Community Voice - April 8, 2021 1 Your STITTSVILLE CommunityVoice & RICHMOND April 8, 2021 [email protected] 613-45-VOICE www.ottawavoice.ca [email protected] Vol. 4 No. 2 Figure skating foursome Four decades of training for World Games BY JOHN CURRY events. Xu will be competing in Level 4 la- dies singles and Fan will be in Level 5 men’s watershed work Four figure skaters training under veter- singles. Both will also skate in a solo dance an Goulbourn Skating Club coach Cathy event or in the dance pairs event. This is still Skinner have started down the long road to be determined. See story on Page 6 to the 2022 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Kazan, Russia. PLEASE SEE SKATERS, PAGE 12 Skinner, who has been coaching for 40 years, was recognized in 2018 with the life- time achievement honour for sports volun- teer at the Ottawa Sports Awards. She will be pulling double duty at the international competition as one of the Team Canada coaches. The quartet under her tutelage include Katie Xu, Jack Fan, Michael Raytchev and Sarah Ryan. All but Ryan train with their local club out of the Cardel Recreation Complex. Ryan, who lives just outside Kingston, has been travelling to Stittsville several times a week to train under Skinner. All four earned their selection to the Special Olympics Team Canada 2022 training squad due to their medal-winning performances at the nationals in March 2020. Xu won two gold medals and one bronze. Fan captured John Curry photo a gold, silver and bronze. Raytchev took top Submitted Phil Sweetnam, who has served for 40 years as a representative for the area on the Mississippi spot and Ryan won two gold. Coach Cathy Skinner (left) and skater Jack Valley Conservation Authority’s board of directors, stands in the heart of Stittsville on a rock At the 2022 Special Olympics World Winter Fan are both preparing for the 2022 Special outcropping adjacent to a fast-flowing Poole Creek fed by the spring runoff. Games, Xu and Fan will be competing in two Olympics World Winter Games in Russia. Learning is our focus. Confidence is our outcome. We are a small private school helping children thrive since 2003. March Academy Grades 1 - 8 www.marchacademy.ca 2 April 8, 2021 - Community Voice News Stittsville family at a loss for words over community support BY PATRICK UGUCCIONI this time of need I think it other neighbours’ dwellings. AND JOHN CURRY would go a long way,” neigh- “We were told to evacuate bour Shepperd said. and prepare for the worse,” The family that was forced As of press time, more than she said. to flee a blaze in their 300 people had donated Ottawa Fire Services fire- Abbottsville Crossing home more than $38,000 towards fighters from Station 46 late on the night of March 26 the campaign’s $50,000 on Iber Road rushed to the is reaching out to the com- goal in less than a week. The scene after multiple 9-1-1 munity to thank the hun- money raised will help with calls about a house on fire dreds of people that have expenses such as accom- were received just after 11 come to their rescue. modation, clothing and p.m. on Friday, March 26. Yahya Hasanian and his food. The family lost not Upon arrival, firefighters wife Shorooq escaped only its home but also all found the two-storey single un-harmed with their of its belongings in the fire. detached home heavily en- five children. The funds will tide them gulfed in flames. The fire is believed to over until insurance claims The fire was declared under have started in the garage. are settled. control a little before 1 a.m. The cause has not been “We are grateful to have on Saturday, March 27. determined. such amazing neighbours,” Scott Stilborn @OFSFirePhotos photo Nordmann Fir Court runs In a statement Yahya had said an appreciative Yahya. Ottawa Fire Service firefighters battle a fire engulfing a two-storey detached home on off Cranesbill Road north of special thanks for his neigh- “We will rebuild and be Nordmann Fir Court in Stittsville around midnight on Friday, March 26/Saturday, March 27. Abbott Street in the Fernbank bour Dennis Shepperd who back into our home to live lands of Stittsville. The Kevin started a GoFundMe cam- amongst you!” Corporation, friends, kids’ “We are at a loss for words.” us all some relief,” said Haime golf driving range on paign to help the Hasanian’s He said the outpouring of classmates, teachers and The family was also for- Rouba Fattal, an immediate Hazeldean Road is north of with out-of-pocket expenses support from his neighbours many more “has been truly tunate its cat survived the neighbour who has taken in Nordmann Fir Court. in the aftermath of the fire. on Nordmann Fir Court, outstanding.” ordeal and is doing well. the cat until the Hasanian The GoFundMe campaign “This (Hasanian) family residents from the broader “I cannot even begin to de- Willow is enjoying herself at family gets settled. can be found at gofundme. goes above and beyond for community, his Muslim scribe how wonderful that a neighbour’s home for the She heaped praise on the com/f/hasanain-family- others and if we can all return congregation, present and made us feel and continues time being. firefighters, crediting them house-fire-fund. the favour and help them in past colleagues at Corel to make us feel,” Yahya said. “Finding her alive brought for saving her home and [email protected] COVID-19 CARLETON RESOURCE PAGE: NEWS FROM QUEEN’S PARK GOLDIEMPP.CA/COVID-19 VACCINE UPDATE death and hospitalization, including in younger for the week of April 12. In order to support As of April 3, more than 2.4 million vaccines populations. working families, childcare will remain open Th e health and well-being of the have been administered in Ontario. Phase Th e province wide emergency brake would during the shutdown. residents of Carleton, Ottawa & one of the vaccination process now includes put in place time-limited public health and PROVINCE DOUBLES SUPPORT FOR Ontario is my top priority. Please visit seniors 70 and over, who are now able to workplace safety measures to help to stop the PARENTS WITH NEW ONTARIO my website for the latest information book appointments to receive the vaccine. rapid transmission of COVID-19 variants in COVID-19 CHILD BENEFIT Pharmacies across Ottawa are now off ering communities, protect hospital capacity and save Th e Ontario government is providing & updates from the Government the AstraZeneca vaccines to individuals 55 and lives. Measures include, but are not limited to: parents with $980 million in direct support as of Ontario, as well as information over. Ontario continues to expand capacity and • Prohibiting indoor organized public events part of the Ontario COVID-19 Child Benefi t. regarding upcoming virtual town hall increase eff orts for phase two of the vaccine and social gatherings and limiting the Under this new round of funding, payments meetings & public consultations. rollout. Ontario’s plan for distribution and capacity for outdoor organized public events will be doubled to $400 per child and $500 for a administration of the vaccine can be found or social gatherings to a 5-person maximum, child with special needs to help off set additional Recent updates include: at Ontario.ca/CovidVaccine. To book an except for gatherings with members of the learning costs. Th is is double the $200 and $250 appointment please visit https://covid-19. same household; received in the last round. • Ontario now includes pharmacies ontario.ca/book-vaccine/ or call 1-888-999- • Restricting in-person shopping in all retail Th e government is automatically providing and primary care locations for 6488. settings, including a 50 per cent capacity limit this round of payments to parents who received ONTARIO IMPLEMENTS A for supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience Support for Learners payments, and they can Covid-19 vaccinations; PROVINCEWIDE EMERGENCY BRAKE stores, indoor farmers’ markets, other stores expect money to begin fl owing on April 26, • Ontario expands domestic vaccine Th e Ontario government, in consultation that primarily sell food and pharmacies, and 2021. Parents who did not apply for or receive with the Chief Medical Offi cer of Health 25 per cent for all other retail including big the Support for Learners program can apply for manufacturing capacity and and other health experts, has imposed box stores, along with other public health and the new funding starting May 3 with a deadline improves pandemic preparedness; a provincewide emergency brake as a result workplace safety measures; of May 17. of an alarming surge in case numbers and • Prohibiting personal care services; OFFICE NOTICE: 30-6179 Perth St, • Ontario strengthens the protection COVID-19 hospitalizations across the • Prohibiting indoor and outdoor dining. In an eff ort to contain the COVID-19 virus, of water resources; province. Th e province wide emergency brake Restaurants, bars and other food or drink our Constituency Offi ce went virtual on March Richmond, ON is eff ective as of Saturday, April 3, 2021, at 12:01 establishments will be permitted to operate 16, 2020. Our location will remain closed until • Ontario appoints new patient a.m. and the government intends to keep this in by take-out, drive-through, and delivery only; further notice. We are still open & working K0A 2ZO place for at least four weeks. With more than $1.6 billion invested to during regular offi ce hours to answer your ombudsman; and Ontario’s key indicators and latest modelling protect against COVID-19, schools remain calls & emails.