AUGUST 14, 2020 VOL. 25 NO. 7 THE CENTRETOWN BUZZ Capital Pride goes virtual, 4 Cooking for a Cause, 5 New ward options split Centretown Alayne McGregor The consultants hired to propose new boundaries for Ottawa’s city wards released their five options in June– and every option would split Somerset Ward in half and combine it with other wards. One option would split the ward at Bronson Avenue, a second at Kent Street, and three others at O’Connor Street–despite the consul- tants saying that preserving “geographic communities of interest” was a prime consid- eration in the review. The new ward boundar- ies will come into effect for the next city elections, in fall 2022, and would be in ef- fect until 2030 or 2034. City Council will vote on the con- sultants’ final recommenda- tions this winter. Currently, Somerset Ward stretches from Parlia- ment Hill in the north to the Queensway in the south, and from the Rideau Canal to LRT Line 2. It includes Pavement artist François Pelletier turned a section of Bank Street just north of Gladstone Avenue into a seascape on Saturday, Ottawa’s downtown plus August 1, with his painting of a narwhal. He was commissioned by the Downtown Bank BIA as part of its Saturday closures the neighbourhoods of Cen- of Bank Street from Queen to Flora streets. The street was closed to motor vehicles from 9 a.m. to midnight every Saturday tretown, LeBreton Flats, and Dalhousie/Centretown West. through August 8 with merchants and restaurants allowed to spread onto sidewalks and the street: the closure attracted These boundaries have a steady stream of happy cyclists, e-scooter riders, and pedestrians, as well as diners and drinkers in outdoor patios. The remained almost the same since 1994, ALAYNE MCGREGOR/THE BUZZ narwhal painting was only for that evening, and disappeared in the rain the next day. cont on page 6 David Gladstone was an activist and bon The BUZZ is back on the street! vivant who left his mark on Centretown Archie Campbell, Chair, BUZZ board of directors bourhood: strolling down him. He was like a good re- Elgin Street, organizing porter who chats up every- ike many small enterprises and non-profits in Ot- community meetings, mak- body and listens to what they tawa in these extraordinary times, The BUZZ had ing cogent presentations at say and sometimes writes Lto do business differently for the past four months. city hall committees, captur- some of the stuff down. Until there was a safer environment for our volun- ing people and architecture “He was a forceful advo- teers to deliver the paper door to door, we decided to with his camera, dancing cate. He was good at raising go digital in April, May and June. You can read these to live music at local night- red flags for the community issues online as PDFs at centretownbuzz.com. spots, or dressing up as Cap- about what the important is- We expected that this decision would likely mean a tain Canada on July 1. sues were, what people need- decline in advertising and possibly the need to do a Go- “He was a wonderful ed to mobilize about.” FundMe or equivalent campaign to raise money to keep blessing for the Centretown Gladstone was one of us afloat. However, to our pleasant surprise, most of community,” said former The BUZZ’s most consistent our advertisers have stuck with us, allowing us to con- City Councillor Diane and prolific writers and pho- tinue publishing the paper and serving the community. Holmes. “For many years he tographers. In the paper’s Although social media feedback from our readers CHARLES AKBEN-MARCHAND/THE BUZZ was a real stalwart of plan- first decade, he only missed has been positive, many have also told us they miss Alayne McGregor ning in Centretown to main- one issue, and from 1999 the experience of reading an old-fashioned community avid Gladstone–a tain a residential neighbour- onward, he had a monthly newspaper. We recently did a survey of our deliver- longtime civic ac- hood this close to downtown column. He’d summarize his ers and a clear majority were eager to start delivering D tivist, Centretown and to maintain the health of work as chair of the plan- again. BUZZ journalist, and re- the commercial streets.” ning committee for the Cen- So we’re back on the streets, delivering a paper to search scientist–died in “He loved the communi- tretown Citizens Community the doorsteps of 10,000 Centretown residents. early June. He had many ty so much that he wanted to Association (CCCA), talk And we’re also about to hit our 25th anniversary passions, and the biggest be out and about talking with about city transportation is- milestone in October! We are grateful for the support was for his home neigh- as many people as he could sues, and add “chatty exposi- Centretowners have shown us over these years through bourhood of Centretown. about what was going on,” tion” of what he’d seen and both the good and the bad times. For decades, he was a fa- said BUZZ volunteer Archie heard in the last month. miliar face around the neigh- Campbell. “Everybody knew cont on page 3 2 AT THE HEART OF OTTAWA AUGUST 14, 2020 August 14, 2020 — Vol. 25, No. 7 Blue Roses bloom in Centretown Patricia Marsden-Dole condo buildings; seniors’ residences; ported in their research that eight of 10 THE rooming and halfway houses; shelters; respondents spoke about their experi- blue rose is for a woman who homeless spots under trees, on benches, ences of homelessness, criminal con- CENTRETOWN chooses her own way in life under porches and stairways; and the victions, physical and mental illness, no matter the consequences. city jail. The last five possibilities make broken relationships, and addictions. BUZZ ASuch was one woman’s choice of us wonder about the health and security Overcrowding is the rule, as hall- flower for her memorial, as presented of the inhabitants for those who lay their ways, kitchens and bathrooms are AT THE HEART OF OTTAWA SINCE 1995. in a local park by a worker from the heads to rest in these locations. Perhaps shared by any number of tenants. The Somerset West Community Health the homeless and those in jail have the combination of these facts–as reported 101-210 Gloucester St. Centre. The lady had lived her last healthiest options. by the Alliance for Canadian Homeless- Ottawa, ON years in a downtown rooming house. In a 2016 team report created by ness, Housing and Health: Toronto–re- K2P 2K4 This local story inspired Blue Roses master of social work students at Car- sults in men having a 2.01 higher mor- Phone: 613-565-6012 Bloom in Centretown, a documentary leton University, there were 1,328 room- tality rate and women a 1.79 higher rate film by Danielle Rolfe, a director/pro- ing house units in Ottawa, of which 441 than the average Canadian. ducer at Kublacom Pictures, about the were in the catchment area of Somerset So what can we do? One way is to centretownbuzz.com lives of some of our neighbours living West Community Health Centre and support the Centretown Emergency twitter.com/centretownbuzz in rooming houses in the city core. (To 259 in that of the Centretown Commu- Food Centre with donations of pack- facebook.com/centretownbuzz learn more about this film: Kublacom nity Health Centre. This accounts for aged food or money. Another is to Pictures at www.kublacom.ca .) over half of such housing. acknowledge the existence of these BUZZ Staff There are many forms of housing These inhabitants are our neigh- neighbours, and look into volunteer op- in our community: high-priced single bours. So who are they? What are their portunities through the advice of the lo- Managing editor: Alayne McGregor houses; hotels and Airbnbs; apartments living conditions like in this time of a cal community health centres. [email protected] in large old homes; apartment and pandemic? The Carleton U team re- Associate editor: Eleanor Sawyer The Good, the Bad, and the Bumpy: why ignore us? City Editor: Robert Smythe however, with a company called Bird ing similar safety concerns and acces- [email protected] Ryan Lythall Canada, which opened in Ottawa on sibility issues. The issue of accessibil- July 16 as part of a pilot project in part- ity regarding these e-scooters blocking Distribution manager: Archie Campbell ince my column in June, there nership with the city. Bird Canada is sidewalks was also mentioned in a live [email protected] have been some new devel- one of three companies renting e-scoot- segment during the morning news. S opments in getting around in ers. For anyone living in Centretown, So I ask, if an e-scooter company downtown Ottawa during this pan- you’ve probably seen these black e- can take the time to acknowledge peo- demic. scooters parked on the street. ple with disabilities and our concerns Bank and Somerset Streets are be- When I first heard that they were regarding accessibility, why can’t other ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ing closed to cars during weekends to coming to Ottawa, I was worried. My businesses do the same? I’m not expect- allow patios to open up more space, first thought was how these scooters on ing a press release or issues about peo- The Centretown BUZZ is created and distributed while maintaining physical distancing. the street would affect people with dis- ple with disabilities to be on the daily in Centretown, Ottawa, located on traditional and Every Saturday, a 15-block stretch of abilities in terms of getting around.