December 12, 2008 Vol. 38 No. 11 Serving the Glebe community since 1973 FREE RCHIVES A AL N PHOTO: NATIO Until the 1950s, a wooden “bridge” was erected on the ice surface between Second and Herridge to provide a shortcut for Glebites and Ottawa Easters. Fine canal crossing without fines BY JOHN DANCE In October, Councillor Doucet met with Marie Lemay, NCC chief executive An extended pedestrian crossing season of the frozen canal, also known as officer, and raised the issue. Ms. Lemay expressed an interest; however, next the Rideau Skateway, has been proposed to the National Capital Commission steps are not clear. The idea for lengthening the crossing season originated by Councillor Clive Doucet. The proposal seeks the creation of one crossing with Scott McKenzie, a member of Sustainable Living Ottawa East (SLOE). point between Old Ottawa East and the Glebe, where pedestrians would be Currently, the NCC prohibits walking across the canal except when the able to get to the other side when the rest of the canal is closed. skateway is open. continued on page 3 WHAT’S INSIDE Mark your calendars Abbotsford . 2 Gift Ideas .......... 23-26 Ongoing GNAG winter program registration, In person GCC, online at www.gnag.ca Art . 32-33 Glebe Questions.......11 December 11-21 Originals Christmas Craft Sale Exhibit Hall, Lansdowne Park At the movies . .27 GNAG.................8 www.originalsshow.ca December 12 Snowflake Special, 6-9 p.m., GCC. Books............. 41-43 Good Old Days . 10 See page 8 for details. Business . 16-17 Grapevine . 46-47 December 17 Meet MPP Yasir Naqvi. Open House. See page 13 for details. Councillor’s Report . 12 Letters . 5-7 Dec. 24-Jan. 2 Glebe Community Centre closed. January 2 Mayfair Theatre re-opens Editorial ...............4 Religion ........... 44-45 See www.mayfairtheatre.ca for schedule. Entertainment ...... 27-30 Schools . 34-39 January 8 Property Tax Assessment Information Night 7 p.m., GCC. All are welcome. GCA . 9 Sports . .40 January 15 Taste in the Glebe January 27 GCA meeting, 7:30 p.m., GCC NEXT DEADLINE: FOR THE JANUARY 16 ISSUE FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 2009 2 Glebe Report December 12, 2008 NEWS ic Casual Cloth Sale attracts hundreds and lass ing C raises thousands ESCAPE Classic clothing for ...home...entertaining...holidays... cruising...travel 703 B Sr (Gl Avu) 613 567 3989 PHOTO: GOYECHE PAT BY JULIE Ireton The line of people ran down Bank Street. Some waited more than an hour for the doors to open. The crowd didn’t descend on the Glebe for a big concert, or 420 rue Cooper Street, Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 2N6 a Lululemon sale, it was the annual Abbotsford Bazaar. www.centretownchc.org “I’ve been here many years and I’ve never seen a line like this,” said Timmy Williamson who waited in the cool November air for about 60 minutes. “This Offering a full range of medical and social services: is the crown of all bazaars for treasures. I know it goes to a good cause so it’s • Medical Care more of a motivation, “ she added. • Counselling Services At 10:30 a.m., Jacques Cartier opened the door and welcomed the awaiting • Medical and Social Walk-in Services (weekdays, 1-4 pm) crowd. “I spent hours at this door last year,” remarked the Abbotsford volun- • Addictions and Problem Gambling Services teer. “I’ve been here for many sales, it’s always great.” • Child and Family Programs And it was great. Hundreds of people poured through the doors for four hours on Sat., Nov. 29. Rooms all over Abbotsford House were filled with • Health Education and Support Programs unique finds: from stamps and homemade pies to books and teddy bears. The sale raised about $2,000 more than last year, bringing in about $18,000 for For more information about services call 613-233-4443. Abbotsford House and the Glebe Centre. The money raised goes towards sen- Every One Matters. iors programs. Chaque personne compte. The silent auction featured many items that were donated by Abbotsford members and local businesses. Antiques, art and jewelry had been profession- ally appraised and put up for sale. Long-standing member Phil Monroe kept an eye on the tables and kept the bids moving along with his microphone and podium at the front of the room. “This crowd is typical,” explained Mary Sue Filion, an Abbotsford volunteer. “A number of people are collectors. Prices are very reasonable so the sale attracts all kinds of people. We often see the same faces from year to year.” Upstairs, visitors could hardly get into the book room. Tables were piled with boxes of fiction, non-fiction, travel, mystery, and children’s books. “Books were overwhelmingly the most successful room. It doubled in terms of income and it had more books than ever before too,” says Pat Goyeche, Abbotsford program co-ordinator. Across the hall from the books, tables of costume jewelry also drew bargain shoppers. Beads and bracelets were popular items. Sharing the jewelry room was the stamp table. “We do get some nice stamps from time to time,” says Alf Dyer. “People donate stamps at the front desk. They drop them into the fish bowl. Every year, we put on a show for people to see stamps.” Dyer says he’s been a member at Abbotsford for about 10 years. He’s part of a small, informal stamp club. Alf, Bill, Ed and Henri were happy to show off the collection at the bazaar. Overall, it was another successful bazaar. “It was a sunny day and we had a sunny time,” says Goyeche. “Thanks to all 90 volunteers for their relentless efforts. We had several comments on how well organized it all was. ” Joy to the World and to You. Happy Holidays. MOONSTONES When the winter is too long, I will bring you moonstones in buckets until the glow defeats the snow. By Clive Doucet From Canal Seasons NEWS Glebe Report December 12, 2008 3 Fine canal crossing The Mayfair: Continued from page 1 Those caught crossing when the access gates are closed are charged with a recollection and a revival trespassing and subject to fines of $100. Mr. McKenzie notes that closures of the canal are often because certain stretches (e.g., under bridges) are unsafe or because it is not safe for machinery. However, key crossing points between the Glebe and OOE may be quite safe for people. The two potential crossings in the two kilometer stretch between the Bank and Pretoria bridges are at Clegg-Fifth and Herridge-Second. At both loca- tions, there are stairways on both sides of the canal that allow easy crossing. The NCC has been concerned about the use of the canal when the ice is unsafe because of the danger to both “trespassers” and those who may have to con- duct rescues. Also, those using the canal when it is closed may make restora- tion of a good skating surface more difficult. Councillor Doucet says the cost of extending the ice bridge (i.e., before and after the skateway opens/closes) would be modest, involving the verification that the ice at the designated location was safe and putting up rope boundaries (pedestrians would be forbidden from leaving the ice bridge corridor) as well as signage to indicate the canal was open only for crossing, not for skating. An ice bridge open longer than the skateway would allow better connection of two central communities, a proposition that Councillor Doucet advanced EL G in his “Connecting Communities” report. Rebecca Aird, chair of SLOE, notes IE that such a connection would encourage more people to walk and would reduce S OIS the amount of required driving and related carbon emission. John Calvert, cur- L rently preparing a history of Old Ottawa South, notes that there is a historical precedent for the ice bridge. Up until the 1950s, a small wooden bridge was PHOTO: regularly erected on the ice at Second-Herridge to provide a shortcut between BY JOHN YEMEN Ottawa East and the Glebe. When I was a teenager living in the Glebe in the late 80s and early 90s, The first year of an extended crossing season would be considered a trial and there were plenty of movie theatres within walking distance: the Somerset, the an evaluation could be done before proceeding with future years and to make Phoenix, the Elgin, Place de Ville, Capitol Square...on an ambitious night even possible improvements, says Mr. McKenzie. He goes on to say that the trial the Elmdale, near Wellington and Parkdale, was achievable. With a bus ride, should be done this year, rather than waiting for a number of years, and that the Rideau Centre, Westgate and Vanier cinemas also beckoned. But somehow, the usage of the ice bridge could give an indication of the need for a full-time half the time, the Mayfair was where everyone ended up. Not only because it footbridge at one of the proposed locations. was the local theatre, or the cheapest, but also because it was the coolest. It had a friendly, lived-in feeling, and showed films that the local kids wanted to see. Where else could you catch films that you had missed out on a few years be- fore that truly deserved the big-screen treatment? Classics like “Blade Runner” Door to Door Driving Services and not-so classics, but fun, like “Highlander,” “Dune” and the 80s version of Local and Long Distance “Flash Gordon.” Popcorn films: made for double-bills. Sometimes you’d even be surprised by a film that you weren’t sure about, but it had sounded interest- By the Hour or by the Day ing: “Apocalypse Now,” “Raising Arizona,” a black and white German film Glebe Report Ad about angels (“Wings of Desire”)? Sure, why not? Sometimes they were even size: 4.75” x 2.25” Canadian, like “Jesus of Montreal.” And surprisingly (to us), good too.