New sculpture Muriel Street causes hospitality controversy honoured A personal report by Jan Brummel by Jane Bower On Tuesday, May 26, there everyone seems to have As was a party on Muriel Street. the NCC has commis- noticed, It was not the garden party by sioned a new sculpture originally planned. In- between the Dow's Lake, stead the pipe band seren- the Driveway. tulip beds and aded the Noel Kerr Hospital- in Titled "Twelve points ity Award winners in the a Classical Balance" it is Colonel By Towers' parking math- an unusual shape and garage because of heavy rain pleasing. From ematically outdoors. There was a bar- afar its shape is puzzling becue, catered meal and appear symmetri- Photo: Maureen Roger and doesn't drinks for young and old. cal, but when the viewer Perhaps also it is the Fred Little entertained enters the centre of the ered with a natural-coloured workmanship. Instead of the children while the sculpture, it is like being preservative and so the med- being smoothly finished, adults listened to speeches in the centre of a burgeon- ium is in no way in conflict the work is left with a from Joe Cassey, Andy Hay- ing flower where the lines with the environs. Is the rough-hewn surface. It is don and the Consul of the are obvious. shape too mathematically of symmetry Embassy. These dig- bolted where gluing might regular, jarring with the Danish have been more effective soft curves of the lake, nitaries expressed their Subtle symmetry appreciation and gratitude visually; moreover, the flowerbeds and walks? Sense of place is a very individual to the "Muriel Street Con- For those who haven't had bolts are already covered thing. nection" for extending the chance to walk around with rust. themselves and their homes and through it, imagine Some also object to the As "Twelve Points in a in a gesture of inter- three V's attached end to location of the sculpture Classical Balance" is here national hospitality. end in a circle and folded feeling it disturbs the nat- to stay for a while, please It all began one year ago. at the horizontal line, so ural beauty of the area. It visit it and let us, or the Colin Lindsay, Director that the vertices are dir- is made of natural wood cov- NCC, know your feelings. of Technical Development ected toward the centre, and for the Eastern Ontario you have the sculpture. Soccer Association, re- Made of red cedar, it is ceived a phone call from 3.6 metres high and joined the Canadian Soccer Assoc- by bolts in such a way that Residents protect iation headquarters. the sculpture balances toads Scandinavian Airlines was on the bottom three vertices by Beverley Rix Throughout this epic strug- sPsponsoring two young Danish The sculpture was made by The toads of Findlay Ave- g le the toads and residents soccer teams in a short Chung Hung, a 35 year old nue continue to live a have been subjected to a Canadian competition and Vancouver artist who was charmed and protected barrage of publicity, tour. The boys needed born in Canton, China, and life thanks to the residents mainly from the CITIZEN and billets for their stay graduated from the Vancou- of that civilized street. the CBC. According to one and, when contacted, the ver School of Art. Hung Responding to pressure spokesperson, a CBC has also done sculptures as from worried residents alarm- cameraman spent the better Muriel Street P. 2 far away as Barcelona and ed about the number of toads part of a day lying on a Hong Kong. The Dow's Lake killed on the road, the low trolley taking pictures sculpture has a sister from a City built two tiny ramps toad's eye view. sculpture in Ambleside Park, Findlay over its new curb so that the Avenue has already Vancouver. made its toad plans for toads could cross the street next year. Citizens plan to and reach the waters of Rough-hewn surface stay up nights and direct Brown's Inlet. the toads to their tiny The sculpture has stirred Now an anonymous neighbour ramps. As one resident said, quite a controversy to which has put up a TOAD CROSSING "We're all toadophiles here." there seem to be two aspects. sign to warn motorists to Should the NCC spend $25,000 be careful. No one will on a sculpture? What are the admit to authorship of the merits of this particular sign but presumably this and sculpture, or the demerits, all the other efforts have as some would say, calling it been successful since the an "outhouse"? Matir et toad slaughter has ended Find' I wonder if it is the and there are plenty of PY amp general abstractness of young tadpoles in the inlet. dents modern sculpture people Only one toad has been repro- object to, the lack of seen using the ramp and he cadpoles recognisable things. How was going the wrong way, ritual. do you talk about a sculp- that is, on to the road. ture like this? His fate is unknown. NEVVS Noel Kerr award for Muriel Street Connection -- from p. 1 Nepean Hotspurs guaranteed beds for the teams' last few days here while other local teams believed that it was possible, between them all, to handle the guests for the remaining period. Un- fortunately, two days before the teams were to arrive, only a few billets had been confirmed. The situation became critical. Colin Lindsay and his wife Audrey now became attached to their phone. Friends and neighbours were called and they responded in a truly heartwarming manner. House- holds who started out only accepting one or two players would later welcome up to five. The Lindsays took Photo: Maureen Roger five themselves, including heaping the team's coach, and their sincere praises on on their last night in Ot- and ink sketches of Ottawa their hosts. Practice, home became a base and drop- tawa. A good time was scenery from the city as a swimming the actual socce in centre for the Danes. and rhad by all. In fact, the clubs small token of gratitude. competition occupied much of had enjoyed themselves so The real gift, however, will their time. Home drop-in centre much and become so com- be the memories of that In their free time, de- fortable in the Ottawa homes week in July, 1980. On June 29 the Danish spite some language dif- that they were reluctant to teams began arriving in ficulties, Che boys blended move over to the confirmed Ottawa. There were 34 boys in well with their hosts' Nepean Hotspur billets. Their Muriel Street families in all - an excited and en- families. Coming from large hosts willingly agreed to thusiastic bunch interested families themselves, forego this move and the the Frey family in everything Ottawa had they knew how to share and Danes remained with their Mike Palme and family to offer. One Muriel Street showed particular sensitivity new friends. Barb Trant and Gerry McMann neighbour took a number of to the small children. A Graham and Pat Beline them on shopping trips. surprise sidelight to the Unforgettable experience and family Another, who worked in a visit was the Danes' growing Craig and Cathy Campbell record store, provided them fascination with the sport There were 21 families in- Mr & Mrs. J.A. Halbent with discs at cost, way be- of baseball. Political or volved in the "Muriel Street Trish Vivian low the price one could social differences were Connection," seven of them Rem and Marilyn Westland buy them in Denmark. easily put aside when the on Muriel Street and the Fione Pace and his family Their Gatineau cottage was teens joined some neigh- rest spread throughout the Bill Serson donated by another couple, bourhood kids for a game Glebe and Ottawa area. All Bill Bitz complete with food and water- in a local vacant lot. agreed that the experience and others -:- skiing rides for one after- had been unforgettable. noon. In the future every Party for 75 guests They and their children had been introduced to a dif- Benta Adeson and family individual who expended mon- In the middle of the week- ferent culture in the best the Pound family ey on food or other items long stay the Lindsays gave way possible - through Lindsay family for the teams would be fin- a backyard party for the friendly and appreciative Susan Swanson ancially reimbursed but their teams and the families who guests. In return the Jim MacGregor received time and effort had been them - an intimate "Connection" was able to Sally Bitz and Kay Sheldon given for free. affair attended by 75 guests. share what they had - their Russ and Danielle Young The Danes loved every min- To thank the Muriel Street homes, their time and their Marcantonio family ute of it all. They were Connection for all they had city. Ponterelli family considerate guests, cleaning done, the Danish soccer club The families involved Clive Doucet and up after themselves and took everyone out to dinner will each receive four pen Pat Steinberg Flatter Father with glass gifts from.... FIEERS FIFTH AVENUE COURT 99 FIFTH AVENUE AT BANK, OTTAWA 233-0215 June 12 1981, GLEBE REPORT - 2 IF YOU HAVE NEWS, Call the Editor at 235-0853 or write to the GLEBE REPORT P.O. Box 4794, Station E, Ottawa, Ontario NEWS Spokesperson Elaine that the standards for these Hopkins says that the external examinations were parents are generally very high and required Community health In concerned about the values enormous effort and disci- centre supported their children are being pline on the part of the The twenty-five people taught in the public student.