Serving the Glebe community since 1973 www.glebereport.ca ISSN 0702-7796 Issue no. 464 FREE
Vol. 42 No. 10
PHOTO: RIDEAU VALLEY CONSERVATION AUTHORITY
November 14, 2014
Aerial photo of Brewer Pond
What the heck’s happening at Brewer Pond?? By Carol Macleod
The problem with Brewer Pond
Those of you who have been around a while may remember fondly the swimming hole on the Rideau at Brewer Park. It has been closed for several decades, being slowly reclaimed by cattails. Over the years the Environmental Committee of Ottawa South (ECOS) rooted out invasive species and planted native shrubbery around its shore. It also developed a signed interpretive trail. Recently you may have noticed blue fencing around the pond as you cycle south on Bronson past Sunnyside. What’s going on?
Each spring, Brewer Pond is inundated by Rideau floodwaters. As water levels drop, trapped fish die in the landlocked pond. The bottom of the pond is 1.5 metres above the Rideau’s bottom, so not much water stays in the pond. What’s left becomes almost stagnant. Tests show that the oxygen level in the pond is so low that it cannot sustain most aquatic life, including amphibians, fish and plants. It’s definitely not a good place for fish to lay eggs or for minnows to feed or overwinter. It doesn’t even support a healthy frog or plant population. Moreover, there’s not much wetland suitable for fish habitat on the shores of the lower Rideau. (Continued on page 22)
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
WHAT’S INSIDE
Nov 15 Nov 14–16 Nov 14–16 Nov 16 Nov 22 Nov 25 Nov 29 Nov. 30 Dec 4 Dec 6
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“Rock for Public Services” concert, The Arena at TD Place, 6:30 p.m. Glebe Craft and Artisan Fair, GCC Homes for the Holidays Tour Canadian premiere of Stolperstein, Mayfair Theatre, 7 p.m. GCA community audit of Bronson Ave. GCA Board Meeting, GCC 7–9 p.m. Abbotsford Annual Bazaar, Abbotsford House, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Winter Craft Fair for Ottawa Food Bank Glebe Collegiate Institute, 9 a.m–3 p.m. Online registration for GNAG winter programs, www.gnag.com, 9 p.m. Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol Glebe-St. James United Church, 7 p.m.
Capital Ward voter turnout
Abbotsford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Advocacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17–19 Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7–8 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13–15 Business Buzz . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Community . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–3, 9 Councillor’s Report . . . . . . . . . 31 Ecology . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1, 21–23 Film . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
GCA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Glebe Annex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Glebous & Comicus.. . . . . . . . . 16 GNAG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 MP’s Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24–25 Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34–39
next issue: Friday, December 12, 2014 EDITORIAL DEADLINE: Friday, November 21, 2014 ADVERTISING DEADLINE: Wednesday, November 26, 2014
9,316 votes for a turnout of 37.86 per cent, a couple of points below the city turnout of 39.92 per cent. About 3 per cent of the votes were cast in advance polls. In the municipal election, Capital Ward voters cast
Our next chance: 2018