February 2009 www.newedinburgh.ca Photo: NEN Staff Laureen Harper Set to Chair GHOST RIDERS: Local residents may have noticed a sculpture that appeared mysteriously at a now defunct bus stop at Union and Crichton. They have been waiting quite awhile for 5th Annual FurBall Gala the bus that never comes, as indicated by a sign that reads “Dec 10”. Laureen Harper, an Ottawa take a nostalgic trip back to Humane Society (OHS) fos- the 1940s with lavish enter- In Our View ter volunteer and adopter, is tainment and the extraordinary resuming her role as this year’s culinary talents of Executive honourary chair of the 5th Chef Kurt Waldele and other annual FurBall. Mrs. Harper top Ottawa chefs. A variety of How Essential Can You Get? provides dedicated fostering to prizes and live and silent auc- By Jane Heintzman it is nothing short of astonish- social agencies and community a number of kittens and cats tions will help raise money for As this paper goes to press, ing that the two sides involved health centres struggle to cope she and her family care for at the animals. Ottawa is well into the sec- in the dispute have regarded with cases of acute distress. ond month of a crippling strike them as an acceptable price to But for the vast majority of the 24 Sussex Drive. Over the years, the FurBall by OC Transpo drivers with pay for the principles at stake citizens of Ottawa, the daily Ottawa’s animal lovers will has become one of the key no immediate end in sight. In on either side. It is difficult to toll in lost time, productiv- have a chance to dance, dine fundraisers for the OHS, as this battle of attrition between imagine another major city in ity and mobility continues to and donate to the OHS at this well as one of the most highly- the City of Ottawa and the the western world allowing a mount, with no end in sight. year’s ball, to be held Saturday anticipated galas in Ottawa’s ATU, the collateral damage full scale paralysis of its public The environmental conse- March 28, 2009 at the National busy social season. Gallery of Canada. to Ottawa residents, organiza- transportation system for what quences of this strike have also The gallery’s great hall will FurBall tickets are $225 per tions and businesses has been may well be a full two month been extraordinarily destruc- be transformed into “Rick’s person. To order, visit www. incalculable; taking a toll far period (or indeed, even lon- tive. Not only has traffic Café Américain” from the ottawahumane.ca/furball or beyond the realm of “incon- ger); less still in a geographi- increased exponentially, forc- movie Casablanca. Guests will call 613-725-3166 ext. 333. venience”, which has been the cally sprawling capital city in ing cars to sit idling for hours Mayor’s label of choice for this the grip of the coldest and in long lines of grid-locked fiasco. harshest months of the year traffic, or circle endlessly in Quite apart from the stress, when public transit plays its search of that elusive free park- schedule dislocation, lost pro- most essential role. ing space, but also public trust ductivity and sheer exhaustion, The City has put in place a in the dependability of our pub- which have resulted from weeks variety of measures to offset lic transit system, and in the of grid-locked traffic through- the effects of the strike, includ- ability of our City to manage it out the city, the strike has had ing emergency assistance to competently, has been dramati- a profoundly serious impact on low income residents whose cally undermined. It remains the more vulnerable sectors of livelihood or health is imper- to be seen whether the public society. The elderly, unable to iled by lack of public transit. trust can be fully restored when get to medical appointments Demand for this assistance has the strike ends. are further isolated from social skyrocketed in recent days, The need to encourage more interaction; those living on low swiftly exhausting the initial widespread use of public incomes, many of whom are $200,000 Emergency Fund threatened with job loss due announced on January 9, as Continued on Page 8 to their inability to get to their workplace, or forced to spend their hard-earned wages on taxi In this issue... fares; students unable to get to classes, or doing so at untold Councillor’s Report . Page 6 cost to their families; or new immigrants dependent on tran- Artist’s Page . .Page 10 sit and lacking any community Burgh Business Briefs . .Page 12 support network to lend a hand. Social service and charitable CCCC Winter Programs . .Page 20 organizations are stretched to Winter Recipe . .Page 25 the limit, as many of the vol- unteers on whom they depend The Coffee Teen . .Page 28 are marooned by the strike, For the Birds . .Page 30 along with the populations they serve. Burgh Bulletin Board . .Page 38 These impacts are not “incon- Breezy Bits . .Page 40 venient”: they are punitive, and Page 2 NEW EDINBURGH NEWS February 2009 Photo: NEN Staff TRAFFIC MEETING: A large turnout of residents packed into the Dufferin Room at 200 Crichton in November to discuss neighbourhood traffic woes. and emotionally keyed up. Bridge of Baloney experts to explain, and partly The police reps offered short- Part of New Edinburgh’s to criticize, the city’s develop- NECA term help by promising to tem- traffic concern is our worry ment policy of intensification porarily increase police patrols over the ill-conceived Kettle since it conflicts with supposed President against traffic violations here. Island Bridge proposal. At this safeguards of a heritage over- However, the two city staff- writing, a small victory has lay in older neighbourhoods ers and the councillor took a been gained in City Council’s like New Edinburgh. The next David Sacks cautious stance on long-term Jan. 14 vote to consider for forum, as Joan sees it, will solutions. The staffers admit- further study a second bridge build on the first one—seek- Reports ted that the city’s budget woes route, as well as Kettle Island. ing ways to implement sug- would tend to reserve funding Yet that good decision could gestions from the first forum for only the worst traffic prob- still be reversed, as nearly half and addressing certain new The holidays and New Year information, NECA arranged the council seems perversely obstacles created in the city’s have seen NECA busy and vig- lems citywide. A suggestion for a public question-and- from the floor to lower New against even the considering of recent intensification policy ilant in several areas of con- answer session with city traf- a second route. document “Residential Land cern to the burgh. Ed’s speed limit to 40 kph fic experts Tom Carmody and was politely treated by the city NECA board member Joan Use Strategies”. Insofar as On November 26, as this Bob Streicher, Ottawa police people as impractical—expen- Mason continues as our this vital city document never paper’s December issue was officers District Inspector sive to signpost, impossible to “bridge delegate”, representing mentions “heritage”—much going to press, NECA spon- Alain Bernard and Constable enforce, and a nuisance for rea- NECA and New Ed at plan- less assures any carve-outs for sored a lively community meet- Tom Mosco (our local police sonable drivers. When one of ning sessions of CARAD (the it amid future property devel- ing with police and city-hall liaison), and Councillor the staffers said that a formal citywide community coali- opment—NECA believes we representatives, to discuss New Jacques Legendre. Much of local traffic study was need- tion against the Kettle Island should all hear alarm bells Ed’s traffic crisis. As readers the meeting’s preparation was ed, audience members angrily plan) and at public meet- ringing. The forum is tenta- will remember, our problems done by Councillor Legendre’s pointed out that a 1990s study ings involving the City, the tively being planned for late with traffic congestion and staffer Simon Létourneau had taken years to complete and National Capital Commission, March or April. aggressive driving—especially and by NECA Traffic Calming had produced little city action. and others. If you wish to learn In other vein: My December involving evening-rush-hour Committee chair Roslyn In reply to statistics compiled more on the general issues report mentioned that NECA cars bound for the Macdonald- Butler and committee member by Roslyn and her committee, and keep abreast of develop- board member Karen Squires, Cartier Bridge—reached an Joanne Legault, with NECA documenting heavy rush-hour ments, please visit the anti– chair of the Friends of the unacceptable level last October board members Ernie Smith traffic (subsequently printed in Kettle Island website wwww. New Edinburgh Park commit- and November, partly due to and Julie Sunday giving valu- the December New Edinburgh StopTheBridge.org. Or email tee, had been discussing with displacement of traffic by repair able help and input. The meet- News), Councillor Legendre Joan at [email protected] city staff the possibility of our work being done downtown ing was held in the Dufferin opined that the real culprit regarding how you can help getting some additional light on King Edward Street. (That Room at 200 Crichton Street by is not volume but aggressive by writing to city council or fixtures in the park. Alas, the repair work, now suspended kind permission of the CCCC. driving, part of a culture of attending public meetings, etc.