Barrhaven Independent December 22, 2023

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FRIDAY • December 23 • 2023

Rabbi Menachem Blum of the Ottawa Torah Centre in Barrhaven once again did the honours of lighting the menorah inside Gate 1 of Canadian Tire Centre. The annual Hanukkah tradition took place during the second intermission of the Ottawa Senators NHL game against the Carolina Hurricanes. (photo courtesy of Ottawa Senators)

Page 2 FRIDAY, December 22, 2023 BARRHAVEN INDEPENDENT

Ontario’s Next Generation 9-1-1 will help responders save lives Christmas is a special time of the year for many in the Carleton riding and across Canada. Houses and businesses are decorated.

We greet strangers with a smile and say Merry Christmas. Christmas carols and popular songs take over the radio airwaves and are heard throughout the community. These songs provide a warm soundtrack for so many of our memories – memories of our childhood or memories of times spent with our families.

As Andy Williams so famously sang in a song that remains popular 60 years after it was recorded, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.”

As the MPP for Carleton, Christmas provides an opportunity to meet and greet people throughout the riding. And there is no better an occasion to say hello to old friends and meet new ones than a parade.

It doesn’t matter if it is

called a Santa Claus Parade or a Parade of Lights or a Holiday Parade, a parade is something that brings the community together.

Sometimes the weather is beautiful, with warm sunshine piercing through the early winter air, or a crisp and clear winter evening with stars filling the sky.

Sometimes, however, the weather doesn’t cooperate. Despite a cold and rainy night in Manotick, hundreds upon hundreds of local residents lined Manotick Main Street on the evening of Fri., Dec. 1. I was able to say hello and share a smile and a few words with countless people – some whom I have known for years, and

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some whom I was meeting for the first time. I said hi to many children who gave me a high five. Their eyes were wide enough to have their own postal codes and the excitement dripped off their faces as they were waiting to see Santa Claus, the star of the parade in the last float.

It reminded me that for many people or for many families, the parade is an opportunity to celebrate community and friendship with neighbours. For the kids, however, it’s all about St. Nick. It might be just another parade or evening out for the parents, but seeing Santa Claus waving to them at the end of the parade is a memory that will likely stay with them forever.

The local community associations, volunteers and service clubs in our area deserve a tremendous amount of credit from all of us. They organize and co-

ordinate the parade route and floats, they work with the city on road closures, and their volunteers are out in full force ensuring that the parades remain safe and enjoyable for everyone.

If you ever felt the desire to give back to the community and to make sure that events like the Christmas parades remain memorable, joining a service club such as the Kiwanis Club or the Lions Club is a great way to do that. You always hear people say it takes a village to raise a child. But in the Carleton riding, it takes a strong service club full of dedicated volunteers to create that village.

So, thank you to everyone who gave up their time to volunteer for the parades, thank you to the local businesses who took part, supported, and sponsored the parades, and thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate

the holiday season by attending the parades!

Next Generation 9-1-1 Will Save Lives

Ontario is investing $78 million in telecommunications infrastructure to help municipalities and emergency response centres transition to a new emergency communications system known as Next Generation 9-1-1. The funding is part of the government’s $208 million investment to help emergency operators and dispatchers save more lives by transitioning to the enhanced Next Generation 9-1-1.

Included in the investment into emergency communications is nearly $3.9 million in funding to Ottawa. The Ottawa Police Service will receive $2.500,196, while the Ottawa Fire Service will receive $1,390,023.

This new system will enhance the effectiveness

of our emergency response system for everyone from dispatcher to first responders, as well as the police and firefighters. The new system will connect those in need with emergency responders in a more timely fashion. This will help save lives in the large rural area of Ottawa, including the riding of Carleton, as well as in the more heavily populated village, suburban and urban communities throughout the city.

About Next Generation 9-1-1

To successfully transition to the Next Generation 9-1-1 system, significant technology and infrastructure upgrades are required.

These upgrades include new telephony systems, call handling systems, internal network infrastructure and cyber security infrastructure.

goldie

continues on page 3

FRIDAY, December 22, 2023 Page 3

BARRHAVEN INDEPENDENT goldie continues from page 2 Once implemented, Next Generation 9-1-1 will enable voice, text messages and data to flow seamlessly from the public to 9-1-1 communications centres when emergency assistance is required. It will also give emergency operators and dispatchers the ability to identify the location of a call using GPS coordinates, resulting in a safer, faster, and more informed emergency response.

Emergency communications centres across the province have until March 4, 2025, to transition their networks from analog to digital as mandated by the Canadian Radiotelevision and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).

Our government takes public safety seriously, and is committed to ensuring that when an emergency happens, Ontarians can access the services they need.

Emergency operators, dispatchers and communicators

are heroes of public safety, and putting modern 9-1-1 technology at their fingertips will help keep our communities safe.

Ontario Investing in Programs To Address Gender-based Violence

The Ontario government is investing an additional $18.7 million this year to help prevent and address violence against women and girls. This funding builds on the province’s existing investments of $1.4 billion over the next four years to end gender-based violence and support victims.

The $18.7 million investment includes an additional $18.14 million to approximately 400 gender-based violence service providers across the province to help them hire more staff, improve services and increase their ability to provide services to women and children.

An additional $546,000

will be invested in the Women’s Economic Security Program and the Investing in Women’s Futures program to create more opportunities for women to build skills, gain employment and become financially independent.

This funding is part of Ontario’s $162 million agreement with the federal government through the National Action Plan to end GenderBased Violence.

Over the next four years, the province will implement a cross-government strategy to increase funding to service providers to increase their ability to provide supports, expanding initiatives that help stop gender-based violence before it occurs, making it more seamless for women and children to transition between supports, and expand programs that provide training and employment opportunities for women so they can gain financial independence.

Quick Facts

- Ontario’s investments over the next four years to help end gender-based violence is guided by Ontario-STANDS: Standing Together Against gender-based violence Now through Decisive actions, prevention, empowerment and Supports.

- In 2019, Ontario recorded more than 30,000 incidents of intimate partner violence. (source: Number of male and female intimate partner violence victims in Canada in 2019, by province).

- 62 women and children were killed through genderbased violence between November 26, 2022, and November 25, 2023. (source: 2023 Annual Femicide List Press Release OAITH).

- Ontario’s plan is aligned with other Canadian and international jurisdictions that focus on building safer and healthier communities

through violence prevention while supporting women’s well-being and economic opportunities.

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Page 4 FRIDAY, December 22, 2023 BARRHAVEN INDEPENDENT

Barrhaven Food Cupboard sees 50 per cent increase in usage over last year

By Charlie Senack The Barrhaven Food Cupboard [BFC]is coming to the end of their busiest year yet which stretches demand and resources.

On Dec. 9, hundreds of bags of food were donated to the Barrhaven Food Cupboard and the Ottawa Food Bank during the annual Loblaws/OC Transpo holiday food drive. OC Transpo buses were filled outside of the Loblaws Grocery store at Marketplace and McDonough’s Independent Grocer next door.

During the recent annual Barrhaven Santa Claus parade held on Nov. 19, 28 boxes of food and $1,900 in cash was collected. A Giving Tuesday initiative brought in $20,000 in cash.

Matt Triemstra, director of communications at the BFC, said the community stepped up their support in 2023. This July, they raised a campaign to raise $180,000 to keep their doors open during the in-

creased demand. It was met

by October.

“We have 127 individuals who have donated throughout the year and our growing base of monthly donors has become important for us. We are in a better financial situation but we are not fully funded for 2024,” Triemstra said. “The grocery stores have also been our main supporters.

They have been great to drive awareness.”

On average, the Barrhaven Food Cupboard helps feed about 450 families every month. In June, they served over 1,400 people, totaling about 400 families. That’s about a 50 per cent increase compared to this time last year, with the food cupboard sometimes seeing 25 families a day.

The increased demand has meant changes to how the Barrhaven food bank operates. In some cases families are being given less, and this year the Christmas Hamper program was can-

celed because they didn’t have the funds. It would cost about $60,000 to run, Triemstra said.

“This year every client who came through our doors in the month of December got an extra gift card in recognition of the holiday season. They were given a $50 gift card on top of their food which is called around $125 dollars,” he said. “We hope we can bring back some of our regular programming in 2024.”

Looking ahead to 2024, Triemstra expects their demand for service will only continue to grow. He said they are relying on more monthly donors to help purchase food.

While physical donations of non-perishable items are welcomed, financial contributions allow the Barrhaven Food Cupboard to buy in bulk and target products they are in most need of.

“Food prices are increasing. I’ve got a family of five and we are paying at least $2,000 a month on grocer-

The annual Loblaw/OC Transpo Food Drive took place Barrhaven Dec. 9.

Charlie Senack photo

ies,” said Triemstra. “Inflation has really brought the demand and since we moved to the Walter Baker Centre, more people know

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Financial donations to the Barrhaven Food Cupboard can be made through their website at barrhaven-

foodcupboard.ca. Physical donations of food can be dropped off at many bins located in grocery stores across the community.

FRIDAY, December 22, 2023 Page 5

BARRHAVEN INDEPENDENT

Local Key Clubs collect blankets, sleeping bags for homeless

By Ralph Tweedie

It’s often said that Christmas is a time of giving. As we approach the holidays, our Key Clubs in Manotick and Barrhaven have really met the challenge. The St. Mark High School Key Club and it’s Kiwanis advisor, Terry Tomkins, launched a project to collect blankets, comforters, sleeping bags, etc. for the homeless.

This inspired our other Key Clubs to join and make this an inter club project.

The community, in turn, has embraced the idea and overwhelmed our collection sites with blankets and warm indoor/outdoor winter clothing.

The Manotick Legion storage area was soon overflowing with blankets. The Anglican Church joined in to provide more storage space.

We’ve just begun collections and Terry and Bruce Tomkins have already delivered 72 blankets to the Shepherds of Good Hope and the Salvation Army depots downtown, which were extremely wel-

Kiwanis News Ralph Tweedie come.

The work of our Kiwanis Key Clubs has so inspired the Kiwanis Club of Manotick that we have approved donations of $3,000 each to The Mission, The Shepherds of Good Hope and the Salvation Army. This money will help provide warm meals to the Ottawa homeless at this special time of year.

During the winter months, there is an urgent and continuous need for winter clothing and blankets for the homeless. It is a huge and neverending problem. The young leaders in our Key Clubs have recognized the need and decided to do something about it. They appealed to residents of Manotick and the surrounding areas in the south of Ottawa. So far, the response has been outstanding. But the

High School students from local Kiwanis Key Clubs have been collecting blankets, comforters and sleeping bags for homeless people.

drive is still ongoing.

If you can help, please do.

Blankets, sleeping bags, and winter clothing in good repair

can be dropped off at either the Manotick Legion or the Anglican Church office.

We are very proud of our

Key Clubs and of our community. For over sixty years you have supported us. It really does take a village.

The Kiwanis Club of Manotick wishes you Happy Holidays and a very Merry Christmas.

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Page 6 FRIDAY, December 22, 2023 BARRHAVEN INDEPENDENT

INDEPENDENT Editorial

Food price rise linked to factors beyond the grocery store The 2024 Food Price Report from Dalhousie University, in collaboration with the Universities of Guelph, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia, uncovers a multifaceted and intricate food pricing landscape in Canada. This intricate landscape is influenced by a wide range of factors that go beyond what you see on the grocery store shelves.

The report predicts that food prices will increase by as much as 4.5 percent in 2024, with meat, vegetables, and bakery products driving food inflation higher at the grocery store. While many Canadians may hope for price drops, it’s essential to understand that the issue is entangled with the complexities of the global economy, and no nation is immune to worldwide uncertainties.

As most Canadians are aware, the persistent rise in food prices reflects broader inflationary trends affecting the economy. This surge in costs is not isolated to food alone; it’s a symptom of increased expenses in production, transportation, and the ripple effects of global economic shifts Climate change also plays a crucial role in shaping the food pricing narrative.

Extreme weather events directly impact agricultural productivity, disrupting crop yields and the availability of essential food products.

In response to rising costs, Canadian consumers are adapting their spending habits. There’s a noticeable shift towards more budget-conscious shopping, with consumers increasingly seeking value and adjusting their dietary choices in light of price hikes. This change in consumer behaviour is a critical aspect of the food pricing equation, influencing retail and production strategies across the food industry. The recent string of interest rate hikes by the Bank of Canada has had a significant impact on households across the country, forcing many to reduce their food spending despite inflation.

Canadians have valid concerns regarding the influence of companies like Loblaw and Walmart. Their practice of charging more fees to suppliers, who then raise prices to compensate for these elevated fees, ultimately leads to consumers bearing the burden. If Ottawa is genuinely committed to stabilizing food prices, it should make the Grocer Code of Conduct mandatory, ensuring that both Loblaw and Walmart adhere to it. This move would be in the interest of fostering competition and improving the food supply chain for the benefit of all Canadians.

Failure to do so may raise questions about potential inappropriate political interference between some grocers and the Liberal party.

While Loblaw and Walmart are well-managed companies that have reaped the benefits of their success, their influence in the food industry has become a concern for the broader population.

Addressing this issue is crucial for the well-being of Canadian consumers and the overall health of the food supply chain.

Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is senior director of the agri-food analytics lab and a professor in food distribution and policy at Dalhousie University. © Troy Media

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In 2023, did you have lots of rizz?

When I saw this year’s Oxford Dictionary were thinking, you would say, “Lay it on word of the year, I am sure I reacted exactly me.” Money was bread. When you had to from the way you did. leave, you had to split. the other Rizz.

In the 1970s, someone who wanted someWhat? one to calm down would tell them to take Rizz. a chill pill. If someone was Evidently it is short for prodding into your personal “charisma.” Nobody in my affairs, you would tell them to realm says rizz instead of charstop dippin’ in your Kool-Aid. isma. Nobody in my realm says If a girl was stuck up and charisma either. And I am fullarrogant, she was a Stella. If on rizzless. That may as well be a boy was kind of, you know, my word of the year. I’ve been living rizz- out there, he was a space cadet. free for my entire life.

There was also a TV show and a character In fact, the only time I have ever heard that greatly influenced our vocabularies in the word Rizz used is when Anthony Rizzo the 1970s. the show was Happy Days, and of the New York Yankees hits a home run, the character was the Fonz. His contribuand their radio play-by-play man John Ster- tions to 1970s lexicon included “sit on it” ling says, “Nobody beats the Rizz!” and “heyyyyyyy!”

Rizz is one of those new Gen Z words.

In the 80s, a new generation gave us rad, Like every group, Gen Z has their own gnarly, barf me out, gag me with a spoon, words. I learned this from the kids when dude, geek, grody and yo! they were going to “muck a couple of glThe 90s brought us “talk to the hand”, izzies for lunch.” That meant they were go- verklempt, metrosexual, buzzkill and badaing to eat some hot dogs. bing among other words.

When I asked them how the glizzies Eventually, we worked our way into the were, I was told they slapped. Slapped is 2000s and said things like bling and crunk. good, kind of like how 10 years ago sick We said “word” a lot. Snoop Dog made was good. COVID-19 kind of made us hit “biotch” a mainstream word. And Dawg, the breaks on using sick to describe some- wouldn’t we all get stoked if we were ballthing good. ers?

The burgers, meanwhile, were dank. I But this new group of Gen Z words is, no suspected something rotting and a trip to cap, totally high-key. And when I say that, the ER for food poisoning. But, as I learned, I’m not trying to be extra. dank was really good. “That goal by Connor Some of the Gen Z words, like rizz, is McDavid was so dank.” just a short form because it’s too much work I can understand why the social pressures for their thumbs to text or post the entire of living life in a world where you com- word. For example, if something is sus, it’s municate with your thumbs on a phone rath- suspicious. er than using your actual voice would force It’s one thing to know these words, but you live your life with a sense of, as they if we use them improperly, a Gen Zer might say, FOMO (fear of missing out). drag us. That basically means you will be Somehow, mustard and ketchup are still made fun of. mustard and ketchup. It’s not MAK or anyRizz wasn’t the only word to get word of thing texty like that. Because, fam, imagine the year status. Meriiam-Webster’s word of if you were mucking some bussin’ glizzies the year is authentic. Sorry Gen Z, but in and some MAK gravitied all over your dank this case authentic actually means authentic. drip? That would be the same as eating deli- Dictionary.com and Cambridge picked the cious hot dogs and then you spilled mustard word hallucinate as the word of the year. and ketchup on your nice clothes.

I would have though that maybe that was That wouldn’t slap at all. In fact, if that a 1968 word? happened, fam would look so cheugy. No What about us? I as community newsone ever wants to be cheugy. paper allowed to pick a word of the year? I I love to look at the lists of slang words think if you include phrases, we could have every year. I keep reading that something some pretty good local ones. really good is “on fleek.” I have never in Here are some we would nominate: my life ever heard anyone say that, and it School bus cancellations. sounds really – looking for a word we would Light rail delays. all understand – stupid.

Redblacks lost again.

Every generation has its own vocabulary.

So did the Sens.

At one time, everyone wanted to be a hipster Ninety-minute commute on OC Transpo. or a beatnik, and no one wanted to be a wet Pickleball. rag or a party pooper.

It took me three hours to get home from In the 1960s, the really cool things be- Bluesfest. came far out. That was even better than I got a speeding ticket. I didn’t know groovy. The police became the fuzz. Instead there was a camera on Cedarview Road. of extending your knuckles for a fist bump, And our favourite word or phrase from you asked someone to “gimme some skin.” 2023…

If you wanted someone to tell you what they I need a family doctor.

side

FRIDAY, December 22, 2023 Page 7

BARRHAVEN INDEPENDENT

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Letters to the Editor welcome at manotickmessenger@gmail.com

Letter on defunding the CBC provides insight into the far right

The Editor, It’s been fascinating to follow the opinions of Independent readers regarding Pierre Poilievre’s plan to defund the CBC, but last week’s letter from Conservative party loyalist Cindy Ferguson really provided some insight into the thought processes of some of these folks on the far right. Ferguson referenced a previous letter submitted by a CBC supporter that felt our public broadcaster was needed “in a world dominated by right wing media.” Ferguson then goes on to say, “that statement is comical. First of all, it is

admitting that the CBC is a leftist media organization.”

I can’t follow her logic here. Because the CBC is not right wing it can’t be an unbiased news provider but must be “a leftist media organization?” That’s a total non sequitur.

Ferguson then states that a public broadcaster should be “neither left nor right” and must be, “fair and balanced.” No argument there, but then she goes on to inform us that, “the anti-Conservative CBC is anything but fair and balanced.”

That’s a pretty harsh accusation and I would have loved to have seen the sup-

porting evidence for it, but none was offered, naturally.

In all fairness, if we’re going to defund our public broadcaster based on some suspected anti-Conservative bias, don’t we need some proof for its existence other than the personal opinion of Pierre Poilievre?

As anyone who has ever had to put up with an angry Conservative family member at the Christmas dinner table can attest, the “evidence” suggesting a leftwing bias in CBC’s news coverage is some pretty watery gruel. No one ever accuses the CBC of being untruthful, but every right-

winger insists that their coverage is biased. Apparently, their bias is so subtle as to be imperceptible to all but the most paranoid among us, but yet they remain convinced. In the discussions I’ve had with pro-Conservative family members, when asked for some kind of evidence of this supposed left-wing bias they will invariably suggest that the CBC routinely suppresses legitimate news stories. Like, why aren’t they talking about Pizzagate, or the efficacy of Ivermectin to treat Covid 19, or the possibility that Sandy Hook was an elab-

orate hoax perpetrated by deep state operatives trying to take our guns away? Of course, unlike the rightwing websites that these folks get their news from, the CBC can only report the truth and their reluctance to pass on the latest rightwing conspiracy theory is hardly evidence of any kind of left-wing bias. In fact it’s the hallmark of a legitimate and trustworthy news service and a strong argument in favour of its continued existence, I would respectfully submit.

Ferguson really slides off the rails at the end of her letter. After quoting a CBC

executive who advised his journalists to stick to reporting the facts and avoid expressing their personal opinion in their reporting, Ferguson makes a stunning allegation. “Why are so many misguided CBCwatching leftists marching with Palestinians and chanting ‘From the River to the Sea,’ a call for genocide and the end of Israel?”

I’m not sure where Ferguson got this ‘fact’ from, but I have it on good authority that CBC-watching leftists overwhelmingly disapprove of genocide directed at anyone.

Andy Braid

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Professional Accountant (CPA) Peace in Israel and Gaza can only be achieved once Hamas Chartered is destroyed •

The Editor, Right now, in parliament and across the country, we see people wrapping themselves in the flag of peace, calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. This is a simplistic, smug approach that fails to understand reality.

As we have seen in war after war since Israel

disengaged from Gaza in 2005, the terrorists use every moment of peace not to build a free Palestine, but to plot the next attack on Israeli civilians. Every one of these wars – all the lives lost, both Israeli and Palestinian – are a result of the genocidal, Jew-hating, Iranian-backed terrorist regime of Hamas. For any

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hope of peace, Hamas must be destroyed.

A ceasefire will not do that. It will merely give Hamas time to regroup, replenish its weapons of war and return to kill, rape, behead and kidnap again.

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blundering into atrocities.

To use an historical analogy that people would do well to refresh themselves on, we need a Churchill right now, not a Chamberlain.

Certi�ed General We do notAccountant get to(CGA) call ourselves “pro-peace” or www.mlgpc.ca “pro-Palestinian” when our word and deed grant Hamas the right to continue killing Arabs and Jews.

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Page 8 FRIDAY, December 22, 2023 BARRHAVEN INDEPENDENT

Barrhaven East Councillor reflects on a challenging year

By Wilson Lo Barrhaven East Councillor Every Christmas season I always get weirdly nostalgic for the year that was, and what a unique year 2023 has been for me.

From engaging with residents to working with the political and administrative side of the city, and from attending truly fascinating events to sending almost 10,000 emails, my first full calendar year as Councillor brought joy, excitement, challenges, and countless learning experiences.

I also gained twenty pounds; but I’m working on that.

Alongside the new experiences and responsibilities, I was able to continue doing two things I particularly enjoy, graphic design and writing. To be able to use those skills for things I begged my old job to let me do has been vindicating!

Speaking of my old job, what’s funny is in my first

East Barrhaven Ward Report Wilson Lo, Councillor

few months as Councillor, my mind still defaulted to reporting to someone, after having done so for a decade.

The demand of being present has been one of the more challenging aspects of the job. As a natural introvert, I usually find myself needing to recharge after a work engagement, especially after back-to-back meetings and/or events.

It took me about half a year to truly grasp my schedule, and since the summer, I have worked in proper days off and have been better at setting the ever-important boundary between work and life, with the understanding I’m “on-call” all the time.

Despite that, my favourite aspect of the job has been meeting residents, at a café, or just out and about

(I don’t have a ward office). I am so impressed and grateful for the care people have for their community.

Our community is also home to so many skilled and talented people—authors, opera singers, grassroots charity operators, painters, as well as people with all sorts of unique and interesting jobs. Learning about the different walks of life in Barrhaven East has truly been a privilege, and I’m looking forward to continuing to do so over the next few years.

Although there are people to whom I’m especially grateful, I am thankful to be able to work with such a caring and engaged community. It’s your engagement that allows me to do my job well!

Thank you, Barrhaven East, and wishing you all a safe and enjoyable Christmas holiday season and a happy, healthy 2024.

Looking forward to what next year brings!

Wilson Lo said his favourite aspect of being a city councillor has been meeting local residents.

Budget will see homeowners to pay an additional $105 annually on average Council has approved the City’s 2024 Capital and Operating Budget.

Residents will see a 2.5 per cent tax increase, which means the average urban homeowner would pay an additional $105 on their annual property tax bill, while the average rural homeowner would pay an additional $86.

Budget 2024 commits $33.5 million in municipal funds to improve access to housing and provide support to keep people housed, including $15.7 million for the housing and homelessness investment plan, and $8.8 million for housing benefits through Ontario Works. There is also $4.6 million for family and emergency shelters, $3.1 million for other homelessness programs and $1.3 million to support the social housing program. In addition, the City will invest $5 million

to advance the Integrated Transition to Housing Strategy and $30 million in affordable housing as part of the Housing Long Range Financial Plan.

Other highlights include: - $66 million for a new recreation complex in Riverside South - $30 million to help non-profit social services address poverty and inequitable access to services for residents facing the greatest barriers, through the Community Funding Framework - $29.1 million to renew recreation facilities, including pools, sports buildings and community centres - $13 million to support local cultural and recreation organizations - $3.8 million to hire new Ottawa Paramedic Service staff and purchase related equipment - A city that is more

connected with reliable, safe and accessible mobility options Budget 2024 includes more than $300 million for overall integrated road construction and road renewal, storm and surface water rehabilitation, bridges, sidewalks and pathways. The City is investing more than $62 million for traffic and pedestrian safety improvements, ranging from intersection control measures, programs for cycling and pedestrian facilities, network modifications, active transportation and neighbourhood traffic calming. It also includes road safety initiatives in the Strategic Road Safety Action Plan.

Other highlights include: - Investing $366 million in Stage 2 of light rail during 2024, with an additional $11.9 mil-

lion to support the Rail Operational Readiness Program.

- $140 million for bridge renewals, road rehabilitation and road resurfacing work - $4.5 million to establish a new Automated Speed Enforcement processing centre - More than $3 million to adapt and extend the life of parking facility infrastructure, support the installation of additional EV charging stations and more.

A city that is green and resilient

Budget 2024 includes $180 million for zeroemission buses, as well as $63.2 million to protect City facilities, including wastewater treatment, drinking water treatment, energy conservation measures and accessibility upgrades.

The City continues to

invest in sustainable waste management, with $4.5 million to develop and implement the Solid Waste Master Plan and related projects.

Other highlights that strengthen Ottawa’s resilience to climate impacts include: - $21.7 million to build resiliency to power outages at the Robert O. Pickard Environmental Centre wastewater treatment facility - $3 million to implement energy conservation measures in City facilities - $3 million to continue developing a coordinated approach to wet weather flow management within the urban area and reduce flood risks - $1.7 million to plant more trees to grow and preserve the tree canopy - $1 million to install generators at emergency reception and lodging

sites across the City - A city with a diversified and prosperous economy Budget 2024 aims to further reduce red tape and start-up barriers for small businesses. It will continue to invest in economic growth, diversification and job creation through the development and implementation of an Economic Development Strategy, and a Downtown Action Plan. The City will support local partners Invest Ottawa, Ottawa Tourism, the Ottawa Film Office and the Ottawa Music Industry Coalition to deliver sector specific programming and services. Additionally, the City will advance the Nightlife Economy Action Plan and establish a Nightlife Commissioner Office.

For more details on Budget 2024, visit ottawa.ca/budget.

FRIDAY, December 22, 2023 Page 9

BARRHAVEN INDEPENDENT

Speeding up in Barrhaven as city launches driving awareness program

Most of us make excuses for our bad behaviour on the roads. We justify that it’s okay because we know what we’re doing.

The City has launched a new ad campaign today to show these assumptions may be ‘dead wrong’.

“We have a goal to make Ottawa safe for everyone, especially on the road,” said Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe. “With this new ad campaign it’s about making the right choices.

Drive safely – no distractions, no phones, no drugs, or alcohol – it’s that simple. Please #TeamOttawa, make the right

choices as your choices can save lives and make our city safer.”

This campaign is guided by the City’s Road Safety Action Plan in partnership with the Ottawa Police Service. Each month, education focuses on the road behaviour with the most incidents of fatal and major injury collisions as captured in the 2017-2021 data.

“This new ad campaign supports the City’s Road Safety Action Plan, which aims for a 20 per cent reduction in the average annual rate of fatal and major injury collisions by 2024

with a longer-term goal of zero fatal collisions,” said Councillor Tim Tierney, Chair of Ottawa’s Transportation Committee.

“The campaign’s creative approach is to de-normalize unsafe road behaviour and develop a culture of road safety in Ottawa.

This is a behavioural change campaign that is founded on our data on fatal and major injury collisions and research into the public’s behaviour and perceptions.”

Of 673 fatal and major injury collisions in that five-year period, 67 per cent involved high-risk

driving behaviours. This includes distracted or impaired driving but also aggressive behaviours such as: • speeding • failing to yield right of way • following too closely • disobeying traffic control The emphasis area for December is impaired driving, so the ads will focus on this theme.

In the new year, the campaign will continue with ads addressing the other emphasis areas: • rural roads • intersections

• vulnerable road users, including motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians If all road users take responsibility for their behaviour, whether behind the wheel, cycling or walking, we can reduce fatal and major injury collisions and even eliminate fatalities. You don’t need an excuse to stay alert, follow the rules of the road and watch out for others.

The City of Ottawa has 28 photo radar cameras, and they issued 19,445 speeding tickets in Ottawa

in the month of October.

The most active speeding radar camera was in Barrhaven, as the camera on Cedarview Road was responsible for 2,586 speeders during the month.

For the calendar year, the Fisher Avenue camera has the most tickets with 21,162. The camera by Cedarview Middle School is fifth with 9,945 tickets, but it only became operational in August.

The average of 3,324 tickets per month at the Barrhaven location is easily the most tickets per month issued in the city.

The Ottawa Student Transportation Authority (OSTA) has released a statement stating they have made steady progress in reducing the number of cancelled runs and putting students back on buses.

Working with their operators, OSTA says it has cut the labour shortage to

approximately 20 drivers, down from 30 on November 15th.

This driver shortage results in the long-term cancellation of approximately 1.5% (82 runs) of all transportation services managed by OSTA. This has been primarily achieved by new hires and consolidat-

ing existing runs serviced with buses where a review of ridership found the seats that had been assigned were not being used and had yet to be released.

OSTA anticipates that most of its cancelled routes will be resolved in early January. Since its last update on November 15th,

bus operators have hired, trained and assigned 26 new drivers to OSTA routes/ runs. As of November 24th,

bus operators also have 20 new drivers in training and continue to bring on new bus routes. In addition,

opening two new west-end schools in January will release an estimated five drivers to be redeployed.

Speeding Tickets High in Barrahven

OSTA says it is making steady progress adding bus drivers

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Page 10 FRIDAY, December 22, 2023 BARRHAVEN INDEPENDENT

Barrhaven councillors reflect on priorities and accomplishments in 2023

By Charlie Senack As 2023 comes to a close, Barrhaven’s councilors are reflecting on their first full year of office while looking ahead to the future.

For Barrhaven West councillor David Hill, he said his first term as a councillor has been focused on getting to know city staff while looking to move forward with “tricky” files.

“We didn’t get handed an easy hand to play this term of council and we are dealing with complex issues with our waste management systems, our environment investments, Lansdowne, and challenges with our transit systems,” he said.

“None of this is easy and there is no easy solutions.

We are looking to make the right investments so we can maximize the return for our folks’ tax dollars.”

Barrhaven east councillor Wilson Lo said every day on the job has been rewarding, but sometimes challenging.

“I’ve not had a day where I’m questioning why I’m doing this. I really enjoy meeting residents, talking to people, learning about what worries them. Some people are worried about transit are worried about the cost of running transit. The same topic can generate so many points of view,” he said.

“The repetitive nature of politics means as soon

as you’re done managing something once, often you get to do it again right away and you feel like you are better at it,” Lo added. “It’s been like drinking from a fire hose for the last year.”

Transit

One of the biggest files for Barrhaven this year has been transit. Commuters habits have shifted over the COVID-19 pandemic, with fewer people commuting to offices downtown.

In September OC Transpo reported its highest ridership seen in three years, with 6.4 million customer trips. That’s still 500,000 trips below the 6.9 million trips expected for the month.

In revenue, OC Transpo collected $12.8 million in fares for the month of September this year, but that was below the $15.2 million budget target.

To cut costs and create a more efficient system, OC Transpo is looking to implement a route change next spring — the biggest seen in over a decade. It will come into effect once Line 2 of the LRT’s Trillium line opens, connecting Riverside South to Line 1 at Bayview Station.

For Barrhaven commuters it will mean the end of most 200-series buses. Some routes like the 73, 74 110, and 11) will travel to the Limebank road LRT station.

While the route review has not been finalized and some minor changes might be implemented, Hill said he feels it will have a positive impact on Barrhaven transit riders.

“Taking those express buses and re-rolling them into increased local capacity is not only going to allow for people to get around the local community better, it’s going to get Barrhaven to Kanata tech park, Barrhaven to the new Limebank station,” he said.

“For any students who transfer to Carleton University, there is going to be significant improvement for them,” Hill added.

“For folks that do commute downtown, the downside is they [might] need to do another transfer at Fallowfield or Marketplace.”

While that might mean another bus, Hill said more frequent local routes will help offset any further time spent commuting.

Route 75 Cambrian will be extended to Cappamore Drive in Half Moon Bay, creating a positive effect for transit riders who live there.

“There are people right now that need to walk over two kilometers to get to their bus stop. This will take that down to about 250 meters,” Hill said.

Safety

Barrhaven has recently

Transit will continue to be a major issue in Barrhaven for both local councillors.

become a hotspot for crime.

The community has seen the highest number of car breakins and thefts for all of Ottawa this year.

As of Nov. 17, 262 car thefts have occurred in Barrhaven throughout 2023, compared to 205 in Orleans, 199 in Old Ottawa South/ the Glebe, and 180 in Hunt Club.

Throughout all of Ottawa, over 1,400 car thefts have been reported in Ottawa this year, with over 40 in November 2023 alone.

Hill said he believes the communities numbers are so high because of its easy access to Highway 416, the 401, and its close proximity to Montreal — where many stolen cars are being put on boats and being taken overseas.

“What we are looking to do is to advocate for the provincial task force to give us more support. This is a bigger issue than just what Ottawa Police can deal with.

This is an issue that involves organized crime across the country,” he said. “I had a meeting with the Canadian president of the Auto Manufacturers Association about two or three weeks ago to talk about this issue. If organized crime is able to go and defeat these high technical ignition systems, then they need to take ownership of preventing that or including additional safeguards such as tracking software or crypto.”

Hill said a recent safety meeting in Stonebridge attracted over 250 concerned residents. It was attended

by Ottawa Police Chief Eric Stubbs and senior inspectors who deal with theft and break-ins.

In Barrhaven East, a new police station will finally have shovels in the ground after planning took over a decade. The development was shelved twice to allocate funding for other projects such as the Vimy Road Bridge. The 218,000 square foot, three-storey facility is estimated to cost $115 million and will be completed in 2026.

Barrhaven West Councillor David Hill would like to see the Barrhaven Town Centre development advanced.

“The Ottawa Police Service is moving a lot of their units down to Barrhaven, down to the south facility, and it’s going to become the new headquarters for a [Barrhaven] district when they realign to a new district model,” said Lo. “Local superintendents can then make local decisions based on local needs. Even though this doesn’t mean additional officers for Barrhaven, this means we will have cops coming in and out of the police station. Just that presence alone will hopefully bring some comfort to Barrhaven, especially with the increased car thefts, break ins, and everything.”

Future plans

As the Barrhaven councillors look ahead, both Hill and Lo said their plans will focus on tackling innovative ways to keep the community growing.

Lo said during this term of council he’d like to get Prince of Wales Dr. between Strandherd and West Hunt Club Rd. widened and improved with cycling and pedestrian infrastructure.

“I want to expand the scope of the project right now since it ends at Strandherd. There has been a lot of demand for a while to safely get across the Jock River to Beryl Gaffney Park if you’re not a driver. I want to expand the scope to include that and how Councillor Hill

and I can improve safety on the Jock River bridge.”

Lo would also like to see changes with the Nepean Woods Park and Ride, which has seen use drop since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’ve never seen more than three or four cars on a weekday. I’d love for us to consider disposing the park and ride and redeveloping the land as a mid density, mixed-use community with shops on the ground floor,” he said. “It costs money to maintain the parking lot. It needs to be cleared of snow.

There is infrastructure that needs to be maintained.”

Meanwhile Hill said his priorities are implementing new traffic safety measures and advancing the proposed Barrhaven Town Centre development.

“We have an additional million and a half dollars that was added to the budget this year for the library investment,” said Hill. “That coupled with the grants we received from both the provincial and federal governments will be enough for us to this year look at detailed designs and probably to do the land acquisition,” said Hill.

Hill noted the development costs were drawn up before the pandemic began.

Since then the cost of projects across Ottawa have seen large jumps in terms of supplies.

FRIDAY, December 22, 2023 Page 11

BARRHAVEN INDEPENDENT

Bake up a sweet holiday treat this year for Christmas Entertaining is a big part of the holiday season. Calendars are packed this time of year with gatherings with friends, family and professional colleagues.

Entertaining requires keeping plenty of refreshments on hand to ensure guests maintain their holiday spirit. Dessert is no stranger to the season, with office break rooms, dining tables and buffet stations brimming with sweet treats to tempt celebrants’ palates.

Everyone should have a goto dessert to bring along to a holiday party or to offer guests when hosting their own fêtes. Cookies are a standard due to their versatility and portability.

Festive “Sour Cream Cookies” provide all of the holiday feels and can be customized in colour to reflect celebrations of Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, or New Year’s. Bake up a batch, courtesy of “Live Well Bake Cookies” (Rock Point) by Danielle Rye.

Sour Cream Cookies Makes 22 cookies

11⁄2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled 1 teaspoon baking powder 1⁄4 teaspoon salt 1⁄2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened 3⁄4 cup granulated sugar 1 large egg, at room temperature 11⁄2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1⁄2 cup sour cream, at room temperature

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

1⁄2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened 11⁄2 cups powdered sugar 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream or milk 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Gel food colouring (optional) 1. To make the cookies: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt until well combined. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar together

for 1 to 2 minutes, or until well combined.

4. Mix in the egg and vanilla extract until fully combined, making sure to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

5. Mix in the dry ingredients in two additions, alternating with the sour cream.

Make sure to mix in each addition until just combined, and be careful not to overmix the batter.

6. Using a 11⁄2-tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets, making sure to leave a little room between each one.

7. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, or until the tops of the cookies are set and spring back when touched lightly.

Remove from the oven, and allow to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer the cook-

ies to a wire rack to cool completely.

8. To make the vanilla buttercream frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a large mixing bowl using a handheld mixer, beat

the butter for 1 to 2 minutes, or until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, 1⁄2 cup at a time, mixing in each addition until well combined.

9. Add the heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, and gel food colouring (if using), and continue mixing

until fully combined.

10. Once the cookies have cooled completely, spread the frosting on top of the cookies.

11. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

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Page 12 FRIDAY, December 22, 2023 BARRHAVEN INDEPENDENT

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23. Ocean 25. Cool!

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BARRHAVEN INDEPENDENT

FRIDAY, December 22, 2023 Page 13

Page 14 FRIDAY, December 22, 2023 BARRHAVEN INDEPENDENT

CHEO $40.5 million funding boost will increase access to services The Government of Ontario is investing more than $40.5 million to increase access to pediatric services for children and youth at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario.

The funding is part of the Ontario government’s investment of an additional $330 million each year in pediatric health services at hospitals and community-based health care facilities across Ontario.

“Our government is making record investments in the health and well-being of our children,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “The pediatric funding provided to the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario will have a tremendous impact on children and their families, ensuring they receive faster access to care when they need it.”

CHEO President and CEO Alex Munter said the funding will help expedite services in several areas.

“Thanks to this historic investment, we will be able to provide more care to more kids more quickly - surgeries, diagnostic imaging, urgent care, outpatient appointments and more. For instance, with more kids in crisis coming to the Emergency Department every year, the new Mental Health Transition Unit opening today and the expansion of 1Call1Click will connect more children, youth and families to the help they need,” Munter said.

The $40.5 million in additional funding will support programs and services at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), its Children’s Treatment Centre and the Kid’s Come First Health Team, including: - Increasing the number of surgeries being performed to reduce surgical wait times and backlogs.

- Connecting children and youth to faster access to MRI and CT scans.

- Reducing wait times for children to connect to care in local emergency departments by increasing access to care in other more appropriate settings, such as rapid access clinics.

- Increasing the number

Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones announced more than $40 million in funding for CHEO.

of beds and staff to connect more families to inpatient post-operative rehabilitation care.

- Implementing an immunization catch-up program for children and youth in Eastern Ontario with the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario and Ottawa Public Health.

- Increasing access to both mental health supports for youth experiencing eating disorders and psychosocial care for children and youth with cancer.

- Increasing access to children’s rehabilitation services, including occupational therapy, physiotherapy and speech and language services.

“Ontario is putting children and youth first by ensuring they receive the care they need when they need it,” said Michael Parsa, Minister of Children, Community and Social Services.

“Our government’s significant investment in pediatric care at the CHEO Children’s Treatment Centre and children’s rehabilitation service providers across the Eastern region will reduce wai-

tlists and improve access to clinical assessments, early intervention, and children’s rehabilitation services. This means less time waiting for speech-language pathology, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy services, and quicker recovery and better quality of life for children and their families.”

This consistent and stable annual funding increase will ensure CHEO can serve patients in Eastern Ontario with the people, resources and technology to improve access to pediatric care and prevent backlogs. Over 100 high-priority initiatives are being quickly implemented across Ontario to ensure children and youth in every corner of the province can connect to emergency care, surgeries, ambulatory services, diagnostic imaging, and mental health services.

Local MPPs Lisa MacLeod (Nepean) and Goldie Ghamari (Carleton) were at the announcement.

“Today’s announcement is welcomed news for children and youth living in the Ottawa region, and for the team at CHEO,” said Mac-

Leod. “This new funding will increase the number of inpatient beds and provide faster access to MRI and CT scans, allowing more patients to connect to the highquality care they need, closer to home.”

Ghamari echoed MacLeod’s statement.

“Our government’s record investments will ensure children and youth in Eastern Ontario can connect to the care they need closer to home, now and in the future,” Ghamari said. “By reducing wait times and increasing capacity for surgeries and mental health supports, patients can continue to receive care faster, where and when they need it most.”

Through Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, the Ontario government is providing significant financial support to hospitals and communities to improve how they deliver pediatric care – ensuring Ontarians of all ages can access care easier, faster, and closer to home in their communities.

East Region children’s rehabilitation agencies will

receive over $8.4 million this year to support children’s rehabilitation, and preschool speech and language services.

The Ontario government has also said that supporting the mental health and wellbeing of people in Ontario is a key priority. The province is providing a comprehensive and connected mental health and addictions (MHA) system that offers high-quality, evidence-based services and supports where and when they need them.

In 2020, the government released Roadmap to Wellness, our plan to build a world-class mental health and addictions system. In addition to investing in existing services, Roadmap to Wellness investments are supporting the introduction of new innovative programs to begin to address wait lists and times and ensure access to timely and appropriate services. For example, Ontario recently expanded One Stop Talk, a virtual walk-in mental health counselling service for children, youth and families. Once fully implemented, it will provide

immediate, low barrier access to brief counselling services through a single virtual access point from anywhere in the province.

The Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services funds children’s rehabilitation services for children and youth with special needs, which includes speech and language pathology, occupational therapy and physiotherapy delivered in schools and community locations. The Preschool Speech and Language program provides assessments and services for children with speech and language difficulties and disorders from birth to transition to school.

“Children, and their families, need comprehensive and integrated care that they can access close to home to meet their needs,” said Dr. Chris Simpson, Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Executive, Ontario Health. “This investment helps to support high-impact initiatives that will enhance the Ottawa region’s ability to build access and improve capacity for the community.”

FRIDAY, December 22, 2023 Page 15

BARRHAVEN INDEPENDENT

National Capital Secondary School Athletics Association results Senior Boys Basketball

Dec. 5 – Nepean 48 Pierre-Savard 24 Dec. 6 – Notre Dame 78 St. Mother Teresa 51 Dec. 6 – St. Francis Xavier 74 Lisgar 48 Dec. 8 – Earl of March 69 John McCrae 36 Dec. 11 – AY Jackson 65 St. Joseph 61 Dec. 11 – LongfieldsDavidson Heights 66 John McCrae 54 Dec. 13 – St. Francis Xavier 49 Ridgemont 36 Dec. 14 – St. Ffancis Xavier 63 Franco Cite E. 42

Junior Boys Baseball

Nov. 28 – LongfieldsDavidson Heights 71 John McCrae 47 Nov. 28 – St. Joseph 65 St. Mother Teresa 51 Nov. 28 – Pierre-Savard 46 Pierre-de-Blois 45 Nov. 30 – St. Joseph 57 Longfields-Davidson Heights 49 Nov. 30 – St. Francis Xavier 75 South Carleton 74 Nov. 30 – St. Mother Teresa 59 St. Mark 52 Dec. 5 – St. Francis Xavier 71 St. Mother Teresa 51 Dec. 5 – St. Mark 65 Longfields-Davidson Heights 49 Dec. 5 – St. Joseph 61 John McCrae 30 Dec. 5 – St. Paul 82 Pierre-Savard 57 Dec. 7 – South Carleton

64 John McCrae 52 Dec. 7 – St. Mark 54 St. Joseph 53 Dec. 7 – St. Francis Xavier 70 Longfields-Davidson Heights 45 Dec. 7 – Bell 63 PierreSavard 54 Dec. 11 – South Carleton 82 St. Mother Teresa 61 Dec. 12 – St. Francis Xavier 62 St. Joseph 61 Dec. 12 – St. Mark 49 John McCrae 48 Dec. 14 – John McCrae 44 St. Mother Teresa 34 Dec. 14 – St. Mark 71 St. Francis Xavier 69 Dec. 14 – LongfieldsDavidson Heights 68 South Carleton 55 Dec. 14 – Pierre-Savard 63 Omer-Deslauriers 54

Girls Curling

Dec. 5 – St. Francis Xavier 11 St. Mark 0 Dec. 6 – John McCrae 5 South Carleton 2 Dec. 6 – Nepean 4 Longfields-Davidson Heights 3 Dec. 7 – Merivale 8 St. Joseph 0 Dec. 9 – John McCrae 9 Longfields-Davidson Heights 0 Dec. 14 – Nepean 6 St. Francis Xavier 2 Dec. 14 – Canterbury 3 St. Joseph 2

Boys Curling

Dec. 5 – South Carleton 5 John McCrae 2

Dec. 6 – Pierre-Savard 10 Paul-Desmarais 2 Dec. 6 – Nepean 6 Longfields-Davidson Heights 1 Dec. 7 – Merivale 3 St. Joseph 3 Dec. 13 – Sacred Heart 8 Pierre-Savard 4 Dec. 13 – Brookfield 6 Longfields-Davidson Heights 3 Dec. 14 – St. Joseph 7 Canterbury 4

Girls Hockey

Dec. 6 – St. Francis Xavier 2 Beatrice-Desloges 0 Dec. 7 – Pierre-Savard 3 John McCrae 1 Dec. 12 – Merivale 3 John McCrae 0 Dec. 12 – Pierre-Savard 2 South Carleotn 2 Dec. 12 – St. Mother Teresa 3 Merivale 1 Dec. 12 – LongfieldsDavidson Heights 6 St. Matthew 2 Dec. 12 – South Carleton 6 John McCrae 0 Dec. 12 – Pierre-Savard 8 St. Pius X 1 Dec. 12 – South Carleton 2 St. Mother Teresa 0 Dec. 12 – Merivale 5 Pierre-Savard 2 Dec. 12 – St. Pius X 6 John McCrae 4 Dec. 12 – LongfieldsDavidson Heights 2 Immaculata 0 Dec. 14 – Franco Cite E. 7 St. Francis Xavier 1

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Dec. 5 – Franco-Cite E. 3 Pierre-Savard 0

Dec. 5 – St. Mother Teresa 3 Kanata Montessori 1 Dec. 6 – John McCrae 3 St. Paul 0

Dec. 6 – St. Francis Xavier 3 Lester B Pearson 2 Dec. 7 – Paul-Desmarais 3 St. Joseph 0

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