News
OTTAWA THIS WEEK - EAST - May 12, 2011
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Fundraiser aims to make memorial garden a reality MICHELLE NASH michelle.nash@metroland.com
It started with an empty lot on North River Road. Residents lobbied city hall for a new sign, declaring the patch of grass a park. Once the sign went up, a picnic table and a garbage can soon followed. Now those same hardworking Overbrook residents are hoping to raise enough money to tranform the little park-that-could into a memorial garden for veterans.
Riverside Memorial Park is located at the corner of Queen Mary Street and North River Road. A garage sale will be held on Saturday, May 14 to help raise the money for the memorial garden for Veterans. Joanne Lockyer, vice president of the Overbrook Community Council has been working hard at making this park a reality since they noticed the patchy grass a few years ago. Now she is determined to see it to the end. “In the beginning we weren’t even sure if it was a park, now there is a picnic
table and a garbage can and a sign. Our goal is to make it a place that seniors can come, sit and enjoy,” Lockyer said. Overbrook Community Council applied for a $15,000 grant from the City of Ottawa through the minor capital grant, where the city will provide funding to a maximum of 50 per cent of the total eligible project cost. The community has to raise the rest, $7,500 to receive the grant. Lockyer wants to make the park a memorial garden as a thank you for all the seniors and veterans in the area. The fundraising effort has been significant in making the end goal a possibility. “It has been a lot of work, but when we get there it will be worth it,” Lockyer said. Overbrook Community Council president Sheila Perry said the park has been a great success of community engagement thanks to all of Lockyer’s hard work. The park fundraisers are also working towards getting a play structure in place. On Saturday, May 14, the residents of
Overbrook will be holding a garage sale and barbecue in hope of raising the remainder of the funds to get the final touches of the memorial park in place. “It is going to be a great event, there will be food, lots of space for people to set up in the park plus the entire neighbourhood can participate by having a garage sale at home as well,” Lockyer added. She hopes the money will be donated to purchase the benches and monument – the final pieces for the memorial garden. “We are always looking for more ways to fundraise and we thought this was a great way to get the whole community involved. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and individuals can rent a space at the park to sell their stuff for $15; however, sellers must bring their own table. Donations to the sale at the park will also be accepted at the park by 9 a.m. or donations can be placed at the end of driveways by 8 a.m. with a donation sheet attached. To register or for more information contact Joanne Lockyer at riversidememorialpark@overbrook.ca
Photo by Michelle Nash
A park taken back by the residents will soon offer a Veterans Memorial seating and garden. The park, located on North River Road in Overbrook was reestablished in May 2010 with a new sign marking the grounds. Residents have been fundraising to secure the rest of the parks needs.
Shooting on Laval Street OTTAWA THIS WEEK STAFF Ottawa Police Service found an adult male shot in the leg when responding to a shooting on Laval Street on Saturday, May 7. The man was in stable condition. Police set up a crime scene around the area of where the shooting was reported. There have been no arrests at this time and the Guns and Gangs unit are investigating. VANIER GAS STATION FIRE A minivan at a gas station on Montreal Road became engulfed in flames after a fuel tanker hit a fuel pump, tearing the pump off. Ottawa Fire Services responded to a call from an attendant at the Ultramar 454287
gas station at 395 Montreal Rd. at 7:22 a.m. on Tuesday, May 10 after the fuel tanker hit the pump, which immediately caught fire. The driver of the tanker quickly got his truck to a safe distance away from the fire by driving off onto Montreal Road. A minivan that had been fueling up at the pump the tanker hit caught fire along with the pump. Both were engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived. The fire was put out in 10 minutes and the driver of the van was not injured. Ottawa Fire Services is crediting the little damage to the store and service station to the attendant’s quick thinking by hitting the emergency cut off switch, which cuts off the flow of fuel to all the pumps at the station. They are also crediting the truck driver’s quick thinking of removing his fuel tanker from the fire.