Fall 2016

NEWS/POLITICS/FOOD/ARTS/SPORTS/FASHION/LIFESTYLE $4.95

FALL 2016

TOP 25 People in the Captial Moose

ottawalife.com

Meet the Consortium that is Reviving Rail in the Capital

Sèan McCann * True North Series * Colorado * Ski Club Med

Contrarieties & Counterpoints: Recent Paintings by Melanie Authier October 7, 2016 - January 2, 2017 | Curated by Robert Enright

Melanie Authier, Beneath the Spin Light, (detail), 2016, acrylic on canvas, 152.4 x 182.88 cm.

Ottawa Art Gallery 2 Daly, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6E2 613-233-8699 | ottawaartgallery.ca

Organized in collaboration with Thames Art Gallery with funding from Ontario Arts Council’s touring programs

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016 VOLUME 18

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NUMBER 4

58 56 46

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PHOTO: PAUL COUVRETTE

The Annual Top 25

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From culture to politics, this Top 25 issue is all about the community builders amongst us. The Hon. Catherine McKenna, National Chief Perry Bellegarde, “Ottawa’s resident genius” Andrew Pelling and many others work to make this city a brighter place.

True North Series

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Ottawa Life launches a new series looking into the challenges facing our northern territories. People are fighting the effects of colonialism while climate change threatens their very existence. As the ice melts and traditional food sources dwindle, northerners are organizing to create change.

Remembering Colonel Atilla Altıkat

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On August 27, 1982, the assassination of Turkish military attaché Colonel Atilla Altıkat shattered Ottawa’s reputation as a sleepy, peaceful national capital.

Thirty-four years later, The Council of Turkish Canadians continues to recognize the loss.

Travel

56

columns

Publisher’s Message .............................. 4 Best Picks ............................................ 5 Music ................................................. 7 Savvy Selections ................................... 9 Homes: Shelley Alexanian ...................... 11 Profile: Elizabeth Lozano ....................... 13 In Search of Style ................................. 14 Profile: Causeway Work Centre .............. 17 Gallery: Leah Pipe ............................... 18 Gallery: Patrick Nunziata ...................... 20 GaIN ................................................ 37 Moose Consortium ............................... 42 Travel: Colorado ................................. 56 Travel: Ski Club Med ............................ 58 The Resort that Timmy’s Built .................... 60 Opinion: Patrick Gossage....................... 61 Saint Paul University ............................. 62

series

This month we take you to the Colorado Rockies and French Alps in two high altitude adventures. From hiking and skiing to fine dining and galloping on horseback, these destinations will help you unwind one minute and get your adrenaline pounding the next.

From statement furs to a splash of red, find out what’s trending for fall.

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3D VIEW: MTBA ASSOCIATES INC

PHOTO: FRED CATTROLL

contents

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PHOTO: PING HU

CUSW Series ....................................... 39 Reaching Higher: Algonquin..................... 40 Pipelines ............................................. 41 True North .......................................... 44 Building a Better Canada ...................... 48 Canada/Turkey Friendship .................... 50 Canada/China Friendship ...................... 51 Canada/Hungary Friendship ................. 55

publisher’s message by Dan Donovan

Something is Really, Really Wrong in Ontario

A creeping arrogance and sense of entitlement has seeped its way into the depths of the Government of Ontario. At a fundamental level, they do not seem to understand the value of a taxpayer’s dollar. Ontario is 315 billion dollars in debt, and is paying a billion dollars a month in interest. That is 12 billion a year not going to health care, education or other services. It is more debt, than all Canadian provinces combined.

So given that context, you would think the government would be very focused on spending restraint and improving the provinces’ finances. Instead, mismanagement continues. Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk reported last December, that, Ontarians paid $37 billion more than necessary from 2006 to 2014 on hydro bills, and, said consumers will spend an additional $133 billion by 2032 due to global adjustment electricity fees on hydro bills. She also noted that Ontario’s electricity consumers are being charged for tens of billions of dollars due to overpriced green energy, poor government planning and shoddy service from Hydro One, and that the province’s energy ministry — which is overseeing the sell-off of Hydro One, the provincial electricity transmitter — was a mess. She asserts, “Hydro One’s customers have a power system for which reliability appears to be worsening while costs are increasing”, and said that, “more frequent power outages are happening mostly because assets aren’t being fully maintained.” More troubling, is that Hydro One is currently owed 175 million dollars because 10 percent of its customers can’t afford to pay their hydro bills on time.The government response to this was to set up another program so lower income Ontarians can apply for a hydro subsidy. Of course, more government money will be spent to administrate that system. Let’s not get into how demeaning it is for families to have to go through this process. Ontario’s push to promote wind and solar energy has proven wasteful and unnecessarily costly because the government ignored warnings from the now-defunct Ontario Power Authority, that some power plants (like a biomass-fuelled station near Thunder Bay), were prohibitively expensive. One wonders then, why Ontario Power Generation Chief Executive Tom Mitchell is the highest paid public servant in the province, for a second straight year. He earned $1.6 million in salary and benefits in 2015. In 2014, he was the leader with $1.55 million. Had Mitchell been in the private sector he would have been terminated, not rewarded. It is one thing if the taxes we pay are being used...Responsibly. But, the Wynne government is paying public servants and political hacks salaries and bonuses, that are obscene. They spent 20 million to begin setting up the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan (ORPP), and the “administration corporation”, that was supposed to run it. When they reversed-course and did not precede, they then paid an orgy of severances and bonuses to the people they hired to set it up. Neala Barton, the plan’s senior VP of communications, received $316,819, for less than 3 months’ work. Anne Slivinskas, a lawyer, was paid $341,418, for just three weeks’ work. Brian Gill, the pension plan’s CTO received $414,050, for less than two months’ work. Jennifer Brown, senior VP of operations, got $445,000, for less than three months’ work, and, (finally), CEO Mary Anne Palangio, was remunerated $465,938, for less than three months’ work. The worst: They also hired Saad Rafi and paid him $827,925 for less than three months’ work. Previously, Rafi and other PanAm Executives were paid millions in bonuses for running a taxpayerfunded game of sorts, that went 342 million dollars over budget. Why would any of them get bonuses and why would Rafi be sent from one disaster to another?

Closer to home, there is the case of Constables David Weir and Daniel Montsion — who managed to beat to death Abdirahman Abdi (a man of Somalian heritage with mental health issues who was accused of groping customers in a Hintonburg café) — both are regulars on the Ontario Sunshine List. Constable Daniel Montsion made $163,251.09 in 2014 and $158,677.73 in 2015. Both officers are under investigation by the Special Investigations Unit. We deserve much better judgment, training and conduct from our police, especially when we consider what we are paying them.

Why are we paying them so much? Something is very, very wrong, in Ontario n CORRECTION: In the article Astana Emerges: Expo 2017 in our Summer 2016 issue,

we used an incorrect photo of Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Here you can see a photo of the real Nazarbayev, who has remained in power since his country became independent of the Soviet Union in 1991.

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publisher/managing editor

Dan Donovan copy editor/senior features writer

Jennifer Hartley art director Karen Temple director of operations Isabel Payne web editor/features writer Eric Murphy cover

Various photographers photographers

Cathie Archbould, Paul Couvrette, Andre Gagne, Cpl Mélani Girard, Rob Huntley Photography, Tracy Hanes, Dave Howells, Ping Hu,Valerie Keeler, Corp. Anthony Laviolette, Miv Photography, Eric Murphy, Andre Ringuette, Karen Temple, Wenfei Ye fashion editor Alexandra Gunn accounts Joe Colas C.G.A director of Creative Services George Stryker contributing writers

Shelley Alexanian, Anne Dion, Dan Donovan, Andre Gagne, John Gordon, Patrick Gossage, Alexandra Gunn, Jérémie LeBlanc, Alex Mazur, Ellen Moorhouse, Eric Murphy, Frank Raso, Karen Temple, Simon Tremblay-Pepin, Debbie Trenholm, Candice Vetter, Greg Vezina, Luo Zhaohui web contributors Angela Counter, Anne Dion, Andre Gagne, Katie Hartai, Jennifer Hartley, Alex Mazur, Arizona Lanceleve,Vic Little, Don Maclean, Isabel Payne, Mona Staples, Mireille Sylvester, Mike Tobin, Simon Vodrey, Meagan Simpson corporate advisor J. Paul Harquail,

Charles Franklin corporate counsel Paul Champagne editor emeritus Harvey F. Chartrand student intern Hanna advertising information

For information on advertising rates, visit www.ottawalife.com call (613) 688-LIFE (5433) or e-mail info@ottawalife.com Canadian Publication Mail Product Sales Agreement #1199056.

Ottawa Life Magazine, 301 Metcalfe St. Lower Level, Ottawa. Ontario K2P 1R9 tel: (613) 688-5433 fax: (613) 688 -1994 e-mail: info@ottawalife.com Web site: www.ottawalife.com Follow us on Twitter: @ottawalifers On Instagram:t ottawalifemag Like us at www.Facebook.com/OttawaLifeMagazine Ottawa Life is listed in Canadian Advertising Rates & Data (CARD).

Ottawa Life subscription rates: one year $42.00, includes postage, plus HST (six issues). Two years $70.00, includes postage, plus HST (12 issues). Add $20 per year for postage outside Canada. Subscriber service is 613-688-LIFE (5433) Ottawa Life Magazine is printed in Canada on recycled paper.

best picks

Symbols That Empower

Images by Mark Schacter

Experience some of Canada’s most breathtaking sights at Skyline Gallery, Ottawa's newest art hot spot. Inspired by the many galleries of Santa Fe, photographer Mark Schacter has created this artistic space inside his own home to share his gorgeous photography, celebrating Canada’s spectacular landscapes.

Skyline Gallery is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, find it at 3 Trillium Avenue. luxetveritas.net/link/skyline

Cool Running

Made with anti-odour technology, the UA CoolSwitch features mesh panels on the back and underarm areas for extra ventilation. It has a fitted design that feels comfortable without the squeeze and its four-way stretch moves however you do. Reflective logos keep you safe during night-time excursions.

CoolSwitch comes in a variety of colours and is designed for maximizing comfort in hot weather. underarmour.com

Babies On The Go EquiptBaby has got your baby covered when out and about. This baby bag features multiple pockets with ample storage space, as well as an insulated cooler pocket to keep your baby's bottle and snacks fresh all day. The bag is designed to expand (like an accordion) and keeps its shape no matter how much you put in it. equiptbaby.com

Jewelry adds a sense character, personality and culture to each individual. Handmade in Alberta, Andrea Kelly Designs feature jewelry with a story behind each piece.

Made with ethically-sourced materials, check out her gorgeous Tree of Life necklaces or enjoy good luck with her gold pyrite stretch bracelet. Spot her gorgeous designs on popular TV shows such as The Vampire Diaries and Bones. andreakellydesigns.com

Sound Travels

The UE Boom 2 has an impressive 100-foot range and delivers crisp, clean sound due to its all-around speaker design. Start, stop or change songs with a tap of the finger, or use its specially-designed companion App to control the speaker remotely. Waterproof up to 1m deep, shockproof and dirt-proof, it also boasts a 15-hour battery life, making it great for wherever your adventures may take you. bestbuy.ca

Goodbye Doggie Breath

Fight bad dog breath with Orapup Lickies. Simply apply some of the bacon or beef flavoured Lickies onto the Orapup brush and let your pup lick the brush clean. Your dog thinks he’s getting a treat, while you don’t have to deal with bad dog breath anymore. It’s a win-win for everyone. orapup.com 5 OTTAWALIFE FALL 2016

best picks

1000 Islands Playhouse

by Nicole Allen

by Margery Leach

Open Doors to Art at the Loft

Situated right on the edge of the St. Lawrence River, 1000 Islands Playhouse delivers hilarious and breathtaking plays that everyone can enjoy. September features performances of social comedy Das Ding (The Thing) by Philipp Löhle, which runs until September 25th, and the one-woman musical You Are Here, runs from the end of September through mid-October.

1000islandsplayhouse.com

Beginning September 22, the Loft Artist Studios on Gladstone Avenue are opening their doors and sharing

by Anne-Marie Battis their work with the public. The open house will run for two weekends, giving visitors the chance to explore the workspace where 17 local artists create a dazzling array of diverse pieces.

Loft Artist Studios, 951 Gladstone Avenue, Ottawa September 23–25 & September 30–October 2, 2016 HOURS: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. • ADMISSION: Free

1000 possibilities ONLINE! maaxmodulr.com/configurator

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music by Andre Gagne

Rock FROM THE

TO THE CAPITAL

Séan McCann stood facing the two men he’d spent 20 years of his life with. As musicians, they traveled miles together for hundreds of nights in song. Now they were silent.

It is two months before a tour that would celebrate their band. Soon the sound of thousands of screaming fans would thunder into his ears like the wild Atlantic combers of his Newfoundland home but, on this day, the years, fans, accolades, and memories have culminated into one difficult choice. For two decades McCaan was part of Canada’s biggest party band, Great Big Sea, and soon it would be over.

It was a time of great change for a man who has struggled with alcoholism since a parish priest poured him his first drink as a child.

Two years prior to deciding to leave the band, McCaan’s wife gave him an ultimatum: he would have to quit trying to kill himself with alcohol or risk losing his family.

PHOTO: WWW.DAVEHOWELLSPHOTO.COM

“Every night was Saturday night whether that was Wednesday in Winnipeg or Tuesday in Sault-Saint Marie,” recalls McCaan on the temptations of road life. “Our daily rider consisted of one bottle of single malt scotch, four bottles of wine and forty-eight beers. This is what I had to walk past every day I went to work. Great Big Sea was a great place for an alcoholic to hide but a very bad place to attempt a recovery.”

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PHOTO: WWW.DAVEHOWELLSPHOTO.COM

Now a solo musician in need of work, he would pack up his family to leave Newfoundland settling just outside of Ottawa.

“Moving is never easy but I have been coming here for 25 years and Ottawa has always been good to me. Everyone has been so helpful,” he says.“We are all very grateful for the kindness this great city has shown us. I am very proud to be an Ottawa citizen.”

In the year since he’s been here, McCaan has played a few shows in support of his deeply personal release Help Your Self.

alone. Eventually, he would start giving talks to others who have dealt with alcoholism.

“I believe that music is a powerful medicine.These songs helped me make sense of my own desperate situation,” he says. “Going solo has been very hard work but I have never been a lazy person and as long as I still love what I am doing I will never give up.”

“HelpYour Self is the sound of me facing my past and my ultimately overcoming it. Sharing my truth is never easy but I believe it helps people find their own way to recovery and inspires them to help themselves. Secrets kill but a song can save a life.”

McCaan was surprised to discover how his story affected others, many who shared their own experiences with him and showed him that he was not

Adapting to life in the capital, he has found a love of kayaking the Ottawa River and a city that has four definable seasons. He’ll be performing for his

Ariosa | Elegant. Beautiful. Versatile.

Available in two sizes: 60" x 32" and 66" x 36"

www.maax.com 8 OTTAWALIFE FALL 2016

new home crowd on October 22 at the National Arts Centre. He’s also working with OLM and Vets Canada on a project which looks to bring a charity concert to the city in 2017 in hopes to raise funding for 1,000 guitars for homeless Veterans suffering from mental health issues.

“I feel like I have been granted a second chance and I fully intend to make the most of this opportunity,” he says looking back on these last few years.

“Now that my freedom from addiction has been found, my future shall remain unlimited.” n

savvy selections by Debbie Trenholm

Cool Craft Ciders here was a buzz this summer that T was different. It was the buzz about craft cider. The LCBO stocked shelves

wide and high with different styles by local cider makers, and neat new ciders were taking over taps at restaurants. No longer is cider the alternative for those not partial to wine or beer, craft cider is for everyone.

Move over Somserby & Strongbow you have company. The Canadian hard cider industry has been growing since 1990s. In the past two-three years, the market has exploded. The Ontario Craft Cider Organization (OCCA) says the demand for Ontario ciders has grown upwards of 60 percent since 2013 and the LCBO recently reported that Ontario cider sales have more than quadrupled over the last three years.

conducted by The George Morris Centre at the University of Toronto projected that Ontario craft ciders have the potential to be a $35-million industry by 2018. Mark my word, the buzz will be getting louder.

Cideries are cropping up everywhere.

County Cider is the largest cider maker near Ottawa.

“The County Cider Company was established in 1996. Since then, the craft cider industry has exploded. We pride ourselves on growing our own apple cider varieties to create a unique range of ciders — from traditional English style dry to sweeter flavoured ciders”, explains Jenifer Dean co-owner of County Cider Company located in Prince Edward County.

Adding to that, this summer saw 60 Loblaw stores in Ontario add ciders to their fridges. A research study

And wineries are getting into it too.

Lighthall Vineyards in Prince Edward County, along with Tawse Winery,

County Cider Blood Orange Inspired during a trip to Normandy, France, this is a hard apple cider blended with blood orange juice and essences.

An eye catching orange Lifesaver colour that looks more like a cocktail than cider. Each sip has refreshing tastes of mandarin with a tangy acidity like Starburst candy.

Warning: you’ll want more than just one glass of this cider.

Price: $6.90 (500mL bottle)

Tawse Bottle Fermented Cider was released in July from a winery who has been named ‘winery of the Year’ for the past four years. This cider is their first foray expanding beyond winemaking.

Unfiltered and unpasteurized, this cider was aged on the lees (in contact with the yeast) to give it a complex and rich taste. Each sip will remind you of freshout-of-the- oven, homemade apple pie.

Absolutely delicious.

Price: $14.95 (750mL bottle)

Ravine Vineyard and Vieni Estates in Niagara have all added hard apple cider alongside with their wine portfolio.

With the dizzying abundance of craft ciders, it is only natural as a Sommelier, to dive in and discover all of the different styles and flavours. Classic hard apple cider, peach, pear and berry flavoured, even root beer cider, there is definitely a cider that will quench your thirst. With so many and so little time, Savvy Company launched In-Cider Picks. Each month, an assortment of Ontario-made ciders are delivered to your deck or dock. Savvy Sommeliers have taken the guess work out of which of the many ciders to buy deliver the best bottles for you. This trumps going to the LCBO or the grocery store and it’s not just a summer fling. The cider buzz will continue year round.

Look for them on the store shelves or call Savvy Company to arrange for a delivery. Here are some to give a try: Tortured Path Cider For die-hard cider fans. Always quick to sell out at County Cider shop in Prince Edward County, this is made in a traditional British dry style made with bittersharp and bittersweet apple varieties that has been blended in with Gold Russet apples grown on farm. Bone dry with mineral tastes with constant stream of bubbles that your glass could be mistaken for French Champagne.

Price $7.95 (500mL bottle)

What to serve with craft cider?

Just like wine, the taste of craft cider can be augmented with certain foods. Our Sommeliers recommend selecting foods that do not overpower the flavours found in the cider. So, save the steak for red wine and serve cider with steamed seafood, grilled salmon, sushi, pork chops, salads loaded with fresh garden vegetables or hard cheeses, popcorn, kale chips or simply on its own n Debbie Trenholm is a sommelier and the founder of Savvy Company.

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homes by Shelley Alexanian

Advice for a Posh Loo “I don’t know if less is more or more is less.” -DAVID GILL, GALLERIST Any home renovation can be daunting, but make a few wrong turns and it can quickly turn into a nightmare. My advice is to make sure you have a clear plan and design at the earliest possible stage. Finding a very reliable and experienced contractor is also a must. Taking the lowest contractor bid for any renovation is never a good idea.

In this master bath reno, I wanted classic elements that related to the home’s era while looking chic and modern. I kept all of the plumbing in its original place.

Rerouting plumbing can be costly, so if you are satisfied with the layout and it functions well for you, avoid that cost and invest in more elaborate materials and fixtures elsewhere.

I like to begin my day with plenty of luxury…this is my place to loiter and get away from it all. For me this includes a look that is effortlessly stylish and has a simple colour palette. I am always happy with the pure shade of neutral – but don’t be fooled – finding that perfect white is not always easy.

My absolute must is to ensure that that any space looks immaculate and completely uncluttered. Good lighting requires lots of attention as it can dictate any room’s mood. I always use dimmer options and only white Halogen bulbs.

Floor heating is essential and I recommend extending it right into the shower floor. As this is my personal Master Bath, I was not willing to compromise the decision of a seamless shower with a modern rectangular drain. This posed a challenge for the contractor, but was worth it in the end. As is typical in a 100-year-old home, the floor was not level and walls were not square. To accommodate for this, the floors were built up and the walls feathered to allow for oversized marble wall tile.

My choice of an exquisite classic Statuario marble from Alexanian creates a stunning arrangement with its neutral surroundings.A timeless and contemporary oversized marble tile on the floors and walls gives understated glamour. I introduced big panels of mirrors for reflection and to visually increase the space.

The bath tub and vanity are floating, giving the room more floor space.

My attention to distinctive detail on light switches and the heat vent meant that all of the materials are marble. I had the installers custom cut each detail so it is all uniform.

Last but not least are the small luxuries that make my posh loo my perfect peaceful refuge. Scented candles are a must…my personal favourite is Jo Malone, and always, always include fresh flowers n ShelleyAlexanian.com

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2 4 Vernissage: Sept 22, 6-9 pm Open Studio: Weekends of Sept 23-25 & Sept 30-Oct 2

www.enrichedbreadartists.com

THE REGIONAL GROUP

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profile Anne Dion

FOR

Dress

The Job You Want

With Fashionable Shirts by Elizabeth Lozano

istinguishing yourself from the herd D comes down to hard work and originality, but feeling good about looking great can’t hurt your chances. In fact, it is hard work and originality that is at the heart of this Montreal-based company’s art.

Elizabeth Lozano makes ready-to-wear blouses and cufflinks. The woman who started it all, after whom the company is named, was driven by her desire to promote a deeper understanding of the female body, to give working women the chance to feel at home in the perfectlyfitted drapery in which we place and present ourselves every day.

Lozano prides her brand on encompassing the best of two worlds: Peruvian Pima cotton, the finest in the world, ensures excellent quality every time, and in the designing process benefits from Montreal’s European-chic character. The end result is always a unique and decisive masterpiece.

Lozano speaks of the attention to detail she exercises with every piece, “mass production is not an option, and each shirt is a highly exclusive work of art, only obtainable by working with family-owned workshops that appreciate the value of taking time to produce real quality.”

Lozano is a Peruvian who left behind a successful marketing career when she left Peru to find a home in Montreal with her husband, Helio. “This project represents a full reinvention of my reality—a new beginning in a new country and city, and a new life with my love and business partner.”

Her design philosophy is visible in every one of her shirts.To her, success isn’t served cold, it’s decorated with colour and flourish and plays on the humour and whimsy of the femininity from which she draws inspiration. At the heart of the Lozano label is empowerment and individuality; what keeps the designer motivated and invested in her work is the knowledge that she can reach so many dynamic and hard-working women, women who deserve the very best fit, the very best fabric, and the very best quality she can offer them.

The Elizabeth Lozano label doesn’t only produce shirts they make cufflinks as well.

Magnificent, exclusive, and sophisticated, they are specifically designed to be worn with her unique shirts. Why should such a subtle statement style be associated only with business men? Especially when Lozano’s creations capture sophistication in each piece n Elizabeth Lozano is offering OLM readers the special offer of 30% off your next purchase!

Use promo code 30OTTAWALIFE. www.elizabethlozano.com 13 OTTAWALIFE FALL 2016

in search of style by Alexandra Gunn

Follow Alex on Twitter: @AlexandraGunn

Fall Fashion

Fiery in nature, red is a “standout” colour and should be worn when you want to be noticed. A bold red is warm, sensual and immediately pleasing to the eye.

Designers warmed up the autumn palate with reds of all hues, showing satin finishes, lacquered separates and even displaying a head-to-toe velvet look that set the runway on fire. The Pantone Colour Institute’s biannual fashion report highlighted the shade Aurora Red as a staple for Fall/Winter and is expected to dominate upcoming collections in stores. Don’t overthink the shade, just use colour as a way to update your look or to add some sizzle to your fall wardrobe.

p Kate Spade Small Hemsley Bag $258

p Kate Spade Small Hemsley Bag $258

Define your #Girlboss Style The look of the working wardrobe has evolved dramatically over the past 10 years from stuffy skirtsuits to a more flexible and fashion forward dress code. The modern executive style should be cool and commanding. In lieu of a traditional suit, the new power dressing is all

p Kate Spade Elastic Bows Gloves $108

about a mixing and matching separates to create a silhouette that says ‘stature’.

Ralph Lauren

Chokers

MUST-HAVE ACCESSORY

Invention and reinvention are the mothership of fashion, and thanks to an overall ‘90s resurgence, the choker is making a comeback.

It doesn’t matter if you prefer a statement choker made from metal, velvet, leather or if it’s embellished with rhinestones, this fall add a little something around your neck and join the ranks of the fashion set.

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H&M

Opening Ceremony

q Kate Spade Gold Buckle Collar Necklace $228

t Winners Metal Choker Necklace $19.99

Back in Fashion Prabal Gurung

Michael Kors

Libertine

Fur, both real and faux, made a strong showing on the runway but it was the use of show-stopping patterns and bold colours that prove that fur is back on the fashion radar. Top marks go to designers Michael Kors, Prabal Gurung and Libertine for offering a twist on the standard style, creating a “look at me” trend that will keep you warm to boot. You don’t need to spend a fortune on this luxe look. For the cooler evenings opt, for a vest and look at vintage shops for hidden gems. Traditional fur styles and colours are a wise investment as classic looks stand the test of time. An easy way to add fur is through accessories, such as, fur-trimmed gloves or a fur scarf. These small additions will add a touch of glamour to your overall look.

p Faux Fur Neck Warmer $24.99, Winners tFaux Fur Scarf $29.99, Winners

PHOTOGRAPHY: Ping Hu winterlotusphotography.com ON-SITE ASSISTANT: Gail E.P. Gunn

pKate Spade Faux Fox Fur Short glove $118

pGUESS Babita Fur Coat $198

FLORALS: Canadian Mountain Weddings

ALEX’S FALL Essentials

Marciano Zulima u Fur Vest $248

Lusomé sleepwear is redefining comfort in classic sleepwear with innovative moisture wicking technology for a dry and good night’s sleep. lusome.com

Laurel Whole Plant Organics is a sweetly scented serum with nourishing plants high in antioxidants, making this the ideal anti-aging serum and a cult favourite. laurelskin.com Ontario sisters Julie Albert and Lisa Gnat serve up quick, easy and crowd-pleasing meals in their latest celebrity-approved cookbook. bitememore.com

p GUESS Kielo Faux Fur Vest $148 15 OTTAWALIFE FALL 2016

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profile by Eric Murphy

PHOTOS: ERIC MURPHY

Don Palmer

Building Bikes a Second Life hen you look at your old bike, W the one that sat outside all winter and probably makes a few too many

concerning sounds, you might see an inconvenience. However, if someone from Ottawa’s Causeway Work Centre saw that bike, they would see a treasure.

For Cycle Salvation or Right Bike, two of Causeway’s social enterprises, a used bike is an opportunity to create a job for someone in need, an opportunity to grow the business, and, an opportunity to get that one-sweet-ride back out onto the streets.

Helping people find work is Causeway’s mission, and over the past year, they found 350 employment opportunities for people in Ottawa who are living with a mental illness, an addiction or facing some other life challenge.

Sometimes, the best way to help people find work is to create jobs for them, and that’s where the social businesses come in. They give their employees the skills and work experiences they need, and a chance to succeed.

“Our social enterprises have a triple bottom-line: people, planet and profit.” says Don Palmer, Causeway’s Executive Director.

Right now, Causeway operates four social enterprises: Krackers Katering, Good Nature Groundskeeping, and the two bicycle businesses, Cycle Salvation

and Right Bike. The latter two work in bike repair, refurbishing, retail and rentals. Together, these four businesses employed 64 people last year and earned $672,292 in revenue. As for the environmental impact, Palmer estimates that Cycle Salvation and Right Bike diverted about 1,200 unwanted bikes from public landfills.

Many of these bikes were rebuilt and sold, or they were added to Right Bike’s rental fleet. The unsalvageable bikes are stripped for parts, and the remains sent to be recycled.

While getting plenty of old bikes helps the bike businesses keep going, this year they’re hoping to see more high quality rides come through the doors.

“We might get 20 bikes donated in one month, but they may be all cheap bicycles from discount chain stores that have been out in someone’s backyard for five years,” says Palmer. “You can’t really do much with them.”

To boost donation quality, Causeway is now offering tax receipts to bicycles worth $500 or more. These must be “high quality” bikes that are in good condition. The bike’s quality has to be appraised by a third-party expert for the receipt to be granted, but, Palmer says the process is socially responsible and easier than trying to sell a bike online, plus, Causeway will pick up the donation.The bike businesses will then

use these higher quality rebuilds to expand their offerings to customers.

At the Right Bike location in Hintonburg, the process has already begun. Behind the McCormick Street shop’s colourful door, mechanics have been working on a new custom bike line made from their highest quality frames, decked out with brand new parts. The results are one-of-a-kind bikes at competitive prices.

Right Bike also provides free tune-ups in low income areas around the city, which is funded by the City of Ottawa, and, for the past two years they’ve run an 18-week bicycle mechanic training course under the name “Ottawa Bicycle Academy.” So far, the Academy has produced 18 graduates, most of whom were snapped up immediately

by Ottawa bike shops.

These two bike businesses in Ottawa rely on the general public’s generosity in the form of bike donations to keep them going. If you have one or more bikes that you don’t need, consider passing them on to Cycle Salvation or Right Bike. Your donation will keep someone working, and put another bike on the road n www.causewayworkcentre.org www.cyclesalvation.org www.rightbike.org 17 OTTAWALIFE FALL 2016

gallery by Anne Dion

a portraitCANADA of Canada is a place of boundless natural beauty, and part of being Canadian means appreciating the natural wonders of where we live. Few understand this better than Leah Pipe, the BC-based artist who pens the awe-inspiring beauty of the Skeena Watershed area in Northern British Colombia. Beautifully arresting, rivetingly detailed and quietly absorbing, Pipe’s art communicates that unique Canadian essence through her minimalist yet detailed impressions of her surroundings’ wildlife and culture.

“I would describe my art as capturing intimate moments in nature with a modern twist. That’s the small, short answer.” Pipe says with a laugh. “As a realist in art, that’s what has sustained me for 30 years of making art — it’s the capturing of the subtlest of shades, and the smallest of details and the most poignant of light reflections.”

The softness of her artistic style does not undermine the ferocity of her passion. Pipe describes the process and inspiration of her work as simply wanting to get her viewer to look, to really look at the astounding and fine details of her 18 OTTAWALIFE FALL 2016

subject. Anyone can see the devotion with which Pipe applies herself to her canvases. The beak of a raven, when illustrated by her hand, is infinitely faceted, textured and powerful while

each feather on an owl’s neck stands out as a masterpiece on its own. Not everyone has time to wander the vistas of British Colombia and see with Pipe’s detailed eyes, and that is why she paints as she does, collecting each minute detail that makes up her Canadian lifestyle.

Leah Pipe began drawing as a child, and after showing some natural abilities she became determined to be become a fashion designer. But that career path was set to change.

“My mom brought home some fashion magazines to introduce me and to inspire me… and it pretty much changed the course of everything; I was just completely mystified and stimulated and excited by these amazing photoshoots and the details.

And for some reason I was compelled to capture it.”

Pipe draws a great deal of her inspiration from her surroundings, which, for two decades, has been the

Skeena Watershed area in northern BC. “We have this amazing accessibility to wild rivers, clean rivers — you can actually drink out of the rivers up here — vast mountainscapes, and incredible moments. Even living in a small town in British Colombia, you can step out into your backyard and you’re part of a vista that is really inspiring to the soul.”

Pipe tells us. “There’s many things we don’t have access to. And yet what we have access to is paradise.”

Much to Pipe’s delight (and unsurprisingly, given her talent), the region has responded very eagerly to her artwork. Leah Pipe now works with the Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition as the group’s Communications Director, using her knowledge of artistic form, and experience with creative communication in the Coalition’s design and marketing. Since joining forces, she has been working

on building artful graphics and changing the way the conservation group connects with the rest of the world.

“If you include art, if you incorporate art — art will have the power to compel someone to listen to your message, more so than standard advertising or standard design layout. Art has a great ability to move people and to stir emotion — asking people to ask themselves important questions.”

Although she has now found her place in British Colombia, the army-bratturned-artist once lived her life on the move.

“I happened to be born in Ottawa”

*Warrior Wolf

explains Pipe, making a claim on our Capital city through lineage: “My mom and my dad met in Ottawa, at the National Defence Headquarters.

My mom’s family is actually from the Ottawa valley, so Ottawa holds a part of my heart.”

We asked Pipe what advice she would give aspiring artists, and she answered with a laugh. Most people who ask that question, she says, hope for a romantic answer, one that she wishes she could give them. The reality of being an artist, however, is long hours and dedication: “There’s this joke between artists — we ask, ‘What’s your day job? What’s

• Warrior Wolf is a collaborative piece. The First Nations designed moon (native circle) was designed by Gitxsan Artist, Cash Smith.

your real job?’” Most artists, she explains, have a steady paying job during the day, and afterwards return home to work on their art which adds up to a full-time job itself.

“And my simple answer for people when they ask me this question is: it’s the midnight hour,” laughs Pipe.

Despite all the challenges of an artist’s life, she concludes,“I can’t not pursue it.

I can’t not creatively communicate.”

Luckily for Canada and for anyone who’s had the privilege of encountering her artwork, the artist’s life is one that suits Leah Pipe well. Canada may be one of the world’s most beautiful countries, but it becomes even more striking through the pens and brushes of artists like Leah n artandantler.net 19 OTTAWALIFE FALL 2016

gallery by Alex Mazur

Piecing Together the

Have you ever let your mind wander while watching passing clouds floating through the sky?

White wisps look like a sailboat or a fluffy cloud looks unmistakably like a bunny. This psychological phenomenon is called pareidolia, an instance where the mind recognizes familiar patterns in shapes that aren’t actually there.

Patrick Nunziata , a

young artist from Toronto, uses similar symbolic interpretation to form his abstract paintings.

He begins each piece of work by laying out text on his canvases, using words inspired by anything from a McDonald’s bag to breaking news headlines. He then uses the positioning of those letters to construct a painted pattern overtop until the words become obscured. There is a recognizable message inspiring the work, but the meaning is hidden from the viewer’s understanding.

“The viewer will be looking at the painting and they feel like they’re reading, but they’re unable to comprehend what they’re reading. It sort of opens up people’s ways of looking.”

Nunziata believes that artists, from poets to film makers and painters,

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Abstract a picture of a horse, or an architectural painting of a building, but that will always be what it’s perceived,” said the young artist. “I’m trying to make it so open, so accessible, it can be anything that anyone really wants it to be. In that sense, he is creating art that won’t expire.”

Nunziata also uses bold colours, rich pastels, and unique mixtures of patterns to create pieces that can’t be ignored; which is why in some cases you can catch a streak of scintillating glitter running through his canvases.

are playing with the way people interpret meaning; creating layered work that keeps the audience’s minds active and critical. He strives to create pieces that offer a new perspective each time they’re viewed, like peeling back layers of a never-ending onion.

A graduate from the University of Western Ontario, Nunziata said his professors helped him transform his natural inclination for art into something more refined.

“I started out being really interested in graphic arts, like graffiti and that sort of realm and when I went into university, it matured into this; the shapes broke up into this abstract field type of art.”

“I wanted to appropriate that sense of that superficial, poppy sort of feeling that comes with using glitter, and associate that with the fine arts,” said Nunziata. He hopes one day to use Swarovski crystals, if only his wallet will allow it.

The use of varied and juxtaposing materials is also a way that the artists likes to break up traditional interpretation of meaning in art.

Along with his personal projects, Nunziata has side projects that keep him busy. He does commissioned work, and has created unique pieces out of logos and brand colours for the likes of Canada’s Walk of Fame, TD Bank and The Royal Bank of Canada.

He has also gotten in the handbag business. His bold patterned prints can now be found decorating clutches and purses.

His pieces are as cerebral as they are beautiful; they are meant to admired but also to be deciphered, even if they can never be quite figured out. This is what makes his art fresh and interesting.

Wether hanging on your wall or off your shoulder, Nunziata’s work draws viewers in with brightness and impact, and then invites them to get lost in the pattern. It is like searching for shapes in the clouds on a sunny day n

“You could have a beautiful painting, a portrait of someone,

patricknunziata.com 21 OTTAWALIFE FALL 2016

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cover by Ann Dion

MEET THE 16TH ANNUAL

Top 25 People in the Capital Whether they’re still building their legacy, or it’s already cemented, this year’s Top 25 People in the Capital are making waves throughout Ottawa and across the country. From parliament hill to secluded laboratories, many of these men and women are creating change that will affect Canadians for generations to come. Others are most comfortable behind a guitar or a hot skillet, and every day they use their art to weave a new pattern onto Ottawa’s cultural fabric. This year, we shine a light on these community builders. If you don’t know them already, now is your chance.

Mauril Bélanger A N OT TAWA I C O N

I N M E M O R I U M (1955-2016) Mauril Bélanger was a positive force in the Canadian government and in the city of Ottawa, for three decades. So widely respected was Bélanger, that, were it not for his amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) diagnosis last fall, it was assumed that Bélanger would be made Speaker for the House of Commons. He was unfortunately forced to abandon his candidacy after the loss of his voice, which ended in a diagnosis of ALS. Also called Lou Gehrig’s Disease, it is a rapidly progressing neurodegenerative disease which gradually corrupts a person’s muscle control. ALS has no cure, as of yet. Days after his diagnosis, Bélanger was honoured with a standing ovation from fellow MPs, when they gathered to elect a speaker. When Bélanger had to withdraw his candidacy for the post of Speaker, the current Speaker, the Honourable Geoff Regan, made a grand gesture for Bélanger, appointing him Honorary Speaker on March 9th, earlier this year. Despite his health obstacles and the incurring limitations associated with them, Bélanger stayed as MP for the Ottawa-Vanier district. The conviction, energy, and valour with which this decision was made, and which Bélanger continued to display in his work, made it clear that he deserves both our city’s awe and respect. The Liberal MP was most known for his recent bid for a wording change in the Canadian national anthem that would replace the line “In all thy sons command” with “In all of us command”. This push for a more inclusive national song was met with controversy by those who rebuffed the notion of changing elements of Canada’s heritage, even in favour of a more equitable alternative. Mauril Bélanger was a member of the House of Commons since 1995. His popularity was proven through his continuous re-election ever since. By 2003, Bélanger was elected to Cabinet where he became Deputy House Leader and Chief Government Whip. He co-founded, and was the co-chair of, the Canada-Africa Parliamentary Association. Anyone permitted the privilege of knowing him can attest to his passionate advocacy for achieving a just and ethical society for all Canadians n

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Josephine Etowa

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A N AWA R D -W O R T H Y C I T I Z EN Twenty-five years ago, Josephine Etowa arrived in Canada. This year, she has been honoured at the 8th Annual Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards.

Etowa is originally from Nigeria, but moved to Canada where she has been improving the country’s health-care system, ever since. She returned to school for her bachelor’s, master’s and PhD in nursing, and is now a professor at the University of Ottawa, in the faculty of Health Sciences.

As well, she is chair for the Marie Des Anges Loyer-DaSilva initiative, in public health nursing. Etowa is also doing her own academic research, well-grounded in over 23 years of clinical experience, which focuses on inequities in health and health care. Although she is now celebrated for her success, being a newcomer to Canada was a difficult transition.

Etowa will always remember the struggle of being a new immigrant and single mother with very little family support. She persevered, raising two hard-of-hearing children while pursuing a demanding career. The Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards receive hundreds of deserving nominations, all of which are judged by a diverse panel that includes past recipients. This year, has been the most popularly voted year in the award’s history, with over 50,000 online votes cast n

the Honourable Catherine McKenna Last year, Catherine McKenna was elected as the Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre. Soon after, she became Canada’s Minister of the Environment and Climate Change and has taken to the new position in stride. Says McKenna, “We have a Prime Minister who’s absolutely committed to climate change. He believes like I do, that this is the biggest challenge of our generation, and that we have an obligation to take action.”

Action does seem to be a hallmark of McKenna’s attitude. Above her desk in her office, hangs a startlingly large and authentic canoe, embodying McKenna’s commitment to Canada’s natural heritage, and the responsibility of preserving its integrity. McKenna has Prime Minister Trudeau’s full support as she implements a sustainability agenda that includes putting a price on carbon pollution, developing a Canadian energy strategy that delivers security and energy conservation, investing millions in new clean tech, revamping and strengthening the environmental review process, increasing the amount of protected marine and coastal areas to five percent by 2017 and 10 percent by 2020 and generally doing things that allow for economic development in harmony with the environment. Originally from Hamilton, McKenna now lives in the Glebe with her husband and three children. She has a long history of charitable involvement, co-founding Level, a charity that brings together Canadian law students with an interest in equality and human rights issues to elevate important causes and effect substantive positive change.

McKenna is equally known for the Dare to Dream mentoring program, which reaches out to Aboriginal students through justice education. McKenna has been tested several times since being elevated to cabinet. However, her big test is yet to come, as Canada makes important decisions in 2017 on the energy east pipeline project, liquid natural gas projects out west, and the process and formula to put a price on carbon pollution.

McKenna has developed a reputation on the Hill for being exceptionally smart and on top of her files. She is also eminently likeable. She’s going to need all of that to navigate Canada through some rough waters. The good news is that Mckenna paddles her own canoe and is not afraid to portage, when required n 24 OTTAWALIFE FALL 2016

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PHOTO: PAUL COUVRETTE

PA D D L ES H ER O W N C A N O E

Isabel Metcalfe M O S T CO N N E C T ED, R ES P E C T ED LO B BY I S T I N T H E C A P I TA L Isabel Metcalfe has played an invaluable role in the city of Ottawa and with the Canadian government for over forty years. A respected and skilled advocate and businesswoman, Metcalfe has a distinguished record of community involvement and is known for her friendly demeanour, great sense of humour and penchant for getting things done. She has worked in influential roles for the federal, provincial, and municipal levels of government. Over the years, she has participated on hospital boards, and volunteered for numerous charities and causes, all while raising a family. Her firm, Isabel Metcalfe Public Affairs Counsel is one of the most successful and influential government affairs agencies in Canada. Her long career began as a tour guide on Parliament Hill and grew into politics soon after.

She spent the next four decades working hard to be adaptable, to be current and fresh, mentoring and inspiring as she goes. ”I’ve worked for every leader of the Liberal Party beginning with Pierre Elliott Trudeau, so it’s gone in a full circle.

I’m one of those people who never wavers in their support,” Metcalfe tells us with pride. She uses her pragmatic attitude and determined work ethic to deliver quick and efficient results for the needs of her clients. What she loves most about her job, she tells us, is the joy of making change happen, of being a part of something relevant. Her proudest achievement is the placement of the Famous Five monument on Parliament Hill, which is now among Ottawa’s major icons.

Recognizing women as nation-builders, says Metcalfe, was an achievement for which she will always be proud. Her extensive experience working with NGOs and not-for-profit organizations has become one of her firm’s specialties, along with national associations, Indigenous clients, the Canadian film and television industry, unions, and work on gender equity. Isabel Metcalfe owes a great deal of her dynamism, passion, and vitality to the city she calls home. Of Ottawa, Metcalfe says, “I love the energy. I like the fact that the city is the government town of a G-8 nation. I like the fact that public policy is very important in our community. I like the debate, I like the change, I like the environment, I like the canal. But mostly, I like the energy of public policy.” It is innovative, passionate and change-seeking people like Isabel Metcalfe who make this country great to live in, and to whom we all owe our thanks n

Stephen Partridge A M A N W I T H A N O LYM P I C M I N D

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Stephen Partridge is an Ottawa-based tech entrepreneur. He is the co-creator of California-based Events.com, a website that helps people plan events without the hassle.

He has expanded small websites from the ground up, retooled their business model and eventually resold them for profit. Partridge, who used to be a competitive swimmer, says that it was his swimming career and his degrees in Human Kinetics and IT Management that gave him a unique mixture of knowledge to succeed in business. Back in 1991, while training for the Olympics he dislocated his shoulder. Doctors said that he wouldn’t be able to compete but he worked hard and made it to the Olympic trials that year.

Although he didn’t qualify, Partridge made it to the national championships six times, and the Olympic trials twice; a testament to his strength and determination. Swimming taught him perseverance, gave him a need to find intrinsic value in his work, and taught him the value of delayed gratification. These things, coupled with his education, made him an ideal behind-the-scenes man in the tech business world. His transition from a swimming career to that of a successful tech businessman was self-orchestrated, and he isn’t in it for the glory either. He wants to find solutions and make things work, and he uses both

PHOTO: PAUL COUVRETTE

PHOTO: PAUL COUVRETTE

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technology and teamwork to make that happen. He is currently on the board of directors of Start Up Canada, does start-up and small business coaching, and divides his time between Ottawa and California. Partridge recognized that the opportunities in Silicon Valley are bountiful, but that Ottawa’s tech industry also has something great to offer. He believes that entrepreneurs only do well when they are part of a community; when ideas can be tested and are able to grow into something great by learning from other’s mistakes.

This is why Partridge has made himself an integral part of the entrepreneurial community in Ottawa; he wants to foster it. He is on the planning committee of FreshFounder.com, an organization of entrepreneurs in Ottawa originally started by the Ottawa-based Shopify, FluidReview and Tripadvisor founders. He is also the co-founder of B2Kite.com, a group for entrepreneurs who like to kite-surf. Obviously, he has not lost his athletic spirit, which is good news for his business and Ottawa alike n

Faylene Lunn A F U S I O N O F M A N Y TA L E N T S

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Since 2010, Dr. Faylene Lunn has been practicing intellectual property law, with a focus on patent litigation, at Osler, Hoskin & Harcout LLP. Remarkably, Dr. Lunn is also a trained scientist. Dr. Lunn has a J.D. with a specialization in health law and a Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology, both attained from Dalhousie University. Dr. Lunn boasts a long list of academic achievements, including countless scholarships, fellowships, awards and a multitude of activities and academic committee memberships.

Dr. Lunn has had her scientific work concerning enzymology, organic chemistry, and molecular biology published in multiple peer-reviewed journals, and has presented at national and international chemistry conferences. Before Osler, Dr. Lunn worked for the Department of Natural Resources in Nova Scotia as a radio operator for forest fires, and since joining the firm, has also presented for Women in Law Day at Queen’s University and IBM’s Teaching Respect initiative. It’s safe to say that Dr. Lunn’s unique background and extensive scientific knowledge have been a driving force behind her success as a lawyer. At Osler, Dr. Lunn assists clients on protecting and enforcing their patent portfolios, and also regularly prepares infringement, validity and freedom-to-operate opinions, particularly for pharmaceutical patents. Dr. Lunn has been involved in many notable legal matters, including being a key member of the legal representing of a health and wellness company in a patent infringement action, along with assisting in representing a major international pharmaceutical companies in applications under the Patented Medicines (Notice of Compliance) Regulation. Out of the office, Dr. Lunn is involved with an impressive variety of committees in Ottawa, including the National Intellectual Property Section of the Canadian Bar Association (CBA), as well as the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada’s Life Science and Young Practitioners Committee.

Dr. Lunn also acts as moderator for the CBA’s Intellectual Property Day debates and has enhanced the Osler Ottawa Student Committee for Intellectual Property recruitments by taking a leading role in Intellectual Property recruitment and student programming. You can find more information about Dr. Lunn by visiting osler.com n

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PHOTO: FRED CATTROLL

Perry Bellegarde U N I T I N G TO M A K E R E A L C H A N G E Perry Bellegarde is the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations. First elected in December of 2014, he previously served as Chief of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations and as Saskatchewan Regional Chief for the Assembly of First Nations.

Originally from the Little Black Bear First Nation, in Treaty 4 Territory, Chief Bellegarde is driven by his passion for implementing measurable change. His approach,style, and ability to frame the Aboriginal narrative in Canada has had a significant impact on all Canadians, and most importantly with the Trudeau government. It is very clear to anyone in Ottawa that First Nations issues with measurable objectives are a top priority of the Trudeau government. Bellegarde is known among the community as a results-driven force that unites citizens, elders, leaders, and chiefs to work towards making real change. His list of accomplishments began long before he became National Chief. Within eight months of being elected, Chief Bellegarde managed to move the Little Black Bear First Nation out of third party management. He worked to create a national multibillion dollar compensation package for First Nations Veterans and their spouses.

He has been one of the loudest voices in the call to the Canadian government to launch an inquiry and to develop an action plan for Canada’s missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. The inquiry was finally launched in August 2016. Upon being elected National Chief, Bellegarde promised to establish a new relationship with the government of Canada that eliminates the long-standing two-percent cap on federal funding. Although most of his work has taken place on a national and regional scale, his valuable attention is not only directed at Canada n

Cheryl Jensen A N I N N O VAT I V E F O R C E A change in her own life, from steel-plant chemist to college professor, was the first step on the road that would make Cheryl Jensen a transformational force at Algonquin College. Since taking the helm two years ago as the college’s eighth president, Jensen has elevated the institution’s profile by getting out and getting active in the community.

A lover of innovation and excellence, Jensen has reached out to governments and other post-secondary institutions in the city, and has developed partnerships with businesses small and large. In a recent example, the college entered a partnership with Siemens to build a cogeneration natural gas plant to help power the Ottawa campus that is a showcase for sustainability. Its potential to offer students experiential learning and an opportunity for new applied research is just the kind of added benefit Jensen is looking for, and the thing that keeps her fascinated, driven, and engaged.

“I think what excites me still to this day after decades in the system, is the fact that we do transform lives, and transform the hope and dreams of our students,” she said.

Jensen began teaching at Mohawk College in her hometown of Hamilton, Ontario, after being laid-off from the steel plant. She spent 31 years there as professor, dean and vice-president before making the move to Ottawa. She credits the warmth of the people of this city with making her transition easy. “Everything about the city to me is extremely appealing. But the fact that I was made to feel at home so quickly has just been an absolutely wonderful experience,” she said. Jensen deserves our recognition just as much as Algonquin College deserves someone as passionate and focused as her at its helm. “I look at myself as being here to serve the community. I just want to express my gratitude to the entire city of Ottawa for helping me to do that.” As Algonquin College flourishes in the Ottawa community in Jensen’s expert hands, she has no plans to slow down. “Just keep watching us,” she advises. “We’ve got some great things to come.” n

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Andrew Pelling

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OT TAWA’ S R ES I D EN T G EN I U S A N D H U M A N I TA R I A N Andrew Pelling can make ears out of apples. The award-winning scientist, professor, entrepreneur, TED Fellow and TED speaker runs a lab in the University of Ottawa that focuses on the most astounding and unique ideas you’ve ever heard. The lab is a place for learning, challenging, and innovating where artists and scientists build on each other’s curiosity. “We value curiosity and exploration above all else.” says Pelling, “We aren’t focused on any particular problem, and we’re not trying to solve any particular disease.” All great innovation comes from asking great questions. The true inspiration came when Pelling asked if he could treat biology like he did hardware — take something apart and put it back together differently, better. The result is more than fascinating. Taking a slice of apple, Pelling’s lab removed the apple cells and replaced them with human ones. Using the “cellulose scaffold” left over by the apple’s molecular structure, the newly implanted human cells fill up and take over where the apple cells used to be. Having essentially hijacked our bodies natural processes, Pelling discovered that living human tissue and this plant-scaffolding are actually compatible. What’s more, the ability to produce this new kind of living prosthetic costs pennies. As if we needed any more proof of this man and his lab’s humanitarianism, once they realized the dimensions and the potential that they had tapped into, they released the instructions for how-to-growyour-own-ears online as open-source. “My lab is not in the ear manufacturing business.

People have been working on this for decades; here’s the problem: commercial scaffolds can be really expensive and problematic, sourced from proprietary products, animals, or cadavers. We used an apple, and it cost pennies.” Pelling has since developed a missiondriven company that makes kits to simplify this process for anyone to make them at home.

“What I’m actually really curious about,” says Pelling, “is if one day it’ll be possible to repair, rebuild, and augment our own bodies with stuff we make in the kitchen.” Branching out from apples, Pelling and his lab are now examining the possibility of using the structures of asparagus to form new connections between damaged and severed nerves. “We are not the only ones working on this,” assures Pelling, “but we are the only ones using an asparagus.”

Above all, Pelling’s passion and excitement for innovation and creativity is what makes his ideas so infectious. “Play is a key part of my scientific practice,” he tells us. If his work is any indicator, play might be what leads our world into a better future, starting with apples and landing in do-it-yourself augmentation of the human body. This summer, Pelling launched a new independent lab called “pHacktory”, expanding everything his lab currently does out onto the streets of the ByWard Market. “This will be the world’s first independent, streetlevel research lab that will curate research projects directly from the community.” For more information on the lab and on Pelling’s work, visit www.phacktory.com n

Yasir Naqvi T H E H E R O O F N E W R E G U L AT I O N Yasir Naqvi is Ontario’s Attorney General, and the Liberal MPP representing Ottawa Centre. Elected in 2007, Naqvi showed remarkable courage and dedication in ridding the province of the controversial policy that allows police to card civilians arbitrarily. In order to do so, Naqvi stared down a lot of misguided individuals in the police and the legal establishment in Ontario. Thanks to Naqvi, Ontario is now free of a policy which many considered racist and unconstitutional. Says Naqvi, “I was proud to announce Canada’s first regulation to ban arbitrary street checks to collect and store personal information. I believe that communities are safest when there is a true partnership between police and the people they serve.” The change in regulation, he says, “ensures that people’s individual rights are protected while providing a rights-based framework that allows police officers to interact with their community to build positive relationships, as well as prevent, investigate and solve crimes to keep our communities safe.” Born in Karachi, Pakistan, Naqvi immigrated to Canada at the age of 15 after his father 30 OTTAWALIFE FALL 2016

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was arrested for leading a pro-democracy march. He has since left his mark upon the Ontario government through his leadership and dedication. “Working as an MPP in Ottawa is unlike anything I could have imagined when I first put my name on the ballot. I get to meet and support the vibrant, generous, and inclusive people who make our community so great. They make me proud to go to work every day and give back to a community that has given me so much.” Ottawa is indeed lucky to have Yasir Naqvi on our side and many of our city’s landmarks are, in part, due to his hard work and support. Naqvi secured $6.5 million for the cleanup of the Ottawa River, helped get funding for over 350 new affordable housing units in the city, and expanded the Centretown Community Health Centre. He also collaborated with all levels of government to get funding to build the Chinatown Gateway, funding for two new education buildings for Carleton University and funds of $14.2 million to rebuild Broadview Public School. From his courage in facing down and changing a racist police policy to his work for numerous community causes, Ottawa has done well by their local MPP n

PHOTO: CORP. ANTHONY LAVIOLETTE

PHOTO: ANDRE RINGUETTE

Bill Carroll has been known by his voice for most of his career. A radio personality, Carroll has hosted shows in both Canada and the U.S. and is now the voice many wake up to in our nation’s Capital. Earlier this year, Carroll was welcomed as the host of CFRA’s new morning show called The Morning Rush. Carroll says the new direction that CFRA is taking with its morning show is to, “try to talk about, not just what we think you should know, and we do do that, but also about things that people are just naturally talking about anyway. We’re trying to be a little more in- sync with what you’re gonna be talking about when you get to the office.” Carroll began his career by learning on the job by day, and self-studying broadcast journalism by night. He has since worked on shows in Toronto, Peterborough, and Los Angeles. Carroll understands that being a bit of an outsider can be an asset to a broadcast journalist. His morning banter is often full of praise for Ottawa which he likes for its natural beauty and quality of life. Carroll understands the lines between public and private, and he speaks of the differences between his radio personality and his real life. “I’m not as critical and angry and negative as people think I am; I’m also not always as funny as some people think I am.” He continues, “If I’m doing my job well, I forget that I’m on the air.” The Morning Rush has been a welcome and scintillating addition to Ottawa’s radio waves and Carroll has a lot of people listening n Eugene Melnyk is a businessman, philanthropist and the popular owner of the Ottawa Senators. That title will soon be expanding, after The National Capital Commission announced in April, that his RendezVous LeBreton proposal had won the rights to redevelop LeBreton Flats. The project is the largest in downtown Ottawa in a century and will redefine the look and feel of the Capital. The site will include a new home for the Ottawa Senators. Melnyk’s list of charitable involvement is a long one and includes: the Ottawa Senator’s Foundation, Roger’s House, Help Us Help the Children (HUHC), the Eugene Melnyk Skate for Kids event, donating skates, hockey equipment, and Senators' jerseys to hundreds of underprivileged kids, and, has similarly donated hockey equipment to Canadian and US troops working with NATO in Kandahar.

With the RendezVous LeBreton redevelopment project in front of him and a beloved hockey team behind him, Melnyk has cemented his place as one of Ottawa's all-time giant figures. We will watch with eager interest as our Capital city takes a new shape in Melnyk’s promising hands. Go Sens! n

General Jonathan H. (Jon) Vance is the Chief of the Defense Staff (CDS) for the Canadian Armed Forces. Vance grew up in a military family and has been in an army uniform since the age of 13 when he became an Army Cadet. General Vance was the Commander of the Canadian Joint Operations Command, where he oversaw the deployments against ISIS, as well as being involved in Canada’s contributions to NATO. Early in his career, Vance commanded the Combat Support Company and the Duke’s Company and has served as a Major and Lieutenant-Colonel on the VCDS Strategic Planning staff.

He then commanded Second Battalion, the Royal Canadian Regiment in New-Brunswick. In both 2009 and 2010, Vance was made Commander of Joint Task Force Afghanistan and Task Force Kandahar. Since then, Vance has been serving in Army headquarters, as Chief of Staff Land Strategy, and, as Director of the Strategic Joint Staff. His contributions have not gone unrecognized; the General received the Vimy Award, the Order of Military Merit in the rank of Commander, as well as the Meritorious Service Cross with bar. Before he began his dazzling military career, Vance earned a Bachelor of Arts in Military and Strategic Studies from Royal Roads Military College, and a Master of Arts Degree in War Studies from RMC. General Jon Vance has been and continues to be, an asset to Canadian defense and security. Since becoming CDS he has worked tirelessly to root out what a former Supreme Court Justice Marie Deschamps called found last year was an “underlying sexualized culture” within the military. Vance says progress is coming but has warned that the military still has a great deal of work to do. Vance is also working to fix the military procurement system which has been described as inept. His big challenge for 2017 will be to convince the government to purchase a new series of jets. The controversial F-35, a favourite of the military brass, seems doomed to fail in Canada because of poor strategy by Lockheed Martin to present it to the Canadian public n 31 OTTAWALIFE FALL 2016

Joseph Cull is beloved within the Ottawa community. Having spent over a decade volunteering as a senior fitness instructor at the YM/YWCA, Cull is also an invaluable part of several charity events. He is chair of the Just Dance fundraiser for the YM/YWCA’s Strong Kids Campaign, and generously lends his time to the Slice N’Dice annual fundraiser for the Hospice at Maycourt, and the Cornerstone Housing for Women annual charity event. In 2013, Cull won the Mayor’s City Builder Award, a civic honour intended to recognize extraordinary commitment and effort to make Canada’s capital a better place, through volunteerism, outstanding acts of kindness, and inspiring charitable work. To get a taste of Joseph Cull’s genuine enthusiasm and sense of humour, you need look no further than his March 2016 performance in the musical fundraiser for the Magnetic North Theatre Festival at the NAC. The concert, cleverly called Don’t Quit Your Day Job, was a collection of amateur performances by sporting members of the Ottawa community, representing fields of law, journalism, business, politics, and everything in between. The evening raised nearly $15,000 and was attended by a sold out crowd. Because of his popular and show-stopping stage presence, Cull was chosen to be the show’s closing act, dressing up as the Queen of England to perform a rendition of a rap which he wrote himself. Cull’s stage presence, humour, and ambition for helping others makes him an invaluable and irreplaceable part of the fabric of the Capital n

PHOTO: ANDRE GAGNE

Ottawa’s Blues Lady, Maria Hawkins, was born a performer. Music is her life, her motivation, and she has endured many personal hardships in pursuit of her dreams. A teenage single mother, Hawkins overcame physical and verbal abuse, struggling to start her career in music while raising her children. At an early age she was performing in her first band at places like the Rainbow and the Downstairs Club. If there was a place to sing the Blues, she’d be there. Her contemporaries described her as positive, fearless and her performances as powerful. Hawkins has devoted her life to helping those in need through music.

She has worked with 54 local charities over the years, most of them focusing on children, while developing her own programs like the Tooth Fairy Project that provided dental care for musicians, and Blues4Kids, an initiative that brought her into the fold of Bluesfest where she helped found the Blues in the Schools program.

At her peak she worked 40 schools a year. Her efforts won her the W.C. Handy Award, as well as the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for 25 years of service to Canadian youth. However, Hawkins foot the bills for many of her charity projects; a practice that found her deeply in debt. Her recent years have been plagued by sickness and near blindness. She pushes forward, continuing to raise money for those who need it and, of course, still singing her heart out n

PHOTO: WENFEI YE

Mauro Bertoli, an Italian-Canadian classical pianist living in Ottawa, is the 2016 recipient of the CAB Foundation’s Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli Prize for young interpreters. This new category is assigned to a young musician who has established themselves on the international stage, and Bertoli is certainly wellsuited to receive the honour. The young achiever has studied piano at the Conservatory of Milan, under the tutelage of Sergio Marengoni, as well as with world-renowned pianists across Europe. Several years ago he moved to Ottawa, where today he is Piano Accompany Professor at the Conservatoire de Musique de Gatineau. His excellent technique allows him to present an extended and difficult repertoire that goes from Scarlatti to the Rhapsody in Blue by Gerhswin, which Bertoli interprets brilliantly. The prize for young interpreters is awarded by the CAB Foundation in collaboration with the International Piano Festival of Brescia and Bergamo to help young musician to develop a career in the music field. With his talent, determination and sensitivity Mauro represent a positive example for the new generations of musicians, on both the human and professional level. www.maurobertoli.com n

PHOTO: PAUL COUVRETTE

Stefania Capovilla, a hairstylist in Ottawa for 13 years, has recently opened Society Salon and Blow Dry Bar. “The Blow Dry Bar is an express service that I felt was missing from the Sparks Street area”, Capovilla tells us. Along with teaching part-time at Algonquin College, the entrepreneurial hair genius is actually behind the ‘dos of many leading figures on the Hill including former Prime Minister Stephen Harper and current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who told the National Post, “You get the impression she’s very good with secrets. She’s part of the Ottawa circle. She fits in very well and she’s very smart about it.” Capovilla’s job sometimes includes making unorthodox appointments. Once, in order to accommodate scheduling restraints, Capovilla was called to cut Jim Flaherty’s hair at the Finance department. In 2012, she was asked to cut nine inches off Senator Patrick Brazeau’s famous ponytail in the House of Commons foyer when he lost a boxing match to then MP Justin Trudeau. “In the political context of Parliament Hill it is the mark of a good stylist to be able to be trusted behind the chair by so many.” Friends and rivals occupy her chair and believe in her talent, each trusting her to cut but never tell. www.societysalonottawa.com n

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PHOTO: PAUL COUVRETTE PHOTO: CPL MÉLANI GIRARD

“Culture is destiny; but culture can change.” So says Christian Arab author, Elie Mikhael Nasrallah.

This intriguing line is but one fragment of the mosaic of ideas churning in the mind of this author who has published book after book on the topics of religion, culture, history, sex, and gender. Some of his work includes such titles as, My Arab Spring, My Canada, None of the Above, and Hostage to History: The Cultural Collapse of the 21st Century Arab World, which is now featured on the publisher’s Bestseller list.

Originally from Lebanon, Mr. Nasrallah is now a passionate advocate for Arab reformation and reforms in all fields and has lived and worked in Ottawa since 1980. Nasrallah works as an immigration consultant and is a member of the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC). Fascinated by the coexistence of past and present, Nasrallah examines how the Arabic world was, a millennium ago, a world leader in science and literature, but today is hobbled by ancient ideologies. His attitude towards culture is one that balances idealism with pragmatism, wishing to preserve heritage while fostering equality and fairness from within. Nasrallah’s work as an immigration consultant is widely respected in Ottawa. He is a frequent public speaker and often appears on radio, television, and in print internationally, delivering his views on the difficult and complex issues that today’s society must face n Jennie Carignan is the world’s first female combat general. In June of this year, Carignan was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general, and gained the title of Chief of Staff of Army Operations. Carignan is the first female to be promoted to general from the combat arms trade, rather than from intelligence, medicine, combat support, or administration. Men outnumber women in the army generally. Women make up approximately 15 percent, but in the regular force combat arms trades, they make up only 2.4 percent.

Carignan is working to change these statistics by increasing recruitment of women to combat roles, and so far her efforts appear to be working. Between 2013 and 2015 (the two years in which Carrignan met with girls and their mothers at open houses and appeared in the Quebec media), recruitment of women to the RMC in Saint-Jean-Sur-Richelieu rose from 10 percent to 25. Fitting into a mould was never in the cards for Carignan. The idea of gender-specific roles has always been foreign and outdated concept to Carignan, and her personality, career, and ideals have long been reflecting that. Carignan has served in Afghanistan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and in the Golan Heights (located between Syria and Israel). Her time deployed in Kandahar was peppered daily with suicide bombers, rocket-propelled grenade attacks, and landmines.

Through a long and impressive career, Carignan’s dedication and inspiring leadership has earned her the respect she deserves n

PHOTO: PAUL COUVRETTE

Blind since childhood, Diane Bergeron has been defying stereotypes all her life. Now the executive director, strategic relations and engagement for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), Bergeron’s career has been dedicated to advocating for the rights of people with sight loss in Canada.

Bergeron caught the challenge bug while tandem skydiving for the first time. She moved on to stock-car racing, and once even repelled down the side of a 29-story building in a superhero costume as part of a fundraiser. When the opportunity arose to compete in a triathlon, Bergeron jumped at the challenge.

Diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa as a young child, Bergeron was declared legally blind at the age of ten, later losing all her sight before turning 30. Her attitude towards blindness is terrifically inspiring. “I think the message that I would try to give them (people who are losing their sight) is that there is life after blindness and they are limited only by their own attitudes and their own barriers. Life can be whatever it is that they want it to be.“ Much of Bergeron’s recent work at the CNIB has involved ensuring equal voting rights for the visually-impaired; as Canadians we all have the right to mark one’s own ballot. Bergeron has been a leader in advocating for the creation of alternative, electronic voting means for Canadian voters with vision loss. Diane Bergeron is an inspiration n Leaving your day job to become an entrepreneur takes the kind of courage that Jennifer Stewart has in spades. Stewart is president and founder of Syntax Strategic, an Ottawa-based strategic communications firm, that specializes in public relations, social media, and public affairs. Stewart was one of the finalists for Ottawa’s Female Entrepreneur of the Year. Her position means dealing with a diversity of clients in a variety of different sectors and requires her work to be flexible, adaptable, and original, as she deals with everything from petroleum to Aboriginal affairs. Stewart is also very active within the Ottawa community.

She currently sits on the board of the Ottawa International Writers Festival, TEDx Kanata, is a committee member of Project North, and an advisor to the Kanata Food Cupboard. She is also the former vice president of the International Association of Business Communications (IABC) Ottawa, and co-chair of Women in Communication and Technology, National Capital Region. When asked what her advice is for others thinking of taking the plunge into entrepreneurship, her answer is inspiring: “take smart risks. Become acclimatized to risk. For me, the first big jump into the world of entrepreneurship was scary, but now I don’t bat an eye. Once you come to the realization that risk is okay and essential to growth, everything else will fall into place.” Stewart’s philosophy is that life is too short to not be in a job you love. Stewart’s hard work and courage is paying off n 33 OTTAWALIFE FALL 2016

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PHOTO: VALERIE KEELER PHOTO: MIVPHOTOGRAPHY PHOTO: OFFICIAL OPOSITION PHOTO: PAUL COUVRETTE

Katherine Cooligan has an unusually impressive bio. She works full-time as both the regional managing partner for the Ottawa office of her firm, Border Ladner Gervais, while also running a practice in family law litigation. A specialist in family law, Cooligan is the regional leader of the Estates and Family Law Group, and Chair of the Regional Management Committee — all the while raising three children singlehandedly. The impressiveness of her career is mirrored in intensity by moral centre. Cooligan tells us that she chose family law because of the impact it has on her clients. Her drive and her dedication have led to her becoming a senior manager in Canada’s largest national law firm. She is unique in this role, as both a woman and as a family law lawyer, as she is the only woman currently holding this management role. This is the pillar in her career of which she feels the most pride. Cooligan’s positive impact stretches far beyond her firm to include a great deal of community involvement. It’s no accident however, that what she has been most involved with outside of the law also has to do with families and children. She was a member of the CHEO Foundation Board from 1997-1999 and was asked to rejoin last year for another term.

Cooligan’s outlook is just as admirable as her work ethic: “My professional successes have surpassed my expectations.” She says, “My goals for the future are to mentor, motivate and support young professionals in the development of their careers, and to encourage women in leadership by sharing my experiences.” n Marc Lepine is the head genius behind Ottawa’s culinary Pantheon, a restaurant called Atelier just west of downtown. The Ottawa restaurant is inspired by molecular gastronomy and is a place of creativity and experimentation. The restaurant’s tasting menu reaches 12 courses, and dining reservations are known for being hard to come by. Lepine, whom the Globe and Mail has called “one of the country’s most original chefs”, bedecks his concoctions with edible flowers and hosts of complex sauces. After spending three years in culinary school, Marc Lepine worked in France, Italy, and Toronto refining his skills and gaining experience which he took with him to his first executive chef position in Algonquin Park. After moving to Ottawa and receiving his Sommelier certification from Algonquin College, he spent six years as executive chef for the well-known Courtyard restaurant. The Canadian Culinary Foundation voted him Ottawa Chef of the Year twice. Since opening Atelier in 2008, Lepine has twice won gold in the Canadian Culinary Championships in Kelowna, B.C. His second win in 2015 made history, making him the first two-time gold winner of the prestigious competition. Lepine and his team beat 10 other chefs with their creativity, and even used a hole punch to complete one of their recipes. The accolades continue to roll in for Lepine, his team, and the Atelier restaurant which have become a sensational ornament of Ottawa culture n When the 2015 federal election placed the Conservative Party in the Opposition, a worthy candidate was chosen as interim leader until a permanent replacement could be found for former Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Rona Ambrose was the clear and admirable choice for the position, and has been the Leader of the Opposition since her election. She is the third female leader of the Conservative Party. Before taking on this position, Ambrose had served as Canada’s Minister of Health, but her diverse resume doesn’t stop there. At previous and different points in her impressive career, Ambrose has served as everything from Minister of the Environment to the President of the Queen’s Privy Council of Canada, Minister of Labour, and Minister for Status of Women. Having earned her Bachelor of Arts at the University of Victoria in Women’s and Gender Studies (before completing her masters in Political Science at the University of Alberta), Ambrose is a declared feminist. Before her work in the Canadian Government, Ambrose worked diligently with such organizations as the Edmonton Women’s Shelter, the Status of Women Action Group, and the Victoria Sexual Assault and Sexual Abuse Crisis Centre, all working to end violence against women. Many in the Conservative Party as well as others in the Ottawa press have suggested that Ambrose be allowed to stay on as leader and successor to Stephen Harper. Regardless of that outcome, Ambrose is sure to be an asset to the Canadian Federal Government regardless of position n Stylish, smart, and sophisticated, Katrina Turnbull is the founder and editor-in-chief of the popular blog OuiCestChic.com. She created the blog as a haven of lifestyle and fashion advice for busy mothers and has quickly became Ottawa’s top mommy fashion blogger. Turnbull is also a frequent face on CTV Morning Live, bringing her helpful advice to Ottawa screens. She will be hosting and producing the upcoming Bell Fibre, TV1 series called Capital Style Files, that will explore Ottawa’s most stylish citizens. Before her blogging career took shape she spent a decade working in editing and bilingual communications. Turnbull is a Nordstrom Influencer and Huffington Post contributor. She has worked on digital and social media campaigns for major brands like Nordstrom, L’Oréal and the Hudson’s Bay Company. Katrina Turnbull is a tech expert and knows the secret to digital success lies in analytics and tracking metrics. Breaking outdated stereotypes of traditional femininity, Turnbull balances her fun content with the keen and determined business savvy that has brought her and her blog success. Turnbull holds her connection with her audience dearly, knowing that good relationship is at the core of her career n 35 OTTAWALIFE FALL 2016

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greenstream/health & the environment series by Alex Mazur

Women and Children Gain from Global Affairs Partnership atacha was at a crossroads. Should N she marry the man she loved, even though he lived in the waterdeprived village of Anoum (Benin), in West Africa?

For women in other villages, choosing to live in Anoum was not a decision to take lightly. Young girls and women are traditionally tasked with providing water for their families, so moving to a village with no water would mean Natacha would have to travel long distances to find it, often spending up to six hours each day in her search.

During the dry season, water shortages meant waking up at 3 a.m., and once Natacha arrived to either a polluted river or trench, it would probably be noisy and crowded, surrounded by people from nearby villages, who also brought their livestock to drink.

It would mean an arduous, and even sometimes dangerous, daily journey for the rest of her life.

Natacha shook her head. “No,” she thought. “It would be a hard and stressful life. If we had children, they would be sick all the time from the water. I would become bitter and would grow to resent my husband. No, I can’t marry him.”

This would have been a familiar struggle for many women considering moving to a village like Anoum. Not having a reliable source of clean water nearby is an all-consuming problem.

Around 161 million children in the world suffer from stunted growth from chronic malnutrition, which has been linked to unclean water sources, lack of sanitation and poor hygiene. And every 90 seconds, somewhere in the world, a child dies from a water-related disease.

But now, thanks to the Global Aid Network (GAiN) and their Water for Life initiative, where they provide access to clean water through well installations, water is no longer a problem for Anoum.

It’s amazing what a well can do to transform a village. With easilyaccessible safe water available yearround, women and children are no longer burdened with the simple task of finding water. The well means less disease and better hygiene, which means, healthier and longer lives. With less time spent travelling to find water, women are available to improve their communities and the lives of their families, and children have more time to go to school.

THE HEALTH OF VILLAGERS IS IMPROVING, DUE TO THE ADDITION OF THE WELL. DRINKING CLEAN WATER STOPS ALL WATERBORNE DISEASES, AND ITS SYMPTOMS.

Doctor D. Takpara

As of August 2016, GAiN’s Water for Life initiative has provided 1,327 wells in six different countries, provided clean water to over 1.327 million villagers, and more than 110,652 people have attended hygiene and sanitation training. GAiN plans to bring safe water to 1 million more, by 2020.

Now, Global Affairs Canada has partnered with GAiN on a four-year project designed to improve Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH), in Benin and Togo, West Africa. The program aims to increase access to clean water, provide training in healthy practices, increase gender sensitivity and to encourage better nutrition for mothers, pregnant women, newborns and children under the age of five.

Each well provides access to safe water for approximately a thousand people.

Villages also receive education and training on well maintenance, hygiene and sanitation. Local health teams are formed to educate villagers on topics such as: gender issues, maternal health, disease prevention, basic nutrition and treating symptoms such as diarrhoea.

Global Affairs Canada has committed to contributing 85 percent of the $4.2 million needed to fund MNCH, and the remaining 15 percent will be funded through the public and GAiN’s supporters.

One of the medical doctors in the Anoum area, Dr. Takpara, partnered with GAiN on the MNCH program, she said, “The health of villagers is improving, due to the addition of the well. Drinking clean water stops all waterborne diseases, and its symptoms, such as severe diarrhea and cholera outbreaks.”

Access to clean water changed the village of Anoum, and it can drastically improve the livelihood of many others.

But GAiN can’t do it alone n

HELP PEOPLE WHO ARE HURTING AND IN NEED.

globalaid.net .

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PEOPLE POWERED PROGRESS The Canadian Union of Skilled Workers and SMARTNet Alliance are part of a network of strong community partners that share a vision of a thriving sustainable energy future. This growing network of participants is bringing this vision to life every day.

On September 9th to 11th come and experience individual, community and commercial sustainable energy projects, products and services. Join us for the Energy Showcase at Landsdowne Park or any one of the Green Energy Doors Open host sites in the Ottawa region. Be part of the real progress we are making towards a sustainable future.

Learn more at: OttawaGEDO.org

On-site BioGas Digester (GEDO 2011)

In partnership with:

Visit us online: cusw.ca

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cusw series by Alex Mazur

Iman Najidzadeh counts the reasons

HE'S THANKFUL FOR HIS CUSW MEMBERSHIP Iman Najibzadeh on the job at Tim Horton’s Field.

Iman Najibzadeh migrated to Canada from Iran in 2011. Once here, he began his apprenticeship to become a licensed electrician. During his time spent studying, he had to find work; he worked for two years with a non-unionized construction company.

“The biggest thing I noticed is that they didn’t care about their workers’ safety,” said Najibzadeh.“All they cared about was getting the job done,” who worried for his own safety and that of others on the job site.

According to the Association of Workers' Compensation Boards of Canada (AWCBC), in 2014, there were 919 workplace deaths recorded in Canada, which means that more than 2 people died of work-related deaths, every single day.

It was one of the huge differences Najibzadeh noticed when he got a job with the Canadian Union of Skilled Workers (CUSW), in 2013. There was a lot more training, and training that made Najibzadeh feel comfortable going to work.

union affords him varied experiences.

“My bosses and my friends, they all move around. So I get to know different people, and I get to learn about different things.” He has now had a chance to go to Hamilton, Niagara Falls and Toronto, where he now lives.

Through working with CUSW, he’s learned new skills like fibre optics and how to properly use data in his own work.

WHAT SETS THEIR UNION APART IS THAT THEY AIM TO STEP AWAY FROM THE TRADITIONAL APPROACH TO EDUCATION OF WORKERS, AND FOCUS MORE ON LIFELONG LEARNING.

“You could tell they cared about everybody getting home safe,” said Najibzadeh, who earned his Electrician’s License in December 2015, something he says was helped along by CUSW through aid with payments for schooling and books.

But it’s the environment that has really made him feel at home. CUSW organizes events to gather people together outside of work - his favourite of which was a fishing derby they organized for members this summer.

He fished for the first time. Although he didn’t catch any fish, he remains optimistic.

That wasn’t the only benefit that Najibzadeh has noticed since he began working for CUSW. First of all, since he is relatively new to Canada, the

Joe Mulhall, the President of CUSW says that what sets their union apart is that they aim to step away from the traditional approach to education of

workers, and focus more on lifelong learning.

It’s this element that Najibzadeh has taken to heart.

“I really loved the safety training, whether it was working with heights or even just using a ladder and working with tools, I got really interested in it.”

Now he is a member of the Health Safety and Wellness Committee that gathers once a year. There, he listens to his fellow workers and their safety concerns, and he then brings those concerns to the union for discussion and improvement.

He says he’s taken a very serious interest in work safety, and that CUSW allows him to stay involved and invested in his work.

He also volunteers his time to interview the new apprentices who apply to work with the union.

“I just really like to be involved,” says Najibzadeh. This is in line with the union’s participation model that encourages workers to participate on several levels, whether it’s through a committee, an executive board, or one of their regional units. This model of inclusion has given someone like Najibzadeh the opportunity to not only work safely in Canada, but to enjoy his working experience as well n www.cusw.ca 39 OTTAWALIFE FALL 2016

reaching higher/education by Alex Mazur

Algonquin College is Making ‘Built Heritage’ Hip With Canada’s 150th anniversary fast approaching, the face of Ottawa has been quickly evolving. The new expansion of the Rideau Centre, the LRT system and the plans for LeBreton Flats will transform the façade of the capital, proving that Ottawa is moving towards the future.

But amidst this progress, as Canada grows older it’s equally important to remember the stories and the structures that built our nation.

That is why Algonquin College’s Perth Campus Heritage Institute is an integral part of the Nation’s Capital Region. Going into its 27th year, the Institute is the oldest of its kind in Canada, and the only campus that offers both heritage carpentry and masonry programs.

“What makes something heritage is the story,” says Chris Hahn, Dean of Algonquin’s Perth Campus, who highlighted Perth as a perfect backdrop for the Institute. Heritage Perth is currently celebrating its 200th anniversary, and has many homes and buildings that are as old (or nearly as old) as the town itself; structures the people of Perth take great care to maintain.

“We’re in Eastern Ontario, which is where Upper and Lower Canada started so we’ve got a lot of concentration of built heritage,” Hahn continued. “There’s a huge density of talent around this area. Because we’ve been at it so long and because we’re so connected with good partners like Parks Canada and the National Capital Commission we’re in a unique place to really make a difference in built heritage.”

Many graduates, especially from the Masonry – Heritage and Traditional program, have the opportunity to work on important projects like the rehabilitation of the Parliament buildings.

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Yet, the Institute is not only focused on Ottawa’s downtown core; Hahn says Algonquin wants to invest in skills that will help keep more of Canada’s built heritage at the forefront. That’s why this summer the Institute ran an introduction to blacksmithing and a cedar kayak-building course. Some of the masonry students and graduates were also involved on the Legacy Dry Stone Bridge in downtown Perth over the summer, a structure that is meant to stand 800 years — give or take. Other masonry students were sent for the second year in a row to the Prince of Wales Fort National Historic Site in Churchill, MB to work with Parks Canada to restore the Cape Merry battery that was built in the 1800s.

The college also offered a two-week Stereotymy course, a traditional practice of geometry without abstract formulas used in French carpentry specifically in constructing roofs. Pat Moore taught the course this year; he is a former graduate from both the masonry and carpentry programs at Algonquin College and he studied in France to learn the French geometric tradition. The students used that knowledge to build a beautifully simple, yet complex roof structure for a gazebo on display at the college.

Finally, Jack Hollinger, the coordinator of Algonquin’s Carpentry and Joinery – Heritage program, participated in a wood conservation technology course (ICWCT 2016), hosted in Oslo, Norway, this summer. The sixweek course hosted professionals from 21 different countries, so experts from around the world could learn

ABOVE: The Stereotymy roof, made this summer, is on display at the Perth Campus.

and exchange ideas about wood conservation.

The stage for the course was specifically set in Norway due to the country’s intimate relationship with woodworking, where Hollinger studied Stave churches, one of Norway’s most notable contributions to woodworking.

Along with technical knowledge, Hollinger brought with him a renewed appreciation for his work, inspired by Norway’s reverence for craftsmanship.

“I think we have a real need for thoughtful people in the trades, and that’s why I do what I do now,” says Hollinger, who adds that every year students enter the program who are already very skilled — just the people who should be carpenters, and in choosing to do so, are providing a real service for their community.

Hahn emphasizes it is the area’s community of like-minded, thoughtful people that makes the Perth’s Heritage Institute experience a unique one.The students benefit from a network of skilled people that lasts much longer than just the time it takes earning a diploma, and that’s why people travel from all over Canada and the world to be part of Algonquin’s efforts to keep history alive n

pipeline series/opinion by Dr. Ibrahim Dincer and Greg Vezina

Green Ammonia he United States, Mexico and T Canada declared at the June 29 Three Amigos Summit in Ottawa that

50 percent of North America's electricity will come from clean power sources by 2025.

Given this international objective, the importance of developing alternative fuels and energy storage mediums increases daily.

Renewable ammonia (NH3), which is a carbon-free fuel, refrigerant and working fluid; and storage media of hydrogen, are unique solutions to Canada’s energy and environmental challenges. Renewable ammonia and hydrogen can serve almost all economic sectors, ranging from transportation to residential, industrial to commercial, public to utility, and agricultural to chemical.

Ammonia as a potential fuel for vehicles or power generation can also be economically produced using conventional hydrocarbons in a cleaner manner by implying current technologies and developments.

The 200 million metric tonnes of ammonia produced globally each year comes from combining nitrogen from air with the hydrogen in coal and natural gas. The carbon in these hydrocarbons is usually emitted as carbon dioxide (CO2), but about 40 percent of the ammonia produced is combined with CO2 sequestered in the a well-known Haber-Bosch synthesis process to make urea.

Electricity production in a diesel cogeneration plant emits more than twice as much greenhouse gas than ammonia. Heat energy production from natural gas has triple the emissions of hydropower-based ammonia.

When ammonia is produced using renewable energy such as wind (versus

conventional unleaded gasoline), a further 30 percent greenhouse gas reduction is possible. When compared to propane, greenhouse gas emissions decrease about 18 percent.An ammoniadriven passenger vehicle emits less greenhouse gas than compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), diesel, gasoline, and even hybrid electric vehicles.

Depletion of abiotic resources is moderately lower for conventional ammonia production originated from natural gas, than liquefied natural gas, diesel, petrol and propane fuels.

Ammonia has significant environmental advantages. Even if ammonia is produced from hydrocarbons, it has similar greenhouse gas emissions with a solar energy based route.

AN AMMONIA-DRIVEN PASSENGER VEHICLE EMITS LESS GREENHOUSE GAS THAN COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS (CNG), LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS (LPG), DIESEL, GASOLINE, AND EVEN HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLES.

Dissociation of hydrocarbons such as methane and oil sand bitumen into hydrogen which can be then converted to ammonia is a promising option for oil sand and natural gas reserves in Western Canada and stranded gas reserves in Newfoundland and Labrador.

produce ammonia from excess power.

Ontario has potential for on-site low-cost ammonia production from existing excess hydro, nuclear and renewable generating capacity and new hydropower, especially in the province’s Northwestern region.

A 2016 University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) - Hydrofuel Inc. study concludes it will cost four times more to build a proposed 1,500 kilometre electricity transmission line to twelve Northern Ontario First Nations communities to provide interruptible power backed by locally produced diesel fuel generated power than it would cost to convert those same diesel generators to run on ammonia over a 40-year period.

High-efficiency ammonia/urea plants using natural gas and other brown and/ or green hydrocarbon feed stocks could be built beside natural gas power plants, utilizing the waste and low-grade heat and excess oxygen to reduce costs and emissions by half or more.

Ammonia engines have been patented

by UOIT, Toyota and others. Dozens of commercial applications already exist for NH3-fueled cars in Canada, the United States, Italy and South Korea; NH3-fuelled buses in China; solarammonia, wind-to-ammonia, and waste-to-ammonia fuel and fertilizer plants in the U.S. and UK.

Canada’s high hydroelectric, wind, and solar energy source potential sources makes on-site ammonia production for energy storage attractive.

Canadian companies and universities have developed viable ways to make and use ammonia. Governments should take the lead to help implement NH3related production and utilization technologies now n

Newfoundland and Labrador have significant potential for renewable resources such as hydropower and wind power. The new Muskrat Falls hydroelectric power plant in Labrador offers a promising way to

Second in a series of four articles for OLM

by Greg Vezina, Chairman, Hydrofuel Inc. and current issue guest contributor Dr. Ibrahim Dincer, Professor, University of Ontario Institute of Technology.

41 OTTAWALIFE FALL 2016

PHOTO: ROB HUNTLEY PHOTOGRAPHY

environment series by Alex Mazur

3D VIEW: MTBA ASSOCIATES INC

MAKING Tracks There's a Moose on the Loose and It’s Making Commercial Rail a Reality in the Capital.

There’s been quite a buzz around the Prince of Wales Bridge lately. The City of Ottawa bought the bridge that cuts across the Ottawa River in 2005. It has been sitting unused ever since, except by “trespassers”.

It appears few people are aware of its true purpose; it is the only existing rail connection between Ontario and Québec in the National Capital Region.

Its construction was authorized by the Parliament of Canada in 1867, and was completed by the Government of Quebec 126 years ago.

A group of entrepreneurs led by Joseph Potvin, an experienced economist and local businessman, is planning to bring the bridge back to its former glory as the centrepiece in a 400 km passenger railway for the greater National Capital Region.

Moose Consortium Inc. (Mobility Ottawa-Outaouais: Systems & Enterprises) plans to use existing railways for a property-financed service to connect about 50 localities throughout the region. They extend out to Arnprior, Smith Falls and Alexandria in Ontario, as well as Bristol, La Pêche and Montebello in Québec.

Moose Consortium is made up of a dozen, mostly local, businesses that came together to make Potvin’s dream a reality: commercial, affordable and green. They are linked with Canada’s largest insurance broker, Aon Reed Stenhouse.

42 OTTAWALIFE FALL 2016

REMISZ Consulting Engineers Inc., a Moose Consortium member company, developed a $50 million plan to restore the Prince of Wales Bridge to working condition. They would also install segregated cycling and pedestrian pathways along each side. Under the city’s direction, there are no current plans for these train tracks to be used, leaving this most valuable stretch of rail in the region untapped.

“It would cost in the range of $100 million and many years to build such a bridge today”, said Wojciech Remisz, Director of Engineering.

Added to this, Moose plans to build walking and biking trails along most of the 400 km of railway, as well as to accommodate bicycles inside the trains.

Mark Thompson Brandt of MTBA Associates Inc. is a nationally recognized conservation architect and urbanist, and another of Moose Consortium’s five directors.

“This project will stoke at the heart of cultural heritage of the region,” says Brandt. “Canada grew up on trains.

We want to re-envision the bridge and show people that it’s got deep value, in both connectivity to the past

and what it’ll mean for our future.”

The initiative is also expected to significantly cut down on local traffic and carbon emissions. According to Moose, the train service would result in 25,000 fewer cars in the downtown area each day, cutting the region’s carbon emissions by 20,000 tonnes a year.

Brandt has designed a rapid yet sustainable way to get the entire 400 km railway system up and running by deploying trendy modular stations adapted from large railway shipping containers.

“These start-up stations will be simple and customizable. We want them to fit with the feeling of each location and to be appropriate to its setting,” said Brandt.

Moose’s business model is unorthodox.

Its most innovative aspect is that each station would be an independent enterprise. With a few exceptions, train services will only be offered where the average rent and property values within a 0.8 km radius of each station are expected to increase by at least 25 percent over the base value.

The property owners in each “Linked Locality” keep part of the value added, and under contract they would pay a standard proportion of that value to get train service — a “train stopping fee”. They’d pay that because the additional profit over base value which

they keep is due to the train service.

This means the entire railway system won’t depend upon taxes, government funding or even on passenger fares to function.

In economic terms, this is called land value capture. A 2007 review of more than a hundred studies in the Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics by Dr. Ghebre Debrezion, an external advisor to Moose, quantified the effects of metropolitan railway stations on commercial and residential properties within an easy walk.And a 2016 review from the Victoria Transport Policy Institute concluded, “that proximity to transit often increases property values enough to offset some or all of transit system capital costs.”

While Potvin deals with the economics of the project at Moose, Bill Pomfret is the company’s guide on all aspects of safety. Pomfret has been working globally in health and safety for the last 50 years. The international safety system he’s developed has been implemented in companies like Exxon and the Hong Kong private sector railway, MTR. Now he’s dedicated his passion and expertise for safety to Moose Consortium.

“You never get a second chance to get it right the first time. Safety cannot be an afterthought,” said Pomfret, adding that almost all accidents are completely and easily preventable. Even though Moose trains are not operational yet, Pomfret says the team has made safety

But Moose, by creating a competitive market for independent stations, would be the first commercial venture to extend the land value capture model all the way.

Their plan is so radical that the Consortium plans to implement a “pay what you want” system for passengers.

You’ll have the choice whether or not to pay for the ride. But all money paid by customers would go into what Potvin calls a “passenger experience fund”. All trains will have onboard washrooms and refreshments. Larger stations could have subsidized daycare and walk-in health clinics.

“Not a cent from passengers will go towards running the primary train service.” Potvin said. Passengers’ money will go towards making the service even more attractive, to generate market demand for properties near stations. “That’s where the real money is,” he reasons.

The trains themselves will be three double decker (bi-level) coaches, each with a café on the second level. Every coach will have a different atmosphere for passengers: a quiet coach, a place to be social, and even a coach with scheduled live musicians.

also said it would help grow the community.

But not all small communities want growth.

Caryl Green is the Mayor of Chelsea, Quebec and president of Transcollines transit, the publicly-funded bus system in the Outaouais region. She worries that Moose’s commercial railway will conflict with their current transportation system, and will increase Chelsea’s low density population, something the citizens of the region have expressly voted against.

“We really do support public transportation, but we were given a choice between rail and bus, and we chose bus,” says Green.

Potvin responds that buses and trains are entirely complimentary.

“Our common problem is overdependence on cars”, he said. “Once Moose rail is operational, bus services such as Transcollines will be able to provide even better service for passengers to more neighbourhoods.”

ABOVE: System map for Moose which plans

to bring affordable, green rail to the National Capital Region. SOURCE: LETSGOMOOSE.CA

part of every weekly meeting. He has 15 training courses already set up, and a culture of safety of Moose is built right into the core business design.

For Smiths Falls Ontario Mayor Shawn Pankow, Moose would be a solution to several problems.

“We currently have hundreds of residents who commute to and from Ottawa for work, either driving themselves or car pooling. Commuter rail would provide a far more green solution that would get these people to and from work in a safer, potentially quicker manner,” says Pankow. He

As for maintaining low density in Chelsea, Potvin says that Moose wouldn’t interfere, and that will remain entirely in the hands of the town council and staff.

“Because our revenue comes from within the short 0.8 km radius around each station, that’s the only density that matters for our service to work,” said Potvin. “The rest can be farms or forest.”

Still, clearly some people are reticent.

“We have some great fans and some people just don’t want to talk about it,” says Potvin. But neither he nor the Moose directors seem discouraged by their obstacles.

“Doesn’t the pro golfer always try for a hole-in-one, even if it’s improbable?” asked Potvin with a smile n 43 OTTAWALIFE FALL 2016

true north series by Alex Mazur

What’s Happening North of 60 — Canada is a country born from colonization. This process, and the residential schools that followed, have had monstrous effects on First Nations peoples, effects that we are only beginning to acknowledge through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. But the colonization of the North, for the First Nations, Métis and Inuit people is a process that only began in full-force less than a century ago. The Northern populations in Canada, especially in the three territories, have a unique and complex place in this country, a place that people in the South might not fully understand.This is why Ottawa Life has embarked on a True North series, to try to connect Canada’s South to its people North of 60.

One of the most pressing and glaring issues that affects every part of the North, is climate change. A report recently released by Natural Resources Canada, notes that climate change has created drastic changes along Canada’s northern coastline. According to the report, the total amount of Arctic sea ice has decreased by 13 percent since 1980, and, sea levels are expected to rise between 28cm and 1m, over the next century.

Jackie Dawson, Head of the Institute for Science, Society and Policy at the University of Ottawa, says that the effects of climate change are more than statistical factors, in the North.

“Because of the permafrost melting, buildings and structures have to be moved, and that means flying these buildings, which is very expensive,” says Dawson. “The ice is getting thinner, so for hunting and fishing, people can no longer read the ice and pass down local knowledge that’s been held there for generations. Not being able to read the ice is a dangerous thing.”

Climate change has also led to the opening of the Northwest Passage (NWP), a shipping route that cuts across Canada’s northern islands. According to Dawson, there are some benefits and some drawbacks to this development.

For one, it would bring much more business through to the North, and, it has already done so, with Arctic tourism.

44 OTTAWALIFE FALL 2016

Dawson says that the passage isn’t fully open yet, but this won’t last long. China is already planning trade routes across Canada’s North, and Dawson believes the government needs to drastically update their marine regulations and infrastructure.

“If there’s a disaster up there,how will we deal with it?” says Dawson, reiterating a worry that increased shipping would lead to an environmental disaster, perhaps a lack of security in borders and make the northern population more vulnerable to the international community.

Ownership of the passage is still up for debate. Last year, the Gordon Society conducted and international poll showing that although the US was the main detractor of Canadian sovereignty over the NWP, less than half of Southern Canadians believed that the passage lies within Canadian waters.

But the territories also have specific complexities that intermingle with these global issues. The Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, cover about 40 percent of Canada’s landmass, while its residents make up three percent of Canada’s population.

And yet percentages don’t truly speak to the diversity of northern cultures. In the Yukon, there are 14 First Nations, who speak eight different languages,

whereas, the majority of Inuit live in one of four regions known collectively as Inuit Nunangat (that comprises Nunavut, Nunavik in Quebec, Nunatsiavut in Labrador and Inuvialuit in the Northwest Territories).

Traditionally, territories have been federally-governed and funded, but, in the past few decades, northern sovereignty has been an essential goal for the territories. This is called devolution, a process that devolves federal powers to the territories, much like they would to provinces.

Although this process has developed over the last 40 years, especially in the Yukon and the Northwest Territories, the federal government still funds the three territories through “formula financing”, in order to provide the basic governmental services that other Canadians have access to, in a supposedly comparable fashion.

Tony Penikett was Premier of the Yukon between 1985 and 1992. He then acted as Nunavut’s Chief Devolution Negotiator, until 2012.

Penikett believes that for the most part, southern Canadians don’t understand the massive strides that northern Indigenous groups have taken towards self-governance, not only in territorial governments, but also in direct ownership of thousands of acres of land.

“In the Yukon, as a result of selfgovernance agreements, the First Nations acquired most local governments’ powers, most of the Indian Act powers, but also the quasi-provincial powers.

So, in the Yukon Territory and in the Northwest Territories, where you have similar arrangements, you have villages that have quasi-provincial powers.”

Penikett believes that control over land and resources is essential for prosperity.

He pointed to Alberta, formerly part

of the Northwest Territories; it too, received formula financing, and then it evolved into a poor province until it struck oil, which allowed it to be one of the most prosperous regions in the country.

And yet, land ownership isn’t the answer to all problems.

“Every single group north of 60 that has negotiated a treaty with Canada in the last 40 years has complaints about implementation,” says Penikett, who believes that this is one of the main issues that every federal government has neglected.

While land has helped Aboriginal communities in the Yukon and in the Northwest Territories, the situation is peculiar in Nunavut. The majority of people in the Nunavut are Inuit, young, with a median age of 23, and suffering from unemployment. A parliamentary report suggests that the Northern economy suffers from limited infrastructure, high transportation costs, population dispersion and limited formal education and industrial skills.

Even so, Inuit communities rely heavily on hunting, fishing and trapping, an economy Statistics Canada values at around $40 million a year. But even this traditional way of subsistence is in crisis.

Penikett explained that during colonization, the Canadian government moved most Inuit into towns, making people more sedentary and encouraging a high-carb diet. This has led to chronic ailments, and to more reliance on shipping in food, which is extremely expensive.

Add to that the damning effects of climate change on fish and fauna.

The North, and especially, Nunavut, are facing extreme food insecurities.

The Council of Canadian Academies reported that at least 70 percent of people in Nunavut experience moderate-to-severe food insecurity — that number drops to just eight percent, for the rest of Canada.

As for the rest of the economy, most people are directly employed through the government, or government

support services, or, they work in small businesses, tourism or the resource industry.

But the idea that the North is resource-rich is not as straightforward as it seems. Mining for diamonds and metals is a “boom and bust” industry.

Its profits aren’t stable because of their dependence on fluctuating markets.

Although Nunavut is expected to hold at least a trillion dollars worth of oil and gas, those resources are expensive to harvest, and are in lower demand than they used to be. Furthermore, if Nunavut doesn’t have a self-governance agreement, little money made from those resources would go back to the people.

According to Penikett, self-governance is not coming any time soon.

“We also have housing insecurity, incredible housing shortages. We have unbelievably high energy prices, because all the fuel is imported diesel. It all adds to a lot of poverty in Nunavut, and in many cases, extreme poverty.”

Penikett says that at this point only the federal government is equipped to respond to the massive challenges that Nunavut is facing. He believes that even if they were given more generous resource revenue, it would still take a long time to implement the basics of infrastructure and modern government that they need.

“These inequities make it challenging for people to meet their basic needs, and place undue stress on the lives of our people,” reads a report on suicide prevention released by Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK), the national representational group for Inuit Nunangat, in Ottawa.

According to ITK, the rates of suicide in Nunangat are up to 25 times higher than in the rest of Canada, which represents the human toll of the many unresolved issues in the North.

Of course this is just a sample of things happening north of Canada’s 60th parallel. The best way to understand North according to Penikett?

“You just need to go there.” n 45 OTTAWALIFE FALL 2016

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true north series by Alex Mazur

Meet Thomsen D’Hont — A Jane Glassco Northern Fellow Who is Helping to Build a Sustainable North

he Gordon Foundation is a notT for profit that has invested over $27 million over the last 50 years into northern community projects and freshwater initiatives. The Foundation aims to promote innovation in public policy for the North, and in fresh water management, while keeping in mind the environment and emphasizing full engagement of indigenous people in their projects.

The Gordon Foundation’s Northern Fellowship program is named after Jane Glassco, who passed away in 2010.

Glassco was instrumental in turning the Foundation’s attention to the North, and was a respected Canadian journalist and a member of the Gordon family. She worked most of her life to bring the needs of Aboriginal groups and of the North to the attention of Canadians.

The Fellowship is a two-year program that encourages policy and leadership development in young northerners between 25-35. The program is both collaborative and self-directed at times; each Fellow has to participate in a group project and a research project of their own, which results in policy recommendations on their chosen topic. The curriculum is centered around two annual gatherings, each taking place in one of the capitals of the territories, and, one in Ottawa. The Fellows get the opportunity to meet with Indigenous leaders, notable politicians and elders in Northern communities. The program provides opportunities for these young leaders to engage in policy research and development that PHOTO: CATHIE ARCHBOULD

articulate the needs of the North.

Last August, Thomsen D’Hont was one of 10 people chosen for the third cohort of the Fellowship. D’Hont was born in Yellowknife, and has a long list of accomplishments. He has represented Canada as a cross-country skier on the world stage, and, at the young age of 17, he co-founded a youth mountain biking day camp in Yellowknife that’s still running to this day.

He has also conducted research for a Métis knowledge survey, the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority and the Institute for Circumpolar Health Research (ICHR). At ICHR, he worked with an Aboriginal Wellness Centre at Stanton Territorial Hospital, and he reviewed maternity care in the circumpolar world.

D’Hont has a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Sciences from Nipissing University, and, with his interest and experience in health, he is currently training in the Northern Medical Program at the University of British Columbia.

The fellowship has afforded D’Hont the time and resources to apply his passion for both health and the North into valuable policy research ventures.

D’Hont’s Fellowship work is looking into how to implement The Truth and Reconciliation’s 23rd call to action: to increase the number of Aboriginal professionals working in the healthcare field, ensure their retention in the Aboriginal community, and, to provide

cultural training for all health-care professionals; issues especially in need of attention in the North.

“We haven’t had as much success for doctors yet, I think there’s only one doctor who’s working in the Northwest Territories, and who’s from there,” said D’Hont. “We’ve had a lot of students going into med school, but there’s this sort of challenge of providing enough education in the North, and having partnerships and collaborations with southern institutions to encourage people to return North and also to get in the first place.”

D’Hont’s personal projects will delve deeper into this subject. Being a medical professional in-training, D’Hont believes, is a prime context for him to be able to fully understand the areas where Canada’s health-care system needs improvement, concerning the North.

D’Hont pointed out many positives from the Fellowship, like the funding he received to go to conferences, and, the excellent networking opportunities.

But, he was especially appreciative of the opportunities that the Fellowship is awarding to people who want to stay and study in the North.

“Not having a university in the North, there aren’t as many local education opportunities,” said D’Hont, “the Fellowship and that achievement is seen as somewhat of an equivalent to getting a degree or a master’s degree.”n gordonfoundation.ca/jane-glasconorthern-fellowhip 47 OTTAWALIFE FALL 2016

building a better canada series by Candice Vetter

WHY WE NEED

Infrastructure Spending Now

In April of this year the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, announced new investments in infrastructure totalling over $120-billion over the next ten years, including $60-billion in new money slated for public transit, green and social infrastructure.This is following up on a Liberal promise to dedicate more funds for critical infrastructure, including expanding the deficit. Regardless of how one feels about either deficit spending, or about the previous or current government, there is no doubt that a major injection of cash into infrastructure across Canada is needed, and in some cases has been needed for a long time.

The federal government’s 2016 budget allocates some of this money, in the form of $10 billion in what Sohi said Canadians need most, “modern and reliable public transit, water and wastewater systems, affordable housing, post-secondary infrastructure, and more.” Indeed, the kinds of things Canadians expect their tax money to go towards.

He also stated that these funds are in addition to previously-planned investments under the Building Canada Plan and the Gas Tax Fund. It is planned that the focus of Phase 1 will be recapitalization and repair of existing assets, and that this will then, “lay the foundation for the long-term investments of Phase 2.”

Municipalities, cities and even provinces have been dealing with an infrastructure deficit for decades. Years of downloading infrastructure issues to lower levels of government put a terrible strain on governments at the municipal level, and lack of communication between federal, provincial and territorial governments caused crises in areas like health care, education and major projects, sometimes complicated by mismanagement of projects or funds somewhere along the way.

As for the effect on First Nations’ 48 OTTAWALIFE FALL 2016

communities, many were already in an infrastructure deficit to start with. Stories of boil water advisories lasting for 10 or 20 years, schools contaminated by sewage and mould, complete isolation in communities (which could have had roads and therefore freedom had there been the political will), and a shocking failure to build high schools in northern areas so that naïve young teens don’t have to move to faraway cities without support for them—those stories have only gotten worse.

Lack of spending on infrastructure, while it may seem like a great way to cut costs in the short-term, always ends up costing more in the long-term.

It’s the same concept as preventive maintenance. An ounce of prevention really is worth more than a pound of cure, but if elected, officials are only interested in results over a four-year term. Maintenance is put off for too long.

And then there’s the need for bridges and roads. Never was the lack of roads and bridges (in some parts of the country) more obvious than last February’s Nipigon River Bridge failure. The Bridge was new, just built in fact, but the sudden lifting of the part of the Bridge in -40 C weather caused the closure of the TransCanada

Highway at a crucial juncture.

People trying to transport themselves or their goods along either Highway 17 or Highway 11, were stuck. Really stuck, as in, forced to drive into another country and around the south side of the world’s largest freshwater lake, or park at a truck stop. Why? Because there is only one road and one bridge that connects the entire country in that area. There is no alternative bridge and there is no alternative road, not even a gravel service road, which is obviously shortsighted (sure, nothing will ever go wrong), and that condition stretches across most of the northern provinces. Think of people evacuating Fort McMurray, along a single road.

Two of the first new infrastructure projects announced are the new Champlain Bridge across the St. Lawrence River in Montreal, and, the Gordie Howe International Bridge between Windsor and Detroit, both of which have long been needed.

A lot of the country’s infrastructure, whether private or public, is also over 50-years-old. Dams, pipelines, buildings, sewer systems, municipal water supplies, and things like community centres, arenas, and swimming pools, are often in need of complete replacement, not just another patch-up.

Public transit is an area being classed under “infrastructure”, and, another area which has not only been underfunded in the past, but also often mismanaged, is the “real” transit patterns of actual persons. There are fewer bus and train choices available now in all but the largest Canadian cities, and, private transit has also

diminished or is under some kind of attack. Reasonably-priced transit choices not only support a greener economy, but, also make our society more equitable and less dangerous for the vulnerable. Up to $3.4 billion is budgeted over the next three years for a new Public Transit Infrastructure Fund, allocated on the basis of ridership numbers, with the federal government contributing up to 50 percent of all costs. One of the transit systems which will benefit is the Toronto subway.

“Canadians have asked us to reduce congestion and commute times in their cities,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in B.C. recently. “This investment in public transit will help the people of British Columbia get home to their loved ones faster. It will also help to grow the middle class by improving business flows in municipalities, while reducing environmental damage.”

On August 23rd, he made a similar statement regarding Ontario. The Prime Minister’s website reads, “Today, the Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau,

and, the Premier of Ontario, Kathleen Wynne, announced a bilateral agreement that will provide more than $2.97 billion in combined funding – by the Government of Canada, Ontario, and municipalities – for projects across the province.” Barrie, Sudbury,Toronto, Ottawa and Waterloo will benefit from the funding.

THE COUNTRY’S INFRASTRUCTURE, WHETHER PRIVATE OR PUBLIC, IS ALSO OVER 50 YEARS OLD. DAMS, PIPELINES, BUILDINGS, SEWER SYSTEMS, MUNICIPAL WATER SUPPLIES, AND THINGS LIKE COMMUNITY CENTRES, ARENAS, SWIMMING POOLS ARE OFTEN IN NEED OF COMPLETE REPLACEMENT, NOT ANOTHER PATCH-UP.

Of course, all of these projects are expensive, and, critics in the opposition and among the public have expressed a lot of concern over deficit spending,

especially in a globally-unstable fiscal time. A $29 billion deficit is predicted for this year alone, and it is expected to only grow by $113 billion by 2020-21, according to the budget.

However, Finance Minister Bill Morneau defends the practice. “We intend to bring real change to Canada’s economy,” he said in a media release, late last year, “through a strategy that combines fiscal discipline with investments in economic growth.” He also noted that these will help create jobs.

Spending is projected in the areas of public transit, wastewater infrastructure, drinking water, solid waste management, community energy systems, local roads and bridges, highways, local and regional airports, short-line rail, short-sea shipping, disaster mitigation, broadband and connectivity, and brownfield redevelopment. There is also a segment of spending seen as “cultural infrastructure”, which includes: culture, tourism, sport and recreation n 49 OTTAWALIFE FALL 2016

turkey by Alex Mazur

CANADA REMEMBERS

Atilla Altikat ore than 30 years ago, a husband M and father of two got up in the morning and got in his car to go to

work. When he stopped at a red light at the corner of Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway and Island Park Drive in Ottawa, he was shot and killed at point blank range by an Armenian terrorist. Colonel Atilla Altikat was the Turkish military attaché to Canada and the victim of a rare assassination in Canada’s capital. August 27, 2016 marked the 34th anniversary of his death. Altikat is the only victim of international terrorism on Canadian soil to date, and his killer(s) have never been found.

Such an event seems out of place for the relatively small and sleepy capital of Canada, but the killing showed that Canada is not immune to global terrorism. According to 2011 Census data, amongst all the G8 countries, Canada has the highest number of foreign-born citizens. In fact, one in five Canadians were born abroad.

The significance of this diversity means that a lot of Canadian citizens have varying global ties, and yet, the country rests in relative peace. One reason for this may be that many people immigrate to Canada to escape the violence, prejudice and injustice they’ve experienced in their country of origin. Another is that many people want to live in a free and democratic, secular society that provides equal rights for all regardless of race, religion or sexual orientation. Canada offers this possibility.

In hindsight, the story of Altikat’s murder, tragic and unjust as it was, is less about the threat of terrorism, 50 OTTAWALIFE FALL 2016

and has more to do about the consequences of wounds bred from unresolved conflicts.

both Armenians and people of Turkish descent and this historical conflict has simmered here for decades.

It’s important to mention that not long after Altikat’s death, on March 12, 1985, gunmen attacked the Turkish embassy in Ottawa. This incident resulted in the death of a Canadian security guard named Claude Brûlé, and injuries to the Turkish ambassador who threw himself through a window to escape the assault. The Armenian Revolutionary Army took credit for the attack.

Canada has done its duty in remembering the fallen on each side, and commemorating their losses. The Canadian government commemorated the loss of Colonel Altikat on the 30th Anniversary of his death by erecting the Fallen Diplomats Monument at the Corner of Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway and Island Park Drive.

OF COURSE CANADA IS IMPERFECT, BUT WHILE OTHER COUNTRIES ARE CLOSING THEIR BORDERS…CANADA HAS WELCOMED THOSE DIFFERENCES WITH OPEN ARMS, AND INVITES THOSE WHO CHOOSE TO LIVE HERE TO HOLD ONTO THEIR PAST, NOT IN ANGER, BUT IN WISDOM.

Armenian groups claimed the violent attacks were retaliation for the Turkish government’s refusal to recognize the Armenian genocide, that they claim was committed by the Ottoman Turks during the First World War. While the Turkish government vehemently denies there was genocide, the Armenians have been successful in having the genocide recognized by many countries, including Canada.

In 2006, then Prime Minister Stephen Harper officially recognized the loss of 1.5 million Armenians as the first genocide of the 20th century, a label the Turkish government has not accepted.

Canada has a significant diaspora of

As Harper said when acknowledging the Armenian genocide, “We must never forget the lessons of history, nor should we allow the enmities of history to divide us.”

Some level of division is inevitable in a country made up of many diverse cultures, religions, points of views and histories, but it is in striving to see the difference of others not as an affront to one’s personal identity. This, in some ways, allows Canada to work as a multicultural nation. Of course Canada is imperfect, but while other countries are closing their borders, afraid of the dangers of difference, Canada has welcomed those differences with open arms, and invites those who choose to live here to hold onto their past, not in anger, but in wisdom.

On the 34th anniversary of Colonel Altikat’s death, on Saturday Aug. 27, there was a remembrance ceremony held at 2 p.m. at the very spot that Altikat’s life was taken, at the Fallen Diplomats Monument. The Council of Turkish Canadians invited “all peaceloving” people to come commemorate that loss along with them n PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

canada-china friendship series by Luo Zhaohui

Sustained and Steady Growth of the Chinese Economy will Continue to Make a Significant

Contribution to the Development of the World Economy

I

n the first half of this year, despite continued slowdown in global growth, China’s GDP expanded by 6.7 percent, ranking among top of the world’s

major economies. This growth rate was within the appropriate range and met the projected target. It’s indeed not easy for an economy with a scale of more than 10 billion US dollars. To understand China’s economy, one should focus on the following aspects:

First, China’s economic performance has been basically stable. Last year, China’s economy grew at 6.9 percent.

And this year the target is 6.5 percent,-7 percent. We have full confidence to achieve this goal. Major economic institutions from China and the world forecast that the Chinese economy will grow at an average annual rate of at least 6.5 percent over the next few years.

and stability. China will continue to innovate means of macro control, implement the proactive fiscal policy with greater intensity and efficiency, and carry out the prudent monetary policy in a flexible and appropriate fashion. The current debt ratio for the Chinese government is around 40 percent and is only around 16 percent for the central government, lower than many other major economies.

China needs to create ten million plus new urban jobs every year, and 7.17 million were created during the first half of this year. At the same time, people’s incomes increase steadily. In the first six month this year, CPI grew by 1.9 percent and per capita income of urban and rural residents rose 6.5 percent. People’s lives are guaranteed and improved. In a word, the aim of maintaining stable growth is primarily to ensure employment and promote the people’s wellbeing.

China’s deficit-to-GDP ratio is a mere 3 percent, which gives Chinese government space for a proactive fiscal policy. China’s household saving rate remains high. All this means huge potential for the development of multitiered capital markets and major leeway for improving financial regulation methods and financial resource allocation. The Chinese government has strong ability to prevent systemic or regional risks.

Second, China’s macro-economic policies have maintained continuity PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

Third, positive progress has been made in reform, innovation, adjustment and transformation. And development

potential has been further unleashed as a result of reform efforts to streamline administration, delegate powers, and improve the business system as well as fiscal and financial system. In the first half of the year, some 40,000 new market entities are being created every day in China, including over 13,000 new enterprises. Such increase is bigger than the previous two years.

China’s economic structure continues to improve. In the first half of this year, the contribution of the service sector to economic growth reached 59.8 percent, with an increase of 4.2 percent compared to the same period of time of last year. The contribution of domestic demand to GDP increased to 110.4 percent with a year-on-year rise of 14.5 percent. The growth of the total retail sales of consumer goods reached a stable level of more than 10 percent. New areas of consumption such as information and communication, smart phones and new energy vehicles are rapidly expanding.

The five “happiness industries” of tourism, culture, sports, health and old-age care are rapidly growing.

The leading role of consumption and services is becoming more visible.

An innovation-driven economy is brimming with vitality. High-tech industries, high-end manufacturing, e-commerce and other new business forms are booming. Enterprises, sectors and regions that have made an 51 OTTAWALIFE FALL 2016

52 OTTAWALIFE FALL 2016

early start in economic transformation and upgrading and that embrace faster growth of new industries have all taken on a sound momentum of growth.

Fourth, China’s economy is resilient with huge potential untapped. China has a 900 million strong workforce, among whom 170 million have received higher education or training in professional skills. Every year we produce over seven million college graduates and over five million graduates from secondary vocational schools.

We are No.1 in the world in terms of the number of science professionals and No.2 in R&D input, with an input of over RMB 1 trillion made last year.

China is the second biggest economy, the largest manufacturing country, a major trading nation in goods and services, and a major destination and source of foreign investment. It is also the world’s second largest consumer market. Its middle-income population is in the hundreds of millions and is still expanding. The number of the rural poor is falling year by year, while that of permanent urban residents is growing by over 10 million each year. All these make China a major emerging market with the biggest growth potential. It makes China a big stage where people from every corner could tap into their intellectual potential and start their business. We are fully confident that the Chinese economy will embrace a bright prospect.

China’s sound economic development has been echoed by major international economic and financial institutions. while downgrading its growth outlook of the world economy and many developed economies such as the United States and Japan, the International Monetary Foundation upgraded China’s economic growth outlook for this year by 0.1 percentage points, according to the IMF World Economic Outlook Update released in July. On July 22, at the “1+6” round table dialogue between Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and the heads of six major international economic and financial institutions such as the World Bank, the IMF, the World Trade Organization, the International Labor Organization, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development as well as the Financial

Stability Board, all parties said that the measures of the structural reform in China’s economy prove to be fruitful, with economic growth more resilient and more sustainable. The prophecy of “hard landing” of Chinese economy will no longer be bought.

In the meantime, we are also aware that the Chinese economy is confronted with some difficulties, problems, risks and challenges. Given the complex and challenging international environment and the deep-seated domestic problems accumulated over the years, the foundation underpinning stable performance of the Chinese economy is yet to be strengthened. The driving effect of external demand on growth is waning. Private and manufacturing investments are sluggish. Latent risks still exist in the financial and other sectors. In some industries with CHINA’S ECONOMY IS RESILIENT WITH HUGE POTENTIAL UNTAPPED. CHINA HAS A 900 MILLION STRONG WORKFORCE, AMONG WHOM 170 MILLION HAVE RECEIVED HIGHER EDUCATION OR TRAINING IN PROFESSIONAL SKILLS. EVERY YEAR WE PRODUCE OVER SEVEN MILLION

priority and promote steady progress as we pursue innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development.

We will ensure that the government's macro policies are stable, industrial policies are well-targeted, micro policies are flexible, reform policies are solid and social policies meet people's basic needs. In the face of mounting downward economic pressure, China will not resort to indiscriminate strong stimulus. Instead, we will focus on exploring new models of macro control, vigorously advance structural reform, and concentrate our efforts on cultivating new drivers of growth while upgrading traditional ones.While appropriately expanding aggregate demand, China will steadfastly advance supply-side structural reform, concentrate on cutting overcapacity, reducing inventory, deleveraging, lowering costs and strengthening weak links,so that China’s development could be less reliant on natural resources and be more driven by human resources and innovation. This will enable the Chinese economy to maintain medium-high growth rates and move to medium-high development levels.

In the upcoming period, China’s economic development will mainly focus on the following areas:

serious overcapacity and regions with monotonous economic structure, there have been relatively more problems.

Downward economic pressure remains and the difficulties are not to be underestimated. These difficulties, problems, risks and challenges have occurred in the course of growth and progress.They are nothing but growing pains. We have full confidence and capability to stand up to challenges, overcome difficulties and solve these problems.

First, China needs to guide economic transformation and upgrading through innovation. Through further implementation of the innovationdriven development strategy, China will step up efforts to build an innovation-driven country and a strong country in science and technology, so as to provide robust support for economic transformation and upgrading. We will vigorously promote the commercialization of innovation results and facilitate the emergence of more new industries, new forms of business and new business model so as to accelerate the development of the new economy and cultivate new growth drivers.

The Chinese economy is at a crucial stage of transition from old to new growth drivers and a stage of economic transformation and upgrading. For the economic development in the years ahead, the Chinese government has clear and well-developed strategies.We will focus on development as the top

Second, China needs to accelerate transforming and upgrading traditional industries. China needs to reduce inefficient and low-end supply, and expand effective and medium-to high-end supply through advancing structural reform, in particular that on the supply side. A major task for China

COLLEGE GRADUATES AND OVER FIVE MILLION GRADU-ATES FROM SECONDARY VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS.

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enhance the open economy, open wider the service sector and general manufacturing sector, provide more investment opportunities to foreign businesses and foster a fairer, more transparent and predictable investment environment.

As a developing country, China will continuously make an important contribution to the world economy if it maintains steady economic growth.

China’s economy will still be the “driver” and “anchor” of the global economy for the coming years. In 2015, China contributed roughly 30 percent to global economic growth.

The World Bank forecasts that China’s contribution to the world economy will continue to significantly lead over other major economies for the next few years, with a contribution rate of 26.4 percent in 2018. In the next five years, China’s economy will continue to achieve medium-high growth rate. Its import is expected to reach US$10 trillion and its outbound direct investment will exceed US$600 billion.

is to phase out outdated production capacity and address overcapacity.

Initial progress has been made in recent years, as is shown in the lowering production of raw coal and crude steel. China will implement the Made in China 2025 initiative to make manufacturing more IT-based and smarter. China will conduct customtailored and flexible production to meet consumers’ diverse needs. We will accelerate changes in models of production, management and marketing and create new industry chains, supply chains and value chains.

This will make Chinese manufacturing more competitive.

Third, China will advance the Mass Entrepreneurship and Innovation strategy. If we could make full use of the Internet to efficiently match the massive amounts of information about supply with that about demand, we could then unleash everyone’s potential, bring about cooperation among and sharing of R&D and professional expertise and skills, so that individual efforts of numerous market 54 OTTAWALIFE FALL 2016

players will lead to greater synergy for innovation-driven development. The sharing economy is something that everyone can take part in and benefit from. It could also facilitate reasonable income distribution, expand the middle income group, allow more people, in particular the young, to fulfill their dreams through hard work, and promote social equity and justice.

Fourth, China needs to transform government functions more rapidly and improve efficiency. China needs to further streamline administration, delegate power, and improve services. At the same time, China also needs to strengthen and innovate in market oversight, strictly protect intellectual property rights, promote in a coordinated way reforms in the fiscal, taxation, finance, investment and other key areas, and ensure a level-playing field for all players and a pro-innovation institutional environment.

Fifth, China will further deepen reform and opening-up policy. China will

China and Canada are the major players of G20, APEC and other important multilateral institutions, both countries shoulder the shared responsibilities to boost the steady recovery of the global economy. China and Canada have many similarities in development strategies and share strong complementarity in industrial structure, which promise huge potential for trade and economic cooperation.

China and Canada need to make joint efforts to realize the mutual supplement with each other’s advantages, keep deepening practical cooperation in various areas, strive to expand the volume and scale of bilateral trade and economic cooperation, launch the process of negotiating and signing FTA arrangement at an early date.

The two countries should also continue to enlarge the cooperation in clean energy, financial services, innovation and technologies, infrastructure and other areas, so that we can jointly create a new “Golden Era” in our bilateral relations and make more positive contribution to the peace and development in the Asia-Pacific and the world as a whole n

canada-hungary friendship series by Eric Murphy

A NEW STAGE

in Canada-Hungary Relations There are more than 300,000 Canadians of Hungarian descent living in Canada today. Many of them are musicians, film producers and CEOs, one is even an 87 year-old Nobel Laureate. Hungarian Canadians live all over the country, from the East Coast to the West, and despite their diversity, many of them have one

Ambassador Bálint Ódor

thing in common: the year 1956.

That year, roughly 37,500 Hungarian refugees arrived in Canada, fleeing the Soviet invasion of their country.

This wave of migrants was the largest Canada had ever accepted in its short history, and few countries took in more refugees than we did.The success these refugees had in Canada set the precedent for Canada’s welcoming of 50,000 Vietnamese refugees two decades later and our current process of accepting Syrian migrants. It has also created a lasting bond between Canada and Hungary.

“Everybody has a connection to Hungarians, through family or friends or colleagues,” says Hungarian Ambassador Bálint Ódor, sitting at the conference table in his Metcalfe Street embassy. “1956 is not only a Hungarian history, and a Hungarian story, it’s also a Canadian one.”

To recognize the 60th anniversary of this exodus, and the partnership it inspired, Ódor and his staff are organizing cultural celebrations across the country.

Beginning in September, they hosted a week of events in Montreal, including a Hungarian Film Festival. November 1st they are doing another major event in Halifax’s Pier 21, where many of the refugees originally landed.

The commemorations come to Ottawa on September 21st, where the

Hungarian Foreign Minister will speak at the Canadian Museum of History.

“From the beginning of September to mid-November there will be events, from Halifax to Vancouver” Ódor says.

He says that these commemorations will give Canadians a chance to celebrate and learn more about their common heritage with many Hungarians.

“It’s really just to look back and say thank you to those who came here and who made their lives a success here,” Ódor adds.

These celebrations are a bit of a departure from Ódor’s normal role as ambassador. Since he took the position in 2014, he’s been focused on opening up trade and tourism in the two countries. That following year, he helped establish a direct flight route between Toronto and Budapest. Before that, there were no flights directly connecting Hungary and Canada, or Hungary and North America, for that matter.

“Between two countries geographically far from each other, this is a very important thing,” Ódor says. “The Diaspora is able to come home and come back…it deepens relations.”

On the business side, he is focused on promoting innovation. Canada and Hungary have historically focused their trade on machinery, pharmaceutical trade and medical equipment. In 2012, trade between the two countries totalled $634.4 million, with Canada importing roughly twice what it exported.

Ambassador Ódor wants to improve upon this by creating new relationships centred on research and innovation.

“Hungary has always been a very innovative country,” he says.“I think the future between Canada and Hungary is very much in the field of research and development.”

The ambassador also plans to spend more time deepening relations in Quebec specifically, where many of the 1956 refugees landed in Canada.

“We want to bring Budapest and Montreal closer,” he says.

Budapest’s mayor will be opening the Montreal cultural week in September, an event that Ódor hopes will make many Montrealers, and other Canadians, consider visiting Budapest in turn n

Find out more about the cultural celebrations around the country by visiting 1956canada.developmentserver.ca/events or BudapestinMontreal.ca.

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Peace Among the Peaks alfway up a mountain looking H over Boulder, Colorado I found a narrow rocky trail that split away

from the well-worn hiking path. The trail ran alongside a steep, watery drop and arced upwards, disappearing into the looming treeline. Thinking that the potential shortcut might be my only chance to get to the top of Green Mountain before my bus left at 10, I turned off the beaten path and started climbing.

It didn’t take long for the trail to get too steep for me, but the detour wasn’t a total waste. On the way back down I heard a few branches crack to my left.

I turned, expecting to see one of the off-leash dogs I’d met that morning, but instead I found a bored looking doe staring back at me through about 50 feet of brush.

A few seconds later, two more mule deer appeared, poking around the forest floor. Within another minute, a total of seven deer appeared in the shade just a stone’s throw away. I took some pictures but mostly sat and watched the animals going about their day with lethargic ease.

Feeling more in tune with nature, I turned and went back down that narrow path. Near the bottom I ran into another hiker going upwards.

She asked me about the trail and I explained it was a bit rocky, but just a minute ahead was the biggest herd of 56 OTTAWALIFE FALL 2016

young. Brick and stone buildings abound and the main downtown streets are extra wide, a souvenir of the city’s mining days that allowed massive carriages to make a u-turn on the once muddy roads.

deer I’d ever seen up close.

“Cool,” she responded flatly, as if I’d just told her the sky was blue. At first I had a little trouble wrapping my head around her lack of enthusiasm. When I was growing up in Ontario, my father slammed the breaks on his truck every time someone spotted a lone deer in the distance.

This attitude is common in Colorado though. It’s not that people don’t appreciate what they have. There’s just too much to appreciate. The everpresent mountains, the sweeping plains between peaks, the all-season sun, the art and beer, it’s just too much for one population to celebrate every day. But for one spring week, I had a chance to pack my bags and see the centennial state with fresh eyes, and man did I celebrate.

Fort Collins

Two days before my spiritual experience with the deer on Green Mountain, my plane landed in Denver’s sprawling airport and I headed straight for Fort Collins, a city that looks old but feels

It didn’t take me long to realize that Fort Collins is something of a Mecca in an already beer-obsessed state. The city of 150,000 has 20 breweries, including the massive New Belgium Brewery, the fourth largest in the US. We visited the brewing company that afternoon, and about 10 minutes into the free tour I was convinced that their brewery should be considered a world heritage site. This place was enormous, with fermentation tanks bigger than my apartment and five free beers along the tour route.

Downtown Fort Collins is beautifully preserved. A few buildings are so quintessentially 19th century American that their design inspired Disneyland’s “Main Street USA.” Quirky street art abounds, and the city even has a fleet of nearly 200 hand painted pianos scattered around for anyone to sit down and play.

Boulder

Boulder is a city with many faces. Head just outside the sprawling University of Colorado campus and you’ll find shirtless fraternity members playing beer pong on their front lawns. Hike up to the mountains and you’ll be

PHOTO:ERIC MURPHY

travel by Eric Murphy

surrounded by fit people walking their dogs and carrying long coils of rope towards terrifyingly sheer cliff sides.

Explore the Pearl Street Mall and you have a solid chance of seeing a busker folding himself into a cardboard box.

No matter where you go, the city is filled with life. This could be a result of the roughly 300 days of sunshine the city gets each year, or the fantastic food.The perfect lunch spot in Boulder is the Sink, which has a longstanding reputation for serving up the best pizza in the city. Somehow this hole in the wall juggles a welcome feeling for tourists alongside a heavy college divebar vibe. The walls are coated with offbeat and irreverent paintings. The most noticeable is a floor to ceiling cartoon mural of Robert Redford, who worked there as a janitor in 1955. After a ghost tour of the city I settled into my cabin at Chautauqua, a national historic site filled with quaint lodges.

At 6 a.m. I ate some leftover Sink pizza that was even better cold, and headed out to the trail. Paths veered off in three different directions and the mountains dominated the horizon. Jagged rock formations called flatirons clung to the mountainsides, bursting from the treeline like a row of pointed teeth. I made it my morning goal to try and get to the top of one. Sadly, the top half of Green Mountain was closed for raptor preservation, but every minute of my hike was an adventure, especially the brief deer sighting.

the tallest of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains.

All around town people were riding mountain bikes towards the nearby hills or tying rafts to the roofs of their Subarus. People seemed itching to get out into the country, and I followed suit, setting out on horseback for an hour long ride through the backcountry with no highways in sight. The guide led our group across wide open fields, along narrow wooded paths and through rivers deep enough to get our boots wet. The horses trotted along in single file, but there were a few faster uphill climbs that added a pulse pounding side to an otherwise very relaxing hour.

By late afternoon I ached down to my bones, so I headed to the secluded Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort, which sits at the foot of a breathtaking cliff face. I can’t think of a better place to stay after a day on the trails. In the resort, fresh spring water from the mountains mixes with the hot springs, creating a chalk creek that can be icy cold or 50 degrees, depending on where you sit. Floating between the hot and freezing sections is absolute bliss. For those looking to just warm up, separate basins filled with nothing but hot, odourless spring water are only a few steps away.

Hotel rooms and log cabins dot the hills above the springs and spa. I stayed in one of the 30 cabins, which had two bedrooms and an enormous loft.

The high ceiling, fireplace and kitchen made the space feel like a rustic version of home.

Outside the cabin were chairs lined up on the porch to face the resort and different peaks. I spent the rest of my evening there, glancing between a book and the mountains.

Buena Vista

Two hundred kilometres south of Boulder and 2500 feet closer to the sky is a town called Buena Vista. The town is brimming with old stone and wooden buildings that look like they were ripped from a Wild West film. This is the land of white water rafting, grazing cattle and fourteeners,

Denver

For the final two days of my trip, I gave the world of hiking trails and grassy fields a heartfelt goodbye and waded into Colorado’s booming capital.

Denver is a city of young people on sleek bicycles, where every restaurant is trying to break the mould in a quirkier way than the one next door. You feel cooler just by standing close to it all.

During the two days I spent in Denver it was easy to feel like a pinball bouncing between an endless series of colourful restaurants and bars.

Their palatial downtown train station reopened in 2014 as an indoor market and you can sip a cocktail, buy a book or check into a hotel room before hopping on your train. My group had pre-dinner drinks in the second floor Cooper Lounge, sitting underneath Volkswagen Beatle sized chandeliers.

Dinner that first night was at TAG, a place that immediately blew me away with its sushi tacos. Picture a bubbling hard shell nestled in a guacamole blanket and filled with sticky rice, charred Hawaiian ahi and mango salsa.

I was in love. After trying the rest of TAG’s more conventional sushi, I headed back out onto Larimer Street.

The ceiling of lights strung above Larimer gave the narrow road a dreamy quality so late into the evening. I made sure to try two of the underground “speakeasy-style” bars before giving up for the night.

The food adventure continued the next morning back at Union Station at a breakfast spot called Snooze, which started in Denver and has since spread to three other states. As one of their servers set down my Oreo-covered pancake, he told me that the restaurant started out as a master’s thesis, a fact that might have surprised me five days before, but after a week in Colorado it seemed natural as sweet potato pancakes (another Snooze staple).

After spending two days in the city, my last glimpse of nature surprised me in the Denver Airport. While I was standing with my bags, a tiny bird darted past the gates and along the ceiling before settling on a metal rafter right above another departing group.

It started singing, but like my experience with the grazing deer on Green Mountain, no one seemed to notice n colorado.com 57 OTTAWALIFE FALL 2016

travel by Karen Temple

Celebrate Winter

With an All-Inclusive Adventure in the French Alps

veryone is familiar with the chant, E “Hands up, baby hands up, give me your love…”, calling shivering northerners to Club Med’s sun-filled southern resorts. But, did you know that the company that launched in the 50s offering Mediterranean beach vacations to French citizens also has ski resorts?

You might wonder if France is too far for a week of skiing and with no guarantee of snow conditions, is it worth it? Yes, yes absolutely! If you have taken a destination ski vacation before then you know that getting there involves, at the very least, one transfer and a shuttle. In other words, it is a full day of traveling. The beauty of flying to Europe is those evening flights. You fall asleep and before you know it you are there and the drive from the airport is so scenic that you almost wish it took longer. As the road winds its way up and up, you realize that at this altitude, they can’t help but have snow. In fact, Europeans head to the French Alps because it has the highest elevations and the ski season is the longest.

Club Med has an astonishing 20 ski destinations and four of them are in the Haute-Savoie region where you can find the family-oriented and toprated Club Med Peisey-Vallandry. Long 58 OTTAWALIFE FALL 2016

before it became a ski destination, les Monts d’Argent were well known in the French Empire for their reserves of lead and silver that helped Napoleon’s war efforts. (Still standing in the valley, is the École Française des Mines building that housed and schooled mining engineers.) After the mines closed, local metal workers headed to Paris in search of work. Talk of their beloved mountains drew the interest of friends and colleagues and before long a ski village was born.

In Peisey-Vallandry, skiing is a state of being. For generations, it’s how they got around during the winter months. Unlike North American ski destinations were you ski at one individual resort with an occasional dual-mountain pass, the French government owns the lifts and the land.What this means is access to more terrain and the coolest double-decker gondola you’ve ever seen. Club Med guests benefit from a whopping 425

kilometres of skiable terrain. Take a lift up from this tiny, traditional mountain village and the terrain unfolds like a giant road map. The size is truly unbelievable.

Don’t be nervous, beginners as well as experienced experts can ski from the top of most any peak.Thankfully, Club Med has partnered with the École de Ski Française (ESF). The ski school turns out skiers in a similar fashion to our Red Cross Swim program. The experienced guides will assess your skiing and group you with others of the same level. It is a great way to meet people and to really enjoy the skiing. The instructors are really good.

Regardless of ability level, everyone will benefit from the lessons and more advanced skiers will love the off-piste terrain that is not skiable without the help of a local pro.

Bring your own equipment or rent, either way Club Med will set you up with a ski locker outfitted with boot dryers and space for a family’s worth of skis. It’s a convenient place to store your equipment and it keeps guests from trudging through the lobby with skis. Kids will love the kids clubs and adults will benefit from being able to ski all day without worrying about the little ones. In fact, you don’t have to think about them until after dinner.

Kids four-10 years head to Mini Club after breakfast and are kept active and entertained until parents pick them up at 9 p.m. Teens are kept busy at the Password Club and for an extra fee there is babysitting available for the little ones.

Non downhillers can take advantage of the gym or pool for fitness activities that run all day long or head outdoors and hike, snowshoe or cross country ski in the beautiful Vanoise National Park. Local businesses offer rentals and maps to get you on your way.

The tourism office hosts weekly hour-long historic walks or if you’re feeling more adventurous, they can recommend a Parapente (paragliding) excursion. For a taste of culture, visit a local farm to meet the award-winning cheese producing cows or hike up to the chapel of Notre-Dame-de-Pitié.

The original structure, completed in 1727, was at the site of a spring whose water is said to have miraculous powers. Destroyed by an avalanche, its replacement sits at 1816 metres and offers Mass every Friday morning.

A French national historic site, it is worth the walk.

After an active day, the Club’s lobby area is the place to be. Cosy up to the oversized bar to get an après-ski beverage then sink into one of the huge red velvet sofas and relive your day’s best run with your new found ski buddies or meet up with family members. It’s always a hub of activity complete with finger foods and live music. Late afternoon and evening is also the busiest time at the on-site Carita Spa, so if you want a mid-week rub down make sure to book ahead.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Paradiski has terrain for all ability levels; As the sun rises over the mountains, kids can’t wait for the lift to open; Hiking in the beautiful Vanoise National Park; Happy Savoie heifers that make some of the best cheese in the world.

that recipes are respected. Twenty-five percent of the produce is sourced from local producers — quite incredible when you think that you are in a tiny mountain village with a guest to local ration of about 100 to one. A local bakery is tasked with making the 120 baguettes and 40-odd loaves of bread consumed each day and seven or eight varieties of local, and possibly the best, cheese are available. There are nightly themes that add a festive flair to meal time. When out skiing over the noon hour, you can pop into neighbouring Club Med resorts, Les Arcs or La Plagne, for lunch.

Brush up on your “bonjours” before heading to Club Med. From the cool youngins’ slugging skis in the rental shop to the dining room and frontend employees, the Club staff are super friendly and the greetings are seemingly endless. There is a real buzz.

Their happy energy only enhances your stay.

The food is delicious and is buffet style so before leaving home, make sure your ski pants have an adjustable waistband. A team of 40 work with head chef, Marc Buchouau, who insists

ABOVE: All of these mountains are great

ski destinations. Telluride (Colorado, USA) might be 500 metres higher than Paradiski but the later blows it, and all the rest, out of the water when you compare terrain.

Rooms are well laid out with a barnstyle door separating the kids sleeping area from the queen-sized bed. The resort is built into the side of the mountain so if you don’t want to look at rocks, make sure to request a room with a view.You will be so tired when you flop into bed that it won’t really matter if you don’t. Separate toilet and shower area remind you that you are in France as well as the complete lack of face cloths — an odd little observation but North American moms do rely on wiping the wee ones down with them.

Guest visit from all over. We rubbed elbows with Brazilians, Israelis, Russians and, since it was a school holiday, lots of French. Make sure to book early. The resort is very popular with many families returning annually.

It is almost always at 95 percent capacity. Getting there is a breeze with biweekly, direct Air Canada flights from Montreal to Geneva or Montreal to Lyon. Consider adding a few days to your trip to take in either of these great cities.

So, grab your skis, the kids and gets those hands up for a Club Med ski vacations n clubmed.ca en.peisey-vallandry.com 59 OTTAWALIFE FALL 2016

travel by Ellen Moorhouse

The Resort That Timmy’s Built oFox Harb’r Resort, on Nova F Scotia’s north shore about 20 kilometres east of Pugwash, isn’t your

average luxury vacation spot – if there is such a thing.

The guest accommodations offer amenities you would expect when inseason prices start at $350 a night for a studio: a deep whirlpool tub, heated granite bathroom floors, luxurious linens, the English line of Molton Brown toiletries and beautiful views of rolling golf course and sea.

But Tim Hortons coffee at the minibar? Absolutely. At Fox Harb’r,Timmy’s is the brand of choice.

This is, after all, a resort built and sustained by proceeds from the iconic coffee and doughnut chain, and it represents the vision of co-founder Ron Joyce, a Maritimer, born and bred in nearby Tatamagouche.

Fifty years ago, while working as a cop in Hamilton, Joyce got to know NHL hockey star and doughnut-shop owner Tim Horton. In 1967, they signed a franchise agreement, and the legendary business relationship began.

Horton provided the personality and the promotion; his partner, the business acumen, according to Kevin Toth, Fox Harb’r’s enthusiastic president: “Ron Joyce’s real skill was picking locations.”

And what a spot he’s picked for this 1,150-acre (465-hectare) spread with its four kilometres of shoreline in a part of Nova Scotia that boasts warm waters, spectacular sunsets and views across the Northumberland Strait to Prince Edward Island.The region, with

60 OTTAWALIFE FALL 2016

unspoiled countryside and a growing number of wineries and craft breweries, is called the Sunrise Trail.

Guest accommodation overlooking the golf course and sea at Fox Harb’r Resort glows at sunset.” PHOTO BY TRACY HANES

With this prime bit of real estate, the 85-year-old billionaire, who sold out his fast food interests, is not looking for financial gain,Toth says. In fact, Fox Harb’r, which opened in 2000, is debt free and backed by a trust fund that covers operating losses.

townhouses from $525,000, two detached models ringing in at $1 million and $1.6 million, and building lots from $195,000.

So what motivated Joyce?

“He wanted to give back to the north shore community,” Toth explains to a group of visitors, “…and he wanted a place to enjoy and to come home to.”

Given back he has. Fox Harb’r is the largest employer on Nova Scotia’s north shore, with almost 200 full-time and seasonal staff. And, no question, the resort reflects Joyce’s interests: • He took up flying to speed his travels during rapid expansion at Tim Hortons. The resort has a 1,500-metre airstrip.

• At 65, he became an avid golfer: The resort offers an 18-hole course, a nine-hole Par 3 and a golf academy staffed by three experts.

• And, for a Nova Scotian, it’s only natural to offer hunting and fishing — stocked trout ponds, clay shooting and fall pheasant hunts.

While deep pockets support the resort, plans are afoot to make it more financially sustainable. A 10-year plan calls for 225 dwellings, in addition to the 31 existing homes, some occupied year round, and accommodations for guests.

Now on the market are luxury

For a part-time getaway, starting at $169,000, Fox Harb’r proposes a quarter interest in three and fourbedroom townhouses through fractional ownership representing 12 weeks’ occupancy.

Fox Harb’r is unusual, not just for its trust fund. “It’s very rare when all the amenities and everything are already built,” says residential sales manager Eric Lum. In addition to golf, trout ponds, sport shooting, jetport and marina, the resort has an impressive clubhouse, spa and indoor pool; mature landscaping and gardens, punctuated with statuary; and restaurant facilities, with one of the largest wine cellars in Eastern Canada.

Salad greens and vegetables come from the greenhouses and gardens, and seafood is sustainably sourced.

There’s more to come: riding horses arrived this summer, a 25-acre (10-hectare) vineyard is being planted and a conference centre planned.

Big names have visited, including Tiger Woods, who set a course record of 63, and Bill Clinton, who attended former New Brunswick premier Frank McKenna’s annual networking session.

That’s just one of Fox Harb’r’s many events n

opinion by Patrick Gossage

OTTAWA NEEDS TO THINK ABOUT

the Odawas fficial Ottawa is struggling to O define a new era of relations with our founding nations almost

indifferent to the central role they played in the exploration and opening up the continent to trade. In fact, the very savvy Odawa peoples based in Makinac, the Sault and then Detroit, controlled, through clever alliances and kinship ties, the whole of Ontario and much of Michigan for long periods of time from the mid 17th to the end of the 18th century. These peoples are referred to as the Anishnaabeg and the anglicized name of the Odawas made its way into the name of the capital of the new nation.

Initially, it was in their canoes that brought furs from the pays d’en haut along the historic fur trade route across the French River near the eastern end of Manitoulin Island across Lake Nipissing and down the Ottawa River to Montreal and Quebec. Their allies, the Algonquins, (somewhat recognized in Algonquin College) controlled the Ottawa Valley, for a time even exacting tolls. Now, their descendants live in the Golden Lake Reserve not far from the capital.

The Ottawa River, which the Algonquin called Kichi Sibi, meaning “great river,” and its tributaries were a conduit for trade networks between Aboriginal peoples, which archaeological evidence suggests stretched as far as the northern tip of Labrador in the east and Lake Superior in the west.

Years ago, I met a young native lawyer who engaged me to help the Golden Lake Algonquins build their profile as the original owners of the lands on which the capital sits.We were anxious to make a stand at Government House for maximum impact. Unfortunately,

the chief of the reserve changed, and the project never saw the light of day.

But it is odd that while in British Columbia particularly, where much of the territory was never ceded, every public event recognizes the original inhabitants of the land. This is not a practice in Ontario. It should be.

In New France, Aboriginals were treated as allies and trading partners. In the first years of settlement, they had helped habitants survive hard winters.

Throughout the French regime, it was the Anishnaabeg, together with French regulars that finally beat back Iroquois attempts in the mid-17th century, to drive both Natives and French at scattered outposts and missions above the lower lakes out from their lands and villages. The French established a trading post in the Sault, in 1668, and soon it became the fur-trading centre for the entire upper Great Lakes.

Because the leaders of the French regime saw their value as intermediaries in the lucrative fur trade, indigenous people were well treated; hundreds of young French men intermarried and became the famed coureurs de bois.

BECAUSE THE LEADERS OF THE FRENCH REGIME SAW THEIR VALUE AS INTERMEDIARIES IN THE LUCRATIVE FUR TRADE, INDIGENOUS PEOPLE WERE WELL TREATED; HUNDREDS OF YOUNG FRENCH MEN INTERMARRIED AND BECAME THE FAMED COURIERS DE BOIS.

While Euro-centric histories glorify the likes of explorers Radisson and Groseillers, these intrepid adventurers, and later British explorers like Alexander Mackenzie, could never have moved in the interior save at the invitation of the native people; they

ILLUSTRATION: SHOOTING THE RAPIDS BY FRANCES HOPKINS (1879)

were totally dependent on their canoes and their knowledge of the waterways and their paddlers.

The trade in pelts that kept the French, and after the conquest of New France the English colonies, alive was totally dependent on Indigenous peoples as well. This dependence lasted well into the era of the Northwest Company and the Hudson’s Bay Company when Mohawks who had settled near Montreal became the most reliable and tireless native power for the up to 44-foot-long birch canoes that carried the fur trade further and further west of the head of the lakes.These amazing freight canoes were laterally built by Natives in Trois Rivières.

Canada’s foremost historian, the late Donald Creighton in his ground breaking Empire of the St. Lawrence, saw Canadian history as the history of western expansion out of the St. Lawrence River valley, of an expanding east-west trade network in such staples as fur, timber, and then wheat.“Making that expansion possible and allowing a relatively small number of men located in Montreal to build a commercial and ultimately territorial empire, was the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes.” He might have added that this empire’s origins dated to Indigenous trading routes and means of transport right up to the opening of the CPR. So we owe much to the Anishnaabeg.

The powerful and crafty Odawas used alliances to ensure peace and cooperation among the many diverse tribes in the vast Ontario and upper lakes region. Would that those in the town misnamed after them could seek alliances with the hundreds of nations that today make up our founding peoples. There are signs that they are trying n 61 OTTAWALIFE FALL 2016

education by Jérémie LeBlanc

Not Just Another Library in Ottawa:

Discover an Evolving Cultural Institution he Jean-Léon Allie Library at Saint T Paul University in Ottawa is often overlooked by passers-by. Tucked in

the back of Guigues Hall at 223 Main Street, the library has six floors of books, journals, videos and microfilms.

It boasts the largest theological collection in the country, with over half a million items. Although steeped in rich history, the library is continuously evolving to meet the needs and expectations of today’s students and faculty.

Archives. Also from the Vatican Secret Archives, the library has reproductions of the Bull of Indiction of Vatican II, and of documents written by Saint Francis of Assisi. Also within the collection are interesting examples of environmental impacts, decay, and human and insect damage to books, such as bookworm tunnels through the pages of a book.

When it opened in 1937, the library owned only a handful of volumes.

Father Jean-Léon Allie, the first chief librarian, was tasked with building a complete library. This was no easy undertaking, but over the years, thanks to a few visits to Europe and donations from various religious communities, he built an impressive collection. Today, the collection boasts many treasures, including over 10,000 rare books, most of them printed before 1800; some are among the last remaining copies in the world, or the only copies in North America.

In our digital age, libraries everywhere are evolving and expanding their electronic resources. Here at Saint Paul University, students and professors can access the library’s resources not only at the library itself but from anywhere on campus, and indeed anywhere in the world. While this development has many benefits, it also presents some challenges. Our print collections are seeing a decline in usage, while our electronic holdings are seeing a steady increase due to their ease of access and 24/7 availability. Inevitably, library users must adapt to this trend. Not everyone wants to use electronic resources; some still prefer print. The library is helping users adapt to new ways of acquiring information.

The rare books collection includes 12 incunabula (books published between 1450 and 1500); the oldest dates back to 1472. It also contains a complete collection of the Roman Rota, published between 1639 and 1870, as well as recent reproductions of original texts, such as the documents relating to the Templar trials, which were produced in limited quantities in collaboration with the Vatican Secret

We are also seeing many changes in the physical design of libraries. Historically, libraries have been seen as safe places to explore and expand one’s knowledge, primarily by consulting print resources.

However, no longer are they just places to find books: they are also spaces for learning, creativity, exploration and freedom of expression. Today’s libraries are often equipped with laboratories, 3D printers and maker spaces; they

have become innovation hubs that foster creativity and allow people to develop new types of content. These are things we see coming to our library at Saint Paul University.

Libraries are also living entities. The traditional image of the library as a silent environment where one can be shushed for making noise is becoming a thing of the past. At the Jean-Léon Allie Library, we provide quiet areas for those seeking that environment, but there are also areas where students can have conversations and work together.

In the near future, I can see the library evolving even more. In particular, our library has the potential to be more involved with the community and to function as a cultural space used for small concerts, art exhibits, guest lectures, etc. Some may wonder why the library would have these, but others can see the library’s potential as a source of inspiration for activities that complement the library’s collections.

The library’s role and environment will continue to change over time. For Saint Paul, evolving the library also means that it will remain current and relevant, while maintaining its character and history, and its commitment to a high level of academic integrity and freedom n Jérémie LeBlanc is the chief librarian at Saint-Paul University.

You can be the face of change!

Saint Paul University (1848) is the founding college of the University of Ottawa, with which it has been federated since 1965. Bilingual and on a human scale, it offers programs in social communication, counselling and psychotherapy, canon law, public ethics, conflict studies, philosophy, human relations, and theology.

62 OTTAWALIFE FALL 2016

ustpaul.ca

Congratulatio

Peter Cro

yn

Personal Injury Litigation Lawyer of the Year

Janice Pay

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Labour and Employment Law Lawyer of the Year

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Allan O’Brie

Legal Malpractice Law Lawyer of the Year

Lawyers of the Year Congratulations to Peter Cronyn, Janice Payne and Allan O’Brien who have been named Ottawa Lawyer of the Year by their peers in Personal Injury Litigation, Labour and Employment Law and Legal Malpractice Law respectively, in the 2017 edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada.

Nelligan O’Brien Payne is a Top Listed law firm with The Best Lawyers in Canada. We provide legal services in both official languages and specialize in combining professional excellence with common sense.

You get straight talk and sound advice in a wide range of legal areas.

Visit us at www.nelligan.ca info@nelligan.ca 613-238-8080 63 OTTAWALIFE FALL 2016

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