Our fifteen-minute city in jeopardy - Two major pieces of our 15-minute - Lowertown Echo de la Basse-ville
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février- mars 2021 volume 12 numéro 1 Gratuit - Free February - March 2021 Vol. 12 No. 1
Our fifteen-minute city in jeopardy
By Juliet O’Neill and John Chenier among them was the loss of clientele as
T
the surrounding office buildings emp-
wo major pieces of our 15-minute tied out — some permanently closed
city disappeared at the end of and converted to student residences,
2020. The ByTowne Cinema fi- others empty as a result of work-from-
nally shut down permanently, unable to home edicts as part of the pandemic.
survive yet another lockdown and low
All this coincided with the expiration of
revenue because of the pandemic re-
the current lease and subsequently, the
striction of 50 patrons per showing. A
decision not to renew at a higher rent.
similar absence of patrons led to the
closure of Lowertown’s only hardware Given the value of development prop-
store, Trudel Hardware at 170 George to help pay utilities and property taxes. with a pandemic joke: “Nothing can
The price is $100 for one side, or $150 mask our love.” erty in the downtown core, it will be
Street. interesting to see what the future holds
for both for 24 hours. Email cinemail@
bytowne.ca to book. It’s a different story over at the hard- for these two locations. There has been
ByTowne Cinema owner Bruce White ware store where continuing under new some interest in reviving the cinema,
will be on a quest to sell the cinema but The cinema has a ton of fans, who ownership is not an option. Trudel’s had but whether a means to do this can be
not yet. He’s waiting until COVID19 poured out their memories and love for been a Lowertown fixture since 1925, found remains to be seen.
restrictions are over and he has some the repertory cinema on social media beginning with a shop next to Ogilvy’s
bargaining power. He says he won’t be when the shutdown was announced. on Rideau Street, moving from there to It is unlikely another hardware store
re-opening it himself. Besserer at Nicholas before moving fi- would locate on George Street, but San-
But White said he doesn’t want them nally, to the George Street location. dy Hill and Lowertown should be able
White said his optimism about stay- to buy messages as an act of charity to to support a hardware store with a foot-
ing open, reported in the last edition pay the bills. “I want to do it for people The closure means that people need- print similar to Capital Home Hardware
of The Echo, drained away when it be- who want to see their name up in lights.” ing a washer for their garden hose or a in the Glebe or others in the urban areas
came apparent the authorities wouldn’t graffiti artist looking for can of spray of the city, like Little Italy and West-
be allowing more than 50 patrons in the Charles-Antoine Bachand proposed paint will have to take a car, bike or bus boro.
650-seat cinema, and another lockdown to Stéphanie Demers on the marquee. and travel at least six kilometres to the
was in the works. She accepted. closest hardware store. Perhaps the new commercial space in
the Trinity development at Rideau and
For the moment, he’s selling person- White’s favourite so far was from a A number of things contributed to the Chapel could yield an answer.
al messages on the theatre’s marquee couple celebrating their anniversary decision to close the store. Prominent
Saving Lowertown
By Norman Moyer supports its residents and its businesses
President, to help them live and work together. In
Lowertown Community Association the case of a downtown community in
the city’s hotel district, it also provides
O
attractive products for tourists. When
ttawa City Council has just that community also sits at the centre
voted to spend $129 million to
of the public transportation networks
renew public infrastructure in
of the city, it should be expanding as a
the ByWard Market. This will go a long
place for a diversity of retailers, restau-
way towards reviving Lowertown, if it
is accompanied by sensible plans and rateurs and public institutions to oper-
regulations that favour development ate. Lowertown/ByWard has all of these
aimed at producing a dynamic and di- attributes but they are slowly being
versified residential, commercial and eroded either by design or neglect.
institutional community.
Lowertown is being undermined by a
number of factors: the failure to pro-
The City of Ottawa has also just pro-
tect its built heritage; the concentration
posed a new Official Plan to its citizens
of services for the homeless; the truck
in which it boasts about the value of the
route through its centre; and the prolif-
“15-minute community”. Why then is
eration of bars to name a few.
the City through its actions and its ne-
glect killing its oldest 15-minute com- The evidence shows that the Lower- The homeless are concentrated in a few the ByWard neighbourhood to be taken
munity? town community is not safe, clean or large shelters. People dependent on ille- over by a monoculture of bars.
appealing. In spite of six decades of gal drugs are forced to buy their drugs
A good community has many attri- from criminal organizations. In spite
promises, governments have done noth-
butes: it is safe; it offers all needed ser- of its own bylaw, the City has allowed Continued on page 21
ing to take the interprovincial truck
vices within walking distance; and it
traffic off King Edward and Nicholas.
News Community Heritage Profile Real Estate Politics Business LCA Arts &
3 5 8 12 14 15 17 21 Culture
22
Page 2 ECHO 12-1 février- mars 2021
Les personnes qui aimeraient collaborer avec l’Echo sont invitées à envoy-
er un couriel au echo@lowertown-basseville.ca en indiquant leur nom et leur
numéro de téléphone. Nous apprécions la contribution de tous, quel que soit leur
âge. L’Echo se réserve le droit de modifier en tout ou en partie les documents.
Contributors to this edition
Editor: John Chenier
T
he Echo, a non-profit community newspaper, is supported financially by Contributing editors:
its advertisers and the Lowertown Community Association. Opinions ex- Patricia Balcom, Steve Ball, Kelly Butler, John Chenier, Lucille Collard, Car-
pressed are those of contributors and advertisers and do not necessarily oline Cox, Lynda Cox, Team/equippe CRCBV-LCRC, Zach Dayler, Mathieu
represent those of the volunteer editorial staff. Fleury, Jordan Ferraro, Alison Hobbs, Ilona Horvath, Kendra Hughes, Lauren
Intven, Elodie Lortal, David Lu, Nancy Miller Chenier, Sandra Milton, Norman
In 2021, the Echo will be published in February, April, June, September and Moyer, Juliet O’Neill, Valerie Proctor, Michel Rossignol. Jessica Ruano, Fiona
November. 8,000 copies are printed and distributed free of charge to residents of Sant, Joel Weiner
Lowertown. Additional copies can also be picked up at the Routhier Centre, the
Lowertown Community Resource Centre, the public library, and various public Copy editors: Patricia Balcom. Philppe Doyon
and commercial locations in Lowertown.
Photography: John Chenier, Sandra Milton, Renée Sylvain, Ilona Horvath and
The Echo welcomes articles, letters, photographs, notices and other material
others
of interest to its readers in the Lowertown community. Name and telephone num-
ber of contributor must be included.
Layout: John Chenier
If you’d like to write articles, draw cartoons or other illustrations for stories,
or take photographs on assignment, please email and leave your name and tele-
phone number at echo@lowertown-basseville.ca. No age restrictions. The Echo
Deadline
reserves the right to edit in part or in whole all contributions.
Reserve your advertising space or submit your contribution to ads@lower-
L
townecho.ca by March 25, 2021
’Echo est un journal communautaire à but non lucratif dont les seuls
revenus viennent des annonceurs et l’Association communautaire de la Questions regarding delivery? If you live in Lowertown, the Echo is delivered
Basse-Ville. Les textes n’engagent que leurs auteurs et annonceurs respec- free to your door. Please email if you are aware of anyone or any business in our
tifs et ne reflètent pas nécessairement l’opinion de l’équipe de rédaction, qui est neighbourhood who is not receiving their community newspaper.
composée de bénévoles.
En 2021, l’Echo sera publié en février, avril, juin, septembre et novembre.
Date de tombée
Son tirage est de 8000 exemplaires. Il est distribué gratuitement partout dans la
Publicité, articles, photos et autres soumissions à ads@lowertownecho.ca
Basse-Ville. On peut également l’obtenir au Centre Routhier, au Centre de Res-
avant le 26 mars 2021
sources Communautaires de la Basse-Ville, à la bibliothèque et dans plusieurs
commerces du quartier. Questions au sujet de la distribution? L’Echo est distribué gratuitement dans
Tous les articles, lettres, illustrations, photos et autre matériel qui peuvent la Basse-Ville. Veuillez envoyer un courriel si vous connaisez quelqu’un qui ne
intéresser les lecteurs de la Basse-Ville sont les bienvenus. Leurs auteurs doivent le reçoit pas.
indiquer leur nom et leur numéro de téléphone.
EVERY Saturday the Ottawa Mission Food Truck, in partnership with
LCRC and OCH, offers FREE NUTRITIOUS MEALS for anyone who needs
them. Call our Community House at (613) 562-2925.
TOUS les samedis le camion de
restauration de la Mission d’Ottawa,
en partenariat avec le CRCBV et
le LCO, offre des REPAS SANTÉ
GRATUITS pour ceux qui en ont
besoin. Pour plus d’infos appelez
notre maison communautaire au
(613) 562-2925.
In addition to our Club310 and Transitions virtual After-School Program,
in partnership with the Ottawa Food Bank and Ottawa School Breakfast
Program, our SNACK PROGRAM is back! To register your family, please
email Meagan at mgilsonlockhart@crcbv.ca
or text (613) 228-0842.
Nous offrons maitenant notre programme
Club310 et Transitions virtuellement.
Nous avons également redémarré notre
PROGRAMME DE COLLATION POUR JEUNES
de la Basse-Ville. Pour vous inscrire, communiquez avec Meagan au
Votre Centre de ressources Your Lowertown mgilsonlockhart@crcbv.ca ou envoyez un texto au (613) 228-0842.
communautaires de la Community Resource
Basse-ville contribue à bâtir Centre helps build a
un quartier plus vivant et plus safer and more vibrant We are still offering our FOOD
sécuritaire! community! DISTRIBUTION SERVICE to
residents of Lowertown. You must
Tous nos services sont All our services are make an appointment by calling
(613) 562-2925 before coming by.
GRATUITS, confidentiels FREE, confidential
et bilingues ! and bilingual! N o u s co n t i n uo n s d ’o f f ri r d u
DÉPANNAGE ALIMENTAIRE sur
rendez-vous. SVP appelez au
40 Cobourg, Ottawa K1N 8Z6 (613) 789-3930 (613) 562-2925 avant de venir.
Numéro d’organisme de bienfaisance/Charitable number: 896719796RR0001
February - March 2021 ECHO 12-1 Page 3
Shopping locally
By Alison Hobbs load. If for whatever reason we cannot Market building; as well as curries, they
W
go out, most stores deliver. Sasloves cook naan bread here. Take it home but-
hen asked for the secret of Meat Market, for example, offers a ser- tered and wrapped in foil, and when it’s
his success, Paul Bocuse, the vice that includes delivery of items from unwrapped, it is still warm and smells
legendary French chef and its neighbouring stores as well, the By- delicious.
restaurateur, replied, “De bons ingré- ward Fruit Market, Lapointe Fish and
dients, que je choisis moi-même!” Bo- You might sometimes fancy food
the House of Cheese.
cuse shopped for fresh produce every from overseas, and you can find that in
day at his local market; his reputation Make a shopping list at home and call the Market, too. Wedel Touch of Europe
depended on this habit. 613 241 9266 to give Sasloves the order. or the Asian Fairway Trading Company
(The delivery charge is $5 if you spend on Byward Market Square, the Conti-
Not only does it make for better eat- $100 or more, otherwise $10.) This can nental Delicatessen, the Tea Store or
ing to buy local produce, it makes good save much time and trouble, especial- the Nut House around the corner, or La
sense. It reduces the need for complex ly since their deliveries are reliably Bottega, within a few steps of the oth-
transportation systems, thus reduc- prompt. ers, all sell unusual products from plac-
ing CO2 emissions and improving the es that remind us of travelling abroad.
planet’s health. Rather than taking the All of these businesses make a point
car every time you need to stock up on of stocking foods of nearby origin, so in Wedel’s precooked sausages are
perishable groceries, if you walk to the addition to the environmental advantag- handed over wrapped in butcher paper:
shops or go by bike, your own health es, this means fresher food. again, that’s much better for the envi-
benefits too. ronment than plastic.
There are small-scale businesses in
Most important of all, at this moment Lowertown where food is prepared on Help yourself to fresher food and bet-
the small businesses in our vicinity, hit the premises, such as the Portuguese ter health while helping local business-
hard by COVID 19 regulations, need Bakery on Nelson Street. Inside the Por- es.by shopping locally.
loyal customers. Their appreciation of tuguese Bakery, as well as Portuguese
our support cannot be underestimated. breads and pastries, you’ll also find the
Syrian Kitchen, which has its own sec- baguettes, gateaux and pastries come Alison Hobbs lives in
We are lucky to live in Lowertown, tion offering vegetarian platters, salads straight from the oven and are wrapped Lowertown and convenes an
with a gratifying variety of shopping and wraps. in paper or cardboard, which is more environmentalAction group.
opportunities near home. The ByWard environmentally friendly than plastic.
Market is close enough for us to go there At the Moulin de Provence at the Mar-
several times a week on foot, so that we ket Mall or Le Boulanger français on If you’re planning on curry for sup-
never need to carry home too heavy a Murray Street, authentic French loaves, per, visit Shafali Bazaar at the ByWard
Shepherds’ plans for Murray Street housing
By Caroline Cox The first floor will be a drop-in pro- ling back and forth through traffic to those who just do not wish to live there.
gram for anyone in the community, open access meals. They want to make Lowertown their
W
hen I first met Tereza, she wel- 16 hours a day. This is a much-needed home, for many of the same reasons you
resource in the ByWard Market, where The remaining floors will be com- do.
comed me to her home at 208 prised of approximately 40 housing
Saint Andrew St. with a hug. many vulnerable people have nowhere
to go and little to do during the day. units, prioritizing Indigenous individu- Paul was one of the first people I ever
She gave me a hard time about why I als, and women. These will give people met at Shepherds of Good Hope. I was
wasn’t married yet. But then she told me Additionally, it will serve the needs of
Lowertown residents who struggle to the stability and dignity of a home of shocked when he told me that he had
a story I will never forget. Tereza came
make ends meet. their own, and reduce numbers in our been living at Shepherds for 10 years.
to Canada from Sudan after witnessing
emergency shelter. I didn’t know that Paul lived in a sup-
the violence of a war that claimed the
lives of her entire family. She self-med- portive-housing program, Hope Living.
For more information about the 216 When that program moved to Kanata,
icated with alcohol to numb the pain of Murray redevelopment, visit www.
PTSD and undiagnosed schizophrenia. Paul went too. But he didn’t feel like
sghottawa.com/216 he fit in there. He missed his old neigh-
Shepherds of Good Hope helped Tere- We know that stable housing, mean- bourhood, so he jumped at the opportu-
za get her drinking under control, con- ingful daily activity and social inclu- nity to move to St. Andrew’s Residence.
nected her with doctors, and found her sion change lives and communities for Now he greets me almost every morn-
a home with ongoing supports. Without the better. Over 90% of our support- ing, often with his catchphrase, “It’s a
supportive housing, Tereza might not be ive housing residents do not return to Pink Floyd Blue Sky Day!”
here today to tell her story. homelessness. Shepherds of Good Hope is committed
We know housing is the solution to So why not build in the suburbs, where to doing our part toward ending chron-
homelessness, and we’re proud to be a it cheaper and there are fewer negative ic homelessness in Ottawa. We want to
city-wide leader in supportive housing, influences? The short answer is, we are! reduce the number of people staying in
with nearly 200 residents. But our goal We are soon opening up a 42-unit build- our shelter, like Paul and Tereza once
is to have more beds in supportive hous- ing in the East End, and creating 8 more did, because a shelter is not a home. We
ing than in our emergency shelter. This units in our location in Kanata, for a to- want to increase their opportunities to
year, that goal will become a reality. tal of 101. But we believe very strongly live full, dignified, meaningful lives in
that people experiencing homelessness their own permanent homes. We hope
We are grateful to have the support deserve the same level of choice about that you will join us in offering homes
of the City of Ottawa and the federal where and how they live as anyone else. for all, community for all and hope for
government’s Rapid Housing Initiative all.
to redevelop our property at 216 Murray The second floor will house our new Many of the people we work with are Caroline Cox is the Senior Manager
Street, and we are excited to share some soup kitchen, replacing our currently accustomed to living in the downtown
of Communications, Community
details about it with you, our neigh- aging one at 233 Murray, which will core. Everything they know, from com-
bours. munity resources and social networks
and Volunteer Services at Shepherds
become administrative space. Relocat- of Good Hope.
ing the kitchen will address community to transportation and medical supports,
We are planning for a low-rise mixed- are located in this area. Transitioning to
use building of approximately eight sto- safety issues inherent in people travel-
the suburbs can be rough, and there are
reys.
Page 4 ECHO 12-1 février - mars 2021
Anti-racism action in our community
By Kelly Butler The Lowertown Community Re- Residents are invited to join the Low-
I
source Centre also created a youth com- ertown Anti-Racism Community Ac-
n November 2020, representatives mittee with members aged 10-19 years tion Group or the youth committee.
from the City of Ottawa Anti-Racism to confront the challenges of anti-Black Please contact Alain Lutala, Commu-
Secretariat, the Social Planning racism. The committee comes together nity Developer at the Lowertown Com-
Council of Ottawa, a committee of to engage in empowerment workshops munity Resource Centre, at alutala@
Lowertown youth and a lawyer who
with guest speakers who provide partic- crcbv.ca.
works at the Canadian Human Rights
ipants with the tools to navigate experi-
Commission made presentations to res- Here are links to the organizations
ences of anti-Black racism and discuss
idents at a virtual community forum mentioned in this article.
hosted by the Lowertown Community solidarity with our Indigenous commu- themes such as defining anti-racism,
Resource Centre, and facilitated by the nity were included in the discussion led allyship and resilience. Meetings are Lowertown Community Resource
African Canadian Association of Ot- by the Anti-Racism Secretariat. Coun- now held twice a week with multidis- Centre https://crcbv.ca
tawa. A summary portrait of Ottawa’s sel from the Canadian Human Rights ciplinary guest artist, Kalkidan Asse-
Black and other racialized communities Commission gave highlights of the fa aka DRPN Soul, who is responsible Ottawa Neighbourhood Equity/Rac-
was introduced to raise awareness of Canadian Human Rights Act and ex- for many vivid and brilliantly coloured ism https://neighbourhoodequity.ca/rac-
significant inequities in 28 indicators, plained the grounds for discrimination. murals in Ottawa. The youth are shar- ism#data
including rates of poverty, employment The bilingual event was well attended ing their artistic talents and ideas in the
outcomes, unequal distribution of in- and elicited many significant comments creation of a new mural that will be rep- Kalkidan Assefa, drippin soul cre-
come and opportunities, housing, and in the break-out sessions. resentative of Lowertown’s diverse and ations http://www.kalkidan-assefa.com
access to amenities. rich community. There are hopes that
One of the outcome actions from the Anti-Racism Secretariat https://en-
the mural will challenge the negative gage.ottawa.ca/anti-racism-and-ethno-
According to the Ottawa Neighbour- Lowertown Community Anti-Racism narratives surrounding Black lives and
Forum held last fall was the formation cultural-relations-initiatives;
hood Equity Index, Lowertown scores encourage community resilience. The
well on access to transit, rental stock, of the Lowertown Anti-Racism Com- youth are taking an active role in shap- Social Planning Council https://www.
green spaces, and pedestrian/active munity Action Group by community ing the kind of future they want to live spcottawa.on.ca/about-us/
transportation. However, much of Low- members. The group wants to educate in. This gives them the chance to grow
ertown’s residential area struggles with and raise awareness, examine the root while gaining a greater sense of person- Canadian Human Rights Commis-
high indicators of a population experi- causes of disadvantage and disparity in al and community identity. Check out sion https://www.chrc-ccdp.gc.ca/eng/
encing a great number of inequities. An our community, and plan what further the new mural mid-February at Loblaws content/about-us
intersectional anti-racist approach and actions can be taken. on Rideau Street!
Fad or future? Convenience or nuisance?: E-scooters
By John Chenier idents with reliable access to shared
A
e-scooters, to achieve consistently safe • addressing sidewalk riding and
report by city officials rec- and courteous e-scooter riding and improper parking through a variety
ommends Ottawa expand the of mitigation measures as outlined in
parking, to reduce the burden of issue
e-scooter program in 2021. the report.
management and monitoring for staff
Specifically, the recommendations are and elected officials, and to improve the Verbas noted the downside of the
to: e-scooter craze is the potential impact
pedestrian experience for all road and
sidewalk users, especially the most vul- on “active” transportation. He noted
• Approve the continuance of Ottawa’s nerable. that “The e-scooter share programs are
Electric Kick Scooter Pilot in 2021 as taking a big bite out of bike-share pro-
detailed in the report, with proposed The recommendations call for: grams throughout North America. The
changes to the pilot program, and a City will soon table a report on bike-
revised fee structure and procurement • Selecting up to three e-scooter share program options for the City.
strategy; operators through a competitive There has been no program here for the
• Approve the implementation of a procurement process; past two years.”
competitive procurement process and • Increasing the total fleet size from
enter into agreements with successful 600 to between 1,200 and 1,500 and Residents of Lowertown, particularly
proponents of the process; and widening the central deployment area in the ByWard Market and surrounds,
• Direct staff to report back to the where the scooters will be available; seem to bear the brunt of the e-scoot-
Transportation Committee and • Exploring the possibility of a satellite
er craze. One can only hope that dou-
Council at the conclusion of the 2021 appears that the City will rely on “im- pilot of up to 300 e-scooters outside
pilot project for consideration of the Greenbelt, to determine the bling the numbers of these comes with
proved behavior through education” of
future pilot seasons. use and feasibility of e-scooters in expanding the area where these are
users to address the issue of users park-
a suburban area. The 300 satellite staged. Otherwise, ByWard will come
According to John Verbas, Co-Chair ing or riding on sidewalks.
e-scooters will be part of the City’s to resemble an e-scooter amusement
of the Federation of Citizens’ Asso- total fleet size of between 1,200 and park.
ciation Transportation Committee, it The gist of the recommendations for
the 2021 season is to provide more res- 1,500 units; and
L’honorable Mona Fortier
Députée | Ottawa-Vanier | Member of Parliament
Joyeuses fêtes! | Happy Holidays!
À VOTRE SERVICE ! WORKING FOR YOU!
Connect with me. Communiquez avec moi.
613 998 1860 · mona.fortier@parl.gc.ca · www.mfortier.liberal.ca
@MonaFortier @EquipeTeamMona @MonaFortier
February - March 2021 ECHO 12-1 Page 5
Des Gens Comme Vous
À la rencontre des membres du C.A. du CRCBV
Par : L’équipe du CRCBV VALERIE PROCTOR Je suis une en- eureux, que je n’avais jamais vécu nulle pense pas que les résidents pourraient
C
seignante à la retraite et, avec mon mari, part ailleurs. Je sens une certaine dette se passer des services du Centre. Sel-
e mois-ci, l’équipe du Centre de j’ai fondé le premier magasin d’aliments morale envers mon pays hôte et je veux on moi, l’avenir du Centre passe par
ressources communautaires de d’Amérique latine à Ottawa (Mercado m’impliquer davantage là où je peux une plus grande implication de la part
la Basse-Ville veut vous faire Latino). La Basse-Ville c’est chez moi pour le bonheur des autres. Je suis très des résidents. Je crois à l’adage : « tu ne
découvrir des membres du Conseil depuis 42 ans. Ici on a un mélange de fier d’appartenir au C.A. peux pas faire quelque chose pour moi
d’administration, des bénévoles qui
personnes, riches et pauvres, jeunes sans moi ».
évoluent dans notre quartier et qui ont VALERIE Je pense que c’est le désir
et vieilles, de partout dans le monde.
à cœur son épanouissement. de faire du bénévolat pendant ce temps VALERIE Je trouve que malgré tous
Même si on a des choses à améliorer, on
ne peut pas, selon moi, trouver un meil- de ma vie où je n’ai pas besoin de tra- ses avantages, la Basse-Ville a une
Des 11 membres du conseil d’admin- vailler qui m’a mené à m’impliquer dans grande concentration de gens en sit-
leur quartier pour vivre.
istration, nous vous en présentons aujo- le CA. J’ai un désir de servir la commu- uation de vulnérabilité. Le CRCBV,
urd’hui trois : Herman Ntawe, Valerie JOLANE T. LAUZON (présiden- nauté, comme je peux. avec d’autres organismes, aident beau-
Proctor et Jolane T Lauzon. te) Je suis originaire de la grande ré- coup ces personnes. J’aimerais voir
gion de Montréal et j’habite à Ottawa JOLANE J’avais vraiment le goût les gens qui n’ont pas besoin des ser-
Qui êtes-vous et que représente la d’aider les gens directement alors que
depuis 2015. Je suis avocate au Tribu- vices du CRCBV y être plus connectés.
Basse-Ville pour vous? dans mon emploi ce n’est pas toujours
nal canadien des droits de la personne. J’ai un souhait : que le Centre fasse plus
Je n’habite pas dans la Basse-Ville mais très concret. J’ai commencé comme pour les jeunes entre 13 et 18 ans. Les
HERMAN NTAWE Je me présente
en temps normal, je la traverse à chaque bénévole avec les cliniques d’impôts et ados d’aujourd’hui sont les adultes de
comme un homme riche—ça parait bi-
jour pour aller travailler. Pour moi, la après à la banque alimentaire. M’impli- demain.
zarre, mais c’est ça. Je suis marié, père
Basse-Ville c’est le cœur de la ville quer au sein du CA me permet de mieux
de cinq enfants et grand-père de deux
d`Ottawa. C’est un quartier multicul- comprendre le milieu communautaire… JOLANE Le CRCBV est une oreille
petits-fils. J’ai obtenu une maîtrise en
turel et accueillant pour tous les nou- ça me donne vraiment une perspective pour les gens qui ont besoin d’être en-
agronomie en Allemagne et après être
veaux arrivants et même moi, qui n’est différente de ma communauté. J’aime tendus. Par exemple, quand les gens
retourné travailler pendant plusieurs an-
pas originaire de la ville, je m’y suis avoir plus d’impact sur les décisions qui viennent à la banque alimentaire, ils ne
nées dans mon pays natal, le Burundi en
tout le temps sentie accueillie. sont prises. viennent pas juste chercher de la nour-
Afrique, j’ai immigré au Canada en 2015.
riture, ils viennent aussi rencontrer des
La Basse-Ville, c’est vraiment mon Quel impact a le CRCBV dans la vie
Pourquoi vous impliquez-vous au gens qui sont là pour les écouter, qui
chez-moi. Il y a lieu de comprendre que des résidents et quelle incidence pour-
C.A. du CRCBV? vont sourire, et juste jaser. Dans le fu-
les choses essentielles comme la sécu- rait-il avoir davantage dans l’avenir? tur, je crois que le CRCBV doit davan-
rité, sont importantes pour moi, et je les HERMAN Quand je suis arrivé au
HERMAN Les programmes du cen- tage être là pour favoriser l’inclusion, la
trouve et je les vis dans la Basse-Ville. Canada, j’ai été obligé de solliciter les
tre répondent réellement aux préoccu- diversité et l’équité. C’est quelque chose
services du CRCBV, et ce qui m’a im- de très important dans un quartier qui
pressionné c’est vraiment l’accueil chal- pations majeures des résidents. Je ne
est extrêmement diversifié.
Folks Like You: Meet Board members of the Lowertown
Community Resource Centre
By the LCRC team the world. Even if there are things to JOLANE I really wanted to help peo- VALERIE I feel that, despite all of
T
improve on, I can’t think of anywhere ple more tangibly, whereas in my work, its advantages, Lowertown is home
his month, we at the Lowertown else in Ottawa which would provide us things aren’t always so concrete. I be- to a large concentration of vulner-
Community Resource Centre with the same quality of life. gan at the LCRC as a volunteer at its able people. The LCRC, along with
would like to introduce you to income tax clinic and then at the food other organizations, helps many resi-
members of our Board of Directors, JOLANE T. LAUZON (President) I bank. Being part of the Board has al- dents in need. I would like to see oth-
volunteers who contribute to the well- grew up in the greater Montreal region lowed me to learn much about the com- er residents who may not need the
being of the community and its resi- and I’ve lived in Ottawa since 2015. I munity sector—it has given me a dif- Centre’s help directly get involved.
dents. work as a lawyer at the Canadian Hu- ferent perspective on my community. I I have one hope: that the Centre is able
man Rights Tribunal. I don’t live in appreciate being able to have an impact to do more for kids aged 13-18. Today’s
Please meet three of our Board mem- Lowertown but in normal times, I walk on decisions affecting it. teens are tomorrow’s adults.
bers: Herman Ntawe, Valerie Proctor et or bike through it every day on my way
Jolane T Lauzon. to and from work. For me, Lowertown What difference does the LCRC make JOLANE The LCRC is like a friendly
is the heart of Ottawa. It’s a multicul- in the lives of its residents and what ear for those who need to be heard. For
Please tell us a bit about you and
tural neighbourhood which welcomes how can it have greater impact in the example, many of the people who come
what Lowertown means to you
newcomers. Even me, who is not from future? to the food bank don’t come only to get
HERMAN NTAWE It may seem this city, I have always felt welcomed a basket of food—they also come to
here. HERMAN The Centre’s programs meet with others who are there to listen,
strange but I introduce myself first
respond to resident’s major basic con- who will give a friendly smile and just
as a rich man. I am married, a father
Why are you involved in the LCRC cerns. I don’t think that the neighbor- chat. In the future, I believe the LCRC
of five children and a grandfather of
Board? hood could go without its services. will be there more than ever to foster in-
two grandsons. I earned a Master’s
From my point of view, the future of the clusion, diversity and equity. It is most
in Agronomy in Germany and, af- HERMAN When I first arrived in Centre goes hand in hand with greater important in such a diverse neighbour-
ter returning to my native country of Canada, I needed to seek out the ser- involvement from residents. I hold to hood as Lowertown.
Burundi in Africa to work for many vices of the LCRC and I was impressed the saying « nothing for us, without us”.
years, I immigrated to Canada in 2015. with the warmth with which I was
Lowertown is my home. It is important greeted and supported, something I Ranke
pizza d #1 f
to understand that basic things such as had not experienced anywhere else. I on Tri or
security are important for me and I live feel a certain sense of moral debt to this p Adv
isor
and breathe them in Lowertown. country and I want to give back to the
well-being of others. I am very proud to CUMBERLAND PIZZA
VALERIE PROCTOR I am a retired
be a member of the board. 152 Nelson Street
teacher and, together with my husband,
I founded the first Latin American mar- Ottawa K1N 7R5
VALERIE It’s this period of my life
ket in Ottawa (Mercado Latino). Low- in which I don’t need to work that has 613-789-9999
line
ertown has been my home for 42 years. led me to get involved on the board. I Certicate of Excellence
c a n o rder on
You za.com
Here, we find such a mix of people, rich want to serve my community as best I
m b e r l andpiz
and poor, young and old, from all over can. www.cu
Page 6 ECHO 12-1 février- mars 2021
Coming soon: PAPER PRODUCTS PRINTING
Digital & Offset printing available
Green thumbs at work Business Cards
Letterhead
Packaging
By Ilona Horvath
Boxes
O
ne day a few years ago, I noticed Cheques
sudden transformation of the area Envelopes
framing the front of the public li- Coffee Sleeves
brary, an impressive heritage building on Brochures
Rideau street. A Cinderella story! Years Fire Extinguisher Tags
later, I was delighted to finally meet and
NCR
say thanks to Diane Stephenson and Ur-
sula Williams, who have volunteered their
Forms
time over the years to develop and main- Kit Folders
tain the library’s garden - a beautiful oasis Door Hangers
in the midst of the hustle and bustle of ing along the sidewalk would give them Postcards
Rideau Street. some money towards purchasing them. Booklets
Calendars
They are humble with a real green
It started in 2016, when Diane and Ursu- thumb. When asked why they decided to
Invitations & More
la, long-time friends and amateur garden- start this project, they said: “For us it was
ers, decided to put their gardening experi- a wonderful opportunity to get our hands
BANNERS, POSTERS,
ence and love of flowers to public use. The in garden dirt, meet all sorts of interesting SIGNS & MORE
library does not have a budget for plants people (and critters!) and help cheer up a Sintra Signs
and does not accept donations for it there- beautiful heritage building.” This lovely Coroplast Signs
fore at the start they provided all the flow- garden and their volunteer work may be an Foamcore Signs
ers and bulbs themselves. inspiration for future beautifying projects Rollup Banners
Later on, they received donations: the in Lowertown. Hanging Banners
management of the Watergate building Thank you Diane and Ursula! We hope
Canvas Prints
gave away tulips bulbs, friends donated to see you in 2021. Wall Graphics
plants, and once in a while someone com- Window Graphics
Posters
Stickers
Labels
CUSTOMIZABLE PRODUCTS
Embroidery
Screen Printing
DTG Printing
T-Shirts & Polos
School Apparel
Sweatshirts & Pants
Hoodies
Hats, Toques & Scarves
Mugs
70 George Street, 2nd Floor
Ottawa ON, K1N 5V9
Diane Stephenson and Ursula Williams put their green thumbs to work 613.742.0238
tending a garden for all to enjoy as they pass by the Rideau Street Public Fax: 613.745.5531
Library. Photos by Ilona Horvath. E-mail: sales@carlosgraphicsprinting.com
PRINTING
February - March 2021 ECHO 12-1 Page 7
Community in the time of COVID:
Enjoying the small things!
By Sandra Milton
A
s the pandemic requires us to stay at home for
longer periods of time, we have begun to re-
alize there are many “small things” to enjoy
within our community.
Perhaps you are walking twice a day, taking differ-
ent routes and admiring a garden, noticing a house
you have never seen before, noting historic plaques en
route or listening to various podcasts. Have you found
yourself mulling over different recipes, trying some
with success and others with less, leading perhaps
to an order from a local restaurant? Are you reading
more, doing more puzzles, watching more television,
or engaging in lots of Zoom meetings?
Life is quieter now, although busy at the same time.
It is a strange feeling, and perhaps it is time to give
thanks for some of the small enjoyments.
Did you enjoy the pop-up art exhibit “Warm Hug”
created by artists Kanika Gupta and Amat Kehar?
It was located at Rose Park in November, hosted by
Friends of Bordeleau Park, and in Jules Morin Park
in December, hosted by the Lowertown Community
Resource Centre, Did you appreciate your neigh-
bours who put up outside lights to bring vibrancy and
brightness to the dark evenings? Did you and your family see Santa when he visited have found a local skating rink and enjoyed chatting
Lowertown on Sunday December 20th ? To the de- with the wonderful volunteers caring for our Lower-
light of people in Lowertown East, Santa took some town rinks.
time to walk around and greet people. For some little
ones who were housebound due to COVID, Santa’s
wave from the street was a magical moment!
When Santa and Mrs. Claus, accompanied by a
German Shepherd named Tana, began their journey
through Lowertown on John Cundell’s horse-drawn
wagon, it was a memorable day with lots of beautiful
snow falling. As Santa’s sleigh wagon made its way to
the ByWard Market, young and old enjoyed the special
moment. It was an amazing day: many thanks to the
Market BIA for sponsoring the event.
Many of you have offered to pick up groceries for
your neighbour, or to walk their dog. And maybe de-
spite the masks and social distancing, you have made
some new acquaintances as you walk around the
neighbourhood.
We are so lucky in many ways and will get through
this time of COVID. Let us always remember to ap-
preciate the small things in our community!
Did you build or enjoy watching others build snow
Support your business
persons in the park? There are so many amazing ones Support your community
this year. Or did you see children sledding with
squeals of laughter even on the slightest of hills? Have
Advertise in the Echo
you taken up birdwatching, running or walking, or en- Check out our rates at
joyed a local coffee shop and the great outdoors? Per- https://lowertownecho.ca/our-advertisers
haps you have new snowshoes, cross-country skis, or
Page 8 ECHO 12-1 février- mars 2021
Lowertown blockbusters:
The Nelson and the Bytowne
By Michel Rossignol
F
or the first time in over a century,
there is no cinema in Lower-
town. The closing of the ByTowne
Cinema will end the theatre’s major
contribution to Ottawa’s cultural scene,
but the history of the cinema which oc-
cupied the space at 325 Rideau Street
before the ByTowne, the Nelson The-
atre, also merits attention.
When the Nelson Theatre opened on
February 10, 1947, it became one of a
dozen downtown cinemas showing the
newest films. Residents of Lowertown
who wanted to see films could walk to
the Théâtre Français on Dalhousie (from
1914 until 1961) and the Rideau Theatre
at the southwest corner of Rideau and
Dalhousie streets, as well as the Nelson.
They could take a streetcar or a bus
and arrive within minutes at the Capitol
on Bank Street, the Elgin on Elgin near
Laurier, or many other cinemas. In the The Bytowne when it was still the Nelson Theatre March 15, 1974 photo City of Ottawa Archives
1950s, the Nelson tried to attract cus- CA024656. Via Lost Ottawa Facebook page
tomers while showing mostly low bud-
get Hollywood films. In the June 14, 1960 Ottawa Citizen, musical, My Fair Lady. The song about within the walls of 325 Rideau Street
the Nelson’s ad noted that 60,000 Otta- the rain in Spain was heard until July when the ByTowne showed these films
Things changed for the better in De- wa theatre goers had already seen the 1965, when Julie Andrews started sing- as part of its must-see cinema series.
cember 1959 when the Nelson upgrad- film. I saw Ben Hur with students from ing in the hills in the film The Sound of
ed its equipment to show 70 mm films Guigues and other local schools thanks Music. By the mid- 1980s, many of the old
(instead of the usual 35 mm) with wi- to the school board, which arranged a one-screen cinemas downtown had
descreen images. It joined the ranks Saturday-morning screening for the For a full year, the Nelson was the closed because of competition from new
of Ottawa’s most prestigious cinemas special admission price of 75 cents. The place to go to see the classic film ver- multiscreen cinemas. The family of the
like the Capitol by showing the popu- Nelson showed Ben Hur until October sion of the Broadway hit. On July 20, builder of the Nelson, Hyman Berlin,
lar big-budget productions from Hol- 25, 1960. 1966, another popular film started, sold the theatre, which in 1988 became
lywood. The Nelson hit the jackpot in Doctor Zhivago, but it played only until the home of the ByTowne Cinema. Un-
April 1960 when it started showing the In the mid-1960s, the Nelson pre- January 1967. der a new name, the cinema on Rideau
three-hours-long epic, Ben Hur, which sented one big hit after another. On continued to give us wonderful memo-
October 28, 1964, the Nelson held the Five decades later, Lara’s theme from ries.
won eleven Academy Awards.
motion-picture premiere of the popular Doctor Zhivago and the melodies from
The Sound of Music again reverberated
Lowertown Legend: Jack Barber (1895-1993)
By Nancy Miller Chenier
S
kating on the Rideau Canal con-
tinues to be a highlight of winter
for many Lowertown residents.
And in 1986, the Skateway was the
site of a Winterlude speed-skating race
named for Jack Barber, longtime Low-
ertown resident and son of Paul Barber,
the first Black man to settle in Ottawa.
The Jack Barber 50-kilometer Skate
Challenge was not the first honour for
John Alexander (Jack) Barber. Just a
year earlier, he had been inducted into
the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame with
recognition for his speed skating career
and for his work with local youth. His
name was already in the Speed Skating
With this motto in mind, he went on ficiated at speed-skating races at Bing- In 1947, Jack became president of the
Canada Hall of Fame, acknowledging
to win local, provincial, and national ham Park, and in the 1960s he pushed Ottawa Speed Skating Club and worked
his long-term involvement and excep-
championships, skating competitively for a bigger oval at Anglesea Square vigorously to promote the sport and to
tional contribution to the development
until he was in his seventies. (now Jules Morin Park). He regularly encourage participation by young peo-
of speed skating in Canada.
organized events that invited skating ple. He bought skates, kept them sharp-
But he never forgot the Lowertown clubs from Ontario, Quebec and Lake ened and had them ready for any eager
Jack motto was “You never know
community where he lived, first on St Placid, New York. beginner who paid a dollar to join the
what you can do till you try it” so at the
Joseph Street and after his marriage on club.
age of 31 years, he tried speed skating.
St Andrew Street. Over the years, he of-
February - March 2021 ECHO 12-1 Page 9
Homeless men in Lowertown:
a look back at Emergency Shelters
By Nancy Miller Chenier Army opened its first hostel on the
M
same street. Jump ahead to 1983 when
en drifted into Lowertown St Brigid’s Roman Catholic Church on
from the nearby trains, some- St Patrick Street opened a shelter in its
times hitching rides on Mar- church basement during what was de-
ket-bound vehicles, and often just scribed as a “plague of homelessness”.
walking from the jail or the hospitals.
The train station, the market wagons, For early shelter promoters, the By-
the hospitals and the jail are gone but Ward Market area was the chosen loca-
Lowertown continues to be a primary tion. At the organizing meeting for the
site of emergency shelters for men who Union Mission, Reverend McFaul of the
are homeless. newly formed French Baptist church felt
that the mission should be established
In 2006, Georges Bédard, then ward near the ByWard Market where, accord- Overflow facilities at Shepherds of Good Hope
councillor, called for a moratorium on ing to the Ottawa Citizen, it was most
new shelter services downtown. In 2012, Homelessness has many causes and acquired a farm, hoping some clients
needed and where any policeman would the early shelters enumerated them in could work there, and later in the 1980s
Mathieu Fleury, our current councillor, say that the fallen congregated.
argued that a different funding model is their public statements to the newspa- launched an employment program.
needed to get the destitute out of emer- When the Salvation Army was con- pers. At the early Mission, they talked
about the unemployed working poor, While these emergency shelters were
gency shelters and into stable housing. sidering a possible site, it reported that supposed to be places for temporary
Lowertown would be the best part of the men coming from the public wards of
the hospitals, prisoners just discharged stays, persistent and increased demands
from jail. Tramps were not welcome. At led to bigger and bigger institutions in
the Salvation Army, the focus was on our neighbourhood. These organiza-
transients and men who were up against tions quite rightly measured their suc-
it – often unemployed or recently re- cesses by the number of beds and meals
leased from prison. and programs that they offered to men
who appeared to have nowhere else to
By 1983, when the Shepherds of Good go. But the numbers were then and con-
Hope was established, the organization tinue to be a measure of the failure of
was dealing with the same concerns but our community and our city to find and
with increased homelessness created fund supportive housing and programs
by de-institutionalization that left many to meet the needs of these vulnerable
individuals living with mental illness residents.
without community support.
We now know that our shelters house
All the shelters initially operated with women as well as men. Our city has
strong Christian religious support and declared that housing and homeless is
charitable donations, with volunteers an emergency. Our Lowertown com-
providing significant services. The Sal- munity continues to have front-line ex-
vation Army was noted for its “soup, perience with neighbours who live at
soap and salvation” approach. Both the the shelters. Most residents continue to
Bunk room at Booth Centre, August 2018. Photo: Errol McGihon
Mission and Salvation Army started advocate for more supportive housing;
with a model where the men in need many argue for more equitable distribu-
So how did our current shelters for city for such an institution. And as for paid a small sum for bed and food ex- tion in our city.
men get their organizational start? The the Shepherds, the fact that St Brigid’s cept in extreme cases.
Mission, now on the edge of Sandy Hill, Church was in Lowertown with easy Our city has supported our Lower-
grew out of a 1906 gathering of business access to restaurants and leftover fruit They also expected the men to seek town shelter organizations in doing
and religious leaders collected together and vegetables determined much of the work and operated as labour bureaus, what residents across the whole city
to support a Rescue Mission on George future development. encouraging job requests from the should be doing – providing homes and
Street. A few years later, the Salvation community. The Shepherds initially support to the many in need.
Page 10 ECHO 12-1 février- mars 2021
The night the war brides arrived
By Michel Rossignol of them made the trip before the end of Glasgow, Scotland. The home of anoth- were on the other side of the ocean.
L
the war. The war brides who arrived in er air force sergeant and his wife was on However, on that evening in December
ate in the evening of December December 1944 were mostly from the St. Andrew Street. 1944, there were many joyful reunions,
20, 1944, a large crowd gathered British Isles. heartfelt welcomes, and hopes for a bet-
in Union Station, Ottawa’s busy The war brides who arrived in Cana- ter tomorrow.
train station which is now the tempo- Their journey aboard a crowded ship da during and after the war faced many
rary home of Canada’s Senate. The across a stormy ocean where enemy challenges since they were now in a new
most excited persons in the crowd were submarines still lurked under the waves country and their parents and friends
young men wearing army or air force was not a vacation cruise. All the pas-
uniforms. sengers were happy when they arrived
safely in Halifax, where they boarded
They had returned to Ottawa during trains for Montreal and other destina-
the previous weeks, after having com- tions across Canada. The December
pleted a tour of duty in the United King- 21, 1944, edition of the Ottawa Citizen
dom and, together with their parents and reported that fifteen war brides had ar-
friends, they now waited impatiently for rived in Ottawa.
the trains arriving from Montreal. The
young women they had met and married Some of the war brides carried babies
while overseas had arrived in Canada. in their arms, so there were many hap-
py grandparents as well as proud fathers
Between 1943 and 1947, approximate- in Union Station that snowy December
ly 48,000 young women who married night.
Canadian soldiers, sailors, and airmen,
arrived in Canada. (A few women in the Now re-united, the young couples left
Canadian military married British men Union Station to go home. For some war
who also arrived in Canada during the brides, home was just a short distance
same period.) Most of the Canadian from the train station because it was in
war brides crossed the Atlantic Ocean Lowertown. A francophone air force
in 1946 and 1947, but a small number sergeant arrived at his home on Dalhou-
sie Street with his wife who came from
Le soir où quelques épouses
de guerre sont arrivées dans
la Basse-ville
Par Michel Rossignol vagues n’était pas une croisière de va-
T
cances.
ard dans la soirée du 20 décembre
1944, plusieurs personnes atten- Tout le monde était soulagé lorsque le
daient dans la Gare Union, la navire est arrivé sain et sauf à Halifax
gare très achalandée d’Ottawa (où se où les épouses de guerre ont pris des
trouve aujourd’hui le Sénat du Canada). trains pour Montréal et d’autres endroits
Les personnes les plus excitées dans la à travers le Canada. Comme l’a signalé
foule étaient des jeunes hommes por- le Ottawa Citizen dans son édition du
tant l’uniforme de l’armée ou de l’avi- 21 décembre 1944, quinze épouses de On December 4, 1944, In London, England, a Canadian war bride,
ation. Ils étaient de retour à Ottawa guerre sont arrivées à Ottawa dans la Mrs. R.H. Whitmore, makes last minute preparations before the trip
depuis quelques semaines après avoir nuit. Quelques-unes portaient des bébés to Canada. Photo: Lieutenant Charles Richer, Department of National
terminé leur période de service au dans leurs bras, donc il y avait à la Gare Defence. LAC-BAC, PA-128181.
Royaume-Uni. Union cette nuit d’hiver de nombreux
grands-parents heureux en plus de fiers Le 4 décembre 1944, à Londres, une épouse de guerre canadienne,
Avec leurs parents et amis, ils atten- papas.
daient maintenant avec impatience les Mme R.H. Whitmore, se prépare pour son voyage au Canada. Photo :
trains partis de Montréal car les jeunes Maintenant réunis, les jeunes couples Lieutenant Charles Richer, Département de la Défense nationale.
femmes qu’ils avaient rencontrées et ont quitté la gare pour se rendre à leurs
mariées au Royaume-Uni étaient ar- domiciles. Quelques épouses de guerre
rivées au Canada. sont arrivées dans des maisons dans la
Basse-Ville, à quelques pas de la gare.
Entre 1943 et 1947, près de 48 000 Un francophone, sergent dans l’avia-
jeunes femmes mariées à des marins, tion, est arrivé à sa résidence sur la rue
soldats et aviateurs canadiens pendant Dalhousie avec son épouse qui venait de
la Deuxième Guerre mondiale sont ar- Glasgow en Écosse.
rivées au Canada. (Seulement quelques
femmes dans les forces armées cana- Un autre sergent dans l’aviation et son
diennes ont marié des hommes britan- épouse sont arrivés dans leur maison
niques qui sont aussi arrivés au Cana- sur la rue St-André. Les épouses de la
da.) La plupart des épouses de guerre guerre qui sont arrivées au Canada juste
canadiennes ont traversé l’Atlantique avant ou après la fin de la guerre ont
en 1946 et 1947, mais quelques-unes ont fait face à de nombreux défis car elles
fait le trajet avant la fin de la guerre. étaient maintenant dans un nouveau
pays alors que leurs parents et amis se
Les épouses de guerre arrivées en trouvaient de l’autre côté de l’océan. The Echo has a new website.
décembre 1944 venaient des Îles bri- Check it out at
tanniques. Sur un navire bondé de pas- Cependant, le soir du 20 décembre
sagers, la traversée d’un océan agité 1944, il y avait de nombreuses réunions
https://lowertownecho.ca
par la houle alors que des sous-marins joyeuses, un accueil chaleureux et l’es-
ennemis se faufilaient encore sous les poir d’un monde meilleur.February - March 2021 ECHO 12-1 Page 11
Memories of Lowertown Rinks
By John Chenier and Members of Facebook pour se rechauffer avec un
Group I Grew Up In Lowertown poêle à charbon ou bois et
l’on déposait nos mitaines
L
de laine pour les faire séch-
owertown’s rinks continue to be the creators
er ça puait le diable. L’on
of memories. Now memories are made at the
patinait jusqu’à être frigor-
Winterfest celebrations with games between
Lowertown youth and the Ottawa police on the large ifié. De retour à la maison
hockey league size rink at Jules Morin Park (formerly l’on mettait nos pieds sur la
Anglesea Square). And maybe some residents will fournaise à l’huile. Que de
have stories of the Bingham Cup competition between beaux souvenirs.
the USA Embassy and the Parliamentary Press Gal-
Guy Carisse - What a
lery at Bingham Park.
delightful thing to be able
to remember “olden” days.
Both rinks have a long and active history. At Bing-
Do anyone of you remem-
ham, speedskating competitions dating from the 1920s
ber Friday night skating at
drew upward of 2000 competitors and spectators. In
Anglesea Square during
the 1950s, ice carnivals at Anglesea brought out as
the winters - skating hand-
many as 3000 people. The 1940s and 50s were the
in-hand with young ladies
era of the “Skate to Music” programs and on selected
to the classical sound of
nights, both rinks were filled with singles and couples
La Valse des Patineurs and lacing up on long wood Carole Fortier - A little history of speed skating. I
gliding around the oval rinks.
benches in the old shack with its wooden stove? started renting skates from Jack Barber for ten cents.
Hockey ruled the ice over the years with reports of Eventually we had competitions at Anglesea Square
players cheered on by scores of fans. In the 1960s, winning ribbons and then in 1963 competitions were
broomball events were sponsored by local businesses held at the park. The group that started with Jack Bar-
and Jack Barber was pushing to make Anglesea the ber was Gerry Cassan, Michel Rivet, Francine Aspect,
site of a 440-yard oval speedskating rink. Linda Landry and myself. Eventually other skaters
started to join our club, Ottawa Speed Skating. We
As the Facebook site - I Grew Up in Lowertown Ot-
trained during the week for at least one hour a night.
tawa / J’ai grandi dans la Basse-ville d’Ottawa - re-
We had the rink to ourselves. We travelled all over
veals, the rinks elicit multiple memories for current
Ontario and the States competing. My hero was Jack
and past residents. The smells, the sounds, the feel of
Barber being there for me and showing me the sport I
the rinks and some of the people who supported them
loved the best.
are easily recalled in these snippets from people who
are now adults. Thanks to Danielle Gagne for reviving Joanne Pharand - Oui je me souviens, c’était beau
these recollections and to the following people who avec la musique... mais, juste à me rendre au rond à
shared them. patiner mes pieds étaient gelés déjà avant d’arriver, je
pense qu’on mettait trop de bas dans mes patins, ça
arrêtait la circulation… et le shack avec son poêle à
bois ne réchauffait pas trop...je me souviens d’arriver
à la maison avec les pieds gelés et de pleurer quand ils
dégelaient.
Ron Lavigne - My mom played broomball for a
Marie Longtin - La patinoire Bingham c’était pour team of nurses from the General Hospital...my dad
moi une passion . Tout les soirs après souper. Je partait also played with Red, Tinouc, Lassy, Niger...1930-40s
en patin allé rejoindre mes amies on fesait le tour après boys from Cathcart...my dad’s nickname appearing on
tour.et en couple on dansais avec la musique. Henri a jersey was ‘Picolo’...loved watching them play late
Lacombre et son père était en charge du Parc en l’ hiv- at night.
er et en été, c’était M. Lemay. Il était grand je crois 3/4
de la rue Bolton jusquà la ruelle qui partait de Dalhou-
sie et la rue Cathcart.
Patricia M. Gauthier - Un beau cadeau de Noël Mike Richer - Wow, what can you say about An-
quand j’étais petite c’était de recevoir une paire de pa- glesea Square, so much fun to be had, I can still re-
tins (blanc avec les petites coches à l’avant). J’allais member the sounds, the smell, and the frozen toes, the
après souper patiner sur le grand cercle au carré An- friendships to be made, some skating hand in hand,
glesea. Il y avait de la musique et une petite cabane the spills and the tears, the sounds of joy made by boys
and girls playing, going inside the little shacks to get
warm, the smell of the stove that toasted many mit-
tens, some things you never forget, this little spot in
Lowertown has so many memories for so many, it has
a special place in my heart.
Hélène Caron - Je me souviens très bien du temps où
je m’empressais après l’école pour aller patiner au Car-
ré Anglesea, là où j’essayais de faire comme Barbara
Ann Scott. Je me suis fait quelques foulures au poi-
gnet et à la cheville en essayant de l’imiter. Il y avait
une cabane pour se réchauffer si on avait trop froid.
La cabane était composée de deux côtés, un côté pour
les garçons et un côté pour les filles avec une four-
naise au centre des deux côtés. Lorsque 18 h arrivait
les lumières de la patinoire clignotaient, soit en même
temps que les cloches de l’église Ste-Anne sonnaient,
pour avertir les jeunes que c’était le temps de quitter
Rene Latreille, Michel Richer, Robert Latreille pour le retour à la maison. Que de beaux et bons sou-
venirs que je retiens dans ma mémoire à tout jamais. Winter Carnival 1953You can also read
