April 2009 The back lanes of New Edinburgh. Painting by Martha Markowsky www.newedinburgh.ca Court Orders Sale of 200 Crichton Crichton Cultural Community Centre (CCCC) Well- Positioned to Purchase School for the Community Annual Plant Sale By Jane Heintzman building, and sets in motion the Court accept an offer from After 10 years of disputes and a sale by the Court where the another prospective purchas- Saturday, May 9th court actions, on Friday, March CCCC will be in an excel- er, the CCCC has the right to at the Stanley Park Fieldhouse 20, the Ontario Superior Court lent position to purchase it for match that offer and buy the ordered the judicial sale of 200 the community. If the appraisal building). Crichton, the Crichton School can be completed within the In the interim, while the building which has been a next few months, the building sale process is underway, cur- 8 am to 4 pm focus of our community life should be on the market this rent CCCC programming at for over a century. The Court summer with an actual sale Crichton is expected to con- directed that the building be expected to close some time tinue well into 2010 when the RIVER and PARK CLEANUP DAY appraised immediately and put in 2010. sale would close. Indeed, if the Sponsored by the Urban Rideau Conserva�onists, NECA, on the open market. As part of Fortunately, the CCCC is CCCC is successful in buying the decision, the Court gave now well-positioned to buy 200 Crichton, it will at last be and the City of O�awa the CCCC an equity interest in 200 Crichton – the equity able to realize the dream of its the building and affirmed the interest provided by the Court founders in 1999—to preserve MOTHER’S DAY CCCC first right of refusal to represents a good down pay- the historic building as a public purchase. The Court also con- ment; the CCCC will secure asset for another 100+ years! SUNDAY, MAY 10, 2008 cluded that the highest and best bank financing; the Centre will We hope community members use of the building would be shortly be launching a major and all of our staunch support- (RAIN OR SHINE) one reflecting its current use, fundraising campaign for the ers will be with us in this “vic- specifically “community and rest of the funds required for tory lap” of a long journey! V��������� N�����!! institutional use.” acquisition; and last but not See page 21 for more on The CCCC is very pleased least, the court has confirmed CCCC’s future plans. The full TIME: 10 am -1 pm that the decision validates that the CCCC retains first Court decision can found at: the community interest in the right of refusal on sale (should www.canlii.org.en. PLACE: The Fieldhouse at 193 Stanley or the Rideau Tennis Club at 1 Donald Street. Ingrid McCarthy’s Theatrical Journey DRESS: It’s a mucky job, so dress for the occasion! Wear rubber boots or sturdy, indestruc�ble New Edinburgh Players Celebrates 30 shoes for the riverbank; work gloves and old clothes. We’ll supply the garbage bags and Years of Community Theatre cleanup equipment. By Linda Marchand April, a romantic comedy by a child,” Ingrid replies. “By CONTACTS: Mar�n Canning canning.mar�[email protected] Dreams do come true—but Matthew Barber, marks the play-acting with my brother. or Karen Squires (k.squires@sympa�co.ca) sometimes in unexpected company’s 30th season. Over By dreaming.” ways. Ingrid McCarthy, the years, Ingrid has produced Like many imaginative chil- born during the Second World 42 plays and has acted in many dren, Ingrid was a reader. She R����������� ��� T-S����� ��� P�����������! War and raised in northern –a remarkable achievement. loved fantasy stories in par- Germany, always dreamed of Today, her company is tightly ticular, both in books and on being an actress. When her woven into the cultural fabric the stage. Even when she was travels brought her to Ottawa of New Edinburgh. very young, her passion took In this issue... in 1979, she came unwillingly, In April 2009, as Ingrid an active turn, and she began to Community Garden in the Burgh? . Page 3 hating the thought of life in a McCarthy walks into the the- produce her own plays – with civil service town. Yet it was atre at Mackay United Church herself starring as the hero- Trash Talk Eco-Seminar . Page 5 here at last, in an extraordinary for the opening of Enchanted ine and her little brother cast Burgh Business Briefs . .Page 14 little neighbourhood, where April, she has every right to be as “some evil creature”. “He . .Page 22 she developed into a creative proud of her theatrical record. would not always cooperate,” CCCC Programs artist, writer, actress, director For 30 years, she and the New she adds with a laugh, “I used Flood Season in the Burgh . .Page 33 and producer of plays. Edinburgh Players have been to get very annoyed.” Easter Services . .Page 40 The New Edinburgh Players producing thoroughly enter- The New Edinburgh Players opened with their first play in taining theatre for the commu- did not exist when Ingrid Breezy Bits . .Page 43 1980, and have never looked nity. “How did you get start- arrived in Ottawa in 1979. Not the New Edinburgh News . .Page 44 back. In 2009, an ambitious ed?” she is often asked. “By She had done a bit of ama- production of Enchanted going to the theatre when I was Continued on Page 4 Page 2 NEW EDINBURGH NEWS April 2009 why local office workers in Webmaster), with headquarters large numbers should count on at the Fieldhouse. Please see FLOOD WARNING! NECA breaking the law by selfishly related article by Gemma Kerr, parking here all day. on page 27. President Spring cleaning Relevant to the park: At its With thawing and spring, atten- March board meeting, NECA David Sacks tion returns to our beautiful heard with interest a presenta- New Edinburgh Park. At its tion by New Ed resident Mark February meeting, the NECA Bisby and others, suggesting creation of a community gar- Reports board heard a presentation by Keep children, dogs and John Doran, burgh resident, den—comprising perhaps 30 plots, to be leased inexpen- yourself well away from This past winter has seen landlord, and developer, and by the river! committee chair Roslyn Butler civil engineer Lawrence Erion, sively to individual house- NECA busy on several fronts and committee member Joanne holds—somewhere in the park. Check eaves and of study and planning. involving a long-range idea foundations for leaks. Legault, among others. for reducing the annual April NECA approved the idea in One significant recent devel- Meanwhile, Roslyn and principle, with certain prefer- Verify that your sump opment has been the National flood risk to homes nearest the Karen Squires, chair of Rideau River between Thomas ences regarding the garden’s pump is in good working Capital Commission (NCC) NECA’s Friends of the New exact location. We look for- order. board of directors’ decision, and Queen Victoria Streets. Edinburgh Park committee, The simple idea (which would ward to developments as the delivered on a lucky Friday have raised the alarm over a group seeks permission from among our three neighbour- the 13th in February, to study need approval of the NCC and separate car issue: parking. It other authorities) is to create the city. hood groups. The March meet- two “corridors” in addition has been widely noted recent- Also: Early in March, ing, initiated by the CCCC, is to Kettle Island as possible a dike, sufficient against any ly that Stanley Avenue and expected flooding, by rais- NECA board member Paul meant to be the start of peri- routes for the proposed new nearby streets are more-or-less McConnell and I met produc- odic planning sessions, to help Interprovincial crossing. Many ing the existing bicycle path’s lined with parked cars from 8 height by about 15 inches. tively with representatives of us serve New Edinburgh more New Edinburgh residents hope am to 6 pm, five days a week; Crichton Cultural Community comprehensively. that the final choice will be one NECA granted approval and many of the cars stay all day, endorsement of Mr. Doran’s Centre (CCCC) and Crichton Meanwhile, we hope to see of the two newly named corri- in defiance of city three-hour Community Council (CCC), you at the Mother’s Day clean- dors, thus placing the intended idea in the form it was pre- parking rules. Observation sented. He plans to seek the to discuss possibilities for up. Best wishes for a glorious new Ottawa River bridge in the suggests that 1) most of the car pooling resources and efforts April and May. vicinity of Duck Island rather official permissions as a con- owners are not local residents cerned citizen. than Kettle Island—farther east but Foreign Affairs employees, and in a better position to con- Shorter range, we prepare mostly working in the old city for the Mother’s Day clean- DEADLINE tribute to a ring road scenario. hall building; 2) a segment Through NECA board member up. This year, park-committee for the June edition of began driving to work during chair Karen Squires and NECA Joan Mason, NECA contin- the bus strike and have since the ues to liaise with CARAD, the board member Gemma Kerr kept the habit; and 3) they are coordinating a single-day citywide citizens’ group that is typically are willing to accept New Edinburgh News coordinating opposition to the cleanup of the park generally occasional parking tickets in and the riverfront especially, Kettle Island route.