The OSCAR l September 2019 Page 1 THE OSCAR www.BankDentistry.com 613.241.1010 The Ottawa South Community Association Review l The Community Voice Year 47, No. 8 September 2019 Shakespeare’s Comedy As You Like It! Comes to Old Ottawa South The cast of Shakespeare’s play As You Like It who will be preforming at 57 Glen Avenue in September. See page 3 for the story. PHOTO BY CYNTHIA SUGARS COMMUNITY CALENDAR Saturday, Sept. 7, 8:00-15:00 Community Porch Sale Sunday, Sept. 8, 11:00 Welcome Back BBQ for Students, Sunnyside Wesleyan Church Monday, Sept. 9, 19:00 Garden Club – Pruning, The Firehall Monday, Sept. 9, 19:00 Writers festival - On Justin Trudeau, Southminster United Wednesday, Sept. 11, 18:30- Bronson Ave. & Raven Rd. Improvements 20:30 Information Session, The Firehall Reg����r to�� fo� al� p�o�r���! Wednesday, Sept. 11, 18:30- Ingenious Talks - Impacts & X-Rays, Preschool Child General 19:30 Sunnyside Library Branch Health & Interest Thursday, Sept. 12, 18:30- Registering and Voting in a Federal Election, Seniors 20:00 Sunnyside Library Branch Fitness Saturday, Sept. 14 Brighton Ave Clambake, Old Brighton Beach Youth Sports Sunday, Sept. 15, 9:00-12:00 Tree Planting, Canal Woods Terrace (old Bronson Place) at Bronson and Sunnyside Thursday, Sept. 19, 18:30- Getting Started in Genealogy, Sunnyside 20:00 Library Branch Friday, Sept. 20, 19:00 Writers festival - From Where I Stand with Jody Wilson-Raybould, Southminster United Wednesday, Sept. 25, 19:00- Ottawa-Centre Candidates Debate, Glebe 21:00 Community Centre Thursday, Sept. 26, 18:30- Improving Income in Retirement, Sunnyside 20:00 Library Branch Porch Sale: September 7th Saturday, Sept. 28, 14:30- Annual High Tea, May Court Club Fall Fest: October 6th 16:30 Saturday, Sept. 28, 16:30 Ottawa Chamber Players, Trinity Anglican Terrifying Trivia Night (19+): October 23rd Church Thursday, Oct. 3, 19:15- Christianity Explored Course Starts, Craft Show: November 24th 20:45 Sunnyside Wesleyan Church Breakfast With Santa: December 8th Saturday, Oct. 5, 9:00-14:00 Trinity Anglican Church Dog Wash Fundraiser Sunday, Oct. 6, 10:00 Feast of Saint Francis Blessing of the Animals, Trinity Anglican Church Sunday, Oct. 6, 11:00-14:00 OSCA Fall Fest, Windsor Park www.oldottawasouth.ca To see the latest listings, go to the online calendar at www.oldottawasouth.ca Page 2 The OSCAR l September 2019 BUSINESS BEAT Our 10 Year OOS Anniversary, a Look into the Archives By Erik van der Torre pretty much all doom and gloom. But browsing through the archives It is hard to believe we moved to I found some lighter, funner little OOS in the summer of 2009, now tidbits as well. For instance: 10 years ago! I will spare you all “David Hillary of Hillary Cleaners the clichés, but suffice it to say we decided to have a mural on the are extremely happy to have ended wall of his building on Cameron up here and setting down roots in so as to discourage tagging. He Ottawa and OOS. commissioned the Deepsix Collective Given that there seems to be little to connect with artists who would business news to report at the time be able to do the painting. Dogs are of this writing (a few “leased” signs much loved at Hillary Cleaners. Any have gone up recently – for instance dog who visits is given a dog biscuit, on the old Starbucks location – but I whether they have clothing to be dry- have been unable to find out which cleaned or not. Thus the choice of the businesses are going in, so I will save subject of the mural.” that for a future BB), I figured that I have always wondered how, why, our 10 year OOS anniversary is as and when someone decided to paint good a reason as any to do another The building that housed West Coast Video and Elee Salon & Spa on a mural of Scooby Doo painting dive into the OSCAR archives to see February 6, 2009, after it was destroyed by a fire. The blaze was caused by another dog on the side of Hillary’s. what was going on in the business arson, but no one was ever charged in the crime. PHOTO BY TOM ALFÖLDI Well, I finally got my answer: 10 community in 2009. years ago Hillary’s got fed up with coming up in several 2009 OSCARs inviting a few commercial real estate having to deal with graffiti on their The Major Issues, Not Much Has was the fact that a small committee agents, developers, city planners, walls and commissioned the mural. Changed? had been formed to find and attract and local business owners to share Throughout the 2009 OSCARs, a a grocery store that would open up their viewpoints and suggestions. The Second Cup Owners Retire couple of large developments keep shop in OOS. From a 2009 article by meeting is not intended to discuss Another interesting thing I learned coming up: Lansdowne and Shoppers Laura Byrne Paquet: “Do you miss any specific developments, but rather from the October issue is that when Drug Mart. As many who lived in being able to buy fresh produce right to have a general discussion about Second Cup closed, its owners, OOS around that time will remember, here in Old Ottawa South? Do you the commercial area on Bank Street.” Maurice and Fenny Benoit, took the the debate and mostly opposition to stare with nostalgia at the abandoned As we now know, that initial push time and energy to write a little note the sole-sourced, P3 development Fresh Fruit Company building, would eventually lead to yet another in the OSCAR: “Thank you for being of Lansdowne dominated the local empty since last summer? You’re failed attempt to form a BIA in OOS. our loyal customers during the last news. Fierce opponents, chief among not alone. Many other people would And I think the issues and concerns ten years. We’ve decided to retire them then councillor Clive Doucet, like to see another fresh food retailer have not changed very much in the as we are at that age. Unfortunately argued that this was not the best in OOS, too. “In conversations last 10 years. Second Cup was not able to find new way to develop such a large area of with my neighbours, there’s a keen What I also didn’t realize, is that franchisees to replace us. [...] We public land. As I wrote in an earlier sense of loss when we talk about the BB had a predecessor that, as enjoyed having you as our guests. BB this year, that criticism turned the Fresh Fruit Company and far as I can tell, stopped appearing The children were just wonderful. out to be quite valid. The car-centric, shopping for groceries,” says Avra regularly right about 10 years ago. The Hopewell kids were great. Loved retail wasteland is definitely not what Gibbs Lamey, who is spearheading Throughout the 2009 OSCARs, there making special drinks for them. We anyone had envisioned, but most a small committee of residents is a column called “Street Buzz”, had a lot of fun. We will miss all the had predicted. Now, 10 years later, it trying to attract a new food store written by several local business chit chat, the excitement, chaos, etc. looks like we are coming full circle to OOS. “Part of the value of this owners/employees that focuses on Hopefully we will see some of you at and let’s hope the City and OSEG neighbourhood when we all moved local businesses. Part of the reason future Ottawa events.” can right some of the many wrongs in in was that there was a grocery store why I suspect Street Buzz ceased Back when we had just moved the near future. within walking distance.”” to exist in 2009 is that two of the into our new neighbourhood and we As for the Shoppers development, At some point there was talk of the regular contributors were Andrea learned that Second Cup was closing, there too I feel like we have come space that now houses Stella Luna Covas from West Coast Video, and I remember thinking ‘great!’ now full circle. Sure, Shoppers made a and Nails becoming a grocery store, Sue Fay from Soul Matters, a store an independent business can take few concessions to the community, but a covenant dictated by Loblaws that I don’t think was around much its place. And when Taylor’s took most notably in making sure the meant the landlord could not rent longer after we moved into the its place, I don’t think all that many construction was done safely with the space for 10 years to a grocery neighbourhood. people missed Second Cup. But it is Hopewell Ave PS so close by, but store. As it turns out, we may have good to be reminded that large chains one of the main ‘concessions,’ been lucky that this was the case, West Coast Video Burns Down are often run as a franchise with adding office space on top of the as shortly after we moved into the It’s hard to write a BB column owners who are just as invested and Shoppers to be rented out to small, neighbourhood, Cedars opened their about local businesses 10 years ago interested in the neighbourhood as local community businesses and/ doors and replaced the Fresh Fruit without mentioning the fact that the other local businesses. or entrepreneurs, never materialized Co, so dearly missed by many. And West Coast Video building burnt as the space sits empty to this day.