14047 snowhawks ad EB 3wx2h v6 8/15/05 10:58 AM Page 1 EARLYBIRD SPECIAL Fun, fitness and friends … Ski and Snowboard with Snowhawks! • Kids and Teens (6-18) by age and ability: Christmas, Saturday, Sunday or Spring Break The • Adults: Wednesday Getaways and Destination Trips 19th • Instruction, variety of hills, coach travel Year (613) 730-0701 • www.snowhawks.com O•S•C•A•R© The Community Voice of Old Ottawa South Year 31 , No. 7 The Ottawa South Community Association Review September 2005 Local Scouts and Venturers cross the Artic Circle By Frank Taylor Preparation for the expedition be- Expedition Leader gan four years ago, as the group tack- led progressively tougher wilderness n July 30th, 1 Scouts, trips to gain the experience and skills Venturers, and leaders from the required for the Baffi n Island adven- O17th Southminster Scout Group ture. Previous Scout trips include in Old Ottawa South returned home from three climbs above 4,000 feet in the what many of them have called the trip Adirondacks; four winter camping of a lifetime—a two-week expedition to trips during which the Scouts and Baffi n Island in Canada’s Arctic. their leaders slept in snow shelters; The 14 boys, ranging in age from 1 and many two- and three-day hikes to 15, traveled as two teams and were, in Frontenac and Algonquin Parks. according to park staff, the youngest The group also backpacked in the North of Thor Peak: (left to right) Elizabeth Gottman, Philip Nidd, Tom Taylor, Julian Murray, group ever to hike across the Arctic Madawaska Highlands, and took ca- Alex Boyd, James Murray, Brendan Santyr, Mason Beveridge, Giles Santyr, Sebastian Davids, Circle through the remote and rugged noe trips of increasing duration in Al- Duncan Macdonald, Stuart Wilson, Matthew Boyd, Jonathan Miller, Nathan Denys, Nicko Duch- gonquin and LaVerendrye Parks, cul- esne, Graeme Nidd, Jordon Howard, Frank Taylor, Greg Boyd. Missing: Team Two Leader Cam- Akshayuk Pass in Auyuittuq National eron Macdonald. Park. The expedition was a re-creation minating last summer in an eight-day of a similar hike 13 years ago by the trip in the wilderness north of Tema- one leader were St. John Ambulance and followed the Weasel River up and 17th Southminster Venturer Company, gami. (In 003, several boys from the Standard First Aid certifi ed and the six down steep rocky inclines, across mud- whose members were 16 and 17 years troop also won the Voyageur Region’s remaining leaders completed Advanced fl ats and along welcome sandy beaches. old. One of Canada’s most northerly annual winter-camping skills competi- Wilderness First Aid certifi cation prior Mosquitoes, which were colossal in parks, Auyuittuq, receives an average tion for their age category.) to the trip. size and number, were a constant pres- of only 50 to 350 visitors per year. The group was well prepared for the The journey was a physically ardu- ence – except when high winds carried The expedition captured the imagi- risks inherent in such an adventure. ous one. The boys, depending on their them away – and were a part of virtually nation of many Old Ottawa South resi- Risks included polar bear encounters size, carried packs weighing from 15 to every meal and hot drink. dents and businesses, appearing as the and July snowstorms (neither of which 5 kilograms, for over 75 kilometers, Auyuittuq’s stunning vistas, however, subject of an Ottawa Citizen article and occurred), high winds, sandstorms, on terrain that varied from compacted more than offset the hardships. Soaring editorial, of CBC’s local and national rockfalls, and swiftwater river cross- paths to gravel to rock and boulders, mountain peaks on both sides included television news, and of the CBC Radio ings (all of which were encountered). and through boot-sucking mud, bog and Continued on Page 22 in both Ottawa and Iqaluit. Most of the Scouts and Venturers and sand. The trail was marked by inukshuks munity informed of this event, only two weeks earlier. There was a scram- Brewer Park Playground ble to put together a poster and get possibly granite, cap, in which do- will be done in early October. the word out. While posters were up nors names would be inscribed. The A US based charity that constructs around the community 1 days before wall would be set back from Seneca, playgrounds called KaBOOM!, who the event, perhaps because of the late with an opening for the existing path- the Rotary Club brought in to build notice, or the somewhat inconvenient way to the playground. This opening the fi rst play structure, had what they time on a week day, there was little would be framed with a light, trellis- call a Design Day on Wednesday July community participation in the De- like arch, on which the playground 7 at 4:00. The model KaBOOM uses sign Day. name would be placed “Rotary Cen- is intended to be community driven, There were perhaps half a dozen tennial Playground” in both English based on volunteer labor and private local Old Ottawa South kids, with a and French. Also, at the request of sector partnerships. The session was smaller number of parents who did the community, the sand play area has lead by Meg Keaney, a KaBOOM! participate. Unfortunately the par- also been further increased by leaving Project Manager. Unfortunately, the the tot play area all sand, and improv- date was fi nalized, and the local com- Continued on Page 3 ing the size and location of the two other sand play areas. Meg Keaney, the KaBOOM! Project Man- As I indicated in the June issue of ager with kids describing their dream play WHAT’S INSIDE structure the OSCAR, the park project will be- gin with the intermediate play area Letters to the Editor ....3 Abbotsford Senior By Brendan McCoy directly into the park from the en- Centre ........................ 12 trance at Ossington and Seneca. The Library Activities..........4 There have been several develop- newer of the two play structures will Windsor Chronicles ... 13 ments in the proposed Rotary ac- be maintained, but the older wooden OSCA President’s cessible playground at Brewer Park. one will be removed and recycled Report .........................5 Book Review.............. 17 First on the design front: the Com- by the city. It will be replaced by a munity Association had rejected the wheelchair accessible play structure. City Councellor’s Amicales .................... 20 original donor wall for a number of The “spring riders” presently there reasons; the architect listened to our will be maintained and a “U-bounce” Report .........................7 Sports .................. 20, 25 concerns and came back with a much apparatus will be installed. All of the less controversial design. The pro- sand will be replaced with the mixture Garden Club ...............9 Classy Ads ................. 32 posed entrance feature will consist of of rubberized panels and mulch. The a low stone sitting wall with a stone, present plan is that all of this work Church News ............12 Page The OSCAR - OUR 31st YEAR SEPTEMBER 005 The OSCAR CONTRIBUTIONS The OTTAWA SOUTH COMMUNITY Contributions should be in electronic format sent either by e-mail to ASSOCIATION REVIEW [email protected] in either plain text or WORD format, or as a printed copy delivered to the Firehall office, 260 Sunnyside Avenue. 60 Sunnyside Ave, Ottawa Ontario, K1S 0R7 www.OldOttawaSouth.ca/oscar SUBSCRIPTIONS PLEASE NOTE: THE OSCAR HAS NO FAX Moving away from Old Ottawa South? Know someone who would like THE OSCAR PHONELINE: 730-1045 E-mail: [email protected] to receive The OSCAR? We will send The OSCAR for one year for just $40 to Canadian addresses (including foreign service) and $80 outside of Canada. Drop us a letter with your name, address, postal code and Editor: Mary Anne Thompson 730-1045 country. Please include a check made out to The OSCAR. Distribution Manager: Craig 730-5838 Business Manager: Colleen Thomson Advertising Manager: Gayle Weitzman 730-1058 SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS (not classy ads) The OSCAR is sponsored entirely from advertising. Our advertisers are often not aware that you are from Old Ottawa South when you patron- NEXT DEADLINE: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 ize them. Make the effort to let them know that you saw their ad in The OSCAR. They will be glad to know and The OSCAR will benefit from The OSCAR is a community association paper paid for entirely by ad- their support. If you know of someone providing a service in the com- vertising. It is published for the Ottawa South Community Association munity, tell them about The OSCAR. Our rates are reasonable. Inc. (OSCA). Distribution is free to all Old Ottawa South homes and businesses and selected locations in Old Ottawa South, the Glebe and Billings Bridge. Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not FUTURE OSCAR DEADLINES necessarily of The OSCAR or OSCA. The editor retains the right to edit Friday, September16 (October issue), Friday, October14 (November and include articles submitted for publication. issue), Friday, November18 (December issue), Friday, December 16 (January issue), Friday, January 0 (February issue), Friday, February FOR DISTRIBUTION INQUIRIES, CALL 730-5838 AND LEAVE A MES- 17 (March issue), Friday, March 17 (April issue), Friday, April 14 (May SAGE issue), and Friday, May 19 (June issue). No issues in July or August. The OSCAR thanks the following people who brought us to your door this month: THE OLD FIREHALL OTTAWA SOUTH COMMUNITY CENTRE ZONE A1: Kathy Krywicki (Coordinator), Mary Jo Lynch, Brian Eames, Kim Barclay, Marvel Sampson, Wendy Robbins, Ron Barton, Jim and Carrol Robb, Kevin and Stephanie Williams. HOURS PHONE 247-4946 ZONE B1: Ross Imrie (Coordinator), Andrea and Cedric Innes, the Mont- gomery family, Laurie Morrison, Norma Reveler, Stephanie and Kulani de Larrinaga.