Author: Christina Leadlay
Powerful pandemic leaves only modest mark on City’s budget and official plan
By Sarah Anson-Cartwright. This article originally appeared in the Feb 2021 edition of the New Edinburgh News.
The pandemic’s impacts on people and businesses are dramatic and well documented. Beyond the sad loss of lives, in Ottawa the most vulnerable, racialized, and low-income citizens have been disproportionately and adversely affected. And the city’s self-declared housing and homelessness emergency has only worsened with COVID-19-related public health measures.
Almost one year on, it is worth asking if the pandemic’s impacts on our lives and work have shaped city council’s policies or decisions. More specifically, is the city adapting to the pandemic beyond temporary, necessary measures, and is it striving to become a more resilient and inclusive place to live?
Two sources offer a view into how the powers that be at City Hall see Ottawa in a post-pandemic era. These two sources – the 2021 budget and the draft new Official Plan – give some clues as to whether Mayor Jim Watson and senior city staff are taking the lessons of the past year into account. The signals to date are mixed and modest.
Budget priorities, not pivots
The budget for 2021 was passed in early December 2020 and reflects the short-term set of priorities. In line with the mayor’s dictum, property-tax increases were limited to three per cent amid a large, expected deficit.
Pre-pandemic, Ottawa had a housing and homelessness crisis. It has grown worse since the pandemic’s start, with an average of 150 homeless people sleeping outdoors rather than in shelters, up from 90 people typically, according to a report to the Community and Protective Services Committee of Council last October.
While the budget included the city’s highest investment in affordable housing as a result of federal government funding ($32 million of a total $47 million), there was an additional $25 million for roads in an envelope for roads and other infrastructure totaling $171 million.
Roads received a higher budget, yet council refused to freeze OCTranspo fares during a period when the existing riders are facing hardships.
A previously scheduled $13.2 million increase to the budget of the Ottawa Police Services Board was approved in a year when there were strong calls for changes to policing, including how they answer mental-health calls and deal with people of colour in our city. “The conversation has shifted with the Ottawa Policy Services Board,” a resident said, despite the budget decision.
Planning for growth
In late November, the city shared the draft new Official Plan which will guide Ottawa’s growth over the next 25 years and be voted on by council later this year.
The plan’s goal is for Ottawa to be the most liveable mid-sized city in North America. The word “liveable” has taken on new significance during the pandemic. Many have spent more time staying close to home and exploring their local neighbourhoods, as well as seeking outdoor exercise and physical distancing opportunities in greenspaces.
In line with this experience, the Official Plan includes a policy intention to “encourage the development of healthy, walkable, 15-minute neighbourhoods,” cited as helping to “create the conditions for future pandemic resiliency.”
There are dozens of references to 15-minute neighbourhoods which the city describes as “places where, no matter your age or ability, you can meet most of your daily needs within a 15-minute walk and can choose to live car-light or car-free.”
While there are aspirations in the Official Plan, there is also a wealth of complex technical detail. This plan changes some terminology (e.g. mainstreets are renamed corridors) and the policy areas (the plan will comprise six “transect areas” rather than the current two: urban and rural).
As one resident observed: “It feels like an exercise in obfuscation.”
The city posted the draft new Official Plan online, but citizens have expressed frustration with difficulties accessing the large and varied documents, including detailed colour maps and secondary plans. The City did not make printed copies available to the public, except for initially seven copies (now 11 copies in total) on loan via the Ottawa Public Library.
“It is felt that communities have not been given enough time to review a massive document,” said one resident.
While the Official Plan and the 2021 budget offer modest nods to the challenges arising from the pandemic, city council continues to hew to the mayor’s agenda and decisions. Council’s Planning Committee often overturns the city’s own rules, allowing for exceptions. It is a committee where six of the nine members have received 63–99 per cent of their campaign donations from developers, according to grassroots organization Horizon Ottawa.
Citizens’ input into the new Official Plan is still necessary despite these issues. This current council will face the electorate in 2022, whereas the Official Plan will be the City’s planning bible until 2046.
The new Official Plan is huge; however, the City is offering a simplified form of feedback. For each of 21 topics within the plan, there is a one-pager and a related feedback form. Feedback forms are due Feb. 17. Visit engage.ottawa.ca/the-new-official-plan
Sarah Anson-Cartwright lives in New Edinburgh and works in public affairs.
10 years since the Beechwood fire
By Christina Leadlay. This article originally appeared in the Feb. 2021 edition of New Edinburgh News
This year marks 10 years since fire gutted a section of Beechwood Avenue between MacKay and Crichton Streets. On Mar. 16, 2011, fire started in the basement of the Home Hardware store. All told, six businesses were lost, a number of people were left homeless, and countless others were evacuated or affected by the disaster. Fortunately, no one was hurt, and many of the businesses have since relocated within the community.
New Edinburgh News reached out to some of those people affected by the fire to ask them all:
What is your lasting memory from the Beechwood fire of 2011, and what did you learn about the community in the aftermath?
Below are their answers, which have been edited for length and content.
Heather Matthews, owner of Sconewitch (35 Beechwood Ave.)
“Around 10 o’clock that morning I noticed a lone police car parked across Beechwood Avenue at MacKay. The officer was standing in the middle of the street facing the hardware store. He was soon joined by a single firetruck. I couldn’t see anything happening from outside my shop until moments later when the smoke poofed out of the second floor [of the hardware store] and emergency vehicles began to arrive from all directions.
At 10 p.m. I stood in the Metro parking lot with neighbours and watched as the fire fighters poured water on the dying embers of some of my earliest childhood memories. [The fire] had a devastating impact on local business. Sales at the SconeWitch took seven years to recover to pre-fire levels.
Eric Passmore, store manager at Nature’s Buzz (relocated to 55 Beechwood Ave.)
“It was a surreal day losing our shop to the fire. It took us nine months to reopen and there was a ton of risk involved with that effort. However, when we did finally open our doors again, we were met with nothing but support and kindness from this incredible Beechwood community!”
Tracey Black, owner of Epicuria (relocated to 357 St Laurent Blvd.)
“My lasting memory of the Beechwood fire was watching a traffic webcam of the scene until the early morning hours and seeking information the following day as many of us tried to understand the impact of what had happened. I recall the real loss felt by the neighbourhood, and customers continuing to call months later to see how we were doing. The value our community places on its small businesses really hit home when we reopened a year later, and struggled during the first few days to keep the shelves stocked!”
Kellyann Riley, barber at Lester’s Barbershop (now owner of Kelly’s Barber & Beauty and KBB Boutique, 30 Marier Ave.)
“My lasting memory of the Beechwood fire is just being there and watching your life change in front of you and not really realizing that’s what was happening. Lester’s shop was fine for most of the day, and then it wasn’t. I kept thinking ‘We’ll be back in a little bit,’ but of course that wasn’t the case.
I learned two things when it was all said and done: that block really was a hub and represented what Beechwood was known for: community. The support from everyone before, during and after the fire has never ceased to amaze me, even after all this time. People live and breathe Beechwood and I think that is a very special thing you don’t see very much anymore.”
Paul Williams, owner of the New Edinburgh Pub (now owner of Whispers Pub, 249 Richmond Rd. in Westboro)
“My lasting memory of that day was the fear that the wind would change direction and take out the Pub. I’ll never forget the number of emergency vehicles and the acrid smell in the air.
Now your question regarding what I learned about our community: ‘Generosity’ comes to mind. It was a pleasure for [my wife] Tracy and myself to operate a business in New Edinburgh for 26 years. It always felt like we were in a small village. The village came together for our fundraiser, helping to raise over $20,000 for the victims of the fire. It’s a very close knit community where everyone looks to help out others. We have many examples of the charitable acts from this amazing community.”
Leesa Sereda, tenant at 409 MacKay (now living near the Central Experimental Farm)
“One of my lasting memories is the week-long physical exertion and trauma of working alongside a professional restoration team to remove all my belongings from my soot-contaminated apartment. The community was very generous in donating over $30,000.
The board of the Crichton Cultural Community Centre [now NECTAR] was very thoughtful in their distribution of these monies amongst the affected tenants, considering individual situations. The annual Lumière Festival on Aug. 20, 2011 offered an opportunity to show appreciation to the community, so I installed solar-powered lanterns in the trees spelling out ‘thank you’ on behalf of myself and the other affected tenants. It was comforting for me to see people stop by and I hoped that they appreciated its significance.”
Joan Mason, then-president of the New Edinburgh Community Alliance (NECA)
“That day, we lost one small block of shops that met most of the community’s needs. It was a fun place and we all cared for each other. Like New Edinburgh, it was a rare survival! The smoke was toxic, but so were the months of broken promises and insincere consultations, until we ended up with just another concrete canyon. We can only hope that the huge changes that the world is experiencing will right many wrongs. New Edinburgh was a superb template of a walkable, workable community.”
Cindy Parkanyi, editor of the New Edinburgh News (now president of NECA)
“After the initial shock of this devastating event, what struck me most was how quickly the community was able to mobilize to provide help to those directly affected. The Crichton Cultural Community Centre (precursor to NECTAR) quickly sprang into action to be a central point for gathering information from those in need of help and those offering help. The New Edinburgh Pub, and specifically Paul and Tracy Williams, put together a fundraising event, which was extremely well-attended.
At the time, we had no idea how long and how deep the effects to our main street would be, particularly in what was once a vibrant and community-centre shopping area – now a veritable retail dead zone, with more like it coming (the Claridge project comes to mind) if we don’t shake some sense into the City’s planning department and committee. It is odd that the lasting effects of a devastating fire would resemble so closely the current pervasive transformation of our 15-minute neighbourhoods.”
****
Due to concerns about the smoke’s toxicity, residents from the nearby New Edinburgh Square (NES) retirement residence had to be evacuated overnight. Some residents shared their memories of that experience:
Archie Bowen and his wife were having her birthday meal at Fraser Café. Archie calls a police cruiser and a fire truck pulling up in front of the restaurant. Officers came in. Was the retirement home threatened, they wondered? “We had seen a lot of smoke on our way to the restaurant,” he remembers. “It was a very exciting dinner. We hadn’t counted on the entertainment.” Shortly afterward, the Bowens moved into NES where their apartment afforded a sad view of the devastation just across the street.
“It happened so quickly,” recalls NES resident Deborah Sparks of Mar. 16, 2011. She remembers feeling a sense of concern when the amount of heavy and thick smoke continued to drift into the NES building. She was so appreciative of all the people who helped with the evacuation including all the NES staff, the fire department and The Good Companions. Miss Sparks still very much misses all the village-like stores, including the hardware, bakery, and ice cream shop. The eyesore of the building’s remains that remained for so long was always a sad reminder of what was lost.
“We sure miss the convenience of those friendly little shops,” says Bob McLachlan, who in 2011 had been living for just over a year at NES with his wife Marg. Bob was at the dentist when Marg phoned with news of the fire. When the order came for all NES residents to be evacuated due to the fire’s toxic smoke, Bob, Marg and the little retirement community were soon being smoothly evacuated by bus to the safety of a staging facility nearby.
From there, they were quickly despatched to stay a few days with family, friends or at a local hotel. Bob recalls people scurrying in and out of the gallery at the corner of Beechwood and MacKay, carrying paintings to a waiting van. And there was a certain NES staff member, a server whom everyone called Big Sam, who greeted every arriving evacuee at the staging centre with a most enthusiastic hug. “Maybe it’s the sense of collective vulnerability, but people do seem to close ranks when they are threatened like that,” Bob recalls.
The day after the evacuation, resident Joyce Lowe returned a bit too early the day only to discover NES had not been cleared by the Fire Chief for the residents to return. Happily, she found The Clocktower Pub was open! Joyce was deeply saddened by the loss of so many valuable small businesses in our community, but she continues to make a point to buy local and support our community. –with files from Keith Newton and Catherine Scrivens-Bourque
Let’s keep the conversation going about policing
By Samantha McAleese and Marc d’Orgeville. This article originally appeared in the Feb 2021 edition of New Edinburgh News.
Like most community newspapers, the New Edinburgh News provides space to share thoughts, concerns, ideas, and resources that might spark meaningful conversations and connections with neighbours. This article is the result of that particular power of the press.
In the NEN October edition, Samantha McAleese wrote an article about people experiencing homelessness and living in encampments along the Rideau River. She asked neighbours to connect with community-based services and to advocate for affordable housing instead of relying on the police to respond to poverty and homelessness.
In the December edition, Marc d’Orgeville (chair of the New Edinburgh Community Alliance’s traffic and safety committee) summarized a conversation he had with a community police officer to remind New Edinburgh residents of the process for filing police reports. Advice received from the officer on dealing with issues like break-ins or speeding drivers was to call the police and call them more often, as police rely on community members to be “the eyes on the ground.”
Samantha received comments about the December article from local advocates, which included: “It sounds like your neighbours are setting up a snitch line,” and “They won’t be happy until there is a cop car on every corner.” These comments were not meant to dismiss the consequences of any violence, conflict, loss, or harm experienced by individuals, but rather to temper the impulse to call the police for every little thing.
These two articles highlight the need for ongoing conversations about policing and community safety in New Edinburgh and Ottawa. In a neighbourhood as privileged and resourced as New Edinburgh, we should be actively engaged in discussions about the cycle of ever-increasing police funding that does not address root causes of harm, such as poverty.
One conversation started at the December meeting of NECA’s Traffic and Safety Committee, chaired by Marc. Samantha attended the meeting to address concerns and to ask questions about the purpose and intent of Marc’s article. Marc had not imagined that a reminder for residents to report local incidents to the police would elicit such a strong reaction, but he welcomed the opportunity for this more critical discussion around policing.
As a reactive service, the police rely on calls and reporting to respond to incidents and decide how to allocate resources. Unfortunately, calling the police does not always resolve the problem or make us feel safer. Furthermore, over-reporting maintains the impression that increasing police resources in our community is a viable solution to preventing harm. The need for alternatives to the police is clear and requires strong advocacy.
Marc and Samantha’s conversation illuminated not conflict but rather commonalities in how we think about police and community safety. For example, we both support City Councillor Rawlson King’s decision to vote against a budget increase for the Ottawa Police Service. Like Rawlson, we both agree with de-tasking the Ottawa Police Service. Armed police officers are not a suitable response to mental health crises, nor do police play a role in preventing or ending homelessness. Additionally, we (along with others in New Edinburgh) appreciate the councillor’s ongoing advocacy for additional funding for social services, supports, and resources that prioritize community care. Finally, we look forward to supporting Rawlson’s work on the poverty reduction strategy for Rideau-Rockcliffe.
The initial meeting ended with an agreement to keep the conversation going between NECA and all neighbours in the Burgh. Together, we can continue to advocate for programs, resources, supports, and responses that keep care at the forefront. This advocacy is vital for Black, Indigenous, racialized, and unhoused neighbours who are at an increased risk of experiencing police violence and being criminalized.
One way to advocate is to participate in public consultations. The City of Ottawa has begun Phase 2 of their consultation process for the Community Safety and Well-Being Plan, and we encourage Burgh residents to participate online: engage.ottawa.ca/Community-Safety-Well-Being-Plan.
For a lot of people (especially white people), 2020 was a year of listening and learning more intently about the desperate need for alternatives to policing from BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour) communities. Affordable housing, mental health supports, safe consumption sites, additional public health resources, youth leadership programs, and community-led conflict resolution and restorative justice options are just a few examples. Let 2021 be the year of acting on these calls for transformation.
NECA’s Traffic and Safety committee meetings take place at 7 p.m. every fourth Monday of the month – the next meeting is Feb. 22. Anyone interested in attending should contact marc.dorgeville@utoronto.ca.
Samantha McAleese is a researcher and advocate who lives in New Edinburgh. Marc d’Orgeville is the chair of NECA’s Traffic and Safety committee.
Burgh Business Briefs (Feb 2021)
By Andre R. Gagne, Jane Heintzman and Christina Leadlay This article originally appeared in the Feb. 2021 edition of the New Edinburgh News.
Farewell to Epic Fitness
On Dec. 4, 2020, Epic Fitness closed its doors at 230 Beechwood Ave. for the last time, lamenting on its Facebook page: “We have surrendered.” Epic Fitness was the brainchild of Stephanie Karlovits, an energetic young entrepreneur who launched the business eight years ago, offering a “full service” fitness and wellness operation focused on personal training, holistic nutrition, and outdoor community events.
In her farewell message to clients, Stephanie concedes that as a small boutique business in a highly competitive industry, “we stood no chance against the pandemic.” Despite efforts to pivot during the lockdowns by offering live-streamed classes and virtual personal-training sessions, the costs of maintaining Epic’s extensive space were burdensome. When the business failed to qualify for government rent support, it was all over. “Epic was a dream come true,” says Stephanie, “but like all dreams, this one had to come to an end.”
Since the closure, many of Epic’s personal trainers have remained independently active on the virtual training circuit, including Justin Thiboutot, Kathleen Holt, Brett Patterson, Krysta Andovic and Rami Gallego: find them on Instagram or LinkedIn. Our thanks to Stephanie and her team for the lively business they brought to Beechwood for the past three years. We wish them well in their future endeavours, and a safe passage through the pandemic.
Building owner Domicile reports that the former Epic Fitness space at 230 Beechwood Ave. has now been leased to another business but declined to offer any details about the new business or its anticipated time of arrival. Stay tuned! –JH
South America comes close to home
Do you have a craving for a scrumptious, authentic arepas, but just can’t get to Venezuela to snag one? Are you now wondering: what is an arepas, anyway? Both craving and question can be answered at the new home of South American cuisine: Toasty Arepas.
Sharing space with Goodies Fine Catering at 51 Marier Ave. (goodiescatering.com), the new restaurant was born when the owners – proud Colombian Luisa García, and Goodies’ owner Pierre Mineault – realized Ottawa had nowhere for Latinos to go for something quick to eat, that little taste of tradition that reminded them of home.
“To come up with the name, we brainstormed a bunch of words and sayings, and we also asked my family members what would be a good name,” explains Luisa. “Eventually, by elimination, we decided on ‘Toasty Arepas,’ which is half English and half Spanish.”
“Arepas are corn pancakes – a staple food of South American cuisine,” she says.
With the arepas mystery solved, we asked what else was on the menu:
“Our menu is 100 per cent gluten-free, and we have vegan and vegetarian options for most items, so of course we would recommend everything on our menu. But our most popular items are the empanadas, the arepas sandwich, chicharron, the envueltos, and definitely the yucca fries and paisa bowl. They have been hits since day one!”
Toasty Arepas’s Instagram account shows mouth-watering images of arepas stuffed with all manner of ingredients, from ham and olives to sausage, black beans and cheese.
Luisa knew that restaurants are a very high-risk business with one out of five closing in the first five years (and that’s not during a global pandemic). Dipping a foot in the water instead of diving headlong into the pool seemed best. Luisa and Pierre decided to open Toasty Arepas for take-out only, with plans to eventually become a full, eat-in restaurant in the future.
“Having a take-out restaurant also allowed us to test the [concept], to see if there really was a market for our business idea,” said Luisa.
Opening as they have, in unprecedented times, their top priority was safety. To comply with provincialrestrictions, they allow only two clients at a time inside the store, and they have joined Uber Eats to provide delivery.
With social media as their main marketing outlet, Luisa and Pierre were elated when customers beganstopping by to discover what so many have always known: South American cuisine is amazing!
“We are honoured and grateful to say that the community has been very welcoming and supportive to us since we opened,” said Luisa. “It is thanks to them that the word about our restaurant spread to a lot of people.”
Toasty Arepas is open Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from 12–8 p.m. and on Fridays and Saturdays from 12–9 p.m. Contact them at toastyarepas.com or 613–262-5238. –AG
An essential service for pet owners
Since last March, countless housebound families have reached out to acquire companion animals for comfort, distraction and a built-in incentive to exercise while the pandemic runs it course. In our own neighbourhood, numerous new furry faces have joined the (already robust) local canine population in recent months.
For first-time dog owners, the stay-at-home environment has afforded an ideal opportunity to bond with their new family member and master the basics of care, feeding and (for the brave and wise!) training. When working from home is the norm, social activities are restricted, and travel is out of the question, it’s easy to overlook one crucial resource. A dependable caregiver will be a must when holiday and business travel start up again – as they will with a vengeance, post-pandemic!
Pet boarding facilities have been an unnoticed casualty of the stay-at-home existence imposed during the pandemic. These small operators have suffered an almost total loss of business in recent months, and many have not survived.
In our community, Place for Paws Boarding Camp for Cats and Dogs has been a go-to pet sitter for many families, my own included. Throughout its two decades in business in Clarence Creek, Ont., Place for Paws has been a safe and reliable second home for furry family members. Despite the punishing blow to her business, owner Angela Zorn has soldiered on, but with only a trickle of canine and feline clients to occupy her spacious, climate-controlled kennel facility.
Angela hopes to weather the storm until life returns to normal, and she greatly appreciates interim support from regular, or prospective, clients. It’s worth considering the purchase of a Place for Paws gift certificate as a prepayment for future visits when normalcy is restored. To learn more about Place for Paws or to lend a hand with a gift certificate purchase, call Angela at 613-446-2280 or visit placeforpaws.com or Facebook.com/PlaceforPawsBoardingCamp. –JH
Bring a bit of the Caribbean home
This time of year, some of us like to escape (or dream of escaping) Ottawa’s cold and snow for warmer locales. But with international travel another victim of the pandemic, we need to find other ways to broaden our horizons. Let your tastebuds do the travelling with nearby Baccanalle restaurant (595 Montreal Rd.) as your passport to new, Caribbean-inspired flavours.
Baccanalle chef and owner Resa Solomon-St. Lewis was born in Winnipeg, Man. but has called Ottawa home since 1980. Resa has a background in chemical engineering and trained as a chef at Algonquin College. According to her website, Chef Resa has twice represented the High Commission for Trinidad and Tobago in Ottawa’s Embassy Chef Challenge, and has numerous awards to her credit.
“Baccanalle” is a play on the word “bacchanal,” meaning scandal or wild celebration in the Caribbean, where Resa’s family has roots. “I first experimented with Baccanalle in 2012,” Resa tells the New Edinburgh News in an email interview. Many readers will be familiar with Resa’s Baccanalle products from her many years at the Beechwood Market – she has been a supplier since its first days. “We love the sense of community they create [at the market],” she says.
Resa explains that when the pandemic meant her office catering business Capital Fare Café “virtually disappeared,” she turned her attention to Baccanalle. “We pivoted and brought Baccanalle from the side to the forefront, essentially building a Caribbean-inspired menu for people to enjoy and experiment with at home,” she says.
Baccanalle specializes in contemporary and traditional Caribbean and Soul food with vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, diabetic-sensitive, and low-sodium options, according to the website. All items are available on a pre-order pick-up basis.
“Our most popular items are our Ocho Jerk Chicken Feast,” Resa says. “Our patties are made from scratch and our NOLA Jazz dinner comes complete with our cornbread, Cajun beans and a spicy maple butter.” We asked the chef what item people should try. “Our Chef’s Pick Fam Packs,” says Resa, noting the family packs come with stock-the-freezer staples like pulled jerk chicken, vegan curry, and coconut rice and peas. “Perfect to pull together a great nutritious meal, quickly!” she says.
Baccanalle even has special menus available for Valentine’s Day (look for V-Day on their website), featuring special “Lockdown Love” meals kits for couples looking for a COVID-friendly way to spice things up. Order by Feb. 8 for pick-up on Feb. 12 and 13.
Resa and her Baccanalle team have also kept busy supporting the community during COVID times. “This year more than ever we have worked to support some amazing community groups like Carefor Health and Community Services, Meals for Hope and JakuKonbit,” she tells NEN. “These groups provided meals to vulnerable communities and frontline workers and we, along with other restaurants, were proud to provide meals at or near cost,” Resa says.
Resa has big plans for 2021: “The pandemic has ignited a fight-not-flight spark for me,” she says. “Inspired by my ethnic community as well as my years with farmers’ markets and artisan shows, my sister and I have created a new venture: Afrotechture. It’s a unique and exciting space to shop and discover Black Canadian artisans.” Afrotechture’s first pop-up shop will take place Feb. 7 in the ByWard Market Mall heritage building, as well as some online events. Learn more at afrotechture.com.
Baccanalle is open for pre-ordered pick-up on Thursdays and Fridays from 4–8 p.m. and Saturdays from 3–8 p.m. at 595 Montreal Rd. Find Baccanalle’s full take-out and delivery menu at baccanalle.com or call 613-859-6297 to place your order. Gift cards are also available. –CL
It’s full-on busy at Full Cycle
Amid the small businesses struggling to stay afloat as the pandemic unfolds, Full Cycle at 401 St. Laurent Blvd. stands out as an unexpected beneficiary of the restrictive, stay-at-home existence. Cycling has proven an ideal outlet for those needing distraction, exercise and relief from claustrophobic COVID-related restrictions, not to mention an environmentally-friendly transportation option year-round.
For many years, Full Cycle has been our community’s full-service resource for all things cycling-related, from the sale of bikes and equipment to repairs and regular tune-ups. During the winter months, it also offers a cross-country ski waxing service, primarily for local families as opposed to competitive skiers.
Full Cycle staffer Matti Pihlainen reports that despite the economic meltdown of 2020, the bicycle business has been booming. “Our phone didn’t stop ringing from April through August,” says Matti, adding that when staff couldn’t keep up with calls, clients had to be redirected online. The store has now beefed up its online resources, adding a LiveChat function to handle questions and requests from clients.
To Matti’s surprise, new bike purchases are already on an upswing as cyclists move swiftly to “to get ahead of the curve” and secure their wheels before spring. At the same time, the popularity of “fat bikes” has soared this winter, to the point that they’ve become virtually unattainable across Canada. With super-sized tires designed to conquer packed snow, fat bikes are the go-to option for winter conditions, and now a ubiquitous presence on trails and roads throughout the region.
And speaking of trails, Matti and his team are delighted by the recent east-end extension of the multi-use ski-, walking-, snowshoeing and fat-biking trail along the Ottawa River. Ski Heritage East now extends from the Aviation Museum all the way to Trim Road. Visit skiheritageeast.ca/wpshe for details and up to date trail conditions.
Full Cycle has been diligent about COVID-19 protocols in all its operations, including curbside drop-off and pick-up. While the lockdown lasts, only the service door will be open for bike repair clients: you’ll need to call in advance (613-741-2443) to arrange a drop-off or pick-up. And of course, you’ll need to be masked for any interaction with staff. Visit fullcycle.ca for details.
When NEN asked whether Full Cycle would welcome any form of community support during the pandemic, Matti generously declined, suggesting that residents instead reach out to their favourite coffee shops and eateries who have not fared so well! –JH
Relief for pandemic pains
Throughout the pandemic, Bellefleur Physiotherapy has remained open for in-person service at 2 Beechwood Ave. (corner of Beechwood and the Vanier Parkway).
“Since we’re regulated healthcare professionals, we’re considered an essential service,” explains Jason Bellefleur, president of the operation he co-owns with his brother Dave Bellefleur. However, Jason adds: “we realized that some people may be uncomfortable going out in the current environment, so we’ve been offering virtual services since last April, and continue to do so.” Visit bellefleurphysio.com to learn more about or to schedule virtual consultations.
Bellefleur physiotherapists treat a broad spectrum of painful and disabling conditions: arthritis, repetitive strain injuries, sports injuries, concussion, tendonitis, neck-, shoulder- and lower-back pain, vertigo, chronic pain syndrome, and more.
Few would dispute that the pandemic has been a pain in the neck; in fact, that is literally true. “The biggest problems we’ve encountered during the pandemic are posture-related symptoms that people are suffering as a result of working from home,” says Jason. Cases of neck, shoulder and low-back pain have surged as a consequence of the sedentary routine.
Apart from the stresses of long hours of screen-time, “the work space, if there is a specific work space at all, may not be properly set up to minimize prolonged strains on muscles and joints,” says Jason, “and since people aren’t commuting to work, they aren’t moving around as often, which compounds the effects.”
Jason has simple advice for staying healthy and pain-free through the pandemic: “Keep moving!” And if you do develop aches and pains, don’t let symptoms linger before reaching out for professional assistance. “We can help, whether it’s in-person or virtually, and the quicker we get started, the quicker we can get over the problem at hand.”
There are currently two physiotherapists working at Bellefleur’s Beechwood location, with a third expected to come on board very soon. Natasha Eddie has specialized training in techniques to handle the issues most prevalent in the pandemic. She is experienced in the use of the McKenzie method for treating neck- and lower-back conditions and offers acupuncture for pain control.
Jason’s brother Dave Bellefleur, company co-owner and clinical director for Beechwood, is a specialist in dry needling, a highly effective (if not always comfortable!) technique for releasing tight muscles. Dave also has extensive experience working with seniors, and in the treatment of golf and running injuries. Sophie Drouin, a recent University of Ottawa graduate, is expected to join the team in the next few weeks.
The Bellefleur Physiotherapy clinic is open from 12–8 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, and from 8 a.m.– 4 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Visit bellefleurphysio.com or call 613-695-7852 for more information or to schedule an appointment. –JH
New year, new businesses
Despite the ongoing challenges of the pandemic, 2021 promises the anticipated arrival of Mr. Luko: The Gourmandise and Coffee Place. Mr. Luko will occupy the former quarters of long-running Second Cup, which closed its doors at 1 Springfield Rd. late last fall. We understand that the new café is a spinoff from a Montreal-based operation, and will feature a variety of specialty foods, including gelato. Stay tuned for more details once Mr. Luko is up and running!
Beer lovers will be happy to hear that Good Prospects Brewing Company has officially opened at 411 St Laurent Blvd. (goodprospects.ca 613-315-3757). Curb-side pick-up launched on Jan. 29. NEN hopes to bring more details about this new business in our April edition!
Meanwhile, Minto’s Kevin Harper confirms that the LCBO is on track to complete its new outlet in Minto Beechwood by the end of March 2021 and expects to open its doors in early April.
And of note, ModBox’s André Cloutier reports that owing to the continuing uncertainties associated with the pandemic, “timelines for the commercial spaces [at St. Charles Market] have been shelved for the time being.” –JH
Patio heaters pilfered
According to a recent Ottawa Citizen article, three outdoor patio heaters were stolen from Ola Cocina on Barrette Street in the course of just a few weeks, inflicting yet another cruel blow to Donna Chevrier’s local business. Nearby Jasper Restaurant at Beechwood and Charlevoix reportedly met the same fate, losing a trio of heaters from its outdoor patio.
As both Donna’s taqueria is dependent on take-out orders to stay afloat during the lockdown, the heaters had been installed for the benefit of clients lining up to collect their orders. But not only did the thefts foil her attempt to go the extra mile for customers, the chances of securing a replacement may be slim, as patio heaters have been such a “hot commodity” during the pandemic.
As a community, let’s do what we can to compensate for these mean-spirited acts by making a special effort to support Ola Cocina, Jasper and all our other struggling local businesses, and to help them through this long ordeal to the return of brighter days. -JH
February 2021
New Edinburgh Park skating rinks details
The New Edinburgh Park skating rinks are officially open thanks to our dedicated team of volunteer Hosers.
Our student Rink Attendants are now on site and will have more responsibilities this year. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding while they carry out those duties so that we can offer a safe environment to all.
Below are the City’s current restrictions for rinks as of Jan. 7, 2021:
▪️No sports or games are allowed (no hockey, ringette, etc.);
▪️Access to Field House is only permitted to use the washrooms, or for medical emergencies;
▪️Masks must be worn by spectators within 15 meters of the rink and are recommended for skaters; and
▪️Skaters must stay 2 metres away from other skaters unless they are from the same household.
Our dedicated team of volunteer Hosers will water the rink every night at 9pm.
Rink hours are:
Mon.-Fri. 4-9pm; Sat. 10am-9pm; Sun. 10am – 6pm
Happy skating!
December 2020
October 2020
Garage Sale 2020 cancelled
The Crichton Community Council has confirmed that the New Edinburgh Garage Sale (an annual September event) will NOT be taking place this year, due to the pandemic.
