connotations and feature athletes from our beautiful region. Good old-fashioned wrestling!
The federation’s goal is also to help our community and get involved in improving our society. We have made donations to charitable organizations (Le Royal, La Maison de la famille et centre pédiatrique de la Vallée de la Gatineau, Centre pédiatrique de Gatineau, Trait d’Union Outaouais and more) as well as to youth sports organizations.
The Bytown Brawl: A Quest for Glory at TD Place will honour the history of wrestling in this arena, which has hosted some of the greatest wrestlers in Canada. It will be a tribute evening, and we’ve got plenty of surprises in store. We recently got big news: legendary Canadian wrestler Bret “ The Hitman” Hart will be at the show! PCW will pay tribute to the Canadian pro wrestling legend during the event. VIP tickets to meet him are also available. Tyson Kidd, a member of the famous Hart family, will also be present. You’ll also see the Hartbreakers in action with Mike Hart, also a member of the Hart family, and his teammate Joey Valentine. Local wrestling fans will see favourite wrestlers like Davy Smith Jr. (son of the British Bulldog), the Stallions with Knightman and Bret MacLeod, Big Daddy D-Roy, Maximum Heat with Randy Berry and Ryan Donavon, Shackles, Melanie Havok and Kristina Creed.
Guillaume Charbonneau is co-owner of Premier Canadian Wrestling.
Professional wrestling is coming to Lansdowne May 24 – a colourful,
By Ellyn Duke Watson & Cooper Love
In the Glebe
By Josh Rachlis | SparkTheGenius.com
FRACTURED WRIST
Colles fracture
By Sue Reive
This was a good Ottawa winter, and the canal finally opened! Unfortu nately, some people fell on the ice and sustained an injury. One of the most common is a fractured wrist.
A Colles fracture is essentially a broken wrist. The bone(s) affected include the radius with or without the ulna. It is a very common fracture which usually affects women more than men in the older population due to the greater prevalence of osteopor osis among women in this age group.
A Colles fracture can occur with a fall on an outstretched hand. The exces sive compression force will break the radius and sometimes the ulna as well. The most common site of fracture is 2 cm. above the wrist joint. In addition, patients can sustain a sprain of the ulnar collateral ligament from the fall.
After resetting the bones, patients will usually be casted for four to six weeks to allow sufficient bone healing. X-rays will confirm adequate healing prior to removal of the cast.
When the cast is removed, patients will often have a marked reduction in wrist and forearm mobility, reduced strength and swelling. Daily activities such as brushing teeth, opening a door and carrying groceries are very difficult due to the lack of mobility and strength. Physical therapy is often recommended
contrast baths to help reduce swelling and massage.
Patients will usually regain functional mobility after six visits and can then be discharged on a home exercise program with the emphasis on strengthening. With radial fractures it is important to note that the bone continues to be remodelled and could take three months or more to fully heal.
Sue Reive is a physiotherapist at Ottawa Physiotherapy and Sport Clinics Glebe.
Yasir Naqvi re-elected as MP for Ottawa Centre
In the April 28 federal election,
Donna Edwards House Portraits 613 233 4775
www.donnaedwards houseportraits.com
Facebook: Donna Edwards Art
Sunday, May 25 • 1pm – 4pm
Yasir Naqvi, the Liberal incumbent in Ottawa Centre, was re-elected as the Ottawa Centre Member of Parliament.
Change at OCDSB
By May 6, the Ottawa Carleton District School Board will have released its final proposal on the Elementary Program Review (EPR). On May 13, the board will vote on the recommendations.
As your trustee, I have already explained that the OCDSB identified disparities across the district that needed to be addressed. This is based on enrolment, demographic and achievement data, as well as psychosocial data from the Student Achievement through Equity (SATE) inquiry and from Valuing Voices and School Climate surveys.
There are two tiers of schools – the “haves,” schools with French immersion, and the “have-nots,” schools without French immersion. Our analysis unequivocally demonstrates the need to address the lack of French immersion in lower socioeconomic neighbourhoods and streaming of racialized students, students from lower socioeconomic households and students with disabilities into English, Alternative and specialized programs.
In the Alta Vista area, four public schools (Arch Street, Hawthorne, Charles Hulse and Featherston) as well as Riverview Alternative are currently English-only. They represent stark examples of systemic inequality in the OCDSB, as they serve predominantly racialized and lower socioeconomic populations.
For families in the Glebe, Old Ottawa South and Old Ottawa East, access to French immersion programs is not an issue. Nevertheless, there is a long-standing high attrition rate from French immersion for students with learning disabilities, neurodiverse students, students with behavioural dysregulation and boys in general.
The OCDSB has held multiple public consultations, town halls and online surveys. The data, my personal visits to schools and conversations with parents and staff persuade me that the stark differences between schools must be addressed.
In the Capital area, the proposed changes are as follows.
Mutchmor would remain solely French immersion, JK-6. While the goal was for every school to become dual-stream, with Enhanced English (EE) and French Immersion (FI) programs, at Mutchmor there would not be enough students in EE to create a viable dual-track.
At First Avenue, the plan is to gradually phase out Middle French Immersion (MFI) and to offer dual track EE and FI, JK-6.
At Hopewell , to gradually phase out its MFI and offer dual track EE and FI, JK-8.
At Lady Evelyn, the biggest change – it would gradually phase out its Alternative program and become a community school that phases in dualtrack EE and FI, JK-6, starting with kindergarteners in 2026.
I have heard from some parents whose children would have to switch from Mutchmor to First Avenue, according to new boundaries. Mutchmor and First Avenue are both really in the same neighourhood, both an easy walking distance from the Glebe Community Centre, both with extended day programs, and there are already crossing guards at major intersections. That
said, I am aware there are some chil dren who will be in their final year at one school in 2026 and do not want to switch schools for Grade 6, then face another transition for Grade 7. There are also siblings who may be split between schools. For those fam ilies, and for other extenuating cir cumstances, I am hopeful that we will be able to offer cross-border transfers/ exemptions. I have certainly advocated for that publicly and behind the scenes.
Many other concerns across the city have been raised in response to the EPR, including supports for students with special needs, walking distances to schools, safety of walking routes, access to extended day care programs, access to school buses, costs of retro fitting schools, change of grade config urations (K-3 and 4-8) and the impact that such changes may have on sib lings. I have been in discussion with the OCDSB senior team about each of these issues.
Overall, from a Glebe perspective, families have it relatively easy. My mes sage to families who will ultimately have to switch schools is this: Most chil dren are resilient and can adapt quickly and easily to change. If an adult sup ports and encourages them, most chil dren will thrive.
From an educational perspective, I sit on the Special Education Advisory Committee, and I am confident that the OCDSB is proposing appropriate and needed change in terms of inclu sive classrooms, the phasing out of some specialized programs, including Alternative programs. What does this mean for the children now in those pro grams? They would continue in their programs until they graduate elemen tary school. What would it mean for other students? It would put the onus on educators, and on the OCDSB centrally, to ensure that every student is supported in their classroom, in their local school.
ORFF / KILLMAYER
At the end of the day, will I vote in favour of the EPR recommendations?
While I advocated for French immersion to be added to be Charles Hulse and Featherston, my motion to have FI added to Arch Street and Hawthorne was voted down. Four out of the five OCDSB schools that will be left with English-only programs serve racialized populations, low socioeconomic status households, multilanguage households. We have not proposed adequate changes to help the most disadvantaged students in our district. Worse, we’ve been told that some schools will eventually be closed when the Ministry of Education’s moratorium on closure of schools is lifted. Leaving a school to languish is not equity.
I am also listening carefully to the Special Education Advisory Committee which has asked trustees to vote against the EPR’s proposal to close 26 specialized program classrooms.
I still must see the final proposal. I will only vote in favour of the EPR recommendations if there is solid evidence they will address the fundamental disparities in our district.
Dr Nili Kaplan-Myrth is an Ottawa family physician and trustee for Zone 9 of the Ottawa Carleton District School Board.
ANIA HEJNAR Soprano I JEFFREY CARL Tenor/Ténor ALEXANDRE SYLVESTRE Bass/Basse
Produced by / produit par CPNM-Ottawa
Going once, going twice
Glebe Collegiate’s first-ever online auction
By Mike O’Hare
For the first time ever, the School Council at Glebe Collegiate Institute (GCI) is launching an online auction to raise money in support of students and teachers, and it’s hoping the whole community will get involved.
The auction goes live on Sunday, May 11 at auction.glebecollegiate.ca, and it features a huge range of items donated by local businesses, artists and community members.
Everything from NAC Orchestra tickets to music lessons, gift certificates, massages, horseback-riding lessons, recording studio time, escape room adventures and custom pet portraits will be up for grabs, with new items being added daily.
And while the bidding is fun, the goal is serious: raising money to help support the everyday experience of students at GCI.
“For more than a century, GCI has been part of this neighbourhood,” said School Council member Elspeth Tory. “This auction is a new way for the community to show up for our students and teachers. GCI is a special place, and it’s at its best when everyone pitches in.”
Get Involved!
Businesses and community members can still donate items or services to the auction or sign on as sponsors. To
Mutchmor happenings
By Katherine Liston
Spectacle de Manie Musicale
The whole school attended a special concert for the final reveal of the winners of this year’s Manie Musicale. Almost 20 different student groups presented dances for many of the songs. There were also shoebox floats created for each of the songs, which made an amazing exhibit through the second-floor hallways! Many people were involved in organizing this amazing project – congratulations to the overall winner: Dr. Yaro with his song “Minimum ça.”
The Great Canadian Mail Race
Mutchmor students joined the Great Canadian Mail Race this month. Grade 4 and 5 classes went old-school for their English writing assignment and wrote letters to other students in Canada. Students chose a school somewhere in Canada and wrote to a student in the same grade. The “winner” of the race is the first person to receive a letter back!
Trying Fun New Sports
Grade 1 and 2 classes have been participating in intramural sports at recess. They played pool noodle hockey, which is as fun as it sounds – and no pads or prior experience necessary!
News from Glebe Collegiate Institute
donate or sponsor, email auctiongci@ gmail.com
Special thanks go out to our premier sponsors, Magnolia Design & Build and Lansdowne Animal Hospital, whose generous support is helping make this auction possible. Their commitment to community and education is deeply appreciated. We also gratefully acknowledge local realtor David Coyle for his early sponsorship.
And of course, everyone is encouraged to bid when the auction opens on May 11.
“This is really about community,” said Tory. “School is a team effort, and at GCI, when teachers, parents, and the neighbourhood come together, great things happen for students.”
Place a bid, spread the word, and help support Glebe Collegiate students and staff, one winning bid at a time.
Small Things Make a Big Difference
At a school like GCI, it’s often the small things that matter most.
In recent years, money raised by the School Council has been used to buy everything from a pottery kiln for the art department to new tech equipment, food for the student pantry, whiteboards for the math club and sporting equipment. It’s even funded scholarships for graduating students.
“This year, teachers have submitted requests for things like club supplies, classroom tools and sports equipment,
Looking Ahead to Field Trips
Grade 2 students are looking forward to attending the Ottawa Children’s Festival at Lansdowne Park.
School Council
Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to Mutchmor’s annual book sale fundraiser. This year’s sale was a huge success, thanks to the efforts of some very dedicated volunteers. Next, school council will turn its attention to planning the annual fun fair!
In other news, school council has endorsed Unplugged Canada, an organization whose goal is to inspire a collective commitment to restoring childhood. To promote this cultural shift, Unplugged Canada encourages parents to sign a pledge stating that they will wait until their children are at least 14 years old before providing them with a smartphone. Mutchmor’s school council encourages parents to find out more about Unplugged Canada on their website, unpluggedcanada.com.
School council meets on the third Wednesday of each month. Members of the Mutchmor community are more than welcome to attend at any time during the year. The school council co-chairs can be reached at mutchmorschoolcouncil@gmail.com.
Katherine Liston is a parent of a Mutchmor student.
all the extras that help make school feel like more than just going to class,” said Tory.
It’s all part of supporting the kind of rich, creative and welcoming environment GCI is known for – the school has more teacher-led clubs than any other in the city, a thriving music and arts program, championship sports teams and a diverse and engaged student body.
What is the GCI School Council?
The GCI School Council is a group of parents, caregivers, teachers and school staff who care about the daily life of the school, not just academics but the whole student experience.
The council meets once a month to hear updates from the principal, vice-principals, teachers and student council. It’s also a chance to talk about issues that matter to students and families, from school events to student well-being to everyday challenges and ideas.
Meetings are usually held on the third Monday of each month at 7 p.m., and all parents and caregivers of GCI students are welcome to attend.
“It’s a great way to stay connected to what’s happening in the school, meet other parents, and be part of the conversation,” said Tory.
Mike O’Hare is a member of the Glebe Collegiate School Council.
Scan the code to jump into the auction action!
Students made floats to celebrate Manie Musicale and displayed them in a parade down the second-floor hallway! PHOTO: PAUL RAVENSCROFT
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613-978-5682
Home renos and repair — interior/ exterior painting; all types of flooring; drywall repair and installation; plumbing repairs and much more.
