Glebe Report December 2023

Serving the Glebe community since 1973 December 8, 2023 www.glebereport.ca TFI@glebereport ISSN 0702-7796 Vol. 51 No. 10 Issue no. 560

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GLEBE SAFETY AN INCREASING CONCERN

By Roger Smith

For Rebecca McKeen, the last straw was the unconscious man behind her store, McKeen Metro, in late September. Grainy security video shows a man wandering into the lane and urinating on the delivery door. He sits down, fiddles with what looks like a hacksaw, then keels over.

After staff called 911, police woke the man, questioned him and let him go. A search of the Second Avenue parking garage turned up a loaded needle and empty packaging for knives.

“He’d obviously shot up in the parking garage and then wandered into our laneway,” says McKeen. “They just let the guy wander off in the community, obviously high.”

McKeen was already fed up with shady behaviour and inadequate policing that she believes is making Glebe more dangerous and less appealing.

A fire extinguisher tossed off the top floor of the parking garage in April.

Increased shoplifting as food prices rise. More homeless people, many with drug addictions and mental health problems. Discarded needles in parks.

Aggressive panhandlers, including one who has personally threatened her.

“People say it’s not as bad as Toronto or Vancouver, it’s not as bad as Centretown,” says McKeen. “But people don’t realize how close we are to becoming just like Centretown. I think there’s a false sense of security that it won’t happen here.”

A new police “data visualization tool” released last month allows you to zoom in to see where, when and what crimes have been committed in the Glebe (see box). It shows about 130 offences so far this year, from harassment to car thefts.

Beyond crime, the homeless are also a problem, especially for Bank Street businesses.

Rebecca McKeen, owner/manager of McKeen Metro, has seen first-hand morefrequent incidences in the Glebe of street drugs, vandalism and antisocial behaviour and is calling for action to combat the problem. PHOTO: LIZ MCKEEN

“We’re concerned about the guys asking for a quarter when they’re tweaking on meth,” said Ian Boyd, owner of Compact Music and a board member of the BIA. “They walk up and down the street yelling. They’re scaring people. People are just going to go to Walmart and stop coming to the Glebe.”

Last month, the Royal Bank at First and Bank shut down evening and weekend access to its ATMs, citing “security concerns” but declining to give specifics. Up the street at Fourth, Scotiabank ATMs used to be accessible 24/7 but the branch started closing them at 6 p.m. last year because of problems with the homeless.

“When you walk in the morning and see people sleeping on the floor, you can’t have that, it’s bad for business,” said assistant branch manager Alex Murray. “We’ve had client complaints

Index

Mark Your Calendars

ART................................................. 25, 28 BOOKS...................................................22 BUSINESS............................. 7, 13, 15, 16 EDITORIAL...............................................4 ENVIRONMENT............................... 17, 18 EVENTS..................................................35 FILM...................................................... 23 GLEBE HISTORY �����������������������������������31 GLEBOUS & COMICUS ������������������������ 34 HEALTH..................................................32 HOMES............................................ 30, 33 LETTERS..................................................5 MUSIC................................................... 26 NATURE................................................ 19 NEW YEARS...........................................27 OPINION.................................................. 8 REPS & ORGS..........................6, 9-12, 29 SAFETY................................................ 1-3 SCHOOLS...............................................37 SPOTLIGHT..................................... 13, 15 THEATRE............................................... 24 TRAVEL................................................. 36

RIDEAU CHORALE SINGS BAROQUE ������������������������������ DEC. 10, SOUTHMINSTER UNITED CHURCH, 7.30 P.M. SOUL MUSIC FOR CHRISTMAS �������������������������������������� DEC. 10, GLEBE-ST. JAMES UNITED CHURCH, 4 P.M. BYTOWN VOICES CONCERT ������������������������������������������� DEC. 10., KNOX PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 3 P.M. GNAG WINTER CARNIVAL......................DEC. 10, GCC, 1:30-3:30 ART LENDING OF OTTAWA ���������������������������������������������� DEC. 16, RA CENTRE, 10 A.M.-4 P.M. SEVENTEEN VOYCES ������������������������������������������������������� DEC. 16, ST. MATHEW’S ANGLICAN CHURCH, 7:30 P.M. HOGMAN-EH!................................................................... DEC. 31, LANSDOWNE, 2 P.M.-1 A.M. PATHWAY YOGA OPEN HOUSE ����������������������������������������JAN. 10, 253 ECHO DRIVE 1-3:30 P.M. GCA MONTHLY MEETING.........................JAN. 23 ONLINE, 7 P.M.

and employees complained about their own safety.”

But Debbie Long insists the top priority isn’t more policing, “it’s all about affordable housing.”

“Housing first, then social services to solve their problems,” says Long, co-chair of the GCA’s health, housing and social services committee. “You can’t solve problems when they’re still on the streets.”

Trouble is, appropriate housing is limited. Police, outreach services and shelters are stretched for resources. Shelters and jails are often full.

Even police admit their focus on higher-crime areas like the Byward Market chases problems to other neighbourhoods.

“It’s just money, it’s all about money,” says Long. “There’s just not enough to go around.”

Differing views spilled over at an October 24 meeting set up at McKeen’s request with councillor Shawn Menard, the GCA, GNAG, the BIA and Ottawa police. It didn’t go well – some participants were put off by McKeen’s confrontational behaviour. According to the minutes, she challenged Menard on his spending priorities, including tree replacement on Bank Street.

“If there’s a resource issue for police and outreach services,” she explained later, “why is the city spending $500,000 on trees?”

While Menard agrees there are misplaced priorities – “like $419 million for Lansdowne” – he defends the tree expenditure and urges more patience.

“This is a problem right across the city,” he says. “This isn’t just a simple solution. We need to talk this through.

We can’t just flood the streets with police.”

A small committee from the GCA, GNAG and the BIA met again on November 20 – without McKeen. They’re planning ways to get more money and help for affordable housing, emergency shelters, mental health and social services.

But McKeen has new reason to be skeptical about promised remedies.

The Second Avenue parking garage was supposed to be safer with a new security firm in place, but on November 18, licence plates were stolen from a vehicle there, probably to put on a stolen car. The vehicle was McKeen’s delivery van.

“I’m tired of people saying it will take a long time or there is nothing we can do,” she says. “Resources need to be reallocated to the immediate needs, not the long-term needs.”

Though her store is a pillar of the community – it donates up to 10 Article continued on page 2

What’s Inside

The St. Rita................................................................ Page 15

Mint chocolate cookies............................................ Page 20

NEXT ISSUE: Friday, February 9, 2024 EDITORIAL DEADLINE: Monday, January 22, 2024 ADVERTISING ARTWORK DEADLINE*: Wednesday, January 24, 2024 *Book ads well in advance to ensure space availability.

2 Glebe Report December 8, 2023

GLEBE

Glebe safety

Continued from page 1

per cent of profits to local charities – McKeen realizes not everyone agrees with her stand or style. But she vows to keep speaking out and while her store will remain a fixture in the Glebe, her family might not.

“We’re going to fight for our community, or we’ll leave, because I don’t want my kids living down the street from a crack house or not be able to take off their shoes to run in the park.”

Roger Smith is a retired journalist and copy editor of the Glebe Report.

Police deal with an unconscious man in the lane behind McKeen Metro in September

Loaded needle found in the Second Avenue Parking Garage

Why some in the Glebe are worried

A staff member rakes the play area outside Glebe Parents Day Care as part of stepped-up screening after a three-year-old found a discarded needle and poked himself. PHOTO: ROGER SMITH

The nightmare scenario had a happy ending, but it fuelled the debate over drugs and homelessness in the Glebe.

In September, a three-year-old boy found an empty needle in the Glebe Parents Day Care play area along Patterson Creek and pricked himself with it. He had to take three medications a day for four weeks as a precaution against HIV. The boy’s mother posted an anonymous warning to parents on Facebook: “Please try to teach your kids about not picking up garbage and specifically needles.”

As luck would have it, one of several parents I met outside the day care in late November admitted to being the mother of the boy. She agreed to talk but asked me not to use her name. She was “initially shocked” when teachers called her but quickly realized it wasn’t a big problem. Her son is fine now, staff have stepped up searches of the yard, and she hopes it was a “one-off incident.” As for concerns the Glebe is getting more dangerous, she waves them off, explaining: “I’m from Chicago.”

Avery Berman, who was dropping off his daughter that same morning, was less worried about needles than about a homeless man living in Glebe Memorial Park just behind his house.

“I wanted to go with my girls to jump in the leaves, but he was screaming so we turned around.”

I went over to the park to check and found a man packing up his tent,

sleeping bag and backpack. Kevin told me he’s 31 and had been sleeping here for a couple of weeks. He’d been given notice to leave and promised a ride to the Salvation Army shelter, but he didn’t want to go there. “I’ll set up my tent somewhere else, probably closer to downtown.”

Two city contractors waited nearby in a truck to clean up whatever Kevin left behind. “Fifty-fifty, we find drugs,” the driver said. “Plenty of needles.” His view on how the homeless are dealt with: “They treat the symptoms, not the causes.” A police officer arrived to make sure there was no trouble with the “dismantlement.” Then the bylaw officer who had served Kevin’s eviction notice. And two members of the police outreach team. A Salvation Army driver was on the way.

Seven people to move one man – that’s a lot of resources when money is tight, especially when it happens over and over. Kevin refused to go the shelter because they wouldn’t let him take his tent. Dragging it behind him, he headed out of the park.

“I’m going to make some money,” he yelled his shoulder. “Okay,” replied the bylaw officer, “Just make sure you don’t set up in a city park, or we’ll kick you out again.”

But that was most likely to happen – the bylaw officer predicted the only thing that will get Kevin into a shelter is the winter cold.

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Glebe Report December 8, 2023 3

GLEBE

Police ‘Crime Map’ pinpoints crime by neighbourhood

Guide

A new Ottawa Police data visualization tool released last month (data. ottawapolice.ca) allows you to focus in on the Glebe to see where, when and what crimes have been committed. It reports about 130 offences so far this year in the Glebe, from harassment and assaults to theft under $5,000 and car thefts.

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4 Glebe Report December 8, 2023

EDITORIAL / LETTERS

Good people of the Glebe

D

ecember is said to be a festive time of good cheer, with the milk of human kindness flowing freely. But . . .

There’s a war in Ukraine and a war between Israel and Hamas that has Canadians divided as never before, with increased incidences of hatefuelled behaviour among us. Climate change action is urgently needed in the world, including Canada, and yet not enough is in evidence. Housing affordability is down the drain – in fact, the affordability of everything.

Mental health and addiction issues abound, and the unhoused are a growing population.

Here at home, there’s the disappointment of Lansdowne and the rising tide of homelessness and mental distress in the Glebe. The article by Roger Smith in this issue of the Glebe Report and columns

by Councillor Shawn Menard and

GCA president John Crump chronicle some of the problems and efforts being made to combat them. Pieces in this and other Glebe Report issues bring to the fore the need for climate change action at the local and individual levels.

The health of the neighbourhood is of vital importance to those of us who live here – in that, we are all on the same page. Our ideas as to how to fix the problems may differ, but our hearts are in the right place. So, there is room for optimism.

That these problems are being acknowledged and that good and caring people are doing their best to find solutions, or at least find mitigating measures, tells us that there is a good chance things can and will get better.

Happy December to us all!

–Liz McKeen

Images of the

Glebe

Remembering ‘Bud’ Raistrick

The Glebe under attack

The Glebe Report has learned with sadness of the death of Bud Raistrick, 1937 – 2023, who owned and ran Winchester Print, our long-time printer, until he ceded the reins to his sons Kent and Kreg a few years ago. He began working in the printing business in 1957, and at the age of 86 he was still involved in the business and sometimes delivered bundles of the Glebe Report to us in Ottawa.

Winchester Print, located in Winchester, Ontario, has been a family affair, with Bud’s wife Heather doing the accounting, and his two sons operating the business. Winchester Print has thrived as a business for over 40 years. It has been the Glebe Report’s printer for 26 of those years.

Editor, Glebe Report

Error about Glebe history Editor, Glebe Report Re: “Neighbourhood of Sacrifice,”

by Dave O’Malley, Glebe Report, November 2023.

�

The otherwise excellent article “Neighbourhood of Sacrifice” by Dave O’Malley in the November 10 issue of the Glebe Report suffers from a serious error about Glebe history. His map of the Glebe labels the entire Dow’s Lake neighbourhood as “area undeveloped before both wars.” This is incorrect.

Sunset Boulevard (now Old Sunset Boulevard) and the area south of it, which was known as the Kennedy lands, were developed in the 1920s.

Our home on Old Sunset Boulevard, for example, was built in 1921. A few houses on the Kennedy lands were built much earlier than that, including the 1870 Kennedy House on Lakeview Terrace. Homes began to be built in the 1930s north of Sunset Boulevard after the removal of the railway and the Fraserfield lumber yards.

It’s a pity Mr. O’Malley didn’t consult John Leaning’s excellent book The Story of the Glebe when he was researching his article.

The Lansdowne Christmas tree PHOTO: LIZ MCKEEN

Barbara Popel Old Sunset Boulevard

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The Glebe Report acknowledges that its offices and the Glebe neighbourhood it serves are on the unceded lands and territories of the Anishinaabe people, comprised of the Ojibwe, Chippewa, Odawa, Potawatomi, Algonquin, Saulteaux, Nipissing and Mississauga First Nations.

Utility reconstruction on Ella and Ralph streets will widen the street and remove portions of front gardens and my neighbours’ ability to park on their lots for houses on the south side of Ella and possibly Ralph. These houses are close to the street, making the already short driveways unusable even for micro-cars.

Widening sidewalks and roadways will nibble away parking spaces, replace gardens with concrete and slowly convert the Glebe into a non-place suburb of thoroughfares and planned mediocrity. Heritage neighbourhoods are under attack by planners and engineers. Provincial standards are given as the excuse for dramatic changes to the streetscape in the Glebe, which is slowly becoming a place with little recognizable character.

Plans for Ella Street will destroy the character of a narrow, working-class, heritage street as well as removing parking, forcing some residents to park on surrounding streets – Newton, Craig, Gordon – congesting a whole section of the Glebe. Elected representatives are sympathetic but have little incentive to challenge engineers when there are bigger windmills to tilt at.

It’s time to call the planners and politicians to account, and even for class actions. Ottawa has no compunction in imposing irrelevant, “traffic calming,” sidewalk protrusions for small side streets! Rather than listening to residents’ concerns, one-size solutions are imposed on average neighbourhoods while elite quarters of the city are conspicuously exempted.

There is no respect for the character of working-class neighbourhoods which have preserved the conviviality of an earlier age. And there is no help other than a “beg button” given to pedestrians who attempt to cross arteries such as Bronson.

It is high time we refused the city’s headlong flight toward unecological and maladapted engineering. Say no to unethical construction and to design professionals who fail to heed the needs of citizens.

Rob Shields

Business Buzz Bouquet & Frame “pressed floral studio” is now open at 218 Fifth Avenue. “We take sentimental items and transform them into meaningful and intricate works of art.” bouquetandframe.com Bank of Montreal Lansdowne Branch closed on December 8.

Contributors this month Iva Apostolova Elizabeth Baird Robyn Best Eleanor Crowder John Crump John Dance Wendy Davies Hannah Daramola Chelsey Fawcett John Forsythe Marjolein Groenevelt Joel Harden Jennifer Humphries Clare Jackson Martha Jeacle Julie LeBlanc Angus Luff Randal Marlin Ian McKercher Alex MacKie Anant Nagpur Yasir Naqvi

Thomas Nast Peter Nor Christine Osborne Tim O’Connor Barbara Popel Josh Rachlis John M. Richardson Marisa Romano Sarah Routliffe Roger Smith Sophie Shields Rob Shields Sue Stefko Martha Tobin Denise Trottier Alivia Vanin Dan Vivian Luna Vo Della Wilkinson Cecile Wilson Charles Zave Zeus

Glebe Report December 8, 2023 5

LETTERS

Lansdowne 2.0: civic rot How a majority of councillors could support a proposal that fails in so many ways defies belief. From the financial, planning, environmental, heritage, transportation, green space, consultative, governance and community perspectives, Lansdowne 2.0 will be a disaster.

The disheartening, discouraging 16-9 City Council approval of Lansdowne 2.0 is evidence of rot within our city government: rot of the self-serving Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group, City staff who were simply OSEG advocates rather than regulators, most councillors and especially Mayor Mark Sutcliffe.

OSEG and the City premised the whole $419 million proposition on the need to put Lansdowne on a sound financial footing, but there was no real attempt to determine why the initial Lansdowne renovation has been a massive financial failure.

It’s hard to believe that new,

roofless, north-side stands, a new arena that will be competing with both a new Senators arena and the old one in Kanata and a mere 8,000 additional square feet of commercial space will turn the Titanic-like investment around. The ship is still going to sink – it’s just a matter of how soon and how many casualties there will be.

Why did most of the rural and suburban councillors vote for Lansdowne 2.0 and most of the urban councillors vote against? It’s not clear to me, but there is a fundamental problem when a massive development is approved against the wishes of those most affected by it.

On a positive note, the efforts of Glebe residents such as June Creelman, Carolyn Mackenzie and Neil Saravanamuttoo and the ongoing strenuous efforts of Councillor Shawn Menard were exemplary.

Biking is not for everyone

Battle of Ortona remembered

Editor, Glebe Report

Editor, Glebe Report

Re: “Cyclists Live Longer,” Tom Trottier, Glebe Report, November 2023.

This year will be the 80th anniversary of the Second World War battle of Ortona.

I would like to bring your attention to the connection of this event with another interesting one of the Trottier brothers who lived at 36 Newton Street, Eddie and Gerald Trottier.

This important battle for Canadian soldiers took place in December 1943 in Ortona, Italy.

My late father, Gerald Trottier, who lived and painted in the Glebe, with the help of another Ottawa artist, painted the largest Second World War battle mural. It is 48 feet by 8 feet and is located at the Loyal Edmonton Regiment Military Museum in Edmonton.

The mural depicts this battle where the artist’s brother, Eddie, fought in a tank.

Gerald listened to his brother’s testimony and others who fought in it. https://www.lermuseum.org/ about-the-battle-of-ortona-painting (Gerald Trottier also sculpted, among others, the bronze Blessed Sacrament crucifix whose double is in the National Gallery.)

Let us not forget!

Firstly, defeatism is not my style and I reject this inappropriate and pejorative label.

Secondly, I reiterate that I support bike riding for those who are fit and able bodied enough to do it, at whatever age.

Thirdly, I reiterate that biking is not for everyone, such as the infirm and some of the elderly like me – and for the record, I am a few years ahead of Mr. Trottier.

Many people do not feel safe on the roads or bike paths, especially when they are covered in ice in the winter. It is often hard enough to walk, let alone ride a bike.

There is another overlooked category – those who have always enjoyed bike riding but have had to give it up due to health issues e.g., dizzy spells. This happened to one of my family members, who had a nasty fall from their bike due to this ongoing balance issue.

But hey, regardless of these “defeatist” concerns, maybe all our wimpy qualms should be tossed out of the window. Egged on by Mr. Trottier’s crusading spirit and zealous defense of cycling always and in all conditions, we could throw caution to the winds.

We could all grab a bike, a trike or Swytch kit and get pedalling. We could battle through ice and snow in the winter and maybe tackle a few snowbanks, which often pile up in the bike lanes. Emboldened by this, we could don our brightest outfits and enjoy a ride through heavy traffic on Carling Avenue. We could follow this by picking up our groceries and lugging them home in our saddle bags, wobbling along and dodging more traffic on our merry way!

Courageous certainly, defeatist certainly not!

Wendy Davies

John Dance, Old Ottawa East

Denise Trottier Editor’s note: For more information on artist Gerald Trottier, see the April 2014 Glebe Report, available at glebereport. ca under “Past Issues.”

Don’t give away our peace and quiet Editor, Glebe Report Along with letter writer and neighbour Alan Freeman, I am pleased to see that sound baffles are being installed along the Queensway. Hopefully this will indeed help to reduce the background “hum” of traffic.

I am very concerned, however, that the peace and quiet of our community is being eroded by the buzzing, growling and roaring of cars with mufflers that have been modified to make noise, in contravention of the Ontario 2007 Highway Traffic Amendment Act (Muffler Noise). The noise from Bank Street, Chamberlain, Preston and other streets is particularly noticeable on weekend nights during warmer weather, but the din is becoming ubiquitous. I am awoken every morning by a neighbour starting a pickup truck with an exhaust modified to make an enormous roar that settles into a loud, throaty growl. It’s ridiculous.

During the summer months, it is becoming difficult to sit quietly outside in the evening or read inside with a window open – such is the din of cars modified to make them sound like they are screeching around the Indy 500.

I stopped by the police station on Elgin to ask about this antisocial behaviour and was told by the front desk officer that this was not a police matter but a city issue. She then said to call the police when I notice the problem. She then said the police were powerless to stop it. She warned me not to approach any of the offending motorists because they could be armed. It was an odd, contradictory, dispiriting exchange.

I have contacted our counsellor’s office and was told they are aware of the issue. I contacted the mayor’s office, and they replied by forwarding my email to the police. There has been no follow-up from anyone, and the problem continues to grow.

I don’t know why as a community we have to be subject to this unlawful racket. In Paris, France, they have installed “sound cameras” to capture and ticket offenders. We ought to do the same thing here. Also, police should stop and ticket offenders. They are not hard to find. As a community, we need to take our peaceful, quiet, law-abiding environment more seriously. The right to enjoy a reasonably quiet outdoors is not something we should give away so readily.

John M. Richardson

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Tragedy of the wars in our small neighbourhood Editor, Glebe Report A tremendous vote of thanks is owed to Dave O’Malley for his excellent research and map in the November Glebe Report showing how the two World Wars impacted the Glebe. It looked like a carpet bombing, with barely a street untouched, really bringing home how dramatic the tragedy of those wars was on our small neighbourhood.

And this “just” reflected the deaths. Try adding in the numbers who served and returned to the Glebe forever changed by physical or mental scars from the experience.

Lest we forget.

Ian McKercher

CONTACT: circulation@glebereport.ca

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GACA

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24 m 24 - 8 m S - 8 TO ÉT REY AG S ES /

EX IM IST M IN EU G BL BU E IL EX DIN IS TA G (5 N T ST (5 O ÉT RE AG YS ES ) / )

EXIST ING AP IMMEU AR BLE RÉ TMENT BU ILDING SIDEN TIEL EXIST (12 STORE ANT (12 ÉTA YS) / GES)

49m - 15 STOR 49m EY - 15 ÉTAG S / ES

65m - 20 ST OR 65m - 20 ÉT EYS / AGES

EXIST IN IMME G BU UBLE ILDIN EXIST G (6 ST OR ANT (6 ÉT EYS) / AGES ) E/ CARLING AVENU G AVENUE CARLIN

Local federal government properties are on the list to be converted to housing after a November 7 announcement that Canada Lands Company (CLC) would “support the construction” of more than 29,200 homes across Canada over the next six years.

More than 700 homes are slated to be built at the Booth Street Complex, the former Natural Resources Canada site just south of highway 417. And 600 homes are promised at 299 Carling Avenue, which is currently in essence a 3.4-acre parking lot between Bell and Lebreton streets south.

The news release noted that by March 2024, CLC will “help deliver” the properties to build these homes.

The release’s vague language led several local media outlets to incorrectly report that the units would be constructed by next spring and that CLC would do the construction. In reality, CLC’s role traditionally involves preparing properties for sale to developers, not direct construction, except for parks or similar amenities.

When one considers the timelines, it’s obvious that even if shovels were in the ground immediately, it would be impossible to build the promised 1310 units at Booth and Carling within four months. CLC confirmed that the sites are now being marketed, and it hopes to sell them by next March, enabling the start of planning, approval processes and construction.

The news release also said the government was “on track to build nearly 30,000 new homes on surplus federal lands by 2029.” But as far as these two local developments are concerned, the date seems irrelevant. There is no path laid out to get homes built by any particular year. In fact, the sites have already been on the market for some time, and how the government will finally manage to sell them by next March is unclear. The Booth Street complex has been available since October 2020 and 299 Carling since November 2022.

The news release also introduced a new minimum affordable-housing target of 20 per cent across CLC projects where municipal requirements are lower or

EX IM ISTIN ME G UB B LE UIL EX DIN IS G TA (8 NT ST (8 OR ÉT EY AG S) ES / )

By Sue Stefko

PO AV WEL EN UE L AV PO E / WEL L

Deciphering federal plans for building homes in the Glebe Annex

LEBR RUE ETON ST LEBR RE ETON ET S / SUD EXIST IN IMME G BU UBLE ILDIN EXIST G (4 ST OR ANT (4 ÉT EYS) / AGES )

291 CARLING AVENUE PREFERRED DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT

Booth Street complex rendering from south SOURCE: CANADA LANDS COMPANY

299 Carling preferred development concept SOURCE: CLC, ALGONQUINS OF ONTARIO, MCROBIE ARCHITECTS

non-existent. For the 1617 homes promised to be built in Ottawa, which includes these two sites as well as the former Canadian Forces Base Rockcliffe, the news release noted that this would include 221 affordable homes. However, this figure represents approximately 13.5 per cent of the homes, not 20 per cent.

This 13.5 per cent is approximately in line with what the City had already been planning for the two developments. When approving the Booth Street site’s rezoning, the City mandated that a minimum of 10 per cent of residential units be affordable. For 299 Carling, the City required a minimum of 15 per cent.

In addition, the numbers in the release don’t match previous plans for the number of units. The

Booth Street complex was previously envisaged to include about 1,000 units, not the 710 laid out in the news release. The 299 Carling Design Guidelines suggested approximately 500 units, but the release indicates 600 units. Given the zoning amendment and design guidelines are already approved, the original figures might be more probable.

In more positive news, planning for parks on both sites is ongoing. Construction of the park at the Booth Street Complex is expected to start next summer, and CLC is collaborating with the Algonquins of Ontario for a park-visioning exercise at 299 Carling.

Sue Stefko is vice-president of the Glebe Annex Community Association.

Coffee Houses on Sustainability Join your neighbours from across Ottawa for a coffee and cookie to learn from their experiences when transitioning to a more sustainable lifestyle!

Invites all Ottawa residents to these FREE events.

Bring your own cup!

Glebe Community Centre, 175 Third Ave, Ottawa 9:30 – 11:30 am Saturday January 27 Homes and Energy Saturday February 24 Reducing Your Carbon Footprint Sunday March 24 Greenspace and Water Saturday April 27 Transportation Sunday May 5 Responsible Consumption Jim Durrell Rec Centre, 1265 Walkley Rd, Ottawa 9:30 – 11:30 am Saturday June 8 Climate Risk – Basement Flooding Sign up on Eventbrite:

www.bit.ly/GreenCoffeeHouses

Community Environment Project Grant Program (CEPGP)

Glebe Report December 8, 2023 7

BUSINESS

Small businesses of the Glebe need you!

By Alivia Vanin With the holiday season fast approaching, small businesses in the Glebe are hoping that neighbourhood residents will “shop local” to carry them through the new year.

Many small businesses are in a seemingly never-ending struggle for survival.

To keep going during the pandemic lockdown, some accepted a burdening amount of financial assistance in the form of government loans. While the terms were good, the resulting debt, with interest, is crippling. Many business owners are living on borrowed funds or savings while trying to navigate the COVID aftermath. Many are deciding if they will close in the next six months.

And back-to-normal after COVID does not necessarily mean back-tobusiness. COVID has changed the shopping landscape, perhaps forever, with online retailers taking a huge chunk from bricks-and-mortar sales.

Small businesses tend to fluctuate wildly in the number of sales they see. The holiday season is the one consistent period of strong sales, with more business in every retail environment. Many businesses make up to half their sales during the final two months of the year.

“Consumer purchasing habits have changed, seemingly permanently,” says Jackie Morphy, owner of AllEco, a Bank Street store that sells eco-friendly products in the self-care, cleaning and food industries.

In the struggle to stay open after four years of adversity, Morphy is focusing on boosting her online sales. The social media campaign to “buy local” helped to combat the damage done by lockdowns, she says, but its momentum has since faded. She’s hoping this holiday season will bring local residents back out to Bank Street for their gift shopping.

Lisa Greeves, owner of Octopus Books at 116 Third Avenue, complains that her business is impacted by the lack of foot traffic in the cooler weather.

COVID has also caused a significant drop in sales, so Greeves is banking on the heightened sales that come with the December holiday season.

“The support of our community has gotten us through some challenging times,” she says.

Independent bookstores like Octopus are constantly swimming against the current of larger companies and online shopping, so Greeves hopes Glebites will check out the little store

on Third before going online and picking the fastest delivery option.

The Papery has had to deal with a devastating fire on Boxing Day last year.

In a show of resilience and nimbleness, the store opened its current pop-up store upstairs at 858 Bank Street while repairs to their store are slowly being completed. The Papery specializes in stationery, wrapping paper, cards and all things seasonal. They start preparing for the Christmas rush in August.

Owner Katherine Slack has expanded the pop-up shop to include a “wrap room” to make it a one-stop shop for the final step of your holiday shopping.

Slack has “always loved the Glebe” and wants to continue to be a part of the community.

The Papery, as with many Glebe businesses, is participating in the famous Glebe Spree, a promotional effort by the BIA to bring people to the Glebe for shopping with the lure of winning big prizes.

As easy as it is to order all you need online at this busy time of year, consider stopping into any of the local shops in the community. Every purchase goes a long way. Your dollar may mean the difference between life and death for your favourite Glebe small business!

Alivia Vanin is a Carleton student in the English and Creative Writing program.

Small businesses in the Glebe, as elsewhere, are struggling in the aftermath of COVID, and in the midst of runaway inflation and fundamental changes in consumer behaviour. Many businesses are looking to local residents to boost their chances of survival by buying local this holiday season. PHOTOS: ALIVIA VANIN

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8 Glebe Report December 8, 2023

OPINION

Public opinion polls, propaganda and Lansdowne

By Randal Marlin Public opinion polls serve the public interest in important ways. Those whose concern is to serve the public interest would like an accurate picture of what policy measures would best serve that interest.

Knowing how people feel about the measures can be an important consideration for assessing their likely success.

Accurate polling costs money. If you are Conrad Black, you can get away with cost-free polling. Referring to his paper in Sept-Iles, he wrote with disarming frankness about his paper’s coverage during the 1973 Québec provincial election: “Our reporting was fairly balanced for most of the campaign, but we did an editorial sand-bag job on the P.Q., complete with publication of a poll indicating a Liberal victory. There was no indication of the number of people sampled so the fact that I consulted only seven people (including myself) never came to light.”

No reputable polling firm could get away with that completely unscientific, biased “polling.” They have to make use of acceptable science. But reputable polling costs a lot of money. Those who pay for polling may have an interest in the truth, but they may also have even more of an interest in truth varnished in a way favourable to their company, organization, party or whatever. The varnishing can result in misleading the public.

This brings us to the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group’s (OSEG’s) sponsorship of a poll about Lansdowne 2.0, the results and interpretation of which were publicized widely by CTV prior to the hotly contested vote to accept the proposed agreement between the City of Ottawa and OSEG. The chosen pollster, EKOS, seems to have a good track record, and its science seems to be sound. One can learn a lot of truthful information on opinions about the Lansdowne 2.0 deal among people in the greater Ottawa region.

But with paid-for polls, one has to be very careful to

Polls that seek to influence rather than find out truth about public opinion are sometimes called “push polls.” In the case of the EKOS poll, influence is very subtle, but it is there.

In the recent opinion poll on the fate of Lansdowne, the dubious stated assumption that the City owns Lansdowne may have unduly influenced responses, according to this writer. PHOTO: LIZ MCKEEN

check for biases favouring those who paid for the poll.

In searching for bias, you need to know, for a start: 1.

Who paid for it? 2. What were the questions asked? and 3. How were the results interpreted?

Against the background of the ambiguity in the concept of ownership, discussed in the August Glebe Report, I want to argue that two questions (there may be more) were biased and that the widely disseminated interpretation of the results was biased in favour of OSEG and against the City of Ottawa.

The first question I would impugn is Question 7. It begins, not with a question, but with a statement: “The arena and stadium at Lansdowne are owned by the City of Ottawa.”

This is a flat statement, one that doesn’t recognize that there could be other incidents of ownership conveyed to OSEG in the management, control and entitlement to income from the property. When you have a statement like that on something controversial, you are not just finding out information, you are seeking to influence people.

To see the relevance of this to the sponsor of the

EKOS poll, we can turn to Question 14: “The estimated cost of Lansdowne 2.0 is approximately $400 million.

Recognizing that Lansdowne is owned by the City of Ottawa, what proportion of the cost do you believe the City should be paying?” The question is followed by the possible choices: “0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%, Don’t know/prefer not to answer.”

Doesn’t it seem obvious that someone who believes the arena and stadium are fully owned by the city will be more inclined to answer 100 per cent than one who believes some of the most important ownership rights are held by OSEG? Instilling the idea that the city is the only true owner carries with it financial implications that seem to favour OSEG. Polls that seek to influence rather than find out truth about public opinion are sometimes called “push polls.” In the case of the EKOS poll, influence is very subtle, but it is there.

Interestingly, the poll does reveal something that is true and is the reverse of what EKOS considers to be true. This relates to the matter of EKOS’s interpretation.

The interpretation begins: “A clear plurality of the public believe that Lansdowne is owned by OSEG, only one in five recognize that Lansdowne is owned by the City of Ottawa. There is evidence that some of the concerns over the cost of Lansdowne 2.0 may be rooted in the incorrect assumption that the city is investing in privately-owned facilities.”

An alternative interpretation could be: “There is evidence that some of the concerns over the cost of Lansdowne are rooted in the correct assumption by a plurality of the public that some key ownership rights are transferred to OSEG.” Randal Marlin is a long-time Glebe resident, former member of the city’s Lansdowne Park Advisory Committee and former president of the GCA, which actively opposed implementation of the proposed mega expansion of Lansdowne Park to Fifth Avenue in the 1970s. He is an adjunct professor in philosophy at Carleton University.

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Glebe Report December 8, 2023 9

GNAG

Sarah Routliffe GNAG Executive Director

N 613-233-8713

E info@gnag.ca

gnag.ca

Be kind, give back, buy local!

Recently, as I curled up to a movie with a big bowl of popcorn and my four-legged friends, my heart was warmed by a character’s words on kindness. I truly believe that it is a trait that can easily be forgotten when our lives become busy, or the winter weather blows our plans off course.

Fortunately, there are so many moments in a day where we have the choice to be kind, to make someone’s day, to volunteer for something we believe in, to exchange a smile with a stranger on the street – all are ways of practising compassion in our community.

This topic came up the next day when Paul and I were reviewing questions for a podcast called the Glebe Community Spotlight: “What advice do you have for an aspiring leader?”

We both immediately knew our answer – leading with empathy and understanding. Becoming a leader is about trying to lift others up, listening and being kind.

This community is blessed with many such leaders who have harnessed the superpower of compassion. One of them knew I was having a bad day and gifted me a book I had on my wish list as a total surprise. Thank you, Rebecca!

Kind moments are the ones to remember, and this is the perfect season for giving. Whether it’s time, friendship, a listening ear or presents, a little goes a long way. One of the ways I’m practising giving back to my community this holiday season is by shopping at the local businesses here in the Glebe!

Winter Program Registration

GNAG winter program registration opened on December 5, and we have a lot of new programs to offer.

In an effort of transparency, we have started to label everything that is NEW in our online guide. Please take a peek at all we have to offer – there are so many new talented individuals offering programs in the gorgeous Glebe Community Centre.

Programs get cancelled due to low registration very early in the new year, so please register in advance! If you wait, it might be too late. The guide is available at www.gnag.ca.

Winter Break Camp

Winter Break Camp is January 2-5!

If your kids get antsy after too much time off school, please send them our

way! We all have a soft spot for holiday break camps, but space is very limited so register in advance.

Spend your holidays at GNAG! We will make crafty creations, cook up some yummy treats, play wicked games and go on awesome yellow-bus out-trips!

Winter Carnival

Winter Carnival is happening Sunday, December 10, from 1:30 to 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.

This will be the last GNAG event for Alison O’Connor who has been with our organization for many years. Ali has a teaching degree and secured a fantastic neighbourhood job teaching at First Avenue School! If you attend the event, you can wish her well and play some carnival games. Thank you for everything Ali – we are so excited for you!!

Kids under 10 must be accompanied by an adult (14 years +). Tickets are available online at www.gnag.ca/ gnagevents/winter-carnival/.

Mutchmor Rink is BACK!

Mutchmor rink is back, and we could use your help in maintaining the rink! As you can imagine, there is a lot of work that goes into running a rink and keeping those skates gliding smoothly.

While we have a dedicated crew of young individuals lined up this year, we could also use the skilled hands of some adult volunteers! If you are interested, please email us at info@ gnag.ca.

Thank you to councillor Shawn Menard for his generous donation of $1,000 to support the rink operations and equipment!

Watch for future details on the rink party!

See you in 2024!

As the holiday season approaches, the entire GNAG family wants to extend our heartfelt wishes to each and every one of you. From our community to yours, we wish you a season filled with warmth, joy and the company of cherished loved ones. Though the days may be short, we are hopeful that they will be illuminated by the spirit of togetherness and kindness.

Feb. 9, 2024.

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10 Glebe Report December 8, 2023

GCA

John Crump

President Glebe Community Association

T @glebeca E gca@glebeca.ca

www.glebeca.ca

Wrapping up 2023 At the risk of a pre-holiday understatement, it has been a busy year, a reality reflected in the agenda of the last 2023 GCA board meeting at the end of November.

A familiar sign of the coming winter – the stairs leading down to Patterson’s Creek, Central Park and other parks are closed for the winter. But the good news is that the stairs at the Flora Footbridge and Corktown Bridge will be maintained by the City this winter. PHOTO: LIZ MCKEEN

Lansdowne Christmas market

Responding to community safety concerns

An important part of our meeting dealt with how to respond to concerns residents have raised about public safety in the Glebe. Last month, the GCA took part in a meeting organized by Councillor Shawn Menard to discuss these issues with Ottawa Police Services, City of Ottawa Parking, Centretown Community Health Centre, the BIA, GNAG, and members of the community. Concerns included increasing reports of people panhandling and sleeping rough in our area, occasionally disrupting businesses or community members.

Unfortunately, there is a real lack of resources in Ottawa, and the situation continues to deteriorate as the numbers of people who require them increase.

A community police officer explained that when the police are called to an incident with a homeless person, they likely have nowhere to take them. The shelters are over capacity. If people are moved out of one area of the city, they relocate in another. Another concern is needles found in the neighbourhood.

Needles are picked up by the city (call 311) but wait times can be long.

This situation is citywide – and national. The GCA and community partners, including the BIA and GNAG, have decided to come together to provide more training/information in the new year. We are also writing to ask the City and federal government to step up and provide more funding to deal with the multiple health crises we are facing.

Everyone needs to work together to find solutions. Winter is upon us, and it is estimated that nearly 300 people are sleeping out of doors in this city.

Lansdowne 2.0 – it ain’t over

By now, everyone is aware that City Council approved the Lansdowne 2.0 plan in early November. As part of this, council approved both an Official Plan Amendment (OPA) and a rezoning application to allow for building of a new arena/event centre and two mixed-use towers. The proposed arena/

event centre will take away green space that is well used by the community, a community that is already underserved according to the City’s own greenspace standards. Other concerns include the impact of the large towers in the public realm and increased traffic congestion given the lack of adequate public transportation. Add to that the fact that City’s own Urban Design Review Panel has expressed strong concerns about the impact of both the arena and the two tall towers on our public space including the Aberdeen Pavilion.

The board voted to support retaining legal advice to determine whether there is any basis to file an appeal of either or both the OPA and rezoning.

Draft Active Transportation Study received

The board heard a presentation on our draft active transportation study

by Momentum Transport Consultancy, an international firm hired through a competitive process in September 2022.

A key objective of this initiative was to look at how people walk, bike and use other modes of non-vehicle transportation in the community. Momentum used its international expertise to look at the big picture, consult with residents and make recommendations based on their analysis and best practices elsewhere. The board will begin discussing the report at its next meeting.

Looking ahead to some changes

The GCA had an update on some of the changes coming from the new Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act (ONCA – a new acronym) now in force.

Like other non-profits around the province, we are reviewing our bylaws and the way we operate. We see this as a great opportunity to modernize some of our practices, while maintaining the practices that have made us successful for over 50 years. One of our areas of focus will be our membership and how we can better engage and connect with the community, including using online tools. There is a lot of work ahead in 2024, and the goal is to have all the new procedures in place for consideration at our Annual General Meeting in June.

The next GCA board meeting will be online, Tuesday, January 23. Information about how to join will be circulated later in January.

Happy Holidays from all of us at the

John Crump

COUNCILLOR'S REPORT

President Glebe Community Association

Glebe Report December 8, 2023 11

Shawn Menard Councillor, Capital Ward

N 613-580-2487 E capitalward@ottawa.ca T @capitalward E shawn.menard@ottawa.ca www.shawnmenard.ca

City council passes Lansdowne 2.0 and the city approach to housing and social services Last month, council took another step towards approving the Lansdowne 2.0 proposal, with decisions to come on the procurement model and an Auditor General’s report. This is a complex deal, but here are the basics. The project cost is estimated at $419 million – not including various associated costs.

With interest, taxpayers will pay $656 million over the 40 years, $16.4 million a year. But this is only an estimate. Prices could still go up.

The project will see the demolition of the north side stands, the arena and the adjacent retail building (“J-Block”), which currently houses multiple businesses, including GoodLife Fitness.

A new arena, with a capacity of 5,500 to 6,500, will be built by the eastern end of the stadium where the berm currently sits. The berm will be demolished, and we will lose some public space adjacent to the hill.

Despite some talk of eliminating the berm and sledding hill, we passed a motion directing staff to re-create the hill and ensure the artwork currently on the berm, Moving Surfaces, remains at Lansdowne.

A smaller grandstand will replace the north side stands, with about 3,000 fewer seats and 900 more standing-room spots. Behind it, two

40-storey towers will be erected, with a retail podium underneath. The airrights for the towers will be sold to a developer.

We passed a motion directing staff to explore adding a covering to the new north side stands to improve the fan experience.

Thankfully, council rejected the city’s plan to avoid affordable housing obligations, instead devoting 25 per-cent of the sale of the air rights (approximately $9.75 million) to affordable housing, and more as well should the air rights sell for more than expected. I’m disappointed council did not ensure dedicated affordable housing units be provided at Lansdowne, as we have done with other developments in the ward.

Disappointingly, the plan offered no transportation strategy or any concrete plan to improve the public realm of the site, despite promises to the contrary throughout this whole process.

At the meeting, we were able to begin rectifying these oversights: adding specific transportation upgrades to the city’s Active Transportation Project List, making them eligible for funding; instructing staff to review day-to-day transit service along Bank Street, including potential promotional fares and increased

Under Lansdowne 2.0, the berm, currently the site of the large sculpture “Moving Surfaces” and a tobogganing hill, is to be demolished, then recreated with less public space. PHOTO: LIZ MCKEEN

service; directing staff and OSEG to collaborate on a strategy for providing appropriate transportation for medium and large events; directing staff to investigate closing off Aberdeen Square to cut-through traffic; and including transportation demand management criteria when the city sells air rights for the towers.

We passed motions prioritizing popular public realm improvements that can be included in future budgets during the construction phase and that directed staff to collaborate with the NCC and Parks Canada about improving connections to the canal, including boat-up access and a new Pedestrian Crossover on Queen Elizabeth Drive.

Despite these important victories, the overall project is disappointing, saddling residents with hundreds of millions of dollars in debt just to replace a stadium and arena that still have decades left in their lifespan.

This decision will haunt this council and our city. We carry more financial and legal risks with the new deal.

Residents and local businesses will suffer through 10 years of construction. It is dispiriting that this is what the city prioritizes.

Human Needs and Safety Discussion

Recently, our office held a meeting with representatives from the BIA, the

GCA, GNAG, the Ottawa Police, the Centretown Community Health Centre and city staff to discuss issues regarding homelessness, public safety and social supports for our street-involved neighbours.

There was much discussion about the Second Avenue parking garage and safety improvements that are happening there. Security is being improved, with a new contractor selected and a review of the activities of security guards.

The city established the Safer Alternative Response for Mental Health and Substance Use Crisis Team, which tasks mental health professionals with providing services to residents in need. The team will be launching in spring of 2024 as a pilot in Somerset Ward, and we will work to expand it into the Glebe.

The 2024 draft budget includes $33.5 million in Municipal City Homelessness Funding. This is a start, but concerns are increasing for human needs across Ottawa and the country, with overdoses increasing, shelters overflowing and a lack of proper government investment in this priority.

We have pushed for reallocation of funding to these issues. Somehow, we have $419 million for a non-emergency stadium, but not enough to meet the needs of the most vulnerable people in our community.

happy Holidays & cheers to a new year !!!

Www.glebecentralpub.com

12 Glebe Report December 8, 2023

HOCKEY

Mutchmor rink is back The Mutchmor Rink has lived to see another winter!

The rink will be operated by GNAG, with volunteers maintaining the ice.

GNAG instructors will supervise shinny hockey, with emphasis on sportsmanship, community contribution (kids will shovel the ice) and understanding of “shinny rules,” in addition to the development of hockey and skating skills. Children will need to bring their skates, full-face helmet and hockey stick, and younger kids will use childfriendly pucks and nets. All skill levels are welcome.

The Mutchmor rink, in the field between Third and Fourth avenues just west of Lyon, will again be available for skating and hockey this year PHOTO: LIZ MCKEEN

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Now, for tomorrow

What’s in a name? On the ‘Alert’ for Ottawa’s new women’s hockey team It’s one of the worst-kept secrets ever – barring some last-minute legal surprise, Ottawa’s entry in the new Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) will be known as the Alert, a nod to the history of women’s hockey in the city.

The team opened training camp in November at its home base at Lansdowne’s TD Place Arena and will launch its inaugural season by hosting Montreal on January 2.

In late October, the league trademarked a name for each of the six franchises, and it was Alert for Ottawa. Then on November 25, as team players watched a Senators game at the Canadian Tire Centre, they were announced to the crowd as “the Ottawa Alert.” But as of this writing in early December, the team was still officially referred to as PWHL Ottawa.

Ottawa general manager Mike Hirshfield said there are trademark and other legal matters to be settled before an official announcement, that likely won’t be much of a surprise.

“It’s a much more complicated process than the average person would think it was, so it’s taking a little longer than expected,” he told the Ottawa Sun on November 10. “I think it’s going to be the new year before we see anything official.”

The name pays tribute to the Ottawa Alerts, a women’s team that was first set up in 1915 and played

from 1916 to 1930, led by star player Eva Ault, who was nicknamed the “Queen of the Ice.” In 1922, they joined the 18-team Ladies Ontario Hockey Association and won the Women’s Ontario Ladies Championship several times.

The PWHL officially launched in August with rosters featuring the best players in the world. Among the stars suiting up for Ottawa are Canadian Olympians Emily Clark, Brianne Jenner and Emerance Maschmeyer, along with American Savannah Harmon. They will be coached by Carla MacLeod, a former member of the Canadian national team.

The team jerseys are red, “storm” and white, though as of early December the uniforms of all six teams were the same format and didn’t have specific logos. If all team names end up as on the trademark application, the Alert will be joined by the Toronto Torch, Montreal Echo, Boston Wicked, Minnesota Superior and New York Sound, which actually play in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Some critics on Twitter have complained that the delay in details like names and logos make the league look like a disorganized, rush job.

But the players don’t seem to care – after years of infighting and rival women’s leagues, they’re just anxious to get playing in one league of their own.

Glebe Report December 8, 2023 13

SPOTLIGHT

SHU Flora The new flower shop in town

By Robyn Best SHU Flora, located at Bank and Fifth, is a florist shop with a welcoming feel. When you walk through the store, you are met with flower arrangements that are full of colour and beautiful to look at. Soft music plays throughout the store, inviting the shopper in.

If you look over, Veronica Mao will be at the register putting more arrangements together.

Mao started the business as a university student out of a rented studio space. “I was doing all the orders online during my first year of university at uOttawa.

After I graduated, I felt like it was a good business, so I wanted to have a retail store.”

Mao started the business during COVID-19 and says SHU Flora managed to survive because of the customers. “Most of my customers would purchase flowers as a gift so they were willing to pay more.” Without those loyal customers, the business would not have survived and the store she currently owns may not have happened.

The store opened in early October, and Mao says she’s enjoying the area. “It’s the perfect location, has good traffic, and the people are very nice here.”

While there are many other flower shops, Mao feels as though SHU Flora is unique in some of the services it provides. “People can give me a few words, maybe an emotion, or they want to say something to the gift receiver, and I can make a personal bouquet for it.”

She calls these “keyword arrangements.” They can be based on star signs, a colour or even just a sentence to convey what you want the receiver to know.

SHU Flora makes other arrangements for a variety of occasions, including birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, housewarmings and many more. SHU Flora also offers wedding arrangements – on the second floor of the store, you are met with a display of wedding flowers. “For people who are interested in weddings, we can have meetings and direct what [flowers] you want.”

The store also offers workshops to teach people how

to make flower arrangements. “I had a workshop with uOttawa, each class had around 10 students. We did a Halloween pumpkin flower arrangement in a real pumpkin.” She felt that people really enjoyed the workshops, so she incorporated them into the store and says it is a big hit. “People find it very interesting.”

The workshops allow people to learn step by step how to make a flower arrangement. The workshops range from seasonal arrangements, such as Halloween and Christmas, to learning how to make a basic flower basket. It helps to set the store apart from being just another flower store; the interactive element allows people to do more than just shop for flowers, they can make the arrangements themselves.

Culture also plays a big role in the business. “SHU in Chinese is similar to tell, like we tell stories with the flower arrangements . . . it’s also one pronunciation of my Chinese name.”

Mao hopes this helps people become more interested in Chinese culture and thinks this also helps set the store apart. “People can see we have a different culture, that we are a different nation, and maybe [this way] we are unique.”

She has also introduced different flower styles to the store that reflect that culture. “We are doing the new Asian flower style, and we will also have the Chinese New Year, and we will have lots of decorations and people will think ‘oh that’s different.’”

The Asian flower style includes using colour combinations, shapes and flow within the flowers to convoy a meaning or story. She hopes this will help to bring new customers of all demographics into the store.

The store brings a new and innovative perspective to the flower-store business. Paired with Mao’s enthusiasm for the flowers and her clientele, this promises to be a successful new business in the Glebe.

Robyn Best is a third-year journalism student with a minor in criminology and history at Carleton University.

SHU Flora at the corner of Bank and Fifth offers flowers for all occasions, often with an Asian flare, as well as workshops in flower arranging.

PHOTOS: ROBYN BEST

WA R M U P AT AMICA THE GLEBE If you or a loved one are concerned about spending the colder months at home, consider a winter stay at Amica The Glebe.

Here, you won’t have to worry about the challenges that come with winter. Instead, you’ll enjoy the comfort and connection of a caring community of seniors, while staying in a private suite with access to premium amenities and professional, personalized care.

Who knows, you may just warm up to winter after all.

To learn more about a winter stay or to book a private tour, call LA or Luisa at 613-233-6363

33 M O N K S T R E E T

pub: The Glebe Report community: GLB insertion: December 2023

A MICA .CA/THEGLEBE

14 Glebe Report December 8, 2023

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Glebe Report December 8, 2023 15

SPOTLIGHT

The St. Rita brings Italian cuisine with Victorian charm

By Alexa MacKie Nestled in the heart of the Glebe at 753 Bank Street sits The St. Rita, a quaint and comfortable restaurant with Victorian-era decor and a menu of Italian delicacies. For owner Amadeo Iafelice, inviting members of the community inside his doors for a “cozy, intimate experience” is one of the most rewarding parts of running a restaurant.

The red-brick and wood-finished walls are lined with paintings of flowers enclosed inside elegant golden frames. Vintage Victorian light fixtures – each slightly different from the other – cast a dim, golden glow upon the white linen-covered tables, prepared to welcome the next guests with warm food and wine.

“We’re doing something that people enjoy and makes them feel warm and welcome,” he said. “We’re all just super close here.”

The Iafelice’s family friend Dany Bittar opened The St. Rita on Bank Street last January in the space previously occupied by Anthony’s Pizza. Iafelice took possession August 1 and “switched a few things around.”

The St. Rita now offers both dine-in and takeout options for gourmet Italian cuisine, after a recent menu change from the former Mediterranean-style offerings.

“We’re more comfortable cooking Italian, and we find that people just want more Italian food,” said Iafelice. “People want their pizza, people want their spaghetti and tiramisu – we’re just catering to what we see that the people want.”

The St. Rita offers a plethora of vegetarian Italian dishes as well.

With eight wood-fired pizzas to choose from, they offer styles ranging from a classic St. Margherita pizza with leaves of basil to their Diavolo pizza with chili-infused honey and Calabrese soppressata, a type of Italian sausage.

Guests can watch Iafelice behind the counter as he regularly tosses pizza dough up in the air, to “get a kick” out of the crowd.

The St. Rita also offers a variety of penne and linguine pastas with pomodoro or rosé sauces, as well as various salads and appetizers, including burrata,

truffle potatoes and arancini.

The restaurant uses all homemade and fresh ingredients. Iafelice undertakes a two-day process of making the restaurant’s pizza dough from scratch, and his Nonna (grandmother) prepares The St. Rita’s gnocchi by hand.

“People really notice the difference between something cooked from frozen versus something we’ve preThe St. Rita restaurant is a family affair, offering homemade Italian pared for 48 hours,” said Iafelice.

Operated by family and friends, cuisine in a charming old-world atmosphere. PHOTOS: ALEXA MACKIE The St. Rita is “as family as it gets.”

Iafelice’s mother runs the restaurant’s social media, and father Dino, with previous experience opening Johnny Farina on Elgin Street in 1997, is helping Amadeo run the business for the first few months. “I don’t think our food is good, I think our food is excellent,” said Dino.

Other employees have either worked in the space since it was Anthony’s Pizza or previously worked in restaurants with the Iafelice family.

Iafelice’s grandfather and father both worked in the food industry, so his calling to cuisine was “in his blood.” The restaurant business has been a part of his life since he was five years old.

“I always wanted to run my own place.” “Not necessarily a multi-million-dollar franchise, but someplace I can call my own.”

Amadeo Iafelice, owner of The St. Rita restaurant Amadeo Iafelice worked at Johnny Farina for 10 PHOTO: DINO IAFELICE years, spending his last three years as kitchen manager before deciding it was “time to move on.”

“It was a challenge to adjust to being a more customthe restaurant’s regulars, including older couples and er-facing individual,” he said, but he has “no comfathers with sons. plaints” now that he is accustomed to the smaller “I don’t think there is ever an end goal,” Amadeo business environment. said. “Just giving people an experience that they can Iafelice added that The St. Rita is growing and enjoy and makes them want to come back.” “moving in the right direction.” His goal for the resThe St. Rita (tsrglebe.ca) is open from 5 to 9 p.m. taurant is to “keep making it better.” From changing on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and from 12 to 10 p.m. up the wine list to planning to install a garage doorThursday to Saturday. style front window, he hopes to continuously enhance the experience at The St. Rita for new and returning Alexa MacKie is a freelance journalist and a guests. second-year journalism and law student at Carleton He has built a community connection with some of University.

With the end of 2023 just around the corner, the Lyne & Dominique Team would like to thank YOU and The Glebe Community for all the support you have shown us this year. We hope you take a moment to slow down and appreciate all that the neighbourhood has to offer over the Holidays.

We are excited to celebrate another year of continued business with you and your referrals in 2024, and wish you and your family the most wonderful Holiday Season.

LYNE AND DOMINIQUE TEAM

©2023 Engel & Völkers Ottawa Central, Brokerage. Each brokerage independently owned & operated. Dominique Milne, Broker. Lyne Burton, Sales Representative.

16 Glebe Report December 8, 2023

BUSINESS

The beauty of Christmas is upon us: HOW DOES A

WEARY WORLD REJOICE? Are you looking to celebrate?

Do you need some support?

Join us for joyous music, reflection and prayer All Sunday morning services begin at 10:30 am

Advent

Christmas Eve

November 26: Hope December 3: Peace December 10: Joy, Giving Sunday December 17: Love

10:30 am: Carol Sing 4:30 pm: Family Service 7:30 pm: Lessons and Carols

Exploring Advent Carols Wednesdays at 7:30 pm: November 29, December 6, 13, 20

Blue Christmas Service December 20 at 7:00 pm Rideau Park United Church 2203 Alta Vista Dr.

650 Lyon St. S., Ottawa, ON K1S 3Z7 613-236-0617, ext. 21; admin@glebestjames.ca www.glebestjames.ca

First Avenue entrance accessible by ramp

Jennifer and John Adam, owners of J.D. Adam Kitchen Co., are celebrating 35 years in business in the Glebe. PHOTOS: HANNAH DARAMOLA

J.D. ADAM CELEBRATES 35 YEARS IN THE GLEBE

By Hannah Daramola “A ‘meet-cute’ between a bank teller and a government worker results in a 35-year-old, prosperous small business in the heart of the Glebe” – that’s the story of Jennifer and John Adam, owners of J.D. Adam Kitchen Co. on Bank Street.

Jennifer and John decided to become business owners shortly after their marriage in 1988. They envisioned buying and customizing a store rather than taking over an existing shop and inheriting all its problems. They began to search for a shop for sale in the Glebe, where they already lived. In December 1988, three months after their wedding, they began their business in a rental unit on Bank Street.

After renting for three years, they bought their current location at 795 Bank. The couple turned the main floor into a shop and lived on the second floor, where they raised their two daughters, Alex and Morgan.

Their business had much initial success as the first dedicated kitchenware shop in the Glebe during the 1990s. “We always advertised in the Glebe Report and a couple of local papers,” says Jennifer. “It was mostly word of mouth [in] the beginning. We were new to the neighbourhood and there was nothing like us here. People liked us.”

They also built their customer base by participating in charity events and donating gift certificates and baskets at local fundraisers at schools, churches and the Glebe Community Centre.

They cater to the community by carrying a wide variety of supplies. They offer kitchenware, bath goods, garden tools and giftware. J.D. Adam prides itself on selling local Canadian-made products and doing many special orders. “When we get the chance to get something made in Canada, we try and jump on that,” John said.

The couple also relies on customers’ recommendations and requests for products that can become permanent fixtures on their shelves if they turn out to be a hot commodity. Jennifer says this is one of many times the Glebe community has proved to be a loyal clientele to their business. “We’re here for them, they’re here for us.” Jennifer said.

Although most customers live in the Glebe, J.D. Adam attracts many others from further afield. They thought about growing their business by opening more stores but after some reflection, they chose to focus on their original outlet. “We’ll stay in the Glebe,” says John. “We’ve had opportunities to move to other locations, but we’re set

on the Glebe, and it’s easier to run one store than spread yourself too thin.”

Jennifer says this was a logical decision. “We live here, we work here. It’s much easier to support this area and care for all our customers.”

The owners also commend their longtime staff for creating a comfortable environment. Many have been working there for years and have developed personal relationships with customers.

“Some people like to work in a smaller business. They see the customers and can talk to them and it’s not quite the same as [working in] a mall where you never see the same person again possibly,” John said.

J.D. Adam has had its share of hard times. In 2011, Bank Street closed for six months to install a new sewer system; the store remained open, and locals still came but business suffered because people from farther away couldn’t get there by car. “People changed the patterns of how they drove downtown because the Glebe was closed for six months,” Jennifer said.

COVID was also a big struggle. Jennifer says the Glebe community supported them in vital ways despite the lockdown restrictions. “I had people who bought gift certificates just to support us during COVID and never cashed them,” Jennifer said.

The shop was disadvantaged since customers weren’t allowed in, but it partly made up for that because it’s a business that sells things people need at home, where everyone was spending more time, and shoppers were able to make purchases virtually.

“For COVID, it was people calling and saying, ‘Do you have a bread pan?’

So then I would be sending photos of all the different types we had. We did everything at the front door and handed people [their] things with masks on,” Jennifer said.

The Adam family hopes to keep the business just as it is for the near future.

“We [don’t have] any grand plans to expand,” said John. “We’re just happy the way we are right now.”

Hannah Daramola is a third-year student in the Carleton journalism program.

Glebe Report December 8, 2023 17

ENVIRONMENT

What’s up with Bank Street trees?

By Della Wilkinson

City forester Julie Jackson discusses the enlarged concrete tree wells with Capital Ward councillor Shawn Menard on Bank Street. PHOTO: DELLA WILKINSON

Tree planted in “structural soil medium” showing electrical cables PHOTO: JENNIFER HUMPHRIES

Tree roots exposed during excavation work to install new concrete handwell for electrical wires. PHOTO: ELIZABETH BAIRD

Tree-loving members of our community have been reaching out to wonder about recent work on Bank Street trees, and they provided photo evidence to illustrate their concerns.

Some photos showed trees with trunks wrapped in burlap and roots planted in what appears to be gravel; others showed electric wire wrapped around the trunks. One resident described a tree near Abbotsford House where the root ball had been placed directly on a cement platform. What is going on? Are City foresters and contractors wasting time and money on an apparently doomed-to-fail replanting strategy?

Councillor Shawn Menard’s office kindly organized a walking tour of Bank Street trees with people working on the project so we could get some answers. We were told the “Bank Street Concrete Tree Well Cover Replacement” project involves removing the original concrete wells that had degraded and installing larger concrete wells that will give trees more space to grow. In addition, the concrete wells keep the sidewalk surface level and accessible for people with mobility challenges.

Of the 48 trees planted when Bank Street was upgraded in 2012, 38 trees miraculously managed to grow. The remaining 10 trees died and they are being replaced along with the concrete wells at all 48 planting sites. Clearly, the street presents a lot of challenges for growing trees. There is snow and salt to contend with. In the limited growing space, roots compete with utilities under the street and sidewalk, and the canopy competes with

E

OR

F BE

lampposts and wires. As a former dog owner, I learned that dog urine negatively impacts the health of trees. The chemicals soak into the bark, eventually damaging the tissue (cambium) that is responsible for transporting nutrients and water from the roots to the canopy.

What’s up, we asked, with the strange planting conditions? City forester Julie Jackson explained that the planting material is not soil but a “structural soil medium” that is designed to support the hard landscaping of the sidewalks while allowing the roots to grow through it. The medium is a mix of gravel and soil. Bank Street trees don’t get sufficient hydration from rainwater, which is directed into drains by the surrounding sidewalk, so contractors water them each week.

Moving on, we learned that the electrical cables are for uplighting and were included in the 2012 redesign at the request of the Bank Street BIA (Business Improvement Area). As the trees grow, there will be less space to support these electrical conduits and some are being removed during the current work.

Finally, that little tree planted outside of Abbotsford on a concrete slab – everyone acknowledged that this tree will not live long as its planting site coincides with a utility pipe. Sadly, moving the site was not included in the current project.

Just under half of the surviving 38 trees are native to North America. They include Honey locust (8), Northern red oak (1), Hackberry (4) and American elm (4). The remainder are non-native trees such as Ginkgo (4), Prospector elm (14) and Japanese lilac (4).

The 10 dead or dying trees included

four elms, a Gingko, a Hackberry, a Japanese lilac and three unknown species. Only one native Hackberry tree has been replanted; the rest are being replaced by non-native Japanese lilac (5), Gingko (3) and a Prospector elm (1). The city forester explained that tree selection is based on the site conditions and incorporates native trees when the site is suitable. The new Hackberry tree has been planted at the corner of Second Avenue and Bank since that site does not have overhead wires to constrict the canopy.

City staff acknowledged that the growth of Bank Street trees will be stunted compared to those planted in more suitable environments. I have long been frustrated by the drawings from planners which show large, thriving canopy trees within streetscapes when it is obvious trees cannot grow like that. This greenwashing seems to be an acceptable practice in urban design and planning, but I argue that it undermines public confidence in the project approval process. We expect outcomes to reflect the design and when we see dying trees where flourishing canopies were promised, our trust is eroded.

Although canopy trees won’t provide meaningful shade on Bank Street, we can request that a Trees in Trust can provide a tree for your front yard to help maintain our tree-lined streets and avenues. To request a tree for your front yard visit: ottawa.ca/en/living-ottawa/ environment-conservation-and-climate/public-spaces-and-environmental-programs/tree-planting/ trees-trust.

Della Wilkinson is chair of the Glebe Community Association Environment Committee.

Happy Holidays FROM OUR HOME TO YOURS

Tired of not being able to use rooms in your home?

We’ll declutter and organize them and donate what you are ready to let go of.

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Client Focused

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613.231.4663 • Judy@HomesInOttawa.com

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LIVING AND WORKING IN THE GLEBE

18 Glebe Report December 8, 2023

ENVIRONMENT

Air conditioners should be banned in Ontario

By Dan Vivian and Cecile Wilson CO2 at Mauna Loa, 12 November 2023: 419.55 ppm Air conditioners should be banned in Ontario. Yes, we’re being deliberately provocative, but now that we have your attention, hear this out.

Heat pumps are air conditioners that also heat more efficiently than electric resistance heating or natural gas or other fossil fuels. They can run in reverse to extract warm air from the outside and bring it inside. In mild temperatures, they can be 300- to 400-percent more efficient than traditional forms of heating. Even though electricity is more expensive than natural gas, by using heat pumps for heating in the milder temperatures of the winter (down to about -2 degrees), the utility bills and even lifetime costs are less expensive than with natural gas.

Ontario’s electric grid currently has very low greenhouse gas emissions.

By using a heat pump to heat down to about -2, the greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) are reduced by about 60 per cent. Different heat pump models have different efficiencies, but these numbers are approximately true for most cold-climate heat pumps.

If we run a heat pump to even lower temperatures (down to about -8), the lifetime costs are about the same as natural gas, and we reduce the greenhouse gases by about 70 per cent. Because a heat pump’s efficiency declines as the temperature drops, most heat pumps require a backup heat source below about -25. Luckily, the total number of hours we heat our houses at these extreme low temperatures is minimal. If we run our heat pumps in colder temperatures and use electricity as our backup source of heat, we reduce our GHG emissions by over 90 per cent but only pay a small financial premium above the lifetime costs of natural gas heating.

When to install a heat pump So, if heat pumps are better, when should you buy them? Using up the life of a product makes sense for both financial and lower carbon reasons.

There is an embedded carbon penalty in the use of heat pumps. That is, the manufacture and distribution of heat pumps require energy that typically comes from fossil fuels that emit GHGs. If you retire an AC unit too early, you will cause additional GHGs emissions from the manufacture and delivery of the replacement heat pump.

When you install a heat pump, your

HVAC contractor will remove your air conditioner. Most HVAC contractors advise that an AC unit will last about 20 years. It makes sense to replace an AC unit with a heat pump after about 15 years to avoid significant embedded carbon emissions or financial loss.

Once your heat pump is installed, you can use it in addition to your current heating system. If your furnace is also 15 years old, you may like to replace both appliances at the same time.

Take advantage of financial supports Although heat pumps can save you money, they do require an initial outlay of cash. Thankfully, there are several programs that provide grants and loans to help you make the transition to cleaner energy. To qualify for any of these supports, the homeowner must complete a home energy audit by a Registered Energy Advisor before any work is done.

Grants Currently, heat pumps are being subsidized by Natural Resources Canada (NRCAN) with a $6,500 grant if you already have natural gas heating or a $5,000 grant if you have other heat sources. These grants (that’s right, they don’t have to be paid back!) are administered by Enbridge. In addition, you also are eligible for a $600 rebate, which essentially covers the cost of the audit.

Loans NRCAN will provide up to $40,000 of no-interest loans for qualifying homeowners for upgrades like heat pumps, high performance windows, insulation and solar panels. The City of Ottawa will add up to 10 per cent of the value of your home in additional low-interest loans for these upgrades. For City loans, you must show some air-sealing improvements if air sealing is recommended in your energy audit. The City loans are paid back via a surcharge on your tax bill.

We are hearing that the program may end in March so now is the time to go ahead with the energy audit and suggested retrofits. This would be a good Christmas or holiday present for a climate-conscious family and the environment, too!

For more information on grants and loans available, search on the internet for: Natural Resources Canada: Greener Homes Loan Better Homes Ottawa (City of Ottawa programs) Enbridge Home Efficiency Rebate Plus Dan Vivian is principal of Building Science Trust and a Registered Energy Advisor. Cecile Wilson is a resident of the Glebe and (hopefully) soon-to-be owner of a cold-climate heat pump.

Heat pumps are air conditioners that also heat more efficiently than electric resistance heating or natural gas or other fossil fuels.

Glebe Report December 8, 2023 19

NATURE

Behind nes the sce

By Martha Jeacle With the winter season comes the return of the Rideau Winter Trail (RWT), a free urban trail groomed for cross-country skiing (both skate and classic), walking, snowshoeing and fat biking. Located in the heart of our city and easily accessible for residents of the Glebe, it runs from Donald Street along the Rideau River (by the Rideau Sports Centre) to Bank Street in Old Ottawa South.

This is the fourth season of our winter trail, and while it is definitely becoming a fixture in our community, there may be a few things that people do not yet know.

Run by volunteers

Were you aware that the Rideau Winter Trail is run entirely by local volunteers? There are no paid staff and we rely on the generous donation of time to bring the trail to life each season. The City of Ottawa and National Capital Commission allow the RWT to use their land and are very supportive of the initiative, but it is volunteers who plan the trail, groom it, raise the funds to make it happen, market and promote it.

We are grateful for the support of the City and the NCC, but we could not do this without our wonderful volunteers. We are always looking for people to join in the fun, so if you’d like to get involved, please drop us a line at rideauwintertrail@gmail.com. Wondering what you might be able to do to help? There are lots of options, including shovelling snow, equipment maintenance, grooming the trail, updating the website, fundraising and sponsorship, marketing, community relations and governance (the RWT is an incorporated not for profit). Whatever your skill set, we may be able to find a use for it!

It takes time

Grooming the trail from Donald Street to Bank Street can take six hours or more and there are usually at least two volunteers out preparing the trail. If you are

Rideau Winter Trail board president Peter Nor and fellow volunteer trail groomer Stuart Inglis

Rideau Winter Trail runs along the Rideau River from Bank to Donald streets.

PHOTO: PETER NOR

wondering when the trail should be groomed, there is actually some science behind this. Our groomers look at various elements including accumulation of snow, temperature and wind, then pick the best time to hit the trail to ensure great conditions. Often the best time is very late at night or early in the morning so the tracks have time to set before being heavily used. While many of us are sound asleep, our team is out making the magic happen. That’s hours outside in very cold temperatures and at unsociable hours, so if you see our team doing some work (or cleanup in more sociable hours!), please be sure to give them a big thank you.

Off season

When the snow melts in the spring, the equipment gets put away, but that doesn’t mean that the work stops. There is lots to be done, although we do take a break in the summer to recharge our batteries and enjoy the warm weather. Fundraising and grant

writing take place year-round – we are always looking at ways to get funding for new equipment and to maintain current equipment. There are also ongoing expenses such as gas to power the machines, insurance, storage containers and more.

In the fall, trail preparation begins, as volunteers get together to spread wood chips (a smoother trail requires less snow), trim brush, update trail layouts and mark grooming hazards that are hard to see in deep snow. It takes lots of work to have everything in place so that when the snow does fall, the trail is in the best possible shape to be groomed.

We hope to see you out on the trail this season – it is a great way to enjoy winter! If you’d like more information, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at rideauwintertrail@gmail.com. If you’d like to support the trail financially, your contribution to our GoFundMe would be gratefully received.

Martha Jeacle is a volunteer with the Rideau Winter Trail.

20 Glebe Report December 8, 2023

FOOD

Mint-chocolate cookies for

By Marisa Romano

I

nspired by Santa’s magic and the Christmas spirit, Laurin, Tara and Natalia, the three Glendale Elves, have organized their neighbours and transformed their little corner of the Glebe into Clausdale, the Glebe version of Toronto’s Kringlewood (Inglewood Drive).

The initiative launched last December for the joy of almost two dozen children who live on Glendale Avenue has seen 18 neighbours displaying lit-up inflatable Santas on their front lawns. The gigantic Santa on Laurin’s front yard at the dead end of the street has been a hit with school children on their way to Glebe Memorial Park and the many families who stopped by to have their photos taken. “It got to be so busy one day that Laurin’s daughter handed out Christmas cookies to people that stopped by,” says Tara.

The Clausdale tradition is now here to stay. One family who moved away earlier this year left behind their Santa for the new owner. “Perhaps we should have a Claus Clause in all future home sale contracts,” the three Elves wonder. “Clausdale is a fun way to build community and spirit on Glendale Avenue and throughout the neighbourhood.”

Clausdale is on for all of December. The gigantic Santa is inflated 24/7, but the best viewing is after dusk when all the cheery Santas are inflated and lit up.

The origin of Santa can be traced back to the third century and bishop Nicholas of the small Roman city of Myra, located in today’s Turkey. Nicholas was known for his generosity, kindness and children-saving miracles. In the centuries since, he became a legendary gift-giving figure, a protector of children venerated throughout Europe as a

saint. His commemorative day on the Catholic calendar is December 6.

In the Netherlands, he is known as Sinterklaas, the serious, old, bearded man in a red bishop’s cloak and pointed miter who brings gifts to children on December 5, St. Nicholas’ Eve. And it was Dutch immigrants, the founders of New Amsterdam – now known as New York City – who brought Sinterklaas to the New World where he became known as Santa Claus.

“The right jolly old elf” in red suit, white beard and round belly who brings gifts on Christmas was first described by Clement Clark Moore in the 1823 poem, “Twas the Night before Christmas.” He was then first illustrated by the American cartoonist Thomas Nast a few years after and was finally made popular worldwide by an advertising campaign by Coca-Cola about a century later.

All of us who have been following the tradition since a young age know that Santa is busy these days getting organized for the big Christmas delivery: presents are being sorted and boxed, world city maps updated, and the famous list of recipients checked and re-checked. On this side of the deal, Christmas trees are lit up, parents are busy baking and children are on their best behaviour – most of the time. I often wondered in childhood if the bounty found under the tree on Christmas Day depended also on the kind of cookies left for Santa the night before. So, just in case this is how it works, here is a recipe that has been successful in bringing about the best presents in at least one household.

Marisa Romano is a foodie and scientist with a sense of adventure and fun, and appreciates interesting and nutritious foods.

Santa

Glendale Avenue, known as “Clausdale” for the month of December, is a riotous scene of gigantic inflated Santas, best viewed after dusk when all the cheery Santas are lit up.

PHOTO: MARISA ROMANO

Gluten-free chocolate-mint crinkle cookies

These addictive cookies combine the decadent taste of chocolate with the oh-so-Christmassy peppermint taste of sugarcane. The almond flour allows for a confection that can be enjoyed by all, including gluten-sensitive people.

Ingredients: 8oz semisweet chocolate chips 2 tbsp butter 1 ¼ cups almond flour ¼ tsp salt 2 eggs 1/3 cup white sugar 1 tsp peppermint extract Directions: Melt chocolate chips and butter in a double boiler.

Add the almond flour and mix well.

In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, sugar and mint extract. To this mixture add the chocolate chips and almond blend and mix until well combined.

Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours. Once cold and dense, shape the dough into small balls (about 1.5 inch diameter) and roll them in icing sugar. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper and place the balls 2 inches apart. Bake at 350 F for about 12 minutes. Cool on a rack and store in air-tight containers.

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Glebe Report December 8, 2023 21

FOOD

Arancini

use it for frying, but that’s because I’m weird. As I said, you do you.

the decadence of deep-fried risotto

By Tim O’Connor Beans and rice are a staple in many countries around the world, and I want to push them into new territory.

I found a road map to beans-andrice nirvana by leafing through my past columns for the Glebe Report, just as I like to imagine all you faithful readers doing with all my columns that you’ve clipped and saved. (Just let me have my fantasy.) Let’s look back to columns about pulled pork, and, first up, last month’s take on risotto.

What we’re making this time is arancini, that Italian staple and the single greatest thing to do with leftover risotto — and, in this case, leftover Latin-style pulled pork. You’ll want about one good handful of cold risotto per arancini ball to wrap around the delicious pork hidden inside.

Here come the beans. We’ll use kidney beans, either canned or, if you’re ambitious, rehydrated from dry.

Simmer in coconut milk and purée them. I drop a scotch bonnet or habanero in there, but I remove it eventually so don’t get scared. It’s there just long enough to give the beans a bit of bite.

This makes a creamy, bright purple sauce to put on the bottom of your plate, where it brings us south of the equator with its mmm-mmm tastes.

Now we look back to my column on making Latin-style pulled pork,

Arancini, made from deep-fried leftover risotto, beans and spicy pulled pork, is a decadent treat.

PHOTO: TIM O’CONNOR

or cochinita pibil, (“Cancun Taco,” Glebe Report, October 2022), which we cook with tomatoes. This is best done before you make the arancini, perhaps the day before or early in the afternoon, as there’s nothing else to do now that it’s freezing outside.

When everything is ready to assemble, you put a dollop of the spicy pork in your handful of rice and cover completely with the rice. You want it to be about the size of a tennis ball or a medium-sized Christmas decoration. I don’t advise hanging arancini balls on your tree but, hey, you do you.

Next, dredge the ball in the flour, egg wash and panko twice. Once assembled, we set up a Creuset or other enamelled deep pan and fry the balls like we did when we made fried chicken last year.

I suppose you can use an air fryer to cook the arancini. I prefer to cook in oil because there’s something so beautiful, something so Italian mom, about getting out the old Creuset and filling it with oil.

The fact is, I have an air fryer that I use for all kinds of things. I just don’t

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Arancini Simmer canned or rehydrated kidney beans in coconut milk (ratio 1:2, so 1 cup of beans to 2 cups coconut milk) with habanero for 10 minutes. Remove habanero and then purée.

Dredge formed arancini in flour, then egg wash, then in flour again and back into egg wash (this is to make sure the rice doesn’t flake), and then roll in panko.

Put enough canola oil to cover a third to half of the arancini in a shallow pan or Dutch oven. When oil is ready (145C or when bubbles appear around a wooden spoon in pan) cook arancini 4 to 6 minutes per side, then bake an additional 8 minutes in a 350F oven.

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

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Joel Harden MPP, Ottawa Centre joelhardenmpp.ca 109 Catherine St. Ottawa, ON. K2P 2M8 JHarden-CO@ndp.on.ca 613-722-6414

22 Glebe Report December 8, 2023

BOOKS

Fairytale retellings Fairytales come from all corners of the world, from various cultures and from many different times in history. They’ve been passed down for generations through oral storytelling, books and plays. For hundreds of years, through every retelling, stories have changed and evolved. The Disney version of your favourite fairytales is just one way that stories live on. Folk tales, fairy tales, myths, legends or fables – no matter what you call them, we will enjoy them and share them with the next generations for years to come.

Here is a list of books where you can visit your favourite characters in new and fun ways!

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs

by Jon Scieszka This book follows the wolf’s account of what happened in the story of the three little pigs. Apparently, it’s quite a different version from what we have been told. Alexander Wolf has been framed! He was just trying to borrow a cup of sugar from his neighbours when a slew of accidents occurred and painted him as the bad guy. Is he guilty or not? You decide! The sepia-toned illustrations in this book give it a vintage feeling and are great at depicting motion and action in each scene.

Hansel and Gretel Ninja Chicks

by Corey Rosen Schwartz and Rebecca J. Gomez There’s a sneaky wolf in town looking for a quick meal. To keep their family safe, Hansel and Gretel begin training in the art of ninjutsu. One day, they come back to find their father missing. These ninja chicks must save their father from the hungry fox before he gets stir-fried!

This book delivers a one-two punch to your funny bone! The rhyming verses and silly writing will leave your littles chuckling as you read. I enjoyed all the books in this series because who doesn’t like ninja animals?

Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein It’s time for bed, and the little red chicken wants a bedtime story. Unfortunately, little chicken has a habit of interrupting Papa chicken when he is in the middle of story time. As Papa begins reading some favourite fairytales, little red chicken chimes in to save the characters from making bad choices. How will little red chicken get to sleep if Papa can’t finish a single story?

This book is a great tool to teach children about listening without interrupting others in a funny and silly way.

longs to be a spaceship mechanic. It follows the typical fairytale storyline but with an intergalactic twist.

I enjoyed the space and mechanical vocabulary that the book introduces to the audience and the rhyming verse. I also liked that Cinderella is a strong independent woman who can fix her own ship! You go, girl!

The illustrations are so interesting because since the book takes place in space, there are lots of odd gadgets and gizmos to look at as well as fun aliens in the background.

Prince Ribbit by Jonathan Emmett Princess Martha’s sisters are convinced that the talking frog from their pond will turn into Prince Charming. After all, that’s what happened in the fairytale they just finished reading. However, Princess Martha is not convinced. She goes to the royal library to prove that “Just because it’s in a book doesn’t mean it’s true.” Laden with facts about frogs, she goes on to prove that sometimes, a frog is just a frog.

This book is a great segue into talking to children about false information and the importance of doing your own research to verify the facts.

Federico and the Wolf by Rebecca J. Gomez Think Little Red Riding Hood except the main character is a boy, and he lives in the city, and he’s Mexican. Actually, it’s a bit different from the original fairy tale. Federico is on his way to visit his Abuelo’s shop, but first he must get the ingredients to make the perfect pico. Unfortunately, he runs into a hungry wolf with a sneaky plan. How will Federico escape the wolf’s clutches?

The bright and colourful illustrations are lively and fun! I also enjoyed learning some new Spanish words that were sprinkled throughout the book. Not only that, but there is a tasty-looking recipe for The Perfect Pico in the back! Yum!

Interstellar Cinderella by Deborah Underwood This book is about an interstellar Cinderella who

Luna Vo is a children’s programmer at the Ottawa Public Library Sunnyside Branch.

What Your Neighbours are

Reading Advent and Christmas Services

Here is a list of some titles read and discussed recently in various local book clubs:

Nine Lessons and Carols Sunday, December 17th, 7 pm Nativity of our Lord with Pageant Sunday, December 24th, 4 pm Nativity of our Lord Sunday, December 24th, 10 pm Christmas Day Monday, December 25th, 10 am

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TITLE (for adults)

AUTHOR

BOOK CLUB

The Sleeping Car Porter

Suzette Mayr

15 Book Club

When We Were Sisters

Fatimah Asghar

35 Book Club

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek

Kim Michelle Richardson

Abbotsford Book Club

A Town Called Solace

Mary Lawson

Broadway Book Club

The Little World of Don Camillo

Giovanni Guareschi

Helen’s Book Club

This Is Happiness

Niall Williams

The Book Club

Landslide

Michael Wolff

Seriously No-Name Book Club

Divergent

Veronica Roth

Topless Book Club

The Daughter’s Tale

Armando Lucas Correa

Sunnyside Adult Book Club

The Marriage Portrait

Maggie O’Farrell

Sunnyside Second Friday Book Club

The Quaker

Liam McIlvanney

Sunnyside Mystery Book Club

If your book club would like to share its reading list, please email it to Micheline Boyle at grapevine@glebereport.ca

Glebe Report December 8, 2023 23

FILM

‘Are robots morally superior?’ film asks The Creator

Directed by Gareth Evans (USA, 2023) Review by Iva Apostolova By the time this movie review comes out, the highly anticipated sci-fi drama, first released in October this year, may no longer be showing on the big screen.

Which is a shame, really, as the special effects are spectacular. The Creator is directed by the British Gareth Evans, who is the new-generation cross between Steven Spielberg and George Lucas and whose credentials include the blockbusters Godzilla and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Just like Lucas before him, Evans got his christening in the special visual effects department, which is one of the many good things about the movie – the special effects are neither overdone (The Lord of the Rings anyone?) nor underdone, but just right. If I had to describe the movie in one word, I would call it “epic”. Filmed on location in Bangkok, Thailand, the wide shots of the natural vistas are as breathtaking as the sci-fi, CGI-ed recreations of Buddhist temples.

The movie stars the charismatic John David Washington, who first caught my eye in another sci-fi masterpiece, Christopher Nolan’s Tenet (an absolute must-see!), and the show-stopper Madeleine Yuna Voyles, who portrays the robot Alphie (“simulants” as they are called in the movie). Madeleine was only six and a half when the shooting started. The movie wouldn’t be what it is without the Hollywood veteran

Ed Wood

Directed by Tim Burton (US, 1994) Review by Angus Luff Ed Wood is a 1994 biographical comedy drama directed by Tim Burton and written by Rudolf Grey, Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski. The film follows the real-life journey of aspiring and eccentric film director Edward D. Wood (Johnny Depp) as he struggles to make films that were judged to be some of the worst of all time. Ed sours his relationship with his girlfriend Dolores (Sarah Jessica Parker) during his filmmaking but ends up befriending a myriad of colourful people along the way who help Ed with his passion, including an aging and tormented Bela Lugosi (Martin Landau), with whom he strikes an especially powerful friendship.

Ed Wood has been called one of the

Allison Jenney as the embattled army commander out on a personal vendetta against the simulants and the beautiful Gemma Chan as Joshua’s (Washington’s character) love interest and the mother of all simulants.

In The Creator, Bertolucci’s Little Buddha meets Spielberg’s A.I. Artificial Intelligence meets Dennie Villeneuve’s Blade Runner: 2049 meets Isaac Asimov’s classic I, Robot. But unlike Spielberg’s drawn out and muddled (with Pinocchio metaphors) A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Evan’s movie masterfully balances the complexity of the characters’ relationships with the explicitness of the message carried out by little Alphie, whose response to the question whether she wants anything from the factory’s fridge is simple and direct: “For robots to be free.” I found that even the metaphysical glitches in the depiction of robots were not as glaring as they have been in other sci-fi movies: at some point, we see the simulants eating and drinking, just like humans, when it is plain obvious that would be “anatomically” impossible as they don’t actually have necks.

It’s not the originality of the plot per se that makes The Creator exciting, though. It is rather the delivery of the moral of the story. Where other sci-fi movies rely on subtle and slow build-up (Ex Machina), twisted timelines (Tenet), surprise denouement or ambiguous plot twists (the most recent sci-fi drama Foe starring the two Irish powerhouses Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal is a great example of that), in other words, anything to make the

worst directors of all time, making some of the most infamously bad films, yet the biopic makes him such an easily identifiable, relatable and endearing person. This film takes a romanticized look at the actual events, and it gives Ed Wood and his gang of equally misunderstood and shamed people the respect and admiration they were always looking for. Every aspect of this film works together to deliver a complete, all-round, incredible achievement. Tim Burton’s early, restrained style fits right into this period piece about 1950s Hollywood. The blackand-white cinematography, the heightened dialogue and performances, the way the film moves elegantly from one scene to the next – all of it works and fits in place to deliver this excellent story about a group of people who to this day are still frowned upon.

The performances and casting are amazing, and the title character, as portrayed by Depp is very likeable.

viewers draw their own conclusions, The Creator comes out of the gate brandishing its firm belief that robots are better than humans, period. It’s a bold statement which, anticipated by literary visionaries like Isaac Asimov and Ian McEwan, has been explored as a serious hypothesis in the academic literature for some time now: that AI may very well evolve into super-humans not in virtue of their enhanced physical strength or computational intelligence, but on the grounds of their steadfast moral compass, with which comes a greater ability for compassion, care and respect for life (I have to admit, the robot Buddhist monks are eerily convincing). All things that we humans preach but somehow consistently fail to act on. This hypothesis is, of course, based on the assumption that free will is not something inscrutable, a gift from an unknown god or innate to human nature alone, but simply a practice based on a series of choices and the ability to do good.

But I wouldn’t call The Creator a dystopian depiction of the grim future of humankind. On the contrary, it has a surprising, elegant hopefulness to it.

Joshua, a human soldier under cover, is “converted” by little Alphie, the first of its kind child-simulant who not only looks like a Buddhist apprentice but also has the deeply spiritual demeanor of one.

Through Joshua and Alphie, we learn that despite the burdens of doubt and fear that we carry around, our greatest asset is our ability to form lasting bonds with everything and everyone around us.

Other cast members are brought life in a story that doesn’t reflect reality but is still convincing in what it is trying to do. Martin Landou as Bela Lugosi is powerful, believable and moving.

The relationship between Lugosi and Wood has an impactful dynamic that is at the core of the film’s heart. So much emotion and meaning comes from the characters that it may surprise viewers expecting a more passive or uninvested telling of the story. In this film, you are completely in Wood’s world, seeing how he might have seen it and how he wanted to see it, despite all the hardships and adversity he faced.

In all the biographical films about important historical figures and events, Ed Wood stands out for its strong purpose and vision. The point of the film is not to tell the true story of the director accurately but rather to take a romanticised look at the story with a more hopeful message than in reality.

Ed Wood takes its subject matter and bends it into a film that inspires and reminds us of the communal significance that filmmaking can have. All these people, working on a shoe-string budget with little time and resources, with their own quirks, insecurities and fascinations, are all understood and

cared for under the umbrella of filmmaking. This family of misfits and outcasts all get to be a part of a vision. The film is so unashamedly supportive and understanding of the under-heard and overlooked voices of the world who are trying their best to create something worthwhile, even when all odds are against them. This film takes a stand and champions the man who was criticized and shamed because he pursued what he was passionate about.

A film as empathetic and loving as this deserves recognition and praise, as it is important to have a film like this in a world filled with so much nihilism and general contempt toward those who simply want to express themselves. This is a film that speaks for itself and has so many obviously great qualities that I implore everyone reading to watch it and experience those qualities for themselves. The film itself will have an easier time winning you over than I ever will.

Rated PG-13 Running time: 2 h 13 mins Available in select theatres and for streaming on AppleTV+ and Prime Video.

Iva Apostolova is associate professor and vice-rector, research and academic, at Saint Paul University and a regular Glebe Report contributor on films and TV.

Running time: 2 hours 7 mins Available on Disney+ Angus Luff is a student at Glebe Collegiate. He grew up in the Glebe and is obsessed with movies.

24 Glebe Report December 8, 2023

THEATRE

Rachel Eugster and Nicholas Amott invite you to this warm family show!

PHOTO: CHELSEY FAWCETT

A Child’s Christmas in Wales at the GCTC

By Eleanor Crowder

THE GLEBE SPREE ENDS SOON! Enter by December 31 for your chance to win.

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A Child’s Christmas in Wales & Carol Sing is playing the Great Canadian Theatre Company (GCTC) from December 7 to 21.

This warm hug of a show asks, “What makes Christmas for you?” Is it the crinkle of wrapping paper carefully muffled late on Christmas Eve? Is it the tang of pine? Snow over your ankles along the canal path? Dough with cinnamon and ginger in a kitchen full of busy cousins?

For me, the essential ingredient has always been carollers. My first lonely Christmas away from home was redeemed by a village choir under the windows of a tiny cold-water flat in the Schwarzwald. Just when I felt ineffably far from everyone who knew me, there they were, treble boys and warmly wrapped basses singing words I did not know, but deep snow and familiar music made for such joy!

If you have lived in the Glebe for a while, you’ll have encountered the young actors and families of Shakespeare Camp as Sing for Snowsuits travelled Bank Street on the final Friday before Christmas. Maybe you too dug generously in your pocket to help keep kids warm. We had 20 years of carolling and warm hugs! And then came COVID! Bear & Co. is a collective of actors.

That first winter of no contact, of elderly folks tucked inside for months, children afraid of strangers, not even

able to read each other’s smiles, we struggled! We all did! Our remedy: solo, we came to your driveways, cloaked, masked, lantern in hand in the dark and the snow. Our actors sang with you, from porches, doorways, letting the old music lift us. It made Christmas for us all.

Now we can invite you openly to share that joy! This year, Bear & Co. presents Dylan Thomas’ classic tale of childhood wonder, followed by an invitation to sing along in a feast of favourite carols. Inside! In the warmth of the studio theatre at GCTC’s home at Wellington and Holland.

Rachel Eugster and Nicholas D. Amott transport you to Thomas’ snowy Welsh hills. You may know the actors from summer Shakespeare rehearsals in the Firemen’s Park. Rachel also directs with the Tamir Neshama Choir for developmentally delayed adults, and she co-hosts the Blue Vote Café podcast for Democrats Abroad with David Schellenberg. Nicholas is The BIG Voice from Little Shop of Horrors. Join them at GCTC Studio for the magic of Dylan Thomas and the pure pleasure of celebrating the holidays together.

Tickets and showtimes available at gctc.ca/shows.

Eleanor Crowder directs the show. This year she is also directing The Drowsy Chaperone with a cast of 30 for GNAG Theatre.

THE COMPASSIONATE FRIENDS OF CANADA OTTAWA, ONTARIO CHAPTER

You never know when you can win an instant Any Day prize just for shopping at your favourite Glebe merchant! (Until Dec.15) WORLDWIDE CANDLE LIGHTING CELEBRATION Sunday, December 10th, 2023 Please join us for a Candle Lighting Celebration in memory of our Children who left us too soon

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No purchase necessary. Contest runs Nov. 15/2023 at 8:00:00 am ET to Dec. 31/2023 at 11:59:59 pm ET. Open to residents of Canada who are of the legal age of majority. 1 grand prize consisting of $10,000 awarded as gift certificates or travellers cheques or other cash equivalent; 1 early bird prize, consisting of a $2,500 awarded as gift certificates or travellers cheques or other cash equivalent (odds depend on number of valid entries received.); up to 30 instant win prizes, each consisting of a $100 gift certificate or gift card (odds depend on number and timing of Glebe store or business visits). Mathematical skill-testing question required. Full rules, including participating Glebe retailers/businesses, purchase entry/no purchase entry and prize details, at www.GlebeSpree.ca.

The Worldwide Candle Lighting is held annually on the second Sunday in December. At 7:00pm in every time zone, candles are lit in honour of all children who have died. As candles burn down in one time zone, they are lighted in the next, creating a 24-hour wave of light that encircles the globe … that their light may always shine.

All parents, families and friends of children who have died from any cause, at any age, from infant to adult, are invited to attend a non-denominational celebration of remembrance. Please bring a free-standing picture of your child(ren) and arrive by 6:30pm for a prompt 7:00pm start. Candles provided.

Location: Garden Chapel Nepean, Tubmans 3440 Richmond Road, Nepean For further information, please visit: www.tcfottawa.net or contact: (613) 612-4951 or e-mail: tcfottawa@gmail.com LES AMIS COMPATISSANTS DU CANADA

Glebe Report December 8, 2023 25

ART

Art Lending of Ottawa: giving the gift of art

This Land, Our Life, by Jane Barlow

By Christine Osborne Looking to give more meaningful gifts this holiday season? Consider giving the gift of art.

Art Lending of Ottawa (ALO) is holding its final show of 2023 on Saturday, December 16 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the RA Centre at 2451 Riverside Drive.

You will find art of all styles, for sale or rent, by over 30 local artists. Not sure what art to choose? Gift certificates will be available and can be redeemed online at www.ArtLendingofOttawa.ca or at a future show.

Along with being unique and one of a kind, art can be a very personal and thoughtful gift. Art can evoke

memories of a special event or serve as a reminder of the person who gifted the art piece. Of course, art can also have decorative value and can enhance a person’s living space. It can also serve as a great conversation starter. There can be long lasting value in art. It can appreciate over time, and people may even become art collectors.

Giving art as a gift has the added benefit of supporting local artists and the art community. Gifting art is great way to introduce the recipient to different artists and art styles.

One of the artists in the December show is Jacqueline Ratto-Allard, a professional artist who paints predominantly in oils and acrylics. Her paintings

Flowers, by Jacqueline Ratto-Allard

are described as featuring bold lines with vibrant colours, portraying strong yet sensitive reality, slightly altered in graceful forms and patterns. Her paintings focus primarily on still life, floral designs, old buildings and intricate designs.

Another featured artist is Jane Barlow, a fellow of the Ottawa Watercolour Society and a practising psychiatrist. She uses artistic expression to explore themes which are archetypal and combine both the figurative and symbolic. She believes that art is an

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offering which can allow the viewer to gain access to further knowledge about oneself by witnessing one’s own reactions – physical, emotional as well as intellectual – to the work.

Ratto-Allard, Barlow and other artist members of Art Lending look forward to seeing you at our December holiday show! Admission and parking are free.

If you miss us in December, mark your calendar for our next show on March 16.

Christine Osborne is a member of Art Lending of Ottawa.

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26 Glebe Report December 8, 2023

MUSIC

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Celebrate the season with Seventeen Voyces!

By Clare Jackson Seventeen Voyces will bring some Christmas cheer to Ottawa this December with two performances of an eclectic concert featuring both sacred and secular choral music. We hope you will join us!

The performances on December 16 and 17 will feature Ottawa-based harpist Lucile Hildesheim. Hildesheim has been a frequent collaborator with Seventeen Voyces, performing in previous Christmas concerts and in a musical presentation of the 1924 silent film Peter Pan. She has recorded extensively for the CBC and has produced three solo harp albums.

Hildesheim will join Seventeen Voyces this year to perform Benjamin Britten’s exquisite work A Ceremony of Carols. Written for three-part women’s chorus and harp, this engaging piece was composed by Britten in 1942 while crossing the Atlantic by ship. It features 12 short movements that celebrate different themes and perspectives related to the Christmas season. The lyrics are taken from poems dating from the 14th to 16th centuries that were written mainly in Middle English as well as Latin and Early Modern English.

Other featured pieces will include music from the Renaissance and early Baroque periods, including Jan Sweelinck’s Hodie Christus Natus Est (Today Christ is born) and Richard Dering’s Quem Vidistis, Pastores?

(Whom did you see, Shepherds?).

Rounding out the program will be jazz-inspired settings of seasonal favourites like “Let It Snow,” “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and “Winter Wonderland.” A showstopping arrangement of “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch!” is sure to be a hit!

The concerts will take place on Saturday, December 16 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Matthew’s Anglican Church (130 Glebe Avenue) and on Sunday, December 17 at 4 p.m. at St. Bartholomew’s Church (125 MacKay Street). Tickets are $30, $20 for students and free for children 12 and

IMAGE: THOMAS NAST

under. Tickets can be purchased online at www.seventeenvoyces.ca/concerts/ or at the door (cash, credit, and debit accepted).

Seventeen Voyces, led by founder and director Kevin Reeves, has been bringing diverse early and modern choral music to Ottawa audiences for more than a quarter century. While the choir originally started out specializing in Renaissance and Baroque music, its repertoire has expanded over the years to encompass works from all eras, as will be heard in this year’s Christmas offering. The choir delights in presenting lesser-known pieces as well as commissioning and premiering new choral works. Seventeen Voyces has been a regular performing partner with other Ottawa-based musical groups including Thirteen Strings, the Ottawa Baroque Consort and the National Arts Centre Orchestra.

Audiences can also mark their calendars for Seventeen Voyces’s final two concerts of the 2023-24 season. The first will take place at St. Matthew’s Church on Sunday, February 25 at 4 p.m. and will showcase the music of Monteverdi with the Ottawa Baroque Consort, led by cellist Olivier Henchiri. The final concert of the season will present music of Hungary with violinist Ralitsa Tcholakova and organist Matthew Larkin on Friday, May 10 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Francis of Assisi Church (20 Fairmont Avenue).

Clare Jackson is a singer with the Seventeen Voyces choir.

Doors Open for Music at Southminster December offerings Doors Open for Music at Southminster noon-hour concerts take place on Wednesdays at Southminster United Church, 15 Aylmer Avenue in Old Ottawa South. Free will offering.

Here are upcoming concerts in December.

HOLIDAY JAZZ December 13 – The Mark Ferguson Quartet with Mike Tremblay, John Geggie, and Scott Latham performs original instrumental arrangements of seasonal favourites.

480 Metcalfe Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 3N6

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CHRISTMAS SEASON FINALE December 20 – A special holiday concert brings the DOMS season to a close. Details will be announced at doms613.com and through the email newsletter.

Glebe Report December 8, 2023 27

NEW YEAR’S

Ring in the New Year Scottish-style at Hogman-eh!

The 12th annual Hogman-eh!, Ottawa’s biggest New Year’s Eve party, will again take place at Lansdowne, presented by the Scottish Society of Ottawa. It’s said to be the largest such celebration outside of Scotland. While Hogman-eh! was free in earlier years, the event is now ticketed, although the afternoon event in the Horticulture Building is free. Hogmanay has been celebrated since pagan times when Norsemen welcomed the winter solstice and the beginning of a new year.

You don’t need to be Scottish to share in the fun. Hogman-eh! is for families and people of all ages to celebrate the end of the current year and the beginning of the new with music, dance, people and, of course, food and drink.

It’s lively, fun and safe! The celebration goes from 5 p.m. December 31 to 1 a.m.

January 1.

A Hall of Origins in the Horticulture Building will be dedicated to Scottish clans and genealogy, along with traditional and contemporary Celtic music.

People can head there from 2 to 6 p.m. on December 31 to learn about Scottish history and enjoy the music in the afternoon, free of charge. Ceilidh session music will be playing from 3 to 5 p.m.

The Kids’ Zone from 5 to 7 p.m. and all the main musical acts are held in the high-ceilinged and spacious interior of the Aberdeen Pavilion next door.

Dynamic Celtic ceilidh-style entertainment includes piping, drumming, fiddlers and highland dancing. There are some great food choices inside the pavilion, and you can even enjoy the fabled haggis. With in-and-out privileges, you may opt to dine in restaurants in Lansdowne Park or choose

Ally the Piper (Ally Crowley-Duncan) will appear at this year’s Hogman-eh!

New Year’s celebration.

PHOTO: JIM ROBIDOUX

from a variety of foods available inside the main venue.

The Scots know a thing or two about whisky. The Hogman-eh bar has a variety of single malt scotch available as well as wine and beer. The first part the celebration begins with a balloon drop at 7 p.m. (midnight in Scotland) followed by the stirring sounds of pipes and drums to a massed highland fling, a must-see.

The party continues into the wee hours with music by the Mudmen, Anna Ludlow, MacIsaac-Mackenzie and Glengarry’s favourite, the Brigadoons. This year the show features Ally the Piper, a cool kilted piper who is setting concert stages and social media on fire. Finally, what Scottish Hogman-eh! would be complete without the singing of “Auld Lang Syne”?

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Robert Burns’s version of “Auld Lang Syne” was published in 1788, although a version of the song was in print over 80 years before that. The iconic song reminisces about times gone by and has been adopted worldwide as a go-to song to ring in the new year. The poem’s Scots title loosely translates as “old times or for the sake of old times.”

At Hogmanay in Scotland, it is common practice that everyone joins hands with the person next to them to form a great circle around the dance floor. At the beginning of the last verse (“And there’s a hand, my trusty fiere /and gie’s a hand o’ thine!”), everyone crosses their arms so that the right hand reaches out to the neighbour on the left and vice versa. When the tune

ends, everyone rushes to the middle, while still holding hands. When the circle is re-established, everyone turns under their arms to end up facing outwards with their hands still joined. Don’t worry if it sounds complicated – someone will show you how! The tradition of singing the song when parting, with crossed hands linked, arose in the mid19th century and continues to this day.

Tickets are available at the Scottish Society of Ottawa’s website (ottscot. ca). The Scottish Society of Ottawa is a volunteer-led, not-for-profit organization that celebrates the links between the National Capital Region, Eastern Ontario and all of Canada. It was founded in 2012 to revive and rejuvenate the historic ties between Canada and Scotland.

28 Glebe Report December 8, 2023

ART

SPAO Photo Walk art by Whitney Lewis-Smith on the wall of the Appletree Medical Centre / Guardian Pharmacy at the corner of Preston and Balsam streets.

PHOTO: JOHN FORSYTHE

Art at a walking pace The SPAO Photographic Arts Centre, in partnership with the Preston Street BIA, has launched a new type of art exhibit – outdoor public art like no other in Canada.

The SPAO Photo Walk is an evolving outdoor installation featuring largescale photographic artworks found on different buildings throughout Little Italy. A visual treasure hunt, each artwork is accompanied by a QR code that gives walkers access to the story behind the image as well as a Photo Walk map for a self-guided tour. (spao.ca/photo-walk)

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SPAO received more than 500 applications from across Canada for this exhibit and the artworks were selected by a jury of nationally recognized experts, including the former chief curator at the National Gallery of Canada. The chosen artworks are mounted on storefronts and exterior walls within Ottawa’s Little Italy. The photos will remain up indefinitely, and more will be added over time.

Dress up warm, grab a latte at one of the many restaurants and cafés in Little Italy, and hit the street to explore art at your own pace. Unlike the latte – it’s free!

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Glebe Report December 8, 2023 29

MP’S & MPP’S REPORT

Yasir Naqvi MP Ottawa Centre

N 613-946-8682 E yasir.naqvi@parl.gc.ca

Wishing you a wonderful holiday season

Cochrane Photography

We have reached the end of a busy year, and the holidays are fast approaching. I am grateful for the many organizations in Ottawa Centre who support our most vulnerable throughout the year and especially during the holidays. I applaud the many volunteers and non-profit organizations in our community giving back, such as Khalsa Aid which ran a winter coat drive, giving 400 new winter coats to international students, and the University of Ottawa Heart Institute which ran a holiday food drive in partnership with the Ottawa Food Bank, providing essential items to residents in need. If you are able to donate or volunteer your time, I encourage you to connect with our local partners and see how you can join our community in making an impact this holiday season.

Over the past few months, we have spoken quite a bit about affordability measures as this continues to be top of mind for residents of Ottawa Centre.

Higher prices have made it tough for many Canadians and families, but since 2015, our government has been working to make life affordable. This includes the enhanced Canada Workers Benefit, the new Grocery Rebate and benefits such as the Canada Child Benefit, Canada Pension Plan and Guaranteed Income Supplement – all indexed to inflation. Our federal government is staying focused on being there for Canadians when they need it most.

We are also thinking about how we can ensure that the fight against climate change fits within our affordability measures. In addition to continuing to put money back into the pockets of Ottawa Centre residents through the Climate Action Incentive

Payment, we have announced a new Energy Affordability Package. The package includes three pillars, all working together to make life more affordable for Canadians while we keep fighting climate change. We are: • Doubling the pollution price rebate rural top-up from 10 per cent to 20 per cent, everywhere that federal pollution price rebates apply.

• Working with provinces to install a free heat pump for people who are making at or below the median household income and providing a $250 incentive to encourage people to sign up. We’re also strengthening the Greener Homes Initiative to help people across the country, no matter how they currently heat their home, to get a heat pump.

• Temporarily pausing the pollution price on heating oil everywhere the federal system applies.

Through these measures, we are taking real action that puts more money in your pocket and means less pollution in our air.

As we wrap up 2023, I hope you all get a chance to spend time with loved ones and friends this holiday season.

There are several holiday events happening in Ottawa Centre, such as the annual Lansdowne Ottawa Christmas Market, and musical performances such as Holidays at the Symphony with the Ottawa Pops Orchestra and Music and Beyond’s annual Christmas concert, both taking place at the Carleton Dominion Chalmers Centre.

To everyone celebrating in Ottawa Centre, Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas and Happy Kwanzaa, and have a very happy New Year!

Organizing for justice in troubled times Some think real change is impossible in politics, but I’ve never believed that. With hard work and good timing, breakthroughs can happen.

On September 8, I asked for residents’ help to save the Greenbelt. I noted the disturbing revelations that came from two independent reports which shone a light on disturbing choices benefiting wealthy insiders.

A firestorm of controversy made the Ford government shift. After months of refusal to change course, we got a better answer: the government said it would reverse its choice to remove 15 parcels of Greenbelt land. It was a big win.

In late October, we notched another victory. The Ford government has once again walked back a decision that was poised to benefit insiders. This time, it was about unilateral changes to Ottawa’s urban boundary.

On November 4, 2022, the Ford government overruled a 2020 City Council decision by expanding Ottawa’s municipal boundaries by an additional 654 hectares. Critics alleged this meant urban sprawl at the expense of prime agricultural land.

Thanks to Kate Porter from CBC Ottawa, we also learned that part of Ottawa’s boundary expansion included 1277 Watters Road, prime farmland near Orleans that had recently been purchased by the Verdi Alliance group of concrete companies. The five directors of this company, Porter explained, “donated a combined $12,315 to the Progressive Conservatives in 2021 and 2022.”

People spoke out. Ottawa city councillors (led by Capital Ward’s Shawn Menard) wrote to the auditor general, and I joined MPP Chandra Pasma in doing the same. In the aftermath of the Greenbelt controversy, we insisted a review be taken to scrutinize deals benefitting land speculators with close ties to the government.

And that’s how we got another win in a month that’s been marked

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with controversy. Under the heat of public pressure, the Ford government reversed course once again. That’s why we can never give up in organizing for justice.

Having said all of that, I am also reminded of our troubled times, often informed by global events. In Israel and Palestine, several weeks of intensive IDF bombings (claiming the lives of over 10,000 Palestinians) in response to the Hamas terror attack on October 7 (that claimed the lives of 1400 Israelis).

I am horrified to think of more innocent civilians who will suffer in the days and weeks to come. As I said in the legislature late last month, I am in contact with residents who are deeply traumatized; some have lost loved ones. I’ve talked to Muslim and Jewish neighbours who don’t feel safe.

So I end by joining those demanding a ceasefire, for the release of all hostages, for a humanitarian aid corridor into Gaza and for the immediate start of negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. I made a direct appeal to the prime minister a few weeks ago, and I urge you to do the same.

Join us as we continue to organize for justice in troubled times.

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30 Glebe Report December 8, 2023

HOMES

Insulating your foundation to meet new energy standards

By Charles Zave

applying a coat of Thermoshield. This is the bonding agent between the polystyrene and the parging mix that will protect the insulation against damage and loss of R value through exposure to UV light.

This past summer, two of my customers inquired how they can insulate their basements to meet soon-to-be net-zero building codes. As a foundation specialist, I knew the procedures needed to retrofit foundations so that the heating requirements are minimized.

At first, the techniques may seem simple. You apply 8 inches (R 30) of below-grade polystyrene or Styrofoam on the exterior of the wall, and the results will manifest. Of course, nothing can be further from the truth. The real work requires adapting procedures to individual foundations. The procedures depend on the foundation’s age and structural integrity. Here is a brief outline of what to look for and what processes to use.

Rubble foundation

Poured concrete foundation

Let us first look at the easiest foundations to treat and insulate. The most important thing: there cannot be any holes, no matter how small, where cool air or moisture can penetrate. For a poured foundation with no surface degradation, the newly excavated foundation should be cleaned of all debris, then two sealing coats of a tar base plastic cement applied. It is essential that the top of the footing be cleaned of all tar residue one inch from the joint between the footing and the foundation wall. The reason will be apparent in a moment.

The second step requires that the ship-lock insulation be applied so that the finish height is exactly level to the top of the foundation. Insulation glue should be applied between each ship-lock joint between the polystyrene pieces to ensure a tight air seal. The polystyrene is then bolted to the foundation using either expansion bolts or tapcons. I prefer tapcons since the smaller diameter means less cold will be transferred along the metal surface to the interior foundation wall. As mentioned, it is very important that the top of the polystyrene is at the exact height. This, of course, means there may be small gaps under the

insulation above the footing. Because there is now no tar, these gaps can be filled with a 100-per-cent waterproof hydraulic rebuilding cement like MeadowPatch 5.

Once the insulation is installed, it only has to be capped before a protective coating is put on. On homes with siding, metal flashing can be used. On a brick home, a specially designed triangular cap is glued and bolted on top of the new insulation. The angle of the triangular top piece allows the rainwater to roll away from the brick to prevent moisture penetration. The triangular top finish should cover the two bottom rows of brick to help prevent air passing through the wall at the point between the foundation and the above wall. Afterwards, the surface of the insulation should be roughened with a brush before

Other foundation walls such as rubble or stone require more intensive preparation before the above procedures can be applied. In the case of rubble, the wall must be cleaned of all loose and structurally compromised debris. This often leaves considerable cavities in the walls. A smooth concrete skin is then applied to the exterior of the wall. After forming, a flow cement is used to make sure that all areas are filled and covered. The same techniques as for poured foundations can then be applied. Because there is no footing under most rubble or stone foundations, a small concrete bench can be poured to sit the insulation on (it will also act to prevent water penetration under the wall), and the base of the insulation should be snugly bolted to the wall. The weight of the dirt will also keep the insulation pressed up against the new skin so that moisture does not penetrate.

Stone foundation

Finally, we come to the stone foundation. Like the rubble wall, all degraded joints between the stone must be cleaned of debris and packed with S type mortar. Forms are built so that the exterior wall is plumb and level. A flow cement is then poured from bottom to top to prepare the uneven surface for the new insulation. This unfortunately means that the stone look of the house will no longer be apparent. For some customers, losing that look might not be worth the benefits of better insulation.

Charles Zave is a specialist in structural repair. He can be reached at Charleszave65@gmail.com or by text or phone at 613-915-8377.

PUBLIC TOILETS IN OTTAWA

Where we are in 2023 Ottawa has a million residents and 10 million visitors every year. How many of them will need to use a public toilet at some point as they go about their day? (trick question) Access to public toilets in Ottawa in 2023 has not improved much compared with previous years. The city made some progress this year by providing 48 new porta-potties, two in each ward. However, five signs with directions to downtown public toilets that were promised a year ago have not yet appeared.

Downtown Ottawa

By the GottaGo count, there are 21 public toilets in downtown Ottawa.

Two are “stand-alone” toilets, located in Major Hill’s Park and to the west of the Centre Block of Parliament Hill – the latter, unfortunately, provides more facilities for men than women, despite research and new building codes that encourage twice as many stalls for women.

Twelve toilets in public buildings are “hidden,” in that they are available for use but there are no signs to tell you they are there and show you the way.

Of these, the City of Ottawa is responsible for six – at City Hall, the Ottawa Public Library main branch, Byward

Market, Arts Court, Ottawa Art Gallery and the Capital Information Kiosk. GottaGo recommends that the City publicize its six public toilets by providing clear external signage and by funding any extra operating costs for cleaning and supplies.

The other six public toilets belong to the federal government and are located at the National Gallery, the National Arts Centre, the Mint, the Supreme Court, the Bank of Canada Museum and Library and Archives Canada.

Again, while these toilets are technically available, no external signs are posted, so they are not truly available.

Another seven toilets are in commercial or other non-public buildings, as noted in a map distributed by Ottawa Tourism (the Chateau Laurier, World Exchange Plaza, Lord Elgin, Government Conference Centre, Shaw Centre, Rideau Centre and Ismaili Imamat). In addition, some coffee shops such as Starbucks, Bridgehead and Tim Hortons make their toilets available to non-customers, but few have exterior signs.

Public Toilets Outside Downtown

The City’s open data set lists a total of 177 locations with a public toilet. However, their existence does not mean they are open and available. Many have limited hours during the day, and many

close in the winter.

Toilets in Light Rail Transit Stations

The two Ottawa LRT lines have public toilets in only four of 17 stations – Tunney’s Pasture, Bayview, Hurdman and Blair. OC Transpo’s plans for the next LRT stages, announced in 2020, include 10 toilets in the next 24 stations – that will maintain the same ratio of a public toilet in a quarter of the stations.

For comparison, Edmonton is the Canadian champion with toilets in 44 per cent of its LRT stations.

LRT system maps at the entrance of LRT stations need to indicate which stations have toilets. There are still no toilets at any of the 19 OC Transpo parkand-ride locations.

Online Tools

Websites and apps such as ottpee. ca, Flush, GoHere, Quench and ToiletFinder are available for those with smart phones.

Gaps in Toilet Coverage

Signage: The addition of external signs telling people of the existence of a given public toilet would make them truly public. Malls and other public buildings are urged to use toilet signs that are not easily confused with the sign for elevators. GottaGo commends the unambiguous toilet sign at the new

Ottawa Art Gallery, which uses an outline of a toilet seat and is also in braille.

Sidewalk toilets: Ottawa has no permanent public toilets on sidewalks.

In contrast, Montreal is building 12 public toilets along busy sidewalks, and about half of these are now in operation.

Parks, bike paths, splash pads: There are over a hundred splash pads, dozens of parks and hundreds of kilometres of bicycle and walking paths in Ottawa, many with no toilet facilities.

Most of the existing ones are closed from November to April. However, walking and, increasingly, biking continue throughout the winter months.

People with disabilities or health issues and the unhoused: Toilet facilities in some older buildings make inadequate provision for wheelchairs or require users to enter by a back door.

Some toilets are not wide enough to roll wheelchairs in and close the door, and some have no press button to open the door. Many toilets do not provide safety for transgendered people who risk harassment using their preferred toilet. People living on the street have no option but to urinate and defecate outdoors, which means sometimes in doorways and alleys when public toilets are closed.

City Council faces a deluge of needs and a tight budget. However, a network of accessible public toilets is an essential part of public health infrastructure that cannot be ignored.

Based on files from GottaGo!, an advocacy group founded in 2015 by residents who want to see a network of open, free and accessible public toilets in the city.

Glebe Report December 8, 2023 31

GLEBE HISTORY

Shinny hockey in the Glebe

Players: Francis Irwin, Eric MacDonald, Hughie MacDonald, Mac Riddell, Henry Ballantyne, Fred Barbridge, Art Duff, Gardiner Morrison, Roy Stata, Reuben MacLeon. Allistair MacLeon, approximately 5 years old, is in the middle. (1932) PHOTOS COURTESY OF GLEBE HISTORICAL SOCIETY

on a rink on the vacant lot at the corner of Bank and Regent streets (current location of Glebe Meat Market), ca 1932. The men are said to be taxi drivers for Glebe Taxi at 912 Bank Street at Holmwood.

32 Glebe Report December 8, 2023

HEALTH

hip pain

Lateral

Pain in the outer hip can have a variety of causes.

By Marjolein Groenevelt Pain in the outer hip has over the years, commonly been called “bursitis” or “iliotibial band” pain. A more comprehensive term is lateral hip pain or GTPS (greater trochanteric pain syndrome) for reasons that are described below. It is common, with an incidence of between 10 and 25 per cent of the population.

Any time there is persistent pain in the hip and buttock area, a detailed examination is needed, since the pain can be coming from a number of sources. The problem could be referred pain from the lumbar spine (low back), the sacroiliac joint, osteoarthritis of the hip or a number of other hip issues.

With GTPS, the pain is often localized to the outer side of the hip. It is usually described as achy or burning, can be deep or superficial, constant or intermittent and can range in intensity from mild to severe. It might radiate all the way down the outer leg to below the knee but does not go into the foot.

There is often pain with walking, especially on inclines and stairs or while fast walking and running. The person may adopt a protective limp, leaning

over to that side while reducing the weight bearing. There is almost always pain lying on that side, especially at night. Sleep may be disturbed, affecting quality of life. Exercise may be reduced, which also affects mental and physical health. With GTPS, symptoms of numbness or tingling are not usually associated. If these symptoms are present, other structures and diagnoses need to be considered.

There has been increased interest in and research on GTPS in the past decade. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) will show tendinopathy of gluteus medius and often gluteus minimus. These are hip muscles in the buttock that support the hip when weight-bearing. They become tendons as they attach to the outer part of the hip. Research shows that most people only have gluteal tendinopathy while about 30 per cent have gluteal tendinopathy as well as inflammation of the bursa at the outer hip, known as trochanteric bursitis. A few people also have thickening of the iliotibial band.

This is why lateral hip pain, or GTPS, is the preferred term since it is an umbrella term that encompasses pathology of the soft tissues around the hip.

Many people with osteoarthritis of the hip joint also have GTPS. People of any age, body size and activity level can be affected, but GTPS is more common in women over the age of 40. The injury may have a gradual onset, or it may come on suddenly from an intense day of walking, hiking, climbing stairs, moving boxes, gardening or any activity that involves getting up or twisting, bending and lifting.

The cause is also linked to weakness in supporting muscles, such as gluteus maximus and core muscles, as well as overactivity leading to excessive load in these smaller tendons.

The treatment approach called “wait and see,” which is to do no intervention and see if the problem will go away on its own, is not very effective for this condition. A large Australian study with 204 participants found that education and exercise had better outcomes than a single cortisone injection, and both of those were better than “wait and see.”

The key education was load management. Patients were taught how to keep strengthening and loading but not overworking the tendons. They were taught a home program including bridges and

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Marjolein Groenevelt is a sports physiotherapist who works at Glebe Physiotherapy and Sport Medicine Clinic at Lansdowne. She lives in the Glebe and you will often see her walking, poling, biking and going up and down porch stairs carefully, delivering the Glebe Report.

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often gait modification. They were also instructed to avoid compression of the area. This means avoid bringing the knee over the midline. Avoid crossing legs. Avoid sitting or lying on the couch with knees dropped to one side. Clients are especially instructed to avoid standing with the hip jutted out to the side.

When standing, stand with feet shoulder-width apart and weight equally on both legs. Avoid a common stretch in standing, known as an iliotibial band stretch, with one leg crossed in front of the other before bending forward or to the side.

If you have significant hip pain which limits your activity or your sleeping, book an appointment with your health-care practitioner. Current research clearly shows that GTPS responds well to exercise and, if needed, other interventions that can be provided at the clinic.

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Glebe Report December 8, 2023 33

HOMES

Holiday organizing and decluttering

By Martha Tobin

W

ith so many holiday decor and decoration items available at this time of year, it’s hard not to buy a few more for your tree, tabletop, front door or yard.

Often in our excitement for that new holiday item, we forget that we already had a similar one, or we realize that we now have so much décor that we have run out of room to display it all.

Here are a few tips and tricks that might help you to declutter and organize your holiday decorations this year.

Unpack first and buy second • Wait until you have unpacked your current holiday decor and decorations so that you have a better idea of the categories and the volume of each category (lights, ornaments, tabletop items, outdoor decor, etc).

• By seeing the types of items you have and how many in each category, you can then pare them down based on the display space you have available.

• For any excess items, you can donate them and add them to someone else’s holiday season.

What truly brings you joy?

• Over the years, you’ve probably amassed lots of holiday decorations and decor. Some of these items may no longer bring you joy (i.e., ornament from an old boyfriend). Perhaps some of the items are outdated. Or you may realize that you have too many of a certain category (i.e., all your adult daughter’s grade-school, popsicle-stick ornaments).

• For sentimental items that you no longer want, check with your children, other family members or friends to see if they’d like them. If they do, you can create a labelled box of these items and include a dated note with a bit of the history that surrounds these items, especially if they are a family heirloom.

• Keep your treasures and those you have an emotional tie to, but consider taking a photo of the other less meaningful items so you can keep the memory but let the item go.

Check functionality • Determine which items work (i.e., electrical, musical).

Take the time to repair those that you want to keep and let go of those that cannot be repaired.

• You can check the City of Ottawa Waste Explorer site to find out how to dispose of these items.

Rotate decor each year • If you have excess decor and decorations, you may want to consider rotating your decor each year (i.e., one year silver décor, the following year red).

• If you find that you are often passing over certain items each year instead of displaying them, donate them or gift them to someone else.

Pack up your decor and decorations for next year • Use clear bins and store like with like. Label each bin (i.e., lights, tree decor, table decor). Labelled, clear bins make it easier to see what you have and access the items more readily.

As wonderful as the holiday season is, the reality is that we live in a time of tremendous consumerism due to products being easily manufactured, marketed and sold on an enormous scale (and delivered to your door the next day). We also live in a world where our planet is suffering from excess. So determine what you have before you buy, and then donate, gift or responsibly discard those items that are no longer meaningful to you. By doing so, you can add to the health of our planet, keep items out of landfills and help others less fortunate who will no doubt have a better holiday this season because of you. And isn’t that the true spirit of the holiday season?

Martha Tobin is the owner of Glebe business Declutter4Good – Organizing and Decluttering (Declutter4Good.ca).

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34 Glebe Report December 8, 2023

GLEBOUS & COMICUS

The Glebe according to Zeus

A GUINEA PIG’S PERSPECTIVE ON THE GLEBE

Beware of guinea pig holiday crashers!

Several Glebe households want to warn people this year about unscrupulous guinea pigs who exploit holiday acts of kindness to support their multi-dining habit. Last season, the families allege, a guinea pig named Floof, as well as several accomplices, made the rounds on the Avenues for weeks, knocking on doors claiming they had nowhere to go and were hungry.

“I guess I was the first of his dupes,” sighed Caleb, who said the guinea pigs were over so often for Hanukkah starting in November that he set up nine heated hutches for them, with their own entrances. “They seemed so happy here, and then one day they just left. For days, I agonized, thinking it was because I had burned the challah,

but now I know they were just moving on to the next holiday celebration.”

Bob had a similar story. “That imposter-pig was over at our place all 12 days of Yule. We even talked about going into business to sell my spiced crab apples, which Floof said were spectacular! He told me he’d been replaced by robo-pigs in his mailroom job at GiddyPigs.com and was barely getting by on Rodent Insurance.” Bob warned that the pigs are excellent conversationalists and charming. “I feel so used – especially when I heard Floof then went over to Kishina’s on Holmwood

to celebrate Kwanzaa!”

“They dropped by every day,” said Kishina.

“They said I made the best collards in the neighbourhood, and I believed them. But now I’m not sure if it was just fake flattery!”

The families contacted the Rodent Intelligence & Police Services (RIPS), who told them that multi-dining and holiday crashing are neither crimes nor misdemeanours. They further added that a civil class-action suit for fake flattery would likely fail, given that everyone knows Kishina’s collards are the best in the Glebe.

A Canadian accent: what’s the difference?

By Josh Rachlis | SparkTheGenius.com

How aboot that Canadian accent, eh?

We’ve all heard the claim that Canadians say “aboot” instead of “about” and, after only a few months studying in the U.S., it’s become clear to me

that Americans really do hear a Canadian accent. But what are the differences? And why are they so hard for Canadians to hear?

Of course, both Canada and the U.S. have a diverse range of accents. What’s up for question here is the Standard Canadian Accent, spoken mainly in Central Canada with a few exceptions like the Ottawa Valley Accent.

Americans seem to have a knack for pinpointing someone as Canadian from their accent alone. But Canadians, me included, often struggle to do the same with Americans, unless the person has an obvious drawl or New York accent.

Linguists argue the Canadian Standard Accent is largely shaped by two unique processes. First, there is Canadian Raising, hypothesized to be a remnant of the Great Vowel Shift from

Christmas In the Glebe

By Sophie Shields

Middle to Modern English, which involves pronouncing some two-part vowels (diphthongs) higher in the mouth – making the “ou” in words like out or about sound like “oo.” Contrary to popular American belief we don’t really say “aboot.” It’s just that our diphthong is absent from the General American accent, so they perceive it as the highest sound in their own vowel repertoire – “oo.”

Another distinct process is lowback merger in which two historically

distinct sounds have merged, making the pronunciation of cot-caught, stockstalk and nod-gnawed almost identical.

This feature is largely unique to Canada, though it has begun to appear in parts of the U.S. Constantly consuming U.S. media and TV has rendered the sounds of the General U.S. accent so second nature to us that we often can’t distinguish it from our own. But there are key differences. So, next time you are watching your Hallmark Christmas movie or a Hollywood drama, pay close attention to what you are hearing. Learn to recognize and embrace our Canadian accent as unique!

Sophie Shields is a Carleton graduate working on her MA in Comparative Literature at Dartmouth College in the U.S. She loves writing and learning languages, and she speaks French, Ukrainian and German.

Glebe Report December 8, 2023 35

EVENTS

HELP Santa parade

The Help Santa Parade was held on a sunny cold Saturday in November, with toys and donations collected by Ottawa Fire Services, who handed out candy canes to hopeful, bundled-up children anxiously awaiting the appearance of the jolly elf.

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36 Glebe Report December 8, 2023

TRAVEL

My trip to the Arctic

Azim’s story

By Anant Nagpur Writer Anant Nagpur first attempted this trip to the Arctic Ocean in 2018 but was unable to reach the ocean due to hazardous roads. He chronicled that trip in the Glebe Report of October 2018. This past October, Nagpur tried again and succeeded!

My recent visit to Arctic Ocean via Tuktoyaktuk was both numbing and mesmerizing.

I had always wanted to go there. There is no direct flight to Tuktoyaktuk (fondly known as TUK) from major cities. One needs to go to Yellowknife and on to Inuvik, and from there you can fly or drive to Tuk. The Tuktoyaktuk population is under 1,000, and Inuvik is about 4,500. It’s a short flight from Inuvik to Tuk but not frequent. Driving 138 km on a gravel road to Tuk is for very experienced drivers, not for someone like me who hardly drives. As soon as I got to the airport in Inuvik, I looked for a taxi to go straight to Tuk and see the Arctic Ocean. To my surprise, there were several taxi drivers ready to go.

Most of them were originally from Africa.

I chatted with Azim from Sudan, and we left around 2 p.m. I sat in the front seat to look around and chat. We shared a bag of chips, candies, coffee and cookies throughout the drive, and we shared our stories. He was sincerely thrilled with my sitting in the front seat rather than in the back seat, where conversation is hard. During the drive, about three hours plus and three hours back, I learned a lot about Azim, and it became his story rather than my visit.

Azim has two boys and three girls. Both he and his wife were in the accounting business. One son is an engineer, a graduate of the University of Calgary, and the second son will soon be an engineer. One of his daughters wants to be a doctor; the two other girls are still too young to decide. He is very proud of his children for their dedication to education.

He said there are roughly 100 Africans from

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various countries such as Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia and Nigeria in Inuvik. He moved with his family to Canada in 2001, first to Calgary. Because of a family connection, he moved to Inuvik in 2005 and became a taxi driver. He said he is very content. He drives many tourists to Tuk to see the Arctic Ocean, even in winter (but not as many as in summer) and a few to see the Arctic Circle signpost. He said he loves it.

He owns a house. His neighbour is Punjabi, and they often share food. There is one Lebanese restaurant in Inuvik run by a family since 1988. I had my dinner there that night.

During the drive, I realized that what I was experiencing was “nothingness,” just me and nature all around, and big sky extending as far as the eye can see. Some people are afraid of big open space – nothing there, no Timmy’s for coffee or anything like that. Surprisingly, there were two guys from India taking photos by the frozen Arctic Ocean, who said

they have a vision of opening a Timmy’s franchise in Inuvik where there is none.

You have to drive well prepared. If by remote chance you go off the road, you must just sit and wait till help arrives. Cell phones may or may not work since the connection is not certain. Azim said governments (both federal and territorial) are building fibre optics all over to improve internet connection. Throughout our drive, I saw hardly any cars passing us and maybe three or four oncoming.

On our way back, Azim said he would drive me back to the Inuvik airport for my flight back to Edmonton. I was touched by his offer. He showed up right on time as agreed. Instead of saying goodbye, I said “phir melenge,” which means “until next time” in Hindi, and he smiled and agreed.

Anant Nagpur is an Old Ottawa South resident who loves to travel and share his experiences with readers.

Writer Anant Nagpur at the Arctic Ocean PHOTOS: AZIM

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Glebe Report December 8, 2023 37

SCHOOLS

Cozy in pyjamas and ready for hibernation

By Julie LeBlanc With the colder temperatures setting in, the children at Glebe Cooperative Nursery School were very excited to come to school cozied up in their pyjamas for a special bedtime occasion.

Throughout the month of November, children learned all about hibernation. Each child created a bear out of clay and together they built a papier maché bear cave for the bears to spend the winter months sleeping. Through stories, discussions, games, songs and exploration, the children learned that hibernation is when an animal “sleeps” during the cold days of winter.

They filled the cave with leaves and cotton so the bears would have a soft bed for their slumber. When it came time for the bears to be tucked into their caves, the children, in their pyjamas, gave their bears a hug and said “Goodnight” and “See you in the spring!”

Children have loved finding out all about how animals like bears, foxes, birds, frogs, turtles, snakes and even bats adapt to survive the cold winter season.

POETRY QUARTER The Dead of Winter Winter is approaching rapidly.

If we are to judge the seasons as the cycle of life itself, then the dead of winter – the coldest days of the year – is a time of reckoning, a time for reflection on what has come before and what is yet to come. And how better than through the lens of poetry? From the coziness of home, we look out on winter, frigid in its most still moment. We call on poets to share their ruminations of the mind and heart, as they turn inward and acknowledge what the year has wrought.

Winter is coming It’s time to prepare Get ready little animal For the cold winter air Frogs bury themselves in mud at the bottom of a pond Bears sleep in caves Birds migrate to warmer climates Squirrels gather and store nuts.

Julie LeBlanc is responsible for communications for the Glebe Cooperative Nursery School.

Children in their jammies at Glebe Coop Nursery School learn all about hibernation.

PHOTOS: JULIE LEBLANC

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 Monday, January 22, 2024.

Poets in the National Capital Region of all ages welcome (school-age poets, please indicate your grade and school). Please send your entries (up to 5 poems that meet the criteria) to editor@glebereport.ca. Remember to send us your contact information and your grade and school if you are in school.

Deadline: Monday, January 22, 2024

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This space is a free community bulletin board for Glebe residents. Send your GRAPEVINE message and your name, email address, street address and phone number to grapevine@glebereport.ca.

Messages without complete information will not be accepted. FOR SALE items must be less than $1,000.

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS ABBOTSFORD SENIOR COMMUNITY CENTRE (950 Bank St.) BOOK SALE, Mon.–Fri., 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Pocketbook: $1, paperback: $2, hard cover: $3 or until December 22, fill a $10.00 bag (available at Reception) with as many books as it will hold.

ABBOTSFORD SENIOR COMMUNITY CENTRE (950 Bank St.) MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL FOR 2024 began on Fri., Dec. 1 and registration for winter programming will start on Wed., Dec. 13 for those who have renewed their membership. Members keep the same key-tag but cannot register unless they have renewed their membership. The only ways to renew are to call (613-230-5730) or come in person. We need to update any changes and like to check in with our membership. We will not be renewing memberships on Dec.13 due to registration. New members for 2024 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. 22 to Jan. 2.

ABBOTSFORD SENIOR COMMUNITY CENTRE (950 Bank St.) MINI-CRAFT SALE, ongoing near Reception until Dec. 15 from 9 a.m.–4 p.m.

ABBOTSFORD SENIOR COMMUNITY CENTRE (950 Bank St.) SENIORS ACTIVE FAIR 2024, Fri., Jan. 5, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Join us for fun and an informative day of demonstrations, classes and presentations.

We will have a trade fair of business and organizations that focus on seniors’ health and active living.

Free and open to all seniors, bring a friend! Registration begins Dec. 15. Members may register at: myactivecenter.com/. Non-members must call 613-230-5730 to register.

soprano Emili Losier and organist Elaine Graham.

Magnificat! / Magnificat! - Tues., Dec 12 at 7:30 p.m., Woodroffe United Church, 207 Woodroffe Ave. Tickets for this concert are Adult: $25; Senior/ Student: $20. Available at www.brownpapertickets. com/event/6144357 CHRISTMAS VOICES CONCERT, Sunday, Dec 10, 5 p.m. at St. Matthew’s Church. Sing along with Christmas Voices featuring members of the Caelis Academy Ensemble, the Notre Dame Schola Cantorum, the Lansdowne Carollers and the Glebe Collegiate Chamber Choir with baritone Garth Hampson and organist Matthew Larkin. All proceeds to the Centretown Community Food Centre.

FIRST COMMUNION AND RECONCILIATION PREPARATION AT CANADIAN MARTYRS ROMAN CATHOLIC PARISH. If your child is in Grade 2 or older and ready to continue their faith journey, please register them to join us! First communion classes will take place on Saturdays at 3 p.m., beginning in January. There will be a parents’ meeting in January as well. If you would like us to contact you when registration opens, please go here: https:// forms.gle/xZu11hJZLDoKKVT9A or contact us at religioused@canadianmartyrs.org, or call (613) 232-5347.

PATHWAY YOGA, located at 253 Echo Dr. in Church of the Ascension, is hosting an Open House on Sat., Jan. 13 from 1–3:30 p.m. There will be a free all-levels class from 1–2 p.m. followed by a tea social. At 2:30, the Pathway Yoga teachers will provide a half-hour demonstration using the

new rope wall. A tea social will follow. Start the New Year off with yoga! We invite you to check the details on our website: pathwayyoga.ca.

RIDEAU CHORALE SINGS BAROQUE, Sunday, Dec. 10, 7:30 p.m., Southminster United Church. Tickets available on Eventbrite.

SOUL MUSIC FOR CHRISTMAS, Enjoy the London Trio Plus on Sun., Dec. 10, 4–6 p.m. at Glebe-St. James United Church, 650 Lyon St. South. Experience a memorable evening filled with soulful, heart-warming gospel music for the holidays.

Tickets at Eventbrite $33.28. All proceeds will go to “Haven Too Youth Shelter” Ottawa.

UKRAINIAN ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN OPEN HOUSE, Sat., Dec. 16, 12–5:30 pm. Ukrainian Banquet Hall, 1000 Byron Ave. Join us for events commemorating the start of our 75th anniversary year! Visit our Ukrainian Christmas Eve Exhibit in the upper level of the banquet hall. Take a tour of the church with Father Taras Kinash. The Borsch Café will serve borsch with a garlic bun and coffee or tea with cake for purchase between 12 and 3:30 p.m. Enjoy the World Nations’ Concert at 4 p.m., featuring the Ottawa Ukrainian Children’s Choir and the Sunday Singers from Toronto. Donations appreciated. For more information call 613-728-0856.

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 Abbotsford House Black Squirrel Bloomfields Flowers Bridgehead 1117 Bank St. Capital Home Hardware 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 Community Centre Glebe Meat Market Glebe Physiotherapy Glebe Tailoring Goldart Jewellery Studio Happy Goat Coffee

FOR SALE

Hillary's Cleaners

Just in time for the holidays, PUZZLES, SEASONALS CARDS AND A VARIETY OF BOOKS celebrating the farm can be purchased from the Friends of the Farm Boutique (friendsofthefarm.ca/boutique/).

Ichiban Bakery

Hogan’s Food Store Irene’s Pub Isabella Pizza Kettleman’s Kunstadt Sports Lansdowne Dental

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.–4:30 p.m. or go to www. glebecentre.ca under Abbotsford Community Program and Current Program Guide. For those who have renewed their 2024 membership, registration can be in-person or by telephone (613-230-5730) with Visa or Mastercard and also on-line with your own member key-tag: myactivecenter.com/ (look for Abbotsford at the Glebe Centre).

Please note that Abbotsford will be closed Dec. 22 to Jan. 2.

Last Train to Delhi

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

Sunset Grill

BIG SOUL PROJECT Christmas concert, “A Soul-Filled Christmas,” Saturday, Dec. 9, 7:30 p.m., at Carleton Dominion Chalmers.

Doors open at 6:45 p.m. Tickets on Eventbrite: $25 adult, $15 students; free for children under 12. Dress rehearsal on Monday, Dec. 4 at Fourth Avenue Baptist Church, with tickets available on Eventbrite.

Wall Space Gallery

LCBO Lansdowne Little Victories Coffee Loblaws Marble Slab Creamery Mayfair Theatre McKeen Metro Glebe Nicastro Oat Couture Octopus Books Olga’s Old Ottawa South Firehall Quickie RBC/Royal Bank Subway The Flag Shop Ottawa The Ten Spot Thr33 Company Snack Bar TD Bank Lansdowne TD Bank Pretoria The Works Von’s Bistro Whole Health Pharmacy Wild Oat

BYTOWN VOICES CHOIR CONCERT “Comfort and Joy!” Sunday, Dec. 10, 3 p.m., Knox Presbyterian Church, 120 Lisgar Ave. CANADIAN CENTENNIAL CHOIR (ccc-ccc.ca/) presents John Rutter’s exuberant Magnificat for SATB choir, soprano soloist and orchestra. This joyous celebration of the Virgin Mary is inspired by festivities in countries such as Spain, Mexico and Puerto Rico. We’ll round out our holiday program with works by Rheinberger, Gjeilo, Sirett and plenty of audience singalong carols. With

In keeping with the wonder of the season, Richard from the Lansdowne Christmas Market team stokes the heartwarming campfires for the happy crowds on the opening weekend of the festive market LORRIE LOEWEN

Glebe Report December 8, 2023 39

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December 8, 2023

Lansdowne’s outdoor Christmas Market

PHOTO: LIZ MCKEEN

Glebe Neighbourhood Ac0vi0es Group Glebe Community Centre

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Holiday Break Camp

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Winter Carnival

Sunday, December 10 1:30 - 3:30 pm

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Help us wish Ali all the best! ❤

Cra$s, carnival games, bouncy castle, snacks, photo booth, prizes & more…

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Embrace the Chill