The Glebe Report December 2022 Issue

Mayfair Theatre a landmark for 90 years

By Dave Allston

Very few buildings in Ottawa evoke feelings of nos talgia quite like the Mayfair Theatre on Bank Street, and for good reason. The Mayfair, a true Ottawa land mark celebrating its 90th anniversary in December, has retained much of its original look and feel. Step ping through the doors of the theatre is an experience that is becoming increasingly rare in North America as single-screen, vintage movie houses are a disap pearing window to the golden age of cinema.

The oldest surviving movie theatre in Ottawa, the Mayfair showed its first film, The Blue Danube, on a cold and snowy Monday night, December 5, 1932. The audience also watched a comedy short film, an ani mated cartoon and the Canadian short film A Fisher man’s Paradise, filmed in Lake Nipigon).

Old Ottawa South was significantly built up by 1932, and building lots, particularly along Bank Street, were at a premium. A house dating back to the late1800s originally stood on the theatre’s spot but was significantly damaged in a 1925 fire. Frederick W.

Robertson, who lived on Clemow Avenue and was manager of the Rialto Theatre, acquired the property in April 1931, demolished the house and made plans for a new theatre.

The $47,000 building permit was issued at City Hall on Monday morning June 13, 1932. The original walls of the Mayfair still stand today – they were built with locally made Hayley Cinder Blocks, produced just down the Rideau River on Hurdman Road, and bricks from the Ottawa Brick and Terra Cotta Company at Billings Bridge.

The depression had a grip on Ottawa, but the cinema was a relatively inexpensive escape for citizens, and the popularity of moving pictures was high, particu larly as silent films had recently been replaced by “talkies”. At its opening, the Mayfair featured a shim mering silver screen cloth curtain in front of the Span ish Revival-style auditorium (and the famous blue-lit clock that still hangs to the left of the screen).

Co-owner Josh Stafford speaks with great pride and passion about the Mayfair and its unique program ming. For the 90th anniversary, the Mayfair has been

What’s

running a special five-week countdown, showing the best picture Oscar winners from the “twos” (1962, 1972, etc.), culminating in a final presentation on the actual anniversary date of the 1932 winner Grand Hotel, star ring Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, John Barrymore and Lionel Barrymore.

“Most of these films are big screen rarities,” says Stafford, explaining that the first film screened, Blue Danube, is unavailable for distribution so couldn’t be screened on the anniversary. Grand Hotel, says Staf ford, “makes for a good compromise.”

The Mayfair is especially known for its interactive showings of Rocky Horror Picture Show, its mysteri ous Saturday Night Sinema films and the recent return of all-the-cereal-you-can-eat Saturday Morning Car toons. How many boxes of cereal are required each week? “Ninety seems to be the magic number,” says Stafford, laughing that the first time they hosted it, walking through the grocery store with 40 to 45 boxes seemed extreme but it turned out to be a significant underestimation!

Then there’s the popcorn and the butter to go with it. The Mayfair buys its butter next door at Shopper’s Drug Mart. “The Shoppers’ powers that be must look at their stats for Canada and wonder why this one Shoppers sells 400 times the amount of butter than any other, because we go in once a day for four sticks or more of butter,” jokes Stafford. Many businesses closed during COVID, but the Mayfair survived, helped in part by creative ideas such as selling name plates for seats, old VHS tapes and posters and renting the mar quee. Stafford says numbers are still not quite back to what they were before the pandemic, but it’s getting better. The return to in-person classes at Carle ton has helped, as students discover a

movie-watching experience they likely didn’t have in their hometown.

The Mayfair has struggled before. It survived a near closure in 2008 (around the time it received provincial herit age designation), helped largely by an abundance of community support. It even survived a brief period as a porno graphic film theatre in the late 1970s!

There was a scare in August 2021 when the property was put up for sale, a surprise even to the theatre oper ators, but after a brief frenzy of media and community concern, the listing was taken down and there’s been no further talk of a sale. “We’re just stay ing the course,” says Stafford, “and remaining hopeful that everything will be fine for another ten years or more.”

Its heritage status ensures the build ing cannot be easily demolished, and the nature of building likely ensures it will always remain a theatre. An archi tectural historian with Parks Canada noted it has national-level importance, one of the final “atmospheric” theatres still operating in Canada.

Let’s hope we have a 100th anniver sary to celebrate in 10 years! For now, happy 90th to the Mayfair!

Dave Allston is a local historian and heritage aficionado who writes and blogs on the local history of Ottawa.

Ottawa Citizen ad for the Mayfair Theatre the week it opened, December 1932.

A ‘policy nerd’ painter goes to the Senate

By Roger Smith

Andrew Cardozo may be better known in the Glebe as an artist, but his work as a self-described public policy wonk is why he’s now a senator. He learned of his appointment in a November call from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

“He really got to the point quite quickly,” recounted Cardozo in an interview. “He said ‘Hello, Andrew, how’s your day going?’ Then he said, ‘I’m appointing you to the Senate,’ and he outlined why he thought I’d be a good senator. That was extremely flattering.”

Cardozo has headed the Pearson Centre for Progressive Policy since 2013. He’s been a columnist for the Toronto Star and Hill Times, served as a CRTC commissioner and taught at the Carle ton School of Journalism. He’s also been active in the volunteer sector.

His work has focused on three areas: diversity, immigration and anti-racism; broadcasting and telecommunications; and skills development and the future of work. At age 66, he’s thrilled to have nine years, until mandatory retirement at 75, to pursue his policy interests in the Upper Chamber.

“It’s the ultimate place for a public policy nerd like me,” he says. “It’s like the ultimate think tank, but with voting powers.”

Cardozo applied for the job in 2021 and believes the new selection process has largely purged the Senate of its old reputation as a patronage reward for political pals of the party in power.

“The way I look at it,” he says, “these independent senators are really taking their responsibilities very seriously.”

Cardozo names former senators Murray Sinclair, who headed the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and Landon Pearson, a children’s’ rights advocate, as role models he hopes to emulate.

His paternal roots go back to Goa on India’s southwest coast. When it was colonized by Portugal in the 16th cen tury, many Hindus were converted to Catholicism and given Portuguese names – that’s how his ancestors became Cardozo. He was 18, living with his parents in Karachi, Pakistan, when the family immigrated to Toronto in 1974.

His mom and dad are both gone now, but in the 20 minutes he waited after being told to expect a phone call from the prime minister, Cardozo found

himself emotionally overwhelmed with thoughts of his parents and all they did for him. He teared up again and took a long pause to compose himself when I asked what his mother and father would think of his appointment. “I think they would be extremely pleased and satisfied and in awe.”

After doing an undergraduate degree in political science at York University, Cardozo came to Ottawa in 1980 to do his master’s in public administration at Carleton. He’s lived in the Glebe since 1998, starting on First Avenue, then moving to Adelaide in 2010. Both his kids – a 33-year-old daughter and 32-year-old son – attended First Avenue and Glebe Collegiate.

In 2005, Cardozo participated in a team-building exercise at work, led by an artist who had the participants try painting. He liked it, felt he had some potential and his like of it soon turned to love.

“I asked my family for nothing but paints and canvases that Christmas,” he says. “I was hooked.”

He still has a sense of wonder at what he’s learned, saying every time he finishes a painting, “I’m amazed it’s turned out so well.” Most of his work is what he calls “abstract landscape.” He exhibits at galleries around Ottawa and is a regular participant in the Glebe art in our gardens tour, where he hit a career high last summer by selling seven paintings in one day.

“And it was all to people who didn’t know me, not friends who were doing me a favour. That was fun.”

While he plans to keep painting, Car dozo has other more immediate prior ities after being officially sworn in at a ceremony in the Senate chamber on November 29. He must learn how the Senate works, hire staff and decide which group of senators to align with and which committees to serve on, all while getting ready to apply his own “sober second thought” to legislation from the House of Commons. But the first challenge may be getting used to his new status and the way he is treated by Senate staff.

“The first meeting I went to,” he says, “two people shook my hand and said, ‘Hello, Senator.’ I said ‘Please, just call me Andrew.’ And they said, ‘No, no, no, we have to call you Senator’.”

Roger Smith is a former broadcast and print journalist and the Glebe Report’s copy editor.

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Andrew Cardozo was sworn in November 29 as the newest Senator from the Glebe.

JOHN CVETAN

In praise of civility

I admit to a recent binge-watch ing addiction – I was glued to the Public Order Emergency Com mission headed by The Honour able Paul Rouleau. During days and days of testimony, I cherrypicked the most interesting. In the end, I watched several of the police witnesses – Ottawa Police, OPP and RCMP – as well as a couple of Ottawa residents, including the young woman Zexi Li who brought forward the injunction that stopped the blaring horns, and some of the convoy leaders. Finally, some impressive senior federal bureau crats and ministers including Janice Charette, Chrystia Free land and Prime Minister Trudeau.

Pundits and analysts have been hard at work interpreting the work of this public commis sion, trying to make sense of it all. I leave them to it. I just have my small, sidebar take-away.

I think the marked civility of the commissioner had a great deal to do with the success of the process. Rouleau took pains to allow the witnesses as much time and consideration as they needed to fully express their thoughts. While he kept the law yers to a strict timetable, fre quently reminding them when their allotted time was up, he bent over backwards to be gen erous to the witnesses – all wit nesses, no matter what side of

the issue they were on.

At the same time, he was no pushover – he had one or two disruptors removed from the room. He didn’t tolerate out bursts or inappropriate speech.

The generosity and civility of the commissioner created a much kinder atmosphere than one might have expected for such a fraught enterprise, and I think that generated similar con sideration from the others in the room. It was an important setter of tone.

It was a balm on the soul to watch it in action. It felt oldschool Canadian.

—Liz McKeen

New Civic hospital – the time for fiddling is over

Editor, Glebe Report

As you requested, I am sending my “cogent” reply to the letters submitted on this issue. There is a saying that “Nero fiddled while Rome burned”, which I think fits this context.

We have learned about the “back story” for some time now. I have lived in the Glebe for more than two dec ades, and the fate of the Civic Hos pital’s location has dominated the airwaves.

But currently, there is a burning issue that not many of your corres pondents have raised: the health care crisis. While the situation had been building for a while, the pandemic has made it critical. We simply can’t afford further delays. Patients lined up in hallways for lack of beds; chil dren in adult wards or ICU for the same reason; crowded waiting rooms leading to critical, even fatal out comes; inadequate parking facilities, to name a few. This is unacceptable in a G7 country!

The time for fiddling is over. Don’t get me wrong. I bemoan the loss of our green spaces, our trees and per haps also our tulip festival. Other sites were offered, and each was reviewed, but we must yield to the ultimate deci sion-makers. To save lives, we have to make some sacrifices. Besides, not just our neighbourhood, but the cit izens of Ottawa as a whole will bene fit from a world-class, state-of-the-art hospital.

No one seems to mind that a huge residential tower now looms over Dow’s Lake. That should have been stopped. But the new hospital must not be delayed any further.

Nini Pal

Contributors this month

Dave Allston

Iva Apostolova

Leslie Cole

John Crump

Gabrielle Dallaporta

Joann Garbig

Pat Goyeche

Barb Grisdale

Joel Harden

Scott Healey

Walter Hendelman

Kate Higgins

Yumma Iftikhar

Julie Ireton

Chris Jermyn

Eva Laberge

Margaret Lavictoire

Serena Lemieux

Greg MacDougall

Carolyn Mackenzie

Liz McKeen

Matthew Meagher

Shawn Menard

Isabella Mindak

Neville Nankivell

Yasir Naqvi

Michael Kofi Ngongi

Tim O’Connor

Monica Olney Nini Pal

Emilie Paradis

Kevan Pipe

Rafal Pomian

Barb Popel

Josh Rachlis

Jeanette Rive

Marisa Romano

Sarah Routliffe

Roger Smith

Sue Stefko

JC Sulzenko

Valerie Swinton

Luis Tejido

Susan Townley Emma Weller

Cecile Wilson

Zeus

The Glebe Report strives to be inclusive and to represent the full diversity of the community we serve.

people, comprised of the Ojibwe, Chippewa, Odawa, Potawatomi, Algonquin, Saulteaux, Nipissing and Mississauga First Nations

Glebe Montessori School students from two classes managed to collect enough food items for the Centretown Emergency Food Centre to fill 24 boxes. Other students also brought many food items to school totalling 36 boxes. It is quite an accomplishment!

PHOTO:

The park with no name – yet

Re: “The park with no name,” Novem ber 2022, Glebe Report

Thank you, editor Liz McKeen, for your thoughtful article on the naming of the almost completed seniors` park on the corner of Fifth and O’Con nor, next to the fire station. You have clearly outlined the task and goal of the Glebe Parks Committee to find an appropriate Algonquin Anishinaabe word or phrase which encapsulates reconciliation and “moving for ward together, respecting elders and healing.”

“Firehall” clearly does not meet any of these aspirations! In addition, it would be totally inappropriate for the Glebe to use that name since it is the name that our closest neighbour, Old Ottawa South, has used for several decades for its community centre –which used to be an actual fire hall.

We look forward to the completion of the park, some native plantings and a naming ceremony in the spring, when it will be officially opened.

Walter Hendelman

Original proposal for a new hospital was best

Editor, Glebe Report

Re: rejection by The Ottawa Hospital of the Tunney’s Pasture site

It’s hard to fit together all the pieces of the controversial decision by The Ottawa Hospital board to reject the Tunney’s Pasture site for a new hos pital, as there were diverse interests at the time. Politics was certainly involved, with the newly elected Lib eral government putting its own stamp on the decision-making pro cess. There was talk of the Heart Insti tute at the Civic being unhappy with the distance of Tunney’s Pasture from Civic facilities for their treatments requiring immediate interventions. I believe other departments were also in opposition for similar reasons.

In my opinion, the original proposal for the site adjacent to the Civic across Carling Avenue was the best option and superior to the present site and to Tunney’s Pasture, even though it took away some land from crop research. Surely the health of people should take precedence over any potential benefits from crop research?

Rafal Pomian

Vacant Unit Tax taxes privacy

Editor, Glebe Report

So, my home is no longer my castle. “Beginning in 2023, residential prop erty owners must complete an annual declaration notifying the City of their property’s occupancy,” the City says. “Declarations must be completed by March 16, 2023. If you do not complete your declaration, your property will be deemed vacant and charged the tax.”

Full disclosure: This will not affect

No-name park beside Fifth Avenue firehall

Editor, Glebe Report

Re: “The Park with no name,” by Liz McKeen, Glebe Report, November 2022

First, it was a mystery what was hap pening when they fenced the space off and dug everything up. What I’m troubled with is that they cut down the row of cedars that were beside the O’Connor Avenue sidewalk, but given what they did with the place, it doesn’t seem to have been necessary to have cut them down. I kept some seeds from one of the fallen branches, if anyone wants to grow a tree or two.

Second, with the proposal of using an Algonquin Anishinaabe word – it’s now better to say Anishinabe Algon quin. That change was part of the new civic cultural protocol between the City of Ottawa and the Anishi nabe Algonquin Nation. Don’t worry, not many people got the memo – I wrote an Anishinabek News arti cle (available on my website Equita bleEducation.ca) about the protocol that explained the name change but didn’t see that aspect covered in news reporting, and it’s not explained in the protocol itself. The simple ver sion of the explanation is Anishinabe is their own name, so it gets prior ity, while Algonquin is the name Euro peans imposed.

Third, as part of the protocol, there’s now a more formal process for naming city locations using Anishanabemowin (the Anishinabe language) – maybe that will be how the firehall park is named.

Fourth, a few things regarding the new Civic Hospital site. Norm Odjick, the Anishinabe Algonquin member of the NCC board, had stated that Anishi nabe Algonquin Nation consultation was needed for the use of these lands. The Ottawa Aboriginal Coalition advo cated against the destruction of the current space and proposed to make it a reconciliation space for Indigenous people and an open public space for all. As far as I know, neither of those requests got much if any response.

Greg MacDougall

Who ya gonna call? For speeding and red-light running

Editor, Glebe Report

I am forwarding a response from Councillor Shawn Menard’s office regarding whom one is to call about speeding vehicles or vehicles that run red lights. For years, I had heard that one should call 911 but I always thought that was not correct. I wonder if you might publish this in the Glebe Report – I expect it is much wanted and needed information.

“For speeding issues, we’ve been told by Ottawa Police Service (OPS) the best thing to do is to report it online: www.ottawapolice.ca/en/ contact-us/Online-Reporting.aspx

You could also call the non-emergency number 613-236-1222, but my under standing about the value of report ing is not to try to catch the person who was just speeding (that person will be gone before anyone could get there) but to have data on speeding to determine where to deploy traffic con stables. OPS tells us they use those reports, as well as collision data, to determine the spots to focus on.”

Monica Olney

Traffic on the avenues – one last

kick at the can

Re: “Driveway traffic enforcement absurd,” by Don Cochrane, Glebe Report, November 2022

Editor, Glebe Report

Grateful to see the letter by Mr. Coch rane of Third Avenue, who has been fed the same story about the Drive way being the purview of the NCC and the RCMP. True to a point – however, the avenues between Pretoria Bridge and Fifth Avenue are regulated by the city. I would wager the city posted the “one-way” signs, although no one has confirmed that.

I managed, however, to note the license number of a vehicle turning off the Driveway onto Second Avenue and submitted a report to the Ottawa Police. The fact that the response to the report said “approved” says to me that the action reported was under the purview of the Ottawa Police and not the RCMP.

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me, unless I refuse to make the dec laration. However, I find this to be a gross abuse of the tax system and my privacy. In my world this falls under NOYDB. That the notice comes with a threat is appalling.

The Vacant Unit Tax “will encour age homeowners to return units to the housing market and proceeds will be used to support affordable housing initiatives,’’ says the City. I hope some entity with deep pockets will challenge this left-wing nonsense in the court of public opinion or perhaps the courts.

Chris Jermyn

Accordingly, I assume that the matter of the one-way signs being ignored is a City of Ottawa matter, and the City should then take action.

As noted in previous letters, I have contacted the office of Council lor Menard. The answer I received claimed the RCMP and the NCC were responsible. I would ask the office of Councillor Menard to please do a little more research.

Barb Grisdale Queen Elizabeth Driveway

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The Eye-catching Hooded Merganser

birds of the glebe

By Jeanette Rive

We are fortunate to have many rivers, lakes and ponds nearby where we can see a wide variety of water birds yearround. In our neighbourhood alone, there’s Dow’s Lake, the Rideau Canal, Brown’s Inlet, Patterson Creek and the small creeks in the Arboretum. These waters serve as a staging ground for flocks of migrating birds heading south or returning north.

Twice a year, we are treated to a selec tion of spectacular ducks which breed further north and retreat south when northern waters freeze. Among them is the Hooded merganser. The male’s dra matic black and white head and often raised crest makes it easy to spot and identify. Other visitors here include the Northern shoveller with its large bill, Goldeneyes and Common mergansers.

The Hooded merganser is one of three mergansers found in our area. The larger Common merganser and the rarer Red-breasted merganser are equally distinguished. The Hooded merganser is the only one native to North America and is the smallest of the three. It is a diving duck, unlike mallards and Wood ducks which are

dabbling ducks, and it hunts its prey by swimming on the surface with its head in the water. When it spots a fish, it dives underwater to chase and catch the target with its serrated bill. It resurfaces to swallow, turning the fish so it goes down headfirst to avoid injury from a spiny fin facing the wrong way.

When diving, it protects its eyes by closing its third eyelid, called a nictitat ing membrane. Nature’s safety goggles, this slightly opaque membrane, which most birds have, also protects the eyes of fast-flying birds, such as the Pere grine falcon, from the wind and dust and from the claws of struggling prey.

A diving duck’s legs are further back on its body, compared to those of a dab bling duck. This is better for paddling, but it makes it very awkward to walk on land. To take off from the water, it builds up speed by almost running on the surface of the water. A large, heavy bird like a loon needs to “run” about 500 metres on the water to get up enough speed to take off. Watching

a loon take off makes one hold one’s breath, willing it to make it over the trees at the end of a lake!

The Hooded merganser is both a fast swimmer and a fast flyer – it can reach a speed of 50 kph in the air. It is a short-distance migrant, found over most of North America, only flying far enough south to find ice-free water.

Hooded mergansers are sexually dimorphic, meaning the sexes are very different in appearance: the drake is much more colourful, though both are crested. They are monogamous – the male courts the female by swimming around her with elaborate head bob bing and swinging while emitting a low, frog-like, gravelly sound which can be heard up to a kilometre away. If he’s acceptable, she will bob her head and raise her tail for mating, which takes place in the water.

As with Wood ducks, they nest in tree cavities up to 20 metres high. The nest is lined with twigs and forest vegeta tion and as the eggs get laid, the female

will pluck down from her belly to add to the warmth. Seven to 15 eggs may be laid, but she will only start incu bating them when the last one has been laid, so that they all hatch at the same time after about 30 days. The day after hatching, she will leave the nest, check the surrounding area for safety and call her little chicks to jump down. They will then all head to the nearest water where the chicks are able to swim and forage immediately, although they will stay close to the mother for warmth and sssafety. Mergansers will often return to the same area to breed, and the female may already start scouting for next year’s nesting spot at the end of the breeding season.

The migrants have moved on. The birds that spend the winter here will need our feeders full. Watching the birds at our feeders is one of the joys of winter. Happy gazing!

Hooded mergansers, fast swimming and flying ducks, migrate south in winter, stopping here on their way. This monogamous pair was resting in Brown’s Inlet. PHOTO: JEANETTE RIVE

Jeanette Rive is a Glebe bird enthusiast and regular Glebe Report contributor.

What the Province has done And who pays the price?

By Carolyn Mackenzie

Premier Ford appears hell-bent on doing whatever it takes to increase the housing supply. But at what cost? And will it address the housing crisis in Ottawa? Let’s try to unpack what these provincial moves are and why they matter.

First, there is Bill 23, “More Homes, Built Faster,” combined with some significant changes to Ottawa’s Official Plan – the province sent the changes the day after the municipal election. Together, they will impact virtually every aspect of our city planning.

There are also Bill 3, “Strong Mayors,” and Bill 39, “Better Municipal Governance.” Arguably, they have the potential to gut democratic representation by elected councillors in favour of giving power to the mayor to make decisions without majority support on council, all in the name of greater “efficiency” to sup port provincial housing priorities. To his credit, the new mayor, Mark Sutcliffe, has clearly stated he will not use these new powers.

Bill 3 is a done deal. Changes to the Official Plan were immediate. As of this writing, Bills 23 and 39 are quickly being pushed through the legislative process with no sign the Ford government is interested in con sultation, particularly with Ottawa.

Now for some of the key details.

Bill 23 – More Homes Built Faster

The City’s ability to collect development charges, parkland charges and community benefits charges is being reduced. This will either download signifi cant costs onto Ottawa taxpayers or result in reduced services.

The City will be required to spend the majority of funds currently collected for parks and greenspace each year rather than being able to accumulate them in a fund for future use. Given the increase in land prices, saving enough to acquire park space is already challenging, but it will become virtually impossible.

The City will no longer have the ability to enact bylaws to protect existing rental stock and renters.

From a practical standpoint, the City’s Heritage Registry will be gutted. With roughly 4,000 properties currently listed, there is no practical means to assess them for potential designation within the timelines outlined by the province. As a result, they will simply be removed.

Wetland conservation is being gutted. Development applications are currently reviewed within the con text of the larger ecosystem. Not anymore. Fewer pro tected wetlands will mean more flooding and loss of biodiversity. Further, municipalities will lose the abil ity to ask conservation authority experts for input on development proposals.

Arguably, eliminating the City’s ability to allow only a single home on a lot (R1 zone) is a positive move. This is being pursued in many jurisdictions with growing momentum to allow for more housing close to transit and in walkable neighbourhoods. You can still build a single home on a lot, but you won’t be prohibited from building multi-dwelling units either. In the Glebe, R1 zoning currently applies to proper ties on Clemow, Linden Terrace and Monkland and on Second, Third and Fourth avenues between Lyon and Bronson, as well as on Dow’s Lake. Ottawa’s com prehensive update of zoning rules across the city will be even more critical to address proper building set backs, room for trees and tree preservation, soft land scaping and stormwater management associated with this change so that new development fits well and helps meet livability goals.

Changes to Ottawa’s Official Plan

The height limit on “minor corridors” has been increased from four storeys to six. While the Glebe does not have any minor corridors, our neighbours in Old Ottawa South may see six-storey buildings on Sunnyside between Bank and Bronson.

The province has added hundreds of acres of land to the urban boundary for new subdivisions. Adding housing units through urban sprawl costs every tax payer hundreds of dollars more every year, to pay for new roads, sewers and other infrastructure, not to mention the environmental cost of more driv ing and greenhouse gases as suburban residents go about their business. Increasing density in existing communities, where infrastructure and services are already in place, is much more cost effective.

Bill 3 – Strong Mayor Act and Bill 39 – Better Municipal Governance Act

With Bill 3, Ford is giving mayors the ability to single-handedly write the budget, reorganize the structure of the city, directly hire key general man agers, choose all committee and board chairs – and veto bylaws.

He is also giving mayors the ability to push new bylaws through with support from only a third of coun cillors. Huh? This is fundamentally undemocratic and lacks important checks and balances. Enough said.

What’s next?

Ford seems determined to do whatever it takes to increase the housing supply, even if it means sac rificing environmental protection and community input, while largely ignoring the real crisis in truly affordable housing. Not to mention the real hit to democracy at the municipal level, which will only result in more cynicism, less engagement and poorer outcomes.

If any of this concerns you, add your voice to those of the Glebe Community Association, the People’s Official Plan or any of the other organizations advo cating for ways to build more housing, including more affordable housing, without sacrificing our commun ities, the environment and our local democracy.

Winter can be a cold, lonely time. It doesn’t have to be. With a Winter Stay at Amica The Glebe, every day is yours to spend as you wish. With professional, personalized care and premium amenities, and your own premium suite, you may just warm up to winter after all. And, like breaking the ice with a new friend, that never gets old.

Carolyn Mackenzie is chair of the Planning Committee of the Glebe Community Association.

Adding housing units through urban sprawl costs every taxpayer hundreds of dollars more every year

By Sue Stefko

The handsome, red-brick Lakelander towers have graced the Glebe Annex skyline at the corner of Carling Avenue and Cambridge Street South for more than 30 years.

The site, previously 279 Carling Avenue, had belonged to the Ottawa Suburban Roads Commission, which had a road implement shed and stor age garage on the site. From 1919 until 1969, the commission was responsible for maintaining and upgrading major roads to the capital such as Merivale, River and Dunrobin. Perhaps most fam ously, the commission abolished tolls on roads into the city, to the great relief of farmers who paid multiple tolls to bring their goods to market. The com mission also operated a quarry on the site of what is now 299 Carling – it pro duced crushed and screened stone for road maintenance.

Clarksmith Developments eyed the property for its tremendous view of Dow’s Lake. This fit the company’s vision of developing on “superb loca tions” – those on the water or with water views. The company, founded in 1984, already had projects on the Rideau River, the Rideau Canal and River Road. Real estate agent Bob Blake, who worked as a sales agent for Clarksmith, described the company as being ahead of its time for its vision of

single-family homes and then spe cializing in multi-unit dwellings such as condominiums, apartments and townhouses. However, those multiunit dwellings were not like the condo miniums built today – they often had generous setbacks and were carefully landscaped, designed to fit into the surrounding environment. Many of the units were substantial in size, con taining two and three bedrooms, large eat-in kitchens and luxuries such as wood-burning fireplaces.

A May 1998 Ottawa Citizen article

skylight window in the bathroom, and you have a pretty good idea of what it is that Clarksmith Developments has to offer.” In 1989, the building won the Ottawa-Carleton Home Builders’ Asso ciation award for the best mid-rise, four-to nine-storey building.

Clarksmith was also famous for being headed by two women, Helene Amyotte and Erica Smith, and was often described as Canada’s only women-led development firm. The company was happy to take advantage of this unique position, stating that as women were

success, the build was not without con troversy. The project was approved in 1988 over the objections of the Dow’s Lake Residents Association which represented the area at the time. The association protested that the build ings were too tall and would dominate the skyline, especially since they were on the area’s highest point of land.

There were also concerns that the building would reflect traffic noise from Carling Avenue into the Dow’s Lake community. The association fought the development at Planning Committee, bringing a petition signed by 20 residents, opposing Dalhousie Ward Alderman Mac Harb, who sup ported the building.

Although the company won that battle, Clarksmith soon started to falter. In its next development, Waterbrooke, the company tried to cut costs by doing its own construction. That backfired –construction costs grew out of control, and the project went into receivership.

Clarksmith sold the site of its Ottawa River location, Commodore’s Quay, in an attempt to stay afloat, but the com pany never fully recovered. This was in part due to the rapidly changing finan cial landscape – 1990 marked the begin ning of a significant recession in Canada, as inflation spurred the Bank of Canada to dramatically hike interest rates, caus ing home prices to crash by 30 per cent and some developers to go bankrupt.

The handsome Lakelander condominium building on Cambridge Street South, built

than 30 years ago,

well multi-unit buildings can be built.

PHOTO: GABRIELLE DALLAPORTA

John Crump President, Glebe Community Association

T @glebeca E gca@glebeca.ca www.glebeca.ca

GCA speaks for us

Threats to democracy

I was struck by an uncomfortable similarity between Egypt and Ontario when I returned from the recent cli mate change negotiations in Sharm El-Sheikh. In preparing for COP 27, the Egyptian government rounded up dis senters and made sure that critical voices were not going to be heard at the annual UN sponsored discussions.

After spending a couple of weeks in Egypt, I came home to the news about the Ontario government’s More Homes Built Faster Act (Bill 23) This omnibus act will affect many aspects of life in Ottawa, but it is being pushed through the legislature at a rapid pace with no public discussion outside of Toronto.

Combined with the Better Munici pal Governance Act which gives the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa extra powers and the ability to adopt or amend bylaws with just a one-third vote of their councils, one could be forgiven for thinking democracy is under siege in this province. In what democratic universe does an elected minority overrule a majority? At least Ottawa’s new mayor, Mark Sutcliffe, is on the record saying he will not use these new powers.

Democracy is not guaranteed, and it can be chipped away, piece by piece. Fortunately, community associations and stakeholder groups across the city and province are speaking out.

GCA concerns on Bill 23

At its November board meeting, the Glebe Community Association passed a motion opposing Bill 23. The motion stated the bill is deeply flawed in its singular focus on creating supply of for-profit, market-rate housing while ignoring affordable housing needs, and it will negatively impact the environment, parkland dedication, heritage and local level control of plan ning decisions, among other important issues.

Like many other Ontario cities, Ottawa has a housing crisis. Unfortu nately, this new legislation will not solve the problem. In fact, it could make it worse. The bill does not pro vide for any direct investment to create incentives for the development of deeply affordable housing – that is housing suitable for households living on fixed or lower incomes. This limits new public housing and non-profit housing. For-profit housing is required, but new housing should be built and be available across a spectrum of incomes and needs.

The GCA expressed these concerns in a letter to the Ontario government, noting that the emphasis “should be

on liveable communities where all residents can thrive and grow, not simply a ‘numbers game’ that focuses almost solely on increasing for-profit, market-rate housing, while gutting environmental protections, provisions for greenspace, and appropriate public engagement and consultation in the evolution of communities.”

You can find a copy of the letter to the Minister on the GCA website at glebeca.ca.

Road work ahead

As always, there were other items on the agenda, including a report from re-elected City Councillor Shawn Menard who updated the board on plans to rebuild part of Glebe Avenue (between Bank and O’Connor) and plans to widen a section of the Airport Parkway. The design work on Glebe Avenue will take place next year with construction the following year. The Airport Parkway will also be designed over the next year with construction on the Brookfield-to-Hunt-Club sec tion to begin in 2027. Menard posed the obvious question: Why do we need to widen the parkway when the LRT is also being expanded to the airport?

Support for Mutchmor rink

The GCA passed a motion to provide financial assistance to the Mutchmor rink, which reappears this winter after a COVID-19 break. The rink is operated by the Glebe Neighbourhood Activities Group (GNAG), and we had a presenta tion last month on the need for finan cial support. The GCA had already allocated $1,100 in this year’s budget as a placeholder, and that money will go towards fixing a snow blower and helping with the rent for a rink-side storage pod.

Point of clarification: dogs and parks

At the November meeting, a member of the community asked if the GCA was planning a motion to ban dogs in the park at Brown’s Inlet. A similar ques tion has been raised on social media. To be clear, the GCA has no motion planned about dogs in this park. The matter is on the agenda of the Parks Committee and the board will wait to hear the results of that discussion.

Next meeting

As usual, there will be no GCA board meeting in December. Our next meet ing will be in person, Tuesday, January 24, 7-9 p.m. at the Glebe Community Centre. Please join us.

Here’s to all the great volunteers in our community. Wishing you a peace ful holiday season and see you in 2023.

Sarah Routliffe

GNAG Executive Director

GNAG’s gratitude list

Gratitude is something that I have been practising a lot during the last few years of the pandemic. Reminding myself on a regular basis that I have so much to be grateful for helped me to get through some of those tougher, winter lockdowns. Well, to be honest, that and a lot of tea, the occasional glass of wine and many virtual calls from friends and family. This year, I have more gratitude than ever because so much more opportunity has opened over the last year. At GNAG, we are able to run in-person events again, deliver new programming and continue to build bonds with the community. As we head into the holiday season, I ask everyone reading this article to reflect on what you are grateful for as this year comes to an end. For GNAG, this is our gratitude list.

Hosting in-person events!

We are so grateful for in-person events! We’ve had so much success with the Halloween event, The Craft Fair and Trivia night. Seeing the com munity come out and support GNAG has been an absolute pleasure. We can’t wait to see what events will come in the new year and are very much looking forward to the sold-out Taste in the Glebe in late January. Be on the lookout for more food and beverage events in 2023!

Winter Carnival is happening Sunday, December 11, from 1:30-3:30 p.m. in the Main Hall. Celebrate the start of winter with an indoor carnival at the Glebe Community Centre. Get ready for an incredible party with inflatables, crafts, prizes, a photo booth and carnival games galore. Masks are required for all attendees. Recommended for kids three to 12 years. Kids under 10 must be accompanied by an adult (14 years +). Adults and kids both need tickets.

Programing

Winter programming opened on December 6 at 7 p.m. We hope you got a spot in the program you wanted! This winter, we are bringing back so many GNAG classics! The Mutchmor rink is back, and there will be tons of opportunities for your children to play shinny and learn to skate!

Dance with Emilie is opening drop-in spaces in the Monday 6:15 p.m., all-levels class called Feel the Vibes! Drop in and try something new with us this winter.

Don’t forget to check out the chil dren’s specialty programming after school! We have so many options for your kids, including basketball, mar tial arts, Pokémon club and many cook ing classes.

Community partnerships

We have been very lucky to have so many kind community members sup porting initiatives in this commun ity. I would like to recognize one of our amazing community leaders, Rebecca McKeen, who started a donation cam paign to help us with the playground redevelopment project. Metro McKeen was able to raise a total close to $1,000 and matched that donation to a total of $2,000.

Big shout out to the Glebe Central Pub for providing glassware donations and beverages at cost for our Trivia night! We also had donations for prizes from Starbucks on Third and St. Louis Bar & Grill on Elgin.

Thank you to every resident who donated to this campaign and who attended our Trivia night – we are so grateful for your support.

We are continuing to take private donations for the preschool play ground. If you or your business would like to donate, please reach out to us at info@gnag.ca. We can provide tax receipts for donations over $50.

My personal gratitude list

I feel so grateful to be a part of this community which has welcomed me so generously. To GNAG board members who have been so kind and supportive and the staff at GNAG who have let me into their tight-knit circle, thank you. I am so grateful to be here with you all.

To my family, friends and colleagues this holiday season, I would not be here without your support and encour agement – I am so lucky to have you all.

I hope that everyone has an oppor tunity this season to reflect on their own gratitude list from this past year, as we say goodbye to 2022 and welcome a new beginning in 2023.

Vintage Glebe Dow's Lake

Dow’s Lake was once part of a “Primaeval Forest” that covered the area. White pine stumps were exposed in 1959 when the lake was drained more than usual during construction of the Bronson bridge. The stumps are remnants of the Dow’s Lake Primaeval Forest, which was flooded about 1832 when the canal was built. The stumps were removed by 1969. Photo April 1962.

Dow’s Lake, facing northwest toward Carling Avenue. The water level has dropped two feet leaving “ice hats” on tree stumps, which date from 1832. The unidentified man may be the botanist William G. Dore. SOURCE: GLEBE HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Dow’s Lake, facing north toward Carling Avenue and the Natural Resources Canada building. The unidentified man may be William Dore.

This city has an affordable hous ing problem. We have been in a hous ing crisis for quite a while. Average home prices, whether you’re renting or buying, have been rising for years, far outstripping inflation or any increases to average incomes. Instead of settling into an appropriate-sized and appro priate-priced home, people are forced into smaller dwellings and into living situations that may not be desirable or to take on more costs than they may be able to handle. Their housing eats up ever-larger percentages of their pay. They live further away – they “drive til they qualify” – incurring unnecessarily long commutes and additional trans portation costs.

It’s not feasible. It’s not sustainable. And it’s not ethical.

In the last term of council, we started making modest gains to address hous ing and housing affordability. Coun cil spent $15 million annually on affordable housing, cracked down on non-owner-occupied AirBNBs and vacant dwellings and approved inten sification projects in much of the city. Our office created a ward-level afford able housing fund, and we continue to work with staff and other public-sector entities to provide affordable housing in the ward. All told, it’s a start, but it’s not enough.

The good news is that we have a new city council with a lot of new members devoted to improving our city. I have had good conversations with my coun cil colleagues, and I believe there is the political will at City Hall to do some thing about the housing crisis.

The bad news is that the provincial government has decided to interfere in city planning and local housing mar kets, stripping cities of the necessary powers to direct and encourage hous ing development and population in a thoughtful and sustainable way.

Bill 23 is being presented as a way to solve the housing crisis, but it will do next to nothing to deal with housing affordability, and it will create massive financial burdens for cities, leading to tax increases. It will encourage sprawl without allowing the city to recoup the excessive infrastructure costs brought on by sprawl.

By cutting development charges and cash-in-lieu of parkland funds, we won’t be as able to build parks, fix roads or maintain our roads. We also won’t be able to achieve the amounts of afford able housing that we desperately need, as the bill robs council of the leverage needed to secure affordable housing commitments in developments.

Instead of this build anything any where approach, we need to be able to take control of our planning process to ensure that we can hit our density

targets, spread intensification through out the city, supply affordable hous ing to those in need and build and maintain the necessary infrastructure to keep the city healthy and finan cially stable.

There is more that the city can do. We should increase our support for afford able housing to $50 million annu ally, with matching funds from other orders of government. We should cut out direct and indirect subsidies to the development industry. We should dedi cate city property – such as the park ing lot at Bank and Chamberlain – to affordable housing.

And we should prioritize “missing middle” development, spreading density throughout Ottawa’s commun ities. As we move towards 1.4 million people in Ottawa, we need to incen tivize multi-unit, affordable, walk-up, mixed-use dwellings (like we see in Montreal) and more housing afford ability by making it cheaper to build more densely within the existing urban footprint, eschewing the develop ment of single detached homes that create sprawl, choosing instead to build more multi-home dwellings in neighbourhoods within the greenbelt.

But we need the province to do its part. Last month, we released a public letter co-signed by Somerset Councillor Ariel Troster calling on the province to reconsider Bill 23 and, instead, imple ment measures that will actually help fight the housing crisis.

The provincial government should seriously invest in non-market housing, including co-op, public and other notfor-profit housing. They should help renters by raising Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program payments, funding rent supplements and rent banks, beefing up rent-control regulations and bringing in better pro tections for the existing stock of afford able rental housing.

They should disincentivize specu latory and predatory real estate activ ities as we are seeing on farmlands newly dedicated to urban sprawl. They should end exclusionary zoning and increase the levels for inclusion ary zoning. They should define afford ability using a standard for housing costs relative to income.

There’s much that my council col leagues and I need to do this term of council to help bring housing afford ability to Ottawa, but that job will be made much harder with the passing of provincial Bill 23.

You can read more at ShawnMenard. ca/Bill23.

Shawn Menard is City Councillor for Capital Ward. He can be reached directly at Shawn.Menard@ottawa.ca

Navigating traffic in the Glebe

By Matthew Meagher

As you travelled the streets of the Glebe this summer, you probably noticed the slow creep of traffic calming measures onto some of the neighbourhood’s widest and fastest road ways. The new measures are largely the result of collabora tion between various groups of neighbourhood residents and Councillor Shawn Menard’s office.

Acknowledging that traffic calming can annoy some driv ers, we promise that annoyance is not the goal of any of these projects; the singular objective is improving the safety of our streets for everyone who uses them. Fortunately, that object ive dovetails perfectly with the mandate of the Glebe Com munity Association (GCA) Transportation Committee to make our local streets safer for all users.

While there are a range of opinions on any change to a street, our engagement with residents tells us there is a broad consensus that traffic speed is the number one safety concern in this neighbourhood. Short of digging up and reconstruct ing streets, the measures you saw this summer, such as flex stakes to narrow the driveable area of the street, are the most practical way to get speeds down and remind drivers that there are children and less mobile people nearby.

Over the coming months, the Transportation Committee will continue to work with residents on safety improvements.

on and off-ramps

There will be a continuing focus on the areas around our primary schools and the community centre, continuing the great work done by the par ents on the joint Corpus Christi-Mutchmor trans portation committee. We will also be looking to use an Infrastructure Canada grant that we received to conduct a safety study of the neighbourhood. And finally, we will be feeding into public consul tations on the Queensway Bridge Replacements, the NCC Active Transportation project, the wid ening of the Airport Parkway and the Bronson reconstruction design.

To find the best solutions to these issues, we are always looking for input from as many community

members as possible. So, if you happened to be sitting on the sidelines waiting for a written invi tation, please consider this article your personal invite to join our committee meetings, send your comments by email or participate in one of the various public consultations online or in person. Details on a public consultation on the next phase of the Queensway bridge replacement project are at queenswaydowntownbridges.com. You can reach us 24/7 at traffic@glebeca.ca. Please note that we will not respond 24/7.

Matt Meagher is co-chair of the Glebe Community Association Transportation Committee.

Confused about which 417

are open and closed? You’re not alone. PHOTO: LIZ MCKEEN

Model railway tour

(2022 virtual edition)

Calling all Model Railroaders and those who have an interest in all things trains!

The Capital Region Model Rail way Tour 2022, virtual edition, is online at capitaltrains.ca and attracting viewers from around the world! The tour is available until January 23, 2023.

Last year’s tour was a great suc cess, with over 9,000 views on YouTube. We are on our way to breaking that record this year! We have 11 new videos in 2022 of layouts not yet seen as well as those you enjoyed last year. These include layouts from the Ottawa-Gatineau area and beyond and feature steam and diesel eras, with Canadian, American and Brit ish settings.

January/

March February 21 February 22 March 10

April March 27 March 29 April 14

May April 24 April 26 May 12

June May 23 May 24 June 9

August July 31 August 2 August 18

2023 Advertising Rates (Per Issue)**

Business Card Horiz. (4¾" w x 2¼" h) $ 73.45 $102.83

Business Card Vertical (2¼" w x 3½" h) $ 73.45 $102.83

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1/8 Page Vertical (2¼" w x 7¼" h) $115.26 $179.67

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Full Page (1 per issue) (9¾" w x 15¼" h) $875.75 $1,163.90

Mutchmor rink boards are up! PHOTO: LIZ MCKEEN

TWO OPPOSING VISIONS FOR OTTAWA, BUT VOTER TURNOUT IS STILL LOW

By Scott Healey

As the 2022 Ottawa mayoralty race pro gressed, it became evident that the choice for mayor was between two strong candidates, Catherine McKen ney and Mark Sutcliffe. Two opposing visions were put forward by two highly respected and experienced candidates – that’s a good thing. For the first time in over a decade, Ottawa had a competi tive mayoral race.

A competitive mayoral race with two very different visions for the city – isn’t that a recipe for increased par ticipation and higher voter turnout? It would appear not. The 2006 mayoral election was the last time voter turn out exceeded 50 per cent at 54 per cent. During the Jim Watson years, voter turnout in three mayoral elections averaged 42 per cent. The most recent election barely got over 43 per cent.

What happened? A consequential and impassioned campaign, and voter turnout barely moved up.

I was disappointed with the voter turnout for the provincial election on June 2, and I am equally disappointed with the voter turnout in the recent municipal election. There are several

reasons why the June provincial elec tion turnout was so poor: overall satis faction with the current government; the opposition parties could not articu late a clear vision and alternative to the government; not very inspiring lead ers; and growing voter apathy for the whole electoral system.

In a recent Pew Research study of election turnout in 50 OECD countries over the past three years, Canada was ranked 43rd. The United States was 31st – so much for Canadian moral superior ity. Uruguay led the group with over 90-per-cent voter turnout. There will be caveats to these rankings, but I believe the point is made.

I have a question: Do Canadians really care about the declining engage ment in their political system? Current trends would say they don’t. If Ottawa had a poor voter turnout, take a look at the B.C. municipal elections. The Van couver mayoral race was also a con sequential campaign this year offering two visions for the city, and the voter turnout was 36 per cent.

So how to change this trend? Tech nology and more effective communica tion is a start.

Technology will not solve all voting

issues, but it can be used to modernize the voting experience. We just require the political will and courage to experi ment. Voting online on a variety of plat forms will be the norm in the future, if we are brave enough to embrace it now. Innovation should not be restricted to software and virtual engagement only. In-person, 24-hour voting can be accommodated through artificial intel ligence and robotics. Voting stations can be available 24/7. Ottawa has the technological ability and innovative spirit to be a world leader in this field. Let’s demonstrate that we are a G7 cap ital and take the lead.

Effective communication needs to be a priority. The road to success begins with awareness and knowledge. Effect ive engagement and communication are essential to the success of any initiative. I may not be fully versed in all the operational features of my mobile phone, but the difficulty I had in finding voter information was at

times excruciatingly challenging. Most citizens are not scanning social media endlessly as to where and when to vote – they have a life. The boiler-plate muni cipal websites are clearly not working. Think differently. Be creative.

I will add that citizens also need to get off the social-media treadmill. The echo chamber of negativity, misinfor mation and false news does nothing to enhance voter participation and a more informed public.

I believe that there is a growing “exhausted majority” that is becoming less engaged in the political process. The polity needs to re-engage these cit izens in a more positive and construct ive manner. I don’t think I am being too hyperbolic when I say that the health of our democracy depends on it.

Scott Healey was a candidate in Ottawa Centre for the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario in the 2022 election.

Staying healthy in winter in the Glebe

limited this time of year, try to go out at mid-day for peak exposure. Vita min D is crucial for maintaining bone density and immune function. Talk to your healthcare provider about supplements to make sure you are getting enough during the winter. Being out in nature is beneficial not only to your physical health but also for your mental health. Nature has a calming effect and being out side provides the fresh air our bodies need. Once the canal is frozen and prepped, skating is the perfect winter activity. There are also outdoor rinks at Lansdowne, Mutchmor and Glebe Memorial Park.

Keep your physical fitness up now so you don’t strain yourself when shoveling season comes. We see a lot of injuries in people who get out of shape, then need to exert them selves to clear snow. Deal with injur ies when they happen – that makes them easier to manage and speeds up recovery. There are numerous providers in the Glebe with different skill sets and techniques to help with a variety of concerns.

traditional comfort foods, such as soups and casseroles, can be made with nutritious, fresh ingredients rather than by using pre-packaged options.

Water is also a nutrient that needs to be replenished. As the temper ature drops, water consumption is less front of mind, so we tend to drink less than we need. It is important to get at least eight cups of water each day, a total of two litres, or more if you are active. This is vital for meta bolic systems and temperature regu lation year-round.

By Kate Higgins

The cold weather is upon us, and these months can be daunting with less sun light and less time outdoors. This doesn’t have to mean you can’t make your health a priority. The Glebe offers numerous opportunities to be outside and active;

taking advantage of them along with rou tine health upkeep will ensure you are functioning at your best!

Most important, get outside. You can walk or run along the canal or through any of the parks in the neighbourhood. Use these outings to soak up vitamin D from the sun. Because sunshine is

Get produce locally. We are fortun ate to have a great farmers market at Lansdowne year-round. It has moved indoors for the winter but still has a wide range of produce to ensure you are getting the required nutrients during a season with increased illness. Focus on whole some, nourishing foods that taste good and are good for you. Many

Get together and socialize with others. This is imperative for mental and physical health. Being sur rounded by friends will boost endor phins. Go to a hockey or basketball game or to a concert at TD Place. Host dinners for friends or arrange activities such as board games, crafts, cooking or book clubs. Visit the Christmas market or other craft fairs to search for the perfect gift. But remember, COVID is still with us so consider whether you need to take precautions like wearing a mask indoors to stay healthy.

Use the change in seasons as a time to evaluate your current routine and set up new practices that will ensure you are keeping your health as opti mal as it can be.

Kate Higgins is a chiropractor in the Glebe at CURAVITA Health Group on Third Avenue.

A skate on the inviting ice of the Canal is a perfect way to get exercise and Vitamin D, and those happy endorphins flowing. PHOTO: KATE HIGGINS

Meet volunteers at Abbotsford

By Julie Ireton

After retiring from a busy career as the director of education at a school board in Manitoba, Constance McLeese was ready for a low-key, stress-free job and it was okay if her new role didn’t pay.

Two days a week, McLeese volunteers at Abbotsford House at the Glebe Centre, answering phones, working on databases and helping with fundraising efforts.

The reward, she said, is keeping busy and meet ing new people in a safe social space, especially during COVID.

“I was very busy in my career, so it’s hard to just go full stop,” said McLeese, who along with her hus band relocated to the Glebe after retirement.

“It’s interesting and I can’t predict what I’ll be doing when I come in. Just whatever needs doing is what I’ll do,” she said. “If someone is concerned about something, I direct them to a hired staff member.”

Volunteers are essential to the work at both the senior’s centre across from Lansdowne Park and at the long-term care facility.

Whether it’s driving seniors to appointments, visiting elderly residents or raising money for vari ous programs, volunteers help fill the gaps at the facilities.

McLeese started pitching in about six months before COVID hit. After the pandemic began, she started helping screen Abbotsford visitors, making sure people were vaccinated and filling out the necessary paperwork.

“We have a very fragile clientele, and we don’t want COVID running rampant over here,” she said.

Like many of the volunteers at the centre, she’s also an Abbotsford member, taking part in the water colour art courses and trying out Zumba classes.

“They have great teachers,” she said. “For Zumba, I was going outside my comfort zone. I’m not a dancer, and you need a bit of rhythm for it, but it is very non-threatening, and you certainly get exercise.”

“It’s a wonderful place.”

For Isla Paterson, her introduction to Abbotsford House began when her mother moved into the Glebe Centre long-term care home next door. She would take her to activities there. “She loved the outdoor garden, the music concerts, the teas,” said Paterson. “I enjoyed taking my mother over there, so I became a member myself.”

The speaker’s events and the “how to use your cell phone” course are among the favourites for Paterson.

“I also joined their play-reading program. This is a unique opportunity. I’m really enjoying that. Six to eight men and women get together on Tuesday after noon and we read plays,” she said.

Her mother was a resident at the Glebe Centre for six years before she died last winter. But Paterson continues to volunteer as the secretary-treasurer for the facility’s family council. This group meets once a month and advocates for the 254 residents.

She’s glad Abbotsford and its many activities are now part of her life.

“It’s a one-stop shop for information for elderly,” said Paterson. “You can call and get reliable infor mation. They offer a meeting place, a place for exer cise and intellectual stimulation.”

Abbotsford House and the Glebe Centre are always looking for volunteers. If you are wondering about volunteer opportunities, contact Lonelle Butler at volunteer services 613-238-2727 (ext. 353). If you are thinking of becoming a member, call Abbotsford or drop in any weekday at reception.

Abbotsford is your Seniors Active Living Centre. We are the community programs of The Glebe Centre Inc., a charitable, not-for-profit, organiza tion which includes a 254-bed long-term care home. Find out more about our services by dropping by 950 Bank Street (the old stone house) Mon- Fri 9-4 p.m., telephoning 613-230-5730 or by checking out all The Glebe Centre facilities and community programs on our website www.glebecentre.ca.

Julie Ireton is a journalist who contributes regularly to the Glebe Report on issues affecting Abbotsford.

Abbotsford’s play-reading group meets every Tuesday.

PHOTOS: PAT GOYECHE

Constance McLeese volunteers at Abbotsford’s reception desk, among many other things.

Rag & Carbon aims to connect with creative community

By Yumma Iftikhar

On November 17, owners Harrison and Loukia Koyman held a grand opening for Rag & Carbon, a new store at 796 Bank Street that houses a photo print ing and framing company and an art gallery.

Harrison Koyman, whose family background is in art galleries, said his love for photography inspired him to get into photo printing and framing.

“I really think where photography exists best is printed in a physical world, on the wall,” he said.

Before opening Rag & Carbon, Harrison ran an e-commerce site for five years. “We opened the store front because we want to get involved with the cre ative community in the city a little more.”

He loves the neighbourhood and knew from the start that it was where he wanted the store to be located.

“I always said if we opened something in Ottawa it will be here, like this specific block, and so we did,” he said. Harrison said he wanted Rag & Carbon to have something for everyone. “When we were curating the work that we were going to sell, we were intentional that we would have a category for every single person, so whatever your kind of taste is you are going to find something here.

“If you’re a grandma and you want photos printed of your grandkids, come here. If you took a picture of your cat on your phone, come here. If you want a really expensive oil painting, come here.

“Our prices start for print at $20 and our most expen sive piece is $14,000 so we have a good spread.”

Loukia Koyman is a digital artist and a photog rapher. She said she wanted her works “to blend well

with any interior design style.”

Loukia, like her husband, wants to get to know the local community better. “We really wanted to support local, and with opening a storefront we wanted to get more connected with the local creative community.”

a great way to get people engaged in local art.”

Close friends and family attended the grand open ing to show support to the couple. Artworks were dis played throughout the room, with one wall devoted to a collection of black and white photos.

Junia Faundez, Loukiya’s mother, said she was proud of her daughter and son-in-law, adding that a store like Rag & Carbon had been missing in the Glebe.

“It’s closer for people and its available, its unique, and I think it will enhance the vibe and environment in the Glebe,” she said.

To Harrison Koyman, one thing that separates Rag & Carbon from others is their use of archival paper for all their works.

“Even our least expensive paper type is archival, so that means it is going to last 100 years without degrad ing,” he said. “I want, in 100 years when people go into their grandparents’ attic and pull out a Rag & Carbon print, that it still looks good and take a trip back in time.”

Iftikhar

Aside from their own works, the couple also dis played reprints of famous renaissance paintings and projects by other local artists at their opening.

Harrison said they are going to be looking for other local artists in the future to feature at individual and groups shows. “We are looking for really talented but under-represented artists to become a part of our roster.”

Other local works at the Rag & Carbon opening included Pooja Pawaskar’s sculpture collection called “In the gaps left behind.” Her sculptures were inspired by a trip to Israel, where she noticed the cliff rocks being hit by water. Pawaskar said it made her think of transformation.

“What I was trying to do through these sculptures was address the idea of changing cliff rocks that are getting hit by water but also looking at ourselves because we are always changing by things that make us, us,” she said.

Pawaskar currently has two other shows, one in New York and the other in Miami, but she said she wanted her work to be displayed in her city too. “It is

Yumma

is a Canadian-Pakistani journalist. She enjoys writing about Canadian politics and disability.

Harrison and Loukia Koyman, owners of Rag & Carbon, a print and framing shop and art gallery newly opened on Bank Street

Pooja Pawaskar with her sculpture, “Gretta” PHOTOS: YUMMA IFTIKHAR

By Serena Lemieux

The Glebe is home to historic buildings, contemporary art, quaint eateries and long-standing local businesses that have stood the test of time. We’re proud of the decades many of our businesses have spent in our neighbourhood and want to celebrate with them. During the pandemic, a number of business owners celebrated exciting anniver saries in the community.

Glebe Meat Market

Founded in 1920, The Glebe Meat Market has been serving the Ottawa area the finest cuts of meat for more than a century. Its 100th anniversary was in 2020. Before finding its cur rent home at 869 Bank, the Glebe Meat Market was a few blocks north at Bank and Third. Originally owned by the Faith brothers, it then went to Harry Amada who sold it to the Sauvé family in 1975. Stephane Sauvé has been work ing at The Glebe Meat Market since 1982 and went on to take over the business from his father, André Sauvé.

The Glebe Meat Market is known for niche items and cuts that you can’t find anywhere else. Sauvé has custom ers who send his product as far as New foundland for family and friends. “I love my customers, they come from all different walks of life, they all do dif ferent things, and it’s fun to hear how they will be cooking and preparing my items into new dishes,” said Sauvé. His team is made up of dedicated employ ees who are committed to excellence; some have been with the team for more than 15 years!

ORESTA

ORESTA celebrated its 20th anniver sary in 2021, so we’re here to celebrate 21 years. On December 3, 2001, ORESTA was opened by its namesake, Oresta Korbutiak, in a converted corner store at 464 O’Connor. Inspired by her per sonal struggle with adult acne, which led her on a frustrating journey of overspending on harsh products and treatments, she created a healthy approach to beauty by opening a clean beauty shop and spa. ORESTA has become the Glebe’s go-to for organic, age-positive, natural beauty, clean living skincare. In 2004, it opened an e-commerce shop on Shopify to offer clean beauty products for those out side Ottawa. ORESTA became Shopi fy’s 39th of now more than one million online retailers.

When asked what the greatest chal lenge of the past two decades has been,

Korbutiak’s answer was clear: “Most definitely the pandemic. We really missed the interaction with customers in the shop. Personally, being out of the treatment room – my happy place –for two-and-a-half years was also very challenging. However, the kindness, generosity and support of our com munity was incredibly uplifting.”

The Unrefined Olive

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, The Unrefined Olive has called 151 Second Avenue home since 2012. Owner Eliza beth Kilvert is one of only a handful of oleologists in Canada. She believes it is her responsibility to be able to speak to the character of each olive oil and go above and beyond for her customers. She recognizes that shopping is about more than the convenience of ordering online, it’s also about engagement and quality of service. When she is asked

which is the best olive oil, her answer is simple: “There are over 700 kinds of olives to make olive oil. Come in and let your taste buds be the judge.”

Kettlemans

Looking ahead to 2023, Kettlemans will be celebrating its 30th anniversary in the Glebe. Known for not having a lock on the front door, Kettlemans has been the 24-hour-a-day, seven-daya-week comfort spot to Ottawans for decades. Their flagship location at 912 Bank Street serves as all-in-one stop for breakfast and brunch, lunch and latenight cravings.

Company president Amer Wahab rec ognizes the relationship Ottawa has with Kettlemans and remains grate ful to the loyal fanbase. “Looking back over the past 30 years, it’s been great to be a part of the community and part of an amazing city,” said Wahab. “The pandemic showed us that when we all come together, we can do anything. We thank our team members and com munity for the support not just during COVID, but for the past 30 years.”

The Glebe is proud to be home to so many local small businesses which are able to thrive year after year thanks to local customers and supportive neigh bours. We thank these businesses for all their hard work and dedication. We look forward to celebrating their next anniversaries!

Serena Lemieux is communications and marketing coordinator for the Glebe BIA (Business Improvement Area).

The Glebe Meat Market celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2020 and continues to thrive. PHOTO: LIZ MCKEEN

Glebe resident wins prestigious scientific award

By Leslie Cole

Lenore Fahrig is modest about her work as a scientist. However, her research on natural habitats is widely used and has been referred to in more than 55,000 scientific articles. And it has just won her a million-dollar prize.

The National Science and Engineer ing Research Council (NSERC) awarded Fahrig the $1-million research prize in October to recognize her lifetime of research into habitat fragmentation. The funds from the Gerhart Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science and Engineering – Canada’s top science award – will be used over five years to support her and a team of post-doctoral researchers who work in areas con nected to Fahrig’s.

Now the Chancellor’s Professor of Biology at Carleton University, Fahrig says she has “always been interested in nature, even as a kid.” Growing up in Manotick, she had a Grade 7 sci ence teacher who taught her about the greenhouse effect and the ozone layer which sharpened her interest in how humans affect their environment. At Merivale High School in Ottawa in the 1970s, science teachers introduced her to the issue of overpopulation and the relationship between human land use and the health of the planet.

She studied biology at Queen’s Uni versity and became fascinated by the complexity of ecology. In third year, she learned that computer simulation modelling was starting to be applied to biological studies to predict effects of different factors on animal and plant populations. She did her undergradu ate thesis on the interactions between species “in space” which set her on a path to studying landscape ecol ogy in her MSc at Carleton University, then doing a PhD at the University of Toronto on how species move in their environment and how changes in habi tat affect animal, insect and plant spe cies survival.

In 1991, she was hired as a biology professor at Carleton and moved to the Glebe. As a young professor, she spent her first research grant to purchase a computer to analyze the potential effect of habitat fragmentation and habitat loss on survival of wildlife. Habitat loss, she explains, is the destruction of nat ural habitats; habitat fragmentation is the number of pieces of natural habitat, large and small, that remain.

It was commonly thought at the time that having only small patches

of natural habitat was not enough for wildlife and birds and that larger areas were needed to protect species. How ever, the computer simulations didn’t find that fragmentation made a differ ence, if there was enough habitat in total. She and her students followed up with field work, much of it around Ottawa, and found the models were accurate – although loss of habitat resulted in fewer species, fragmenta tion of habitat did not.

In another study, one of Fahrig’s stu dents found that bird diversity was just as high in the accumulated patches of backyards as in larger parks. Another student looked at the social side of habitat – how people feel about their neighbourhoods in different parts of Ottawa. The student surveyed 1,000 people and analyzed the relation ship between positive feelings about their neighbourhoods and bird divers ity. The student found people were more positive about neighbourhood –including the Glebe – where there was higher bird diversity.

Fahrig has also studied the impact of roads on wildlife and the need to pro tect smaller species like frogs, snakes and turtles from being killed on them. Her road studies have been used many times by government policy makers and by NGOs.

Fahrig’s decades of research have confirmed that it is important to save small fragments of natural habitat, not just bigger natural areas. “The big impact on wildlife is the loss of habi tat,” she says. “It is really the amount of habitat you have, not so much the fragmentation.” Because so much land in southern Canada is already taken up by farming or housing, saving as many small pieces of habitat as possible is important. And wetlands are particu larly crucial.

Fahrig is concerned that Bill 23, a new piece of legislation in Ontario called More Homes Built Faster, will take away the power of conservation authorities to protect wetlands. “We have already lost 75 per cent of wetlands area in southern Ontario,” she says.

At 63, she is not ready to retire and is looking forward to the next five years of research. Fahrig says it is “really great to have this (award), especially at this stage”. She has already hired one post doctoral researcher and has several more she thinks might fit in her team.

Cole is a writer and editor who lives in the Glebe.

Leslie

Lenore Fahrig, Glebe resident, has won the Gerhart Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science and Engineering, Canada’s top science award, which comes with $1 million in research funding, in recognition of her lifetime of research into habitat fragmentation.

PHOTO: LUIS TEJIDO

Glebe residents prepare for what mother nature may throw at us

By Emma Weller

Ottawa had better do more to batten down the hatches because extreme weather events are hitting more fre quently and there’s worse to come – that was the central message when when 75 Glebe and Centretown residents gath ered virtually on November 17 for a Cli mate Resiliency Webinar to learn how they can help keep their communities afloat amid the global climate crisis.

“We are at the point now where cli mate impacts in Ottawa are unavoid able and becoming worse,” said Joan Freeman, lead on climate change at the Glebe Community Association which co-hosted the event with its Centretown counterpart.

“Climate impacts will trigger massive shocks not just to the environment but also to our economy, people’s health, buildings and infrastructure, vulner able people and our institutions.”

In the last two years, Canada has reached new flooding and heat rec ords according to government statis tics, and only 15 per cent of buildings across the country are prepared for the consequences.

The panel discussion with med ical experts, architects and professors aimed to help educate residents on how to become climate resilient before climate disasters strike. It touched on the need to reduce heat impacts and increase tree canopies and laid out ways people can alter infrastructures as well as their habits to become more sustain able and durable when disasters hit.

Freeman stressed the need for the City of Ottawa to play a larger role in efforts to make communities more resilient. She said it will just cost more

The Glebe Community Association Environment Committee’s campaign to plant more trees in the Glebe aims to increase the tree canopy, in an effort to curb increasing temperatures.

in the future once the trail of climate disasters seen across the country reaches this city.

According to a Public Safety Canada report, Canada experienced approximately $31 billion in climate-re lated damage between 1980 and 2020. Without government intervention, those numbers will increase. A greater number of lives will also be at risk due to heat and natural disasters.

Isla Paterson has lived in the Glebe for 23 years. She strives to be conscious of her living habits to help reduce cli mate impacts, so this webinar on how to climate-proof your home and com munity was an event she couldn’t miss.

“I think residents are losing hope. Absolutely losing hope,” said Paterson.

“To me, I appreciate that this was done by my community. These are people who walk the streets and pay attention to the issues faced by people who feel powerless and try to empower themselves with things they can do.”

Paterson says little things make a difference She suggests planting more trees, lobbying for more parks, finding ways to cool your roof, using rain bar rels, riding your bike and advocating for sustainable funding.

“I am fortunate as my street has many trees but there are some places you go in the city that are like heat islands because they have no trees and there is no parkland,” said Paterson.

Andy Kenney, a Senior Lecturer Emeritus with the Faculty of Forestry at the University of Toronto, was one of the featured panelists.

“To ensure that the supply of benefits that the urban forests can provide us continues for generations to come, it’s important that our urban forests are extensive, healthy and resilient,” said Kenney in an interview.

During the event, Kenney touched on the importance of stewardship of trees, as their structures and health are determinants of how they contribute to human life and the overall environ ment. Lack of shade challenges the pre vention of heat-related illnesses.

The increase in heat, outlined by a panelist from Public Health Ottawa, is significantly impacting the most vul nerable community members such as homeless citizens, pregnant women, infants, young children and older adults.

The City of Ottawa released a Climate Change Vulnerability and Risk Assess ment this year that concluded that due to the severity of heat-related issues in the city, immediate action is required. The next phase of the project, begin ning this year, is to develop adapta tion strategies as part of a Climate Resiliency Strategy, which will iden tify opportunities to embed climate resiliency considerations into key City plans, budgets and risk assessment processes and to identify gaps and resource needs.

It is also up to residents themselves to establish forms of resilience. Emma Weller is a Carleton journalism student and president of Global Minds, a Carleton non-profit focusing on social justice.

Map of Ottawa’s summer temperatures showing the urban heat island effect

SOURCE: CITY OF OTTAWA

Biodiversity and well-being –everything is connected

By Cecile Wilson

In November, the 27th Conference of the Parties on climate change (COP 27) finally reached an agreement to estab lish a fund to pay “loss and damage” expenses to poorer countries suffering the extreme effects of climate change. While it remains to be seen whether richer countries will live up to this agreement and pay their share, it is a noteworthy recognition that we live in an interconnected planetary ecosystem.

This month, representatives from 196 countries are meeting in Montreal for the 15th “nature COP,” the UN Bio diversity Conference, from December 7 to 19. They are discussing a new itera tion of a framework previously estab lished by the Convention on Biological Diversity. This convention aims to “transform society’s relationship with biodiversity,” so that by 2050 we are living “in harmony with nature.” The framework proposes specific plans to slow the extinction of plants, animals and ecosystems on land and in water and to keep the average global warm ing below 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Recent extreme weather in Canada and around the world have driven home the danger that a destabilized climate poses risk to human life. But did you know that global warming also contributes to the extinction risk for one million species of plants and animals? Other threats to biodivers ity include habitat loss through the encroachment of human activities, pol lution, the overexploitation of nature and invasive alien species. The rate of extinction is tens of hundreds of times higher than it has averaged over the past 10 million years, leading UN Sec retary-General António Guterres to call the biodiversity crisis a “suicidal war against nature.”

The damage to nature does not leave humans unscathed. Biodiverse eco systems filter air and water, provide a source of medicines and shelter and contribute to food security. The World Economic Forum rated biodiversity loss as “one of the biggest dangers we face” in its 2022 Global Risks Report, and it estimates that more than half of the world’s gross domestic product is at risk from degradation of ecosystems. Encroachment on wild/natural eco systems also increases the risk of animal diseases being transferred

to humans, leading to higher risk of pandemics. And we all know what economic and other pressures that pandemics can exert.

On the other hand, we benefit enor mously from the physical, psych ological, and economic benefits of healthy and diverse ecosystems. For example, a 2014 study noted in The Canadian Geographer identified urban forests, woodlands and wetlands as significant contributors to Montreal’s economy. The study calculated that the advantage of access to recrea tional spaces and improved air quality, among other benefits, was equivalent to $2.2 billion annually.

One of the primary targets for “nature” COP 15 is to conserve at least 30 per cent of land and water globally by 2030 and to manage those ecosystems “effect ively and equitably” so that extinc tion decreases or even stops. Currently, Canada has protected 13.5 per cent of the land and 14 per cent of marine terri tory. The federal government is poised to adopt the “30 by 30” target and has allocated $2.3 billion for the protection of land across the country.

Meanwhile, Ontario prepares to remove land out of the Greenbelt, osten sibly for affordable housing, although no details have been made public. According to the Greenbelt Foundation, the protected area impacts the quality of drinking water for more than seven million Canadians, offsets 71 million tonnes of carbon a year and supports more than 350 species of birds.

The Convention on Biological Divers ity framework promises to recognize the role of Indigenous peoples in pro tecting biodiversity. While Indigenous people only make up five per cent of the world’s population, they manage ter ritories that contain 80 per cent of its biodiversity. If we are to successfully transform our world into one that lives “in harmony with nature,” transferring crown lands back to Indigenous people could be a good first step.

In the meantime, you can help bio diversity on a local scale next spring by removing invasive alien plants from your property and planting native plants instead. You can also get involved with local environmental groups. Nature will thank you!

Cecile Wilson has lived in the Glebe for 21 years and is learning to identify native plants.

The Convention on Biological Diversity is being discussed in Montreal this month, aiming to slow the rampant extinction of plants, animals and ecosystems such as wetlands.

PHOTO: CECILE WILSON

Seafood charcuterie

kettle of fish entirely

By Tim O’Connor

In last month’s column, we made a charcuterie platter, with meats and cheeses and recipes for delicious sides. This month, we take the platter in another direction, one that will fit nicely on your holiday table. You can make it a seasonal “Feast of the Seven Fishes” or any number of fresh sea foods and sides for your family to enjoy.

People shy away from making sea food charcuterie because they think it’s too expensive or too difficult – it’s nei ther. And my recipes will help to make you the star atop any culinary tree.

We start with pickled shrimp, which have a real tang when dipped in a clas sic cocktail sauce. Next up is trout ril lette, which needs just a bit of poaching and a bit of chilling to spread happily on a cracker or bit of bread.

There’s an ocean full of options to add to your tray, such as smoked salmon or smoked octopus – grab some at Whalesbone warehouse on Kent Street, just steps from the Glebe. You can easily chop fresh-cooked lobster or crab and toss with salt, lemon and dill. You can add sardines or escargot or shuck a few oysters. I also love cold, cooked mussels.

You can also make my seafood saus age, which takes a little finesse, a little patience and a night in the fridge to be like a seafood salami. Eat it as is or with a quick sear in a pan.

All of this pairs splendidly with the sides from last month’s column, including the apple chutney, the lemon curd and even the blueberry compote. Pickled onions are also a great choice.

Don’t be shy about seafood charcuterie, at this or any time of year.

Tim O’Connor grew up in the Glebe and is head chef at Flora Hall Brewing.

K1S

Seafood sausage

1 lb mixed seafood raw

1 large egg white

2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp white pepper

11/2 cups 35% cream

1 cup chopped, pre-poached mixed seafood (preferably same assortment as raw). Poach in liquid at 75 to 78 C, just below simmering. 1 tbsp dill

In a food processor, puree raw sea food and egg white. Slowly pour in cream and add salt.

Gently fold in pre-poached chopped seafood and dill.

Using plastic wrap, roll mixture into cylinders, tying off each end.

Poach in water until it reaches 55 C, around 20 minutes. Refrigerate overnight.

Trout Rillet

Fill a sauce pan with enough oil to cover trout. (I use a 50/50 canola-ol ive oil mix.) Bring it to poaching temperature.

Place trout in gently and cook until done, roughly 5 to 10 minutes.

Remove and allow both oil and trout to cool.

Remove skin and shred trout.

In a bowl pour a bit of the oil and mix (my rule is 1 tbsp oil per ounce of meat). The mixture should look creamy and spreadable. If not add more oil and mix again. Mix well.

Pickled Shrimp

1-2 lbs poached shrimp

1 shallot, chopped

1 lemon, cut into thin slices

1 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tbsp honey

1/2 cup roughly chopped capers

Chef Tim O’Connor with a bowl of raw seafood

into sausage.

PHOTO: FLORA HALL BREWING

Holidays, Italian style: Panettone with crema al mascarpone

By Marisa Romano

Christmas in Italy is synonymous with panettone, the tall, dome-shaped sweet bread flavoured by a long, slow leavening and enriched by raisins and candied citrus peels. It appears in Ital ian artisanal bakeries and grocery stores just before the holiday season and takes centre stage on festive tables along with a glass of sweet sparkling wine. The last loaves of the season welcome the New Year before disap pearing from store fronts and super market islands.

The origins of this dessert are ancient. Legend has it that it was created by a cook’s helper named Toni to replace a messed-up cake prepared for a sumptu ous Christmas dinner at the court of the then duke of Milan, Ludovico il Moro, back in the 15th century. Toni’s bread (pan de toni) had a great success with the duke’s guests and panettone was born.

Initially common only in the North ern Italian region around Milan, the bread-like cake became popular all over Italy only after the First World War when the baker Angelo Motta refined the recipe, gave the loaf the typical tall dome shape and started its industrial production. According to a 2022 survey by the food blog foodtop.it, panettone Motta is still one of the best commercial brands on the market.

Since 2005, panettone is protected in Italy by a law that lists, defines and quantifies its basic ingredients (flour, butter, raisins, fresh eggs and candied peels) and specifies its preparation method. Only products made in Italy according to these directives can be sold as “panettone.”

Nowadays the Italian market also offers delicious variations on the clas sic recipe. These include the addition of ingredients like chocolate, custards, glazes, nuts and dry fruits. All very tempting, but my favourite is still the classic fluffy and buttery slice studded with plenty of fragrant sultana raisins and citrusy peels – best if from the oven of an artisanal bakery – served with a dollop of velvety crema al mascarpone (mascarpone mousse).

An old tradition in Milan is to honour St. Blaise by eating the last slice of panettone on February 3, his feast day according to the Catholic calendar. Yes, the stale piece kept from the holidays for that occasion. The saint, guardian of throat and nose, would then protect you from illness. I never followed that trad ition, but with respiratory infections lurking this season, maybe it would be a good ritual to follow for 2023.

Marisa Romano is a foodie with Italian roots and a flair for sharing her love of food.

Crema al mascarpone (mascarpone mousse)

Mascarpone is a fresh cheese made with cow-milk cream – soft, mild, slightly sweet with a buttery hint. It is one of the most frequently used bases in Italian pastries, a little bit like cream cheese in North America. It is an essential ingredient in tiramisu, the best-known Italian cake, but it is also used in tarts and cream cakes. Beyond the pastry shop we find it in creamy pastas and savoury quiches.

Original recipe

This is the original recipe, the one used also to make the traditional tira misu. It uses raw eggs so if you go for it, make sure to use only very fresh ones and take all precautions to avoid contamination from the outer shell. Marsala is a fortified wine produced in the region around the town of Mar sala in Sicily. The sweet type gives this creamy preparation its distinct flavour.

Ingredients: 500 gr. Mascarpone cheese

1/3 cup white sugar

4 eggs

3 Tbsp sweet Marsala wine

Directions:

Separate egg whites and yolks and set aside.

Beat the yolks with sugar until light and frothy. Add mascarpone and mix with a whisk until smooth. Mix in the wine.

Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form and gently add to the mas carpone mixture to obtain a fluffy vel vety mousse. Enjoy!

Crema al mascarpone without eggs

This very simple mousse can be fla voured with different combinations of liquors and aromas. Lip-smacking alternatives to the traditional sweet Marsala wine are Grand Marnier and orange zest, Amaretto and almond flavour or spicy rum and vanilla. The addition of vanilla and a table spoon of cacao powder can replace the liquor and yield a delightful alco hol-free chocolate mousse.

Ingredients:

500 gr mascarpone cheese

2/3 cup icing sugar

250 ml whipping cream

2-4 Tbsp liquor

Orange zest or vanilla

Directions:

Whisk mascarpone with liquor and zest or vanilla until soft and smooth.

Whip the cream to stiff peaks adding the sugar slowly, starting halfway through.

Gently mix whipped cream and mascarpone to obtain a smooth mousse. Easy and delish!

Time to put your feet up

Wishing you and your loved ones a relaxing holiday season!

From all of us on the Diane & Jen team.

Panettone with crema al mascarpone is a classic Italian delight at this time of year.

PHOTO: MARISA ROMANO

Review by Neville Nankivell

Born in Cairo in 1934 with Belgian citizenship, longtime Glebe resident Louis Cabri lived in several coun tries before he and his South African wife Mimi settled down in Canada in 1959 and became Canadian cit izens. Their journey is recounted by the retired min eralogist, along with many photos, in his recently self-published memoir: Cairo to Canada and every thing in between.

It’s the story of his Second World War boyhood in Egypt and living afterwards in Brazil, the U.S., South Africa, Ghana and Sierra Leone before he and Mimi, just married, came to Montreal for his graduate stud ies at McGill and later moved to Ottawa where they have lived since 1964, except for one year in Belgium.

Before Canada, Cabri says, he had a feeling of not quite belonging, of always trying to fit in. But he fit in here, getting his PhD, going on to an award-winning career in mineralogy with the federal government’s Canmet group. He even had a mineral named after him –cabriite. Meanwhile, Mimi developed her art istic talents, becoming a noted ceramicist with kilns and a studio at her home.

The Cabri family’s history of multi-emigration goes back to Cabri’s paternal ancestors, Calvinist Hugue nots who left France at the end of the 17th century for the Netherlands because of religious persecution. His great-grandfather went to Belgium in the early 19th century; his father moved to Cairo in the 1920s when it was a great trading city. Cabri’s maternal ancestors also escaped religious discrimination, fleeing as Cath olics from then Constantinople to Damascus and later to Egypt where his mother was born.

As a fourth generation De Meillon, Mimi’s story is also intriguing. Her family’s English-born patriarch was a significant Cape Town artist in the early 19th century and his descendants made their mark in arts, science and medicine.

Louis Cabri’s memoir recalls how after Mussolini declared war on the Allies, there was a lot of Ital ian and Egyptian hostility in Cairo towards anyone

pro-British, like the Cabri family, with ugly taunts about what would happen if the Axis powers won. As for the few air raids on Cairo by German bombers, he remembers them as “exciting events for a 6-to-7-yearold” when he could sometimes watched anti-aircraft gun tracers and criss-crossing searchlights. But “sup pressed family anxiety” is how he describes those times amid the rumble of far-off artillery and a poten tially explosive political situation in the city.

After French-speaking kindergarten run by nuns, Cabri went to an English school, joined the British Boy Scouts, played with toy lead-soldiers and vintage Dinky toys (new ones were hard to get), “devoured” boys’ magazines such as Hotspur and Champion and was “mesmerized” by John Buchan’s gripping spy

story The Thirty-Nine Steps. At school, the puny, asth matic Cabri was nicknamed the “Battling Mosquito” after winning a boxing award. It should have been an award for “the pluckiest boxer,” he says. His boxing days ended with a bloody nose inflicted by the fists of a stronger boy.

In his classrooms then, children used pens with detachable nibs dipped in ink wells. There was much excitement when his father brought home the newly invented ballpoint pen. Cabri and his friends immedi ately tested it for writing under water on soggy paper in a toilet basin.

In 1946, his family moved to Rio de Janeiro and shortly after to New York. The U.S. was a country full of optimism, he writes, “being rebuilt on the energy and muscle of returning veterans.” It’s also when he began to take more interest in girls.

In 1950, the family left by ship for South Africa. Cabri went to private school with tie and blazer, driving a Hillman with a loose clutch and defective hand brake. He studied geology at Johannesburg’s University of the Witwatersrand and met Mimi who was at the Johannes burg School of Art. But despite the privileges his family enjoyed, tensions between the Afrikaans and English “never made me feel really welcome.”

After geological field work in the Gold Coast (now Ghana), Sierra Leone and the Northern Cape in South Africa, he and Mimi embarked from Cape Town for a 21-day voyage to Montreal on a cargo ship that car ried a dozen passengers. At McGill, he found that 25 per cent of the post-graduate geology students were from South Africa.

Living a small apartment, with Mimi working as a commercial artist, they started a family. “We were happy and comfortable in our new country,” Louis reflects.

Copies of Louis Cabri’s 241-page memoir, Cairo to Canada and Everything in Between, can be ordered through the author at lcabri@outlook.com.

Neville Nankivell is a long-time Glebe resident and former newspaper editor and columnist.

THIS IS THEIR TIME

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Cape Province. Louis left Africa by ship for Montréal with his bride for graduate studies at McGill University and where their first two children were born. Summers were spent doing geological exploration and mapping in northern Québec and Ontario. Louis J. Cabri is a recently retired geologist specialising in mineralogy and the platinum elements. He has published widely in professional journals and has written several books on these subjects, as well as coauthored a book on his wife’s paternal ancestors in 2020.

By Susan Townley

Now is the time when the sun is lower in the sky and we anticipate the end of this year and the beginning of the next. Sometimes we are in such a hurry this time of year that we miss many simple but special moments. Reading a thoughtful book can be a way to slow down the world for a few minutes.

While contemplating beginnings and endings, I came across some seasonal books, new books, a few not-so-new books and some favourite books. One of my absolute favourite celebrations is the winter solstice. At my house, our winter solstice open house was the last big celebration with family and friends before the pandemic. The memories of candles lit, stories told and food and drink shared have kept my heart warmed with hope and anticipation of when that event may happen again.

In 2019, Newbery Medal winner Susan Cooper published The Short est Day, illustrated by Caldecott Honor winner Carson Ellis. This book has become one of my favourite seasonal reads for adults and children alike. The fanciful, energetic illustrations evoke the joy and community found in the

universal celebration of the light fes tivals that occur at this time of the year when the dark nights are longest. Coop er’s poem captures the magic of the returning light, the ongoing mystery of life and the celebration of rebirth. This book evokes the sense of wonder that people have felt for nature, the earth and the seasons throughout time and has a universal message of hope and anticipation that holds true at this time of darkness.

Available soon at the library is a brand-new picture book by Megan Litwin, Twinkle, Twinkle, Winter Night. It is a winter rendition of the nursery rhyme Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star that explores the many sources of light that illuminate the darkness at this time of year. Whether it is the moon in a cool sky, the flickering candles in a neighbour's window or the dazzling lights strung up about town, winter is a time of glow ing warmth and cozy closeness. Nneka Myers’ illustrations capture Kwanzaa candles, a menorah, a Diwali lamp and Christmas lights illuminating the cele bration of winter holidays. There is no mention of specific holidays. This story is more a celebration of the many lights of winter.

This time of year is filled with holidays and celebrations and there is a beauti ful new book on that exact subject by Caron Brown and Ipek Konak. Holi days & Celebrations is a wonderful introduction to the world's celebrations. Filled with easy-to-understand facts, it is accompanied by a fun shine-through mechanism. Like other entries in the Shine-a-Light series, most of the illus trations are backed with white areas and printed on a solid black background so that holding the coloured pages up to a light reveals hidden details.

Seasonal excitement can sometimes be just too much for children. Things That Go Away by Beatrice Alemagna reminds children that life is about change and transition and that excit ing moments inevitably lead to quieter moments. This artfully designed book is about change, beginning and end ings, the circle of life. Time slows when reading this book, reminding us to take time to pause and stay in the moment more.

As I draw to the end of this arti cle, I think of a quote from Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne: “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” After more

than 35 years of working at Sunnyside Branch, my time here has come to an end. I started at Sunnyside soon after its renovation in the mid-1980s. I loved the neighbourhood so much that I quickly decided to make it my home, moving first to the Glebe and then Old Ottawa South. I have enjoyed the luxury of walking to work every day. It has been a joy to work in the Chil dren’s department for so many years and to see multiple generations come to programs. Organizing so many pro grams, celebrations and events have made my days at the library seem like always being at a party. Despite being sad to say goodbye, I feel as if I am not really leaving, since I will see you all in the streets, parks and stores of our wonderful neighbourhood. Thank you so much for making it so hard to say goodbye.

Susan Townley has loved to sing, dance and have fun in the Children’s Department of the Sunnyside Branch of the Ottawa Public Library for 35 years. Her time at the library is drawing to a close, but she will still be seen out and about in the neighbourhood.

The Christmas Þroposal

By Isabella Mindak

On Christmas day last year, I was smil ing. I didn’t expect to be smiling.

My Christmas season, up until that day, was nothing like a Hallmark greeting card.

A couple of weeks before Christ mas, the man I loved very much and I parted ways. I missed him a lot but that was the way it went.

Also, as a cash-strapped student, I was feeling sorry for myself because I kept seeing perfect gifts for my family and friends, but I couldn’t afford to buy them.

To make things even less like a celebrity-family Christmas special, on Christmas Eve my family had a huge falling-out, complete with yelling, cardoor slamming and the ever-so-tense silent treatment that was going to last for days and maybe even months.

It wasn’t looking good last Christ mas. Nope, not at all. In fact, it was looking pretty grim.

But everything changed on Christ mas Day. That was the day that three guys proposed to me. Yes, three. And contrary to the Christmas ads on

television, they didn’t offer me a Lazar dia mond, they didn’t stare at me long ingly beside a mam moth-sized Christmas tree bursting with pre sents and they didn’t buy me a car, a house or even a box of chocolates to coax me into deciding.

They were just three guys, with a couple of teeth between them, chapped hands, ripped coats, weath ered faces and black fingernails.

It all happened while I was working at the Ottawa Mission serving Christ mas turkey to the homeless. As I was placing plates of turkey and all the trimmings in front of the many people seated at their tables, suddenly one guy yelled out, “Are you taken? Cauth I’d really like to marry you,” and another two guys joined in on the bid.

Maybe they were drunk, maybe I was the first non-street woman who had looked them in the eyes for a while or maybe they could sense what I needed, and they gave it to me. I’ll never know. But whatever it was, it made me smile. It made me feel

wanted, and it made me forget all my silly expecta tions for that one day.

Christmas is a strange time.

Everywhere we go, sentimental Christmas songs keep insisting that we must have a huge happy family, a million friends and a perfectly-perfect romance for those 24 hours.

All the stores are smelling like cin namon and glittering with trinkets while greedy cash registers laugh out loud with a ringing sound each time someone flashes their credit card.

Movie screens, shopping malls and advertisements demand that it’s a magical day where every wish is granted and every dream comes true!

But for a lot of us in our real lives, Christmas is just another day. The sun comes up and the sun goes down and then it’s over. It can be more than that,

but not “only” because of how much we spend, how big and happy our family is or if we’re in love.

I think it can be more than that if we see what we have and if we can make someone else feel noticed and wanted.

I didn’t marry those three home less guys, but I’ll know where to find them if I’m feeling disappointed this Christmas.

There’ll be dozens of them wait ing at the Mission and sitting at a plain round table with paper napkins with no other present to give me but a smile.

I’m starting to think that that’s all the comfort and joy I really need to get through this Christmas.

Isabella Mindak is a writer and journalist.

Postpartum core muscles

By Emilie Paradis

During pregnancy, a woman goes through many physiological changes. Pregnancy can leave a woman feeling scared, insecure and overwhelmed by her body’s transformation. But let’s be optimistic – the human body is a won derful machine that can adapt phys ically and mentally to any situation, including gestation and postpartum.

During pregnancy, muscles of the abdomen expand while muscles of the back shorten. The linea alba, the fibrous structure down the midline of the abdomen, can thin and separate, causing the belly to bulge, a condition known as diastasis recti. The pelvic floor also weakens from the weight of the baby and from pushing while giving birth. Pre-existing imbalance of the hips is often intensified during gestation because of the weight and volume of the abdomen.

A mother’s most important role is to care for her newborn, but it is also paramount that she takes care of her self. Rehabilitating the whole core –abdominals, obliques, diaphragm, pelvic floor, back extensors and hip muscles, is essential for the mother. Doing gentle exercises will help her to reconnect with her body after these big physiological changes, improve her posture and strengthen her core. Neg lecting the core in postpartum can lead to complications such as diastasis recti, umbilical hernia, pain in the back, hips and pelvis, pain during intercourse, constipation, poor posture and bladder

leakage when jumping, crouching or sneezing.

Returning to a regular exercise rou tine is often not recommended before six weeks for vaginal delivery and for eight to 10 weeks for cesarian birth. However, pelvic floor specialists recom mend practising gentle core exercises to help reconnect the muscles together. Always check with your doctor before starting any exercise routine. Here are some recommendations:

1. Breathing technique: slow and controlled inhale by nose, rib cage,

stomach and back gently expand. Imagine exhale by your mouth through a straw, slow and controlled, gently contracting the ribs together, lift ing the pelvic floor and bringing your belly button to your spine. Can be prac tised lying down, sitting, on knees or standing.

2. Bridge: on your back, knees bent, and heels align with knees. Exhale, push the feet into the floor and lift your hips up. Never bring the hips so high that you feel tension or curvature of your lower back. While inhaling, slowly bring the hips back to the floor.

3. Knee squeeze: on your side, place a pillow or yoga ball between knees bent to 90 degrees. Exhale (using the breathing technique) and slowly squeeze the ball with your knees. Inhale while releas ing the pressure of the yoga ball.

These exercises can be done as early as the first week after delivery. Everyone is different, so listening to your body is key. Start slowly and pro gressively – increasing intensity, time and tension of the exercise sessions is

key to healing and improving health. Exercise should make you feel better and more energized, not tired.

Make sure to:

• avoid doing typical crunches, which won’t help and will prob ably worsen the situation,

• when getting out of bed, turn on your side first and use you arms to push yourself up,

• avoid lifting any objects heavier than your baby.

And please, do not rely on a corset for support. It has many sophisticated (and misleading) names like waist trainer, waist belt, waist trimmer, waist support. On the contrary, it weakens your core muscles and pelvic floor, restricts oxygen, cause gastrointestinal discomfort and can damage nerves and internal organs. Instead, use a band that you can wrap around the hips, it is much more beneficial than a corset.

There are many group fitness classes in the neighbourhood that will provide you with a lot of information and offer proper coaching on how to rehabili tate your core. Most classes will let you bring baby. It’s a great opportunity to meet other mothers who are going through the same thing, and it will help you feel supported and make new connections.

Emilie Paradis is a holistic nutritionist, personal trainer and mobility coach and is co-owner of InStep.

Story of fragile love triangle

My Policeman (UK, US, 2022)

Directed by Michael Grandage

Review by Iva Apostolova

Although My Policeman swiped this year’s ensem ble TIFF Tribute Actor Award, I was reluctant to devote two hours of my time to it, mainly because of Harry Styles’ casting. There is no denying that Harry Styles is a mega pop-star but when it comes to his acting chops, I have found them somewhat wanting. The plot summary, however, convinced me to bite the bullet and give it a shot. I was not disappointed. My Policeman, I soon discovered, had everything I love about British cinematography. The mono chrome esthetic, perfectly in sync with the gray and rainy Brighton where the story takes place, gives the movie its delightful melancholic overtone à la Atonement. It is a slow-burning and achingly tender love story whose ending is the only thing that makes it stop short of being tragic, in the Classical Greek theatre sense. It reminded me of the two-part 2017 BBC movie Man in an Orange Shirt, starring Oliver Jackson-Cohen and Vanessa Redgrave. Both movies tell the story of two men who, despite themselves, fall in love, at a time when homosexuality is a pun ishable crime in the UK with guaranteed jail time, or worse, for the offenders. What I found really com pelling about My Policeman, however, is that it tells a deeply human and not just a political story. Young, handsome, Brighton policeman Tom (Harry Styles), despite being in denial, falls madly in love with the art museum curator Patrick (David Dawson) who, unlike Tom, knows who he is and whom he loves. But Tom’s emotional dependence yearns for what society at the time deems a normal

life. That’s where young Marion (Emma Corrin), an elementary school teacher, comes onto the stage. But the story doesn’t end with the impossibly fra gile love triangle that ensues. Director Michael Grandage (his debut film was the 2016 Genius star ring Jude Law and Colin Firth) masterfully trans ports the story from 1958 to today, with a series of flashbacks, when aged Tom, Patrick and Marion come together once more to bring the unfinished story to its logical end.

I found that it is precisely this fast forwarding that brings the perfect balance between the two key ingredients of any romantic love story: the erotic (the viewer will be treated to beautifully choreo graphed nude love scenes between the young Tom and Patrick) and the caring (every gesture that passes between the aged Tom, Patrick and Marion is deliberate and pregnant with meaning). What is more, Grandage has managed to skillfully shift the dramatic weight from the young and emotion ally naïve Tom, played by the young and dramatic ally inexperienced Harry Styles, to the very talented Linus Roache who plays the aged Tom. Roache’s gravitas as a trained stage actor does the heavy lift ing and brings the story to its cathartic resolution when his character is finally forced to confront the past. This subdued yet deeply emotionally charged human tale about love and loss is set against the ideal backdrop – the rugged beauty of Brighton’s coastline where waves thrash against the rocks.

Running time: 1h 53m Rating: 16+ (UK) / R (US) Available on Amazon Prime

Iva Apostolova is a professor of philosophy at Dominican University College and a film aficionado.

Directed by Steven Soderbergh

Review by Barbara Popel

The Logan family is infamous through out Boone County, West Virginia for their bad luck – the “Logan Family Curse.” For example, Aunt Maggie won a lottery in 1983 and then lost her ticket. The Logans are decent folks but can’t seem to get a lucky break.

Jimmy Logan (Channing Tatum) had his moment of glory as a high-school football star. After working as a coal miner, he has a job on an underground construction crew. Bad luck strikes –the construction company lays him off due to an insurance liability issue because Jimmy hadn’t declared his bum knee when he signed up for the job. And he really needs those pay cheques – he wants to hire a lawyer because his former wife (Katie Holmes) has remarried and is taking their ador able little daughter Sadie to Tennessee.

Jimmy’s younger brother Clyde (Adam Driver) had two army tours of duty in Iraq. On his way to the airport at the end of his second tour, a road side mine on the road exploded. He lost his left hand and part of his arm. Now he has a prosthetic arm and works as a bartender in the Duck Tape road house.

Their sister Mellie (Riley Keough) has a dull job as a hairdresser. Her only pleasure in life is driving fast cars. She gets stopped a lot for speeding.

But Jimmy has a plan and a 10-point

set of rules to rob a bank! (Probably something he found on Google.) He convinces Clyde and Mellie to help him steal money from the Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina.

Jimmy knows a lot about the racetrack because that’s where his construction job was. All the cash from the conces sions is stored on site in an underground bank vault and Jimmy knows how they move the cash from the concessions –an underground pneumatic tube sends the money to the vault.

So they need a bank-vault demo lition expert. The best one (the only one?) they know is behind bars. His name is Joe Bang (“introducing Daniel Craig” doing a hilarious Southern-fried accent). Joe is dubious at first – “You

What follows is one of the most laughout-loud heist capers you’ll ever see,

complete with lots of complications (Jimmy’s rules #7 and #9 for robbing a bank are “s--t happens” and “remem ber, s--t happens”) that force them to commit the robbery on the Speedway’s busiest day – the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 race. And there’s an implac able FBI agent (Hillary Swank) sniff ing around.

I won’t spoil the fun for you by describing the antics during the rest of the film, except to tell you to watch for Mellie and her bottles of nail polish. And to say that you will never again view Daniel Craig in quite the same way – his unhinged performance has

Thirteen! But unlike those films, Logan Lucky has you cheering for these unpol ished Red State folks who are just striv ing to get lucky.

Running time:119 minutes Rated: PG13

Available: Apple TV, Cineplex, Crave Starz, Google Play, Microsoft, Starz, Super Channel, YouTube Movies

Barb Popel has been an avid filmgoer since the early 1970s. In her twicemonthly column Magic in the Dark in Apt613.ca, Barb recommends upcoming films at the ByTowne and the Mayfair.

Logan Lucky (US, 2017)

Atlantic Voices choir to host fundraiser Christmas Ceilidh

Members of Atlantic Voices, the New foundland and Labrador choir of Ottawa, are tuning up for a Christmas concert with a purpose! It will host an evening of seasonal music with an East Coast flavour and a humanitarian goal. All proceeds after concert expenses will be donated to the Canadian Red Cross Hurricane Fiona in Canada Appeal.

The ceilidh begins at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, December 13, at Riverside United Church, 3191 Riverside Drive. Atlantic Voices has also invited local musical guests, including the Ottawa Celtic Choir, to perform their favour ite yuletide selections. For tickets and

other information, visit www.atlanticvoices.ca.

“We’ve chosen to donate to the Red Cross to help support our Atlantic Canadian friends and family who were hit so hard by Hurricane Fiona earlier this fall,” says Scott Richard son, Atlantic Voices musical director. “The price of admission

is whatever you can give but we ask you to RSVP using Event brite tickets.atlanticvoices.ca

The ceilidh will be the choir’s second public performance since early 2020 and is part of the choir’s exciting 20th anni versary season.

Bytown Voices concert – Christmas music without all the sugar

Are you feeling so-so about the ho-ho? If you hear one more “Silent Night,” you don’t know what you’ll do, but you still love choral music and after all, this is the season? The Bytown Voices has the answer. Our “Reflections” choral music will fill that seasonal need without all the sugar. Our only performance will be on Sunday, December 11 at 3 p.m. at St Basil’s Church on Maitland Avenue.

This year, we incorporated kids into our regular choir – a stroke of genius, we know. We will sing a wonderful col lection of songs reflecting childhood: “The Marvelous Toy,” “I Have a Little Shadow,” “Dominic Has a Doll” based on a poem by ee cummings and “The Swing,” everyone’s favourite at the playground. Then “Golden Slumbers” by the Beatles, “The Dream Keeper”

and “A Lullaby” written by our own Lyndsay Bolden Gowing, topped off with “Cat’s in the Cradle.”

Tickets are $20 (children under 12 free) and available at bytownvoices. com or at the door. The choir will be masked, and we encourage our guests to be masked as well.

The Bytown Voices is a non-audition

community choir (no audition required to join) with more than 60 enthusias tic singers from across the national capital region. The choir includes chil dren 9 years and older in our soprano section. Joan Fearnley has been dir ector of music since 2015. The Bytown Voices has been performing continu ously since 1999.

Noon Hour Concerts

Winter 2023 Program

Jan 11 – Shostakovich Chamb

Seminal chamber works by Dimitri Shostakovich to kick off the new year: Op. 57, Op. 34 and Op. 40, featuring Anna Baksheeva and Tianping Chen (violins), Shalva Chabukiani (viola), Joan Harrison (cello) and Natalia Bibik-Chabukiani (piano).

Jan 18 – Music of And Music composed and arranged by Ottawa’s own Andrew Ager, including a chamber suite on themes from his new opera Dracula, recently premiered by New Opera Lyra, played by Adam Sperry (tenor), Adam Nelson (violin) and Andrew Ager (piano).

Jan 25 – Jazz in the Key o Pete Woods (saxophone), Kyle Jordan (guitar) and Jacob Clarke (bass) improvise music inspired by Margaret Atwood’s literary uni verse. From warm and witty to dystopic and incisive, the music and words invite us to engage in the here and now.

Feb 1 – Chinese Music an

A showcase of Chinese music, ancient, modern and infused with modern western influences, featuring traditional musical instru ments, the Guzheng (‘Chinese zither’), played by Yutong Huang and Pipa (‘Chinese lute’), played by Yadong Guan.

Feb 8 Tchaikovsky’s

Pianist Roman Timofeev interprets Tchaikovsky’s The Seasons, Op. 37, a solo piano suite of twelve charming character pieces depicting the months of the year.

Feb 15 – Electric Pleasures

JUNO award-winning composer and guitarist Andrew Paul Mac Donald, playing “electric archtop guitar”, and pianist Carmen Picard present an electrifying program of music by Bach, Gershwin and MacDonald.

Feb 22 – Renaud-Boudreau Duo

David Renaud (clarinets, saxophone) and Steve Boudreau (piano) play originals and classics in styles ranging from swing and Latin to ballads and contemporary.

Mar 1 – Everything turns

A DOMS 10th anniversary exclusive presentation: Award-winning Canadian dancer François Richard dances to music performed by distinguished Canadian musicians, Vincent Lauzer on recorder and Dorothéa Ventura on harpsichord.

Mar 8 – Wanderlust

Flautist Lara Deutsch and guitarist Adam Cicchillitti lead a musical world tour exploring folk-inspired repertoire from all across the globe.

Mar 15 – Beethoven’s 10th for DOMS’ 10th

Frédéric Lacroix plays early piano sonatas (Op. 10) by the great German composer on a period-accurate fortepiano, a copy of Beethoven’s first Viennese instrument.

Mar 22 – Shadows and Light

Soprano Kimberley Lynch and pianist Polina Gubnitskaia perform works for voice and piano exploring darkness and light by Boulanger, Poulenc, Ravel and Price.

Mar 29 – Hopewell Showcase V

The students of Hopewell Elementary School led by director Marya Woyiwada resume an annual tradition. This year’s performance will feature the school bands, along with excerpts from the year-end musical they are preparing.

Enjoy the holiday season!

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Noon-hour concerts take place on Wednesdays at Southminster United Church, 15 Aylmer Avenue. Free-will offerings. Attend in person or listen to livestream. Southminsterunitedchurch.com

Bill 23 and housing

I’m writing this column on a break from the Standing Committee on Herit age, Infrastructure and Cultural Policy, where I’ve been serving since the begin ning of the most recent legislative ses sion. Most recently, the committee has been debating the Ford government’s Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act.

The government wants to build 1.5 million homes over the next 10 years and believes developer-friendly poli cies are the best means to do that.

Bill 23 will cut development char ges for new home-building projects –a key revenue source for cities – and this comes at a cost of $26 million for Ottawa. For context, Ottawa has a budget of $14 million for affordable housing.

(Conservatives have countered that Ontario’s municipalities are hoard ing money in reserves from accumu lated development charges. Municipal experts dispute that claim, insisting that these funds are allocated to key infrastructure projects.)

Also cut under Bill 23 are munici pal provisions for green building stan dards, heritage protection, rental replacement standards and inclusion ary zoning. Bill 23 prevents citizens and community groups from appeal ing planning decisions (unless they are granted the right to do so by an adjudicator).

Bill 23 also opens 2,995 hectares of Ontario’s Greenbelt to development. This is ecologically sensitive, protected land around the Greater Toronto Area, impacting ten municipalities. Also pro posed are big changes to the mandates

of conservation authorities charged with protecting ecologically sensitive areas.

Some private developers – who also happen to be PC donors – stand to gain massively from Bill 23 with new development in the Greenbelt.

Bill 23 will not improve Ontario’s cities, maintain and build affordable housing or create the “missing middle” homes we need. Bill 23 tells us that pol itics in Ontario is not about what you know, but who you know. Decisions on housing are not being guided by the best evidence at hand.

Bill 23 is a gift for developers seeking fewer restrictions to build small luxury homes downtown or large homes that sprawl beyond urban boundaries. It helps large corporate landlords seek ing to push out low-income tenants. It is also being considered when newly elected city or town councils have yet to meet.

Adding insult to injury, the Ford gov ernment also recently introduced Bill 39, a law which would further empower “strong mayor” legislation. If Bill 39 is adopted, the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa could pass motions with only a third of council support.

Thankfully, Mark Sutcliffe, Ottawa’s mayor, has refused to use “strong mayor” powers. Several Ottawa city councillors have also spoken out, and that matters.

Write me a note and tell me what you think Ontario should do to address our housing affordability crisis. Together we can make the case that better is possible.

’Tis the season!

We’ve come to the end of a busy year with lots to celebrate. I’ve enjoyed spending time across Ottawa Centre speaking with residents and busi nesses and hearing how we can con tinue to improve our community. Thank you for sharing your views on how we can increase affordable and social housing, protect greenspaces and ensure our community is more inclusive. I take all your feedback to heart and work every day to bring for ward your ideas and support your initiatives so that we can build a com munity for everyone.

This past month, I was pleased to join our community members at the Old Ottawa East Community Associ ation Annual General Meeting and share updates on the National Capital Commission’s upcoming upgrades to street lighting along the Canal as part of the Rideau Canal Lighting Rehabili tation Project. The project’s goals are to repair or replace all outdated and broken pathway and parkway lights. This includes light heads, arms and bases. I was also pleased to hear your thoughts on how we can plant more trees along Colonel By Drive. I also had the pleasure of attending the Debra Dynes Family House Annual General Meeting where the focus of discussion was on how we can continue to combat food insecurity amid the rising cost of living and ensure residents have access to the resources they need.

Affordability continues to be top of mind for many Ottawa residents. In the Fall Economic Statement, the fed eral government outlined ways we are continuing to support Ottawa Centre residents through targeted measures aimed at making life more affordable. Notably, helping people buy their first home through the new Tax-Free First

Home Savings Account, which will allow prospective, first-time home buyers to save up to $40,000 tax-free toward their first home. Like an RRSP, contributions would be tax-deductible, and withdrawals to purchase a first home – including investment income – would be non-taxable. Our govern ment expects that Canadians will be able to open and begin contributing to an account in mid-2023.

We are also eliminating all inter est on Federal Student Loans and Canada Apprentice Loans to reduce the burden of student loans on young people so they can invest in building their futures. Among other initiatives, we intend to lower credit card trans action fees for small businesses in a manner that does not adversely affect other businesses and protects existing reward points for consumers. As we get through the challenges of global eco nomic uncertainty, we will continue to be there for residents as we build an economy that works for all Canadians.

As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office if you are seek ing more information on the measures outlined through the Fall Economic Statement or if you need assistance in navigating the federal government. My team and I are here to help. As we head into the holiday season, I hope you get a chance to attend one of the many community events taking place across Ottawa Centre like the Lansdowne Ottawa Christmas Market or one of the many concerts at the National Arts Centre. If you can, consider donating to our local food bank or our charitable community organizations who serve our most vulnerable. I wish you a very happy holiday season and hope you get a chance to spend time with family, friends and loved ones.

Honouring William Pavely

By Kevan Pipe

William George Pavely was killed in action 80 years ago this month during the Second World War. He was 20 years old.

Born on May 6, 1922, Pavely lived with his parents just north of the Glebe at 588 Gladstone Avenue. He attended nearby Glashan Elementary School and then Glebe Collegiate, graduating from high school in 1940 after excel ling as a boy scout and in sports as an Eastern Ontario junior gymnastics champion.

On May 16, 1940, just 10 days after his 18th birthday, he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force, finally achieving his desire to serve his country. He had tried to enlist the year before when war broke out in Europe but was refused entry because he was only 17.

He trained in Regina and in Brandon, Manitoba for seven months before com pleting his final preparations at RCAF Uplands in Ottawa with 411 Squadron in January 1941. Pavely impressed his instructors with his “keenness and intelligence,” and on March 7, Warrant Officer Class II/Pilot William Pavely earned his “Wings,” getting his formal certification as a fighter pilot while still just a teenager at age 19.

With the war in full swing and Eng land desperately short of fighter pilots, Pavely was immediately shipped over seas to RAF Base Digby in Lincoln shire in the East Midlands on May 2, 1941. Part of the Hornchurch Wing, 411 Squadron conducted operations over western Europe on so-called “Rhu barb” sorties as well as bomber escorts. Rhubarb missions were designed to target German occupying forces by attacking strategic areas and causing as much damage and destruction as possible. These brave pilots often flew in inclement weather to minimize the risk of counter-attack by the German Luftwaffe. Regardless, anti-aircraft fire made these highly dangerous missions, and both the RAF and RCAF paid dearly with loss of both aircraft and pilots.

Pavely flew the most famous fighter plane of the war, the Supermarine Spit fire, out of multiple bases in England and Scotland after being transferred to the Royal Air Force. In April 1942, his RAF 615 Squadron, now equipped with Hawker Hurricane fighter planes, was sent to India. It operated out of RAF Jes sore in what was then British India, to combat increased enemy action in the

Southeast Asian theatre.

Canada was a major supplier of Hawker Hurricanes during the war, building 1,451 of these fighter planes built and shipping them to Allied forces from the Canadian Car & Foun dry plant in Fort William, Ontario (now Thunder Bay). Known for their fire power and durability, the Hurricanes accounted for 60 per cent of all air vic tories during the infamous Battle of Britain in summer and fall of 1940.

On December 5, 1942, 615 Squadron was transferred to RAF Station Feni in Bengal (now Bangladesh). From this new base, 615 Squadron’s role was to escort Bristol Blenheim light bomb ers on raids on Japanese installations near Akyab and Magay in Burma (now Myanmar). On December 29, Pavely took off in his Hurricane on one of these bombing runs.

He never returned.

His family in Ottawa were noti fied that he was listed as “Missing in Action.” Three years later, just after the war ended, the Canadian govern ment finally confirmed that Pavely was now listed as “Killed in Action.” Liber ated prisoners-of-war confirmed that his Hurricane crashed on his final mis sion. Neither his plane nor his body were recovered.

Pavely is remembered in the Taukk yan War Memorial Cemetery in Myan mar, the final resting place for more than 6,300 Commonwealth service men who died during the Burma cam paign. The names of more than 27,000 others whose bodies were never found are also listed, and some are honoured with plaques. The inscription on the one remembering Pavely reads: “As a Boy Scout, he promised to do his duty to God and the King. He did his best.”

He is also remembered at Glebe Col legiate and at St. Matthew’s Anglican Church.

Finally, at Ottawa’s Pinecrest Cem etery where his parents, George and Hazel, were buried together in 1966, a commemorative RCAF plaque is dedi cated to their son. It reads: “ Loving Memory of W.O. 2 Pilot William George Pavely, 1922, Killed in Action, 1942 615 Sqdn. RAF.” William was their only child.

Kevan Pipe is a Glebe resident and member of St. Matthew’s, the Anglican Church in the Glebe. He is writing a series of articles about Glebe residents who perished in war service.

Pilot William Pavely flew a Hawker Hurricane on bombing raids. PHOTO COURTESY OF WWW.CANADA.CA

He did his best.

William Pavely (back row, circled) was a talented gymnast at Glebe Collegiate, graduating in 1940. PHOTO COURTESY OF WWW.GLEBE.OCDSB.CA

Commemorative plaque in Taukkyan War Memorial Cemetery in Myanmar

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MAPLE LEAF LEGACY PROJECT WWW.MAPLELEAFLEGACY.CA

A Civic Hospital ‘Who dunnit?’

2. The Federal Government

By Valerie Swinton

The Investigation

Why, how and by whom was the site of a new hospital switched from an NCC-recommended brownfield site at Tunney’s Pasture to more than 50 acres of green and forested land, most of it a national heritage site, in the Central Experimental Farm? How did a corporate board of directors override the result of a six-month government site review?

The Suspects

1. The Ottawa Hospital (TOH)

• Approved the sites to be reviewed by the NCC. Why was Tunney’s on the list if a master plan had been approved in 2014 and if the Hospi tal had such strong objection to it?

• Insisted on immediate proximity to the existing Civic Hospital, which has been sold to a private longterm care company, and it knew the Heart Institute will relocate to the new Civic Campus. Why was a Farm site so critical?

• Has been secretive and misleading. The 2016 $2.8 billion estimate is out of date. Oakville’s smaller hos pital cost $2.7 billion seven years ago. TOH perpetuated the myth that the site was restricted to the former Sir John Carling building, promised an underground garage

not reveal they would ask for a city contribution until long after city approval of the Master Plan. They excluded the NCC from their “spe cial” 45-minute board meeting on November 28, 2016, at which the minutes record, a management analysis of the NCC Site Review, took place, including a sum mary of events following the NCC announcement, discussions with community leaders and feedback from across the city to reject the recommendation. The board voted to reject Tunney’s, citing “access, cost of land remediation and time lines,” substantiation of which has not been provided. The board did not respond to the NCC’s subse quent offer to meet with them. The public deserves to know more about the information presented at this meeting.

• Has not been diligent. They did not fully investigate the constraints and costs of both sites before deciding on the Farm site, ignored recent research demonstrating that hospitals over 600 beds begin to lose efficiencies in both quality of care and cost, and chose to build a mega hospital in the centre of the city, a decision that does not con sider access to standard and emer gency care for suburban and rural

• Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) objected to Tun ney’s Pasture because it was home to 10,000 government workers and the master plan for Tunney’s, approved in 2014 after five years of work by PSPC, did not include a hospital.

• Catherine McKenna, then the environment minister, and Mélanie Joly, then heritage minis ter, initially spoke in favour of Tun ney’s. Both changed their position. After the switch was announced, Joly removed the heritage desig nation from the hospital por tion of the Farm and instructed officials to make the land avail able. There is no legislation pro tecting the remainder of the Farm. What changed their minds? Can the minister remove heritage status that easily?

3. The Provincial Government

• Lacks a policy on hospital size, care levels and urban/suburban distribution.

• Agreed to finance a hospital double the maximum size recom mended for efficiency in quality of care and cost.

4. The City of Ottawa/ Mayor Watson

• Facilitated a solution to the Hospi tal’s refusal of Tunney’s Pasture. Failed to object to the loss of over 700 trees despite the city’s declared climate emergency. Enacted a bylaw to rezone the 25-hectare parcel of land “Institu tional, permitting hospital, office, research and development centres and related ancillary uses.” Approved the Hospital Master Site Plan and building a 2,500-car park ing garage beside Dow’s Lake.

5. Developers with an interest in Tunney’s Pasture?

The NCC Site Review noted as weaknesses of the Tunney’s site: Potential cost to federal govern ment (value of land) Requires reconsideration of Tun ney’s Master Plan redevelopment scenario

The value of lost development potential at Tunney’s was esti mated by ReImagine Ottawa to be approximately $2.5 billion and would have been of serious con cern to the developer community. A Horizon Ottawa study revealed that almost half of the success ful candidates for City Council in 2018 received more than 50 per cent of their funding from indi viduals connected to the develop ment industry. All but one of the nine-member Planning Committee received some financing from this sector. Three councillors, includ ing the chair of Planning Commit tee, received over 90 per cent from the development community.

Victims

The NCC, whose authority and credibility were compromised. Environment Canada, prevented from investigating concerns raised by community organizations

because PSPC and the Hospital had signed a lease. (In the spring of 2022, private citizens under took an analysis and found toxic pH levels in effluent coming from the site.)

• Parks Canada, which no longer had full jurisdiction over the land after heritage status was removed.

• The citizens of Canada and espe cially of Ottawa.

The Verdict

My conclusion is that The Ottawa Hospital bears initial responsibil ity for the loss of Experimental Farm land and Queen Juliana Park. Their urgency to get the project moving and their overweening ambition to build a monumental hospital in a magnifi cent setting drove the decision. The federal government bears primary responsibility for making the deci sion, based, it would seem, on loss of income and existing plans for Tun ney’s. The City of Ottawa played a key facilitation role. The influence of community leaders who objected to Tunney’s and from the development industry is invisible but likely. This array was no match for citizen calls to preserve a health-enhancing, green environment and to protect a cher ished Canadian heritage site. Trans parency? Zero.

Valerie Swinton is a former Glebe resident, a GCA board member and a volunteer with ReImagine Ottawa. A petition calling for an inquiry is on the ReImagine Ottawa website.

Skate drive for John Howard Society residents

By Margaret Lavictoire

The John Howard Society of Ottawa’s new building at 289 Carling includes 40 apartments for permanent hous ing for people at risk of homelessness. Residents are moving in this month, a perfect time to get ready to enjoy skat ing on the nearby Rideau Canal this winter. We are therefore looking for donations of adult skates – good qual ity, recent (10 years old or less), men’s and women’s, hockey or recreational, for new residents who are interested.

Connecting residents with “learn to skate” programs might also be an option. If we end up with skates that don’t match the Carling folk, they will be offered at other John Howard Soci ety supportive-living locations or to newcomer-support organizations.

Joshua Bridges, residential manager for the new building, says he is very excited to be able to offer this recrea tional opportunity to incoming residents.

Canal skating is great free exercise that benefits physical and mental health and allows for the embrace of winter in Ottawa. Whether you are the first on pristine ice on a beautiful mor ning or join a buzzing crowd of skat ers on a weekend afternoon, the canal is wonderful to have within walking distance.

You can drop off skates at 289 Carling on weekdays or contact Ottawa4Good@gmail.com to arrange a pickup. You can also make a charit able donation for this project to the John Howard Society of Ottawa by specifying “Skates for Carling supportive hous ing residents” in the “send a message” box at canadahelps.org/en/charities/ john-howard-society-of-ottawa/

The people of Ottawa are known for being generous and welcoming. Help our new neighbours enjoy one of the gems of their new home and neighbourhood.

Margaret Lavictoire is a Glebe resident who appreciates the nearby frozen canal and the skating it offers.

Donate your good quality, used skates, adult sizes, for use by the new residents of the John Howard Society of Ottawa building just across from Dow’s Lake.

DECEMBER 2022 POETRY QUARTER

The Gift

A gift is a thing given freely – a present. It can be tan gible or in the form of love or attention or care. Or a gift might be a talent or natural ability. The gesture of giving is an act of generosity. These poets have generously shared their poems on the theme of a gift.

The Glebe Report’s Poetry Quarter is curated by poet, author and educator JC Sulzenko.

I didn’t even know J cooked turns out he was not just eloquent with words but also with oeufs lovingly mixed with bons mots and milk

We bonded over his semi-colon and my full stop: colon cancer and sepsis, respectively

I couldn’t keep anything down but he insisted, I’d be able to eat a piece of his flan, he’d made special for me since I’d told him eons ago it was my favourite

While I ate, his fingers nimbly strummed the guitar as he sang for my husband and me

On the day of his celebration his son wore J’s black and white stripes and looked so much like him it startled me

When I’m sitting on the couch and the sun is at a slanted angle I still feel as if he’s alive, playing the guitar for me and nourishing a woman fresh out of the hospital with punctuation issues

Songbook

In the Closet for Chris

The oil lamp, you gave me, just in case, the power fails, and . . . That warm, lightweight blanket, always welcome in the cold, in my suitcase, duct tape . . . oh. yes. And . . . that HELP sign to carry in the car, just in case, you are not there to answer my call, just in case. Thank you.

on Christmas morning, under our balsam tree, a slim oblong parcel wrapped in glossy green foil awaits me, its promise a book! perhaps the one on my list long anticipated: “Songs from the Front and Rear”

had my mother read the contents she would surely not have bought it rude, lewd lyrics from Great War trenches songs I know my grandfather sang on the muddy road from Armentieres after visiting Mademoiselle

no green there, but dull greys and browns and bloody red, a far cry from the cozy, well-lit living room where I sing in his memory

Louise Chivers

The Pen

You gave me a pen about a year or so ago, and told me to write a poem for you.

POSTCARD TO AFRICA

For Maud Mintenko

in memoriam

In Albert Schweitzer’s village in Leopoldville, Africa, she met this man suffering from leprosy, hands mere stumps-who insisted on giving her a gift, a wood carving, a delicate piece like bamboo

though it wasn’t really, which now hangs on the wall of her apartment; yes, she showed it to us here in Ottawa; and she’d said to the African man, “What can I give you in return?”

“Oh nothing, madam.” “Nothing?” she replied. Then, “Maybe you can send me a postcard with a picture of snow in it,” he said, which she did a year later –weather permitting.

I laughed, and thanked you, and probably kissed you on the cheek, and we spent the evening sharing wine, and getting reacquainted with an old friend that we both missed.

I didn’t tell you that evening, or any time after that, that I’d written several poems for you in earlier years, when the words flowed freely between us, and the lines told stories of love and friendship, and a bond that would endure almost anything.

And now, the pen is still here, but you are gone... and it’s ironic and a little sad, that the words come so easily now, the poems pour from the pen, line after line, tear after tear,

wrapped up in my memories and missing you.

Amanda Earl

Flan and Guitar

Maureen Korp

Adrienne Stevenson

Cyril Dabydeen

A Novel Gift

A well-known author gave me good advice. How thrilled I was to get his prompt reply. We “talked” by email maybe once or twice. This contact made the sun shine in my sky.

A year went by and then I wrote again, with a dilemma, feeling quite alone. In his response, I can’t say he ‘complained’, but hinted I could solve it on my own.

His message was a gift; he was so right! I have the skill to see my novel through. The story is progressing, end in sight, and, self-sufficient, I know what to do.

Besides, I’ve read his novel, somewhat dated, which, sadly, in my view, is over-rated.

‘Poetry Quarter’

– the gift of poetry

The submission call for December’s Poetry Quarter (PQ) embraced the concept of a gift and giving. As you will see from the eight poems in this issue, this theme generated poetry which offers a rich range of emotions and experien ces for readers of the Glebe Report to savour.

In 2015, I came up with the idea for a com munity-based outlet for local poets, then pitched the project to the editor, and began my term as curator. These seven years have been a gift to me, one which has appreciated in value year-over-year as PQ published 231 poems from 121 poets.

With each issue, I had the privilege of wel coming and showcasing a wealth of talent among poets writing in English, whether well-known or emerging, with ages that ranged from five-year-olds to octogenarians.

I have been writing for the Glebe Report since my children were in French immer sion at First Avenue Public School in the late 1980s. After covering their schools, I branched out to contribute articles on Glebe residents or projects of interest. And then, seven years ago, “Poetry Quarter” became my focus.

I believe this feature in the Glebe Report is unique among community papers for what it does and how it does it.

PQ offers local poets the opportunity to be published where the bar is set to be as inclu sive as possible. My approach has been to be open to every poetic form. I chose work which resonates with me.

Of course, what appeals to one person in a poem may leave another reader cold. That’s the way it is. Writers who have the courage to submit their work for publication learn to accept the idiosyncratic nature of the selec tion process, but I know how rejection is hard to take.

I admit I preferred corresponding with writ ers whose work I recommended to the editor be included in PQ. I regretted each time I gave notice that a submission would not be

Louise Rachlis

The gift of the Wifi

And the next day would be Christmas…

Della gave Jim an Apple Watch - but he was on a digital detox.

Jim gave Della a Lululemon headband – but she now has a violet bob, not long locks.

The gifts are incompatible, like Rogers and Bell, yet the couple appreciate what the other did choose, the special gifts they couldn’t use.

As O. Henry wrote, and not in jest, “…let it be said of all who give gifts these two were the wisest.”

(Quotation source: The Gift of the Magi, by O. Henry)

Nadine Dawson

The monks cloth (50 x 70cm) has already begun my unraveling long threads of loosening memory wriggling free & fraying ego’s unhemmed borders

I rip strips of painter’s tape with my teeth stick quickly the corners of clumsy thought iron taught the cottonthese 12-14 holes per square inch upon which I set the patterns of my life & loop by loop Oxford punch my story in fir green briar rose red granite & sage (Briggs & Little, 2 ply, chunky)

published in an upcoming issue.

With this PQ issue, I am retiring as curator. I am delighted that award-winning poet Deb orah-Anne Tunney will take over. I know she will enjoy the surprises that come in response to each submission call.

It’s been wonderful to work with editor Liz McKeen. Our collegial approach to determin ing themes and which poems to accept for publication has resulted in an eclectic array, three times each year, for a total of 28 PQs. I am grateful to Liz for her love of poetry and enthusiasm for PQ. And I thank each poet who has come forward during my term. I am beholden to you all. I hope you will continue to support this forum for your fine work.

Please join me in a toast to future issues of PQ. Cheers!

Move in closer see how all around you is colour? how mayonnaise (Benjamin Moore OC-85) trims the hall’s crème fraiche (2023-70) & in the back lane a quivering of buttery leaves defines the dark sky?

Here, give me your hand run your fingers over the hooked braille

let your eyes be drawn along the rug’s scrolls to curl cat-like at the edges of things unseen

Poetry and pets

Poets: this is your chance to share your feelings about your pets in poetic form – the joy they can give, the sad ness when they leave, the wonder at the bonds between you and them. What need do they fulfil in our lives? Is it a simple love or is it complicated by dependence or co-de pendence? Have you ever wondered what your pet is thinking or feeling, and how that may be different from how you think or feel? It can be a multifaceted relation ship, and we want to read your poems on the topic.

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

· Submitted on or before February 21, 2023

Poets in the National Capital Region of all ages wel come (school-age poets, please indicate your grade and school). Please send your entries (up to five 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: Tuesday, February 21, 2023

Ruth Latta

JC Sulzenko is a poet, playwright, author and educator who initiated and has curated the Glebe Report’s Poetry Quarter for seven years.

JC Sulzenko

Jaya Krishnan and son Devon Bowers-Krishnan team up

By Liz McKeen

Jaya Krishnan, noted Glebe artist, held a grand opening of his art gal lery at 807 Bank Street in Novem ber. In an inspired partnership, his son Devon Bowers-Krish nan, a qualified sommelier, also launched his wine enterprise, called FINE Art + Wine, with plans to hold wine-tasting events of vari ous kinds in the beautiful space of the gallery. His sparkling wine enhanced the well-attended event, as did hors d’oeuvres by Gitanes.

Jaya Krishnan’s art is inspired by local Ottawa scenes such as Brown’s Inlet, but it also reflects the bold colours of rural Cambo dia, where he frequently travelled before the pandemic to paint and work with impoverished children. He has also been the subject of a documentary film by filmmaker Mike McKay, who filmed hours of compelling storytelling, docu menting Krishnan’s life both in Ottawa and Cambodia.

For further information visit fineartandwine@gmail.com

In partnership with his father, sommelier Devon BowersKrishnan launched his new enterprise, FINE Art + Wine, which will hold wine tastings at the gallery.

The grand opening in November of artist Jaya Krishnan’s Studio-Gallery upstairs at 807 Bank Street. Jaya Krishnan welcomed an enthusiastic crowd. Krishnan’s art is boldly colourful, inspired by scenes in the Glebe and in rural Cambodia.

PHOTOS: LIZ MCKEEN

The Glebe according to Zeus

The beautiful game

By Michael Kofi Ngongi

There are several types of football played around the world. There’s Can adian football, American football, Australian rules football, even rugby football. But there’s only one that can be truly considered a global game, pas sionately played and followed by bil lions of people in every corner of the globe. It is association football, better known as soccer. Incidentally, it is also the only one played primarily with the feet. Which, according to many, makes it the most deserving of being called football.

brightest of the current stars. Undoubt edly, you know our very own Alphonso Davies. Yet, the most skilled player in Qatar might turn out to be Laʼeeb, the official mascot, whose name means super-skilled player in Arabic.

Who will win the grand prize? Whose light will shine brightest in the Qatari desert? Will it be Mbappe and defending champions, France? Will it be Neymar and perennial favourites, Brazil? Will it be Messi and Argentina, in what will likely be the South American vir tuoso’s final shot at World Cup glory? Will we see our first African champion?

Guinea pigs launch Christmas class action suit!

A class action suit by 99 per cent of Glebe guinea pigs has been launched against the other one per cent. The suit cites humiliation and exploit ation by Glebe upper middle class “woke pigs” in the neighbourhood and seeks a whopping $19.42 in damages. Claims include condescending looks and unequal distribution of chores and carrots.

During the ongoing court case, tele vised on GPTV, the defence called renowned rodent sleep expert, Dr. Dormir. “It’s inherent in guinea pigs to eat and sleep a lot, be affable, jovial and, of course, cuddly. But a small number of other guinea pigs suffer a rare genetic mutation. We do not fully understand the condition, but the guinea pigs cannot sleep or cuddle at all.”

“Woke Pig Syndrome (WPS),” con tinued Dormir somberly, “is not fully understood, but co-occurs with a second, more mysterious condition called Condescending Attitude Para taxis (CAP). Due to this, woke pigs are mostly disliked and have diffi culty keeping friends due to their

incessant CAP.”

Lawyers for the class action suit outright rejected the medicalized defence for woke pig behaviour and cited socio-political systems of oppression whereby the capitalist pig system keeps an elite class in power, controlling education and wealth. Roman Livre, from the Organization for Equality of Complaints Depart ment (OECD), said results of their annual literacy test were astonish ingly low for guinea pigs, seemingly supporting the claim that a systemic power structure was keeping most pigs illiterate.

Dormir, however, was brought back on the stand to counter the capitalist collusion claim against woke pigs. Responding to the OECD, Dormir noted that guinea pigs have no thumbs and are physically unable to write. As for reading, Dormir stated that “most pigs naturally eat books and then fall asleep – except if they happen to have Woke Pig Syndrome, explaining their higher literacy scores.”

The case continues over Christmas on Sundays at 9 a.m. on GPTV.

Every four years, football fans across the world excitedly tune into the sport’s premier event, the FIFA World Cup. For the first time, the global foot ball extravaganza is being hosted in the Arab world, in Qatar. The tournament brings together the biggest and bright est stars of the soccer firmament, to delight and dazzle the world’s fans on the biggest stage. You may have heard of Messi, Neymar and Mbappe, among the

Al Rihla (“the journey” in Arabic) and the quest to crown a new champion is a 64-game thriller. No matter the out come, fans are sure to have a blast as we’re reminded once again why foot ball is the beautiful game.

Michael Kofi Ngongi is a new Canadian originally from Cameroon. He has experience in international development and is a freelance writer interested in language and its usage.

Walking the Via Podiensis

By Joann Garbig

In the depths of the pandemic, I craved another long walk on one of the many pilgrimage routes in Europe. I wanted to be out walking in nature day after day, through changing landscape, alone yet not alone, carrying my pack, ending each day with a comfortable bed, a shower, a hot meal and fellow ship with others.

Having walked through Spain and Portugal to Santiago de Compostela on earlier trips, I thought it might be nice to be in a different country with –for me – less of a language barrier. So, in September I locked up the house, shouldered my pack and made my way to Lyon, France, and from there to the town of Le Puy en Velay in the volcanic region of the Haute-Loire. Le Puy, a pil grimage centre since the Middle Ages, is where I began my 750-kilometre walk on the Via Podiensis, ending at the Pyrenees and the border towns of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France and Roncesvalles in Spain.

The walk began at the Cathédrale Notre-Dame du Puy with the blessing offered daily to all departing pilgrims and a dramatic exit down a staircase revealed by the opening of a large grille in the cathedral floor.

In the next five weeks, the Via Podien sis, also waymarked as the GR65 walk ing path, took me from the Auvergne through Occitanie and Acquitaine, across areas of spectacular scenery and a series of perfectly preserved medieval villages designated as the most beauti ful in France. Highlights included:

• the Aubrac plateau (1,300 metres altitude), which I crossed during a morning of typically wild weather featuring pelting rain, powerful winds and streams of water underfoot;

Joann Garbig walked the Via Podiensis trail from Le Puy en Velay in the volcanic region of the Haute-Loire, through the Pyrenees to the border towns of Saint-JeanPied-de-Port in France and Roncesvalles in Spain, a journey of 750 kilometres.

• steep climbs and descents through the forested Lot valley to the fairytale village of Con ques, said to be the inspiration for Belle’s hometown in Disney’s Beauty & the Beast;

• a tranquil morning’s walk along the Canal de Garonne outside of Moissac;

• innumerable churches and chap els, almost all of which were open to the curious or contemplative pilgrim; and

• views of the Pyrenees, first glimpsed after weeks of walking and drawing ever closer as the end of my pilgrimage approached. With my pilgrim’s passport in hand, I was able to stay in gites d’etape –mostly family-run accommodations for pilgrims in houses renovated to provide small dormitories and private rooms. For a reasonable price, many offer demi-pension – an evening meal, bed for the night and breakfast. I had heard that the food on the Via Podien sis is something special, and I was not disappointed.

A communal dinner was served every evening, made with local ingredients in generous portions. Often there was a soup or sometimes a savoury tart, a main dish (duck, beef, fish, curry, etc., as well as options for vegetarians), sometimes a green salad, sometimes a cheese course and dessert (apple tart, flan, something chocolate or maybe a local specialty). And wine. And bread. And conversa tion around the table. I couldn’t always follow the rapid-fire pace, but the French pilgrims and hosts unfailingly made the effort to include everyone.

There were many days when I had the trail all to myself. I enjoyed the solitude and being able to go at my own pace. At the gite, it was always good to switch gears and chat with the proprietor and the other walkers. Most whom I met were French, several were from other European countries and only a few had made the trip from North America. The gites themselves had their own

A table set for pilgrims in one of the gites. Food on the trail was exceptional.

character, as did their proprietors. There was the gite on a working farm, where we were invited down to the barn at milking time. I stayed in more than one gite located in a meticulously restored medieval house fitted with state-of-the-art bathrooms. Another couple of gites were run by talented musicians who played for us on the accordion and the banjo. Often the owners had themselves walked a pil grimage in France or to Santiago and felt called to be of service to the pilgrim community.

My final walking day began in the Basque town of Saint-Jean-Pied-dePort, the popular starting point for the Camino Frances. I walked across the Pyrenees into Spain and the village of Roncesvalles, traditional resting place for pilgrims en route to Santiago. As I had done in Le Puy five weeks earlier, I attended the church and its daily pil grims’ blessing. I was content. The next morning, I watched the pilgrims leave the hostel to continue on their way. I silently wished them Buen Camino as I prepared to turn towards home.

Joann Garbig lives in the Glebe and is planning her next walk.

Homemade pasta in the making! PHOTOS: JOANN GARBIG

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

ABBOTSFORD SENIOR COMMUNITY CENTRE (950 Bank St ) WINTER PROGRAM GUIDE is now available Pick up your own paper copy at Abbotsford, Mon -Fri , 8:30 a m to 4:30 p m or go to www glebecentre ca under Abbotsford Community Program and Current Program Guide For those who have renewed their 2023 membership, registration can be in-person or by telephone (613-230-5730) with Visa or Mastercard and also online with your own member key-tag: myactivecenter com/ (look for Abbotsford at the Glebe Centre) Please note that Abbotsford will be closed Dec 24 to Jan 2

ABBOTSFORD SENIOR COMMUNITY CENTRE (950 Bank St ) MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL FOR 2023 began on Thurs , Dec 1 and registration for winter programming will start on Wed Dec 14 for those who have renewed their member ship Members keep the same key-tag but cannot register unless they have renewed their membership The only ways to renew are to call in or come in person We need to update any changes and like to check in with our members We will not be renewing memberships on Dec 14 due to registration New members for 2023 can drop in and tour the facility, meet the staff and fellow members and get their own key-tag for registration Please note that Abbotsford will be closed Dec 24 to Jan 2

ABBOTSFORD SENIOR COMMUNITY CENTRE (950 Bank) continues to look for books, flea market items and your treasures to sell in house. Accepted at Abbotsford House on Mon - Fri , 9 a m to 4 p m , your donations will be supporting the Centre’s Programming and Services Please note that Abbotsford will be closed Dec 24 to Jan 2

ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE EXHIBIT: URAMADO AR (www af ca/ottawa/en/event-details/#/), until Apr 30, 2023 Which Tanuki are you? Visit the Alliance Française Ottawa, where an augmented reality exhibition awaits you! Inspired by Japanese folklore, Uramado reveals the story of the Tanukis, nature spirits who live hidden among us and can transform into anything they wish

ATLANTIC VOICES PRESENTS A CHRISTMAS CEILIDH FOR FIONA RELIEF! Tues , Dec 13, 7:30 p m , at Riverside United Church, 3191 Riverside Dr Join Atlantic Voices and musical guests for an evening of seasonal tunes with an East Coast flavour and help support our Atlantic

Watching the Santa Claus parade!

ditioned) choir that sings an eclectic mix of contemporary and classical music We welcome all voices but are particularly in need of tenors and basses The choir meets in Centretown United Church on Bank St at the corner of Argyle Scott Richardson is the director of this ensemble, with Tom Sear at the piano Rehears als are Monday evenings 7:15-9 30 p m The winter term will start on Jan 9 Open rehearsal on both Jan 9 and 16 If you would like to join us or would like more information, please contact the membership secretary, Marjorie Cooper, at marjcooper@rogers com and/or visit our website at: www musica-viva ca Special: new members winter/spring dues: $110 We hope you’ll join us!

OLD OTTAWA SOUTH GARDEN CLUB MEET INGS (Old Ottawa South Community Centre, The Firehall, 260 Sunnyside Ave ) Tues , Jan 10, 7:00 p m : Water Garden through the Ages The earliest recognized watergardens go back around 4000 years to the Egyptians, but what does this have to do with modern watergardens in Ottawa? Brian Haddon, past-president of the Greater Ottawa Water Garden Horticultural Soci ety and present-day enthusiast, reflects on the reasons for constructing and maintaining water gardens through the ages To register call the Firehall at 613-247-4946 Membership: $25 per year, $40 for a family, drop-in fee $7 per meeting

STAIRWELL CAROLLER CHRISTMAS CONCERTS has two LIVE IN PERSON concerts coming up! Sat, Dec 10 at Southminster United Church,15 Aylmer Ave, 7:30 pm and Wed, Dec 14 at St Columba Church, 24 Sandridge Rd, 7:30 pm Tickets at stairwellcarollers com/en/ concerts-xmas/ We are also continuing to audi tion, especially for male voices stairwellcarol lers com/en/auditions/

AVAILABLE

Canadian family and friends who were hit so hard by Fiona this fall Admission by donation at the door (suggested donation $15) All proceeds after concert expenses go directly to support the Red Cross Hurricane Fiona in Canada Appeal Capacity is limited, so please visit our Eventbrite page to reserve your free ticket: Tickets atlan ticvoices ca

CANADIAN CENTENNIAL CHOIR CONCERT: GOOD TIDINGS / BONNE NOUVELLE, Tues , Dec 13, 7:30 p m , Centretown United Church, 507 Bank St Info at: www ccc-ccc ca Poster/Image at: https://tinyurl com/2p9c9es8

CAPITAL REGION MODEL RAILWAY TOUR 2022 A free virtual tour of some of the area’s best model railways will run until Jan 23, 11p m , with the videos available on our website www capitaltrains ca We hope that you will join us to see the excellent model railways our region has to offer

FIRST RECONCILIATION & FIRST COMMUN ION PREPARATION AT CANADIAN MARTYRS CHURCH Is your child in grade 2 or older? Come join our us, as we prepare to sit at the Lord’s table Weekly classes will take place on Saturdays at 3 p m, starting Feb 4 One parent is requested to attend each class with their child The fee is $25 To register, please contact Adele 613-232-5347 religioused@canadianmartyrs org

FRIENDS OF THE FARM ANNUAL NON-DIN NER IS BACK FOR 2022 Participate from the comfort of your home A picnic? Barbecue dinner? Garden party? Gala evening? Supper for two? It’s up to you! That’s our annual non-dinner fundraising event, and it’s back and happen ing until December 31 Not a single person will show up, and we will be delighted! You can help the Friends of the Farm just by staying in the comfort of your home By purchasing tickets to this fundraising event that will never take place, you will help the Friends sponsor numerous activities in support of the Ornamental Gardens and Dominion Arboretum on the Central Experi mental Farm Individual seats $25, couples $50, family $100, table of six $250, community $500 Your support is greatly appreciated, and your generous donation is tax deductible You can contribute by using our online fillable form for cheques or by using PayPal at Annual Non-din ner

Come and Sing with Us! MUSICA VIVA SING ERS is an Ottawa community four-part (non-au

HOUSESITTING! Are you leaving town for an extended period of time to the cottage, vacation abroad or down south for the winter and need a HOUSE SITTER to water plants, pick up mail and maintain the home/garden, cut grass etc? I am a young lady who studies theology/bible at home with several years of recent housesitting experi ence in the Glebe I have excellent references from many homes in the Glebe I have lived in and cared for over the years I enjoy taking care of animals, especially puppies!!! Sarah (mayyou hope@gmail com) 613-263-0590

PUPPYSITTING! Do you need someone to stay overnight with your little/ big babe?? I am available for overnight puppy sitting 24/7 as I study the bible from home full time I have excellent references Sarah (mayyouhope@ gmail com) 613-263-0590

FOR SALE

ANTIQUE SCHOOL BENCH from Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario Cast iron and oak Victorian bench/desk Features ornate cast-iron base and supports, three writing surfaces, long impressive form, great patina, beautiful wood grain, quality craftsmanship, fine condition Measurements: 30” high x 72” long x 25” deep Seat height 17” Writing surfaces 27” high Includes custom foam seat pad $650 00 Jennie 613-237-1347

BROTHER/COLOR/LASER PHOTOCOPIER,

WHERE TO FIND THE Glebe Report

In addition to free home delivery and at newspaper boxes on Bank Street, you can find copies of the Glebe Report at:

Abbas Grocery

Black Squirrel Bloomfield Flowers

Capital Home Hardware Chickpeas

Clocktower Pub

Douvris Martial Arts

Ernesto’s Barber Shop

Escape Clothing

Feleena’s Mexican Café

Fourth Avenue Wine Bar

Glebe Apothecary

Glebe Central Pub

Glebe Meat Market

Glebe Physiotherapy

Glebe Tailoring

Goldart Jewellery Studio

Happy Goat Coffee

Hillary's Cleaners

Hogan’s Food Store

Ichiban Bakery

Irene’s Pub

Isabella Pizza Kettleman’s

Kunstadt Sports Lansdowne Dental

Last Train to Delhi

LCBO Lansdowne

Little Victories Coffee Loblaws

Marble Slab Creamery Mayfair Theatre

McKeen Metro Glebe Nicastro

Octopus Books

Olga’s

RBC/Royal Bank Studio Sixty Six Subway Sunset Grill

The Ten Spot

TD Bank Lansdowne

TD Bank Pretoria

The Works

Von’s Bistro

SEASONAL

WANTED

BOOK CLUB MEMBERS Looking for a book club? We are 6 women in our sixties Having lost a couple of members, we would like to increase our numbers We read fiction and non-fiction, meeting monthly in our homes in the Glebe, OOS and Alta Vista Meetings are on weekday evenings If you’re interested in knowing more, please contact Delia at delia otr@gmail com

Whole Health Pharmacy Wild Oat 7-Eleven

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