DECEMBER 2014 A Voice of Riverview Park VOL.6 NO.5 With the help of many hands: the Blair Court-Station Blvd. Tree Revitalization Project by Kristy Donnelly ver the past few years, the Emerald Ash Borer Bee- tle has become an unwelcome visitor to Alta Vista, and in its wake has left devastation of the beautiful Otree-lined streets. EAB, as it has become known, was first confirmed in Ottawa in 2008, and soon after our own local trees became among millions of ash trees lost in Ontario to this non-native, highly destructive wood-boring beetle. City of Ottawa crews have already removed about 15,000 trees on public property since the EAB arrival, and to date have replanted approximately 5,000 new trees a year. How- ever, the loss on private properties has also affected the look and feel of neighbourhoods, and as trees came down across the city, residents are looking for solutions to a very RPCA Treasurer, Alan Lansberg; Anna Nitoslawska, Tree Revitalization Committee; Paul real problem. Puritt, RPCA 1st Vice President; Lisa Quesnel, Blair Court Tenant Group; and Kristy Donnelly, Executive Director, Blair Court. Photo credit: Anna Nitoslawska Continued on page 20 All about S.O.L.E. by Greg McKean tudents On the Leading Edge, is the group of Grade 8 students at Vincent Massey who started a new Sproject this year working with the com- munity of Russell Heights. The class has finished applying for the SPEAKUP grant and we await for a decision by e-mail that will come in early January. In the proposed grant, the students talked about four possible areas where they can give back to the community. The group wants to develop and teach a dance rou- tine to the younger children. SOLE is also interested in having another self- esteem program for the boys, and to develop a public service announcement Our annual community clean up day, where students get to make connections with residents and have to promote the community. The class is some soup with the community. very excited to get started and will be Photo credit: Sara Dwyer promoting their ideas in the month of December using media. Page 2 Riverview Park Review DECEMBER 2014 Poets Pathway leaves its mark here by Bill Fairbairn “As we create recognition of po- to music for no other reason than oets Pathway had its usual ets and the land we want to create it speaks to him. It is joyful and long struggle in putting up a moment of stillness for a person celebratory and we are so happy it its 10th engraved plaque in reading the plaque, a moment to will live here.” Pthe right place, this time at the edge of Coronation Park and near a walk beginning at Linda Lane and ending at Cancer Survivors Park. Steven Artel and Michel Therien designed and made, getting every- thing delivered and finally having it installed on the rock and in this case on view off Coronation Bou- Steven Artel, Jane Moore, Michel Therien, Karin Keyes Endemann, Jean levard. Cloutier and Erwin Dreesin She said that Poets Path- way tried to keep Ottawa’s land just be, to feel, to recognize and to Moore said putting up a plaque green and disclosed that the city, feel at home.” is difficult, involving research, with1000 parks, had the most “The engraved poem, A Wood trips to find the best location near parks of any in Canada and that Lyric by 19th century poet Wil- each path, finding the right poem, the organisation was working on The poem on the boulder fred Campbell, has always spoken getting support from the com- plaques for Rockcliffe and the air- Before the unveiling, Chair Jane to us. We have used its lines from munity, the councillor, city parks port and planning for its sesqui- Moore introduced the organisa- the beginning on posters and bro- and the roads people who cut the centennial celebrations. tion and its objectives to specta- chures and one of our group, Ben grass. And then trips everywhere tors on Halloween Day last month. Glossop, has composed and set it to find a boulder, have the plaque Continued on page 10 DECEMBER 2014 Riverview Park Review Page 3 Get W.I.T.H. It! by Kim Lavender nce again this year The Ottawa Hospital Academ- Join us on Monday nights ic Family Health Team will Obe leading the Heart Wise Exercise walking program at Hillcrest High School 1900 Dauphin Road Ot- tawa starting November 3rd . Come join us and walk the halls in a safe, warm and friendly environ- ment. (Get W.I.T.H. It) . This free program which meets the criteria of a Heart Wise Exercise program is endorsed by The University of Ottawa Heart Institute and The Ottawa Hospital. You are free to drop in for a light (no stairs – wheelchair and stroller friendly), moderate or vigorous walking route and have fun flexing your muscles at “Muscle Moment” sta- tions every Monday from 6:00- 8:00pm from November 3rd 2014 until March 30th 2015. Remember to bring comfortable walking shoes and a water bottle. Pedometers and enthusiastic volunteers will be there to help track your progress and guide you. If you’d like to know more please contact Kim Laven- der at 613-798-5555 ext. 13512 or by email [email protected] Just some of the happy faces at Get W.I.T.H. It! Photo credit: Carole Moult Dental Care for the Whole Family! 613 733-6446 Hours E Gladwin Mon 8:30am - 4:30pm 1729 St. Laurent Blvd. Tue 10:30am - 7:00pm Conveniently located at the corner of Wed 10:30am - 7:00pm N Innes S the St. Laurent & Innes Metro Plaza St. Laurent Thu 8:00am - 4:30pm Fri 9:00am - 2:00pm W DECEMBER 2014 Riverview Park Review Page 5 photos properly. go with my articles. After awhile I First stop Riverview Park Review The first article I wrote for started taking photos for no rea- the RPR was actually an article son, just for sheer pleasure. on Dempsey Community Cen- I love writing, art and photog- Next stop-photo exhibit ter. My interview went well and I raphy. One day I was looking over took at least a dozen photos. All my photos and decided I would I needed was one picture of the submit a couple just for the fun of at Atomic Rooster… supervisor and one of the outside it. It took months; submission pro- by Catina Noble she would send someone to take of the building. When I got home cesses are always time consuming t was just over 4 years ago photos to go with my article. I am I checked the photos and picked and can take up to a year or more when I bought my first cam- not sure where it came from but I out a couple to send in with my to hear back. Finally it happened. era, a small point and shoot. volunteered to take my own photos article. To my surprise, Carole said Three of my photos have been ac- II had just started writing my first with my camera. I reassured her, if the photos looked fine. With those cepted by Atomic Rooster to be article for the Riverview Park Re- the photos did not come out well, words said, I felt confident enough part of an upcoming exhibit titled: view. I was excited. Carole said she could send someone to do the to keep taking my own photos to INTERSECTIONS and INTROSPECTION Photography Exhibit: NOV 30 - JAN 11 Vernissage: TUESDAY DEC 2 2014 Time: 7-10pm INTERSECTIONS featuring Brant Thompson+ INTROSPECTION - select works from: Pawel Chojecki, Charlie Crabb, Stephen Smith, Sylvie Sabourin, Giuliano Pirani, Jeffrey Meyer,Catina Noble, and Ramona Organ Creating Moments Continued on page 10 Page 6 Riverview Park Review DECEMBER 2014 Board of Directors: Peter Bishop, Bill Fairbairn, Michelle McLellan, Rob Column Coordinator: Catina Noble Southcott – [email protected] Distribution Manager: Cheryl Khoury – [email protected] Editor: Carole Moult – [email protected] Cartoonist and Masthead Artist: Greg Money Advertising Manager: Carole Moult – [email protected] Bookkeeper: Anne Jackson Staff Writer and Editor Emeritus: Bill Fairbairn 613-737-3212 Printer: Performance Printing Layout and Design: François Allard nly four of the new 24-mem- and English the fluently bilingual ber Ottawa City Council are Cloutier, with 5,295 votes, thanked women so any fresh start from voters for what he considered was an Othis important point of view is some- overwhelming mandate. Yet 5,884 vot- what a myth. From our Alta Vista Ward ers voted for other candidates. Cowan, 18 all nine candidates were men and the with 3,287, won about 30 per cent of winner, Jean Cloutier, had less than an those against. It did not help the chan- absolute majority against a plurality of ces of Cloutier’s opponents that no votes cast. public all-candidates debates were held Certainly however, Cloutier has the in the ward. The expected candidate experience and background for a well- debate at the Riverview Community rounded councillor indicated by his Association’s annual general meeting years as president of Canterbury Com- was cancelled because of violence and munity Association and his rise from lockdown that day in and around the usher to owner of the classic Bytowne parliamentary buildings. Cinema. “Go vote!” cried out this newspaper Another of his hallmarks is that he in an editorial before the election. was a real gentleman among gentlemen Well, 38.61 per cent of 29,758 eligible in campaigns run by all candidates.