Centretowners Save Orphaned Pets
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DECEMBER 11, 2020 VOL. 25 NO. 11 THE CENTRETOWN BUZZ Complete Glashan PS’s greening project, 4 Ottawa Tool Library needs new home, 3 Centretowners save orphaned pets Alayne McGregor “Everyone I’ve talked to say that he was kind, and in- n December 1, credibly devoted to looking Marna Nightingale after the cats. He could be O was sitting in the very shy with people and so chilly backyard of a room- the cats meant a lot to him.” ing house on Eccles Street, On November 11, she had trying to rescue the final passed by as the argument cat orphaned by a tragic was starting. When she later death. gave a witness statement The cat was one of about to the police, she learned 18 which were being cared that Richer’s dog Dozer and for by Jonathan Hammell, several young kittens were 42, who lived in the rooming now at the Humane Society. house. He died on November Nightingale was able to con- 11 after a fight. Nearby resi- firm they were fine and in no dent Kevin Richer has been danger, and walked over to charged with second-degree allay neighbours’ fears. murder in his death. “In the course of that, Together with her partner people realized there were Lorayne Katz and with the a lot more cats. Could we help of animal lovers across do anything to help? They Three of the rescued cats previously cared for by Jonathan Hammell. CAT MEIER/THE BUZZ Centretown and beyond, couldn’t take them all in, and Nightingale has been trap- winter was coming. We said, lightfully crazy cat and dog one pregnant cat. That ex- knew they would need help. ping, caring for, and finding ‘Yes, we can do that.’” people in Centretown. We all panded to about 18 in just On November 24, former new homes for Hammell’s With Richer’s permis- vaguely know each other. If two years. That’s one reason BUZZ editor Kate Hunt set cats and Richer’s dog. As sion, they quickly found a it was not me, it would have why she is determined to up a “Bring Jonathan’s Cats she talked to The BUZZ that home for his dog, Dozer. been someone else.” ensure the cats are not only In From The Cold” fundrais- afternoon, she was sipping The six-year-old white She said she could not fed and re-homed, but also er on GoFundMe to pay for tea and keeping watch over mastiff cross is now liv- have undertaken the rescue spayed/neutered. the animals’ care. a humane trap baited with ing happily with a family in without Arden Gionet, who When they realized the continued on page 7 tuna, chicken, and mashed the same neighbourhood in runs the Pet Circus store on number of cats, she and Katz “Centretowners rescue...” oyster, hoping to retrieve the Centretown, she said. “The Bank Street, who has been last cat before that night’s owner has always had large- “incredibly generous” with snowstorm. She had to keep breed dogs, and they are do- donations, time, knowledge, LeBreton Flats to rise again? watching, because the cat ing so well together. We’re and contacts. Alayne McGregor might injure itself or be vul- going to take him to get fixed Over two weeks, Night- nerable to predators if left on January 22.” ingale trapped cats in a “fair- lmost 25 years unattended in the trap. She and Katz started dis- ly smooth” operation. “There ago, writer Phil She was particularly con- tributing food for the cats, were several days I got two A Jenkins brought cerned because the cat was pos- and then discussed how to in six hours.” the complicated and little- sibly pregnant, and if it gave find them new homes. Cat Those cats are in homes, known history of LeBreton birth, the kittens might not sur- rescue operations are com- either foster or permanent, or Flats to life in his book, An vive outdoors. “This is Opera- pletely swamped right now, being nursed by Nightingale Acre of Time. That award- tion ‘No more dead kittens’.” she said, “so we’re just do- and Katz. They currently winning book examined Nightingale, a former ing it ourselves.” They had have a waiting list of people one acre in the Flats in- BUZZ editor, lives three previous experience, having willing to take the cats after depth, from geologic time blocks away from the room- cared for a colony of feral they’ve had vet checkups, to the present day. ing house, and had seen cats in their backyard. “which is glorious.” This year, he took an- Hammell and his cats regu- “At some point, you know They also found a stray other walk through that acre. to proceed, and that might larly. “Jonathan did an amaz- who to call, you know what orange tabby who turned out It’s now partially covered actually create “a commu- ing job of caring for these to do, you know what the to have been lost for seven with condos and a firefight- nal home, not an character- cats. They’re all very friend- steps are, you know roughly months. The owner was de- ers’ memorial but much of it less development to be lured ly. They’re all very sweet. how much money you need, lighted to get him back. is still undeveloped. into. Not a destination, but a They’re in glowing health. so it’s fairly easy to swing Nightingale said that Jenkins has just released neighbourhood. He did everything he could into action because there is when Hammell moved into a third edition of the book, “Neighbourhoods that for them and it shows. an enormous network of de- the rooming house, he had which updates the acre’s grow according to the calen- story to include all the re- dar rather than the stopwatch development schemes of the are, to borrow from Marshall Look local for holiday gifts this year last two decades and how McLuhan, ‘warm’ commu- Alayne McGregor Jim Sherman, Perfect gested Lost Ottawa (volumes they ultimately collapsed nities. The acre, once warm Books (258A Elgin Street), 1 and 2) by David McGee, into “suage (very rich people (indeed at several points, ooking for books or Sherman immediately and the two Ottawa Rewind suing each other) on a grand ablaze) had been frozen for records as holiday recommended Phil Jenkins, books by Andrew King, col- scale.” over four decades, then be- L gifts? Don’t forget who has just released As I lections of Ottawa curiosities It’s a story that’s repeated came lukewarm when the Ottawa-Gatineau authors Walk About, a collection of and mysteries. itself throughout the Flat’s his- condosauros made its mark and musicians. his Ottawa Citizen columns In local fiction, he sug- tory, he says – all revolving on it. It seems that with the The BUZZ asked inde- chronicling his walks around gested 2020 releases by around money and “the notion NCC master plan, there is a pendent stores in and near Ottawa, as well as a 25th an- Frances Itani (The Company of land as a commodity.” chance of warmth.” Centretown for their recom- niversary edition of An Acre We Keep), and by local mys- But Jenkins is feeling Read The BUZZ’s in- mendations for new local of Time, about the history of tery writers Ron Corbett and more hopeful with the cur- depth interview with Jen- releases which they will be LeBreton Flats. Brenda Chapman. rent NCC development kins about the new edition stocking for Christmas. Want to learn even more continued on page 8 plans, which he hopes will of An Acre of Time online at about our city? Sherman sug- “New releases...” be a more grassroots way centretownbuzz.com 2 AT THE HEART OF OTTAWA DECEMBER 11, 2020 The Lighter Side of the Pandemic, by Karen Munro-Caple December 11, 2020 — Vol. 25, No. 11 THE CENTRETOWN BUZZ AT THE HEART OF OTTAWA SINCE 1995. 101-210 Gloucester St. Ottawa, ON K2P 2K4 Phone: 613-565-6012 centretownbuzz.com twitter.com/centretownbuzz facebook.com/centretownbuzz BUZZ Staff Managing editor: Alayne McGregor [email protected] Associate editor: Eleanor Sawyer City Editor: Robert Smythe [email protected] Distribution manager: Archie Campbell [email protected] The Good, the Bad, and the Bumpy: ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The Centretown BUZZ is created and distributed supporting personal support workers in Centretown, Ottawa, located on traditional and Ryan Lythall for personal support workers, which looked or viewed as an afterthought. unceded Algonquin land. his year hasn’t been a great, or was set to take effect on October 1st. As This needs to change. Without personal even a good, year for most of of this writing, the increase hasn’t hap- support workers, people with disabili- T us and it has been especially pened, and there is no word of a new ties wouldn’t be able to be independent, NEXT ISSUE hard for people with disabilities date. productive members of society. In some and their personal support workers Over the past several years, there cases, we wouldn’t even be alive if we The next issue of The BUZZ will be published (PSWs). has been a severe shortage of PSWs, didn’t have PSWs. Jan. 15. Deadline for ads and submissions: Jan. 4. For those who may not be aware and with COVID-19, the situation has As we move closer to the New Year, ISSN 1204-1604 of this, PSWs are vital to those of us become worse and, in some cases, dire.