The Wellington West Business Improvement Area (BIA) is all about heart health with a month-long celebration throughout February!
“At the beginning of every year, the Wellington West BIA celebrates what we call our Heart Season,” said Dennis Van Staalduinen of the Wellington West BIA. “From January until the end of March, we focus on the themes of heart-healthy exercise and healthy eating and promote all our businesses in that space.”
During the Heart Season, the BIA raises funds for the University of Ottawa Heart Institute and promotes local businesses that help keep your heart healthy. Wellington West is home to many health businesses, such as gyms, yoga studios, chiropractors, and healthy eating establishments. Heart Season also promotes more casual activities like skiing, bowling, or simply taking a winter walk.
“February is more specifically focused on fundraising for the Heart Institute,” Van Staalduinen said. “We recruit our members for participation in the Heart Institute ‘Paper Hearts’ campaign, and we set challenges to be the biggest fundraising area in Ottawa through our BIG HEART Challenge.”
The Big Heart Challenge is a fitness and winter activity challenge in partnership with Run Ottawa. Last year, participants walked or ran a
virtual two kilometres every day until the end of the month, raising over $8,000 for the Heart Institute. This year the federal government awarded a one-time grant to the BIA which has allowed them to expand the program.
“We’re going beyond running and walking, we’re allowing people to choose what they want to do on a given day,” said Van Staalduinen. “We’ll have a list of activities they can choose from, like a walk every day, a 4k ski on the Kichi Sibi trail, half an hour of yoga or workout, or a round of bowling at the bowling alley. As long as they
do one thing, they qualify for the challenge.”
Local businesses will also be adding special challenges specific to their stores that count toward the challenge. Participants can sign up for a single challenge, a seven-day challenge, or the full 14-day challenge to fundraise for the Ottawa Heart Institute and win prizes starting February 14.
To kick off Heart Month, the Wellington West BIA will be unveiling an art installation provided by the Heart Institute. In addition to this large display, will be eight interactive art installations created by artists Esrawe + Cadena. Collectively
titled “Mi Casa, Your Casa 2.0.” The fun and interactive installations will light up specific points down the two-kilometre stretch of Wellington West for everyone to enjoy.
On Valentine’s Day weekend, the BIA will host the BIG HEART Valentine’s Night Market at the Parkdale Market, which will feature a selection of local vendors. Finally, Feb. 25 is Special Activity Day, where extra special activity challenges will be set up all across Hintonburg and Wellington Village. Each of these activities will also count toward the Big Heart challenge.
Linda Whitfield is inspiring the next generation of kayakers. The local 78-year-old broke her record by paddling over 80 times last year. When she’s not on the water, Whitfield stays active with other physical activities. Page 21
Humans of Kitchissippi is a special street photography project designed to introduce readers to some of the people who live, work and play in Kitchissippi. Each instalment of HOK contains three elements: a photo, a name and a quote from the subject that reveals a little bit about who they are. Go to kitchissippi.com to view our ongoing collection of humans.
KITCHISSIPPI TIMES
Great River Media Inc PO Box 91585
Ottawa ON K1W 1K0
Kitchissippi, meaning “the Grand River,” is the former Algonquin name for the Ottawa River. The name now identifies the urban community to the west of downtown Ottawa.
EDITOR
Charlie Senack editor@kitchissippi.com twitter.com/kitchissippi twitter.com/charlie_senack
CONTRIBUTORS
Zenith Wolfe, Dave Allston, Ellen Bond, Sofia Foglia, Millie Farley, Bradley Turcotte, Christopher Smith
PROOFREADER
Roger Bird
ADVERTISING SALES
Eric Dupuis 613-696-9485 eric@kitchissippi.com
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Tanya Connolly-Holmes creative@greatriver.ca
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Celine Paquette celine@greatriver.ca
Deborah Ekuma deborah@obj.ca
FINANCE
I studied family medicine at the University of Ottawa, most of that at the Civic Hospital. I did a fellowship year and extra training in dermatology and plastic surgery. I then got involved in primary care, dermatology and some cosmetic work at the Concept Medical clinic in Ottawa in 2013.
I set up my Kitchissippi clinic in 2016. You really feel like you belong. When strolling down Wellington Street, you run into people that you know. You know the business owners and the neighbours, it just has a really lovely sense of welcoming. Everyone feels like they kind of know everybody else and it really creates that sense of community that I really appreciate, both from a personal and professional level.
My practice is mostly primary care and dermatology. We do see a fair bit of medical skin concerns and a lot of cosmetic concerns as well. I certainly do miss family medicine from time to time. But what I’m doing now, more specialized care, and also being able to enter the more private side of medicine is interesting.
I like to paint, I do a lot of abstract art. I think a lot of people don’t realize that I did most of the art in the office. A number of years ago, my daughter and I got a canvas and did some painting in the backyard. It actually turned out pretty neat. From there, I said ‘hey, why don’t we start doing some other fun art projects?’ It’s a great way to use that creative side of my brain as opposed to the scientific, analytical side that I use in medicine.
We’ve been residents of Kitchissippi for the last 10 years and have no plan on leaving. I live in the Civic Hospital area with my wife, who is a pediatrician at CHEO, and our two kids. We work, go to school and live within Kitchissippi ward. My kids take up a fair bit of my extracurricular time. So, I spend a lot of time with them. I belong to a CrossFit gym which is in Kitchissippi as well. I try to get there a couple times a week.
I love to travel. We’re going to Cancun next week with the family, so that will be a nice trip, getting out of the snowy Ottawa weather. In the past, we did volunteer work in Nepal, Europe, and Thailand.
Story collected by Millie Farley
Cheryl Schunk, 613-696-9490 cheryl@greatriver.ca
All other enquiries 613-696-9494 info@kitchissippi.com
Distribution
A minimum of 15,000 copies are distributed from the Ottawa River to Carling Avenue between the O-Train tracks and Sherbourne Road. Most residents in this area will receive the Kitchissippi Times directly to their door. If you did not receive your copy, or would like additional copies, please contact us. Bulk copies are delivered to multi-unit dwellings and retail locations. Copies are available at Dovercourt Recreation Centre and Hintonburg Community Centre.
info@kitchissippi.com
The Kitchissippi Times is published by
FOUNDER PUBLISHER
Mark Sutcliffe Michael Curran
Happy February, Kitchissippi! We’re almost half way through winter already. We have been blessed with warmer temperatures which make going outside bearable! I spoke with Dave Adams who runs the Kichi Sibi winter trail who told me conditions have been perfect so far this season.
The start of a new year brings out those well-intentioned resolutions. A survey by Time2Play reported that Canadians make an average of 1.7 resolutions each year and about 60 per cent of them find them beneficial.
Like many I made the personal resolution to eat healthier this year and improve my physical activity. I’m happy to report I’ve made it to the gym once, an activity that lasted about five minutes. Hopefully your goals are going better than mine!
Appropriately, this issue of KT focuses on health and wellness. Zenith Wolfe spoke with Dylan Harries, manager at Dovercourt Recreation Centre, who had tips on how to stay motivated and avoid the winter blues. KT also caught up with Sarah Zahab, co-founder of Westboro’s Continuum Fitness to hear about the importance of physical fitness for body and mind.
Sophia Foglia talked with Linda Whitfield, a Kitchissippi resident who paddled over 80 times last year, a personal best for the 78-year-old. Whitfield shared her ideas about what keeps her motivated.
In local news I had the chance to speak with parents at Devonshire Public School who are concerned about construction noise from a nearby Claridge building site. They say recess for the students had to be canceled and has sent some home with headaches.
I also sat down with Ottawa Centre MP Yasir Naqvi and the Mechanicsville Community Association to hear about an idea to move controversial “embassy row” plans to Tunney’s Pasture. This comes after current proposals were rejected by city council but appealed by the National Capital Commission.
Bradley Turcotte had the opportunity to sit down with John Hatoum, founder of Johns Diner on Wellington St. W, who had a day named after him on his 85th birthday.
KT also checked out Urban Art Collective, which is becoming Kitchissippi’s home for urban street artists. Co-founder Lindsay Machinski has plans for the site that include workshops and a night market in the parking lot.
In "Early Days," Dave Allston pieces together the history of Ottawa’s coal and lumber industries, which were based in Westboro.
And in this month’s “Giving” section, we touch base with John Lonergan who runs Under One Roof, a team of people with developmental disabilities which has been making pins and brooches with the copper from the original Parliament building roof. Finally, we welcome Millie Farley, a Grade 9 student getting her volunteer hours with KT. The aspiring journalist sat down with Dr. Sam Hetz for this month’s “Humans of Kitchissippi.”
Charlie SenackUPCOMING REGISTRATIONS:
• Spring 1 swim lessons registration begins Jan. 31.
• Summer Camps and swim lessons registration begins Feb. 2.
SUMMER CAMP & SWIM LESSONS
Registration begins on Groundhog Day, Thursday. Feb. 2, 8am. This year’s lineup is incredible, including Cake Decorating, Magic, Fashion & Jewelry Design, Circus Juggling Arts, Flag Rugby, Parkour, Robotics, Youth Zone, and so much more! Swim lessons are available once/ week or 5 days.
FIT PASS
The best value and most fun! 30+/ week classes including group fit, spin, and aquafit classes, fitness centre and pool access. Starting at $45.50/ month.
MARCH BREAK CAMPS MARCH 13 – 17
We’ve got an exciting lineup of Theme, Specialty and Youth Zone camps, including Kinder Kanucks and Fandemonium, Tough Mudder, Chill Zone, Sports Stars, Pottery, Robotics, Cake & Bake and Stage Performers.
AFTER SCHOOL
Registration for 2023-2024 After School program will be available in the spring.
Enjoy the winter on our outdoor rink at Dovercourt (Westboro). Big thanks to our rink volunteers who work so hard. Walk, fat bike or ski on the Kichi Sibi Winter Trail. The grooming team has been working hard to make the trail awesome.
See details on our website.
That’s all that fits into print, but Kitchissippi.com carries on through the month with news and events.
Mechanicsville residents are urging the National Capital Commission (NCC) to build a proposed embassy precinct at Tunney's Pasture instead of on popular community green space.
In Dec. 2020, the NCC brought forward plans to build six embassies on Lazy Bay Commons, a 3.7-hectare parcel of land between Slidell Street and Forward Avenue.
The proposal was rejected by city council in a 22-2 vote in Feb. 2021. The NCC appealed that decision to the Ontario Land Tribunal, with a five-day hearing scheduled to begin on May 1. Their new plan would include the installment of a federal park near at most five embassies.
Yasir Naqvi, Ottawa Centre MP, said other nearby locations could be used for the proposed “embassy row” instead. He has asked the NCC to look at Tunney’s Pasture, a 49-hectare federal office campus 500 metres west of the current proposed location with huge parking lots.
“In many respects I’m playing the role of a matchmaker here,” Naqvi told Kitchissippi Times. “I’ve been working with the NCC and have also spoken to Canada Lands Company and Public Services Procurement Canada … I’m in the process of orchestrating a conversation between those three bodies to see what the logistics would be to formalize such an arrangement.”
Naqvi said NCC boss Tobi Nussbaum was open to the idea when they spoke late last year.
Tunney’s Pasture, owned by Public
PHOTOS BY CHARLIE SENACKService Procurement, is slated for future redevelopment. While planning is still in the early stages, the Government of Canada says they intend to build an “innovative, sustainable mixed-use urban community.” Canada Lands Company is in charge of revitalization efforts.
Roy Atkinson, a member of the Mechanicsville Community Association, said Tunney’s Pasture would be a suitable compromise. He said he doesn’t understand why the NCC is appealing Ottawa’s decision in the face of strong community opposition.
“It’s a real puzzle,” Atkinson said. “Nobody wants it. This space is really needed by the community. Twenty per cent of our residents are subsidized income. They can’t drive to a cottage anytime they want to go outside.”
Naqvi, joins Ottawa Centre’s member of provincial parliament Joel Harden, and Kitchissippi councillor Jeff Leiper, in frustration over the NCC plan. Protests have been held at the park and “trees not embassies” signs placed at its entrances.
The Ottawa Centre MP has also recommended looking at empty office buildings downtown as an alternative embassy site.
When the NCC appealed to the Ontario Lands Tribunal, the Mechanicsville Community Association asked to participate in the proceedings. The tribunal’s decision sided with the association, and allowed it to call expert witnesses. All this despite an NCC objection that it would mean “duplication and related inefficiencies.”
“It was appalling that the NCC made that argument,” Atkinson said. “It costs money to make the case. We had to raise more than $1,000, just for legal advice and putting things together for the planning committee.”
Ottawa has more than 130 embassies. Most are in or near downtown. Only Myanmar, Portugal, and Thailand have embassies on Island Park Drive, away from the core.
Atkinson said he hopes community opposition will be enough to save the mature trees, picnic tables, and pathways of their limited green space. When Kitchissippi Times visited the site during a January snowstorm, people were walking their dogs, snowshoeing, and building snowmen.
“It would be better for the diplomats, good for our working-class community, and better for the environment,” Atkinson said. “We want the NCC to give a fresh look at this.”
The Mechanicsville Community Association needs to raise $40,000 to cover legal expenses. So far, a GofundMe page has raised almost $15,000 through 41 donors.
Atkinson is hopeful that with community support they will win over the Ontario Lands Tribunal, bringing an end to their year-anda-half legal fight.
“We just want to save the green space,” he said.
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Anew gallery in Kitchissippi hopes to change the landscape of Ottawa’s art market.
Opened at 1088 Somerset St. West in December 2022, it's the first physical space dedicated to Urban Art Collective, a group of local street artists. They sell paintings infused with graffiti aesthetics alongside objects like reclaimed and redecorated vinyl records, skateboards, and rocking horses.
Lindsay Machinski co-founded the collective with her husband in August 2021, with a website as a hub for local artists to work together and connect
with the community. It also serves as a portfolio for potential employers to find and hire artists, she said.
“A lot of artists don’t have websites because that’s another cost they don’t have time to invest in,” Machinski said. People visiting the website get to see multiple artists – a way to make urban art more accessible, since it isn’t often seen in traditional galleries. Stickers, magnets, sweaters, and other products designed by collective members are for sale in a room behind the initial gallery.
“You don’t need to be able to afford original art to come in here. You can come look at the work and you can leave with a sticker, and that’s perfectly OK,” she said.
One of the gallery’s artists is Hintonburg resident Dan Martelock, known for his bird paintings and Parkdale Park’s Ukraine mural. He said selling with the Urban Art Collective has allowed him to reach a larger audience than before.
“It’s gotten my stuff out to different scenes that I wouldn’t have done normally,” Martelock said. “A lot of people now wear T-shirts with my art on it.”
Machinski said half the money from sales goes back into the business, and half to the artists.
Corinne Blouin is a mural painter known in the gallery as Coblou. She said this isn’t “an unheard-of split in terms of galleries,” but it’s helpful. She said the collective helps with printing and production, which makes art a more sustainable career for her.
“It really helps with the logistics,” Blouin said. “They take care of the sales and the stuff that is another job of its own,
so I get to make the art and do what I do best.”
A recurring theme in the gallery is “upcycling,” the re-use of objects that can’t be recycled otherwise.
One of Blouin’s upcycled art pieces is an old rocking horse covered in pink paint and sketches of flowers.
Blouin said creating upcycled art helped meet her goal of protecting the environment through her work. She said it’s common for urban artists to “work with what they have” because they can’t afford expensive materials.
“Some urban artists … draw on cardboard or found objects,” Blouin said. “It kind of goes with the idea of ‘anything can be made into art if you try hard enough’.”
Machinski has big plans for the gallery space. The interior will host community art workshops, and the gallery will curate events where artist groups “take over” the space.
She also hopes to cover the building’s
Left page: Urban Art collective collaborates with local artists to promote their work in the community. This page: Co-founder Lindsay Machinski is hoping to use their space on Somerset St. as a community hub. She plans to wrap the building in murals and host night markets in the parking lot.
PHOTOS BY ZENITH WOLFEexterior walls with murals, and host night markets in its parking lot. Machinski said these events encourage Ottawa people to support local artists.
“Working together and supporting people in your community is super important. By everybody doing that, we can make our community a better place,” she said.
The gallery’s first event Feb. 18 will showcase art from a zine, a small artistbased publication, called Klein, and will serve as the launch event for Klein’s new issue.
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If you’ve walked down Somerset near Wellington Street West lately, chances are you’ve heard the screech of construction site machinery.
It began in early December last year, a high-pitch sound from a Claridge Homes construction site where a 30-storey apartment tower is being built. It was an unwanted surprise for parents at Devonshire Public School, which is less than a block away.
“It began on a Tuesday morning and it was insanely loud with no notice to parents,” said Jane Harley, whose fouryear-old daughter is in kindergarten at the school. It happened whether they were dropping a child off or picking her up: “There was this bone-shattering, deafening noise next to our kids’ school. Many of us were really taken off guard. We had no clue what was going on.”
The noise, from the construction site at Somerset near Breezehill, could last longer than 10 minutes at a time, with decibel readings reaching between 95 and 120, Harley said. Ontario regulations require employers to ensure their workers are not
PHOTOS BY CHARLIE SENACK
exposed to levels higher than 85 decibels, which can cause permanent hearing damage, over an eight-hour day.
Parents were quick to contact Claridge to complain, but received no reply at the time. Kitchissippi Times also reached out to the construction company for comment but did not hear back ahead of publication. But Claridge had met Jan. 9 with the school’s parent council, principal, and school trustee about the noise. It was the first such meeting since construction began. The
meeting produced no long-term solutions, but did provide more mitigation measures.
With high decibel readings recorded, some recesses at Devonshire School have had to be canceled or cut short.
“Kids have said they can’t hear their teachers in the classroom. They are being moved to other classrooms to be heard, and some are calling home sick because they are getting a headache from the noise,” said Harley. "Their classrooms shake with the noise.”
Suzanne Nash, the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) trustee for Kitchissippi, agreed the noise has disrupted students’ learning. The board has purchased and distributed anti-noise headphones for all students and staff. When the noise is present, the school also moves recess to their south yard, further from the construction site than the north yard.
Nash said the headphones were a quick fix. “It’s not ideal but we are looking at all sorts of ways to mitigate the sound.”
Learn more about the importance of high-quality child care.
Ontario's early childhood educators shine a light on the path to a brighter future.
Harley said headphones accommodate the developers instead of finding a permanent solution.
Engy Sedki, co-chair of Devonshire’s parent council, said Claridge has promised to add more sound barriers around the school and come up with a traffic plan alongside vibration monitoring. The council has asked the developers for updates so it can plan around disruptions as construction continues.
“We are looking to develop a neighborly relationship. The school has been there for a long time and Claridge has just moved in. It’s going to be a multi-year relationship,” Sedki said. “I’m really looking forward to seeing Claridge honoring their role in our community and being better neighbors to all of us.”
Claridge’s tower is not their only construction project scheduled in the community. The Dollarama next door is slated for demolition soon to make way for another high-rise building.
Kitchissippi ward councillor Jeff Leiper is exploring whether the city should review sound bylaws, particularly for construction sites near school zones.
“I have agreed to explore with some of my colleagues whether there is an appetite to modify the noise bylaw to create new limits for sounds in the vicinity of schools,” he said. “But if I or someone brings forward a motion on construction noise, it will not be to immediately modify the bylaw; it will be to study it.”
Leiper said city officials have visited the construction site alongside the Ministry of Labour, which deemed it fine for the loud work to continue.
Trustee Nash said she intends to get help at the board level to support Leiper. She plans to work alongside other local school boards to strengthen her upcoming motion.
“I want to put forward a motion to ask the city to update its noise bylaws to count for things such as around schools and that there are bylaws so we don’t endanger kids and their safety,” she said. “Noise is the big issue but safety in terms of the trucks after the excavation starts is also a concern.”
Most of the approximately 300 children who attend Devonshire get there on foot. Nash said she once saw the crossing guard stop cars 42 times one morning to allow kids to cross.
The deafening noise is from piledriving, expected to last two to four months, Claridge told parents. It’s expected to be the loudest part of the project. Claridge promised the school it would shut down noisy operations from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. each day.
Harley wants the noise to stop fully during school hours and resume after hours and on weekends. She’s disappointed Claridge won’t do more when community opposition has been so strong. Ottawa Centre MPP Joel Harden has asked the provincial ministers of Education, Labour and Housing to get involved.
"To know they have that information and they are continuing, it’s unbelievable,” said Harley, who can hear the noise from her home blocks away. “I can’t believe they are allowing it to continue when very few measures have been instrumented to prevent the noise.”
Sedki said the lack of legal mechanisms in terms of bylaws or noise exemptions prevents them from pursuing further action.
“They are in their legal rights to be doing what they are doing, and they aren’t willing to give up doing that work during school hours,” she said. “That’s why this situation is so incredibly frustrating for parents… It just seems like one thing after another and it seems like kids and dispensable.”
The founder of a mainstay restaurant on Wellington Street was honoured with a day proclaimed in his honor to recognize nearly 50 years serving the community.
Newly-elected mayor Mark Sutcliffe proclaimed Jan. 5, 2023 “John Hatoum Day” in Ottawa, to recognize the man who opened John’s Family Diner in 1974. Sutcliffe, who is a Kitchissippi resident, said his family has dined at the popular eatery for almost 25 years.
Hatoum was recognized on his 85th birthday, nearly 50 years after he first opened the popular breakfast joint. Friends, family, and long time customers packed the diner’s booths and seats to celebrate a man who’s fed generations.
“(I was at) first shocked, then shy, and lastly, humbled, that an average neighbourhood guy could be recognized
this way,” John told the Kitchissippi Times in an email.
That “neighbourhood guy” first tuned on the griddle at Wellington Street and Granville Avenue in 1974. It has since moved to 1365 Wellington. The restaurant’s website says Hatoum opened it “with the goal of creating a comfortable environment where people could enjoy good home-cooked meals at reasonable prices.”
To make customers feel at home and give them what they want, John has been known to adjust menus and create a “pleasant” atmosphere for customers to spend their day.
It’s a legacy now in the hands of Hatoum’s sons Peter and Tony. While their father officially retired in 2011, he remains a fixture in the building and is known by many regular customers.
Tony Hatoum has been plating up orders at the diner for 31 years, and fondly remembers tagging along with his dad as a child.
He said the key to success is passion.
“It starts out with you having to enjoy what you are doing,” Tony said. “Being ethical is trying to provide a good product, good service, and a good price. It’s a wholesome feeling if you want to run a community-based place. I don’t
think it’s one thing specifically, I think you have to get a number of things right to have a neighbourhood business.”
Kitchissippi has grown and evolved since the first egg hit the grill at John’s Family Diner. Tony said he has watched the community “get better and better” over the years.
“There is always good and bad, but I think we are in a good period of growth and development,” Tony said. “I’m happy to be a part of it. As long as you evolve with the times I think it’s great.”
While the next generation says they have a long way to go to live up to their father’s legacy, their father said it all comes down to trying your hardest.
“When it comes to young people starting out, I always say remember to do a good job,” he said. “Be honest and have a steady commitment to your work. Nothing comes easy. It takes time to raise up your business.”
”Nothing comes easy. It takes time to raise up your business.”
– John Hatoum
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“Susan Chell and team recently managed the sale of our parents house while we moved them to a retirement residence. Every aspect of the sale, from initial consultation to final closing, was handled with extra care, sensitivity and grace. Susan’s advice and guidance, based on deep and thorough knowledge of the neighbourhood and real estate market, proved absolutely invaluable. We had absolute faith in her recommendations and approach. The extra care and support we received from her team allowed us to focus on the emotional and physical aspects of transitioning our parents to the retirement home, knowing the sale of the house was in excellent hands. I wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone interesting in selling or buying a house. You will not be disappointed!”
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"Susan Chell and team recently managed the sale of our parents house while we moved them to a retirement residence Every aspect of the sale, from initial consultation to final closing, was handled with extra care, sensitivity and grace Susan’s advice and guidance, based on deep and thorough knowledge of the neighbourhood and real estate market, proved absolutely invaluable We had absolute faith in her recommendations and approach The extra care and support we received from her team allowed us to focus on the emotional and physical aspects of transitioning our parents to the retirement home, knowing the sale of the house was in excellent hands I wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone interesting in selling or buying a house You will not be disappointed!"
"Susan Chell and team recently managed the sale of our parents house while we moved them to a retirement residence Every aspect of the sale, from initial consultation to final closing, was handled with extra care, sensitivity and grace Susan’s advice and guidance, based on deep and thorough knowledge of the neighbourhood and real estate market, proved absolutely invaluable We had absolute faith in her recommendations and approach The extra care and support we received from her team allowed us to focus on the emotional and physical aspects of transitioning our parents to the retirement home, knowing the sale of the house was in excellent hands I wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone interesting in selling or buying a house You will not be disappointed!"
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"Susan Chell and team recently managed the sale of our parents house while we moved them to a retirement residence Every aspect of the sale, from initial consultation to final closing, was handled with extra care, sensitivity and grace Susan’s advice and guidance, based on deep and thorough knowledge of the neighbourhood and real estate market, proved absolutely invaluable We had absolute faith in her recommendations and approach The extra care and support we received from her team allowed us to focus on the emotional and physical aspects of transitioning our parents to the retirement home, knowing the sale of the house was in excellent hands I wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone interesting in selling or buying a house You will not be disappointed!"
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An Ottawa organization is working to support people with disabilities while preserving a part of Canada’s history at the same time.
For almost three decades, Under One Roof has been making maple leaf brooches and pins from the Parliament Building’s former copper roof, which sat on top
of the center block from 1917 until its replacement in 1997.
Hoping to preserve an important part of Canada’s history, the federal government contacted Under One Roof to see if it could upcycle the greenish, weathered copper.
“They shipped us about a fivetonne box-truck full of copper,” said John Lonergan, who runs the facility’s woodworking program. “We had to sort it
all out, (because) there was a lot of it that was unusable that we had to scrap.”
Under One Roof received 50 per cent of the former roofing material with the other half going to an organization in Quebec. After receiving such a unique item, Under One Roof had to figure out what it could be used for. Experimenting led them to settle on pins and brooches – items easy to make, and attractive to tourists. They occasionally
make custom-made items for businesses needing gifts for employees.
“With regards to the copper, our men help me cut it all up and then I punch it out (of the copper sheets),” said Lonergan. “They then do all of the packaging, cleaning and the rest of it.”
The items derived from former Parliament roofing are sold at Ottawa shops and online. They can be purchased
through the Parliament Hill gift shop and at Kitchissippi’s Maker House, located at 987 Wellington St. W.
Maker House founder and owner Gareth Davis said the pins and brooches are among their best sellers with people from across Canada buying either for themselves or as gifts.
“It’s got a universal, countrywide appeal,” Davis said. “They are all unique because it’s a roof. It means a lot for us to partner with Under One Roof because each product we buy and sell not only has an amazing story but has a history behind the materials.”
Under One Roof is part of the Ottawa-Carleton Association for Persons with Developmental Disabilities (OCAPDD). Davis praised it for creating “a better community” through “employment for people with barriers.”
Lonergan, who has been part of the not-for-profit Under One Roof for 37 years, said it started with 15 individuals dealing with developmental disabilities. It now has four employees operating out of their current, smaller location on Rosenthal Avenue, where it has been for the past 11 years.
“The men that work here, it would be difficult for them to hold competitive employment. They make minimum wage. It’s not enough, but it’s an opportunity,” Longeran said. “I have a close relationship with them and their families.”
It’s hard for people with disabilities in Ontario to find such opportunities, he said. Provincial funding isn’t widely available and wait lists for support are sometimes decades long.
“The average age for my group of people is probably around 47. Of the four employees, three live with their parents and one lives alone. It doesn’t take much to do the math and realize their parents are seniors,” Longeran said. “It provides
the family with respite and it provides our workers with something meaningful and worthwhile.”
Longeran said they have sold 150,000 pins and brooches since acquiring the copper roof in the mid 1990s. They have only used half of the material, meaning they can churn out pins for decades to come.
The material is from the original roof of the Parliament buildings that was rebuilt following the 1916 fire which destroyed the entire centre block except the library.
Copper roofs have a lifespan of over 200 years, but Parliament’s roof had to be replaced sooner because it was thinner –copper was needed for shell casings during the First World War.
The green copper items can be ordered from Maker House at 987 Wellington St. West. Pins begin at $7.95 and broaches at $14.95. These products are for sale online at either underoneroof.ocapdd. on.ca or MakerHouse.com.
Founded in 1956, the OttawaCarleton Association for Persons with Developmental Disabilities has changed its activities in the Carlington neighborhood from a day program to efforts to help people with developmental disabilities find jobs. The association also runs Hearty Tails, a sister enterprise which produces gourmet pet treats made from local, fresh ingredients.
Opposite page:John Lonergan, who runs Under one Roof, said their program gives opportunities to people with developmental disabilities. The pins and brooches are made from the former copper roof of the Parliament Buildings which was in use from 1917 until 1997.
This page: In the past, Under one Roof has created customized pins and other items for local companies.
PHOTOS BY CHARLIE SENACK.
The Sir John A. Macdonald (SJAM) parkway will soon bear an Indigenous name after years of community push and debate.
The National Capital Commission (NCC) said during a Jan. 19 board meeting that the name will be chosen and voted on by June. It will be announced during a Truth and Reconciliation Day ceremony at the site on Sept. 30.
It’s the third name in over a decade for the popular four-lane thoroughfare.
Formerly called the Ottawa River Parkway, it was renamed after Canada’s first prime minister in 2012 during the Harper government, as an effort to
“reflect” more of Canada’s history. Public outcry started soon after, and increased in recent years after the horrors of Canada’s former Indian residential school system came to light. It is estimated that more than 4,000 Indigenous children
in these schools died or went missing. Macdonald has been considered the main architect behind the system.
During the second annual Truth and Reconciliation Day on Sept. 30, 2021, hundreds wore orange shirts and marched
the parkway demanding its name be changed.
Albert Dumont, the English-language poet laureate for Ottawa, and others, wanted it renamed the Kichi Sibi Parkway, after the Anishinaabe word for “great river.” In 2021, the winter trail that parallels the parkway adopted that name after consultation with the community.
Norm Odjick, an NCC board member from Algonquin Anishinabe Nation Tribal Council, said the name change is an important step toward reconciliation.
“(It’s) a very important area for the Algonquin people. The Ottawa River, and the other waterways nearby, that was our highways — one of the main ways we’d get together to gather and trade,” he said.
• Guaranteed fit – measured and specifically made for each individual window, door, or room divider, including specialty shapes like arches
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Sign up for our second annual BIG HEART CHALLENGE to raise funds for Ottawa Heart Institute!
Enter as an individual or a team, then pick one of these heart-healthy activities every day:
• 2 km walk or run on Wellington West!
• 4 km ski, bike, snowshoe on KichiSibi Trail!
• 30 min yoga, skate, or dance workout!
Or join one of the many Special Merchant Challenge Activities we’ll be announcing online – for registrants only!
WELLINGTON WEST IS LIGHTING UP IN RED IN SUPPORT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA HEART INSITUTE’S HEART MONTH!
Across Hintonburg and Wellington Village during February, you find Mi Casa, Your Casa installations, inspired by the mercados of Latin America, lively street markets where human connections are made every day.
SWING LOCATIONS
FEBRUARY 25, 11 AM - 2 PM
Fun games and activities all along Wellington St. West as part of the Big Heart Challenge!
Dance parties, obstacle course, workout challenges, and more!
Watch for the BIG HEART Valentines Night Market
2K Start/Finish
February is Heart Month is an opportunity for individuals, groups, and businesses to take the lead in raising funds and awareness for the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. It’s giving that goes straight to the heart of care in your community. The University of Ottawa Heart Institute was built on the steadfast support of an exceptional donor community. Join them on their next exciting journey as their heart teams tackle the most serious heart diseases.
Your support will have a lasting impact on people in our community — changing and saving lives.
Throughout the month of February, select Wellington West merchants will be selling paper hearts in support of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute foundation for $2, $5 or $10!
One hundred percent of funds raised by the Paper Heart campaign will go directly to the University of Ottawa Heart Institute Foundation.
For more information and to sign-up for the BIG HEART CHALLENGE WELLINGTONWEST.CA/HEART2023
A Kitchissippi resident made waves after kayaking over 80 times last year.
It was a personal best for Linda Whitfield, 78, who discovered her love of kayaking in the early 2000s. She has since explored many local kayak-friendly waters, including sections of the Rideau Canal.
Linda was raised in an active family, with parents who enjoyed gliding, sailing and figure skating. She said their athletic mindset was also passed on to her own children.
Though she grew up with canoes, Linda said she prefers kayaks since they open the water to more individual excursions.
Linda said she also likes to paddle with others, adding that she revels in the chance to bring new friends to her favourite locations.
“I’m confident that I can paddle in almost anything and that I can be independent,” she said, recommending others give it a try. “It’s certainly something I love to do and I would go out of my way to figure out how to get out and do it.” The challenge fuels her passion.
Linda’s friends are inspired by this “elder’s” dedication to physical activity. The avid paddler and kayaker said the challenge is what fuels her passion.
“It’s certainly a work out”, Linda said. “I like to challenge myself to make the distance.”
Her daughter, Kate Whitfield, described her mother’s life as “energetic, independent, and adventurous.” She said it’s inspiring to watch her take part in activities that make her “incredibly happy” and that motivate others.
“My mom has made friends of all ages and abilities who meet up to paddle together. They support each other on the water as well as come up with ideas for new places to explore,” Kate said over email. “I have always been proud of my mom and her kayaking adventures.”
One of Linda’s favourite destinations is Lac la Pêche in Gatineau Park. She said the misty mornings and reflections in the deep blue water make this excursion even more enjoyable. Only an hour drive from Kitchissippi, the federal park located in the Outaouais region of Quebec is an oasis for those looking to take part in a variety of physical activities.
Closer to home, Linda paddles Britannia Beach, but said she tends to avoid Westboro Beach because of its closeness to the Ottawa River rapids that can be dangerous.
When she’s not out on the water, Linda’s life is rounded out by other athletic activities. She was introduced to pickleball in Kingston almost 30 years ago. She also hikes weekly with friends to “crunch up leaves” in the fall and enjoy the beauty of the national capital regions trails.
“We have some favourite trails in the Ottawa area that we frequently go to,” she said. “The Kichi Sibi Winter Trai along the river is great. We’ve got all these biking lanes. You can bike (or walk) all the way from one end of the city to the other.”
Kayaker Whitfield encourages those looking to try out any new sport to get healthy or stay healthy, to meet like-minded people, or get in touch with the natural world.
She points out that Ottawa offers nearby athletic opportunities and a community that promotes athleticism. “Ottawa is just a fabulous spot for doing all of the things that certainly I love to do.
“Find something you enjoy doing and go for it.”
I like to challenge myself to make the distance.
Even prior to the pandemic, Canadians resisted moving to long-term care. With priority given to providing basic, safe care, residences can feel like institutions. Yet there are facilities and initiatives that bring life and joy to residents. What makes the difference?
At Radical Connections, we promote community and meaningful interactions by bringing artists and cultural activities to people who are isolated because of their healthcare needs.
We gave Bruyere long-term care residents the chance to choose an artist that resonated with them. They then had a personalised virtual performance. We witnessed transformations, brilliant conversations, and a creative reawakening.
We are expanding this opportunity with Healing
So much more than your average fitness centre, the Soloway Jewish Community Centre is home to a saltwater pool, a full-size gymnasium with basketball nets and pickleball, plus over 40 group fitness classes per week. And…the best part, its all included in your membership. Fully stocked with the latest and greatest cardio equipment, the
SJCC Fitness Centre has everything you need for a stellar workout and there are plenty of certified personal trainers on hand for those looking for a personalized exercise program.
Members who are motivated by the energy of a group love our Group Fitness classes. The roster includes Powerpump, Zumba, Yoga, Bootcamp, Ballet Barre Fit, Aquafit and more. All classes are drop in, except for SpinFit which requires advanced registration.
For the younger crowd, the SJCC offers Bootcamp and Advanced Aquatics, for those interested in becoming lifeguards. At the end of the school day, our gymnasium is the place to be for After School Sports programs and pick up basketball. There is so much for your family to do at the SJCC. Get started now!
21 Nadolny Sachs Private (one block south of Carling off Broadview) (613)798-9818. JCCOttawa.com
416 Richmond Rd urospot.com
613-786-7865 ottawa@urospot.com
Interactive Performances! Get HIP with a professional musician, poet, actor or storyteller. Enjoy a virtual performance from the comfort of your home or residence.
You can choose from a wide selection of musical genres, literature, and languages. Sit back and listen to dramatic readings, French folk-tales, classical or popular songs. Engage in conversation with the artist or share your own stories, songs or writing. Radical Connections’ artists all have experience working with and performing for people in the community.
The SJCC is the place for your entire family
Dovercourt has long been a community hub for innovative, high-quality programs, and its fitness offerings are no exception. The core of their fitness department is the Dovercourt Fit Pass, which delivers excellent value and flexibility. For the fitness enthusiast looking for daytime classes, there is an extensive menu of over 30 classes each week that include favourites —like Step, cardio mix, strength
mix, HIIT, Zumba and barbell challenge— as well as cutting-edge classes like TRX, Barre Fit, spinning and aquafitness. It also includes access to the fitness centre/ weight room and recreational swims. And there’s no need to wait until the beginning of a season: the Fit Pass can be purchased at any time and paused for vacations. In addition, unlike some fitness clubs, there are no hidden extras like contracts, initiation fees or variable pricing.
Dovercourt has a team of experienced, creative instructors, many of whom have taught at the Centre for decades. Dylan, Gigi, Jill, Charles, Trish, Stacey, Lorayne, Geoff, Karla, Marina, Teri, JM…the list goes on of enthusiastic instructors who bring their all to every class.
Some fitness participants, absent during the pandemic, may wonder where the Gold Club program has gone. In fact, it has been incorporated into the Fit Pass. After reopening, the decision was made to simplify and combine many of the classes from the two programs into one. For years, clients said they didn’t want to attend classes based solely on their age but on their interests and fitness level. The Fit Pass schedule reflects that sentiment. Most of the Gold Club classes are included in the Fit Pass schedule, but were retitled to clarify what the participant will experience.
People attending in-person classes are thrilled to
be back with their friends and favourite instructors, enjoying the things that they were missing: great music, feedback from instructors, a wide range of fitness equipment like Bosu, weights, Steps, TRX straps and more, and the energy generated in a room full of people. Post-class, the Cafe in the upstairs lobby is available for coffee, lunch and socializing.
Online classes, brought in during the pandemic, are an excellent option for people who prefer the convenience of working out at home, are on holiday, or have unpredictable schedules.
Dovercourt’s easy-to-use online system allows people to book classes seven days in advance on a computer, tablet or phone. Initially, the system enabled Dovercourt to limit class sizes according to the COVID guidelines, but it has many other benefits. For example, clients can see everything they’ve booked from their account and even print out a schedule to pin on the fridge. And booking into a class feels like a commitment —and increases the likelihood of attending!
With unlimited visits, the Fit Pass is a great value. It can be purchased online, in person or by phone, and priced at $42.50/month for ongoing and $54.25 for onemonth paid-in-full.
www.dovercourt.org
Sarah Zahab is getting Westboro residents moving again.
She’s an expert in human movement – a kinesiologist – and the co-founder of Continuum Fitness. Zahab opened the gym in 2011 with her husband to provide one-on-one physical therapy sessions to people with joint pain and difficulty moving.
The Kitchissippi Times sat down with Zahab to talk about why exercise is important and how to stay fit in the new year.
KT: Tell us about your fitness journey and how it led you to found Continuum Fitness.
SZ: I was always an active child, and it transitioned to being active in my university years. I danced competitively when I was young, and after I stopped dancing, I was looking for other opportunities to become active. I came across fitness competitions and decided to compete.
But mostly, I really enjoyed my studies in human kinetics and kinesiology. I started working, during university, in a gym setting. A number of years into [the job], it felt like a seamless transition to open up Continuum Fitness with my husband, who was a strength and conditioning coach.
KT: Why is exercise so important?
SZ: The Canadian guidelines recommend that we should be obtaining 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week – plus two strength sessions – for overall health. What’s really important to understand is that these recommendations are for optimal health, not aesthetic purposes. It’s to improve our cardiovascular health, our muscular systems, our lymphatic systems.
KT: It’s the time of year where people are struggling with the winter blues, cold and windy weather, and the return to work. How can people stay fit given all these factors?
SZ: Starting small and remaining consistent is really important. For many people, walking is very accessible. You might not be able to walk as far or as long because it’s cold, but you can still go for a walk. We’re very fortunate in the Westboro community to have Kichi Sibi trail to walk and ski.
KT: People are also starting to act on their New Years
resolutions. What advice do you have for someone who has set a fitness resolution for themselves?
SZ: If you are going to set a resolution, I would suggest that it is SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. Ensure that you’re doing an activity you could see yourself doing for the rest of your life. Start out slow.
You can read the full Q&A on Kitchissippi.com.
It’s been over forty years since the first Natural Food Pantry opened their original location at Westgate Shopping Center.. Since then, they have expanded to six locations across the city including their new Westboro location at 1960 Scott at McRae. Their other stores include a new ground floor Billings Bridge Centre location, their newly acquired Britannia store (formerly Rainbow Foods), their Kanata store at 5537 Hazeldean Road, their expanded locations at 4325 Strandherd in Barrhaven and the newest location at 1777 10th Line Road.
As always, the stores are filled with a wide variety of quality products with knowledgeable staff to help guide you. The Westboro location beside Farmboy has convenient parking right at the door.
Be sure to sign up for their monthly emails like their HealthE-News providing recipes, articles, special offers and information on Educational Initiatives, webinars and courses and their monthly flyer specials.
And don’t forget to check out their fully stocked online store at NaturalFoodPantry.ca
If New Years resolutions about fitness are hard to maintain, heed the advice of Dylan Harries, manager of Dovercourt Recreation Centre.
Goals to improve fitness make up almost 40 per cent of all New Years resolutions, according to a 2022 Forbes Health study. But nearly a third of them are abandoned within three months. Another quarter of them last less than a year.
Ottawa’s cold winds and icy sidewalks underfoot during a morning jog don’t help, but Harries said there are ways to keep in shape.
Finding the blend between indoor and outdoor activities is key, as is adapting your exercise routine to the
weather, he said. If your motivation fades, a network of friends, family and personal trainers eager to exercise is a first step to success.
“Both of my parents are aging, and they got a new set of Nordic walking poles for Christmas. They’re out walking, experiencing the outdoor weather,” Harries said.
Realistic and achievable goals are another step to maintaining that New Years resolution. Once the body gets moving, Harries said, other aspects of health fall into place, including weight management.
Harries said self-care is a three-part process, beginning with evaluating the wellness of your body and figuring out how to care for it. This translates into exercising to your body’s needs. Then self-care becomes part of your daily routine. To stay consistent and engaged, Harries recommended scheduling activities using a calendar with digital reminders.
“I don’t think anybody truly likes to workout,” he said. “We all know it’s good for us, so if we all think of it as those three stages within our health and wellness journey, it makes it maybe a little bit more fun.”
Harries first joined Dovercourt as a fitness instructor and head lifeguard around 30 years ago, while he was still studying human kinetics in university. He is now Dovercourt’s manager of fitness, health and wellness, and although he has worked at many gyms, he said Dovercourt’s sense of community makes it special. Dovercourt receives a spike in membership around this time of year, but Harries said its most consistent members are local families.
“Everyone is truly welcome here,” Harries said. “The kids could be taking swimming lessons while grandpa is in the weight room and mum is taking Zumba. It gives me that family feel every time I walk through the door.”
One of the recreation centre’s programs is the fitness schedule, a collection of activities catered to the specific needs of its members. Their second program, the fit pass membership, provides around 40 group fitness classes every week including access to the gym and pool. A coffee shop and cafe are open to all members looking for a bite and a chat with local friends.
Dovercourt also offers many fitness opportunities to older adults: strength and conditioning classes, active aging classes, and “light” activities available as lowerintensity alternatives.
“When people are in different ages and stages in life, they have to test themselves. It could be more of a mental fitness, more of a physical fitness, or just wellness. Our older adults are part of the family, and they have their coffee hours after class. (Dovercourt) gives them that full package of taking care of their bodies, minds, and spirits all at the same time,” Harries said.
Ahealthy pelvic floor is vital to comfortable daily living, yet it’s one of the most ignored parts of the body. Composed of eight muscles that hold up everything in the torso, the pelvic floor acts as a trampoline that absorbs pressure for organs like the bladder and uterus. These muscles weaken over time, and without the help of Kegels, an exercise designed to strengthen them, almost half of women develop incontinence at some point in their lives, and many men develop urge issues, night waking or erectile dysfunction. This can lead to a loss of confidence and withdrawal from intimacy and activity, which may impact physical and mental health.
At UROSPOT, nothing is more important than pelvic health. Their team of passionate medical professionals offer a wide array of services –physiotherapy sessions, educational programs, and technological innovations – all to fix your pelvic floor and prevent urinary leaks, bladder urgency, and sexual dysfunction.
UROSPOT was founded in 2018 by Erin Craven, a mother of four who spent over two decades working in the healthcare industry. When bladder issues started impacting her freedom and confidence, pelvic floor treatments changed her life, inspiring her to open UROSPOT’s first branch in London, Ontario. After only half a decade, Craven has been able to share her positive experiences with people across North America. Over half a dozen UROSPOT locations have been opened in Ontario, Alberta, and Michigan.
Craven’s innovative approach to pelvic health starts with the Kegel Throne, an FDA and Health Canada approved device that helps to strengthen lower core muscles. It uses electromagnetic pulses to contract muscles in the lower core with minimal effort from the user. The best part: the procedure is non-invasive, meaning there’s no awkward undressing and nothing is inserted into your body. All you have to do is sit on the throne and let the device deliver 11,000 Kegels in under 30 minutes.
Aside from the relief of urinary urgency and incontinence, the technology can have the added side effect of more pleasure during sex. For women, it increases lubrication and the strength of orgasms; for men – including prostate cancer survivors – it increases arousal and restores sexual function.
UROSPOT’s treatments are also good for the environment. A recent increase in medical incontinence has caused adult diapers and pads, which can take over 500 years to decompose in
landfills, to begin outselling baby diapers. By strengthening the muscles of the pelvic floor, the use of these incontinence products can be greatly reduced and even eliminated, preventing massive amounts of waste.
Since pelvic health deals with a sensitive part of the body, it can be difficult to feel okay talking about it. According to Kris Ouimet, franchise owner of UROSPOT’s Ottawa branch, their professionals are compassionate and willing to talk about incontinence and sex, no matter the taboo nature of the topics.
“These are things that people don’t discuss,” Ouimet said. “They’re not ‘normal,’ but they’re common, so we don’t shy away from any conversation.”
Much like Craven, Ouimet spent over 20 years working in healthcare, until the benefits
she experienced firsthand from using the Kegel Throne convinced her to move on from her job as a pharmaceutical sales director. She is now happy to be able to contribute directly to women’s health through UROSPOT.
“I really wanted to do something that was changing lives every day,” she said. “I tried the technology myself and thought every woman deserves access to this… I believe so strongly in this technology and this brand.”
Located at 416 Richmond in Westboro, UROSPOT’s Ottawa branch has been very busy since the initial launch. Many of Ouimet’s clients had previously started traditional physiotherapy, but stopped because they felt uncomfortable with the more invasive parts of the treatment. UROSPOT offers a modern approach to physiotherapy. Clients can meet with Pelvic Floor physiotherapists who will design an individualised program that includes the noninvasive Kegel Throne. The great news is that you can still leverage benefits for part of the treatment.
If you or someone you know could benefit from saying goodbye to bladder leaks and pads, call UROSPOT for a free consultation. The freedom and renewed sense of confidence you’ll achieve are more than worth it.
Twenty years have passed since ground was broken for the Metropole building. At the time it was Ottawa's tallest residential building and the most iconic in Westboro. It ultimately became the harbinger of Scott Street’s future.
But long before the Metropole the site was home to Independent Coal and Lumber. This significant player in Ottawa’s industrial history became part of Westboro’s story because of the Yukon Gold Rush.
It began during the First World War, when access to coal became a west end issue. Westboro had ballooned in size over 15 years, but infrastructure lagged.
When the war put further strain on coal, supply prices skyrocketed. Delivery costs made things especially difficult for “suburban” Westboro. Not to mention M.N Cummings, the community’s lone coal dealer who was accused of “holding up soldiers’ wives for their last dollar.” More likely, his supply sources had dwindled.
In October 1919, the Independent Coal Company, located at Bank and Queen, was sold to Michael Ambrose Mahoney, also known as “Klondike Mike.”
Mahoney was known across North America for his gold rush rags-to-riches story. The Buckingham teen worked at lumber camps in Gatineau and Madawaska in the 1890s before heading off to Yukon in 1897 with a railway ticket, a suitcase and three dollars.
After failing to get a stake in Skagway, Dawson City, Dominion Creek, Nome and Fairbanks, he was close to giving up. But then he struck a claim that yielded
$175,000 in gold, the largest shipment ever handled by an individual miner.
Mahoney returned to Ottawa in 1912 and partnered with George A. Rich two years later. They had staked Klondike claims side by side, and together they started Mahoney and Rich, Ltd., a team of excavators and building contractors which also handled trucking with their large fleet.
Continues on page 28
”Mahoney’s business was an instant success”
Continues from page 27
Mahoney soon saw an opportunity in Westboro with its booming population and a desperate need for coal and lumber. He purchased Independent Coal and became its president and general manager, envisioning a massive expansion into the west end.
In April 1920, Mahoney announced that he had purchased 40 acres of unused land for $20,000 from the Heney family. With his newly acquired land north of Scott Street in Westboro, he wrote up plans for a $140,000 plant. It included a sawmill, so Mahoney’s coal company could run a retail lumber business as well. He brought in his brother Corbett to oversee the lumber side of the operation.
Starting in the fall of 1920, Independent could handle more than 10,000 tons of coal per year for a Westboro and Ottawa West market that needed 15,000 tonnes annually. He also negotiated with the Canadian Pacific Railway for a siding off their line to enable shipping, and with Nepean Township to build Clifton Road to connect to Richmond Road. It was one of the first paved streets in Westboro.
Mahoney’s business was an instant success, and worked alongside smaller Westboro firms to provide building materials
for the booming village.
In 1935, the firm became known as the Independent Coal and Lumber Company. By that time, the company had contracts to supply up to 50,000 tons of coal for federal government buildings in Ottawa.
The Independent Coal and Lumber Company was emblematic of the importance of industry in the early days of Kitchissippi. Most of its workers lived in the area, and many houses in surrounding neighbourhoods were not only built with materials from Independent, but then kept warm by its coal.
In 1947, Klondike Mike stepped down, his brother Corbett became president, and Corbett’s sons Joseph, Thomas and Clifford joined the firm. Corbett resigned two years later, leaving his sons in full control.
By 1952, Independent was a powerhouse in Ottawa business. It bought out Mahoney and Rich, and could provide a complete home building and maintenance service. The company motto became “We Dig Them, We Build Them, We Heat Them.”
The company had a Westboro factory, two sawmills, three lumber yards, a dedicated showroom, 50 trucks, and more than 200 employees on an annual payroll of over $350,000. They had approximately two
million feet of lumber, owned their own timber rights in Quebec, and had the largest fuel storage and operations in the area.
By 1952, with housing building up around Westboro Beach and north of Island Park Drive, Independent got involved in local development. It parcelled off the north portion of their property and helped form Riverside Terrace Ltd., a $1.2M project that built 23 apartment complexes around Lanark Avenue.
In 1964, the subdivision owners shared plans to replace the apartment blocks with Island Park Towers, a $20 million condo project. Demolition of the first 10 buildings began in the fall of 1966 and the new twin towers were ready for occupancy the following year.
By the late 1960s, natural gas and heating oil had superseded coal for home heating. The Independent coal plant was in decline, and the property value too high to ignore. In
March 1968, Mahoney Holdings Ltd. sold the Westboro property to the Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada for $250,000. The buildings were demolished throughout the fall of 1970, leaving behind a grass field that would remain unused for 30 years.
The site finally came alive in August 2000, when Minto acquired a large block of land for $4.2 million and announced plans for a new 32-storey condo and townhouses.
Minto wanted one tall, slim building, rather than a wide structure which would block out river views. Neighbours for the most part agreed, which helped speed approval. Ground breaking occurred in January of 2003, and the first occupants moved in June 2004.
The Mahoney legacy remains. In 1987, a new City park at Lanark and Latchford was given the name “Mahoney Park” in recognition of the family’s economic role and community volunteer work.
Did you know that 61% of people living with dementia are still living in their community and shopping at local businesses?
Get tips for optimizing your store experience, communicating and welcoming them in your business. Take our Dementia Inclusive Training. Learn more, access free training. DementiaHelp.ca
Do people living with dementia feel welcome where you work?
We are genuinely tickled to kick off 2023 supporting our community with two returning sponsorships. Continuing to support the Kìchi Sìbi Winter Trail has been a priority both throughout sponsorship and sharing their information with the community. Everyone should be proud of the amazing outdoor resource built by the community, and work of the dedicated volunteers who keep it running.
In addition to sponsoring Coldest Night of Year, the BIA staff will walk in the event, February 25th in support of
Cornerstone Housing for Women. The Coldest Night of Year is a fun, family friendly fundraising walk to raise funds for local charities serving people experiencing homelessness. All net proceeds from the Westboro walk will directly help Cornerstone Housing for Women. They help Ottawa women recover from the crisis of homelessness, and help them find the next chapter in their lives. Consider registering yourself or supporting others from Westboro who are walking in support of this worthy cause at CNOY.org. The beginning of 2023 has also been an opportunity for new endeavours. New businesses are opening throughout the area and at our recent AGM, the businesses elected a new board of management for the next four years. Thank you to these business leaders for giving their time to help us continue to build community in Westboro Village. Throughout this year we will continue to support our businesses, bring colour with flowers, plan wickedly fun events, brighten the Village with holiday lights, and share the stories of our remarkable businesses.
Proud Sponsor of
in support of Cornerstone Housing for Women
Amandine Patisserie received extensive damage on Jan. 10 after a break-in occurred. SUPPLIED PHOTOS.
Anew pastry shop in Hintonburg has been vandalized just weeks after opening.
Amandine Patisserie, located at 1175 Wellington St. W, received extensive damage on Jan. 10, after a person broke in and went on a rampage tearing apart the French bakery.
“He didn’t steal anything. He broke the bathroom (toilet) and threw an object through a window,” said Amandine Pajor, owner of Amandine Patisserie. “It’s a very weird situation. Fortunately the displays and ovens weren’t broken.”
Pajor said besides a $50 Bluetooth speaker, nothing was stolen. But tables and chairs were wrecked and an iPad was smashed. The broken toilet caused water damage to the pastry shop and to Stella's Beauty Salon next door.
Amandine Patisserie is a French pastry shop that bakes homemade and artisanal quality products. They specialize in croissants, brioche, tarts and choux.
While the break-in couldn’t have occurred at a busier time for the new business, Pajor said the community has been supportive.
“We have had so many people come in I just couldn’t imagine it,” she said. “It has been overwhelming and great.”
Feb 16th | 1-4PM | Love at First Tour Open House
Starting at 2 PM Nick Veltmeyer will be doing a classical performance titled The Beauty of Bach: A Musical Celebration of the Composers Genius. We hope to see you there!
Pajor said several thousand dollars of damage was done and repairs will take weeks. Ottawa Police are investigating and at the time of publication, no arrests have been made.
Amandine Patisserie is open Thursday to Monday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Feb 23rd | 1-4PM | National Banana Bread Day
Did you know? There are more than 400 varieties of bananas and a banana is a berry and not a fruit. Come and enjoy our Chef’s famous banana bread and tea!
RSVP to either of these events with Belle at: Direct: 613-816-8710 or business: 613-716-6885 | Email: bellep@wellingtonwestretirement.com
Hear from a few of our residents!
Colleen is native to India and completed her education in England. She returned to her homeland to meet the love of her life, a professor in a school Colleen attended. Eventually a new chapter opened in Colleen’s life with her move to Wellington West Retirement Community seven months ago. Now she particularly enjoys the exercise class and has already exhausted the excellent in-house library. “The thing that I enjoy best is that we are respected here at WW. Seniors are not warehoused, we are listened to.”
- Colleen Henderson, resident.Valentina’s artistic energy was felt when she gently entered the room. A twinkle in her clear blue eyes and wearing an original self-designed knitted sweater. Despite the challenges of relocating to a new country her musical talent allowed her to become financially independent. Valentina received a standing ovation following her performance in New Brunswick and won the East Coast Festival Award. Wellington West, there are no loud voices, only loud laughter! I love the high ceilings, even in my room - we don’t suffocate here! Staff members are extremely friendly!” - Valentina Kotko, resident.
Vince was born prior to WWII in England. At 17, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force and spent three years achieving the rank of officer as a licensed pilot. When he was asked to stay on for an additional 5 years, Vince made a life changing decision and never looked back. He applied for a position at Bell Canada. They credited his Air Force electronics training. His career with Bell took Vince overseas and allowed him to live and travel around the world with his wife and son. As a new resident, Vince is very impressed with WW. “I find the people very friendly. The food here is out of this world! It’s really good! My room is well laid out. This is the best retirement residence!” He is a skillful painter and plans to join the art class. - Vince Hessen, resident.
”Several thousand dollars of damage was done.”
SUBMITTED BY JEFF LEIPER, KITCHISSIPPI WARD COUNCILLOR
Happy New Year, Kitchissippi! I hope you were all able to enjoy a safe and cheerful holiday season. I’m feeling refreshed after some vacation time and am excited to be back in the office.
I wasn’t able to get news about this into my previous column, but the Ottawa Light Rail Transit Commission released its public inquiry report on Nov. 30. You can read the full report and my thoughts about it on our ward’s website kitchissippiward.ca.
I am profoundly disappointed with Justice William Hourigan’s assessment of Rideau Transit Group’s dealings with the City, and what he had to say about the effort to exclude Council from its oversight function. I am consulting with colleagues about constructive steps we can take moving forward to resolve ongoing issues with the LRT. Residents deserve a safe, reliable train, and I am hopeful that we can build it.
In more hopeful news, I am pleased to report that my staff and I worked with the City over the holidays on the potential acquisition of a property at 22 Ladouceur for parkland, and it looks like that deal
concluded in our favour. The lot will connect Armstrong Park to Ladouceur and add much-needed greenspace to the area. Once we’ve acquired the land, we’ll start consultations on how we can set-up and plan for this newly acquired space; stay tuned.
In terms of the 2023 municipal budget, I’ve met with the mayor to discuss my priorities and am working with councillors Ariel Troster (Somerset Ward 14) and Shawn Menard (Capital Ward 17) to host a virtual public consultation on the draft budget. It’s scheduled for Feb. 15 at 7 p.m. Contact my office for more details and the link to join. I’m looking forward to hearing everyone’s perspectives on the proposed budget and the things you’d like the City to prioritize for 2023 and beyond. For more money details opportunities to provide feedback, visit the Engage Ottawa website for the 2023 budget at engage.ottawa/ca/citybudget-2023.
As always, my office is ready to help residents in any way we can. If you have questions, comments, or concerns about something going on in the city or the ward, contact us at jeff.leiper@ottawa.ca or 613-580-2485.
”Residents deserve a safe, reliable train, and I am hopeful that we can build it.”
Last week we sent a message to Premier Doug Ford: our health care is not for sale.
More than 100 people turned out downtown on Jan. 19 to demand better for health care staff, better for patients, and better for our cherished public health care system. We heard powerful testimonials making this case from people who came with less than 48 hours notice.
We also did an outside tour of two private clinics operating in Centretown that give “fast lane” health care to those who can pay thousands in private fees.
ExecHealth and La Vie Executive Health promise access to crucial medical services in days, while public system lineups can take months or longer given funding cuts.
This will only get worse if we allow public funds to subsidize the Ford government’s privatization plans.
Earlier this week, Premier Ford announced permanent changes to use private, for-profit clinics to clear Ontario’s surgical backlog. Yesterday he said critics of this move “…are the ones that created hallway health care for many years.”
That’s a curious view divorced from reality, but I’ve come to expect that from this premier. He likes to blame others, avoid responsibility, and reward friends seeking to profit from services usually performed by the public sector.
The Herzig Eye Institute is a case in point. Herzig executives are major Tory donors, and stand to benefit handsomely from the 5,000 cataract surgeries in Ottawa they will absorb per year from
the current surgical backlog if the Ford government’s plan goes ahead.
But as Elizabeth Payne reported in the Ottawa Citizen earlier this week, most cataract patients in Ottawa are able to access corrective surgery within six months through our public system. But wait times for complex care cataract patients can be different.
How long will cataract patients wait for Dr. Kashif Baig’s services at Herzig? And how much will OHIP be billed for surgical procedures done there? These are important questions that, as I write these words, have no answers.
We also risk losing staff from an overburdened and underfunded public
health care system to private care. Upselling and price gouging in private health care is common. These trends are great for private health care executives, but terrible for everyone else.
So let’s build a movement to save public health care. Join me and MPP Chandra Pasma for a health care leaders roundtable at noon on Feb. 3, 2023. Go to www.joelhardenmpp.ca for details. We’ll host Ottawa’s health care leaders, and you can tune in online. It’s time to get organized, and make good
Our office is here for
Ontario’s education workers showed us how to do that in 2022; inspired by their example, we can save public health care in
We have settled into the new year, and my team and I have been pleased to meet with residents and hear about the issues that resonate with our community. The House of Commons is back in session, and I look forward to continuing to represent Ottawa Centre residents on Parliament Hill.
I would like to recognize the tireless work of our community’s not for profit organizations. As many of us took a break during the holidays, these organizations worked day in and day out to support our most vulnerable. My team and I were pleased to help out
at Parkdale Food Centre through their Fill up the Freezers program to make a homemade meal for residents in need. I applaud Parkdale Food Centre and many other local organizations in our community who do this kind of thing every day of the year.
The Commons is off to a great start this year with reduced child care fees. Now that Ontario has signed on to Canada’s Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, Ottawa Centre residents are seeing a 50 per cent reduction in their child care expenses. I’ve heard from many families about how much
of a difference this has made. Parents should not have to choose between working and raising a family. On Dec. 8, last year the federal government introduced Bill C-35 to further reinforce and protect Canada’s Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. If passed, the bill would enshrine the principles of a Canada-wide early learning and child care system into federal law.
On another front, Kitchissippi cares about our environment and climate change. Over the next decade, Canada’s ban on harmful single-use plastics will
result in an estimated elimination of over 1.3 million tonnes of hard-torecycle plastic waste and more than 22,000 tonnes of plastic pollution – equivalent to more than a million garbage bags full of litter. This means cleaner parks and hiking trails for everyone. I have been a strong advocate for climate action in our community and I am pleased to share this important news with residents.
As always, don’t hesitate to contact my community office if you have questions on these federal initiatives, or if you are in need of assistance. My team and I are here to help at 1066 Somerset Street West, suite 404, Ottawa, ON K1Y 4T3. Or phone 613-946-8682.
Stay safe and healthy, Kitchissippi!
FEB. 8: FREE MEDITATION CLASSES:
Mary Lou Mongeau is offering a free meditation class on alternate Wednesdays at the Emerald Plaza library. Feb. 8, 22 ; 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. Emerald Plaza library - 613-2254675 .
FEB. 10: A CRESCENDO OF ENCHANTING
MUSIC:
Kiwanis Ottawa West is thrilled to be hosting A Crescendo of Enchanting Music on Friday Feb. 10, 2023 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Parkdale United Church (429 Parkdale Avenue, Ottawa). This will be an evening of classical performances from Concert Docs –an established musical/medical duo – tenor, Dr. Fraser Rubens, cardiac surgeon and pianist Dr. Carol Wiebe, family doctor and six Kiwanis Music Festival 2022 award winners showcasing the trumpet, guzheng, harp and flute.
FEB. 10: LIVE BAND - WESTBORO LEGION
Doug and Pam Champagne entertain from 7:00 to 11:00 p.m. in the in Upstairs Bar & Lounge, 391 Richmond Rd. General admission: $5. Legion and Ladies Auxiliary members: $2.
FEB. 18: MARDI GRAS NIGHT - WESTBORO LEGION:
Enjoy New Orleans jazz with the Capital City Stompers (Kyle Jordan, Peter Turner, Scott Poll and Keith Hartshorn-Walton) from 7-10 p.m. in the Upstairs Bar & Lounge, 391 Richmond Rd. Admission: $20 (students $10).
FEB. 18: “FRENCH DELICACIES” WITH THE PARKDALE CHURCH COMMUNITY ORCHESTRA: After a sold out show last November, the Parkdale United Church Community Orchestra is back for another show. “French Delicacies” takes place on Feb. 18, at 7:30 p.m. 429 Parkdale Ave,K1Y 1H3. Tickets can be purchased on their website.
FEB. 20: THIRTEEN STRINGS PERFORMANCE: Thirteen Strings returns with its first concert of the year on February 21st – The Invisible Singer. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. at Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre - 355 Cooper St, Ottawa, ON K2P 0G8.
FEB. 24: LIVE BAND – WESTBORO LEGION: The Collection entertains from 7-11 p.m. in the in Upstairs Bar & Lounge, 391 Richmond Rd. General admission: $5. Legion and Ladies Auxiliary members: $2.
FEB. 24-25: ELMDALE BOOKFEST 2023: Elmdale’s iconic annual second-hand book sale is an opportunity to find a great read while supporting local causes. With more than 25,000 titles there’s something for everyone at very low prices. Raffles and bake sale too. Time: Fri. Feb. 24, 9:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. and Sat. Feb. 25, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Free admission. Book prices from $0.50 to $3. Cash only. For more information email: Elmdalebookfest@gmail. com
WEDNESDAYS - WEEKLY BINGO
Westboro Legion Downstairs Hall, 389 Richmond Rd. Door opens at 4:00 p.m., kitchen at 5:00 p.m. and games begin at 6:30 p.m. For more information: 613-725-2778.
THURSDAYS - WEEKLY DARTS
Regulars and new players are invited to join the Westboro Legion’s Dart League. The Downstairs Hall Door and bar open at 6:30 p.m. and play begins at 7:30 p.m. The cost: $6.
Welcome back to the Biz Roundup! Here’s the latest in local business news:
Coming soon
Zak's Diner is making its home in Westboro. The well-known local eatery is taking over the The Savoy Brasserie space at 334 Richmond Rd. Founded in 2013, this will be Zak’s fifth location in the Ottawa region. They are hoping to open by mid February.
The Westboro BIA has also informed KT that Meal Prep Ottawa will soon be opening at 436 Richmond Rd.
Now open
Tru Tea, a redefined bubble tea shop, has opened for delivery at 181 Richmond Rd. “We create new and interesting products for our cool customers,” their website reads. “Each drink contains genuine thought and quality, demonstrating what truly delicious bubble tea tastes and smells like.” Their drinks can be purchased through DoorDash or Fantuan Delivery.
In Wellington West, Meltwich Food Co. Has arrived. The Canadian chain specializes in grilled cheese, burgers, poutine, phillies, shakes, and more. They can be found at 1264 Wellington St. W.
And down the street, Amandine Patisserie has opened at 1175 Wellington St. W. “Our core business? French pastry. Have you ever heard of Paris-Brest, Gâteau Nantais or SaintHonoré? At Amandine Pâtisserie, we thrive in making you discover these delicious desserts,” their website said.
Got
We’d love to hear about it. Send your info to editor@kitchissippi.com For the full list of events please go to kitchissippi.com.
COVID-19 note: This page has been updated to reflect the developments in Ottawa during the pandemic.Meltwich Food Co. has opened up shop in the heart of Wellington West. PHOTO BY CHARLIE SENACK
SHAKE OFF THE FEBRUARY BLAHS WITH THE MERCHANTS OF HINTONBURG & WELLINGTON VILLAGE!
RAISE FUNDS FOR OTTAWA HEART INSTITUTE!
JOIN OUR ANNUAL 14-DAY FITNESS CHALLENGE!
FIND FUN WINTER EVENTS AND SURPRISES!
SEE OUR SPECIAL PULL-OUT SPREAD INSIDE THIS ISSUE FOR MORE DETAILS!
