Community Voice - September 17, 2020 1 City Hall Ward Offi ce ELI EL-CHANTIRY 110 Laurier Ave. W. 5670 Carp Rd. Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1 Kinburn, ON K0A 2H0 Councillor, West Carleton - March Ward 5 T: 613-580-2475 T: 613-580-2424 ext. 32246 [email protected] www.eliel-chantiry.ca @Eli_Elchantiry @Ward5Ottawa Your WEST CommunityVoice CARLETON September 17, 2020 [email protected] 613-45-VOICE www.ottawavoice.ca [email protected] Vol. 3 No. 18 INSIDE THIS EDITION Liam’s Army reunites in Constance Bay, page 2. Woodlawn’s Bob and Greta Vance celebrate, page 10. Erin McCracken photo RACING AGAINST MOTHER NATURE Glenn Dean, a Galetta-area dairy farmer, watches over his machine, which wraps hay bales in eight layers of protective plastic, as Carp-area beef farmer Barry Graham unloads another bale. Farmers have been racing against the weather recently, working to bring in another harvest of hay before a string of Carp Ag Society to host free rainy days. It’s quite a change from earlier this summer when they were experiencing a serious drought. For the full story, please turn to page 15. fireworks display, page 12. 2 September 17, 2020 - Community Voice News Erin McCracken photo Liam’s Army Unites Again The ninth annual Dravet Syndrome National Walk was a little bit different this year, but nonetheless inspiring. About 65 people took part in a three-kilometre walk fundraiser in Constance Bay’s Torbolton Forest Sept. 12, including Liam McKnight, 12, and his family, mom Mandy, dad Dave, sisters Ava and Maya and brother Finn. Other teams participated elsewhere on their own due to physical distancing requirements. The walk has generated more than $420,000 over the years to fund research into Dravet syndrome, a rare form of epilepsy that causes frequent and severe seizures. Liam has experienced seizures since he was a baby. It’s estimated this year’s walk and a new online auction will generate $45,000 to $50,000. To donate online, visit raceroster.com and search for ‘Dravet Syndrome.’ OTT-AD-4352 Your Community Voice-5.15x10.71-August-Small Things.indd 1 2020-08-17 11:40 AM News Community Voice - September 17, 2020 3 VIRTUAL TOWN HALL Erin McCracken photo with Ramping up Access MP Karen McCrimmon City staff installed an $18,000 accessibility ramp that connects to the floating dock at the end of the concrete wharf at the Bayview Drive boat launch Aug. 27. It replaces an older model Member of Parliament installed in 2006 by Fisheries and Oceans Canada that had suffered ice damage caused by the 2019 floods, said Luc Gagné, the city’s director of parks, forestry and stormwater services. for Kanata-Carleton FACEBOOK Swinging into Accessibility LIVE EVENT Baird Park in Fitzroy Harbour recently received West Carleton’s @karenmccrimmon.ca first swing set with an accessible swing and asphalt path from Pigott Street. Constance Bay resident Mandy McKnight, whose son Liam THURSDAY, attends school in the Harbour and has physical limitations, advocated SEPTEMBER 24 for the swing. The budget for the project was estimated at $65,000, 7 PM said Susan Johns, the city’s manager of design and construction. Erin McCracken photo Life is better, TOGETHER. At a Chartwell retirement residence, you can benefit from support and safe social experiences, thanks to a built-in network of residents and staff. Enhanced safety and infection prevention measures mean you can confidently enjoy each day amongst friends, whether it be socializing, dining or participating in a variety of engaging activities together. Choose community and convenience in your retirement years, because life is better, together. Book your personalized virtual or on-site tour today at 613-416-7863 chartwell.com 4 September 17, 2020 - Community Voice EDITORIAL Racism can be overcome A recent webinar featuring a force of unbiased, knowledge- things once and for all. Give number of women of colour in able educators and community them the facts about the unfair- the Kanata/Stittsville commu- leaders to produce a document ness and evil of the current situ- nity showed anti-Black racism outlining what systemic racism ation and change will happen. does exist in the local com- and discrimination looks like More community events and munity. Examples range from in Ottawa and its communities. organizations must include a name calling in the schoolyard There needs to be concrete ex- presence and involvement by to workplace discrimination to amples given of systemic racism, those of colour. This will make lack of respect for accomplish- so everyone can get on the same the west Ottawa community ments in business. page in fighting it. Right now, it more welcoming to families of Eliminating anti-Black racism is a widespread but largely mis- all backgrounds and will, over or, more broadly, racism in all of understood term that needs time, increase the community’s its insidious forms seems like defining, especially in the local cultural diversity. such an overwhelming task. So- context. Let’s know what we are But most importantly, there called systemic racism and dis- fighting. needs to be an attitude adopted crimination is built into today’s A major and concurrent step by one and all, young and old, society, providing opportunities should be an increased focus in that going forward the focus will galore for racism, both implied our schools on education about be on what we all have in com- and open, to exist. racism and discrimination. Yes, mon, such as our humanity and Just because racism is so prev- there was slavery in Canada. Yes, our love of family and commu- alent and ingrained does not there continues to be anti-Black nity, and not on what could di- mean it should not be combat- racism and discrimination. Yes, vide us, if we let it, such as skin ted and overcome. But how can there’s racism aimed at those colour or ethnicity. Let’s all ac- this happen, especially in our with Asian, Arab, Indigenous cept who we are. Change can local west Ottawa community? and other ethnic and religious happen; it is within the power of As an initial step, the city of backgrounds. Young minds are each and every one of us. Let’s Ottawa should launch a task going to be the ones who change make it happen. pounding from been using me for bait! She four metres off the ground Just call me Batwoman the adrenalin, must have been as alarmed on a structure that is 20 feet Note I remembered as I was because when I away from anything else, house and burrowing be- my father’s advice. I turned opened the net she flew facing southeast. from the tween the walls under the all the lights off inside, straight to the patio door I hauled the ladder out gabled roof. When I heard turned the patio light on, as if asking to be let out. and had the Farmer climb the noise, I made a fist and and slid the door open. I shared my bat invasion up and nail the house publisher pounded the wall until, Immediately a swarm of story online and a friend to a tree that had no low like a rowdy neighbour, it mosquitos and other bugs offered me a spare bat branches to confuse the Our editor Patrick finally stopped. But I was formed a cloud under house. Four of us sat on blind bats. I took a picture, Uguccioni has taken wrong. It wasn’t a squirrel. the porch light. The bat the balcony that night and and posted it online. a leave of absence to It was a bat. flapped out the door and watched the bat swoop- Immediately I was campaign to become a One night, I heard the into the night to enjoy an ing overhead, consuming scorned for my bat house councillor in the city’s BY DIANA FISHER noise coming from the easy meal. I slid the door her 1,000 mosquitoes per placement. Apparently it Cumberland Ward bye- closet. I opened the huge closed and went back to hour. I definitely want her cannot be on a tree, not lection. We wish him the The scritch-scritch- barn doors and out flew bed, my heart rate return- to stay. Just not in my cot- because of branches, but best of luck. scritching between the my little noisy friend. It ing to normal. tage. I can do without the predators. John Curry, who has walls was waking me in the soared awkwardly around Two hours later I was toxic bat droppings pollut- It needs to be painted more than five decades middle of the night. the room, confused by the awakened by the soft bop ing my environment. with flat black non-toxic experience in the news- At first, I was quite con- mosquito nets hanging of something against my The tiny little bat shack paint to gather heat or the paper world, has become vinced that it wasYour a squir- over the beds. forehead. The bat KwasANAT A (about the size of a Kleenex 24 bats that can fit inside the acting editor of Your rel, climbing the back wall Finally she found a com- back. And this timeWEST she CARLETON box and open at the bot- (24?!) will freeze to death. Community Voice. of theCommunity cottage, entering fortable roost on the raf- was IN THE MOSQUITOOTTAWA SOUTHtom), came with instruc- OK. through the last remainingYour Community ter, Newspaperwhere she sat andVoice NET WITH ME, flapping tions. It said we should Back up the ladder we go.